You're going to reap just what you sow.

[hostage]

Date & Time: April 6
Location: Unit 409
Characters: Jesse, Saul & Rue
Summary: Jesse finally gets around to testing the U.E.'s drug on himself: a sequel.
Warnings: Drug withdrawal.


[Everyone was so worried about the meth withdrawal. That was nothing. They should see him now. He thought that fasting beforehand might make this part easier, but he's dry heaving instead of vomiting, and it burns his chest and his stomach and soon maybe he'll be puking blood.

One dose! One dose! How does anyone stand it? What's it been, twelve hours? He sent Lisbeth away earlier. Idiotic. He hadn't wanted her to see him get sick. Now he's too sick to even call for help. The tablet's all the way in his bedroom. And he's on the floor, the walkway between the living room and the bathroom, with his cheek on a puddle of sweat and bile. Oh, what a winner he is right now, caught between hoping one of his roommates comes home before he dies here or hoping they don't - because who wants to deal with a miserable little smackhead who couldn't even make it to the toilet?

More than anything, what he wants is another hit. That'd solve the whole problem. But for better or worse, the rest of the verstatsi is at the lab. And if there's one thing he's sure of, it's that whoever comes through the door eventually isn't going to go get it for him.]

Comments

[5055034455]

[Sometime shortly after spamming Jesse with text messages, Saul shows up at 409's door with a scowl and a half on his face. He can already imagine the scenario: I counted way past ten, yo, or something like that, Jesse already mid-eyeroll by the time the door's halfway open. Punk.

Saul raises his fist to knock — no, bang — on the door, then remembers the other day.

It was unlocked. Jesse invited Saul in, technically. And if Jesse's ignoring him now, he might not be so quick to extend any courtesy, but maybe —

Saul weighs his options. If it's unlocked and he knocks first, Jesse could lock the door and cut him off completely. If it's unlocked and he just barges on in, Jesse could... what, shoot him? That wouldn't get rid of him, if the immortality thing is true.

And if it's locked, he's screwed. So.

He lays a hand on the knob, turns it as slowly and carefully as possible so as not to make a sound, and inhales when the door slides open.

Then exhales in the form of a yell:] Jesse!

[hostage]

[Not Lisbeth or Han, but Saul. Okay, he didn't see that coming. Maybe he should have, given the other day, but... Jesse's relieved, at least. Saul already knows he's scum.

He picks his head up, starts to turn it so he can get a look at Saul and maybe offer some assurance that he's not dead, but even that much movement makes him dizzy. He feels his stomach turn and decides to lay his head back down again.]

I'm, um... okay.

[He's worn out his voice from all that vomiting, apparently. It's gravelly.]

[5055034455]

What the hell do you th—

[Wait.

Shit.

Saul freezes mid-step when he realizes Jesse isn't just riding out some high on the hallway floor. Or dealing with the withdrawal, for that matter — this situation strikes him as worse than either of those. But maybe that's just the paranoia talking.

Still, it's always better to be prepared.

He crouches down, one hand shakily hovering above Jesse's back as he takes in the scene.]

What happened?

[hostage]

[Rather than jump straight into explaining that he intentionally dosed himself with deadly poison, he gestures vaguely in the direction of the linen closet.]

Could you get, like... a towel. Water. Maybe.

[5055034455]

[What he's going to do first is fling his jacket off and roll his sleeves up.

Then he retrieves a towel. He'll get the water momentarily.]

You need to sit up. Can you?

[hostage]

[That's asking a lot. Jesse takes a moment to center himself, then slowly eases himself up by the elbow. Courteously, at least, he keeps himself positioned so he won't vomit on Saul. Maybe he's mostly gotten it out of his system for now, though, because he doesn't end up gagging or anything. He squeezes his eyes shut until he's done moving - although he never really stops moving, since he's shaking so hard. Not a slight tremor like before, but a violent shuddering like he's out in a snowstorm wearing nothing but a t-shirt.]

[5055034455]

[Saul would be surprised if Jesse had any left in his system to get out. He stands there with the towel a little awkwardly, trying to figure out what in God's name he's supposed to do now. This is bad. Whatever it is.

He almost tells Jesse to stay there before heading to the kitchen, but thinks better of it. When he comes back, he's got the towel and the water and has managed, with the help of a few very deep breaths, to steady his hands.

...sort of.

He could ask again. He wants to. He can't help if he doesn't know what's going on, but instead of asking or even saying anything, he presses the glass into Jesse's hand and starts wiping his face clean.]

[hostage]

[Jesse doesn't drink immediately. He sits as still as he can while Saul wipes his face, concentrating very hard on keeping his stomach settled. Then, finally, he lifts the glass and takes a very small sip. It soothes his throat a little but does nothing to help the nausea.]

...I didn't think it'd be this bad.

[5055034455]

It'd be cool if you could explain exactly what "it" is and why "it" led to me finding you like — like this.

[He should probably sound mad. He doesn't, though, because he's not.

What he sounds — and what he is — is incredibly worried. He folds the towel over to a clean side, makes one last pass over Jesse's chin, then sets it down and leans back on his heels. Waiting.]

[hostage]

[Jesse sets the glass down on the floor for now, afraid he'll end up dropping it.]

It's, u-um... For work. There's this thing. We're working on a cure, so I had to test something. I dunno. I didn't OD or anything. I was doing good 'til a few hours ago. Then I just...

[He waves his hand in front of his face, indicating the vomit.]

It wasn't this bad even with the H. This stuff...

[5055034455]

[The look on Saul's face says he's listening, but not really understanding. Do they not have rats here? And who's the "we"? Why couldn't someone else have tested it? Don't they know?

After reaching out to check Jesse's temperature with the underside of his wrist, his frown deepens.]

What the hell is it supposed to cure? Living?

[hostage]

[He's feverish, of course, and still sweating profusely. He looks up at Saul very briefly before dropping his gaze again. He's ashamed. Or sorry. Or both.]

I didn't take the cure. I took, um... I took the poison.

[5055034455]

[His hand drops.

Jesse might as well have just punched him in the gut.]

What?

[hostage]

I did a bunch of tests first, in the lab. It looks like heroin. It acts like it, too. But it's just... bigger. Purer. It wasn't exactly the same, so I thought if I took some, I'd know what I'm looking for. I knew people were dying without it, but I thought it was... long-term, you know. Not after just one hit. Like this.

I just wanted to know what I was dealing with.

[5055034455]

Well, now you know.

[Saul makes a fist, presses it to his mouth, then shakes his head.]

Jesus, Jesse. You need a doctor.

[hostage]

For what? I'm the guy, Saul. The whole point is they haven't been able to fix this.

[He runs his hands over his face, cradling his head as another wave of nausea passes over him. He swallows hard.]

[5055034455]

[Great. Here we go with this "I'm the guy" bullshit again. If Jesse didn't look so shitty and if Saul were someone else, he might just go ahead and slap his idiot client in the face out of sheer frustration.

A whole universe away with a millennium separating them from home, and it's the same. Damn. Thing.

Instead, Saul rises to his feet again.

He needs to find a bucket.]

They can't fix it, so they need you to nearly kill yourself. There's absolutely no one else in this place who could do it — nope, it's gotta be Jesse Pinkman, right? Why make someone else do it when they have a guy like you?

[Talking to himself, mostly, except for that last line. That one's directed right at Jesse's forehead.]

[treehopping]

[Rue's been out walking the streets as she often does, occupying herself without school to go to, without most of the distractions she used to have in Siren's Port. She has books here but she always prefers to be outside, even though it rains all the time.

She's still shaking the raindrops from her hair when she comes to see Jesse, oatcakes baked with raisins wrapped in a cloth. The open door gives her pause, that's not normal.

Slowly she steps over and pushes it a little further open, poking her head inside. Rue's hesitant to just walk in, other people live here than Jesse after all.]

Jesse? Jesse are you here?

[She steps inside and see's the situation, her brown eyes widening in her face. Jesse's on the floor and some man she doesn't know is stood over him. Rue's mouth hangs open as she stares at them.]

What's going on!

[hostage]

[Jesse's gearing up to snap something right back at Saul when Rue's voice cuts in. He looks over sharply and starts to scramble to his feet, which is a bad idea, because the room goes spinning. He ends up falling right back onto his ass.]

Rue - ah, shit... I'm okay!

[5055034455]

[There's a kid.

Why is there a kid?

Why is there always a goddamn kid?]

Jesse's fine. Now's not a good time, though, so...

[Saul makes a shoo gesture.]

[treehopping]

No you-re not. No he's not!

[She tells Saul, an impressive frown coming on her face. She steps up, squaring slender shoulders.]

Who're you? Did you do something to Jesse!

[hostage]

He didn't -

[Another wave of nausea. Don't puke in front of the kid, don't puke in front of the kid...]

Ugh, god... I'm sick. He's just helping.

[5055034455]

[To Jesse, with a worried scowl:] Shut up and sit still.

[To Rue, with a regular scowl:] Do you know where they keep the buckets in here?

[treehopping]

[Rue looks skeptically at Saul at that, but she trusts Jesse so if Jesse says so...]

You were getting better.

[She goes over to him and crouches, touching his forehead lightly.]

Did you eat something bad?

[Her head turns as Saul speaks.]

In the cupboard under the sink.

[hostage]

[Jesse does settle back and sit still, more out of necessity than because Saul says so. Rue gets a miserable look from him, which could probably be attributed to his illness but it's really guilt he's feeling. He shouldn't have done this. What if she'd shown up five minutes ago? Hell, he's not even sure he won't die right in front of her right now.]

Don't worry.