Archive of Our Own ^beta

Simon hit the ground again.

"I'll ask again 'Doctor.' Where is the crown."

Simon lifted his head to look at the blurry shape in front of him, choking back a wave of blood filling his mouth.

"C'mon 'Doctor,' all you have to tell me where the crown is. I like doing this as much as you do."

Simon knew that was a lie. He choked back another wave of iron-tasting blood, knowing that if he spat it out it'll just cause more pain.

"Oh 'Doctor,' I didn't want to have to do this."

A hand leaned forward with a metal stick, the end crackling with electricity. Close to him, but not quite there.

Simon remembers a time where the sticks used to be less dangerous.

"One more time 'Doctor.' Where is the crown."

Simon chuckled in response, a wet-sounding thing. He immediately regretted it as his body was flooded with white-hot pain, feeling every nerve alight. Simon resisted the urge to scream, not wanting to give into this unknown figure.

The stick pulled back, causing Simon to gasp for breath. He tried to swallow back more blood but failed, the bile rising from his throat and causing him to gag, spitting it out.

"Oh dear. It appears you got me dirty. You know what that means, dear 'Doctor.'"

Simon tried to speak before the stick drove itself into his stomach. He tried to scream but nothing came out.

It smells like iron and static and everything wrong.

Simon tries to breath.

It's getting harder and harder to think. To function.

The stick was removed for a moment, allowing him to gasp for air before being cut off again, the air crackling with pain.

All Simon sees is a blurry figure peering down at him with a sickening grin before a loud bang comes from somewhere.

"Get away from him!"

"Simon? Simon!?"

He closes his eyes.

.

.

.

"Simon? Simon are you in there?"

His head gently turns; he's so tired.

"Hey, don't worry. We got you pal. We got you."

"Stay awake. Stay awake!"

It's hard to think.

He falls asleep again.

.

.

.

He wakes up to a blurry room, dimly lit.

He tried to speak but all that came out was a garbled mess.

"Simon? Simon don't talk right now."

He tried to talk again but someone shut his mouth with an audible click.

"Simon, please don't talk right now."

A murmured whisper for a doctor came from somewhere and the quick noise of footsteps.

"I knew he might have sustained brain damage, but I hoped it wouldn't be this bad..." A soft whisper came.

He tried again to speak.

It was simple, just three words.

Who is Simon?