[May 15th] [Perry Mason] The World Was Crumbling

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: The World Was Crumbling
Day/Theme: May 15th - The almanac of last things
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Paul Drake, Hamilton Burger, Perry Mason, Vivalene (OC)
Rating: T/PG-13

Part of the "Missing Scenes from The Broken Ties" series.

Takes place between chapter 16 and the epilogue.


By Lucky_Ladybug

It was happening again. Vann was holding Howie prisoner, threatening his death the moment anyone tried to stop Vivalene from killing Tragg. Tragg had broken free of the mind control, albeit briefly, but then had sank under again when Hamilton had tried to recruit him for help in toppling the deadly slab. Instead Tragg had pushed Hamilton away, leaving him stunned and wide open for Vivalene’s assault. And Vivalene had kissed him and sent him down the marble stairs, to fatally crash at the bottom.

But this time he did not land outside the barrier. He was still within its perimeter. No one outside of it could get to him. And Vivalene knew it all too well. Tossing the Forbidden Box to Flo she traipsed down the stairs and dropped to her knees at his side.

“He’s dead,” she purred, turning his pale face to hers. She leaned in, pressing her lips tightly against his. She would be satisfied in her desires even if Hamilton would never willingly give in to her.

“What are you doing?!” Perry cried in righteous fury from outside the barrier. He gripped and pounded on it without success. “You’ve done more than enough to that poor man. Leave him be!”

Vivalene ran her hands into his hair, ignoring Perry’s vain commands. “Poor Hamilton,” she said in a sing-song voice as she pulled back, running a finger down his cheek. “I would have let him rule with me, if he had only given in. It would have been so easy, so very easy.” She started to loosen his tie from around his neck.

And suddenly Paul was lunging at her from behind, wrapping his strong arms around her waist as he turned and deposited her near the bottom of the stairs. “Don’t you have any dignity at all?!” he roared.

Vivalene collapsed in a heap. She looked up with a start, staring at Paul in amazement. “Is that how you always treat ladies, Mr. Drake?!”

“I never treat ladies like that,” Paul snarled. “If there’s one thing you’re not, it’s that.” He surveyed Hamilton’s lifeless body with a sinking heart. “Of course he’d never give in to you. You’re everything that repulses him.”

Vivalene got up, sneering at him. “And he’s everything that repulses me,” she countered as she started up the stairs. “Don’t worry, this will all be over soon enough.”

Paul ignored her. Slowly, carefully, he started to gather Hamilton into his arms. They could pass through the barrier; Paul would take him outside of it and leave him for Perry and the others to try to treat while Paul went back upstairs to go after Vivalene and Vann. He would not believe that Hamilton was dead. Not now, not after everything. . . .

Before Paul could stand, Hamilton weakly stirred in his arms. “Paul . . .” He looked up, his eyes glassy and mostly unseeing. Paul was chilled.

“Hey, don’t try to talk,” he said. “You’re hurt bad.”

Hamilton gripped the sleeve of Paul’s suit coat. “It’s . . . up to you,” he rasped. “I . . . I won’t make it.”

“Oh shut up!” Paul snapped. He struggled to get to his feet.

Hamilton just chuckled. “That’s what you always wanted, isn’t it. Don’t worry; you’ll have your wish. You . . . you won’t be hearing from me again.” His grip was already loosening.

“Hamilton!” Perry cried from the other side of the barrier.

“That’s not true!” Paul shouted. “That’s not what I want. Stay here, for crying out loud! You’re going to die now, after all this?”

“Sorry.” Hamilton slumped heavily against Paul. “But, Paul . . . thank you.”

Paul knew when Hamilton was gone. He could feel that he was suddenly holding only a lifeless corpse. But he was not willing to give up. “Oh no you don’t!” he cried, lunging through the barrier and falling to his knees. Perry and the others rushed to gather around.

Paul laid Hamilton’s body on the marble floor and bent over him, feverishly struggling to push air into his silent lungs. It was no use, but he fought for it anyway.

Burger, come on. You’re not getting away from me this easily! Come back.

You’ve got to come back. Are you going to let Vivalene beat you like this? What did she do to you anyway?!

. . . Hamilton. Come on. Please. You’ve got to wake up.

Perry’s strong hands gripped Paul’s shoulders. “Paul, he’s gone,” he said, his voice thick with sorrow and grief.

“He’s not gone!” Paul snapped, pulling away.

Perry held fast. “Paul. You and Hamilton are the only ones who can get through the barrier. You have to go back through and stop Vivalene. If you don’t, Hamilton will have perished in vain.”

At last Perry’s words reached him. Paul’s shoulders slumped. He rocked back, gazing at the body of his lost friend. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many things that should have been said. He should have apologized for the argument at the hospital. Hamilton had, before they had gone inside. And Paul had been too stunned to even think to do the same.

It was too late now.

Shaking, Paul got to his feet. “Alright,” he said. “This is for him.”

He charged for the barrier, but he was too late. The dark magic struck Tragg, killing him as it had Hamilton.

And the spell was complete.
****
Paul gasped, his eyes flying open as he sat straight up in bed. As his eyes adjusted to the near-darkness of his apartment bedroom he slumped forward, digging his hands into his hair.

“It happened again,” he groaned aloud.

He was apparently unable to cope with what had happened during the showdown at Vann’s house. Even though Hamilton had not been dead when he had hit the floor, and had instead been put under some kind of enchanted death that had been broken, Paul had been recreating the events in his dreams every night. The outcome was always different, but one thing remained the same.

Hamilton always died for real. There was no bringing him back, no spell to shatter, no chance to say the things Paul had never said.

Then again, Paul had not really taken the chance even though Hamilton was alive and well. Paul had been avoiding him instead. It was so nerve-wracking and confusing, to suddenly be hit with the realization that Hamilton had been his friend for years, and that he had even thought of Hamilton as such, but Hamilton had never known that Paul felt that way. Hamilton had probably died thinking Paul hated him. And he probably still thought it now. Even if he did not, he could not know Paul’s true feelings. Not when not even Paul had figured them out.

Paul got up, shuffling to the glass balcony doors. It had been several days since the spell had broken. Maybe it was time that he quit trying to sort through these feelings all on his own. Maybe he should go to Burger and they could sort through them together.

Burger had avoided him just as much, though. Maybe Paul should take that as a hint.

Or maybe he should take it as what it probably really was—Burger figuring he was doing what Paul wanted and giving him space.

Paul drew a heaving sigh. He had put it off long enough. Nothing was getting accomplished. Tomorrow he would go to Burger’s office and just take what came.

He paused. Maybe he deserved rejection, but he still hoped Burger would give him another chance, a chance to make up for everything he had not recognized and had never said or done. Did the thought of Burger possibly rejecting him and whatever conscious friendship he could now offer bother him so badly?

He would have scoffed at the question and his doubts before, but he knew the answer deep in his heart. And this time he let himself accept it.

Yeah. Yeah, it did bother him that badly.