vigorli

TITLE: Out of the Darkness...Light (28?)
AUTHOR: DS
E-MAIL: lotr58@bellsouth.net
RATING: R--Violence, Angst
PAIRING: Orli/Viggo
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these guys (though I wish I did). No money is being
made from this endeavor and no disrespect is intended. It's all for fun!
And thanks so much to those of you looking it over for me:) Your time and
comments are much appreciated.
FEEDBACK: Yes, but be kind, gulp:)
ARCHIVE: Anywhere, just let me know. Thanks.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

With a heavy sigh, Viggo looked at the two Englishmen. Both were visibly angry—close to boiling over, in fact. It didn’t help matters when Billy, usually so calm and jovial, jumped into the fray, siding with Dom.
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The upshot—he and Sean were scum, the lowest of the low, heartless cads who thought more of their own pleasure than of the welfare of one of their dearest friends. It was when Elijah wandered in, joined in, and pointedly asked Viggo if the painting or whatever it was that he’d been working on had been worth it—had been worth the hurt on Orli’s face, the pain in his eyes. It was then that Viggo felt compelled to join in, himself.

He felt bad enough about not seeing Orlando; he didn’t need the others thinking it was deliberate. How could they think that, anyway? Didn’t they know him better than that? He knew it wasn’t really his fault, but to hear how hurt the boy was by his absence made him feel all the worse. Orlando had had enough pain; he didn’t want to contribute to it—make it worse.

Just as Viggo feared they were all going to come to blows, the door opened and Ian walked in, followed by Samantha Bloom. Unfortunately, the noise level was so high, the occupants so involved in their disagreement, that no one even noticed their entrance, or their presence in the room.

It was not until Viggo turned, forcing himself away from the squabbling assembly of men in an effort to regroup and regain control, that he saw the two standing there, twin expressions of horror on their faces at the sight they now beheld.

“Ian! Samantha! What…what are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, my boy. Looking for all of you, in fact. And, may I ask, what in the name of bloody hell is going on here?”

“We’re just telling them what poor excuses for friends they are. That’s what’s going on!” Dom replied in a loud voice, chest still heaving from his exertions and his face a vibrant shade of red.

Viggo reached out quickly and grabbed Sean just as he was preparing to launch himself at Dom. The Brit wasn’t pleased, but stopped his forward motion, mumbling under his breath about Manchester know-it-alls who really knew nothing.

Hearing the older man’s mutterings, Dom turned to look at him, an expression of anger crossing his face once more.

“Why you…”

He got no farther, stopped in his tracks by a dignified British voice, the voice of a knight of the realm—a voice shaking with anger at the moment.

“Stop it this instant!”

Ian stood tall, sweeping his angry gaze around the room, touching on each of them. It had the desired effect. Silence filled the room as the others stood, watching, waiting. They had never seen Ian so angry, and it startled them all into submission.

“I’m ashamed of you. You are all behaving like children! This is neither the time nor the place for that behavior.” When the others began giving sidelong glances to their neighbor, Ian continued. “Have you forgotten that you are all friends?”

Looking straight at Ian, Sean shook his head, a sheepish expression on his face.

“No. We haven’t forgotten. I think…we all just got a tad carried away.”

“Well let’s not have it happen again,” Ian replied sternly.

Viggo suddenly felt like a schoolboy, called before the principal for something he didn’t do. Glancing around at the others, he realized they evidently felt much the same, based on their silence and the looks of chagrin on their faces. Silently, he thanked Ian for his timely entrance and wise words.

Ian. Why was he here? With Samantha?

“Ian. Why are you…”

“…here?” the Brit finished for him. “We are here to end this mess once and for all. Ms. Bloom has something to say. Something you all need to hear.”

Viggo looked over at Orlando’s sister, already having a good idea of what she was going to say. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the three hobbits and Sean were doing the same.

“What is it, Samantha?” he prompted.

The young woman looked at Viggo with sorrow in her eyes. Then, sweeping her gaze over the rest of the ensemble, she allowed her eyes to settle on Ian, who nodded encouragingly.

“I’m here because of Orlando,” she began, her voice slow and soft. “He’s miserable. Very unhappy.”

“Yeah. Well, we know who contributed to that! Owww!” Dom put in before being poked in the ribs by Billy.

Rubbing the sore spot, he shot an angry look at his friend before returning his attention to Samantha, who was continuing with what she had to say.

“Yes, well, Orlando is very unhappy. He misses you, Viggo. And you, too, Sean. He wants to see you, very badly.”

Viggo shook his head in frustration.

“You know why we haven’t been there, Samantha.”

At this, Dom, Billy and Elijah looked from Viggo to Samantha in confusion.

“What are you talking about, Viggo? What do you mean she knows why you haven’t been to the hospital?”

Without taking his eyes from Samantha, Viggo responded.

“Tell him, Samantha. Tell Elijah and the others why we haven’t been to see Orlando. You were there.”

The young woman hung her head for a moment before responding. Then, “yes Viggo I was there. And I don’t understand my mother’s reaction. It was very unlike her.”

Looking around at the others, Samantha explained what had happened.

“My mother banished Viggo and Sean from the hospital. She told them they were no longer welcome there. And she advised the physicians and the rest of the hospital staff that they were not to be allowed in to see my brother. And that is why they have not been to the hospital.”

Dead silence met her proclamation. Viggo and Sean stood quietly, their honor restored somewhat, while the three younger men stood with mouths agape, clearly shocked by what they had just heard. Ian simply nodded his head sorrowfully, deeply saddened by all that had occurred.

Looking over at the hobbits, Sean announced, “That’s why I left a message for you, Dom. We wanted your help to get us back into the hospital. But you never got back to me.”

Dom looked at his fellow Brit in confusion, his brow wrinkled in thought.

“Message? I tried to call you back. Several times, in fact. But…” he trailed off and slapped a hand to his forehead. “Oh God! We were gone last night and all day today and then so upset when we got home that I…well, I guess it was just as hard for you to reach us because we were out as it was for us to get hold of you.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ian interjected, holding up a hand to forestall further argument. “What matters now is that we fix this. We need to make things right—for Orlando.”

The others nodded agreement.

“So what are we going to do?” Dom asked.

“I know what we’re going to do,” Samantha replied, her face intense. “I have a plan.”