USER: It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood v...

USER: Please highlight some parts that are powerful and should be retained

USER: Is this gritty and emotionally resonant ? It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; I'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan rested his hand on Liam's kneecap , his grasp firm and anchoring as Liam averted his gaze. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync, Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint, but my mistake was to resist the contraband; I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them." Liam, gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare. "How was it a mistake to refuse...this? I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going, Ry'. I need to find water, and shade. And soon." Just as a quiet settled over them, Liam whispered "I haven't forgotten what you did , Ry'. It's not your fault and don't you go thinkin'" Liam trailed off , the sheer energy of his words depleting his efforts. In a gesture of respect and understanding, Ryan nodded at the ground as he shifted his weight to maintain his upright posture . As Ryan recalled exactly what he had done to bring them to that moment , his grip on Liam remained steady, a slideshow reeling behind his eyelids . It had been just two days earlier, and he kept dragging his limbs as the flashback intruded on his thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have to resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."And at this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we have, Liam . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an unshakable expression etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan as his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. Desperately trying to recall anything , he repeated the only name that found its way to his tongue ."Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , as his confusion cascaded over him. "Ah shit... we know this...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His mind lapsed in a tight circle of frustration as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam" he mumbled . The stringent echo of his musings settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds, what purpose would a ruptured sac of merchandise serve? . Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Can't even use the spare. And now he's all the way back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure. ". A pair of fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body.

USER: Is this gritty andWhich ending is more emotionally resonant ? It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and neveror two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; I'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan rested his hand on Liam's kneecap , his grasp firm and anchoring as Liam averted his gaze. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync, Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint, but my mistake was to resist the contraband; I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them." Liam, gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare. "How was it a mistake to refuse...this? I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going, Ry'. I need to find water, and shade. And soon." Just as a quiet settled over them, Liam whispered "I haven't forgotten what you did , Ry'. It's not your fault and don't you go thinkin'" Liam trailed off , the sheer energy of his words depleting his efforts. In a gesture of respect and understanding, Ryan nodded at the ground as he shifted his weight to maintain his upright posture . As Ryan recalled exactly what he had done to bring them to that moment , his grip on Liam remained steady, a slideshow reeling behind his eyelids . It had been just two days earlier, and he kept dragging his limbs as the flashback intruded on his thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have to resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."And at this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we have, Liam . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an unshakable expression etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan as his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. Desperately trying to recall anything , he repeated the only name that found its way to his tongue ."Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , as his confusion cascaded over him. "Ah shit... we know this...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His mind lapsed in a tight circle of frustration as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam" he mumbled . The stringent echo of his musings settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds, what purpose would a ruptured sac of merchandise serve? . Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Can't even use the spare. And now he's all the way back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure. ". A pair of fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body.

USER: Which endingPlease quote realistic dialogue and moments: Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-" . The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -can't sleep or eat when she's -and you know the damn window for an epidural is gone. " The As another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment drowning him "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only passing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready." And then she too was gone. Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move foward , but slide back, but we're getting there " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I-" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's too-late -for-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're working so hard and -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to begin the way, not not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -re-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static and the noise of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly on his forearm , along with more emotionally resonantblood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" "the second one has a clearer path, here we go" Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as he arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part. " the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on second babys head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-. We discussed all of this of course , but she's past the point where this much pain was expected . She's past the damn window and I just -. The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -. " he sighed , the realisation of being useless everywhere sinking in. Then as another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment of the hallway drowning him. "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly wrong, what if she-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only pausing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready, I would suggest taking some time to regroup your nerves , it's normal to feel inadequate when the reality is we have manoeuvres that will prevent injury.." He offered a grateful state and then rested against the wall as she walked away . Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse momentarily gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move forward , but slide back, but we're getting there, just take each breath as it comes , and each push as it happens. " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health, we are working to optimise her position , and to guide her through safely.. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I -" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But its why I lov-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're going through this -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to be the way, nor not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -ready-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static hum of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -you're almost done-" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now, keep your hand under our arms ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly being held just above his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" A voice cut through her plea with calm reassurance. "the second baby has a clearer path and is optimal position, now here we go" the nurse instructed briskly, and the movement of the baby's head stretching and burning Lara's opening was undeniable as it claimed her entire being. Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as her arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part" the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on the second baby's head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " She released a moan that was filled with instinct , as her control was relinquished to the overwhelming pressure of the pull of her next push, its essence involuntary. It was happening faster than her breaths could match, as her gasps grew lighter and faster , and she was panting without trying. "Great job Lara , the head is out " the nurse said as she held Liam's hand in place and his arm trembled against hers. "And here come the shoulders , breathe Lara, let it happen , breathe-" Her moans spilled through the room as the first shoulder eased out , followed by the second, and their second daughter's body was above Liams' arm, secure in the nurses hands as he rolled back onto his heels. She was swept away just as quickly, as Lara's legs fell closed , her body shaking with relief. "Up off the floor Dad, I know it's a lot but-Congratulations you have two of them -" He rose, dazed and smiling through tears as Lara was handed her two newborn daughters . "Let's just name them both after you, I always knew you had two middle names for a reason-" . She shook her head, enamoured with them both at once. " I'll name this one Lila Rose . " Liam gazed down awestruck yet uncertain. "Do you really trust me with this -" Lara laughed through her tears. "I know it'll be perfect" . His fatigue slowed him down as he mused ..."Lily..Grace. That's the word I have . It's fits. " Liam let his eyes close as he micro slept, weathered by the ordeal. As Lara recovered , a nurse explained as Liam asked" why did she go through such an ordeal with Lila, but Lily just -kept coming ?" "With twin births, the baby can get stuck with the pressure of the second twin making her way down right after. It can cause trauma for both infants... so you have two incredibly strong girls. Liam leaned in to sling an arm around Lara "Nah, make that three"As Lara moaned softly , feeling a few weak contractions taking hold , a nurse took Lila from her , holding her hand "good job Mom, the placenta means there's certainly no third one in there " After a careful half hour of Lara handling the contractions with comparable ease, it was removed from her opening and Lila was returned to her arm, as she sank back smiling , and falling asleep. Liam told the nurse "we already wanted to use these names , and our first argument might have been that . But well , I just want to sleep now that she's not in any pain . It's just a relief to see her smiling. I'll have two of them screaming soon enough. I need all the sleep I can...." He trailed off into a deep yawn. "It's fine Mr Weston , we'll take them off your hands and let Lara recover properly, we have sleeping arrangements if you'd like a proper bed a proper meal. "Can I just sleep here for a bit " he mumbled at no one in particular as the room faded out.. There were so many minute details that had slipped their minds; the absence of their daughters as their health was monitored and ID bracelets were assigned. As Liam came to in a haze, it was almost as if Lara were still pregnant and it had all been a dream. In the sterile, silent room where he had been ushered mid-sleep, he was alone. "Two of them-here of them. You're outnumbered. Can't hide in here forever."

USER: Please quote realistic dialogue and moments: Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibriumWhat about this : As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work.a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intentlylift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense andthe ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you feel anywould enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning , I'mpassion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right here to help keepwhere no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, andcould make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the headI can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you didan ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it Lara ,back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she tookhis touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just,the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't slept , or eaten butexplored . A place I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-" .haven't had the pleasure of touring. The nurse glanced at her pagermany sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -can't sleep or eat when she's -and you know the damn window for an epidural is gone. " The As another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment drowning him "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only passing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready." And then she too was gone. Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move foward , but slide back, but we're getting there " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I-" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's too-late -for-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're working so hard and -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to begin the way, not not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -re-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static and the noise of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly on his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" "the second one has a clearer path, here we go" Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as he arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part. " the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on second babys head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-. We discussed all of this of course , but she's past the point where this much pain was expected . She's past the damn window and I just -. The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -. " he sighed , the realisation of being useless everywhere sinking in. Then as another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment of the hallway drowning him. "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly wrong, what if she-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only pausing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready, I would suggest taking some time to regroup your nerves , it's normal to feel inadequate when the reality is we have manoeuvres that will prevent injury.." He offered a grateful state and then rested against the wall as she walked away . Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse momentarily gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move forward , but slide back, but we're getting there, just take each breath as it comes , and each push as it happens. " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health, we are working to optimise her position , and to guide her through safely.. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I -" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But its why I lov-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're going through this -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to be the way, nor not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -ready-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static hum of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -you're almost done-" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now, keep your hand under our arms ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly being held just above his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" A voice cut through her plea with calm reassurance. "the second baby has a clearer path and is optimal position, now here we go" the nurse instructed briskly, and the movement of the baby's head stretching and burning Lara's opening was undeniable as it claimed her entire being. Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as her arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part" the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on the second baby's head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " She released a moan that was filled with instinct , as her control was relinquished to the overwhelming pressure of the pull of her next push, its essence involuntary. It was happening faster than her breaths could match, as her gasps grew lighter and faster , and she was panting without trying. "Great job Lara , the head is out " the nurse said as she held Liam's hand in place and his arm trembled against hers. "And here come the shoulders , breathe Lara, let it happen , breathe-" Her moans spilled through the room as the first shoulder eased out , followed by the second, and their second daughter's body was above Liams' arm, secure in the nurses hands as he rolled back onto his heels. She was swept away just as quickly, as Lara's legs fell closed , her body shaking with relief. "Up off the floor Dad, I know it's a lot but-Congratulations you have two of them -" He rose, dazed and smiling through tears as Lara was handed her two newborn daughters . "Let's just name them both after you, I always knew you had two middle names for a reason-" . She shook her head, enamoured with them both at once. " I'll name this one Lila Rose . " Liam gazed down awestruck yet uncertain. "Do you really trust me with this -" Lara laughed through her tears. "I know it'll be perfect" . His fatigue slowed him down as he mused ..."Lily..Grace. That's the word I have . It's fits. " Liam let his eyes close as he micro slept, weathered by the ordeal. As Lara recovered , a nurse explained as Liam asked" why did she go through such an ordeal with Lila, but Lily just -kept coming ?" "With twin births, the baby can get stuck with the pressure of the second twin making her way down right after. It can cause trauma for both infants... so you have two incredibly strong girls. Liam leaned in to sling an arm around Lara "Nah, make that three"As Lara moaned softly , feeling a few weak contractions taking hold , a nurse took Lila from her , holding her hand "good job Mom, the placenta means there's certainly no third one in there " After a careful half hour of Lara handling the contractions with comparable ease, it was removed from her opening and Lila was returned to her arm, as she sank back smiling , and falling asleep. Liam told the nurse "we already wanted to use these names , and our first argument might have been that . But well , I just want to sleep now that she's not in any pain . It's just a relief to see her smiling. I'll have two of them screaming soon enough. I need all the sleep I can...." He trailed off into a deep yawn. "It's fine Mr Weston , we'll take them off your hands and let Lara recover properly, we have sleeping arrangements if you'd like a proper bed a proper meal. "Can I just sleep here for a bit " he mumbled at no one in particular as the room faded out.. There were so many minute details that had slipped their minds; the absence of their daughters as their health was monitored and ID bracelets were assigned. As Liam came to in a haze, it was almost as if Lara were still pregnant and it had all been a dream. In the sterile, silent room where he had been ushered mid-sleep, he was alone. "Two of them-here of them. You're outnumbered. Can't hide in here forever."appreciation beyond measure.

USER: What about this : As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan.. anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. "

USER: Is this gritty and realistic As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan.. anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. "It seems however , that ny entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it few further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... but I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" As he fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit.." There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room. "Exactly ...one day.....eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and..fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles. "Ah, faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace -" Yours are lacklustre ... let me try : he lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles , sifting through Liam's vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" . Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can answer within yourself, the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream. Or perhaps ..it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." . Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind referenced the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had bore a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go , Liam, if this will save you , but you some time. it's against my better judgement and I don't feel I'm doing right by you, but, you lay in my position and I owe you this. Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know, that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to for you , and not some calculated mistake. " Liam , taken aback in his shocked pupils , glanced at his gleaming watch. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's spine. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them take your humanity brother, now go-" There was a resilience in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . Please hold onto that ." His slate -gray voice , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , his released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality.

USER: Is this grittyRyan came into focus , and realistic As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavityhis bare feet came to a nullification of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, andmovement as he collapsed to his knees, "Liam? When I told you not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a levelthank me, well -" Liam's comatose stare barely registered Ryan's voice as he gazed into his vast , engulfing blue eyes... "Liam , look at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besidesme, I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket intoI didn't reach you in time. Blink twice if you can hear me" , Ryan whispered into the malaise of pale magenta dust that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan.. anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnantclung to the air . "Have,Liam fought with the sandpaper in anyhis lids for co-operation as he blinked once. "Come here , Liam" Ryan's voice cracked as it intermingled with the only other sound; Liam's fragile breathing, that slowed with each disintegrating inhale as he pulled him into a gentle, one sided embrace. Liam dragged his pupils to the left , gritting his teeth inside his mouth , as he choked out "Ry-Ryan-it's -it's ok-". As he held a deep eye contact , a stray tear escaping his gaze, a thousand words flickered across his irises. Initiating a second blink , his eyes reeled back out of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encounteredfocus , and Ryan felt Liam's chest collapse inwards as his breathing ceased . It only amounted to one. Ryan clung to Liam's emaciated biceps with a profound dread crawling through his veins , pulsating with his heartbeat, as he felt his own ribcage inch closer around his lungs and he fought to respire. "I left you that night to save you but-Oh God if I'd known it'd end like this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomenRyan ripped his scathing retinas away from Liam's vacant stare as he broke down in tears, interring his red eyes into Liam's clavicle, his heaves wracking him, echoing through the room at an encompassing volume. Only the clinical metal walls could hear him grieve. Twice; and it was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. "It seems however , that ny entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it few further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... but I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" As he fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit.." There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room. "Exactly ...one day.....eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and..fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles. "Ah, faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace -" Yours are lacklustre ... let me try : he lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles , sifting through Liam's vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" . Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can answer within yourself, the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream. Or perhaps ..it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." . Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind referenced the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had bore a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go , Liam, if this will save you , but you some time. it's against my better judgement and I don't feel I'm doing right by you, but, you lay in my position and I owe you this. Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know, that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to for you , and not some calculated mistake. " Liam , taken aback in his shocked pupils , glanced at his gleaming watch. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's spine. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them take your humanity brother, now go-" There was a resilience in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . Please hold onto that ." His slate -gray voice , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , his released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality.too late

USER: Ryan cameDoes this narrative turn out to be a dream ? Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused on the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped her hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestured toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus , and his bare feet came to a nullification of movementhard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he collapsed to his knees, "Liam? Whenrepositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I toldsaid she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-" . The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -can't sleep or eat when she's -and you know the damn window for an epidural is gone. " The As another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment drowning him "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not thank me,to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only passing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready." And then she too was gone. Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well -"Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move foward , but slide back, but we're getting there " Liam's comatose stare barely registered Ryan'scomplexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice as hereached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I-" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed into his vast , engulfing blue eyes... "Liam , look at me,her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's too-late -for-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're working so hard and -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to begin the way, not not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -re-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static and the noise of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly on his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" "the second one has a clearer path, here we go" Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as he arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part. " the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on second babys head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't reach you in time. Blink twicemean to-. We discussed all of this of course , but she's past the point where this much pain was expected . She's past the damn window and I just -. The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can hear me" , Ryan whispered into the malaise of pale magenta dust that clung to the air .go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam fought with the sandpaper in his lids for co-operation as he blinked once. "Come here , Liam" Ryan's voice cracked as it intermingled with the only other sound; Liam's fragile breathing, that slowed with each disintegrating inhale as he pulled him into a gentle, one sided embrace. Liam dragged his pupils to the left , gritting his teeth inside his mouth , as he choked out "Ry-Ryan-it's -it's ok-".alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -. " he sighed , the realisation of being useless everywhere sinking in. Then as another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment of the hallway drowning him. "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly wrong, what if she-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only pausing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready, I would suggest taking some time to regroup your nerves , it's normal to feel inadequate when the reality is we have manoeuvres that will prevent injury. And your presence is always more than adequate." He offered a grateful stare and then rested against the wall as she walked away . Liam finally approached a vending machine , his own instincts overriding him, and scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish and exhaustion . As another half hour slid by, he returned to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse momentarily gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? "He asked as a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move forward , but slide back, we're getting there, just take each breath as it comes , and each push as it happens. " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health, we are working to optimise her position , and to guide her through safely.. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I needed a moment before " Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's why I love-his -overbeari-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. And don't need me to - "I just don't like that you're going through this -it hurts to watch, baby" Then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to be in the way, nor not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -ready-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held aher breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh disorientation. As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static hum of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred i gently past her pelvis . "Ok Lara, deep eye contact , a stray tear escaping his gaze, a thousand words flickered across his irises. Initiating a second blink , his eyes reeled back out of focus , and Ryanbreaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -you're almost done-" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's chest collapse inwards as his breathing ceased . It only amounted to one. Ryan clung to Liam's emaciated bicepsear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with a profound dread crawling through his veins , pulsatingconfusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now, keep your hand under our arms ". He watched as his own hands shook with his heartbeat, asfatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly being held just above his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he felt his own ribcage inch closer around his lungs and he fought to respire. "I left you that night to save you but-Oh God if I'd known it'd end like this-" . Ryan ripped his scathing retinasmuttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" A voice cut through her plea with calm reassurance. "the second baby has a clearer path and is optimal position, now here we go" the nurse instructed briskly, and the movement of the baby's head stretching and burning Lara's opening was undeniable as it claimed her entire being. Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as her arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part" the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on the second baby's head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " She released a moan that was filled with instinct , as her control was relinquished to the overwhelming pressure of the pull of her next push, its essence involuntary. It was happening faster than her breaths could match, as her gasps grew lighter and faster , and she was panting without trying. "Great job Lara , the head is out " the nurse said as she held Liam's vacant starehand in place and his arm trembled against hers. "And here come the shoulders , breathe Lara, let it happen , breathe-" Her moans spilled through the room as the first shoulder eased out , followed by the second, and their second daughter's body was above Liams' arm, secure in the nurses hands as he brokerolled back onto his heels. She was swept away just as quickly, as Lara's legs fell closed , her body shaking with relief. "Up off the floor Dad, I know it's a lot but-Congratulations you have two of them -" He rose, dazed and smiling through tears as Lara was handed her two newborn daughters . "Let's just name them both after you, I always knew you had two middle names for a reason-" . She shook her head, enamoured with them both at once. " I'll name this one Lila Rose . " Liam gazed down awestruck yet uncertain. "Do you really trust me with this -" Lara laughed through her tears. "I know it'll be perfect" . His fatigue slowed him down as he mused ..."Lily..Grace. That's the word I have . It's fits. " Liam let his eyes close as he micro slept, weathered by the ordeal. As Lara recovered , a nurse explained as Liam asked" why did she go through such an ordeal with Lila, but Lily just -kept coming ?" "With twin births, the baby can get stuck with the pressure of the second twin making her way down right after. It can cause trauma for both infants... so you have two incredibly strong girls. Liam leaned in tears, interring his red eyes into Liam's clavicle, his heaves wracking him, echoing through the room atto sling an encompassing volume. Only the clinical metal walls could hear him grieve. Twice; andarm around Lara "Nah, make that three"As Lara moaned softly , feeling a few weak contractions taking hold , a nurse took Lila from her , holding her hand "good job Mom, the placenta means there's certainly no third one in there " After a careful half hour of Lara handling the contractions with comparable ease, it was too lateremoved from her opening and Lila was returned to her arm, as she sank back smiling , and falling asleep. Liam told the nurse "we already wanted to use these names , and our first argument might have been that . But well , I just want to sleep now that she's not in any pain . It's just a relief to see her smiling. I'll have two of them screaming soon enough. I need all the sleep I can...." He trailed off into a deep yawn. "It's fine Mr Weston , we'll take them off your hands and let Lara recover properly, we have sleeping arrangements if you'd like a proper bed a proper meal. "Can I just sleep here for a bit " he mumbled at no one in particular as the room faded out.. There were so many minute details that had slipped their minds; the absence of their daughters as their health was monitored and ID bracelets were assigned. As Liam came to in a haze, it was almost as if Lara were still pregnant and it had all been a dream. In the sterile, silent room where he had been ushered mid-sleep, he was alone. "Two of them-here of them. You're outnumbered. Can't hide in here forever." ----After Liam had showered and thrown down a cafeteria tray of compartmentalised slop, he encountered a doctor , still in disbelief. "How, on earth, was the baby not detectable during her actual labor, there was only one heartbeat? I find that one hard to belie . I was dreaming. She hasn't even-" he was shaken by laughter and the hand on his shoulder . "We did assume that when you arrived here ..with a wife carrying one child, that we were monitoring one heartbeat when , considering the complicated positioning of your infants, we may have fluctuated heartbeats . The thing that we can't fathom is how a Caesarean section wasn't needed . It took over hours to deliver your first child after Lila began crowning. " Liam directed his gaze into the distance . "We had an ultrasound a month ago. How did she slip past that ?" It stole his mind for a long moment. "Wait , she-knew-? Did she think I would - that it would change-please tell me I was dreaming-it was a nightmare-I -I -" . Dr Mathew's smile was gone as he countered. "Well , Mrs Weston did ask me an odd question. She wanted to know , if the explanation to a second baby , might have been a "phantom pregnancy", where she was unable to feel the baby's movements and blamed herself for imaging the entire thing , said the labor never happened and she must have dreamt it. Then I had to tell her that you wouldn't think she was crazy, and had to take to her to see both her children. She was rather confused , alarmed , and under the impression that you would be devastated to have no child at all. . What I'm seeing here is, two perfectly normal reactions to something bizarre and I've had quite the 48 hour shift myself. " Liam was swift to hide his tears of anger. "I-I -know she'd never lie-that's why I knew it was a nightmare. I'll just go and wake up -and it'll make sense." He laughed darkly, more to himself than anyone. Dr matters smiled with a hint of sympathy. "Or you could meet me and your wife in my office in an hour while I walk you through some of her recent ultrasounds. I can go into specifics regarding the uterine cavity and the positioning of each twin during various phases . Then it will make sense from a scientific point at least. Would you like me to pinch you , Liam, or will you be alright?" They both shared a wry smile , albeit weary on Liam's part as he nodded "pinch me all you want. She's still stronger than the both of us and now there's three of her to deal with. Three. I'm never gonna be out of the woods . We both know that"-----////////. The room swam, and Liam's corneas were as sick as they'd always been at the sight of concrete. "Vanderine." When ? How much . Lara was a damned dream?-" Ryan , out in the way a light with a lost bulb flickered , only muttered "No-It's already in the car, damn kids never-I'm not an ATM -" Liam felt a profound sickness wound with sympathy cross his features. "Poor bastards in suburban hell again-"

USER: Does this narrative turn out to be a dream ?At the end , does Liam say Lara was a dream? Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused on the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped her hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestured toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-" . The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -can't sleep or eat when she's -and you know the damn window for an epidural is gone. " The As another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment drowning him "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only passing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready." And then she too was gone. Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move foward , but slide back, but we're getting there " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I-" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's too-late -for-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're working so hard and -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to begin the way, not not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -re-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static and the noise of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly on his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" "the second one has a clearer path, here we go" Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as he arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part. " the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on second babys head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now this will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will deal with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-. We discussed all of this of course , but she's past the point where this much pain was expected . She's past the damn window and I just -. The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -. " he sighed , the realisation of being useless everywhere sinking in. Then as another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment of the hallway drowning him. "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly wrong, what if she-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only pausing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready, I would suggest taking some time to regroup your nerves , it's normal to feel inadequate when the reality is we have manoeuvres that will prevent injury. And your presence is always more than adequate." He offered a grateful stare and then rested against the wall as she walked away . Liam finally approached a vending machine , his own instincts overriding him, and scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish and exhaustion . As another half hour slid by, he returned to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse momentarily gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? "He asked as a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move forward , but slide back, we're getting there, just take each breath as it comes , and each push as it happens. " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health, we are working to optimise her position , and to guide her through safely.. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I needed a moment before " Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's why I love-his -overbeari-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. And don't need me to - "I just don't like that you're going through this -it hurts to watch, baby" Then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to be in the way, nor not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -ready-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh disorientation. As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static hum of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred i gently past her pelvis . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -you're almost done-" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now, keep your hand under our arms ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly being held just above his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" A voice cut through her plea with calm reassurance. "the second baby has a clearer path and is optimal position, now here we go" the nurse instructed briskly, and the movement of the baby's head stretching and burning Lara's opening was undeniable as it claimed her entire being. Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as her arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part" the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on the second baby's head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " She released a moan that was filled with instinct , as her control was relinquished to the overwhelming pressure of the pull of her next push, its essence involuntary. It was happening faster than her breaths could match, as her gasps grew lighter and faster , and she was panting without trying. "Great job Lara , the head is out " the nurse said as she held Liam's hand in place and his arm trembled against hers. "And here come the shoulders , breathe Lara, let it happen , breathe-" Her moans spilled through the room as the first shoulder eased out , followed by the second, and their second daughter's body was above Liams' arm, secure in the nurses hands as he rolled back onto his heels. She was swept away just as quickly, as Lara's legs fell closed , her body shaking with relief. "Up off the floor Dad, I know it's a lot but-Congratulations you have two of them -" He rose, dazed and smiling through tears as Lara was handed her two newborn daughters . "Let's just name them both after you, I always knew you had two middle names for a reason-" . She shook her head, enamoured with them both at once. " I'll name this one Lila Rose . " Liam gazed down awestruck yet uncertain. "Do you really trust me with this -" Lara laughed through her tears. "I know it'll be perfect" . His fatigue slowed him down as he mused ..."Lily..Grace. That's the word I have . It's fits. " Liam let his eyes close as he micro slept, weathered by the ordeal. As Lara recovered , a nurse explained as Liam asked" why did she go through such an ordeal with Lila, but Lily just -kept coming ?" "With twin births, the baby can get stuck with the pressure of the second twin making her way down right after. It can cause trauma for both infants... so you have two incredibly strong girls. Liam leaned in to sling an arm around Lara "Nah, make that three"As Lara moaned softly , feeling a few weak contractions taking hold , a nurse took Lila from her , holding her hand "good job Mom, the placenta means there's certainly no third one in there " After a careful half hour of Lara handling the contractions with comparable ease, it was removed from her opening and Lila was returned to her arm, as she sank back smiling , and falling asleep. Liam told the nurse "we already wanted to use these names , and our first argument might have been that . But well , I just want to sleep now that she's not in any pain . It's just a relief to see her smiling. I'll have two of them screaming soon enough. I need all the sleep I can...." He trailed off into a deep yawn. "It's fine Mr Weston , we'll take them off your hands and let Lara recover properly, we have sleeping arrangements if you'd like a proper bed a proper meal. "Can I just sleep here for a bit " he mumbled at no one in particular as the room faded out.. There were so many minute details that had slipped their minds; the absence of their daughters as their health was monitored and ID bracelets were assigned. As Liam came to in a haze, it was almost as if Lara were still pregnant and it had all been a dream. In the sterile, silent room where he had been ushered mid-sleep, he was alone. "Two of them-here of them. You're outnumbered. Can't hide in here forever." ----After Liam had showered and thrown down a cafeteria tray of compartmentalised slop, he encountered a doctor , still in disbelief. "How, on earth, was the baby not detectable during her actual labor, there was only one heartbeat? I find that one hard to belie . I was dreaming. She hasn't even-" he was shaken by laughter and the hand on his shoulder . "We did assume that when you arrived here ..with a wife carrying one child, that we were monitoring one heartbeat when , considering the complicated positioning of your infants, we may have fluctuated heartbeats . The thing that we can't fathom is how a Caesarean section wasn't needed . It took over hours to deliver your first child after Lila began crowning. " Liam directed his gaze into the distance . "We had an ultrasound a month ago. How did she slip past that ?" It stole his mind for a long moment. "Wait , she-knew-? Did she think I would - that it would change-please tell me I was dreaming-it was a nightmare-I -I -" . Dr Mathew's smile was gone as he countered. "Well , Mrs Weston did ask me an odd question. She wanted to know , if the explanation to a second baby , might have been a "phantom pregnancy", where she was unable to feel the baby's movements and blamed herself for imaging the entire thing , said the labor never happened and she must have dreamt it. Then I had to tell her that you wouldn't think she was crazy, and had to take to her to see both her children. She was rather confused , alarmed , and under the impression that you would be devastated to have no child at all. . What I'm seeing here is, two perfectly normal reactions to something bizarre and I've had quite the 48 hour shift myself. " Liam was swift to hide his tears of anger. "I-I -know she'd never lie-that's why I knew it was a nightmare. I'll just go and wake up -and it'll make sense." He laughed darkly, more to himself than anyone. Dr matters smiled with a hint of sympathy. "Or you could meet me and your wife in my office in an hour while I walk you through some of her recent ultrasounds. I can go into specifics regarding the uterine cavity and the positioning of each twin during various phases . Then it will make sense from a scientific point at least. Would you like me to pinch you , Liam, or will you be alright?" They both shared a wry smile , albeit weary on Liam's part as he nodded "pinch me all you want. She's still stronger than the both of us and now there's three of her to deal with. Three. I'm never gonna be out of the woods . We both know that"-----////////. The room swam, and Liam's corneas were as sick as they'd always been at the sight of concrete. "Vanderine." When ? How much . Lara was a damned dream?-"was-nothing more than a dream. Lila.. Lily. Ah, shit. " Ryan , out in the way a light with a lost bulb flickered , only muttered "No-It's already in the car, damn kids never-I'm not an ATM -" Liam felt a profound sickness wound with sympathy cross his features. "Poor bastards in suburban hell again-"

USER: At the end , doesHighlight intelligent dialogue : As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam say Larafelt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was a dream? Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsingby his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she pantedstretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan... anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. Liam shivered , as he said, observing the perverted truth encroaching on his existence "It seems however , that my entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it crept further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... But I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" Valen said, in a lingering snarl. As Liam fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out small moans.of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" he said, almost with a spit of poised saliva. Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper, and ground his jaw. Valen taunted , seeming closer to the doorway than a moment earlier. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him?. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit..." Liam lamented, awaiting Ryan's response. There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room; Ryan's voice. "Exactly ...one day......eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and...fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice, as his gag was reinserted between his teeth. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles, he flinched. "Ah, your pulse is faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace Liam -" He lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles sifting through his vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" Liam muttered. Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know , Lara, buthow long you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , andbeen alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intentlyfind the answer within yourself, to the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream? . Or perhaps ...it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his touch. She concentratedtime, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind was transported to the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had borne a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , had been the only traffic on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused on the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, nowthe bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go Liam, if this will save you , buy you some time. I mean , it's wrong and I know it , and I don't feel I'm doing you right, but, I owe you." Ryan's gaze rested on a space between the stars as his voice hollowed out, a cool edge welding his plea. "Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to -for you , and not as some calculated mistake. " Liam , gazing directly into Ryan's peripheral vision, said , without missing a beat. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan then pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's back. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them strip your humanity , now go-" There was a desperation in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be intense andno heaven , but there's being alive . cling onto that , Li' ." Liam flashed a lopsided grin, his right dimple enlivening its usual position as he smiled "Well give the bastards hell, Ry, I'll see you on the other side-" As Ryan stalled a second longer he added , "I'd better, and that's a threat." His slate -gray inflection , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , rasped as he released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will dealhe were weighed down with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara.bricks. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped her hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestured toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better getpassenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -".the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flashedflew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality. "So the plan is , to torture me with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shouldersRyan's captivity. But, if he were to die , before me , what do you have left. My wife and three kids-" Valen's reply was as audible as a pin dropping, and Liam resisted his own tears as hands rested on his thorax . a finger escalated his ribcage , now a perilous stairway to his primal despair. "Ah Liam, joke of your imaginary life, but do not call the bluff on the only real family you have , his life is-disposable , but fascinating beautiful in the way it could visit that place I cannot , simply by being extinguished. A flame can just-" the snapping of Valen's fingers caused Liam to blink away a tear , his jaw trembling with the tension as he denied his humanity. His empathy simmered behind his eyelids as he watched the insides of them swim with moisture. "I implore you to kill me first-A suicidal cannon will only light up the sky when the wick burns out. If you exterminate my only reason to breathe-what then? Let me go and have a fading trail -or torture his existence with mine?" . The complexity ignited a strange amusement in Valen's response , eliciting a new depth of laughter . "Ah Liam , you are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal,a mental fortress of entertainment, but challenging thing. We can try and moveeven the cryptic suggestion that without him you'll be nothing, you've transcended the reason I am tracing your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but we can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gasped out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling room that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-" . The nurse glanced at her pagerribcage with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stageease. You are yet to contemplate the heart of my intentions. It may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -can't sleep or eat when she's -and you know the damn windowtime -I'll afford you as long as you need Li' . Ryan has -more than enough time to wait for an epidural is gone. " The As another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment drowning him "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only passing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready." And then she too was gone. Liam approached a vending machine , scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish. As another half hour slid by, he trudged back over to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? " a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move foward , but slide back, but we're getting there " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I-" Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's too-late -for-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. "I just don't like that you're working so hard and -" then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and haverevelation. To hear its undertones in your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to begin the way, not not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -re-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is nowscreams. " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh lights . As helay in the cling wrap of sweat, not quite daring to let the nurse position his arm in place ,his mind connect the dots that reeled across the concrete , like a constellation of fallen stars . Whether it had become day, or remained night, failed to matter. The magenta haze was all he could hearconsuming. Everywhere, and he was static and the noise of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred it . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . Shenowhere. Ryan had been eerily quiet . And his voice was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly on his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was sweptonly a plea away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands slidingescaping him. "I knew from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence ,start , your true intention......I've always understood the purpose of my life -to kill me -but not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" "the second one has a clearer path, here we go" Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as he arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part. " the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on second babys head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " Releasing a controlled, soft moan , she overrode the urge , finding equilibrium on the consuming edge of euphoria and agony. "This-is-so-in--uhh...mm-in-tense" , she breathed, collapsing against Liam's arm , unable to speak as she panted out small moans. "I know , Lara, but you've got this. You've come so far and you've done such amazing work. I love you , and you can do this" he said, continuing his movements as she focused intently on his touch. She concentrated on each jolt of raw pleasure his touch created inside of her, as her baby moved down , and the familiar urge rolled over her once again. She panted hard, letting herself finally give an engulfing push at the very peak of her contraction. Controlling its length , she restrained the effort , instead breathing out the remaining desire as it dissipated in her gasps. Lara focused the nurses hands at he opening, and her low voice. "The head is crowning Lara, now thisto end my misery. To destroy Ryan. Because unlike me-Ryan believes in -humanity. in dignity. He's everything you can't be . Morally good . You have to end me -to truly leave a mark that will be intense and if you feel any burning , I'm right here to help keep you lubricated . You keep up the amazing pushing, and if you're perennial area becomes too thin we will dealsear like a brand . But good luck with that very carefully. It's all looking good Lara. The big moment is here" she encouraged , and Liam grasped his hand tightly. "I want to catch her when she-"the nurse , focusing on Lara slow progress , gestures toward the baby's emerging head. "You'd better get down here then Dad, shes on her way." Liam ran his hand across Lara's abdomen as he moved to position himself between her thighs. The nurse guided his hand to cradle the emerging head of his daughter , and he lifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, as bore down, channeling the urge that stole her breathe and her voice. She couldn't even manage a grunt as she breathlessly pushed the head out into Liam's waiting hand. The room remained silent she fell back, gasping, and the nurse informed her "you. Because he did it Lara , but I'm really going to need you to focus hard, and pant for me , while I clear her umbilical cord. Don't push Lara . " she took over from Liam's cradling of his daughter as he repositioned himself at Lara's side , as she gripped his shirt and drained her knuckles white. "Li-uhhh-" . Liam tightened his grip on hers as he urged ." Just vocus on my voice Lara , no one else is here alright. Pant through it. " Lara's desperate pants punctured the air as she rested her head against Liam's , his deep stare the only place she found the strength to ride each breath u til the urge faded. "great job Lara , the cord is clear , really amazing work, now the first shoulder is coming, nice deep breaths for me ..." Liam held Lara's head in his palms , planting a kiss on her forehead as she leaned against his forehead , still panting. Lara fell away into a deep push , her abdomen shaking as Liam kept his hand on her pelvis, applying counter pressure. The nurse continued supporting the baby as Lara gasped against Liam's arm. "It's -". Liam's eyes flashed with concern as Lara dug her nails into his forearm, tearing his skin as she muffled a scream . "The shoulders are on a bit of an angle , Lara this is a perfectly normal, but challenging thing. We can try and move your baby through smoother, but this could take a few extra pushes-. " Lara shook violently , tears streaming from her eyes . "Lara , listen to me. " the nurse instructed, as the room buzzed with activity that seared through Lara's concentration. "Its so loud----I want to stop" she whimpered, collapsing against Liams chest as the nurse intervened. "I'm holding her head , Lara, and her shoulders are coming. I'll have to guide them through but wemake a promise and you can't stop now. " Lara shook her head, her teeth clenching in distress . "I need -to- stop" The nurse began to manipulate the first shoulder as it edged on Lara's opening and her hips jerked forward as she ground her teeth in resistance. Another nurse was at Lara's side , briefly encouraging "just take a minute , she doesn't have to come right now, but it IS time to meet your baby Lara, what have you worked so hard for?" Liam squeezed his fingers against Lara's abdomen, creating a firm line of comforting sensation between her hips. "she's coming Lara, we're all here , she's so close, baby.soo close." Lara gaspeda lawful good from his word-" Valen's clap, a drawn out "she's --ugghh ----I " . As Liam removed his now bleeding arm from her grasp, he redirected her trembling hand to his jeans , encouraging her to take hold . "I wasn't joking when I said she was strong ..." he muttered, as her hands ground into his thigh, and she panted desperately, and small grunts fell from her lips. "She's just taking her time-she one resilient little girl, just like her mom huh? " The nurse said, turning the shoulder as Lara's cervix continued pushing and she surrendered helplessly , as the room remained a blur of noise and activity , and Liam was suddenly gone from her side. The nurse announced as the lip remained caught around her baby's shoulder, and her push ended with a tortured scream. "she's in a better position now , Lara , take a few minutes to catch your breath , it'll be a good few minutes before she gets past the lip however. maybe a little longer. ". The room blurred as Lara gripped the railing of the bed, her arms shaking as she pled "I can't-" . The searing pain tore through her skin as she felt the nurse silently pushing her cervix aside, and the sea of pain consumed her. Her hands clamped the railing with all she had as she resisted the irresistible urge to push, fearful her opening would explode into a thousand pieces . "I need to stop-uhhhh-" He hand searched frantically for Liam as he braced himself on the sterile wall , a pained look in his eyes . "I can't -I just need a moment, I--" he explained to a distracted nurse passing by. His admission fell into the hall and he stared in exhausted disbelief as she screamed into the air . As he rubbed a hand over his drawn features , her pained cries the only sound in the bustling roomslap of his palms together , held a faint mockery. "Perhaps that hurt his head , Liam turned to another nurse , grabbing the sleeve of her scrubs . "Please , give her anything-she's in too much pain and -I cant do a damned thing .", he broke out in frustration and concern. "Sir, we need to respect her choices, but we have the situation under control, we will manage the shoulders , she's doing amazingly well considering the duration of her labour and the choice not to have an epidural-you should be very proud." He looked at the stark linoleum floor , as her grunts punctured the air. "Sorry I-oh God I just, I haven't slept , or eaten but I can't stand to watch her anymore . I didn't mean to-. We discussed all of this of course , but she's past the point where this much pain was expected . She's past the damn window and I just -. The nurse glanced at her pager with an urgent tone "it's alright, take a moment if you need , also you can go back inside when you're ready. Maybe take a walk and clear your head. This stage may take some time-it isn't easy" and then she was gone in the crowd of medical staff, leaving Liam alone. As he stepped out into hall , steeling himself, there wasn't any solace in the quiet, only guilt and fear. "Well you're useless out here -. " he sighed , the realisation of being useless everywhere sinking in. Then as another nurse passed he called out, his frustration and concern lacing his voice, the frantic environment of the hallway drowning him. "My wife has been in labour for over twenty hours and they expect her not to push out this shoulder that is ripping her half -apart. What if something goes horribly wrong, what if she-" The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, only pausing briefly as she assured ,"that's what we're here for. You should go and be with her when you're ready, I would suggest taking some time to regroup your nerves , it's normal to feel inadequate when the reality is we have manoeuvres that will prevent injury. And your presence is always more than adequate." He offered a grateful stare and then rested against the wall as she walked away . Liam finally approached a vending machine , his own instincts overriding him, and scanning the soda but only seeing his worn reflection staring back as he slammed a fist over a random button. he drained the can and crushed it in his fist , it's metal absorbing his anguish and exhaustion . As another half hour slid by, he returned to the bed where Lara was deep in the throes of a contraction, the nurse momentarily gone . "Baby , they left you? What's happening? "He asked as a nurse returned and stripped the curtain back as she deftly checked Lara's progress . "You're doing well Lara , the lip will mean that her shoulder will move forward , but slide back, we're getting there, just take each breath as it comes , and each push as it happens. " Liam's complexion paled as he dropped to Lara's side and she wrenched his shirt, without looking up from her trembling thighs. "Uhh-Li--uhhhh" she moaned in a desperate plea , as she fought to push through a punishing barrier , all of her strength gone , enduring each contraction with all she had left . "So , how many pushes could this take?" Liam asked , and the nurse replied , as she swiped Lara's brow with a damp cloth "Maybe a few more, it depends on when the lip of her cervix gives way. This isn't entirely common but- while it takes time it's not a risk to the baby's health, we are working to optimise her position , and to guide her through safely.. She has a good strong heartbeat, she's proving her resilience-" Liam grasped Lara's hand protectively, as he muttered. "I'm getting damn tired of hearing bout resilience , an hour ago it was "a few pushes and-" . Sliding , defeated, onto a chair at Lara's side his strained voice reached her, "I'm here, I'm sorry I needed a moment before " Liam said , and dropped his head into his free hand as she tightened her grip in his . Lara panted , her womb clenching down with a ferocity that was visible on her sweat drenched abdomen. As the contraction finally released her, the blissful reprieve afforded her a few deep breaths . Then the familiar stalling hovered in the air . Lara gazed at her expensed husband , and smiled through gritted teeth. "He's always been-like-this" she gasped and fell back against the headboard. "But it's why I love-his -overbeari-"she gasped out. Liam readjusted his fingers between Lara's, his eyes glassed over. "I know baby, and I know you really are stronger than me. And don't need me to - "I just don't like that you're going through this -it hurts to watch, baby" Then the nurses voice cut through the intimate moment of reprieve , her fingers against Lara's opening "seems that lip has cleared Lara, now , work with your body and have your baby. Let's do this Lara. When your contractions start up again, give me a hard push and don't breath away the urge. " . As Lara accepted a rough kiss on her temple from Liam as he displayed both urgency and hesitation to be in the way, nor not close enough , Lara gasped out "ok -I'm -ready-" as she cradled her abdomen, her muscles clenching and pushing as she held her breath, savouring the intensity she could no longer exert by herself. As she went with the push, her fingers found the curves that needed her touch , and she trembled against them . As the nurses hand guided the shoulder out , she motioned to Liam with her head. "Get ready , Liam, the time is now " Liam ran the back of his hand over his eyes, the lights of the room barring his vision with harsh disorientation. As he let the nurse position his arm in place , all he could hear was static hum of the room. "Ok Lara , the first shoulder is out, once more" Her breath stopped in her throat as her scream tore through the air . The left shoulder , grinding to a halt , left her panting in agony as the nurse manoeuvred i gently past her pelvis . "Ok Lara, deep breaths she really is a fighter, keep pushing" . Liam felt the bed rail shake with her hands as she collapsed against the side. "No-" . She was soon crying as the nurse kept her hand firmly in place . "This time she's coming Lara, there's no turning back, deep breaths -you're almost done-" it seemed as if she were yelling besides Liam's ear as the exhaustion gave the room an echo "She said no- " his voice broke with confusion and an anger he'd never felt on his own tongue. Another nurse grabbed his shoulder "get ready Liam, it's now, keep your hand under our arms ". He watched as his own hands shook with fatigue and the baby's shoulder , along with her body, emerged and was suddenly being held just above his forearm , along with more blood than he'd seen . "Oh God -" he muttered, as his daughter was swept away from him . "Clean her airways ..." a distant voice blared as Lara's pants punctured the room and she fell back, her hands sliding from the bedrails as she lay crying through a smile. Then there was a silence , not as disturbing as a calm before a storm . "Alright Lara. Rest a bit, catch your breath , you're doing amazing ". Lara felt her cervix stretching with a familiar fullness, and she cried out "Li-help-m-" A voice cut through her plea with calm reassurance. "the second baby has a clearer path and is optimal position, now here we go" the nurse instructed briskly, and the movement of the baby's head stretching and burning Lara's opening was undeniable as it claimed her entire being. Lara clutched at the open air , as her uterus pushed with a force she was too exhausted to resist , moaning weakly as her arm went limp. Liam watched , his eyes glossing over as he muttered. "But I-she-we-already went through this part" the nurse barely managed a smile as she she kept her focus on the second baby's head as in slid into a full crown. "Keep pushing Lara , your first daughter is healthy , now keep going. "No-I Uhhhh- " She released a moan that was filled with instinct , as her control was relinquished to the overwhelming pressure of the pull of her next push, its essence involuntary. It was happening faster than her breaths could match, as her gasps grew lighter and faster , and she was panting without trying. "Great job Lara , the head is out " the nurse said as she held Liam's hand in place and his arm trembled against hers. "And here come the shoulders , breathe Lara, let it happen , breathe-" Her moans spilled through the room as the first shoulder eased out , followed by the second, and their second daughter's body was above Liams' arm, secure in the nurses hands as he rolled back onto his heels. She was swept away just as quickly, as Lara's legs fell closed , her body shaking with relief. "Up off the floor Dad, I know it's a lot but-Congratulations you have two of them -" He rose, dazed and smiling through tears as Lara was handed her two newborn daughters . "Let's just name them both after you, I always knew you had two middle names for a reason-" . She shook her head, enamoured with them both at once. " I'll name this one Lila Rose . " Liam gazed down awestruck yet uncertain. "Do you really trust me with this -" Lara laughed through her tears. "I know it'll be perfect" . His fatigue slowed him down as he mused ..."Lily..Grace. That's the word I have . It's fits. " Liam let his eyes close as he micro slept, weathered by the ordeal. As Lara recovered , a nurse explained as Liam asked" why did she go through such an ordeal with Lila, but Lily just -kept coming ?" "With twin births, the baby can get stuck with the pressure of the second twin making her way down right after. It can cause trauma for both infants... so you have two incredibly strong girls. Liam leaned in to sling an arm around Lara "Nah, make that three"As Lara moaned softly , feeling a few weak contractions taking hold , a nurse took Lila from her , holding her hand "good job Mom, the placenta means there's certainly no third one in there " After a careful half hour of Lara handling the contractions with comparable ease, it was removed from her opening and Lila was returned to her arm, as she sank back smiling , and falling asleep. Liam told the nurse "we already wanted to use these names , and our first argument might have been a nice twist to play with. Killing you, to watch Ryan suffer. Or killing him ti destroy you. Perhaps I may play with my food , or throw in complementaries with the service . Keep thinking Liam. What we don't know , can indeed be dangerous. But what we do know, can be a slow burning nightmare. " As the air crept closer , Liam cursed under his breath. His cards flashed their expiry dates as he almost threw his failed royal flush across the table. But all he mustered was a faint "you'll be waiting a while ... maybe I never figure it out..." Valen , laughing at the delight in his own voice , positioned his mouth at Liam's ear. "You will come to a conclusion , and don't tell me about it. I'll feel it in your waters as you drown" Liam's weakened mindset crumbled with dehydration, and malnourishment, as he grappled with a notion that .almost set fire to his lungs. "The Vanderine- you've never ingested it. You won't . Implant it in me. But well , I just want to sleep now that she's not in any pain . It's just a relief to see her smiling. I'll have two of them screaming soon enough. I need all the sleep I can...." He trailed off into a deep yawn. "It's fine Mr Weston , we'll take them off your hands and let Lara recover properly, we have sleeping arrangements if you'd like a proper bed a proper meal. "Can I just sleep here for a bit " he mumbled at no one in particular as the room faded out.. There were so many minute details that had slipped their minds; the absence of their daughters as their health was monitored and ID bracelets were assigned. As Liam came to in a haze,my body won't make it was almost as if Lara were still pregnant andover the border in this condition. Implant Ryan , he can't hold it had all been a dream. In the sterile, silent room where he had been ushered mid-sleep, he was alone. "Two of them-here of them. You're outnumbered. Can't hide in here forever." ----After Liam had showered and thrown down a cafeteria tray of compartmentalised slop, he encountered a doctor , still in disbelief. "How, on earth, was the baby not detectable during her actual labor, there wasas long as me. Kill Ryan , and torture me . kill me and torture him. kill is both and the game ends . But there's only one heartbeat? I find that one hard to belie . I was dreaming. She hasn't even-" he was shakenthing-" . Valen's eyes lit up , pyromania dancing wildly in his pupils, "you're getting warmer, Liam. I think you may already be ... burning. Shall I throw you into the ocean yet or would you like a moment?" Liam's blood , screeching to a halt in his veins, choked as he whispered "You need me-alive-because you don't have anyone else left to hide the drug inside of - you were never trying to preserve it , you need -to display it, showcase its fucking beauty , in the middle of nowhere . Have someone , at the right , opportune moment , but what doesn't add up is -why hide it inside me . If I'm not a vessel of transportation , why not just give the damn substance to -why implant it? " Liam's thoughts , blurred together by laughter and the hand on his shoulder . "We did assume that when you arrived here ..with a wife carrying one child, that we were monitoring one heartbeat when , considering the complicated positioning of your infants, we may have fluctuated heartbeats . The thing that we can't fathom issheer panic , had him screaming , "Ryan , I'm sorry !" . Preserving his silence, Valen produced a gleaming sac from his pocket , and crouched by Liam's temple , placing and unlacing his boot as he hummed. "I want the world to see , how a Caesarean section wasn't needed . It took over hours to deliver your first child after Lila began crowning. "this drug , this vile responsibility to traffic something so resistant to ingestion , can be hidden inside even the weakest, most unsaleable , adverse body. And there's a place , a place deep inside you Liam directed his gaze into the distance . "We had an ultrasound a month ago. How did she slip past that ?" It stole his mind for a long moment. "Wait , she-knew-? Did she think I would -, that it would change-please tellcan be retained . But also , there's a place inside you that I can visit along the way. I won't overstay my welcome, I promise . You're right about me I was dreaming-it was a nightmare-I -I -" . Dr Mathew's smile was gone as he countered. "Well , Mrs Weston did ask me an odd question. She wanted to know , if the explanation to a second baby , might have been a "phantom pregnancy", where she was unable to feel the baby's movements and blamed herself for imaging the entire thing , said the labornot getting your deteriorated meat suit over any borders but. business calls . And I take walks in the park . I stop to smell the roses . I admire the architecture and I never happened and she must have dreamt it. Then I had to tell her that you wouldn't think she was crazy, and had to take to her to see both her children. She was rather confused , alarmed , and under the impression that you would be devastated to have no child at all. . What I'm seeing here is, two perfectly normal reactions to something bizarre and I've had quite the 48 hour shift myself. " Liam was swift to hide his tears of anger. "I-I -know she'd never lie-that's why I knew it was a nightmare. I'll just go and wakepass up -and it'll make sense." He laughed darkly, more to himself than anyone. Dr matters smiled with a hint of sympathy. "Or you could meet me and your wife in my office in an hour while I walk youa stroll through some of her recent ultrasounds. I can go into specifics regarding the uterine cavity and the positioning of each twin during various phases . Then it will make sense from a scientific point at least. Would you like me to pinch you , Liam, or will you be alright?" They both shared a wry smile , albeit weary on Liam's part as he nodded "pinch me all you want. She's still stronger than the both of us and now there's three of her to deal with. Three. I'm never gonna be out of the woods . We both know that"-----////////. The room swam, and Liam's corneas were as sick as they'd always been at the sight of concrete. "Vanderine." When ? How much . Lara was-nothing more than a dream. Lila.. Lily. Ah, shit. " Ryan , out in the way a light with a lost bulb flickered , only muttered "No-It's already in the car, damn kids never-I'm not an ATM -" Liam felt a profound sickness wound with sympathy cross his features. "Poor bastards in suburban hell again-"the Sistine Chapel after dark..."

USER: Highlight intelligent dialogue :Which passage is of a profession calibre .. this one? In the dim light, Valen found a twisted kind of solace, toying with the cavity of a decaying tooth, a manifestation of his reckless nature. Each action he took was shrouded in moral ambiguity, his life a shadow play of neutral evil that danced in the periphery of sanity. As he approached Liam, the crack of his knuckles punctuated each step, a sinister prelude to confrontation. "Liam, you've nestled into darkness so comfortably," Valen observed, stopping beside Liam who lay defeated. The sound of his boots on the ground marked the end of Liam's brief reprieve. "You claim to be powerless, yet defiance dances in your eyes," Valen said, his voice smooth as he bent down to remove Liam's boot, a precision in his movement that spoke of ritual. Liam, despite his predicament, smirked. "And to what end, Valen? Are my fleeting moments of defiance so threatening to you?" The air was thick with unspoken threats, a chilling anticipation of what was to come. Yet, Liam's wit was undiminished, his spirit a beacon against Valen's darkness. Valen paused, momentarily caught in contemplation. It was clear that Liam, even bound and subdued, fascinated him. "Your silence speaks volumes, Liam. It's not just your end I seek, but the ripple it creates. The silence from Ryan... unsettling, isn't it?" Hints of Valen's broader game emerged, suggesting he held leverage over Ryan too, deepening the despair of their situation. Yet, Liam's spirit remained unbroken, his belief in something beyond their current hell, something worth fighting for, remained intact. Facing Valen's relentless psychological assaults forced Liam to confront painful truths about themselves and the bleakness surrounding them. Each veiled threat from Valen stripped another layer of hope, revealing a deep-seated fear beneath Liam's bravado. But even in the face of grim reality, Liam found strength in defiance, challenging Valen's vision of victory. Valen's cruel intentions were laid bare as he revealed his desire to use Liam as a display, a testament to the drug that ensnared them both in this deadly dance. In a moment of harrowing clarity, Liam understood the full extent of Valen's depravity and his own precarious position. His final plea to Ryan was tinged with desperation, hinting at a plan that might just turn the tables on their captor. As Valen's cruelty reached its zenith, it was clear this was more than a physical battle; it was a war for the very essence of their spirits. Yet, amidst the darkness, Liam's resolve shone through, a defiance that refused to be extinguished. ---///or this one? As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan... anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. Liam shivered , as he said, observing the perverted truth encroaching on his existence "It seems however , that my entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it crept further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... But I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" Valen said, in a lingering snarl. As Liam fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" he said, almost with a spit of poised saliva. Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper, and ground his jaw. Valen taunted , seeming closer to the doorway than a moment earlier. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him?. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit..." Liam lamented, awaiting Ryan's response. There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room; Ryan's voice. "Exactly ...one day......eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and...fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice, as his gag was reinserted between his teeth. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles, he flinched. "Ah, your pulse is faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace Liam -" He lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles sifting through his vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" Liam muttered. Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can find the answer within yourself, to the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream? . Or perhaps ...it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind was transported to the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had borne a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , had been the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go Liam, if this will save you , buy you some time. I mean , it's wrong and I know it , and I don't feel I'm doing you right, but, I owe you." Ryan's gaze rested on a space between the stars as his voice hollowed out, a cool edge welding his plea. "Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to -for you , and not as some calculated mistake. " Liam , gazing directly into Ryan's peripheral vision, said , without missing a beat. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan then pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's back. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them strip your humanity , now go-" There was a desperation in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . cling onto that , Li' ." Liam flashed a lopsided grin, his right dimple enlivening its usual position as he smiled "Well give the bastards hell, Ry, I'll see you on the other side-" As Ryan stalled a second longer he added , "I'd better, and that's a threat." His slate -gray inflection , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , rasped as he released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he were weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality. "So the plan is , to torture me with Ryan's captivity. But, if he were to die , before me , what do you have left. My wife and three kids-" Valen's reply was as audible as a pin dropping, and Liam resisted his own tears as hands rested on his thorax . a finger escalated his ribcage , now a perilous stairway to his primal despair. "Ah Liam, joke of your imaginary life, but do not call the bluff on the only real family you have , his life is-disposable , but fascinating beautiful in the way it could visit that place I cannot , simply by being extinguished. A flame can just-" the snapping of Valen's fingers caused Liam to blink away a tear , his jaw trembling with the tension as he denied his humanity. His empathy simmered behind his eyelids as he watched the insides of them swim with moisture. "I implore you to kill me first-A suicidal cannon will only light up the sky when the wick burns out. If you exterminate my only reason to breathe-what then? Let me go and have a fading trail -or torture his existence with mine?" . The complexity ignited a strange amusement in Valen's response , eliciting a new depth of laughter . "Ah Liam , you are a mental fortress of entertainment, but even the cryptic suggestion that without him you'll be nothing, you've transcended the reason I am tracing your ribcage with an ease. You are yet to contemplate the heart of my intentions. It may take some time -I'll afford you as long as you need Li' . Ryan has -more than enough time to wait for your revelation. To hear its undertones in your screams. " Liam lay in the cling wrap of sweat, not quite daring to let his mind connect the dots that reeled across the concrete , like a constellation of fallen stars . Whether it had become day, or remained night, failed to matter. The magenta haze was all consuming. Everywhere, and he was nowhere. Ryan had been eerily quiet . And his voice was only a plea away from escaping him. "I knew from the start , your true intention......I'veintention.....I've always understood the purpose of my life -to kill me -but not to end my misery. To destroy Ryan. Because unlike me-Ryan believes in -humanity. in dignity. He's everything you can't be . Morally good . You have to end me -to truly leave a mark that will sear like a brand . But good luck with that . Because he did make a promise and you can't stop a lawful good from his word-" Valen's clap, a drawn out slap of his palms together , held a faint mockery. "Perhaps that might have been a nice twist to play with. Killing you, to watch Ryan suffer. Or killing him ti destroy you. Perhaps I may play with my food , or throw in complementaries with the service . Keep thinking Liam. What we don't know , can indeed be dangerous. But what we do know, can be a slow burning nightmare. " As the air crept closer , Liam cursed under his breath. His cards flashed their expiry dates as he almost threw his failed royal flush across the table. But all he mustered was a faint "you'll be waiting a while ..... maybe I never figure it out..." Valen , laughing at the delight in his own voice , positioned his mouth at Liam's ear. "You will come to a conclusion , and don't tell me about it. I'll feel it in your waters as you drown" Liam's weakened mindset crumbled with dehydration, and malnourishment, as he grappled with a notion that almost set fire to his lungs. "The Vanderine- you've never ingested it. You won't . Implant it in me. But my body won't make it over the border in this condition. Implant Ryan , he can't hold it down as long as me. Kill Ryan , and torture me . kill me and torture him. kill is both and the game ends . But there's only one thing-" . Valen's eyes lit up , pyromania dancing wildly in his pupils, "you're getting warmer, Liam. I think you may already be ..... burning. Shall I throw you into the ocean yet or would you like a moment?" Liam's blood , screeching to a halt in his veins, choked as he whispered "You need me-alive-because you don't have anyone else left to hide the drug inside of - you were never trying to preserve it , you need -to display it, showcase its fucking beauty , in the middle of nowhere . Have someone , at the right , opportune moment , but what doesn't add up is -why hide it inside me . If I'm not a vessel of transportation , why not just give the damn substance to -why implant it? " Liam's thoughts , blurred together by sheer panic , had him screaming , "Ryan , I'm sorry !" . Preserving his silence, Valen produced a gleaming sac from his pocket , and crouched by Liam's temple , placing and unlacing his boot as he hummed. "I want the world to see , how this drug , this vile responsibility to traffic something so resistant to ingestion , can be hidden inside even the weakest, most unsaleable , adverse body. And there's a place , a place deep inside you Liam , that it can be retained . But also , there's a place inside you that I can visit along the way. I won't overstay my welcome, I promise . You're right about me not getting your deteriorated meat suit over any borders but. business calls . And I take walks in the park . I stop to smell the roses . I admire the architecture and I never pass up a stroll through the Sistine Chapel after dark..." In Liam's resounding screams, his voice begged Ryan to hear what he could muster . "Don't ... you ...ever... let my broken body... be your mistake. I'm thanking you, and there's nothing to for-" His mouth, slamming closed with the brutal mercy of the concrete , bleed through his teeth. "Oh , Ryan , he says you're welcome , and there's plenty he can't forget, nor forgive, nor forgo not even forbid. He's bound, and he's listening and oh his heart's beating-so thank him for being alive. thank him for being too pristine to make an exhibition that can illuminate a thousand skies. Thank good 'ol Ryan for not embodying the toxic playground you breathe to life..."

USER: Which passage is of a profession calibre .. this one? In the dim light, Valen found a twisted kind of solace, toying with the cavity of a decaying tooth, a manifestation of his reckless nature. Each action he took was shrouded in moral ambiguity, his life a shadow play of neutral evil that danced in the periphery of sanity. As he approached Liam, the crack of his knuckles punctuated each step, a sinister prelude to confrontation. "Liam, you've nestled into darkness so comfortably," Valen observed, stopping beside Liam who lay defeated. The sound of his boots on the ground marked the end of Liam's brief reprieve. "You claim to be powerless, yet defiance dances in your eyes," Valen said, his voice smooth as he bent down to remove Liam's boot, a precision in his movement that spoke of ritual. Liam, despite his predicament, smirked. "And to what end, Valen? Are my fleeting moments of defiance so threatening to you?" The air was thick with unspoken threats, a chilling anticipation of what was to come. Yet, Liam's wit was undiminished, his spirit a beacon against Valen's darkness. Valen paused, momentarily caught in contemplation. It was clear that Liam, even bound and subdued, fascinated him. "Your silence speaks volumes, Liam. It's not just your end I seek, but the ripple it creates. The silence from Ryan... unsettling, isn't it?" Hints of Valen's broader game emerged, suggesting he held leverage over Ryan too, deepening the despair of their situation. Yet, Liam's spirit remained unbroken, his belief in something beyond their current hell, something worth fighting for, remained intact. Facing Valen's relentless psychological assaults forced Liam to confront painful truths about themselves and the bleakness surrounding them. Each veiled threat from Valen stripped another layer of hope, revealing a deep-seated fear beneath Liam's bravado. But even in the face of grim reality, Liam found strength in defiance, challenging Valen's vision of victory. Valen's cruel intentions were laid bare as he revealed his desire to use Liam as a display, a testament to the drug that ensnared them both in this deadly dance. In a moment of harrowing clarity, Liam understood the full extent of Valen's depravity and his own precarious position. His final plea to Ryan was tinged with desperation, hinting at a plan that might just turn the tables on their captor. As Valen's cruelty reached its zenith, it was clear this was more than a physical battle; it was a war for the very essence of their spirits. Yet, amidst the darkness, Liam's resolve shone through, a defiance that refused to be extinguished. ---///or this one? As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan... anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. Liam shivered , as he said, observing the perverted truth encroaching on his existence "It seems however , that my entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it crept further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... But I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" Valen said, in a lingering snarl. As Liam fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" he said, almost with a spit of poised saliva. Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper, and ground his jaw. Valen taunted , seeming closer to the doorway than a moment earlier. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him?. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit..." Liam lamented, awaiting Ryan's response. There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room; Ryan's voice. "Exactly ...one day......eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and...fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice, as his gag was reinserted between his teeth. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles, he flinched. "Ah, your pulse is faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace Liam -" He lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles sifting through his vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" Liam muttered. Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can find the answer within yourself, to the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream? . Or perhaps ...it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind was transported to the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had borne a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , had been the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go Liam, if this will save you , buy you some time. I mean , it's wrong and I know it , and I don't feel I'm doing you right, but, I owe you." Ryan's gaze rested on a space between the stars as his voice hollowed out, a cool edge welding his plea. "Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to -for you , and not as some calculated mistake. " Liam , gazing directly into Ryan's peripheral vision, said , without missing a beat. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan then pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's back. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them strip your humanity , now go-" There was a desperation in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . cling onto that , Li' ." Liam flashed a lopsided grin, his right dimple enlivening its usual position as he smiled "Well give the bastards hell, Ry, I'll see you on the other side-" As Ryan stalled a second longer he added , "I'd better, and that's a threat." His slate -gray inflection , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , rasped as he released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he were weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality. "So the plan is , to torture me with Ryan's captivity. But, if he were to die , before me , what do you have left. My wife and three kids-" Valen's reply was as audible as a pin dropping, and Liam resisted his own tears as hands rested on his thorax . a finger escalated his ribcage , now a perilous stairway to his primal despair. "Ah Liam, joke of your imaginary life, but do not call the bluff on the only real family you have , his life is-disposable , but fascinating beautiful in the way it could visit that place I cannot , simply by being extinguished. A flame can just-" the snapping of Valen's fingers caused Liam to blink away a tear , his jaw trembling with the tension as he denied his humanity. His empathy simmered behind his eyelids as he watched the insides of them swim with moisture. "I implore you to kill me first-A suicidal cannon will only light up the sky when the wick burns out. If you exterminate my only reason to breathe-what then? Let me go and have a fading trail -or torture his existence with mine?" . The complexity ignited a strange amusement in Valen's response , eliciting a new depth of laughter . "Ah Liam , you are a mental fortress of entertainment, but even the cryptic suggestion that without him you'll be nothing, you've transcended the reason I am tracing your ribcage with an ease. You are yet to contemplate the heart of my intentions. It may take some time -I'll afford you as long as you need Li' . Ryan has -more than enough time to wait for your revelation. To hear its undertones in your screams. " Liam lay in the cling wrap of sweat, not quite daring to let his mind connect the dots that reeled across the concrete , like a constellation of fallen stars . Whether it had become day, or remained night, failed to matter. The magenta haze was all consuming. Everywhere, and he was nowhere. Ryan had been eerily quiet . And his voice was only a plea away from escaping him. "I knew from the start , your true intention.....I've always understood the purpose of my life -to kill me -but not to end my misery. To destroy Ryan. Because unlike me-Ryan believes in -humanity. in dignity. He's everything you can't be . Morally good . You have to end me -to truly leave a mark that will sear like a brand . But good luck with that . Because he did make a promise and you can't stop a lawful good from his word-" Valen's clap, a drawn out slap of his palms together , held a faint mockery. "Perhaps that might have been a nice twist to play with. Killing you, to watch Ryan suffer. Or killing him ti destroy you. Perhaps I may play with my food , or throw in complementaries with the service . Keep thinking Liam. What we don't know , can indeed be dangerous. But what we do know, can be a slow burning nightmare. " As the air crept closer , Liam cursed under his breath. His cards flashed their expiry dates as he almost threw his failed royal flush across the table. But all he mustered was a faint "you'll be waiting a while .. maybe I never figure it out..." Valen , laughing at the delight in his own voice , positioned his mouth at Liam's ear. "You will come to a conclusion , and don't tell me about it. I'll feel it in your waters as you drown" Liam's weakened mindset crumbled with dehydration, and malnourishment, as he grappled with a notion that almost set fire to his lungs. "The Vanderine- you've never ingested it. You won't . Implant it in me. But my body won't make it over the border in this condition. Implant Ryan , he can't hold it down as long as me. Kill Ryan , and torture me . kill me and torture him. kill is both and the game ends . But there's only one thing-" . Valen's eyes lit up , pyromania dancing wildly in his pupils, "you're getting warmer, Liam. I think you may already be .. burning. Shall I throw you into the ocean yet or would you like a moment?" Liam's blood , screeching to a halt in his veins, choked as he whispered "You need me-alive-because you don't have anyone else left to hide the drug inside of - you were never trying to preserve it , you need -to display it, showcase its fucking beauty , in the middle of nowhere . Have someone , at the right , opportune moment , but what doesn't add up is -why hide it inside me . If I'm not a vessel of transportation , why not just give the damn substance to -why implant it? " Liam's thoughts , blurred together by sheer panic , had him screaming , "Ryan , I'm sorry !" . Preserving his silence, Valen produced a gleaming sac from his pocket , and crouched by Liam's temple , placing and unlacing his boot as he hummed. "I want the world to see , how this drug , this vile responsibility to traffic something so resistant to ingestion , can be hidden inside even the weakest, most unsaleable , adverse body. And there's a place , a place deep inside you Liam , that it can be retained . But also , there's a place inside you that I can visit along the way. I won't overstay my welcome, I promise . You're right about me not getting your deteriorated meat suit over any borders but. business calls . And I take walks in the park . I stop to smell the roses . I admire the architecture and I never pass up a stroll through the Sistine Chapel after dark..." In Liam's resounding screams, his voice begged Ryan to hear what he could muster . "Don't ... you ...ever... let my broken body... be your mistake. I'm thanking you, and there's nothing to for-" His mouth, slamming closed with the brutal mercy of the concrete , bleed through his teeth. "Oh , Ryan , he says you're welcome , and there's plenty he can't forget, nor forgive, nor forgo not even forbid. He's bound, and he's listening and oh his heart's beating-so thank him for being alive. thank him for being too pristine to make an exhibition that can illuminate a thousand skies. Thank good 'ol Ryan for not embodying the toxic playground you breathe to life..." In a flinching movement , Liam turned his cheek away, a tear streaking it, unseen . Only the metal walls could witness his release . With an even voice he said, "His promise..when he executes it.. he can stand on the edge of the universe, and smile for us both. There's a place neither of us can ever visit. Except him. So send him there, Valen. But know that to win, you lose. I'm dying , it's not a secret, that even without you, I could never survive without freedom, without water , and soon. Without vital nutrients. I'm already gone . But Ryan-" Valen , resting a hand on the back of a Liam's head, countered with a sliver of mock empathy. "Oh , Ryan will smile , when he-goes to a place where you die . And he lives? Or-is his heaven a place you think you can't go ? But what if, you knew Ryan's purpose? Why Liam , do you think, I have retained his bones for so long. He's had no purpose. And yet, he's far more valuable to my operation than you. He can't see it. But ponder , for a moment, where he might be heading , for you.. " . As Liam felt the insidious surreality impaling his senses, he was alone in his depraved pyche, and his own screams would fall to a deaf grave. His whisper laced the air. "Ryan is silent , is he not ? And somehow , he's been a bystander . Watching it all, hearing it all. With glass caged eyes. And you need -a witness. To see your exhibition. To be the embodiment of wonderment. But consider this. What if Ryan was that sightless traveller I reserve my landmark for?" Liam began to sing, in perfect key, "'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape, from the life I live when I'm awake, so let's go there, let's make our escape, come on, let's go there, let's ask can we stay? Oh can you take me higher? to a place where blind men see, can you take me higher? To a place with golden streets. " . His rasping lullaby was eerie in the silence , and his heartbeat twisted as he heard a crystalline heave from the distance. Ryan's response was beyond primal, as silence enslaved his sorrow in a prison . Valen was gone from Liam's side , and a sickening groan permeated the air . "His gag needed a little readjusting..." Liam delivers a direct gaze , one filled with challenge , "now ask, and then know , what Ryan promised me and then ask the depths of your twisted soul , can you live with failure so profound , it could encompass your soul and -" . Valen's eyes , staring back with a devoid expression, mirrored and ocean of tar as he drawled his words. "Ahh hell. He can't fulfill that promise in binds. " Liam smiled , a slow, almost manic smile , his teeth saturated in blood. "But Valen, how do we know , for sure , he hasn't already - has he been lying here this whole , grandiose time , watching me , and watching you, through a filter of handicapped brilliance? Is what he sees , far more beautiful than what either of us can imagine?"

USER: As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan... anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. Liam shivered , as he said, observing the perverted truth encroaching on his existence "It seems however , that my entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it crept further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... But I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" Valen said, in a lingering snarl. As Liam fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" he said, almost with a spit of poised saliva. Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper, and ground his jaw. Valen taunted , seeming closer to the doorway than a moment earlier. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him?. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit..." Liam lamented, awaiting Ryan's response. There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room; Ryan's voice. "Exactly ...one day......eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and...fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice, as his gag was reinserted between his teeth. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles, he flinched. "Ah, your pulse is faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace Liam -" He lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles sifting through his vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" Liam muttered. Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can find the answer within yourself, to the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream? . Or perhaps ...it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind was transported to the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had borne a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , had been the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go Liam, if this will save you , buy you some time. I mean , it's wrong and I know it , and I don't feel I'm doing you right, but, I owe you." Ryan's gaze rested on a space between the stars as his voice hollowed out, a cool edge welding his plea. "Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to -for you , and not as some calculated mistake. " Liam , gazing directly into Ryan's peripheral vision, said , without missing a beat. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan then pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's back. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them strip your humanity , now go-" There was a desperation in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . cling onto that , Li' ." Liam flashed a lopsided grin, his right dimple enlivening its usual position as he smiled "Well give the bastards hell, Ry, I'll see you on the other side-" As Ryan stalled a second longer he added , "I'd better, and that's a threat." His slate -gray inflection , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , rasped as he released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he were weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality. "So the plan is , to torture me with Ryan's captivity. But, if he were to die , before me , what do you have left. My wife and three kids-" Valen's reply was as audible as a pin dropping, and Liam resisted his own tears as hands rested on his thorax . a finger escalated his ribcage , now a perilous stairway to his primal despair. "Ah Liam, joke of your imaginary life, but do not call the bluff on the only real family you have , his life is-disposable , but fascinating beautiful in the way it could visit that place I cannot , simply by being extinguished. A flame can just-" the snapping of Valen's fingers caused Liam to blink away a tear , his jaw trembling with the tension as he denied his humanity. His empathy simmered behind his eyelids as he watched the insides of them swim with moisture. "I implore you to kill me first-A suicidal cannon will only light up the sky when the wick burns out. If you exterminate my only reason to breathe-what then? Let me go and have a fading trail -or torture his existence with mine?" . The complexity ignited a strange amusement in Valen's response , eliciting a new depth of laughter . "Ah Liam , you are a mental fortress of entertainment, but even the cryptic suggestion that without him you'll be nothing, you've transcended the reason I am tracing your ribcage with an ease. You are yet to contemplate the heart of my intentions. It may take some time -I'll afford you as long as you need Li' . Ryan has -more than enough time to wait for your revelation. To hear its undertones in your screams. " Liam lay in the cling wrap of sweat, not quite daring to let his mind connect the dots that reeled across the concrete , like a constellation of fallen stars . Whether it had become day, or remained night, failed to matter. The magenta haze was all consuming. Everywhere, and he was nowhere. Ryan had been eerily quiet . And his voice was only a plea away from escaping him. "I knew from the start , your true intention.....I'veintention......I've always understood the purpose of my life -to kill me -but not to end my misery. To destroy Ryan. Because unlike me-Ryan believes in -humanity. in dignity. He's everything you can't be . Morally good . You have to end me -to truly leave a mark that will sear like a brand . But good luck with that . Because he did make a promise and you can't stop a lawful good from his word-" Valen's clap, a drawn out slap of his palms together , held a faint mockery. "Perhaps that might have been a nice twist to play with. Killing you, to watch Ryan suffer. Or killing him ti destroy you. Perhaps I may play with my food , or throw in complementaries with the service . Keep thinking Liam. What we don't know , can indeed be dangerous. But what we do know, can be a slow burning nightmare. " As the air crept closer , Liam cursed under his breath. His cards flashed their expiry dates as he almost threw his failed royal flush across the table. But all he mustered was a faint "you'll be waiting a while ..... maybe I never figure it out..." Valen , laughing at the delight in his own voice , positioned his mouth at Liam's ear. "You will come to a conclusion , and don't tell me about it. I'll feel it in your waters as you drown" Liam's weakened mindset crumbled with dehydration, and malnourishment, as he grappled with a notion that almost set fire to his lungs. "The Vanderine- you've never ingested it. You won't . Implant it in me. But my body won't make it over the border in this condition. Implant Ryan , he can't hold it down as long as me. Kill Ryan , and torture me . kill me and torture him. kill is both and the game ends . But there's only one thing-" . Valen's eyes lit up , pyromania dancing wildly in his pupils, "you're getting warmer, Liam. I think you may already be ..... burning. Shall I throw you into the ocean yet or would you like a moment?" Liam's blood , screeching to a halt in his veins, choked as he whispered "You need me-alive-because you don't have anyone else left to hide the drug inside of - you were never trying to preserve it , you need -to display it, showcase its fucking beauty , in the middle of nowhere . Have someone , at the right , opportune moment , but what doesn't add up is -why hide it inside me . If I'm not a vessel of transportation , why not just give the damn substance to -why implant it? " Liam's thoughts , blurred together by sheer panic , had him screaming , "Ryan , I'm sorry !" . Preserving his silence, Valen produced a gleaming sac from his pocket , and crouched by Liam's temple , placing and unlacing his boot as he hummed. "I want the world to see , how this drug , this vile responsibility to traffic something so resistant to ingestion , can be hidden inside even the weakest, most unsaleable , adverse body. And there's a place , a place deep inside you Liam , that it can be retained . But also , there's a place inside you that I can visit along the way. I won't overstay my welcome, I promise . You're right about me not getting your deteriorated meat suit over any borders but. business calls . And I take walks in the park . I stop to smell the roses . I admire the architecture and I never pass up a stroll through the Sistine Chapel after dark..." In Liam's resounding screams, his voice begged Ryan to hear what he could muster . "Don't ... you ...ever... let my broken body... be your mistake. I'm thanking you, and there's nothing to for-" His mouth, slamming closed with the brutal mercy of the concrete , bleed through his teeth. "Oh , Ryan , he says you're welcome , and there's plenty he can't forget, nor forgive, nor forgo not even forbid. He's bound, and he's listening and oh his heart's beating-so thank him for being alive. thank him for being too pristine to make an exhibition that can illuminate a thousand skies. Thank good 'ol Ryan for not embodying the toxic playground you breathe to life..." In a flinching movement , Liam turned his cheek away, a tear streaking it, unseen . Only the metal walls could witness his release . With an even voice he said, "His promise..whenpromise...when he executes it..it... he can stand on the edge of the universe, and smile for us both. There's a place neither of us can ever visit. Except him. So send him there, Valen. But know that to win, you lose. I'm dying , it's not a secret, that even without you, I could never survive without freedom, without water , and soon. Without vital nutrients. I'm already gone . But Ryan-" Valen , resting a hand on the back of a Liam's head, countered with a sliver of mock empathy. "Oh , Ryan will smile , when he-goes to a place where you die . And he lives? Or-is his heaven a place you think you can't go ? But what if, you knew Ryan's purpose? Why Liam , do you think, I have retained his bones for so long. He's had no purpose. And yet, he's far more valuable to my operation than you. He can't see it. But ponder , for a moment, where he might be heading , for you..you... " . As Liam felt the insidious surreality impaling his senses, he was alone in his depraved pyche, and his own screams would fall to a deaf grave. His whisper laced the air. "Ryan is silent , is he not ? And somehow , he's been a bystander . Watching it all, hearing it all. With glass caged eyes. And you need -a witness. To see your exhibition. To be the embodiment of wonderment. But consider this. What if Ryan was that sightless traveller I reserve my landmark for?" Liam began to sing, in perfect key, "'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape, from the life I live when I'm awake, so let's go there, let's make our escape, come on, let's go there, let's ask can we stay? Oh can you take me higher? to a place where blind men see, can you take me higher? To a place with golden streets. " . His rasping lullaby was eerie in the silence , and his heartbeat twisted as he heard a crystalline heave from the distance. Ryan's response was beyond primal, as silence enslaved his sorrow in a prison . Valen was gone from Liam's side , and a sickening groan permeated the air . "His gag needed a little readjusting..." Liam delivers a direct gaze , one filled with challenge , "now ask, and then know , what Ryan promised me and then ask the depths of your twisted soul , can you live with failure so profound , it could encompass your soul and -" . Valen's eyes , staring back with a devoid expression, mirrored and ocean of tar as he drawled his words. "Ahh hell. He can't fulfill that promise in binds. " Liam smiled , a slow, almost manic smile , his teeth saturated in blood. "But Valen, how do we know , for sure , he hasn't already - has he been lying here this whole , grandiose time , watching me , and watching you, through a filter of handicapped brilliance? Is what he sees , far more beautiful than what either of us can imagine?" There was a chill in the air that may have escaped the gates of a hell frozen as Valen stepped back and whispered, "He's physically .... The damned song. My witness is...? Has always been? " As Liam basked in the palpable terror flowing through Valen's mind he nodded against the concrete ." He lost one of his senses , I suppose the one that strengthened him the most in the end. And he'll be free. No matter what you do , he'll be free . He embraced the literal darkness long ago. My body will never be his memory, burning bright in any sky, in any universe, anywhere...Ponder that. " Valen , almost erased by his innate silence, whispered in a cold, flat , and utterly soul destroying tone "Business , Liam. Can my audience feel? Can my audience imagine? Can the dark corners of Ryan's mind fathom , where I will hide the Vanderine. And what of that, a firework display , far brighter than any I could illustrate. One of his own creation. Listen carefully Ryan , oh listen with the senses you have left: I may have felt my heart drop just a fraction when I learned of your, misfortune but, I have tourism to attend to-you have both served me too kindly , and it's not over yet. " As Liam closed his eyes , the blow to his nostrils was more than he could bear. "Liam; your sinus cavities . Then , Ryan , I'll sever your binds. As you have earned . Game well played , gentlemen. For keeping your darkest spaces wide open, just for me. " Liam , feeling Valen caress his cheek, pausing his finger at his eyelid , he hummed without tone. "I suspect Ryan can see shadows on a wall .. after all . What is one thing , Liam , that a deaf man can hear, that a quadriplegic can feel, that a man without his tongue can taste .. what is something tangible , real , more set in this world than fear or any emotion that exists. Liam, can you be the thing he can see .. oh tell me? Or keep it inside. I find it flattering in the ..highest sense..that you would call my bluff in the night.." How's this : Valen's calm humming hung in the air . " I will be back , when he proves his universal feelings , his love for my exhibition. Take a moment to embrace the tangibly of his senses. Valen was absent in a dying moment, as Liam heard Ryan's distressed groan. "Ah , Ryan, the wall , in which shadows reflect themselves , it gleams with a rise so delicate. Your corneas, do they welcome my presence, can I touch the wall without your sweet hazel irises tracing my arrival. Liam's heart collapsed against the velocity of its pulse , as Ryan's shadow revolted, and his scream echoed chilling and with ambiguity. "Now , what of that, your games may lead you those corners. But, Well , he can see .. sweet Ry' can see it all . Or can he ? Now that I touched upon his lying eyes , I may have done some damage on my out. How can one tell . I am the master of a drug operation, not a gauger of eyeballs. My caress is .. gentle . Subtle . A professional never resorts to gratuitous measures . Your insanity is too..precious. " Ryan's voice , slated with grey, came in a hoarse whisper, but filled with clarity . "Liam... the sunlight.. when we found that bench.. got drunk, and you fell asleep in the park. What did I say to you-" Then the muffled screams followed as Valen secured Ryan's gag over his tongue. Liam lay with the echoes of Ryan's voice in his skull. It had been warm, yet pleasant , embalming them both in a magenta twilight. In the moments before Liam had succumbed to the inebriation in his veins , Ryan's hazel stare, were alight with flecks of tranquil silence, as he said "it's the nights that are the longest, but dust always falls, it's not quite red, it's not purple, but it always returns . That's thing I've notice about this damned place. Even if they rip my eyes out, so I can't even watch anymore, they'll never rip out my actual heart Li'. They'd never think it could matter. It's the one organ they'll never touch and it's the only one a human truly needs to survive. Even if they choke me, burn me , there's nothing those bastards will strip from the 'ol ticker right?I'll always have my humanity , they can try but-"Liam laughed as the sun bathed Ryan's profile and he felt the warmth of the alcohol taking him under. "Is that a promise Ry' . Are you getting all sentimental on me now. Hold me Ryan oh hold me-" Ryan , slapping a firm hand against Liam's shoulder replied "Ah shut the hell up and pass out " Liam's dimples punctured the crimson bleed of the light "Will do, brother" he said as he returned a solid arm to Ryan's back. "But before I do I just want to make sure, you never forget what we have here. Whatever they take , this is untouchable ."

USER: As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip ...

USER: But which moments capture the beauty of Liam and Ryan's bond