Chapter 3...

...is several days worth of writing.  But I'm still very, very far behind.  I'm at a write in with a bunch o' people and so far I've managed about 1000 words.  I'm hoping we'll be here for a while so I can get some more done.

So here is chapter 3: In which Hugh dreams and goes to a hotel and gets kicked and stops dreaming.

Enjoy!


Chapter 3

He woke again in the cold.  He pressed his body against the back of the building and huddled into his Coat.  Hugh knew cold, but this was worse than he had ever known before.  He opened one eyes and saw the foot that had kicked him awake just moments ago.  Behind that foot was his street.  The foot moved to kick him again and Hugh reached out and grabbed it proclaiming that he was awake.                                                  "I'm awake.  No need for that." Said Hugh                                                                     "Good. Get up." The owner of the foot said in a light voice that did not sound like it belonged to someone who would walk around kicking large street men. Hugh stood up and smiled at the man.                                                                                           "Wasn't sure if you'd make it or not." He said.                                                  "I told you I would, now come with me.  We've got work to do." The man said as he turned away from Hugh.                                                                                                        Hugh stood easily a foot above this man and they made a strange pair as the made their way along Bucking street until they reached the quiet intersection onto 40th.  There they turned east and Hugh though about how he used to take this path every morning to go work at the Grill.  He thought about Ashby and all the times they had spent together and he thought about the food he had cooked and how often he had taken pleasure in feeding people and seeing the joy on their faces on Christmas morning.     "When's Christmas Chuck?" Hugh said from behind his friend.                                        "Tomorrow.  Why?" Chuck glanced back.                                                                 "Oh I dunno, just wondering."  Hugh watched his feet as he walked.               It had been a year then.  A year since everything that had ever been worth mentioning, had happened.  People stayed in their houses on cold days like this, it was probably the memories that kept them in.  It had been, and was a hard time for all.  But they would make it through.  They had made it this far and they did not plan to stop.    Hugh kept a peaceful appearance but behind his great beard and the hard, yet gentle, lines of his face a great mind buzzed.  His mind had done more for the world than any  had expected.  He hoped and prayed that the gifts he had would be always useful to people.                                                                                                                                       Hugh walked in silence firs behind, now beside Chuck who had a determined look on his face and seemed to be thinking deeply.  Hugh looked down the street and as they walked he thought about everything that had happened  to him in the last year.  He thought about the people he had met and he thought about all the things they had done together.  He thought about the nights he had spent with no sleep and about how he had got what he always wanted.  Then Hugh thought about the things he still had to do.  His fight was far from over and he knew it.  Though he had made it through the hardest part, but the hardest part is never the only part.                                                                             Chuck turned into a tall building and as Hugh looked up he saw printed in large shiny red lettering running vertically.                                                                               "Carlton."                                                                                                                                They were in the hotel.  Hugh had spent time in here before but he didn't know what to expect this time.  He knew it would be different though.  Everything was.  He nodded at two men almost as large as he was standing at attention on either side of the door.  They saluted him in unison and he gave them a smile.  Hugh's friendly character had not been compromised over the last year and he didn't intend to let that happen now.  Both of the men smiled back at him and Hugh stood beside Chuck as the stepped inside the second set of large wooden doors and into the busy open court.  He smelled the smell of cigars and thought about the last time he had been here, Hugh didn't smile.  There were guards positioned all around the room and when the Hugh looked up at the large balcony that held the main Suite of rooms and meeting rooms he saw a cluster of several men in uniforms.                                                                                                                              "He's up there is he?" Hugh looked over for Chuck.  He wasn't there. "Oh!"  he hurried over to the table where Chuck was walking to. Several men sat around this table eating and talking.  The short Irishman glanced up and his familiar grin lightened up his face as he gave a comical salute to Hugh.                                                                          "Oi Hugh!" said the little man.                                                                       "Mornin' Skippy!" Hugh smiled at his little friend and then turned his attention back to the table of men gathered together in front of him.                                                                       Originally he had thought they were talking about a strategy of some sort but upon further investigation he found them all enjoying coffee and talking and laughing with eachother.  He smiled at this friendly gathering as the men began standing up around the table to greet him.  He shook each of their hands and talked to each man for a moment.  He was no longher known as the animal.                                                                          After all the greetings were over with Hugh sat beside Skip and watched everyone take their seats around the large round table. He accepted a cup of coffee from one of the servants and began to talk to his friends around the table.  He talked with Skip and he talked with Chuck mostly because he didn't know most of the other men.  They all knew him but he had never experienced the same things with these men as he had been through with Skippy and he hadn't spent the time with them that he had with Chuck.  He watched them and listened to their voices, taking in all the information he could get.  After being out of the loop this long Hugh knew he would have to learn everything about what was happening as soon as he could.  After a few minutes Hugh looked up at the balcony where he had seen the guards huddled together.  He saw the same guards in a line along the rails of the balcony, each standing as stiff as a statue.  He wondered if he would see his friend on this trip, but he doubted he would.  Hugh turned his attention back to the ground floor and listened in all all the conversations happening around him again.  He was starting to get the general idea of what was happening.  But he would need at least a briefing.                                                                                                                                    He turned to talk to Chuck after a minute and asked him what he was going to be doing today.
"I think we'll let you get settled in before you do too much.  Just learn your lay of the land today.  Everyone is glad your back, just talk and get to know everyone." said Chuck.            "Alright. I'm gonna need to know what's happened around here, it's been a while." Hugh was still looking around the room while talking.  Last time he had been here the balcony had been on the ground, the whole place had been in shambles.  Now the hotel was back in itt’s original state with bright red carpet and new chairs everywhere. He knew they would be fixing it, but he never thought they would have been able to do this much in such a short time. "How long has it been?" Hugh finished.                                                Chuck looked over at him for minute thinking "Almost six years now Hugh." he finally said.                                                                                                                             Hugh's eyes widened as he looked down at his coffee in his hands. "Wow." he looked up at the men around the table. "It doesn't feel like it. Are you sure?"                   Chuck nodded and watched the activity around the room.  There were men in every chair and standing in all the corners and all along the bar.                              Each one was engaged in their own conversation or enjoying themselves. No one that he saw here was sad or hurting. Which was unusual. He was glad but it was still unusual. After several minutes Hugh leaned over to Skip.                                                     "Is he upstairs?" Hugh asked.                                                                                                           Skip beamed up at him and nodded in his usual manner. "Yes he is. You gonna go see him?"                                                                                                                                  "That’s the plan." Hugh stood up and placed his hand on his little friend's shoulder. "I'll be down in a bit."                                                                                             “I might go up there if your up for too long, have some business to see him about myself." Said the little man.                                                                                                      Hugh had already walked off toward the foot of the stairs and he looked back and nodded at Skip before he went up them. When he took the first step Hugh looked around the room again for a minute thinking about when he had been here last. He shivered thinking about the circumstances and when he finally put his foot on the next step he did it reluctantly. He knew that things changed but nobody, except for himself, could have predicted what had happened over the last few years. As he continued up the steps Hugh listened to the chatter in the room, picking out individual voices and listening to them for a moment at a time.                                                                                                                             He needed a break, and he knew it. Hugh paced up the stairs slowly, seeming to think about every step. And when he got to the top he turned toward the group of men standing in a cluster in one of the corners. He pulled his large left hand out of his pocket and tapped one of them on the shoulder.                                                                           "Eh?" the man turned around. "Hugh!" he exclaimed and embraced the mass of flesh in front of him. "It's nice to see you again!"                                                                               "Who? Oh! Will?" Hugh smiled his huge smile behind his beard and returned the embrace, being very careful with his friend's frail body. "How are you feeling, man?"                 "I'm fine. How are you? Will stepped back and looked Hugh over. "I didn't know you were coming back today!”                                                                                       "Well, I'm here. And I don't intend to be moved for a while." Hugh continued smiling through his beard and gently patted Will on his shoulder.                                                     "I'm glad! I'm so glad." Will smiled right back at Hugh. "Now what was it you wanted?"                                                                                                                                 "Oh! I was wondering which room I'd need to go to find a Ashby?" Hugh's smile faded just the slightest bit as he took his hand off his friend's small, bony shoulder and back into his own pocket.                                                                                                      "Oi him. He's right back in the second room down the hall." Said Will.                    "Alright. Thanks Will, it's nice to see you again." Hugh turned to look at the hallway.                                                                                                        "It's about time!" Will called after his friend and smiled as he walked down toward the hall.                         Hugh smiled to himself as he turned slowly down the hall and walked deliberately into it.                                                                                                                                          He walked down the hall watching the dimly lit nhall pass by him. He didn't want to see his friend right now but he knew he had to. Hugh looked up at the cieling and saw a single lightbulb burning and occasionally flickering. the hall he was on was not very long and it ended after several steps. Hugh stopped at the dead end and asked one of the guards standing there which way he needed to go.                                                               "You going to see him?" The man asked.                                                              "Aye." Hugh responded.                                                                                             "He's down to the right, about ten doors down there's another hall that turns left and you'll take it to the very back of the building. He's in the last room, you'll know when you get there." Said the guard.                                                                                           "Thank you." Hugh nodded and proceeded to follow the directions he had been given. He watches his feet and as he walked the carpet underneath him gave way to large tiles. There were lights now regularly every few feet along the wall and each one's reflection went past him as he walked, and turned and turned again. Hugh finally turned onto thee final hallway where his friend was staying at the end of. This hallway had not been completely rebuilt and it, like the one he had just come off of was tiled and had large flourescent lights every few feet. Hugh thought to himself about the things that had happened. Everything he had done had some kind of consequences. He realized that now. And that was going to change the way he would live and act for the next years. Hugh walked so slowly down the final hallway, on every side of him there were doors stagered at different spots along the walls. He tried not to think about the what he had too next. He was going to rest. He had to rest. If he didn't there was no telling what would happen. Not that he knew what would happen anyway but he would have just a little more control over his actions if he rested now. Hugh had many regrets, but he knew as he walked down that empty hallway toward his past that he would have a chance to redeem himself soon enough.