Leaving to try and alleviate Johns pain, I rush back to the holding cells. I find the clone awake and arguing with the guard to let him out.
"Why am I in here?! Where's Sin?!"
"Look sir, I don't know why you're in there, or where Major General Sin is, sir. I'm merely doing as instructed and not letting anyone out of a locked cell." I hear the guard telling the fake John.
The guard stays where he is, remaining respectful but diligent in his duties.
'Good job, soldier.' I think to myself, nodding in approval.
I stay out of sight and think about this for a second. How can I go about this now without raising suspicion with the Erlking? The next thing I hear only cements the fact that this is not my John.
"Look here you little shit. Let me out or I will make sure your ass is out on the front lines. We both know that anything can happen there." He tries to intimidate the soldier.
"I apologize sir, but I can not let you out. I'm merely following orders sir. If you choose to reprimand me and place me on the front, it is within your authority to do so, Sir." The soldier remains stoic and calm during this whole process.
I'm going to have to remember to give this soldier some praise. However, I can't let this imposter continue to threaten my men. I go ahead and walk around the corner, pausing to look surprised at them both.
"You're awake?! Why is the door shut? I left it open when I left..." I put on my best acting face for this piece of shit imposter but stay standing there.
"Sin! Why am I locked up?" The fake John inquires, barely containing his rage.
Oh, look he's upset... good. You fucking prick.
I mentally smile but act surprised. "I don't know John, our quarters had issues and we had to move you some place you would be out of the way. This was the closest spot that was open. I didn't close the door though, it was left open." I walk over and gesture for the guard to open it.
He does so quickly, letting the imposter exit.
"What happened to our rooms?" He asks, a glint of suspicion in his eyes that he quickly changes to curiosity.
I take him out of the range of the scrambler and tell him, "A couple of soldiers were wounded and they needed the space to move some men so they had the room to operate quickly. They should be moved back in two or three days. Then we'll have our room back."
The imposter merely nods, looking around at our surroundings. It's only becoming more obvious he's never seen this before and is checking out the place.
'Surveying the place, looking for our weak spots, you bastard.' (눈‸눈)
"I bet you are hungry now though. Now that you've had the medicine, you should be able to eat something. You lost weight, you'll have to gain it back if you want to get back out on the lines."
I spin up a bullshit story on the spot, tugging him by his hand towards the mess tent. It should be safe enough to grab some food and head back to the cell with him. I don't know what to do after that though to keep him busy.
.....
"Your Majesty, the feed is back on. He's with her again and they are on their way to the 'mess tent'."
A guard comes and announces the information to the Erlking as I grunt in pain from the burns still healing on my body. Upon his words, I almost release a sigh of relief. Tears catch in my eyes as I hope to no longer be tortured. I'm trying to be strong, I know Mary went through worse than what I'm going through. I'm trying to be strong.
The Erlking strokes his chin in thought and lets his gaze fall on my trembling body before standing.
"Get it up on the screens, attaching him to the chair." He commands and I'm moved to the chair as I hear Mary and my clone talking.
"...sorry, dear. I don't know why anyone would shut the door. They were not supposed to do that."
Mary smiles sadly as she apologizes to my clone. She is analyzing him while putting on one hell of an act. If I didn't know my wife like I do, even I would think she's being genuine.
She places a tray in front of my clone, containing beans, a roll, some cooked mixed vegetables and a small bowl of canned mixed fruit. I almost let a my face crack in a smile. She served him the salty beans....
ಥ_ಥ
Oh, man. That's the most passive aggressive attack I've ever seen her done to any one. I love her.
ಥ‿ಥ
The next couple breath's I take are full of tense seconds as I wait to see the reaction he makes eating the beans. No one knows why the cook keeps making those salty, beans that taste like sweaty feet soaked in salt water, but I'm so glad now that they do. I wish I could see his facial reactions.
"All is well now, my dear." My clone pats her hand and scoops up a big spoon full of beans and sticks it in his mouth.
'Not for long, bitch....' ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
You see the pause in his hands, his vitals show a fluctuation in his heart rate. He finally removes the spoon from his mouth and begins to audibly chew and reaches for the water, downing the glass.
"Oh, you're thirsty! Let me get you some more water!" Mary grabs the glass and walks off as my clone picks the roll up and takes a small bite, relaxing as it is bearable.
She comes back with the water and sets the it down, looking concerned at the plate.
"You're not eating your beans? Those are your favorite thing to eat." She looks at my clones face in worry, making my clones heart start to beat faster.
"No, I'm still eating them. I'm just thirsty." My clone takes the water and sips it before shoving large spoon fulls of the beans just constantly into his mouth.
'What in the hell..??? How could he have that much in his mouth and not shrivel up in disgust?!' I shudder in thought as Mary looks wide eyed at him eating it.
"John! Slow down! You'll make yourself sick!" Mary quickly jumps up as my clone begins to gag.
"See! Now come on, let's go get you something for your stomach." She drags him away stopping at a trash can as he vomits the beans back up.
"Come on John, I'll have the doctor look at you again." She drags my clone with her back to the medical area, where he starts to resist.
"No! I feel fine now that I threw up! I don't need to waste the doctors time." He tries to pull back but I know my Mary she is not taking No for an answer.
She drags him to the doctor who looks between them and asks, "Did something happen?"
"He was eating his favorite thing, the beans from the mess area, and started throwing up." My Mary is a smart woman and apparently so is the doctor too.
"How odd... How about you go get a new bowl, and I'll give him some more of the nausea fighting injection and see if he can eat then. It might have just wore off." The doctor hums.
The heart rate of my clone picks up, "NO! I'm fine! I just needed to vomit, I ate too quickly!"
The doctor looks my clone up and down before he turns back to Mary.
"Please go get another bowl. If he doesn't vomit eating it nice and slowly in front of me, then I will believe you to be alright, sir. However, if you vomit, I'll need to give you more medication."
Mary disappears and reappears momentarily with a new bowl of beans.
"Here you go my love, lets see you eat these nice and slow this time." She hands it to my clone.
The Erlking looks over at me, I can feel his calculating look as I keep my eyes on my wife.
"You're pretty calm this time around.... Care to share anything? What's so special about those beans?" The Erlking asks.
I turn my head to face him better and shrug, "Me yelling at her will not change the situation, only wear me out."
"The beans?" The Erlking drawls out.
I shrug again, "I really do like the beans from the mess tent." I sigh, hanging my head in defeat, calling forth tears to my eyes. "They are just trying to make sure I am alright, they don't realize that he is not me.
I sit there crying, shaking silently, trying to look as pitiful as possible to keep the act up.
"Hahaha!" The Erlking starts laughing, "Bring us a feast! I'm in the mood to celebrate!"
'This bastard would..'