"Be Good" by Erin
It was strange being in a hospital that looked completely normal compared to what it had been only so many hours before. Douglas leaned back into the seat next to Cheryl's hospital bed and watched as St. Alchemilla's staff passed by the door. He didn't want to wake her, she had seen so much more than he had of this place – of the town itself. Hell, from what she told him, she'd spent seven years of her previous life here.
They had reports to fill out though, and his department was already working with the Silent Hill Police to pull the remains of Claudia Wolf from the bowels of the cult's chapel. Cheryl's statement was as crucial as his own, what with bodies leading right to her. It wouldn't take much, thankfully, to keep both departments from harassing his companion. They already had the whole cult's cooperation and witnesses to both Harry's and Vincent's death.
"Sir," Douglas looked away from Cheryl and noticed one of the nurses they had assigned to the room. "That patient is awake and stabilized if you wish to see him."
As the nurse checked vitals, he leaned over the bed rail as best he could with a leg cast and whispered in her ear. "Cheryl," Calling her by her real name still sounded strange. "Cheryl, wake up, there's some folks you need to see."
The small blond opened her eyes slowly; still drowsy from the sedatives the doctor had put her on to keep her comfortable. She looked like a car crash victim, her arms and legs bandaged up from the horrors in that alternate town. If only she knew how long everyone stood over her trying to figure out how a seventeen year old girl, still a virgin, appeared to have gone through a pregnancy. He didn't want to think about it – and was glad that they had decided since it wouldn't affect her health or conceiving in the future, that it was one of those unexplainable quirks life liked to throw into the works.
"Douglas?" Cheryl sat up and yawned, looking better than she had when the Lakeside Park manager found them. "Where are we? What happened?"
Not even realizing he was doing it, he reached out and took the hand that wasn't flattening out bed hair. "You passed out on the bench after that whole mess in the chapel. The manager found us and called up the paramedics. We're in St. Alchemilla."
She looked around confused, "Alchemilla? Its… normal."
The nurse gave her a look, before shaking her head and taking Cheryl by the arm. "Stay still for a second." She took out the IV and covered it with a cotton ball and band-aid. "Alright, you're free to go. Doctor Chester wants you to get plenty of rest and come back for a check up in a few weeks. Okay?"
Cheryl only nodded, too fascinated with the room and the woman's appearance. "Thanks…" She didn't know why, but she was comforted by the name she saw pinned to the crisp white uniform. "Nurse Rachel."
As the nurse left, Douglas stood up with the help of his crutches. "Come on, grab your stuff. There's somebody I want you to see."
"Where's your things?" She asked, getting out of bed with only a slight wobble.
He could tell she had gotten use to pain in the last two days. "Its down in the motel. The Police Department here is helping me out with the murder case."
She paused at the guest couch where her things were and clutched them close to her chest. "I'm not-"
"No," He nudged her to go towards the door. "What with the cult's help, eye witnesses, and my findings – your fine. Everyone's already claiming you were using self defense and if Claudia wasn't already dead, she'd wish she was, what with all the evidence against her." When they got out into the hallway, he lowered his voice. "You're going to be fine, Cheryl. Promise."
Room 205 came into view and Douglas stopped, motioning towards its closed door. Cheryl got the idea and started for the door, hesitating only when she noticed the officer stationed next to it. Even though the he gave her a genuine smile as she neared, she still kept quiet and didn't let him see her face. Cheryl was in the room without so much as a glance back at Douglas for reassurance.
She couldn't have been more surprised when a familiar face greeted her from the bed surrounded by life support equipment. "How's it feel to be a saint?"
Hands over her mouth, she felt something between tears and relief burn behind her eyes. She felt sick, only for the fact that she never in a million years would have thought she would see someone from the Order again. "Vincent."
The priest smiled softly, the arm without the IV motioning her over. "It's okay, it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything anyways – you were still I there."
There. She knew what that meant. There as in that other side, that place with rust and blood and monsters. "You disappeared."
"I fell back into the real world, where the others were waiting. They knew something was happening when I disappeared again. They found me and brought me here." He patted his bandaged stomach with a painful wince. "Let's just say, I had god on my side."
Sitting down beside him, Cheryl's lips twitched a little, but she kept the smirk to herself. "Were you really trying to help me back there?"
Not missing her meaning, Vincent nodded. "I meant it when I said I didn't want the world to end. I don't want paradise." He looked like he was fighting back the urge to give her one of his trademark smiles. "Not yet anyways. Not like that."
She reached out and took his free hand, only hesitating when her fingertips brushed against his wrappings. "You and the other's… they'll find it one day. Just… not like that."
"I'll take that as gospel, coming from you." This time his boyish smile lit up the dark room and Cheryl couldn't help but join in on the moment.
After a few minutes, she drew her hand back to her lap and stood up to go. "Be good."
"I will. I wouldn't want St. Alessa to come back and punish us." He replied, face serious for once. "You know you don't have to leave. You're home now."
"I know." Starting for the door, she pulled at her hospital bracelet for reassurance.
Pulling the door open, she stepped out into the hallway. "Don't forget us." Cheryl stopped, pressing her forehead against the cool metal of the doorframe. Vincent's voice traveled out into the hall and stirred the officer, but she didn't care.
"If you're good, I will never forget you." With that, she let the door slide out of her grasp, and she was gone.
Be good.