Chapter Text
Five Hargreeves dies at the mental age of fifty-eight and the physical age of thirteen.
He wished he could have said that the whole ordeal was quick and painless, but he would be lying. Instead, it was quite possibly the worst pain he’d ever experienced in his rather eventual life so far.
The Handler, for all her bellicose nature and penchant for power, had her rare moments of good advice. One of his earliest memories of the woman was her stressing that to succeed in any endeavour, a fear of death would do nothing but make you hesitate, and therefore vulnerable to attack. And while it probably wasn’t healthy to live life constantly on alert, the piece of advice had managed to get him through many sticky situations.
But now, laying on the snow-cold grass and choking on his blood; there was only one thought swimming around his head.
He didn’t want to die.
He really didn’t want to die.
You see, he wasn’t a stupid man; he knew he had cheated death on numerous occasions.
At twenty he survived falling into a sinkhole; sure, it left him with a shattered femur, but he was still alive and (figuratively) kicking at the end of it. When he was forty-three he developed sepsis from an infected wound, spending the following week in and out of consciousness. Not to mention when he was fifty and accidentally set fire to his shelter, resulting in second degree burns up his left arm. That certainly wasn’t his finest hour.
Thinking about it, maybe those past brushes with death had made him complacent. He was naïve to think that turning back time would be without its consequences.
He tried to sit up but his head was hazy and his movements uncoordinated. But that was the least of his problems when he was currently drowning in his own blood. His chest and stomach were aflame with the phantom pain of gunshots, and his lungs were struggling to take in air through the fluid collecting in them.
His eyes were prickling with hot tears.
He supposed that it was rather symbolic in a way; he was alone in the apocalypse, and now he was going to be alone in his death.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
His hands instinctively clawed at the collar of his shirt, his chest heaving with effort as he tried to suck in air he couldn’t take. He tried to pull at his powers which spluttered weakly in his rapidly deteriorating state. He opened his mouth to shout for his family, but he couldn’t form words through the blood frothing in his mouth.
He didn’t want to die alone.
He didn’t want to die
He didn’t –
“How is he?”
Sissy exhaled softly and glanced up at her from the bed, her left hand gently smoothing the stray hair away from Harlan’s forehead. For the first time in a while, the boy looked peaceful, for which Vanya was grateful for. She crossed the room and lowered herself down on the mattress, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept peacefully.
“He’s fine now” Sissy said with a hint of a smile on her lips. “I…Thank you…you know…”
“You shouldn’t be thanking me” Vanya said, her stomach churning with guilt. It made her feel nauseous. “I was the one who caused all this trouble. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this situation”
Sissy pursed her lips thoughtfully and cast her gaze around the room. The walls were dotted with bullet holes and there were chunks of plaster missing from the substrate. Framed family photographs and Harlan’s drawings littered the floor, and the ones that had remained on the walls were hanging wonkily.
It was in a dire state, but then, this was one of the lesser affected rooms.
“I know that” Sissy murmured. She reached across the space between them and cupped her face in her hands, and Vanya couldn’t help but lean into the touch. Her hands were warm and soft. “But then, without all of this, I wouldn’t have met you”
“You’re a real sap you know that right?” Vanya said with a smile. Sissy snorted quietly and leant in to kiss her forehead, her nose, and then pressed a lingering one against her mouth, her slim fingers sliding back into her hair. And when she pulled away, her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “Do you have to leave? You could all stay here for a while; I know the house isn’t in the best condition, but I can sort something out”
“I’d love to…” Vanya said hesitantly, and she really did. In an ideal situation, Sissy and Harlan would join them back in 2019. But despite how much it pained her, she knew that Five was right, they couldn’t impact the timeline like that. “But I can’t. I have to go back with my family…I…”
“I know. It’s okay” Sissy whispered with nothing but understanding. “But if you find a way to visit me, you take it, okay?”
Vanya nodded numbly as her heart constricted painfully. Her eyes lingered on Sissy’s face, committing it to memory; her earnest eyes, the soft sweep of her nose, the gentle curve of her lips. She couldn’t help but feel that after a functioning briefcase had been found, that this would be the last time she’d see her.
The saudade atmosphere of the room was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a door slamming, which rattled the weakened walls of the house. It was swiftly followed by the muffled sound of urgent yelling, although she couldn’t quite decipher what they were saying.
She glanced down at Harlan, who was thankfully still sleeping.
“Do you think everything is okay?” Sissy queried, a hint of fear on her face.
“I’m sure it’s fine” Vanya reassured as she crossed the room. “But just stay here and keep an eye on Harlan, just in case”
The yelling was louder in the corridor, and Vanya realised with panic that it belonged to Klaus who was shouting their names. And of all the things she expected when she stumbled across the threshold of the living room, it certainly wasn’t the limp form of Five draped across Klaus’ spindly arms.
“I don’t know what happened, I just found him” Klaus rambled with fright.
He kicked some of the debris out of the way and carefully laid him down on the rug, and a wave of coldness washed over her when she got a better look at him. His skin, which was usually olive-toned, held a sickly pallor, and his blood-speckled lips were alarmingly blue. His eyes were open, staring unseeingly up at the ceiling.
She hadn’t realised she’d frozen in shock until she felt the others brush past her into the room. Allison dropped to her knees and pressed her fingers against the underside of his jaw, her lips pressed into a tight line. “He’s freezing cold. Where did you find him?”
“Just out on the farm, over by the chicken sheds” Klaus waved a hand vaguely towards the field, “I just popped out to see if he’d found a briefcase yet, and I found him like this”
“There’s no pulse,” Allison said, shakily withdrawing her hand.
“Get out the way” Diego hissed as he shouldered his way through them. He dropped down beside Allison, and with a kind of seriousness Vanya hadn’t seen in him before, placed his interlocked hands down firmly over Five’s breastbone. “Right, Allison, tilt his head back and make sure his airways are clear. I’m going to chest compressions; tell me when he takes a breath”
Allison swallowed thickly but followed the instructions without complaint. “Okay. Okay…all good”
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Luther asked.
“Of course” Diego rolled his eyes and shot him a glare, “Police academy, remember?”
He inhaled shakily and then pressed down rhythmically as he counted under his breath, his eyebrows knitted together tensely with focus. Vanya could feel something on her cheeks, and when she reached up to touch them, her fingers came away wet with tears. There was a choked sob to her left and she glanced up dazedly; Klaus was stood there looking wild and panicked, his fingers tangled in his hair and eyes watery.
There was a sickening crack of a rib and Diego winced as he faltered in his ministrations. “Sorry, buddy, so sorry”
“Diego,” Allison said softly, one hand gently cradling Five’s head and the fingers of her other hand placed at his pulse point.
“Shit. Hang on” Diego cursed, adjusting his position slightly and pressing down more firmly than before, putting the weight of his body into it.
“Diego” Allison reached out a hand and placed it over his. “He’s not…”
“Shut up” He spat, continuing for a couple more minutes until the compressions dissolved into mere shaky trembling. He sucked in a wet breath as his body shuddered with the effort to remain composure, one hand twisted in the fabric of Five’s sweater vest and the other clawing at the floor. “He can’t die on us. Fuck. Fuck”
“It’s okay” Allison said, yet despite the words, her voice was thin and wobbly, her face twisted into an expression of grief that was mirrored on all their faces. Diego shuddered as a sob was ripped from his mouth, and with a careful amount of tenderness he curled his arms around Five and pulled him upright against his body; their brothers limp head falling to the side against the broad expanse of his chest.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen” Diego whispered, staring down at the small body gathered in his arms with blank eyes. Tears were running off his cheeks and dripping off his chin, leaving a wet trail in their wake that glittered in the light. “This isn’t right, we’ve got to do something”
Allison shuffled closer and pulled the two of them into an embrace, her chin resting on top of Diego’s head and their brother's body cocooned between them. “You did everything you could” She whispered softly, so quietly that it was barely audible.
“I don’t understand how this happened,” Luther said, his voice oddly hoarse. “He was okay earlier, I mean, he looked okay”
“He looked okay, but you know what he’s like” Allison said tightly. “We should have checked on him. Just because he looked okay doesn’t mean that was true. I should have…” She trailed off and tenderly swept the hair back off Five’s forehead with trembling fingers.
Klaus squatted down and placed a hand on Allison’s shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.
“Can you…” Luther started, swallowing thickly. “Can you see him?”
Klaus glanced up slowly, casting his eyes across the room. “I mean, I can if I want to, but I don’t if I can I can quite yet, I wa-”
“It’s okay Klaus” Vanya spoke up. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and lowered herself down to the floor, wrapping her arms as much as she could around her four siblings huddled on the floor.
Allison was trembling with the effort to hold in her tears, while the muscles of Diego’s back were tense under her hand, although there was no mistaking the broken expression on his face. Klaus was openly crying now, a hand clutched around the dog tags hanging from his neck. And in the middle of it all, Five was unmoving in their arms.
Without the seemingly permanent crease of stress between his eyebrows or the tense set of his jaw, it was the most serene she had ever seen him. It was easy to forget that with his biting words and his headstrong personality, that he was quite so small and vulnerable.
“If I hadn’t caused this mess he wouldn-” She continued.
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence” Klaus interrupted. He exhaled shakily and scrubbed a sleeve across his eyes.
Luther dropped down beside them, the floorboards protesting under his weight, and wrapped his arms around them all. He swallowed audibly, and none of them mentioned the glassiness of his eyes.
“Surely this isn’t the end” Diego sniffed. “This can’t be the end. Five saved us from the first apocalypse, and then the second. Surely we can save him this time”
“And do what?” Allison replied brokenly. “It’s not like we can bring him back to life”
Vanya froze as the image of Harlan’s unmoving body flashed into her mind.
Harlan; who was cold and wet as she dragged him from the lake.
Harlan; whose lips were blue from the lack of oxygen.
Harlan; who was brought back to life when she accidentally transferred her powers into his body.
“I can do something” She blurted out. She was aware that the others glanced up at her words, but her eyes remained fixed on Five’s pale face. “You know when I was telling you guys about how Harlan had drowned, but that I did something and managed to bring him back to life. I could try it again”
“But he nearly caused another apocalypse with your powers,” Luther said. “Harlan-”
“Isn’t Five” Diego finished, giving him a look. “And frankly, who knows how long he’s been out there, and the longer we wait the lower the chances of it succeeding”
Luther swallowed, looking at Five and then at Vanya in turn. He gave her a curt nod. “Okay, let’s try it”
“Well, this certainly is an interesting development”
He heaved in a spluttering breath, his mind short-circuiting at the sudden slam of consciousness into his body. And despite the fact his brain felt like a jumbled mess of thoughts, his body had an unusual weightless sensation about it. All the aches and pains were gone, and in its place was a feeling of what he could only describe as buoyancy. It felt like he was both inhabiting his body and existing outside it at the same time.
He gingerly eased himself up onto his elbows, squinting up at the figure leaning over him. It was a girl around the same age as his physical body, with long hair framing her face and a wide brim sunhat perched upon her head. She frowned at him with a quizzical expression, as if she were puzzled by his mere existence.
“I would have thought that you’d end up, you know…” She gestured vaguely downwards with a tilt of her head.
“Where am…” He trailed off when he actually took note of his surroundings. He wasn’t at the ranch anymore, but instead he appeared to be in some sort of woodland, intercepted by a meandering gravel pathway that he was currently sprawled upon. To the left, the trees thinned out into open fields, while to the right they gradually thickened into denser vegetation.
“Where am I?” He repeated.
“That doesn’t matter” The girl said, offering a hand. He eyed it warily but nevertheless took it, allowing her to pull him up to his feet. He brushed the dust off his shorts with a frown. “I must admit, when I first saw you, I thought you were your brother. It’s been a while since he paid me a visit”
Five pulled his attention from the environment around him back to the girl. “Which brother?”
“That’s irrelevant”
Five bit back a retort and instead settled on giving her an irritated glare. “Well, who are you?”
“I created you” She said simply, and then gestured out at the surroundings with a splay of her hands. “In fact, I made all of this”
Five snorted and ran his hands through his hair, his fingers twisting in the strands. “Well this is it; I’ve officially gone mad. Dad mentioned that time travel would mess with my mind. One second I’m dying back at the ranch and the next I’m wherever the hell this is. I suppose the situation could be worse, I mean, I could be dead”
“Ah, well about that. You are dead” The girl said with a shrug of her shoulders, looking far too dispassionate for the current situation.
“Dead?” He froze and lifted his gaze to meet hers.
“As a doornail” She confirmed as she walked over to the side of the path, and it was only then that he noticed there was a bicycle leaning up against a tree. She swung a leg over and straddled the seat, reaching out to grip the handlebars. “Well, I must be off. Things to do. People to see”
“Wait!” He called, jogging to catch up with her. The girl slowed down and gave him a curious glance over her shoulder. “I…I don’t understand. I’m dead?”
She sighed, looking very much like she’d rather be doing a multitude of other things than conversing with him. “You died of internal bleeding. As I said, I thought you’d go to the other place. But here you are; I guess your goodness counteracts your past deeds”
“Is this…heaven?” Five frowned, glancing around at the environment again. He definitely wasn’t a religious person, but if he were to believe in the whole heaven and hell debate, he was certain that he would have ended up in the latter.
“If you want it to be” The girl said. “But seriously, I need to get going. If you have any other pressing questions, well, just keep them to yourself. The less you know about this place the easier it is to comprehend”
“Hang on. Wait! I don’t want to die”
The girl regarded him coolly. “I’m afraid to say that there’s nothing you can do. You’re dead, I can’t do much about it”
“Please” He stressed, even though the sheer action of begging physically pained him. “I’m not ready to die yet; I need to be there to make sure my family gets home. You can bring me back here after. All I need is to make sure they get back to 2019 safely, I can’t leave without knowing”
The girl sighed, plucking a sunflower from her basket and inspecting the sunshine-yellow petals. “What is it with your family and begging to go back? It seems like all you Hargreeves do is cheat death”
“Look, I’m bargaining with you here” He moved to stand in front of her so she couldn’t cycle off. “I’m fine with dying, but I need to go back to get them home. Just kill me off once I get them back to 2019, heck, I’ll even kill myself if that’s what it will take”
“You’re bargaining with me” She laughed, lifting an eyebrow with amusement. “My, you’re pretty ballsy aren’t you”
“Just consider what I-” His sentence was cut off abruptly by a sudden full-body wave of pain, almost like he’d been hit by a car. His torso was screaming at him and his lungs were burning, his mouth immediately filled with the overwhelming taste of blood. He let out a strangled cry and doubled over, wrapping his arms protectively around his middle.
“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you” The girl commented, “Well, it seems like you got your wish. Looks like you aren’t quite ready to die yet”
“Is this…” He gasped out a wheezing breath as another wave of pain hit him. “Is t-this your…doing?”
“Me?” She hummed thoughtfully, gesturing at her herself. “Certainly not. This is an outside influence”
He opened his mouth to reply when his whole body shuddered, his heart jumping erratically within his ribcage and his vision rapidly tunnelling.
“Well, au revoir” The girl said, and then the world fell black.
Vanya recoiled when she felt the body underneath her do a shuddering and wet inhale, and her gaze immediately locking on her brother’s face as she wiped a sleeve across her mouth. His eyes were still shut, and his face was twisted in pain. But he was alive. He was actually alive.
“Oh god,” Allison exclaimed, looking just as startled as the rest of them. “Holy shit. That actually worked?”
“Five” Diego hissed, reaching over and gently cupping his face in his hands, “Hey Five, come on, open your eyes. What’s wrong? What’s happening? Talk to me"
Five merely spluttered wetly in response, spraying more speckles of blood across his lips. He groaned, lethargically clawing at the collar of his shirt as he inhaled, his breathing uncomfortably wet and strained.
“Hang on, hang on” Diego murmured, reached up and trying to navigate the button and tie, which was easier said than done when Five didn’t seem to comprehend that he was trying to help him. Luther shouldered his way in and grasped the shirt in his hands, ripping the fabric as easily as tearing a tissue.
“What the hell?” Klaus blanched, covering a hand over his mouth, and Vanya was inclined to agree. There was a wound on his lower abdomen that was openly bleeding through some gauze, but more alarmingly, there was a large area of pigmented skin on his chest in a shade of purple that was so dark it was almost black.
“Is that…a bruise? Allison said uncertainly.
“Internal bleeding” Diego corrected, sucking in a shaky breath through his teeth. “Jesus no wonder he’s struggling to breathe, looks like it’s coming from his lungs”
“How did it happen?” Luther frowned. “And those small bruises look like gunshot marks, but there are no entry holes?”
“Fucks knows. But what I do know is that we need to get him to a hospital quickly” Diego said. “Sissy has a car, right Vanya? She wouldn’t mind if we take it”
“And what will we say when we turn up with him, huh?” Allison said.
“We’ll deal with that when we get there. The main thing is that we get him some help”
Their muttering was interrupted by a sudden flash of piercing blue, followed swiftly by the sound of space being torn. “Hello again! So we’ve managed to sort out a cleanup crew and…oh dear…”
Vanya eyed the pair standing in the previously empty space. Herb and Dot, she was fairly certain their names were. She wasn’t that familiar with them, but both Diego and Five seemed to trust them, even if they were from the Commission. If she was being honest, she’d forgotten they’d left to organise a crew to deal with the bodies scattered across the farm.
“Oh dear, oh dear” Herb repeated, stepping over some rubble and squatting down to peer down at Five. “Oh my, he’s not looking so good”
“Herb” Diego started, turning to face the man. “You know we’re good pals, right?”
“Well-”
“And now that you’re in charge of the Commission and The Handler’s dead, there’s no one there that’s out to get him, right?”
“But-”
“Come on Herb” Diego shot him a desperate look. “Do us a favour; you guys do stuff with bodies, modifications and shit, right? You can sort this out and patch him up real good. Anything for a Hargreeves”
Herb sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Dot whose eyes remained fixed on the spluttering form of Five half cradled across Allison’s lap. He sighed and hoisted the briefcase back up into his arms. “Okay, I mean I can’t promise anything. But we’ll do what we can and let you know the outcome”
“Whoa” Diego reached out and settled a hand on Herb’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Did you really think we’d leave him alone? We come as a package deal”
Allison hadn’t been quite sure what to expect when they appeared at the Commission, but it was oddly…corporate. That was the best way she could describe it; corporate. The building was vaguely art deco in appearance, a cold austere building reminiscent of a town hall, with its white marble and classical features. They stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of steel blue suits in their blood-smeared clothes. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, frowning when her fingers snagged on some hay.
“I was expecting something a little more” Klaus paused thoughtfully, glancing up and down the corridor, “Hellish. You know, somewhere with chains and torture chambers”
“It isn’t a Medieval dungeon, ya know” Diego commented from where he was draped across a chair.
“I know that. It’s just they all look rather normal for assassins” Klaus said, and Allison was rather inclined to agree. The people walking past looked more like the sort of people that would work at a bank, or a library; they had a slightly mousy air about them. But then again looks could be deceiving.
“They’re the timeline workers,” Diego said. “They’re the ones who figure out the person to kill, you know, the probabilities and shit like that. The field workers don’t really come in here, but if you see them they’re usually in black suits and have briefcases”
Allison raised an eyebrow.
“What?” Diego huffed indignantly, “I made it thought about 10 minutes of orientation”
“So Five was a field worker then? A time assassin person?” Klaus asked.
“I think so” Diego nodded. At the mention of her brother’s name, Allison pursed her lips with worry and glanced back at the door across from them. Moments after appearing in the building Herb had quickly ushered Luther, who was cradling a pale and raspy Five in his arms, through to the door to what they were told was the medical bay. She swallowed thickly and shifted in the uncomfortable office chair. At least Dot had taken pity on them and provided them with some seating while they waited.
“Although he did probabilities too. He had all those equations on his wall” Vanya piped up.
“Who knows,” Diego said with a shrug. “The little fucker hasn’t really opened up about his time here”
“But then again, we haven’t really asked either” Klaus said.
The door squeaked open and Luther awkwardly shuffled out, followed swiftly by Herb, and Allison couldn’t help but smile slightly at the size difference of the pair. They stuck out like a sore thumb, but Luther took it to a whole new level given his sheer size, with the workers giving him wary glances as they walked past.
“Is he okay?” Diego asked immediately, pushing himself up straighter. Herb glanced up at Luther, who was still looking a little shellshocked, before adjusting the labels of his blazer and giving them a look that was half a smile, and half a grimace.
“He’s stable” Herb answered. “But you have to be aware that he was clinically dead for an unknown amount of time prior to you finding him, so we’re going to have to keep a close eye on him. The surgeons have asked for some privacy while they repair the damage to his lungs, and then it’s looking like it’s just a case of waiting until he wakes up”
“How long will he be out for?” Diego pressed.
“I’m not sure I’m afraid. It depends on how his body responds” Herb said, lips pressed into a thin line.
Diego sighed, slumping back down in the chair and staring blankly at the stark wall opposite. “Fucking hell. It’s just one thing after another”
“But rest be assured that the team here are the best of the best, so he’s in good hands” Herb said, shuffling over and patting him on the shoulder as if they were old friends. “And I do remember him quite a resilient man, I believe there was an incident when he was stabbed on a job in Birmingham and he was back to work in two days. He’s kind of known for being a tough cookie, probably why he was The Handler’s favourite”
Allison supposed that it was meant to be comforting, but it just made her feel oddly empty. Herb knew more about her brother than his own family did. They really needed to rectify that, and that was if Five recover-
No.
She wasn’t even going to think it.
He would recover. He always recovered.
“He’ll be fine” Came a quiet voice, and she glanced to the side to see Vanya leaning across the space between their chairs. “This is Five, he’ll be back to normal in no time”
“I hope so” Allison breathed.
“Given the situation I’m sure that we can organise somewhere for you to stay” Herb continued, breaking her out of her thoughts. “We have lodgings in the housing building for the agents, although there are single rooms. However, given the…uhhh…circumstances surrounding the board of Commission, there are rooms that are used for their lodgings during their stays here. They’re split into three four-bedroom suites”
Allison wasn’t quite sure what to make of his tone during that statement, and she had the distinct feeling that she was missing out on a bit of information. Diego, however, merely gave a slight wince at his words. “They’re really gone then, huh?”
“Every single one of them,” Herb said, chuckling awkwardly. “I believe that the cleanup crew had quite a task, it’s quite alarming the amount of blood that one body can contain, and let me tell you, getting blood out of carpet is no easy feat. But anyway, I digress. You are more than welcome to stay here while Number Five recuperates. As I said previously, the suites are four bedroom and-”
“Are they double beds?” Allison asked, and upon Herb's nod, added, “Vanya and I can share a bed. That way we can all be in one suite, only if that’s okay with you of course?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’d rather us stay together anyway” Vanya said, giving a little shrug, and Klaus nodded in agreement, “No offence Herbie, but I want to stick with them, I’m scared I’ll be murdered in my sleep or something”
“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that, you Hargreeves are kind of celebrities here. And now that The Handler’s gone, well, she was the only person who had a problem with you lot” Herb waved a hand. “If you follow me I’ll take you to your room, and there’s a bathroom as well for you to freshen up in. I can sort out some clothes to be sent to you too, I’m sure that anything would be better than what you’re currently wearing”
“Thank you,” Allison said, giving him a small but genuine smile. She had to admit that she was rather apprehensive about being at the Commission, but Herb seemed pleasant enough, and he had kind enough to sort out the whole Swede issue for Raymond. “We really do appreciate it”
“Anything for a Hargreeves” He said, echoing Diego’s words from earlier.
The room Herb supplied them with turned out to be something like a small apartment, rather than the motel-like space she was anticipating. There was a small seating area with an adjoining kitchenette, a bathroom large enough for both a shower and a bath, as well as four bedrooms containing double beds. Everything was white and clean, if not having a slightly clinical feel to it.
“This isn’t half bad” Luther commented as peeled off his coat and draped it gingerly over the back of a chair, a few flakes of mud falling down onto the carpet. Allison tutted and carefully removed her shoes, leaving them by the door. She couldn’t wait to wash away the grime from both her skin and hair.
“Is this the pneumatic tube thingy?” Klaus piped up, and Allison turned around just in time to see him sticking his hand up it. “Klaus!”
“What?” He said, pulling it out sheepishly.
“Jesus Christ” She muttered under her breath, dealing with her siblings was like herding cats. “Don’t stick anything up there, it’ll get stuck. But yes, that’s the pneumatic tube, we should get a message once Five’s out of surgery”
Klaus’ eyebrows drew together, and he sucked in a shaky breath. He looked at that very moment like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Do you think he’ll be okay?” He asked softly.
“He’ll be fine” Luther answered, already raiding the minifridge for a drink. He pulled out a carton of milk and retrieved a glass from the cupboard overhead. “He’s Five, he’ll bounce back”
“But what if he doesn’t?” Klaus continued in a measured voice. “I…I know I should try and see him, see if he’s…”
“You don’t have to do anything” Diego interrupted, forgoing the glass and taking a swig from the carton. He wiped a hand across his mouth and placed the carton back on the side with a sigh. There was a kind of blank emptiness on his face that made Allison’s stomach twist uncomfortably. “I wish this was something stronger, do you think the Commission has a bar?"
“Diego?” Allison said softly. “Are you okay?”
Diego looked up at her, his eyes glassy and face unreadable. His fingers, curled around the carton, tightened briefly. “Yeah…I’m good. I just…It was scary, you know, to see him like that”
“Weren’t you the one that was telling me he’d be fine earlier” Klaus commented, leaning back against the cupboards beside Diego and squeezing his shoulder.
“I know” Diego heaved a sigh that made him both look and sound much older than his years. “I think I’m just persuading myself. I just can’t get his face out of my mind, I mean if Vanya wasn’t there, he’d probably be dead”
Klaus exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “This whole situation is fucked up”
“Damn” Luther nudged him with his elbow. “Must mean it’s fucked up if you of all people say it is”
Klaus snorted, and although his eyes were watery, there was a small smile on his face.
“How about we stop this little moping fest and check out the facilities here. I mean I don’t know about you, but I could do with something to eat” Allison said, and then gave them a softer look. “And I know that Five would kick our asses if he knew we were worrying over him. Herb said that he would contact us when he was out of surgery”
“I could eat some pancakes” Klaus murmured, shrugging.
A loud metallic thump awoke him from his slumber, and Diego groaned with annoyance as he peeled his eyelids apart, giving a quick glance to the clock sat on the bedside table. 7:32am. It wasn’t particularly early, but after the events of Dallas, he could still feel the fogginess of exhaustion clouding his mind.
“Diegooo!” Came Klaus’ shrill voice, slightly muffled through the closed bedroom door. “Get your ass out of bed, we’ve got a message”
“Coming!” He shouted back as he grabbed some pyjama trousers and tugging them on, shouldering the door open. The others were in a similar state of disarray, with the exception of Klaus who had clearly just had a shower and was clad only in a ridiculously tiny towel.
“Fucking hell, put some clothes on” He muttered, stifling a yawn.
“Says you” Klaus raised an eyebrow, jerking his head towards his chest as he tried to pry the lid off the pneumatic tube container. Diego rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know I sleep nude, I could have just come out-”
“You’re children” Allison muttered, grabbing the container out of Klaus’ hands and twisting the lid off with ease. She pulled out the paper within and unrolled it, eyebrows furrowed as she read.
“What’s it say?” Diego pressed,
“Five’s been out of surgery for a few hours now, it says that he’s stable. But they don’t recommend we visit until he’s moved out of the trauma ward. He’d lost a lot of blood, but they did a transfusion. But Herb has requested that we make our way to the…Infinite Switchboard?” She frowned with puzzlement and glanced up at him. “It says that you’ll know where the room is”
Diego reached out and plucked the paper from her hands. “Huh, I mean yeah, I know where it is. But it doesn’t say why he wants us to go there”
“What happens at the Infinite Switchboard?” Luther questioned.
“It’s kind of like a tracking system. They use it to monitor changes to the timeline and make sure everything stays on track. I mean that was how I knew about the whole thing with the CIA building and you” He said, gesturing at Vanya.
“Do you think it has something to do with our timeline?” She asked. “Or rather, the 2019 timeline. Or whatever timeline it is. I don’t know how Five keeps track of all this”
“Only one way to find out, huh” Diego said, raising an eyebrow.