Just a small note. I don't actually know anything about Wicca [ or whatever you prefer to call it.] I just did a little web surfing, so if anything is inaccurate, or offensive about the way that I've portrayed it [ in my little Alex memory ] then just let me know. I also considered having Nick very badly injured, but figured the story would be more fun if we had the h/c parts, as well as Nick going round, being Nick.: - )
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Some time later, Alex woke. She was still sitting uncomfortably on a little chair in the waiting area. She wasn't sure when or how she had fallen asleep, just that she ached all over because of it. Alex glanced across the room. Rachel was slumped on a chair in the corner, Kat next to her, wrapped in her mothers arms. She did remember that Kat had fallen asleep, almost as soon as Alex had told them what happened at the Legacy house. She smiled, pleased to see them that close. There had been a rough time with Miranda, and the business about the craft. Alex wasn't of the opinion that witchcraft, or Wicca, or what ever name people felt suited it, was bad. She actually knew several people who practiced it. But they used it only to get in touch with the natural order of things. To become more in tune with the world, to find an inner balance. They believe that all have the potential, hidden inside. That it could be used to attune with the natural order of things, and that people should be ecologically aware.
Alex remembered once, a talk that a friend of hers had given. Pamela Jones was a good friend of Alex's, so when she asked Alex to attend one of her talks, Alex had agreed. She knew that Pamela was into Wicca, and correctly assumed that the talk would cover this subject. Things had been going well. Pamela was telling of her beliefs, and of the many people who shared her interest, and some of the rites they performed, and their purpose. When one man had spoken up, accusing Pamela and 'her kind' of blatantly going against God, and all that the Church stood for, Alex had been furious, and also very intrigued as to Pamela's reaction. She wasn't disappointed. Pamela stood, and very coolly informed the man that he hadn't been listening, and that if he had, he would know where she stood on the subject of God. In her own opinion she had no quarrel with the church, or any other religions, other than if they had an inability to realise that not everyone had one belief. They were many and varied, and that *she* and '*her kind'* had the right to choose which they believed in, and believed that others had the same right. Also, they believed that everyone had the potential, and to coin a phrase, he shouldn't 'knock it 'till he had tried it.'
But when you used spells, or incantations to do as Miranda had done, and instructed Kat to do, then it was no longer acceptable. Magick, or Wicca, was not supposed to be used in the self serving manner that the crone had used it in. And not to the detriment of others. If Kat continued to learn about the Wiccan Way, then she would discover this and more. And Alex would rather that she learned this, and practiced this philosophy, than remember any lessons that might have been taught by Miranda. Fortunately, it had been resolved, and in a way that suited everyone. The crone that had taken Miranda's form, and who knew how many others, in order to survive, was gone. Rachel and Kat had resolved their differences, and Rachel had even uncovered a power, that she wasn't aware she had. All in all, a job well done. Unlike this current case. As if realizing she was being watched, Rachel's eyes flickered open, and focused on Alex. She stifled a yawn, and went to move, before realizing that she was almost pinned by Kat. Settling for shifting a little, she said, "Hey Alex, how long have you been awake?"
Alex started to massage her temples.
"Not long. I was hoping that a doctor would have been by now. "
Rachel nodded, and was about to answer, when they finally saw a doctor approaching. Alex felt herself tense, and saw the look Rachel shot in her direction. It seemed to say, 'speak of the devil.' *Nick will be fine,* she thought to herself. *He *has* to be.* Pulling herself out from under Kat, who made a protesting noise, and then settled back down, Rachel moved with a little difficulty to intercept him. She felt Alex join her, and squeezed her arm to comfort her. The doctor finally got close enough, and smiled tiredly.
"Ms Moreau? I understand you bought Mr Boyle in?"
Alex nodded, apprehension clear on her face. "Yes doctor. How is he? Can I see him?"
The doctor held up a hand.
"Just a moment Ms Moreau. My name is Dr Holden, I was called in to consult on your friend. I also operated on him. His case has now been assigned to me."
At this, Rachel broke in. "I'm Dr Rachel Corrigan, Nick is a friend of mine. How did the surgery go?"
The doctor turned his attention to Rachel. "The surgery went as well as could be expected. The patient was in excellent health prior to his injury, and………"
The doctors voice tuned out as Alex's thoughts started to fly around in her head. He was talking in medical terms to Rachel, and Alex would have had trouble following in normal circumstances. In her current worried state, it was like trying to decipher some long dead ancient text.
She had no idea how long the doctor had been talking, but the next thing she was aware of, was the beeping of his pager.
"Well, I'll let you know if anything develops. You'll be able to see him, just as soon as we have him settled. You'll only be able to visit for a few minutes, but you're welcome to come back tomorrow. Barring any unforeseen complications setting in, everything points toward a complete recovery. He may not be awake now, and if he is, he may not be aware of his surroundings or the circumstances of his accident. He'll probably be a little confused for a few days. But things should begin to clear up. It could be at any time, but don't expect it straight away."
As Rachel and the doctor said their good byes, Alex sat down. "Erm, Rachel, I must have tuned out. What did he say? How is Nick?"
Rachel took a seat next to her. She smiled in sympathy. She knew that it would be hard for her friend to keep up with the doctors conversation, so she explained.
"Basically Alex, to cracked ribs, as well as a badly broken arm, and a nasty knock to the head. Now, he has a concussion, but the doctor isn't too concerned about it. Nick regained consciousness in the ER, so the doctor expects there will be no repercussions. The other injuries were more severe. They operated on his arm. The arm injury was to the left ulna, and they had to put in six screws and a metal plate, midway between his wrist and elbow. But, they're pleased with the results. "
Rachel saw the relief flood over Alex.
"Now, why don't you go and get a drink, or something to eat. I'll wake Kat, we can see Nick for a minute, and then go home and get some sleep. Hopefully when Nick wakes, he can give us some more information on what happened. And then, when we're both rested, we can do some more research on this demon. Not that I expect you and Derek missed anything. I know how you two throw yourselves into the research."
She had hoped to get a smile from Alex, and she succeeded.
"Okay Rachel. I'll just go and get a bottle of water or something. I saw a vending machine on the way in. Do you or Kat want anything?"
Rachel moved over to Kat. "No, we're both fine. See you in a minute."
"Yeah." Alex moved off, and Rachel sighed. She hoped Nick would be okay. All indications were positive, but she knew from experience that sometimes, patients didn't pull through in the end. Even in simple cases like concussions, the patient could develop any number of complications. Haemorrhages and such, although that was rare. *Stop it,* she firmly told herself. *That's just lack of sleep talking. Nick is fine, and he's gonna be out of the hospital and make a full recovery.* She looked down at Kat. She was debating whether or not to wake her, so that they could all visit Nick, but before she could decide, Kat took matters into her own hands, and woke.
"Mom?" Rachel smiled. She sounded so tired, and the sight of her daughter yawning and rubbing her eyes, made Rachel feel very glad to have her.
"Hey Kat, you okay?" She sat next to her daughter, and pulled her into a quick hug, expecting her to pull away. Instead, Kat surprised her, and not only returned the hug, but settled down in her mothers arms.
"Mom, has anyone said anything about Nick?"
Rachel nodded, leaning her head to rest on Kat's.
"Well, the doctor came by. He said that Nick is doing okay, and we can see him in a little while."
"Really?" Kat angled her head until she looked directly into Rachel's eyes.
Rachel laughed slightly. "Yes, really. But only for a minute, okay?" "Okay Mom." They were interrupted when a nurse entered the room.
She informed them that they could visit Nick, just as Alex came back. "Alex, we're going to see Nick. Wanna come?" Rachel said it in an attempt to raise a smile from Alex, and it worked. *************************************************************************************
Some time later, Alex woke. She was still sitting uncomfortably on a little chair in the waiting area. She wasn't sure when or how she had fallen asleep, just that she ached all over because of it. Alex glanced across the room. Rachel was slumped on a chair in the corner, Kat next to her, wrapped in her mothers arms. She did remember that Kat had fallen asleep, almost as soon as Alex had told them what happened at the Legacy house. She smiled, pleased to see them that close. There had been a rough time with Miranda, and the business about the craft. Alex wasn't of the opinion that witchcraft, or Wicca, or what ever name people felt suited it, was bad. She actually knew several people who practiced it. But they used it only to get in touch with the natural order of things. To become more in tune with the world, to find an inner balance. They believe that all have the potential, hidden inside. That it could be used to attune with the natural order of things, and that people should be ecologically aware.
Alex remembered once, a talk that a friend of hers had given. Pamela Jones was a good friend of Alex's, so when she asked Alex to attend one of her talks, Alex had agreed. She knew that Pamela was into Wicca, and correctly assumed that the talk would cover this subject. Things had been going well. Pamela was telling of her beliefs, and of the many people who shared her interest, and some of the rites they performed, and their purpose. When one man had spoken up, accusing Pamela and 'her kind' of blatantly going against God, and all that the Church stood for, Alex had been furious, and also very intrigued as to Pamela's reaction. She wasn't disappointed. Pamela stood, and very coolly informed the man that he hadn't been listening, and that if he had, he would know where she stood on the subject of God. In her own opinion she had no quarrel with the church, or any other religions, other than if they had an inability to realise that not everyone had one belief. They were many and varied, and that *she* and '*her kind'* had the right to choose which they believed in, and believed that others had the same right. Also, they believed that everyone had the potential, and to coin a phrase, he shouldn't 'knock it 'till he had tried it.'
But when you used spells, or incantations to do as Miranda had done, and instructed Kat to do, then it was no longer acceptable. Magick, or Wicca, was not supposed to be used in the self serving manner that the crone had used it in. And not to the detriment of others. If Kat continued to learn about the Wiccan Way, then she would discover this and more. And Alex would rather that she learned this, and practiced this philosophy, than remember any lessons that might have been taught by Miranda. Fortunately, it had been resolved, and in a way that suited everyone. The crone that had taken Miranda's form, and who knew how many others, in order to survive, was gone. Rachel and Kat had resolved their differences, and Rachel had even uncovered a power, that she wasn't aware she had. All in all, a job well done. Unlike this current case. As if realizing she was being watched, Rachel's eyes flickered open, and focused on Alex. She stifled a yawn, and went to move, before realizing that she was almost pinned by Kat. Settling for shifting a little, she said, "Hey Alex, how long have you been awake?"
Alex started to massage her temples.
"Not long. I was hoping that a doctor would have been by now. "
Rachel nodded, and was about to answer, when they finally saw a doctor approaching. Alex felt herself tense, and saw the look Rachel shot in her direction. It seemed to say, 'speak of the devil.' *Nick will be fine,* she thought to herself. *He *has* to be.* Pulling herself out from under Kat, who made a protesting noise, and then settled back down, Rachel moved with a little difficulty to intercept him. She felt Alex join her, and squeezed her arm to comfort her. The doctor finally got close enough, and smiled tiredly.
"Ms Moreau? I understand you bought Mr Boyle in?"
Alex nodded, apprehension clear on her face. "Yes doctor. How is he? Can I see him?"
The doctor held up a hand.
"Just a moment Ms Moreau. My name is Dr Holden, I was called in to consult on your friend. I also operated on him. His case has now been assigned to me."
At this, Rachel broke in. "I'm Dr Rachel Corrigan, Nick is a friend of mine. How did the surgery go?"
The doctor turned his attention to Rachel. "The surgery went as well as could be expected. The patient was in excellent health prior to his injury, and………"
The doctors voice tuned out as Alex's thoughts started to fly around in her head. He was talking in medical terms to Rachel, and Alex would have had trouble following in normal circumstances. In her current worried state, it was like trying to decipher some long dead ancient text.
She had no idea how long the doctor had been talking, but the next thing she was aware of, was the beeping of his pager.
"Well, I'll let you know if anything develops. You'll be able to see him, just as soon as we have him settled. You'll only be able to visit for a few minutes, but you're welcome to come back tomorrow. Barring any unforeseen complications setting in, everything points toward a complete recovery. He may not be awake now, and if he is, he may not be aware of his surroundings or the circumstances of his accident. He'll probably be a little confused for a few days. But things should begin to clear up. It could be at any time, but don't expect it straight away."
As Rachel and the doctor said their good byes, Alex sat down. "Erm, Rachel, I must have tuned out. What did he say? How is Nick?"
Rachel took a seat next to her. She smiled in sympathy. She knew that it would be hard for her friend to keep up with the doctors conversation, so she explained.
"Basically Alex, to cracked ribs, as well as a badly broken arm, and a nasty knock to the head. Now, he has a concussion, but the doctor isn't too concerned about it. Nick regained consciousness in the ER, so the doctor expects there will be no repercussions. The other injuries were more severe. They operated on his arm. The arm injury was to the left ulna, and they had to put in six screws and a metal plate, midway between his wrist and elbow. But, they're pleased with the results. "
Rachel saw the relief flood over Alex.
"Now, why don't you go and get a drink, or something to eat. I'll wake Kat, we can see Nick for a minute, and then go home and get some sleep. Hopefully when Nick wakes, he can give us some more information on what happened. And then, when we're both rested, we can do some more research on this demon. Not that I expect you and Derek missed anything. I know how you two throw yourselves into the research."
She had hoped to get a smile from Alex, and she succeeded.
"Okay Rachel. I'll just go and get a bottle of water or something. I saw a vending machine on the way in. Do you or Kat want anything?"
Rachel moved over to Kat. "No, we're both fine. See you in a minute."
"Yeah." Alex moved off, and Rachel sighed. She hoped Nick would be okay. All indications were positive, but she knew from experience that sometimes, patients didn't pull through in the end. Even in simple cases like concussions, the patient could develop any number of complications. Haemorrhages and such, although that was rare. *Stop it,* she firmly told herself. *That's just lack of sleep talking. Nick is fine, and he's gonna be out of the hospital and make a full recovery.* She looked down at Kat. She was debating whether or not to wake her, so that they could all visit Nick, but before she could decide, Kat took matters into her own hands, and woke.
"Mom?" Rachel smiled. She sounded so tired, and the sight of her daughter yawning and rubbing her eyes, made Rachel feel very glad to have her.
"Hey Kat, you okay?" She sat next to her daughter, and pulled her into a quick hug, expecting her to pull away. Instead, Kat surprised her, and not only returned the hug, but settled down in her mothers arms.
"Mom, has anyone said anything about Nick?"
Rachel nodded, leaning her head to rest on Kat's.
"Well, the doctor came by. He said that Nick is doing okay, and we can see him in a little while."
"Really?" Kat angled her head until she looked directly into Rachel's eyes.
Rachel laughed slightly. "Yes, really. But only for a minute, okay?" "Okay Mom." They were interrupted when a nurse entered the room.
She informed them that they could visit Nick, just as Alex came back. "Alex, we're going to see Nick. Wanna come?" Rachel said it in an attempt to raise a smile from Alex, and it worked. *************************************************************************************