there; the punches turned into kicks, one of them making a horrible crunching sound as the boot hit his ribs. He cried out, and it was only then he realized that he had been quiet until now.
"Yes, make the fucker scream."
It was Jones' voice, and it was Jones who kicked him in the head, making the world go gray and quiet. The only thing he registered were the flagstones under him, hard and cool where he rested his face, but there was no sound, no pain anymore.
His head eventually cleared, though, and he saw that the men were gone. Only Jones was still there, mask off. His former friend pulled roughly at Matt's hair, forcing his head up.
"See, that's what happens to people who fuck aliens. Fucking freak!" Jones spat, most of it hitting Matt in the face. Then he slammed Matt's head into the ground and walked away.
Matt couldn't move, his brain not remembering how to make his limbs work. The only sound he heard was his own labored breathing; something in his chest wasn't functioning as it should, and he wasn't getting enough air. It felt horribly wrong. He finally managed to move an arm, trying to get it under him to get up. The pain in his chest and shoulder was overwhelming, tearing through him, and he was lost in pain, was nothing but pain.
Help me! Pietr, help me. It hurts so much! He cried out for his mate with all of his mental powers, desperately hoping that Pietr was near enough to hear him. Then he faded, all energy spent.
***
"Lie still, now. Don't try to move." Matt could feel the worry pouring out of the woman next to him. He groaned, the pain too bad to keep quiet.
"You'll be fine." Matt could sense that she was lying to calm him down. "I've already called an ambulance; just lie still."
"No ambulance. Pietr." It hurt to speak and it hurt to breathe, and the thought of humans close to him, poking him and staring at him, was intolerable. "Don't let them get me." He managed to open his eyes.
The woman was kneeling next to him, dressed like a corporate something. Someone else working late.
Please, Pietr. There wasn't much force behind his cry, and he doubted that it would have any effect. He was all alone.
"No, you're not. I'm here, and the ambulance will be here in a minute." The woman was worried, and it took Matt several moments to figure out that he must have spoken out loud. It took real effort to turn his head toward her.
"Pietr." His mind was sluggish, and he couldn't put the words together to ask her to call his mate.
"They'll get in touch with your emergency contact at the hospital. Don't worry."
With a shock, Matt's dazed mind remembered that he had long ago put down Jones as his emergency contact. He struggled to get up, the pain shooting through him. The woman tried to keep him down without hurting him, and her gentle hold was enough to hold him still. He couldn't breathe, couldn't fight the way he wanted to.
Don't move!
Pietr wasn't quite here yet, but the knowledge that his mate was close was enough to make Matt cry out in relief. The woman mistook it for pain, and she tried to calm him down again. Matt was oblivious to her efforts, though, the feeling of his mate all he could concentrate on.
"You can't go near him! Not now, he's hurt!"
The woman was frightened, but she still stood up, trying to block Pietr's way. Matt briefly thought that she must be quite brave to get in the way of a Himiko; then he had Pietr's arms around his head and the pain was no longer his alone to carry.
It hurts so much. I can't breathe. Matt wanted to tell Pietr what had happened, but he couldn't collect his muddled thoughts.
I know, baby, I know. Don't move; just lie here while I hold you.
Pietr was angry and worried, and Matt just let go and did as Pietr told him to, letting his eyes slide shut. The pain was almost bearable when he didn't have to hold it together all by himself.
There was a piercing noise somewhere close to him, and the sound tore into his pain, the feeling excruciating. It
"Yes, make the fucker scream."
It was Jones' voice, and it was Jones who kicked him in the head, making the world go gray and quiet. The only thing he registered were the flagstones under him, hard and cool where he rested his face, but there was no sound, no pain anymore.
His head eventually cleared, though, and he saw that the men were gone. Only Jones was still there, mask off. His former friend pulled roughly at Matt's hair, forcing his head up.
"See, that's what happens to people who fuck aliens. Fucking freak!" Jones spat, most of it hitting Matt in the face. Then he slammed Matt's head into the ground and walked away.
Matt couldn't move, his brain not remembering how to make his limbs work. The only sound he heard was his own labored breathing; something in his chest wasn't functioning as it should, and he wasn't getting enough air. It felt horribly wrong. He finally managed to move an arm, trying to get it under him to get up. The pain in his chest and shoulder was overwhelming, tearing through him, and he was lost in pain, was nothing but pain.
Help me! Pietr, help me. It hurts so much! He cried out for his mate with all of his mental powers, desperately hoping that Pietr was near enough to hear him. Then he faded, all energy spent.
***
"Lie still, now. Don't try to move." Matt could feel the worry pouring out of the woman next to him. He groaned, the pain too bad to keep quiet.
"You'll be fine." Matt could sense that she was lying to calm him down. "I've already called an ambulance; just lie still."
"No ambulance. Pietr." It hurt to speak and it hurt to breathe, and the thought of humans close to him, poking him and staring at him, was intolerable. "Don't let them get me." He managed to open his eyes.
The woman was kneeling next to him, dressed like a corporate something. Someone else working late.
Please, Pietr. There wasn't much force behind his cry, and he doubted that it would have any effect. He was all alone.
"No, you're not. I'm here, and the ambulance will be here in a minute." The woman was worried, and it took Matt several moments to figure out that he must have spoken out loud. It took real effort to turn his head toward her.
"Pietr." His mind was sluggish, and he couldn't put the words together to ask her to call his mate.
"They'll get in touch with your emergency contact at the hospital. Don't worry."
With a shock, Matt's dazed mind remembered that he had long ago put down Jones as his emergency contact. He struggled to get up, the pain shooting through him. The woman tried to keep him down without hurting him, and her gentle hold was enough to hold him still. He couldn't breathe, couldn't fight the way he wanted to.
Don't move!
Pietr wasn't quite here yet, but the knowledge that his mate was close was enough to make Matt cry out in relief. The woman mistook it for pain, and she tried to calm him down again. Matt was oblivious to her efforts, though, the feeling of his mate all he could concentrate on.
"You can't go near him! Not now, he's hurt!"
The woman was frightened, but she still stood up, trying to block Pietr's way. Matt briefly thought that she must be quite brave to get in the way of a Himiko; then he had Pietr's arms around his head and the pain was no longer his alone to carry.
It hurts so much. I can't breathe. Matt wanted to tell Pietr what had happened, but he couldn't collect his muddled thoughts.
I know, baby, I know. Don't move; just lie here while I hold you.
Pietr was angry and worried, and Matt just let go and did as Pietr told him to, letting his eyes slide shut. The pain was almost bearable when he didn't have to hold it together all by himself.
There was a piercing noise somewhere close to him, and the sound tore into his pain, the feeling excruciating. It
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