Chapter 3

There was the sensation of falling, the constant mental reminder to keep breathing despite his body's claims to hold his breath and his hand holding his hat on its place. Lights too. He remembered lights. Really bright, confusing lights. And then hitting the floor. Hatter mentally thanked his good sense to put the hand that was not occupied with his hat in front of his face. Gravity changes were always so dramatic. He felt dizzy and the images didn't quite get into focus right away.

Hatter breathed in. Alright, this is the ground. He rose, putting his weight on his hands and tried blinking a lot. Dark place, kind of old. He was about to turn to the Mirror behind him when something caught his eye. Alice. He smiled immediately, but it soon faded. What was she still doing here?

-Alice?

Nothing. Not a movement. Maybe sleeping? Please, not hurt, please, not hurt. Hatter got closer to her.

-Hey, Alice? It's Hatter. Alice?

There was blood on her face. He felt panic take over him. Carefully, trying his best not to hurt her, he lifted her hair with his left hand. There it was. A blooded wound. Probably hit her head. OK. He needed to do something. To help her. But how? Where could her take her? Out of here first of all..

He reached for her, but his hand stopped. He couldn't move her, moving injured people was never a good option. Hatter had met someone once whose wife had died because he moved her. Hatter needed to get her help, though, and for that he needed to walk out of this place. His heart clinged at the thought of leaving Alice behind. But Hatter was rather good at ignoring his heart so he just followed the path out of there. Or, at least, the one he hoped it would take him out. He reached the end, suddenly. Noises. Cars. Honks. He blinked to adjust. People were passing by him.

Susan grabbed Emily's hand tighter. The girl just wouldn't stop running away from her. Really, her sister was right, children could be really annoying. The streets were empty enough for you to notice the people around you, which wasn't very normal in that city. For example, Susan could see a man that, apparently, had just come out of an eighty's party. Nobody wears psycodelich shirts anymore and yet there he was with one and a hat and a very sad face. Susan slowed down her pace to take a longer look at his clothes and froze. There was blood. There was blood on his fingers.

-Oh my god! - She couldn't restrain herself.

The man's eyes shot to her face at the sound of her voice.

-Help. - He said. - Can you help me? Please? T-there's a girl. In there. - He pointed to the building behind him. It was old and looked abandoned. - I think she's hurt. Can you please help me?

Susan moved her hand to make sure Emily was still there. For once, in a lifetime, the damned brat was quiet. Probably staring at the man talking to them. Susan considered running. Knowing the way human beings were, this guy was probably a psycho who had harmed the girl himself. She didn't, though. His brown eyes had a look of utter despair as if the girl meant everything to him.

-Call 911. - She said, her voice trembling. She turned to move away. Susan could not let Emily near that guy, despite how much her boyfriend's daughter seemed to hate and do everything possible to upset her. - They'll help you.

The man nodded, but didn't seem very convinced. Alright, time to go on, Susan thought. She was walking away when she heard his voice again.

-What is 911? - he mumbled.

This guy can't be serious. Susan turned quite mad at him for ever joking about this kind of situation, she stopped, however. He had taken his hat out and was running his fingers wet with blood in his messy hair. That was a desperate man, if she had ever seen one. Susan sighed. She looked down at Emily. The little red-headed prat was staring calmly back at her.

-Do you think your papa will be mad if we're a bit late for dinner?

-Not if it is to help that mister.

Susan smiled. The kid wasn't that bad.

-Hey, Mister? - She called out. - I'll help you.

Relief flooded his face. A half-smile appeared and he muttered "thank you". Susan nodded.

-Alright. - She went on. - Why don't you go ask that security guard of that building ove rthere to help us? It's dark in there and he probably has a flashlight. I'll call 911.

Hatter did as he was told. As he talked to the mand he saw her took out a little gray thing out of her purse and start talking into it. Whatever it was, it worked. There were doctors over there after some time. A big white car arrived and the woman who had helped him smiled at him and muttered "Good luck" as she walked away with the kid. Hatter touched his hat in thanks and followed the men he assumed was doctos and the security guard into the building in search for Alice.

"She is here!" someone screamed and Hatter ran towards the voice. She was there. He breathed and now there were other people caring for her, which gave him time to order his thoughts. He would most certainly need to come up with a story.

-Sir? - A doctor came to talk to him when they finally got Alice out of that building.

-Yeah.

-Do you know this woman, sir?

-No. No, I just saw her going into the building.

-This is an abandoned building, sir.

-I-i know. - He learned that from a paper glued to its walls. - That's why I got worried. She didn't come out so I decided to go in. I found her like that.

The man narrowed his eyes. Hatter didn't look away.

-How did you see her go in, sir?

-I work across the street.

-I see... - The man turned around to look at the other side. - At the construction site?

-Yeah.

-Hey, Parker! We're going! - The other doctors were carrying Alice into the big car. The man nodded and turned to join them, but Hatter just followed. No way he was going to leave Alice alone.

They were closing the back doors when Hatter held the door. Alice was in a bed in the center of it.

-Sorry, sir, you can't come along. - A female doctor sitting beside Alice's bed warned him.

-What? No, but I want to see how she is...

-Sorry, sir. Can't let you. - The woman sounded kind and really sorry. - Look, you can meet us the hospital, though. We're taking her to... - She spoke to the driver for a moment – St. Charles. Meet us there. I will tell them to let you see her there.

-No! - The woman opened her eyes in surprise. He was near the point of freaking out. No way he could ever find that place. Hatter sighed. - Please?

-C'amon, Heather. We certainly can make an exception. Sure he won't tell anyone. - The doctor who had talked to him was sitting across from the woman and invited Hatter into the car with a hand gesture.

-Oh, David. - The woman gave him half a smile. - You're such a softy.

-Well, the man did save the girl. - The other answered as he closed the doors.

The car started moving almost immediately.

He was sitting finally. Hatter had started to wonder when did the people in this place seat. After what seemed a lot of time just waiting in the damned lobby, a girl with white clothes had given him authorisation to enter Alice's room and sit there. He was grateful for being around Alice, but a lot grateful for the chair as well. He had tea warming his hands thanks to the Heather girl from the big car, which, apparently, was called an ambulance. Hatter raised his eyes to watch Alice in the bed. She wasn't moving much. The doctors had told him she was all fine, just needed to rest.

He couldn't help smiling, though. Who would've known? After going through all of Wonderland and its perils almost unarmed somehow she had hit her head and passed out in her first minute back home. He would tease her about that later on, right now his eyelids were closing and he couldn't fight them for long. He was soon asleep.

It didn't last more than fifteen minutes. Someone opened the door and he nearly jumped up. To be fair, the woman probably wasn't expecting anyone else in there because she was as scared as him and even let out a faint scream when she saw him. It was an older woman and, Hatter was guessing, probably Alice's mother. "Shit" was his first thought.

-Hello...?

-Hey. I-i'm... I found her. - It was the best he could come up with.

Alice's mother looked at him very surprised and very pleased, apparently, because she just threw herself around him thanking him a lot of times. Hatter barely managed to protect her from his tea. He felt something very familiar in her hug, like it was Alice's one, but not quite it. Hatter hadn't a lot of time to figure it out because five seconds later she let go of him and threw herself to stay beside her daughter. He couldn't help smiling. So that's why Alice wanted to go home. Quietly, he got away from the room and started walking around the hospital in order not to fall asleep.

Carol finally had the guts to pull away from Alice's bedside. She walked out of the room and looked for the boy she had just met. He was wearing ridiculously outdated clothes and smelled as if he hadn't showered in quite a long time, but still had been responsible for finding his daughter. Out of pure good will apparently. She turned to the corridor and saw him leaned against a wall looking really close to falling asleep.

-You should go home, you know. - She said as she approached him. He opened his eyes surprised for seeing her. - They ought to be worried.

-There isn't anyone.

Carol raised her eyebrows at his honesty. Really, who said that kind of thing to a total stranger? But there's something about the way he said it that made her doubt he had even given a thought about it before answering her.

-What is your name, son?

There was a small pause.

-David.

-Thank you, David. I owe you everything.

-Not a problem. - He opened a smile to her. - Anytime you need it, ma'am. - And to complete his sentence he actually took out his hat and gave her a little bow. Carol laughed a little at his sillyness and he seemed pleased.

-There. - He said. - A smile.

They both stared at each other for a few more moments.

-I should go now. - David said, the smile fading off. Carol nodded. He put his hat back on the top of his head, drank whatever tea was left and walked away. She felt a little ache in her heart. Kind of like unfinished business. The boy stopped to throw the cup away and Carol made a decision.

-David! - He turned to her. - Wouldn't you like to meet Alice?