Here I am with a new chapter:)
I won't be talking to much before starting with it but I do want to thank all the guests who are writing reviews! Thank you so much!
Since I replaying to all the reviews every second or third chapter all the others know how much I appreciate every single comments;)THANK YOU AGAIN;)
And a big thank you to jonesy813 for once again keeping me sane before posting;)
Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine(for details, see prologue)
Chapter 8
Red was panting and sweating by the time he carried Liz through the door of the hospital, calling for a stretcher and help. Liz' weight in his arms was getting heavier by the minute and he wasn't sure for how long he would be able to hold her. But he had refused letting Dembe carry her, he didn't even have a real explanation for it right now but he didn't care. Maybe he would analyze his behavior later on, when Liz was well and on her way to a full recovery and he could hide away in a dark room with a glass of very good alcohol on his hand. Right now though, he didn't want to let her out of his sight or his arms for that matter.
"Sir? What happened?" A woman questioned him loudly, positioning a stretcher underneath Liz, on which Red lowered her on immediately. He blinked repeatedly in the bright lights of the hospital and finally started to explain the situation, closing his eyes for a second to suppress the dizziness while doing so.
"She's been shot and drugged. I don't know what they gave her but she hasn't been responsive for hours."
"What's her name?"
Red hesitated for a second before answering.
"Diana Longfield."
He walked beside the stretcher, holding Liz' hand and ignoring the people telling him he couldn't go with her.
"Sir?" he looked up and his face went blank.
"I will not leave." He growled, not raising his head.
"But you can't go in there." The woman told him, her hand reaching out for Red's arm to hold him back from following Liz and the other doctors through a door. Faster than she could blink, her hand was snatched into a vice grip and the woman was pulled closer to Red's face. She could see the red veins in his eyes and the salty pearls of sweat clinging to his pale skin.
"Someone tried to kill her and I am the only one who can protect her. Now either you let me go in there with her or I will consider you a threat."
His deep voice was barely audible but it was loud enough to let the woman in front of him pale and shiver. She leaned away from him and shook of his hand.
"I could make an exception." She whispered and hurried away from him, albeit not far, since Red was following her immediately. Following her timid gesture, Red stayed behind the glass of the observation room of the OR and watched how the emergency team started to unravel the bandages on Liz' stomach and others hooked her up to machines.
Red felt his body tremble when the bandages came off and the angry blood red skin was revealed and the first cut was made with the scalpel. More red bubbled from her body and Red closed his eyes. A foul feeling in his own stomach made him bent over slightly until his forehead hit the cold glass in front of him. Leaning against it, he took several deep breathes and only opened his eyes again when a beeping sound invaded his mind.
He could hear Liz' heartrate over a machine and he wasn't too happy with it. Too fast. Her heart was beating too fast and too erratic. His own heart started to speed up and his breath started to come in fast pants. His hand wandered to the glass, pressing against it as if he wanted to reach out for her through it.
"C'mon, Lizzie. Don't leave me, sweetheart."
The glass in front of him fogged over from his breathes and for a moment, he lost sight of Liz and the doctors. Lifting his head to see better, the beeping elongated and Red believed that his heart stopped beating right with Liz'. All sounds drifted into a distance and his vision narrowed, only seeing the woman on the table. Her eyes were open but lifeless and her blood red lips slightly open.
Red couldn't stop staring at her. His mind screeching to a halt. His soul screaming out. His body refusing to stay conscious anymore.
And then there was blackness.
xxxxx
Emerging from the darkness, she felt as if her life had been sucked out of her.
The heat was unbearable. The smoke engulfing her and once again filling her lung ruthlessly. She was screaming for help. For her father, for her mother but no one came.
"Daddy…" she whimpered, clutching the bunny closer to her chest. She retreated until her body hit the wall and she sank to the floor, tears flowing down her cheeks, almost as hot as the flames around her. The sobs mingled with coughs and her hand rubbed over her stinging eyes. When she opened them again, there was a man in front of her. Although scared, she didn't recoil, she didn't flinch when he touched her arm and pulled her into his arms.
"Everything is going to be alright, sweetheart." He told her and pressed her into his body, holding his arms around her tiny waist.
"Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to." He said and she obeyed. She felt him move. His body quivering with the extortion and she thought fear. She wasn't the only one scared. That thought comforted her somehow.
She buried her face in his neck and inhaled the nice smell that was keeping the painful smoke out of her mouth and nose. Still keeping a tight grip on the stuffed animal, her arms found their way around his neck, fingers entangling themselves, leaving one hand with the inside facing out. The muscular arms around her tightened their grip and she whimpered when she felt something hit the man's back and her hand. When he started to topple over, cursing and breathing hard, she screamed.
"Damn it." His voice drifted into her scared mind. Kneeling down, he let go of her and started to struggle with his jacket that was now burning. His pain filled cries rang in her ears and when she looked down at her stinging wrist and saw the red, bubbly welts on it, the pain hit her and she joined him with her own wail of pain. She didn't know for how long she was sitting on the floor and clutching her wrist, when suddenly the man was back.
"Sh…sweetheart." the man's voice quivered, his shaking hand closing gently over her injured arm and his other arm picking her up again. "Don't cry. We're getting out of here now." Again, she hid her tearstained face in his neck and the small sobs escaping her mouth were muffled by his now charred shirt.
When the first breeze of fresh air ruffled her hair, she dared to peek up and another sob escaped her. Her house was burning. It was overtaken by the flames and smoke was coming from every single of the many windows.
"Shhh…" her savior's voice huskily tried to calm her. "You are safe now. You are a very brave girl."
She heard a car door open and the man bent down, groaning and cursing again quietly, while settling himself and her into the driver's seat.
"You can let go of me now, sweetheart." He told her but her arms stayed tightly wrapped around his neck and her breath tickled the sensitive spot of his burning skin.
Gently he pried her off his body and caressed a round, sooth covered cheek with his fingers.
"You're gonna be alright." He smiled at her warmly. "I'm going to bring you to a dear friend of mine, alright? He's going to take care of you."
She saw the surprise in his eyes and then the pain in them when she shook her head in refusal. Why couldn't she stay with him? He had helped her out of the house. He was so nice to her. And he smelled so nice.
When a tear started to roll over her cheek, the man smiled again and lifted her off his lap to sit her down beside him in the passenger seat.
"You can't stay with me." He explained in a hushed voice, not looking at her but putting the seat belt around her trembling body. "It would be too dangerous for you."
Bending down he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead whispering to her that it was alright to go to sleep now. That she was safe for now. And that's what she did. She fell asleep.
Next time she opened her eyes, bright light was shining into them and she smelled the nice smell again. Her face was pressed into the soft fabric of the man's shirt while he was carrying her towards a small house. Before he reached the steps, another man, older than the one carrying her, came running out and met them halfway.
"Red? What happened? Are you hurt? Is she hurt?"
"I'll explain everything later. Can you show me your bedroom so she can rest comfortably? She's been through a lot."
She saw the man nod and by the time they entered the house, she had fallen asleep again, clutching the man's shirt in one fist.
Raised voices woke her up. Whimpering when her wrist throbbed, she looked down and saw that it had been bandaged and she was grateful she didn't need to see the injury anymore. She padded to the closed door to listen what the voices were still arguing about. Her parents had always told her she shouldn't eavesdrop but she rarely had listened to them.
"You can't just leave her here! How am I supposed to explain a child in my home? What am I supposed to tell her when she get's older? She'll have questions!"
"I will arrange everything with the authorities and I will find a solution for her memories. She cannot remember what has happened. She has to forget." That was the nice man's voice again. She smiled, happy that he hadn't left while she had been sleeping.
"Red…this is insane."
"No." he had to be very angry. His voice broke off and she could hear him breathing loudly. "It is not insane. It's something we have to do to keep her safe. She will be the target of every criminal and every politician who is listed on this damn fulcrum."
"Are you even sure that she has the information of its whereabouts?" the older man sounded desperate. Maybe he was upset that he had to take care of her?
"As sure as everyone else who will be after it and ultimately her."
Her gaze shifted to the bed she had been sleeping in and the bunny sitting innocently on the pillow.
"We have a secret, bunny." She whispered. "You can never tell anyone."
Glancing back at the door she noticed that the voices had moved further away and slowly she climbed back into the bed, pulling her bunny into her arms.
"The nice man said I need to forget, bunny. You won't forget right? You will remind me, won't you?"
With that thought on her mind, she fell back asleep, only to be woken up half an hour later to a hand shaking her gently.
"Hey sweetheart." The good smelling greeted her and smiled. "I wanted to say goodbye to you. I have to leave now."
"D'you have to? Where are you going?" she slurred sleepily, prying her eyes open and reaching out a hand to him. He took her small hand in his and dropped a kiss on it.
"I have to princess. But I'll be back someday, I promise."
"When is someday?"
Red chuckled, and tweaked her nose gently.
"You're awfully inquisitive, aren't you?"
She giggled and swatted after his hand, while raising into a sitting position.
"What is…incuisitive?" she scrunched up her nose and her blue eyes sparkled up at him with a childlike curiosity.
"It means that you are a very smart girl." He told her seriously and smiled back when he saw her grinning proudly. He sighed then and drew his hand through her disheveled hair, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.
"I have to go now, Lizzie."
She nodded, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him to her as tight as her small body allowed.
"I like you Mr. Red. I will miss you."
When she pulled back, she noticed the tears gathering in his eyes but didn't comment on it, only smiling softly at him.
"I'll miss you too, sweetheart. Be good to Sam, he's going to be taking care of you."
Just when he was about to leave the room, her whisper held him back.
"Am I going to see my parents again?"
He didn't turn around, didn't look her in the eyes, only answered her truthfully.
"No, you won't"
With that last answer, he stepped out and closed the door behind him softly.
Slowly and trying to hold back tears, she stood up and went to the large window that was facing the street outside. She watched Red walk out of the house, going to his car and sliding in with a wince on his face. The door closed and within seconds, she watched his car pulling away from the house and driving down the street.
He was leaving her.
Or was she leaving him?
White light engulfed her and Liz started to feel light and comfortable. More relaxed than she had been for a long time
xxxxx
It was a saturday and the clouds were not only hanging dark and heavy over the hospital, but were also crying. Crying for a little girl that had lost her parents and been dragged into a life full of lies. Crying for a woman that had lost everything she believed was true in her life and they cried for a man, who had lost the only ray of light he had had left to keep his soul alive.
tbc...
I know you guys want to wring my neck right now...*HIDING*:) Please comment anyway;)
