Chapter 4

Collinwood drawing room

Vlad looked to the phone lying askew from the table. The branches had knocked the phone from its resting place. Barnabas shifted uneasily on his feet debating on what he should do. Finally he turned to Vlad, "Will you watch her while I call for help?"

Vlad nodded bending over Vicki's pale lifeless form. "Of course I will." Barnabas walked to the foyer where the phone laid and lifted it from the floor, putting the earpiece to his ear he listened for a dial tone. Much to his dismay he discovered the tree must have pulled the telephone line down. Then he recalled Vicki had lost connection earlier while on the phone with Roger. Growling low with frustration he turned and looked at Tepes. "The phone is dead." This was the one time he wished he had installed a phone at the old house. He had to make a decision and it was eating at him. He did not trust Vlad to be alone with Vicki.

Walking back to the drawing room he had decided what needed to be done to protect Vicki from Vlad and to get the help Vicki needed. "Vlad, I am going to ask you for a favor. I am making a request that you go to the old house and bring Willie back with you. I need him to drive Vicki to the Hospital."

Vlad looked down at the pale beauty before him and nodded. "I do this for her Collins, not you." Barnabas watched him shift to mist form and disappear from the room. With Vlad no longer in the room Barnabas quickly walked to Vicki's side and bit his wrist pressing it to Vicki's lips. "Drink Vicki"

She felt the pressure against her lips and then a salty taste of blood and licked against the insistent press to her lips. She lifted her arm with trembling fingers she felt what was creating the pressure against her lips. She opened her eyes to see Barnabas bending over her with his wrist pressed to her mouth. "Barnabas?" She muttered against his wrist and he pulled his wrist away from her mouth.

"Lay still my dear, you have been injured and your head is bleeding." He studied her injury on her forehead and noted that it was beginning to heal. The wound was slowly beginning to close over and the blood flow was now at a minimum next to none. Vicki started to raise her arm and found it was also hurting and lying at an odd angle. Grimacing she dropped her arm and cradled it with her other hand.

"It hurts." She whimpered softly holding her arm. "I think it's dislocated." From the foyer doorway Barnabas heard a voice.

"Hello? Miss Winters?" Immediately he recognized Sheriff Patterson's voice. Barnabas shifted Vicki to a comfortable position on the sofa; turning he headed to the foyer. Negotiating around the large tree in the foyer he called out.

"Sheriff! Sheriff Patterson, we need help. Miss Winters has been seriously injured." Patterson could hear the worry and anxiety in Barnabas' voice. Which caused him concern, upon hearing Vicki was injured he became more determined to find a way into the house to help. Then he remembered the garage that was next to the great house's kitchen entrance. It had been a carriage house at one time attached to the side of the house. Now converted into an attached garage.

"Mr. Collins, would it be possible for you to let me in through the garage? I can pull my car around and we can put her in the car and get her transported to the hospital."

Feeling hopeful, Barnabas called back to Patterson, "Meet me by the garage Sheriff, she needs immediate medical attention." Barnabas turned back to Vicki, "Vicki, I am going to get Sheriff Patterson and let him in through the garage, I will be right back."

Vicki lay still and nodded and found that it hurt to nod. "I will be fine, go." She gingerly shifted and found that was a painful experience. Grimacing she just wanted it to stop. Closing her eyes she nestled as comfortably as she could against the sofa.

Taking his cue, Barnabas hurried towards the kitchen and the sheriff. Opening the doors to the garage he waited for the sheriff to pull his squad car into the garage under shelter and out of the driving rainstorm. George exited his unit and met Barnabas by the kitchen door. His concern was etched across his face the sincere worry carried over in the tone of his voice when he asked, "How bad is she?"

Barnabas showed the brevity of the situation while he led George through the house giving him an assessment of the damage he observed. "She is bleeding from a head wound and I believe her shoulder is dislocated. I have made her as comfortable as possible on the sofa in the drawing room. She unfortunately got caught by one of the heavier limbs from the tree. It had her pinned until we got her out."

George Patterson had been sheriff for several years. The town of Collinsport, Maine had taught him that not much got past anyone in the town. However, he knew that the family that lived on the hill in this house was a focal point and anything that happened here was of interest to those in the village below the hill. As for George, he was especially concerned for some that lived here and anyone that Elizabeth Collins Stoddard held in high esteem was of particular interest to him, and Victoria Winters was on that list.

George reflected briefly while following Barnabas that the past few years had been hard on him and his family. For George, it began with the death of Bill Malloy, Matthew Morgan's kidnapping Vicki and holding her hostage. From there it was the cattle being drained of blood and talk of extra terrestrials being the cause. Then it went to young women mostly ladies of the evening being attacked dockside. The press had called him the Collinsport Creeper. He felt it was because the name was due to the fact that most the women found walking around n a daze could not remember anything except a creepy feeling before being attacked. The odd part of this whole nasty situation was the women discovered in a daze aimlessly walking around had suffered from severe blood loss.

Finally, there was Sam Evans' girl, Maggie, who went missing after suffering from almost the same medical problems the ladies of the evening had suffered. She had been missing for weeks. They had searched endlessly and questioned as many suspects and persons of interests and still nothing. When her father found her on the beach disoriented and reverting to the mental state of a young child, he was pretty sure he had at this point seen it all.

Miss Winters had her fair share of odd occurrences with her abduction by Matthew Morgan who had been the Collin's caretaker for many years. Sheriff Patterson was sure they would find her body lying in a ditch on one of the back county roads when she went missing and had stayed missing for a week. For some unknown reason, George Patterson had felt an affinity for the girl and when Roger Collins called asking him to check on her he thought nothing of it. He would happily do whatever the Collins family asked, because he knew that it was the right thing to do and not because they were the wealthiest family in Collinsport. He reasoned his way through all this on his way home to a sick wife and a nearly empty house. His two sons were away at school and his daughter worked in Bangor.

He had been keeping closer to home for the past few months and now his concern had been his wife and her constant illness from that damnable cough she had gotten several months ago. It was a persistent cough that seemed to be constantly a part of her way of life and to him the cough sounded like it was getting worse. He would find her in long drawn out coughing spasms when he would come home and she would wave him on and try to drink a cold glass of water. When she choked on the water he got more concerned, the cough seemed to be wearing her down and he was going to take her to a specialist in Bangor soon.

George Patterson was getting closer to retirement and he was ready. His hours and his eating habits had taken a toll on his once svelte figure. With three kids to raise and a wife that was constantly ill he held in there for the sake of home and family. Now sporting forty-five extra pounds along with a hairline that had receded he knew it would be a matter of time before his health would suffer. Dr. Lang had already warned him he was borderline diabetic and that if he did not get his stress under control he would also be a good candidate for a stroke.

At the rate Collins was making him pace after him to the drawing room he very well may make that date with a stroke or a heart attack. He was trying to control his breathing while he followed the cousin of Liz Stoddard. George Patterson knew that Barnabas was only focused on getting Vicki some help so had paid little heed to the Sheriff's discomfort at nearly having to jog to keep up with him. Stopping briefly in the foyer George used the time to survey the damage from the inside. He also took a moment to catch his breath before he proceeded into the drawing room. He had seen the damage from outside but it was a lot worse in the main foyer of this big old mansion on the hill. "Looks like you will need to find a way to secure the house." He mused softly then remembering that someone was injured George hurried in behind Barnabas. "You said it was a branch from the tree correct?"

Barnabas nodded. "It crashed through the doorway and then as Vicki was examining the damage, one of the large limbs broke off and pinned her beneath it." He was anxiety ridden because he thought he had already explained this to the Sheriff and now he was stating the obvious and asking a question previously answered. This whole situation was beginning to make him testy and he was getting more than a little annoyed with the idle chatter. George Patterson knew how important Vicki Winters was to this family and was even familiar with the fact she had been engaged to Burke Devlin prior to his death in the air plane crash. Liz was partial to the girl had even brought her all they way from New York as young David's governess so he was not about to allow any more harm come to the Vicki if he could prevent it.

Many would think he would help her only because he knew she was the sole heir to Burke's fortune. The facts of the matter were he liked her and he liked Burke and he would have helped no matter what. He also heard through the rumor mill that she had not acted on claiming his fortune as her own. Still holding to the belief that Burke was going to come back some day and she wanted to make sure that his fortune was waiting for him. Pushing those thoughts aside, he was fond of Vicki and did not wish to see her in pain or in harm's way. "Ok, Vicki, its George Patterson. We are going to get you to the car in the garage."

Barnabas carefully lifted Vicki from the sofa when another voice sounded from the front foyer area. 'Barnabas?" Willie tried climbing over the downed tree and rolled into the foyer bouncing up to look at Barnabas holding an injured Vicki. "Oh man Barnabas, this place is a mess." He looked around and then at George and Barnabas. Vicki laid her head on Barnabas' shoulder. When she bumped her arm she whimpered softly.

Barnabas became concerned not wishing her to be in pain spoke calmly but with some authority. "Sheriff, take Vicki and I will get Willie to bring me. We need to do something about this and securing the house."

Patterson gingerly took Vicki. "I will send Chris up with a couple of chain saws and post a deputy until you can get the doors fixed."

Willie looked at the mess and nodded. "Barnabas go on and go with the Sheriff, I am sure Vicki would feel better having someone she knows with her."

Barnabas looked around and then at Willie. "Thank you Willie. Where is Radu?"

Willie dropped his chin and that errant strand of sandy brown hair fell over his eyes. "He stayed at the old house." His tone held a hint of annoyance while he continued to survey the damage and what would need to be done to clear the foyer of the mess and repair the old doors.

Barnabas frowned. " I see. Well then when you get back there, see to his accommodations, then you may want to join me at the hospital." George relinquished Vicki to Barnabas turned to look at the damage. Barnabas stepped away to the sheriff's side and took Victoria from his arms. George asked, "How bad it it Willie and what do you need for us to protect this house?"

Willie glanced up at Barnabas and nodded. Turning to the sheriff Willie offered, "Looks like the doors were just knocked off their hinges. We just got to clear out the tree and its branches and we should be able to put the doors back on its hinges, not sure if we will be able to lock them. So maybe a guard to protect the house until we can secure the doors better?"

Barnabas holding Vicki shifted her weight and waited for the sheriff to finish his conversation with Willie. He watched the slender youth that had become the daytime servant protecting Barnabas while he slept. He noted how Willie was making an assessment of damage. Hands on hips, shoulders slumped, Patterson noted that the youths change of attitude was vastly different than when he first arrived in Collinsport. "I will need a chain saw and I think I saw one in the work shed."

Patterson recalled only to well when Willie Loomis had arrived at Collinwood shortly after one Jason Maguire. Willie had been trouble from the moment his feet set down in the Blue Whale and he continued to be a problem. His pushy attitude and arrogance had rubbed a lot of the citizens of Collinsport and at Collinwood the wrong way. So much so he had become a pariah to most that knew him. George had heard once Liz paid him to leave town and not come back. However, while he must have been on his way out he met up with Barnabas who offered him a job. From that day forward Willie had been a model citizen.

Barnabas had learned of Willie and his ill manners and had been told often enough what had made him the preverbal black sheep of Collinsport. If his mouth had not gotten him beat down, one night in particular by Burke Devlin. His other problem had been his penchant for illegal activities. That one particular bad habit was the one that caught up with him the night he broke into the Collins mausoleum. His intent was robbing the grave of Naomi Collins in search of jewels that were to have been buried with her.

Prior to that night he had created tension and hatred for his presence at Collinwood when he put his unwanted attention on Vicki and then turned his attention on Carolyn. The attention had been so abhorrent that Carolyn was forced to pull a gun on the young hooligan. Making him back off her. She knew and so did he that she would have not hesitated pulling that trigger and shooting him. It was not due to the fact that Willie was unattractive. The truth of the matter was his actions are what made him undesirable or sought for company. His reputation had preceded him to Collinwood and the fact was he had a quick temper and a reaction for violence. It was not by rumor that these stories came to Liz Stoddard's attention; those bad traits had been witnessed in full view of one of the members of the family. Vicki while on a date with Burke had observed Willie pull a beer bottle by its neck and try to hit an older gentleman simply because he had accidently bumped into Willie. Had it not been for his friend Jason Maguire, a smarmy man with a ski sloop nose, beady eyes and an accent to go with his name, stopped Willie from starting a rumble at the Blue Whale.

Both men were con artists with a rap sheet to go with their extensive travels over the world and the contingent United States and around the world. So, when Willie decided to rob the Collins graves in the mausoleum he got more than he bargained for in his life. He had found his match with what he discovered in that chained coffin that fateful night. It was after he released Barnabas that Willie Loomis had affected a life change that had everyone puzzled. Little did those that cared to venture a thought about Willie realize exactly what had caused his change? Those that did speculate on his transformation credited the change to one Barnabas Collins.

From the garage the sheriff honked his horn. Barnabas continued his forward movement to the kitchen and then the garage he called back to Willie who had followed him. "Be sure to secure the garage and door before you go back to the old house Willie." Stepping out into the garage he could feel the force of the wind and the rain as it poured through the opening of the door onto the concrete flooring. Barnabas quickly joined the sheriff who was holding the back door opened awaiting the arrival of his passengers. With as much gentleness as Barnabas could muster he placed Vicki in the back seat and then joined her making her as comfortable as possible.

The car pulled out into the driving rainstorm, Patterson put on the lights and siren. In short order George Patterson had negotiated his car across flooded roadways, around down trees and around washouts making it to Collinsport General Hospital. Once there he pulled his vehicle under the emergency room canopy. An orderly watched the car roll to a stop and stepped from the dry confines of the vestibule area of the pneumatic doors to the wind and rain pushing a wheel chair. Barnabas slid out and then reached in and gently helped Vicki to the wheel chair.

Patterson turned to Barnabas. "Well Mr. Collins, I am going to head back to Collinwood and see what I can do to help with that tree. If you need me, contact the office and I will be happy to give you and Miss Winters a lift back to Collinwood." George was grateful he had his rain slicker on in this storm. Otherwise he would have been miserable for the rest of this night wearing a soaked uniform.

Barnabas smiled his gratitude and shook the sheriff's hand and then turned to follow behind Vicki and the orderly. "Thank you so much Sheriff, I do so appreciate all your help. You cannot imagine how relieved I am that we are here." He watched George nod to him put his car into gear and back out into the driving rainstorm. Barnabas paced the waiting room while he waited for permission to go back to the exam room. When the doctor finally granted him permission he rushed to the room to see Vicki laying on the gurney. She had a sheet over her and he noted she was wearing one of those unflattering hospital gowns. Her own dress was a mess, torn and covered in her blood. A man bearing a nametag of Dr. Lang stood at the foot of her bed and looked at her chart.

"Ahh, you must be the Mr. Collins that Miss Winters has asked about. She gave me permission to tell you that she had to have a couple of stitches in her scalp and that should heal in a couple of weeks. I would have thought there was a deeper cut by all the blood that was on her dress and over her eye. Apparently, it was just an area that the scalp injury had pooled. Sometimes you just don't know with scalp wounds, the bleed a little or a lot so, I know it looked like a lot of blood but because the area is close to the surface they do tend to bleed a lot. We also discovered she had a nasty bump on the back of her head which means she also suffered a concussion and a broken rib along with the dislocated right arm."

Lang continued to read her chart as he spoke of all he had done for Vicki, "I have given her some painkillers and would like her watched over the next 8 hours. It is imperative that she not fall asleep. If she has problems with her vision or a severe headache she needs to return to the hospital immediately."

Barnabas looked from Vicki back to Lang. "Why?" Lang took his glass off and chewed the end earpiece crossing his arms over his chest.

"With a concussion she could easily slip into a coma if she were to fall asleep. With the kind of damage she has suffered, she is going to be sore, and uncomfortable for a couple of days. I have written out some instructions and I should see her in my office in about a week. Oh and I will send some pain medication home with her."

Barnabas glanced at Vicki, his concern was very evident in the way he was fawning over her and showing his concern with the questions to the doctor. "But she will improve?" Holding to a hopeful tone, he watched Lang trying to gage the doctor's true thoughts.

Lang hung Vicki's chart on the end of the bed and nodded. "Of course she will. We just need some signatures on the discharge papers and you can take her home."

Lang left the room, pulled the curtain as he went out. Vicki lay lethargically and glassy-eyed cradling her injured arm. Glancing up at Barnabas she tried to give him a brave smile. "I must look a fright?" She spoke so softly glancing up at him. "Barnabas?"

He turned back to the bed and stepped closer to her side. Looking down he offered her a smile of encouragement. "I am here Vicki."

She reached her good hand over to him and took his hand in hers. "I am so grateful to you. You are such a wonderful friend and I love you so much." Her mind disjointed she thought she had said she loved him being there with her and caring what happened to her. She yawned and closed her eyes. Barnabas smiled and he lifted her hand and gently kissed her knuckles.

His words were filled with tenderness, "There have been very few people in my life that I have loved Victoria, you are one of them. I will always love you." Barnabas knew her defenses were down and the painkillers were affecting her feelings. Knowing she was vulnerable made him even more protective.

He watched her face and noticed the small endearing smile she had used to capture his heart. She fluttered her eyelashes and glanced up at him. "Thank you for being you Barnabas."

A nurse pulled open the curtain. "Well are you ready to go home Miss Winters?"

Barnabas leaned over the bed and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "I will be out in the waiting room. Sheriff Patterson said he would give us a ride home. I just need to call him."

The nurse smiled looking at the handsome Collins male then turned to help Vicki get dressed. "Is that your boyfriend?" The nurse thought about a wealthy husband and what life would be like to live with a man that was aristocratic, good looking and wealthy had had the last name Collins.

Vicki smiled and shook her head. "He is a very dear friend." Patty continued with her chatter, "He is very handsome and so cultured. Someone said he was a Collins. Is he related to the Collins family up at Collinwood?" If she could gain his attention, perhaps she could give up this job of wiping butts, and being used as a puke pan for all the patients that were not even grateful for what she had done to ease their discomfort.

Vicki was not comfortable discussing her private life and the life of the Collins family with a total stranger. "Oh he is a cousin of the family. " She was trying to think of a way to change the subject when a call for help rescued Vicki from the nosey prattle of Patty the nurse. Sighing with relief she continued to awkwardly get dressed.

Taking her time, she was in a lot of pain and unsteady on her feet. Dr. Lang tugged back the curtain as Vicki struggled to zip her skirt. "Oh my I guess Patty got pulled way, turn around my dear allow me to help you with your zipper." He deftly snagged the guide and tugged the zipper up and in place. Vicki turned with a smile of gratitude and glassy eyes. Lang reached to the bed where he had laid a slip of paper. "Here is a prescription for some pain medication. I did take some blood tests and I should have the results back by the time you come for a follow-up visit." He handed the script over to Vicki and she took it with her good hand. "Now you wait here and I will have the orderly bring in a wheel chair."

When Barnabas left Vicki to get dressed, he exited the cubical. Pulling the curtain closed he walked to the reception desk. "Pardon me would you allow me to use your phone or could you possibly call the Sheriff's Department and inform Sheriff Patterson we are ready to go back to Collinwood?" His heart was filled with joy and he could not believe his luck. Victoria Winters had just confessed to him she loved him. While he stood in the glow of those words he could not shake an ominous feeling that his joy would be short-lived. He half expected Angelique to appear out of the dark and storm filled night to smash his joy like a bug under her shoe.