No one opened the door. He didn't even hear the rustling that meant someone had started moving. Maybe he had the wrong room. Maybe she was asleep. Didn't matter.
Mason pushed on the door with his free hand and slipped into the room. The lights were off, so he found the switch next to the door and pushed it up with his free hand. The fluorescents flickered on, and he could see Karen's sleeping form on the nearest bed. He looked around at the room. They were alone.
Mason rolled his shoulder in its socket to loosen up some of the stiffness that had been working its way in. He moved toward Karen's bed.
She was out cold, the only movement from her the rise and fall of her breathing. TV's Little Angel.
Mason reached out, brushing away some hair from Karen's forehead, almost lovingly. With that done, he rested his hand on her head to wake her.
TV Epilogue: Villains
Mason's Epilogue
TV Epilogue: Villains
He needed some time away from the flash photography, the eyes, the incessant questions. Not just because it was aggravating. Oh no, it was aggravating as hell, having people ask you how it feels to have survived your fellow classmates murdering the living fuck out of each other for a TV show.
But that wasn't it. Not all the way. He had some business to attend to. So when he got a moment, when the press conference was over, when the reporters and the paparazzi and others gave him some breathing room, Mason crept off to the medical grounds set aside for TV survivors.
It wasn't a straight shot to his destination; the hospital had a nice little gift shop with an assortment of overpriced care items. He didn't have any money, but it didn't matter; the sales rep working the counter had loved his run on the show, and gave him the bouquet of fragrant roses and carnations for free. All he had to do was give her one of his little smiles and an autograph, and he was good to go. All he had said was that he wanted to bring Karen a get well present.
It didn't take too long to find what he was looking for; a nurse was forthcoming with directions. And she had no questions for why the boy who had just won the last season of TV was looking for the girl who had won TV awhile ago.
"Give 'em ratings, and you'll get the world in return..." He muttered. The corridor he was walking down lead to the room he was looking for. 108 was etched on the room in gold plating.
Mason took a breath. He reached out with the hand not clutching the flowers and knocked on the door.
But that wasn't it. Not all the way. He had some business to attend to. So when he got a moment, when the press conference was over, when the reporters and the paparazzi and others gave him some breathing room, Mason crept off to the medical grounds set aside for TV survivors.
It wasn't a straight shot to his destination; the hospital had a nice little gift shop with an assortment of overpriced care items. He didn't have any money, but it didn't matter; the sales rep working the counter had loved his run on the show, and gave him the bouquet of fragrant roses and carnations for free. All he had to do was give her one of his little smiles and an autograph, and he was good to go. All he had said was that he wanted to bring Karen a get well present.
It didn't take too long to find what he was looking for; a nurse was forthcoming with directions. And she had no questions for why the boy who had just won the last season of TV was looking for the girl who had won TV awhile ago.
"Give 'em ratings, and you'll get the world in return..." He muttered. The corridor he was walking down lead to the room he was looking for. 108 was etched on the room in gold plating.
Mason took a breath. He reached out with the hand not clutching the flowers and knocked on the door.
Karen's eyes opened. She had to blink to focus, but when she did and saw Mason, she tensed up.
He held up the flowers, so she could clearly see them.
"For you. Get well present."
There was a chair over against the wall, and Mason momentarily turned his back on her to grab it. There was a bag perched on the seat, and it fell when he started pulling the chair over.
He set it flanking Karen's bed, as he noticed her pushed up and watching him. He sat down in the chair and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.
"I told you I'd see you again, chica."
He held up the flowers, so she could clearly see them.
"For you. Get well present."
There was a chair over against the wall, and Mason momentarily turned his back on her to grab it. There was a bag perched on the seat, and it fell when he started pulling the chair over.
He set it flanking Karen's bed, as he noticed her pushed up and watching him. He sat down in the chair and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.
"I told you I'd see you again, chica."
"I'm surprised." She said.
Mason's eyes were drilling into Karen. He smiled, but there was no sort of amusement or mirth in the quirking of his lips.
"About what? Me living?" He regarded her for a minute, the smile still stretching the corners of his mouth. He leaned back in the chair, as if the space he created would answer all questions.
"Makes two of us, I guess. Never got to see if your theory about the teams was real or not."
He sniffed, and his eyes felt like there were burning. He guessed that even when it was over, it really wasn't over.
"In the end, I'm all that's left. Other than you." On the word 'you', there was a hint of rage in his eyes.
Mason's eyes were drilling into Karen. He smiled, but there was no sort of amusement or mirth in the quirking of his lips.
"About what? Me living?" He regarded her for a minute, the smile still stretching the corners of his mouth. He leaned back in the chair, as if the space he created would answer all questions.
"Makes two of us, I guess. Never got to see if your theory about the teams was real or not."
He sniffed, and his eyes felt like there were burning. He guessed that even when it was over, it really wasn't over.
"In the end, I'm all that's left. Other than you." On the word 'you', there was a hint of rage in his eyes.
Mason brought his eyes, still smoldering, to lock with Karen's. She hadn't spoken.
"Nothing to say? Guess you didn't talk much on the island. Why the fuck start now?"
He grunted and pulled his chair closer to the bed. He leaned back again, smirking.
"They offer you endorsements and merchandising rights and all that shit?"
"Nothing to say? Guess you didn't talk much on the island. Why the fuck start now?"
He grunted and pulled his chair closer to the bed. He leaned back again, smirking.
"They offer you endorsements and merchandising rights and all that shit?"
Mason kept uncomfortably unwavering eye contact with Karen. He didn't feel like he could see much of anything in her eyes. That unsettled him, if only a little bit.
"Yes." She said. For a second it seemed like she was waiting for something. Then, "You?"
"Beretta wants to make a custom set of handguns. Call 'em Mase-93R's. Corny, if you ask me.
His tongue works the inside of his mouth. He was fighting himself on something, that much was for certain. Part of him felt like just being in the room with this girl was burning him.
"There's shirts, basketballs. Someone bought the rights to my run. Might make it into a TV miniseries."
He laughed, a bitter, sardonic laugh.
"Let's hope HBO doesn't pick it up. They'll throw in a bunch of inexplicable sex scenes."
"Yes." She said. For a second it seemed like she was waiting for something. Then, "You?"
"Beretta wants to make a custom set of handguns. Call 'em Mase-93R's. Corny, if you ask me.
His tongue works the inside of his mouth. He was fighting himself on something, that much was for certain. Part of him felt like just being in the room with this girl was burning him.
"There's shirts, basketballs. Someone bought the rights to my run. Might make it into a TV miniseries."
He laughed, a bitter, sardonic laugh.
"Let's hope HBO doesn't pick it up. They'll throw in a bunch of inexplicable sex scenes."
Karen kept her peace. Usually at this point gave him a chuckle, a smirk, something. He didn't know how she could be immune to his charm.
Not that he cared too much, anyway.
Mason shook his head, disappointed. "You have all the conversational skills of a chunk of concrete."
He took a breath, steeling himself.
"Don't you want to know why I'm here?"
Not that he cared too much, anyway.
Mason shook his head, disappointed. "You have all the conversational skills of a chunk of concrete."
He took a breath, steeling himself.
"Don't you want to know why I'm here?"
"Not really." She said. He wasn't sure, but he thought she was lying. If she really wasn't interested, then this little girl was colder than he had thought.
Mason stood up. He tilted his head to one side, working a dry pop out of it.
"It's simple enough, anyway."
He looked back down at her. His full six-foot frame makes her seem tinier than she already was.
"There's ten people's lives you got to answer for, way I see it. Ten kids in the ground."
His body was relaxed, ready for movement.
"I just wanna make sure you do."
With speed belying his size, Mason snatched Karen's pillow with one hand, and with the other, grabbed her neck and pinned her to the bed, using his weight to keep her from moving. He pushed the pillow over her face, hard; cutting off her air.
He held on, gritting his teeth while she thrashed. For the moment he wasn't Mason Ross. He was a malevolent embodiment of justice.
Mason stood up. He tilted his head to one side, working a dry pop out of it.
"It's simple enough, anyway."
He looked back down at her. His full six-foot frame makes her seem tinier than she already was.
"There's ten people's lives you got to answer for, way I see it. Ten kids in the ground."
His body was relaxed, ready for movement.
"I just wanna make sure you do."
With speed belying his size, Mason snatched Karen's pillow with one hand, and with the other, grabbed her neck and pinned her to the bed, using his weight to keep her from moving. He pushed the pillow over her face, hard; cutting off her air.
He held on, gritting his teeth while she thrashed. For the moment he wasn't Mason Ross. He was a malevolent embodiment of justice.
His arms, his face, his whole being was taut with effort and rage.
"How's it fucking feel. This feel right? Was this fucking worth it?" Mason said. Dully, he wondered if he's actually saying it loud enough for anyone to hear.
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
The girl underneath, the tiny, helpless girl, started to lose her strength, He could feel it in the way her thrashing was slowing, in the way her body was going limp.
And it felt wrong. It all felt like a bad dream. And he needed to wake the fuck up.
He let go, pulling the pillow free. He slumped back in the chair. He buried his face in his hands.
"Ah...God. I can't...I just fucking can't."
He sat there, muttering "I can't" like a mantra, even though he came extremely close to "I did".
"How's it fucking feel. This feel right? Was this fucking worth it?" Mason said. Dully, he wondered if he's actually saying it loud enough for anyone to hear.
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
The girl underneath, the tiny, helpless girl, started to lose her strength, He could feel it in the way her thrashing was slowing, in the way her body was going limp.
And it felt wrong. It all felt like a bad dream. And he needed to wake the fuck up.
He let go, pulling the pillow free. He slumped back in the chair. He buried his face in his hands.
"Ah...God. I can't...I just fucking can't."
He sat there, muttering "I can't" like a mantra, even though he came extremely close to "I did".
Mason's eyes wandered the room. They couldn't, wouldn't focus. The clarity didn't return until they rested back on Karen again. He noted, with some morbid sense of satisfaction, that she'd been crying. She was watching him now, hawk-like. He didn't blame her.
"So..."
The next words were almost lost in an ironic chuckle. She was waiting for him to say something. Just what the fuck did you say to someone you almost suffocated?
"What...uh. What now?"
"So..."
The next words were almost lost in an ironic chuckle. She was waiting for him to say something. Just what the fuck did you say to someone you almost suffocated?
"What...uh. What now?"
"I guess... we move on." Karen said. She had pulled herself up. She looked good for someone who had just been throttled.
"That's it?" Mason said, not believing it.
It seemed improbable, impossible even, in the wake of what just had happened.
But then it made perfect sense.
"I guess I'll see you around?"
Yeah. Made perfect sense.
"See you around." She said back.
"That's it?" Mason said, not believing it.
It seemed improbable, impossible even, in the wake of what just had happened.
But then it made perfect sense.
"I guess I'll see you around?"
Yeah. Made perfect sense.
"See you around." She said back.
Mason got up and left, with a parting half-wave. He didn't look back. In the space of a moment, they had come to an agreement and an understanding.
The world moved on, and so did they.
The world moved on, and so did they.