Duncan Can't Talk (Preview)

Hugo turned back to them, “Okay,” he said. “Come on…” He led them out of that first room and down a hallway, Duncan urgently glanced up and down it, lip trembling and forehead sweating. His heart thudded when he still couldn’t see a bathroom from his current position.

River was glancing around as well, but when he noticed how panicked Duncan looked, he rubbed his thumb against his boyfriend’s hand. “It’s okay… It’s just us here…”

‘River, I need to find the bathroom now!’ Duncan thought. And, he tried once more to say it. ‘River, I have to pee!’ It was such a simple sentence. Just five words. But, his throat felt stapled shut, and he only managed a small whimpering noise. He wished he could just get out one word— Maybe if he was able to say the word ‘pee’ and nothing else, River would understand and realize what he needed.

“I think we’ll both feel way more calm once we see the cats,” River assured him. “That should help.”

Duncan nodded shakily. Yeah, the cats probably WOULD help him feel more relaxed about being out of the house. And, if he was more relaxed, then maybe he’d be able to talk!

Continuing down the hallway was not enjoyable, though. Nervous butterflies in his stomach started to dig closer and closer down towards his full bladder. It was like his anxiety about being outside was kicking his kidneys into over-drive, he swore he felt another cup of liquid being dumped into his bladder every few steps.

He had to pause at one point to tense his thighs and tap his feet, accidentally tugging River backwards.

River jumped and looked at Duncan, who’d seemingly just frozen in the middle of the hall. Aw… Poor thing… River could kind of understand why his surroundings were making him uncomfortable. The walls were a pale orange color, eerily similar to the walls in some areas of the building where The Organization had kept them. River had been keeping his eyes on the floor in front of him to keep himself from shuddering.

Once they got to the cats and Duncan was reminded that he was in a safe place and not a torture dungeon, he’d be okay. River hoped. “We’re close,” River told him. “Not much further.”