Happiness In Slavery

Heh, apologies for the continuation of plot but it is going to lead up to some very heavy smut. Honest :P

~Redmoon


CODE 8


Tiring of being confined to his quarters, Suzaku was leafing idly through a book when a guard came with his next order. Suzaku's heart sank as he was handcuffed to be taken outside.

He silently followed, additionally escorted by his usual attendants who followed behind, a gun trained on his back should he have been mad enough to make any sudden moves. However, when they came upon the corridor that lead towards the government chambers, which included Schneizer's quarters, the guide carried on past it. Initially, Suzaku felt something like relief before the fear of the unknown dragged it back under.

“Am I not to see the Second Prince?” he asked.

“Orders are from the Governor but he has not requested your presence in person.”

“Oh... right..” Suzaku tailed off thoughtfully.

Before long they were near the Medical Bay and the corridor of cells and treatment rooms adjacent to it. The guide bade Suzaku stop as he went into the main treatment room and came out with a medical kit box, which he handed to Suzaku. Suzaku looked at it blankly in his hands.

“You do have the core military medical training don't you?” the guide asked, noticing his slightly confused look.

“Yeah, but...”

“There's no problem then” he said swiftly and lead on.

The room they eventually stopped at had another guard outside, who without question, unlocked the door to let them in.

The medical cells were more comfortable looking than the usual holding ones, being heated, painted in bright, clean white and having the benefit of external facing windows, which although barred, made the small room feel far less claustrophobic. There was a toilet and a sink, a chair, and a clean, comfortable hospital bed. On the bed sat Lelouch, hunched over so that his long fringe obscured most of his face, bound into a white strait-jacket and from what Suzaku could see, he was wheezing slightly, as though winded.

“You're just required to administer basic treatment, you have about an hour, but if you need more time, other equipment or to request specialist treatment, there is a call button”. The guard indicated the green button beside the door. “Otherwise Governor Schneizer has requested that we just leave it in your hands.” He unlocked Suzaku's handcuffs and took them with him as he left.

For a few moments, neither of them moved. It was a couple of weeks back, but Suzaku recalled their last encounter as vividly as if it happened mere minutes ago. He wondered how much of it Lelouch actually remembered. The thought made him uncomfortable, and still he hesitated, not wanting to approach him. Lelouch coughed suddenly, weakly, creating the sudden appearance of spots of red on the floor tiles below him which finally urged Suzaku into action, and he only just made it to the bedside as Lelouch swayed and fell forward into his arms. He reached over to prop up some pillows before carefully steering him back against them in a semi reclining position. He swept Lelouch's hair away from his face, out of the clotting stream of blood that ran from one nostril and the sides of his mouth.

“Thanks” Lelouch said shallowly.

“Um.. don't mention it” Suzaku replied sheepishly.

Suzaku placed the medical kit on the bed and took out the pack of sterile wipes. He cleaned off the blood and dabbed carefully at Lelouch's split lip, making him flinch slightly in pain.
“Oh yeah, should have said it was gonna sting a bit”. He apologized.

“Can I have some water?”

“Yeah, sure”. Suzaku filled the plastic beaker at the sink, and then held it carefully to Lelouch's lips as he sipped. “That better?”

“It gets rid of the taste of blood a bit”.

“What happened?” Suzaku asked although he felt he really didn't want to know.

“Official interrogation session.” Lelouch said in an oddly detached tone. “The one that gets a report and goes on record.”

“Was Schneizer there?”

“He always is. But he didn't do any of this, he just asks the questions. Some of the other governors and officials were there so he was on his best behavior”.

Suzaku gritted his teeth at Schneizer's absolute hypocrisy but thought it best to move away from the finer details.

“Does it hurt anywhere else.”

“Where doesn't it hurt would be the more relevant question” Lelouch sighed sarcastically. But looking back from his preoccupied gaze out of the window and settling his gaze on Suzaku's perplexed expression, he softened his tone. “I'm no worse off that usual” he said reassuringly. “My right side hurts a bit though.”

“I don't know how I'm supposed to treat you around this” Suzaku huffed as he unfastened some of the lower straps on the restraining jacket so that he could lift it up and look where Lelouch had indicted. It already didn't look good since a fair amount of blood had soaked into the fabric and was clearly visible from the outside, and he wasn't overly surprised to see quite a deep gash in his side just above and to the side of his hip.

“It looks kinda nasty” Suzaku told him honestly. “It's going to heal quicker and neater with a couple of stitches – I can do that if you want, it's straightforward enough, I think there's a spray anesthetic here...”

“Just do it” Lelouch hissed as Suzaku wiped the wound clean.

Suzaku helped Lelouch to lie down as best he could on his good side, with pillows to support him. Lelouch was facing away from him since the cut was slightly more towards his back. Washing the cut out thoroughly with sterile liquid, he used the spray anesthetic and sat back on the chair for a minute or two to give it time to take effect.

“Suzaku” Lelouch spoke although Suzaku could not see his face. “I don't ever expect you to forgive me, but you can see this is wrong.”

Suzaku said nothing, carrying on with his preparation.

“I still believe in what I've always believed in, and I know you believe it too. You can help me make it happen. Together we can bring Britannia down...”

“I do share your ideal in part, Lelouch.” Suzaku cut him off sharply. “But you went about it all wrong, you're letting violence and corruption breed more violence and corruption in a never ending war of tit for tat. There can only be true, lasting peace through democracy, commitment to fairness and justice from all sides. Its not about taking down one side or the other, everyone needs to be able to co-exist on equal footing, and reserve the right to their own identities and beliefs. Rotten inner workings would soon turn the whole thing sour again.”

“I can make it different”.

“No, you couldn't” Suzaku said testily. “Do you even see, even now, what it did to you? So focused on this ideal... you lied, betrayed friends. Family. You killed family members. Where is the justice in that? The end never, ever justifies such impure means.”

“Killing family members. That's rather rich, coming from you.”

Suzaku pressed his lips tightly together, counting to ten in his head as he pushed the needle through Lelouch's skin just a little too hard, making him flinch despite the painkillers.

“You have to admit to yourself that your need for vengeance primarily dictates your actions against Britannia, otherwise you would see it my way. There is no sense in simply bringing Britannia down, and it is not possible.”

“And you think that you alone can change it from the inside, with greater success than my army, than all the Japanese who only want their identity back and will go to any length to get it back.” Lelouch retorted. “Britannia is sickening. You should be proud to be Japanese, not throw that away to become one of them.”

“Don't give me that Japanese crap again Lelouch, you weren't genuinely trying to help those people, you used them.”

Lelouch went quiet. Suzaku continued stitching.

“They've imprisoned you too haven't they?” Lelouch said after a while.

“Hmm?” Suzaku concentrated on pulling the edges of the wound together securely before tying off the thread.

“You were brought in under armed guard, and handcuffed. Why would that be if they haven't put you under restriction as well?”

“House arrest” Suzaku admitted with irritation, taping a dressing over Lelouch's stitched side. He moved the pillows and shifted Lelouch onto his back so they were facing each other once more.

“I take it this might put your plans for Britannia on hiatus for a while.”

Suzaku didn't rise to the bait.

“Let me use the Geass, Suzaku.” Lelouch said quietly. “I can free us both”.

“No.” Suzaku said firmly and without a hint of hesitation.
“It's the only way...”

“I said no, Lelouch” Suzaku raised his voice in his increasing anger. “I won't be party to anything you do with that Geass. You've got this... unholy power... that lets you lie, and force people against their will, and kill, and you don't ever have to lift a finger to do it so you never take responsibility for it. And worst of all, you can't even see the monster it's made out of you”.

“I've got to get out of this place” Lelouch said in a hollow, desperate voice, and despite himself, Suzaku genuinely felt for him.

“I already knew that Schneizer had put you under house arrest, it was exactly two weeks ago to this day.”

He hesitated, looking agitated.

“I know what he did to me” Lelouch said petulantly, and even colouring a bit. “He taped it”.

It was Suzaku's turn to colour then, knowing that he would be in the video as well, toward the end. He wondered how much of it Lelouch had seen, and how much he himself could recall through his then altered state.

“Lelouch, I've confronted him over this, and it got me nowhere other than earning me confinement to my room.” Suzaku looked at Lelouch steadily as he spoke honestly. “This sort of injury is bad enough, but I can't stand the other things that go on... and I'm sure I don't even know the half of it... I really wish there was something I could do” he finished sadly. Lelouch looked ever more pained as Suzaku spoke, his feelings of hopelessness worsening even though he believed without doubt that Suzaku had stood up for him.

“Then, I couldn't ask any more of you than that” he replied quietly, graciously. “And I thank you”.

Silence fell between them, and Suzaku looking glumly up at the digital clock display on the wall. His hour was almost up.

“My movements are extremely limited now, but I won't let this rest.” He tried to reassure Lelouch. He would have held Lelouch's hand if he could, but had to settle for giving his shoulder a brief squeeze, before whipping his hand away as the door behind him clicked loudly as it was unlocked.

He stood and allowed himself to be handcuffed again. He spoke to Lelouch's guard.

“He's had stitches and might possibly have a concussion, he needs forty-eight hours complete rest at the very least. Make this crystal clear to the Prince.” was his firm parting shot as he left.