Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this.
Warning:Male/male sex, graphic, violent, language, Prison!Duo, Mentally unstable!Duo.
Maniac
1x2
Schedules
The last thing that Quatre had expected was to get a phone call from the Earth's top prison. He certainly wasn't ready for a hesitant young man to attempt to hand off Duo Maxwell as if he were an unwanted dog in a pound.
"There was a general shake up of personnel and regulations," the young man said on the vid phone. He was in a neat blue uniform, with command stripes and insignia. His crew cut hair and wide blue eyes did nothing to make him look old enough for the position. "Cases were reviewed and it was decided that some prisoners were .... warehoused."
"Warehoused?" Quatre repeated the word, not liking the connotation.
"The last commander gave minimal orders to the staff," the man admitted. "Once there was an overall audit of the system, there were blatant failings in operations."
"Audit?" Quatre knew that he sounded stupid, but he had been ready to enter into negotiations for some very important business and he hadn't been prepared for this man to cleave through his many levels of staff to reach him personally. That took high level credentials, which begged many questions.
"The most severe failings were among the high security, solitary confinement prisoners, "the commander continued, as if he didn't want to delve into the whys and the wherefores."They were..." he tried for an apt description, thinking it over before he finished with, "given low maintenance."
Quatre refused to repeat that. Instead, he said, "Meaning, abused?"
"No physical abuse," the young man quickly assured him. "Nor were basic physical necessities not met."
"Young man," Quatre growled impatiently and the young man looked almost frightened, swallowing hard and unconsciously coming to attention. "I want you to tell me exactly what is going on here."
Facing Quatre Winner, the most important business man on the Earth or in space, with bad news was one thing, but also trying to offload something unwanted as well, must have been making the man wish that he had never taken the position. "Everyone was replaced," the young man explained, "After Relena Peacecraft had all of the prisons audited for abuses."
Ah, now his high level clearance was beginning to make sense, Quatre thought, Relena would consider it her responsibility to make certain that Duo Maxwell was taken care of. At least, once it was known that the humane incarceration, that she had ordered him into three years ago, had been revealed to be something else entirely. Nothing but the best for the saviors of the Earth, even if one of those saviors had been unable to forget old scores and sign the peace accord. Duo Maxwell had wanted to win in a very tangible way. Signed pieces of paper, agreeing to non violence and friendship between warring factions, had not been acceptable. Being imprisoned, to keep him and others safe, until he could be 're-educated' had sounded so temporary. They had all been surprised at Duo's dedication to his cause. Quatre had been personally hurt by Duo's refusal to reply to his letters, and other attempts to communicate with him, after the first few months. He had hoped to convince him to change his position, but Duo had grown tired of his arguments.
"Those in long term solitary suffered the most," the young man explained.
"Some of them should have been released years ago..." He swallowed
hard again and then bulled forward, wanting his ordeal over with. "They
weren't given anything but minimal care. The guards followed the schedule given
to them and... nothing else. Some of the prisoners... committed suicide. There
was general lockdown after that and the rest were denied anything they could
use to harm themselves. That order was never rescinded on two inmates. One of
those men is irrevocably insane. The other, was Duo Maxwell. He's aware, cognitive,
and he obeys orders, but...well, I think, I can best describe him as docile,
extremely so. He needs constant orders or he does nothing. Relena Peacecraft
was able to arrange his release, and she suggested that you would be able to
arrange for him to be institutionalized and cared for properly."
Quatre could tell that he fully expected a refusal, but it seemed that Relena
knew him better, and trusted him to see that Duo was rescued. It still rankled,
this treatment of someone who had been a brilliant pilot and a force in the
war for their peace. Duo had been his friend. The thought of his mistreatment
angered him in a way that was dangerous. "Give me his schedule, now,"
he said and the young man looked confused. "I will be coming for him immediately."
Then it was relief and words of thanks. Quatre didn't give a damn what the man
said after that, especially not after he read over the schedule that Duo had
followed for three years.
A.M.:
7:00; All prisoners will rise for cell inspection. Bed linens will be discarded
in chute A.
7:15; Cell wash down. All prisoners will undress and place clothing in chute
A. They will be escorted, individually, to the showers while their cells are
being washed down.
8:00; After prisoners have completed their hygiene routine, prisoners will stand
for general delousing and inspection.
8:30; New clothes will be issued for the day. Prisoners will dress quickly and
then allow themselves to be escorted to the sunroom where breakfast will be
served.
9:00; Exercise routine. Make sure that the recorded instructions are followed.
9:30; Re-education cubicle. Make certain that prisoners listen to the recording
and then write in the provided journal their thoughts.
10:00; Return prisoners to cells and observe lock down restrictions.
12:00; Lunch is served. When the meal is complete, place empty containers in
chute B.
P.M.;
2:00; Prisoner must place hands against the indicated symbols on the wall. Prescribed
medications will be administered at this time.
6:00; Dinner is served. Place empty containers in chute B.
9:00;Lights out. No activity of any kind will be permitted after last alarm.
Alone, drugged, and without any mental stimulation at all, it wasn't any wonder that Duo had become nothing more than a docile vegetable. Quatre wondered what Duo had written in his re- education journal and determined to acquire it.
It was s study in despair. Quatre flipped through the computer files of the
'journal'. Once Duo discovered that no one was reading it, he went from repeating
a single entry, 'I still think I'm right', to streams of curses and colorful
musings about certain person's parentage. Then even that trailed off and everything
else was blank, a simple touch on an enter key had ended his sessions, un-vetted
by any outside review of those entries.
Walking through the facility, a doctor on one hand, and his security detail behind him, Quatre didn't like what he saw of Duo's environment either. The idea of a sunroom sounded pleasant, until he saw that it was an empty room with a secure poly sun light, drifts of clouds barely visible through the dense material. Exercises took place in that room, without any equipment and with a computer voice droning out the routine. Breakfast was served there as well; a tray of nondescript, vitamin enriched, and totally unrecognizable food on a thin plastic tray. It was eaten standing up. The re-education cubicle was through another door. It was small, dark, and the boring tones of the repeated lesson, would have driven anyone insane. On one wall, someone, presumably Duo, had diligently marked the surface in a line that ran the length of the cubicle. It said over and over, Fuck you.
"Is he ready to leave?" Quatre wanted to know and the commander, looking even younger than he had on the vid, appeared out of Quatre's guard detail to reassure him.
"He's dressed," the man told him. "We tried to explain, but he didn't seem to understand. He... well, he kept trying to follow through with his schedule.... not in a violent way... simply... attempting it."
"Is he still drugged?" Quatre wanted to know, golden brows drawing down fiercely.
"No, not since the order for his release was given," the commander replied. "We haven't seen any difference in his behavior though."
Quatre nodded and then braced himself, mentally, when a door was opened and he stepped into Duo's cell. Duo was standing in loose pants and a shirt, long braid a tangle over one shoulder, and his shoulders slightly stooped. A guard was standing in front of him, looking unsure as he repeatedly, but gently, kept Duo from taking off his clothes. It was time for him to undress and discard his clothes, Quatre realized as he glanced at his watch..
Duo seemed confused, his brows creased, but it was a vacant confusion, without any strong emotion behind it. He looked healthy, not thin or pale, and his eyes, though cloudy with his bewilderment, were bright and unshadowed. They had cared for his body, most certainly, but they had not done anything for the mind.
"Duo?"
Quatre hoped for instant recognition, a movement of some intelligence behind those eyes, but they settled on him and then flicked away. How many mad visions had Duo discarded in the same manner? What had his mind conjured up to desperately try to stimulate itself? His old friend from the wars must have seemed common place by now.
Kept from his routine, they should have expected what came next. Quatre stepped back in shock, all the same, as the guards attending Duo suddenly found themselves unlikely janitors. Duo's personal hygiene had been scheduled as well. There was a routine for even his cleanup, and it was in the form of a punishment as well. Without thinking about who was attending, the guards stripped Duo and moved him into a corner with a drain. It was possible to direct the cell cleaners to take care of one individual section. The strong antiseptic cleaners and the brutal force of the spray, made Quatre shout in anger, but it was already done before the echoes of his shout faded and Duo was being taken out again, dripping wet and shivering from reaction.
The guards looked apologetic, but it was hard to make them understand that, no, Quatre wouldn't allow them to walk Duo naked and wet, through the halls until he dried enough to put on his new clothes. Towels were sent for and Duo shivered even more, when they dried him and dressed him again. This was not the schedule and he was beginning to show signs that these changes were disturbing him.
"We're leaving," Quatre assured Duo and gently took his elbow. Duo frowned down at the hand, blinking. Quatre doubted that his hallucinations had ever touched him before.
The doctor monitored Duo during the ride to the institution. Quatre sat on Duo's other side, expecting, perhaps, some panic or awakening, but Duo's eyes flicked about briefly and then went serenely blank. Quatre sensed that he was still dismissing everything as a very good hallucination.
"They were telling the truth," the doctor said. "He is, physically, fit. I'll need a full exam to determine if there's been any abuse, but my palm monitor isn't picking up any indications of physical stress."
"Coordinate with the staff," Quatre ordered. "I'll pay for everything."
It seemed the proper thing to do, to give Duo over to professionals. To put him into a place with gardens, exercise rooms, spas, and top doctors. If there was still a Duo Maxwell to bring back to the living, they would be the ones to accomplish it.
"They'll take very good care of you," Quatre told Duo. "If you need anything, they'll let me know and I'll arrange it." Quatre put a hand over Duo's and squeezed tight. "Why did you have to push everyone away? You weren't alone."
But he had been, and not by his own choice in the end. Quatre felt that hot anger seethe at his core again, wanting to take revenge on someone on behalf of his friend. There was no one to strike at, though. The force of the systems, that had closed around Duo, and kept him isolated until he had lost his mind, were inhuman, a titan of regulations and misplaced orders.
Duo made a sound and Quatre looked up to see his confused expression. His eyes were on the scenery passing by.
"It's real, Duo," Quatre told him firmly. "You've been paroled. You're free."
He wasn't prepared for Duo to be afraid. The doctor slid an arm around him and kept him in his seat, and Quatre's grip on Duo's hand became more of an anchor. Duo trembled, eyes wide.
"He's afraid of punishment," the doctor suggested. "He isn't following his schedule."
Being put in restraints had been one of the punishments. Being denied the sun room and exercise were another. Quatre surmised that the latter punishment was of more concern to Duo. Having his only stimulus taken away must have seemed pure torture. Duo didn't have the comforting numbness of drugs either. Everything must have seemed too sharp, too nightmarish, to him just then.
"What drugs did they give him?" Quatre asked the doctor.
"Basic mental stabilizer, a multi vitamin, and an inhibitor," the doctor replied. "They gave me doses, in case we needed them."
"Inhibitor?" Quatre asked as Duo trembled between them and began to pant.
"Sexual inhibitor," the doctor explained. "It's all common place in most prisons."
"That's..." Dehumanizing, Quatre finished mentally, knowing that it didn't need saying. Their claim of not having physically abused Duo was showing itself for the lie it was. They had robbed him of his humanity completely.
TBC
On to chapter two