Run From the King

"Would you like for me to end It?"

Ruby whispered in his ear.

Klaus nods and faces the ground. She lifts the back of his shirt and swiftly injects the poison-filled needle into him. Klaus groaned as the black liquid moves its way through his bloodstream. The pain is paralyzing and causes him to lose his stance. He slumps onto the floor as his vision fades.

Eliza kneels beside him worried.

He hated seeing her this way. He couldn't explain what was happening. He did his best to hide the pain he was feeling. Klaus attempted reaching for her cheek to somehow express that he would be alright. But the poison was working against him. The room was getting darker. Every noise was starting to sound muffled. He felt It overcoming his face now, crippling his muscles. He closed his eyes as the two guards came to carry him away.

Klaus was laid flat on his back on a twin size bed centered against a concrete wall. The square room was brightly lit despite being called the darkroom. There were no windows in the room. Instead, four openings equipped with strong iron bars keeping whatever was inside from leaving.

Surrounding the Prince was the two guards, Ruby, and a nurse named Margo. The two guards leaned against the wall, one frequently checking the clock, the other trying to keep himself from falling asleep. They stood on either side of the only doorway to the room.

Ruby sat patiently at Klaus's bedside. She held his cold hand in hers and gently petted his hair back from his face, dabbing lightly at the cold sweat on his forehead with the other.

"It's okay...It'll be over soon."

Ruby promised him. She shook her head, disappointingly,

"I just knew she would do this. It was only a matter of time before she upset you."

Margo moved quickly and quietly as she raced to get the supplies she needed ignoring Ruby while rolling her eyes. She collected the bucket of cold water at the sink in the opposite side of the bed, shivering as the harsh wind whipped into the room. She set the bucket next to Klaus and rushed back to fill another bucket and do the same. Margo grabbed a third and the last empty bucket beside the sink and kept It empty, setting It beside the other two. She grabbed what looked to be a scalpel from beside the sink and placed It in her pouch pocket and walked over to the Prince.

She didn't even glance at Ruby,

"Off."

She demanded simply.

Ruby dare not argue, she quickly removed herself as Margo sat to work on the Prince. She called the guards over by a forceful beckoning with a nod.

"Come."

They obliged quickly pushing themselves against the wall and heading to aide the nurse. Ruby stood by, biting her nails as she watched them work.

The aides worked compliantly with the nurse, each knowing their position. One raised Klaus's upper body as Margo raised his shirt over his head and threw It into the bucket.

"Okay."

Margo nods for the guard to lower him and looks at the other to raise his legs as she carefully pulled down his bottoms. Ruby stood gazing at Klaus's strong physique. She marveled at him, remembering for a moment, the nights she spent exploring him, kissing and pleasing every inch of the body that lay lifeless in front of her now. She ached for him.

Margo tossed the bottoms aside and waved the guards off.

"Okay, my boy. Let's get you back."

Margo spoke only to Klaus, as though he could hear her. She had always cared for Klaus. The devilish boy who made her panic for years with all of his dangerous stunts he'd pull. The same young boy who grew to be a mischievous teen that dabbled in magic that gave Margo belly aches.

"You're going to make my heart go out one day, you little devil."

She'd always warn him.

"Oh Margo, I'd just bring you back."

"Oh no, don't. Leave me be if I go, I'll get some peace from your crazy antics." She'd scold him. But he'd only chuckle, kiss her on the cheek and run off to another adventure. Nurse Margo always cared for him, he knew she genuinely loved him, despite her constant yelling. She was one of the few that could speak to the Prince in such a way.

Margo stood over the young man in his boxers. She leaned over and grabbed the shirt she had thrown into the bucket. Ruby moved aside as the guards walked around her and back towards the door. One watched Margo's work, always fascinated with her expertise. The other tried to keep his eyes focused on anything else. He was always queasy and never understood why he had to be chosen for help in the darkroom.

Margo took the wet shirt and twisted It above Klaus and squeezed It over him, the cold water splashing over him. She leaned back down and put the shirt back in the bucket and repeated the same steps until Klaus's body was frozen to the touch and pale as a ghost.

Margo shivered as the water ran down her arms, and wet her gown. She ignored the cold and watched the boys' chest intently. Finally, something that looked to be an enormous bruise began forming in the middle of his chest. It was gray at first, but after a couple of seconds, It turned into a dark purple mark. Klaus began to groan, he clenched his fist as the bruise began to get darker, his skin looking as though It was bubbling...

"That's It."

Margo muttered, satisfied.

She dropped the shirt into the bucket and looked over at the guards, "It's time."

"That was faster than before." The eager guard mentioned as he moved quickly to the Prince. He stood behind him as he raised his upper body again. Margo grabbed the empty bucket and rested It in Klaus's lap just under the nearly black bruise. She held the bucket against him as she used her other hand to pull the scalpel from her pouch. She carefully, with one eye squinted shut, ran the scalpel from the top of the bruise and slowly down about three inches.

Klaus clenched his jaw as the black liquid that had pooled into his chest began to drain into the empty bucket. Steam looked to be coming from the black liquid as It dribbled into the metal bucket.

"Almost done..." Margo promised Klaus as he began to groan and lean against her.

The guard tried his best to hold him up straight but Margo, waved at him, she knew Klaus leaning against her was more for comfort than for need.

"It's alright." She dropped the scalpel aside, still holding the bucket against him, she leaned into him as well and patted his back comforting him.

"It burns." He murmurs as he puts his face into her shoulder.

"Shh... I know, It's alright. It's almost gone." Margo assured him as she nodded for Ruby to grab the other bucket of cold water.

Ruby rushed to his side and grabbed the bucket, nearly spilling It. She moved to the other side of his bed and waited patiently.

Margo looked down and saw the last bit of poison drip out before red blood began to follow.

"Okay, It's done. Come on Klaus, you've got to do your part now." Margo took the bucket away, his blood beginning to trickle down his stomach.

She sat the bucket of poison aside and laid Klaus back down onto the bed. She looked up at Ruby,

"Go on."

Ruby nodded and poured the bucket of cold water over Klaus. His eyes shot open as he gasped.

Margo grabbed Klaus's hand and slapped It over the opening in his chest that was now swirling with blood and water.

"DO IT NOW KLAUS!" Margo yelled at him making sure he was awake.

Without blinking, Klaus began to breathe heavily as he began healing himself. The cut began to close under his hand, and the pool of blood forming around his and Margo's hand stopped expanding.

After a few moments, she removed his hand away and sighed in relief. She slapped him in the chest where the wound had been and laughed as he grunted in pain.

"There we go. All better." She joked as she stood taking the shirt from the first bucket and cleaning the blood from her hands.

"Margo, why do you always got to slap me thereafter?" Klaus groaned as Ruby helped him sit up and pat the drops of water and blood off him.

Margo huffed as she took the buckets and walked them over to the sink,

"Because that's where you cause me stress." She shook her head as she cleaned up the area, "Pain in my ass, every time with you it's always life or death, never just a scrape of the knee." She scolds as usual before making her way out of the room with the guards.

Klaus smirks at Margo as he lets Ruby pat him dry.

"I always feel so bad when I have to do that to you," Ruby admits. She attempts to have a conversation when he suddenly grabs Ruby's hand. She holds her breath, excited.

"Eliza? Where is she." He asks, completely ignoring her comments.

Ruby looks frightened at first but then blinks, staring blankly when she answers.

"In your room. I-"

Klaus doesn't wait for her to finish before spotting his bottoms on the ground. He moves to grab them and quickly puts them on.

"You can go now." He dismisses her as he makes his way out of the room leaving the bloody mess to Ruby.