‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
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“Then he could die,” the doctor said seriously, making Taylor look at him with panic.
“His body isn’t strong enough to fight anything off. He needs more than you can give him in order to get his strength back.”
Taylor looked back at Nate, seeing him staring at him intently.
“He’ll need to go on a drip, and he’ll probably need to stay in for a few days.”
“No,” Nate said determinedly, making Taylor gulp, “what can you do? Do you have the equipment at your surgery?”
“What? Of course not!” the doctor frowned incredulously, “he needs to go to a hospital!”
“So there’s nothing else you can do for him then?” Nate shrugged.
“I’ve done all that I can for him here,” the doctor insisted, “now we need to go elsewhere.”
Nate looked over his shoulder as Trent reappeared in the doorway.
“The good doctor’s done all he can here,” he said to him before turning away, “take him out back and shoot him.”
“NO! Wait!” Taylor cried as the doctor froze, “please! He’s just trying to help. You just don’t want to hear the truth!”
“I heard him,” Nate assured, “but his usefulness has just worn out. If there’s nothing more he can do then there’s no reason to keep him around.”
“Please, I have a wife and three kids…” the doctor began shakily.
“He’s got a wife and five,” Nate scorned, indicating Taylor.
“Just let him go!” Taylor pleaded as Trent took the doctor’s arm, “you don’t need to kill him!”
“Taylor, Taylor, Taylor…” Nate said condescendingly as he stepped closer to the bed, “you forget so soon what is going on here. We can’t just let him go so that he can run off and tell the world where you are.”
“So ensure his silence!” Taylor wasn’t relenting, “he knows how serious this is. He’s probably even seen us on the news. He wouldn’t tell anyone, would you?”
The doctor looked between them, as if not really comprehending what was happening. He eventually shook his head, obviously rattled.
“I’m afraid we can’t just take his word for it,” Nate pulled the gun from his belt again and handed it to Trent, “and besides, since when has begging for a life ever worked in your favour?”
“I’ll make it worth your while!” Taylor cried suddenly.
The look Nate gave him made him immediately regret saying it.
“And what would you do?” he looked at him curiously, stepping over to the edge of the bed and looking down at Taylor.
Taylor’s eyes darted between Nate’s as his mind raced for an answer.
“Anything,” his voice shook, “I’ll do anything you want.”
Nate glanced over his shoulder, indicating for Trent to let the doctor go. Trent pushed him down onto the sofa, making sure to stay between him and door.
“Interesting proposition,” Nate mused, folding his arms over his chest and rubbing his chin, “anything, you say?”
Taylor closed his eyes as he felt the sweat building on his forehead again, “yes. Anything.”
“What if I want you to submit to me. In every way?” Nate’s eyes narrowed.
Taylor looked up at him in confusion, before a worried look crossed his face.
“Define ‘every way’,” he said cautiously.
“His body isn’t strong enough to fight anything off. He needs more than you can give him in order to get his strength back.”
Taylor looked back at Nate, seeing him staring at him intently.
“He’ll need to go on a drip, and he’ll probably need to stay in for a few days.”
“No,” Nate said determinedly, making Taylor gulp, “what can you do? Do you have the equipment at your surgery?”
“What? Of course not!” the doctor frowned incredulously, “he needs to go to a hospital!”
“So there’s nothing else you can do for him then?” Nate shrugged.
“I’ve done all that I can for him here,” the doctor insisted, “now we need to go elsewhere.”
Nate looked over his shoulder as Trent reappeared in the doorway.
“The good doctor’s done all he can here,” he said to him before turning away, “take him out back and shoot him.”
“NO! Wait!” Taylor cried as the doctor froze, “please! He’s just trying to help. You just don’t want to hear the truth!”
“I heard him,” Nate assured, “but his usefulness has just worn out. If there’s nothing more he can do then there’s no reason to keep him around.”
“Please, I have a wife and three kids…” the doctor began shakily.
“He’s got a wife and five,” Nate scorned, indicating Taylor.
“Just let him go!” Taylor pleaded as Trent took the doctor’s arm, “you don’t need to kill him!”
“Taylor, Taylor, Taylor…” Nate said condescendingly as he stepped closer to the bed, “you forget so soon what is going on here. We can’t just let him go so that he can run off and tell the world where you are.”
“So ensure his silence!” Taylor wasn’t relenting, “he knows how serious this is. He’s probably even seen us on the news. He wouldn’t tell anyone, would you?”
The doctor looked between them, as if not really comprehending what was happening. He eventually shook his head, obviously rattled.
“I’m afraid we can’t just take his word for it,” Nate pulled the gun from his belt again and handed it to Trent, “and besides, since when has begging for a life ever worked in your favour?”
“I’ll make it worth your while!” Taylor cried suddenly.
The look Nate gave him made him immediately regret saying it.
“And what would you do?” he looked at him curiously, stepping over to the edge of the bed and looking down at Taylor.
Taylor’s eyes darted between Nate’s as his mind raced for an answer.
“Anything,” his voice shook, “I’ll do anything you want.”
Nate glanced over his shoulder, indicating for Trent to let the doctor go. Trent pushed him down onto the sofa, making sure to stay between him and door.
“Interesting proposition,” Nate mused, folding his arms over his chest and rubbing his chin, “anything, you say?”
Taylor closed his eyes as he felt the sweat building on his forehead again, “yes. Anything.”
“What if I want you to submit to me. In every way?” Nate’s eyes narrowed.
Taylor looked up at him in confusion, before a worried look crossed his face.
“Define ‘every way’,” he said cautiously.