Chapter Thirteen
"Boss."
Greg glanced up from his desk to see Detective Sergeant Sally Donovan sticking her head into his office. "What is it, Donovan?"
"Got a call," Donovan told him. "Jumper over at Bart's."
"Oh, God, not another one," Greg muttered, lowering his head before getting to his feet. "Call Dr. Hooper. We'll need to get her into the morgue to—"
"No, no, boss," Donovan interrupted. "He's at Bart's. They checked him in."
Greg froze, frowning. "He survived?"
Donovan nodded. "They've got him on psych watch."
Greg's frown deepened. "Then why were we called?"
"They don't know who he is," Donovan explained. "He had no I.D. on him." She popped back out into the outer office.
Greg stared after her, wondering. It couldn't be, could it? He quickly grabbed his coat and keys, hurrying out to his car and over to Bart's.
Of course, it was entirely possible that the jumper was just a jumper; plenty of people have tried to kill themselves before and botched it up. But what if? What if William had finally taken that leap?
Greg pulled up to the hospital, glancing over at where an orderly was cleaning up some blood on the pavement. He looked up towards the roof before stepping through the front door and striding over to the nurse's station.
Greg pulled his badge out and showed it to the nurse. "Inspector Lestrade. We were called?"
The nurse nodded. "Third floor."
"Ta," said Greg, moving over to the lift.
After emerging from the doors on the third floor, he repeated the whole process over again.
"Let me call the doctor for you," the nurse told him, picking up a phone.
Greg turned, looking at the doors in the corridor and wondering which one the mysterious jumper was behind. If it was indeed William, Greg had to get him out of here. Of course, that would involve a cover story. It wouldn't do to have the hospital call the police about a missing patient.
So, what would be believable? William was a known suspect? No, no, he shouldn't alarm the staff. William was his brother? Definitely not; they would wonder why he didn't care enough about his brother to get him medical help. Witness protection? Well, close, but that would require a lot of paperwork to make it believable, what with confidentiality agreements and whatnot.
This is going to be harder than I thought, Greg mused before finally stumbling onto the answer. Ah, what about—
"Hello, Inspector."
Greg turned towards the doctor as he approached. "Doctor. How is he?"
"He only sustained a few scrapes and bruises, which leads me to believe that he must have only been on the first floor when he jumped," the doctor told him. "So, I'm not sure he's suicidal; might be more of a thrill-seeker."
"Has he said anything?" asked Greg.
"He hasn't woken up yet," the doctor told him.
Oh, yeah, Greg thought. He won't wake for another few hours.
"Can I take a look on my own?" he asked.
The doctor nodded. "Sure. Room 313."
Greg nodded his thanks before turning and heading down the hall. Finding room 313, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. William lay in the hospital bed, his wrists strapped to either side of the bed.
Greg closed the door behind him and stepped closer, getting a better look. An inch-long cut lay on his right temple just in front of his hairline. His hair would've hidden it except for the fact that it was combed back from his face. Surrounding the cut was a small, dark bruises, again close enough to his hairline to be hidden. Glancing down, Greg also spotted a long scrape along his right forearm, starting at his wrist and extending to his elbow.
Greg stepped up next to the sleeping ex-angel, who had yet to awaken to his new existence. "Welcome to this brave new world, my friend." He smiled in good spirits. "You're going to hate it." He chuckled before moving back towards the corridor.
The gentle darkness began to bleed away, thrusting him into a harsh, vibrant consciousness. As he opened his eyes, he became aware of three things: one, that his head and arm ached; two, that he was comfortably warm; and three, that he didn't recognize the room he was in.
He was lying in a bed, the covers pulled up to his chest. Looking around, he was stunned by how bright and colorful everything was. He had thought he had seen the world as an angel, but as a being that existed within the veil, he could never truly see. That veil was now removed, and the world had never looked or felt better.
"You owe me."
William glanced over to see Greg sitting in a corner of the room.
"You wouldn't believe the ridiculous story I had to come up with to get you here," Greg told him with a smile.
William began to sit up before a sharp stabbing sensation in his back made itself known. He groaned in pain as Greg got up and came over, helping him to sit up against the headboard.
William gave a pained sigh as Greg sat on the edge of the bed. "From where?"
"The hospital," Greg told him.
William looked at him in surprise.
"That's what happens when you're found bleeding and unconscious outside of one," said Greg with a smile. "I had to get you out of there before they started asking questions about why you basically don't exist. You couldn't have chosen someplace else to fall?"
William shrugged. "It seemed appropriate." He shifted a little, wincing as another pain stabbed at him. "So, what'd you come up with?"
Greg smiled at him. "You were working undercover for the Yard. I had to take you with me to protect your identity."
William nodded. "Good thinking. And plausible, if I'm going to pursue this detective thing."
He glanced down, spotting an angry, dark red graze on his right arm. He stared at it, completely fascinated. He could bleed. He could actually bleed. It had worked.
"Amazing, isn't it?" said Greg.
William looked up at the understanding look on Greg's face.
"Just wait till you discover ice cream," Greg told him.
William smiled and then pulled the blanket back and swung his legs out of the bed. "I need to find Molly."
Greg swiftly stood as William jumped out of the bed, putting his hands on his chest. "Wait, wait, hold on. You just became human. You need to eat before you do anything." He gave William a wry look. "Be a shame for you to pass out on the way and end up back in the hospital."
William stared at him a moment before rolling his eyes in assent. As much as it pained it to admit, the inspector was right. Not to mention, he was a little curious about food.
Greg led him out of the room and into the kitchen. "Since it's your first meal, we're going to do this right: a full English breakfast."
"Very well," sighed William, settling himself at the table in the kitchen.
After twenty minutes, a strange sensation had begun to creep into William's gut: an insistent ache that seemed to emanate from the center of his body. It was different than the sharp sting of the cuts or the dull throb of the bruises. It felt as though some creature were pulling on his gut, sucking it away and leaving him with a void that the rest of his body would collapse into. At first, William didn't say anything, hoping it would pass, but after a full five minutes of the foreign sensation, he could bear it no longer.
"Greg, something's wrong," William spoke up, grasping at his stomach.
Greg turned and frowned at him. "What is it?"
William frowned. "I don't know. It just—"
At that moment, William's gut let out a strange gurgling sound like a wounded animal. He looked down at his stomach with a disturbed expression on his face.
Greg laughed at the look on the other man's face. "You're just hungry."
William looked up at him, brow furrowed in shock. "That is hunger?"
"Yeah," chuckled Greg.
"It's horrible," complained William, clutching at his growling stomach.
"I know," said Greg, giving him a smile. "Isn't it great?"
William smiled at him, knowing exactly what he meant. It felt so wonderful to be feeling anything.
Greg turned back to the stove, dumping various foods onto two plates. He walked over to the table, setting one in front of William. "There you are." He held a hand up in front of him. "Go slowly or you'll make yourself sick."
William nodded before looking down at the plate full of eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tomatoes, fried bread, kidneys, kippers, mushrooms and potatoes. Even though he had never eaten before, his human instincts—human! He was human!—told him that what lay in front of him would make this ache go away. He picked up the fork and speared some eggs on it, staring at them in amazement before putting them into his mouth.
Oh, the taste! The texture! He had never known something so good in his whole existence! The soft food just seemed to melt on his tongue. He looked up at Greg with wide eyes.
"Good, isn't it?" said Greg, well into his own breakfast.
"Mm," William mumbled out as he quickly downed two more bites.
Greg chuckled and put a hand on William's arm. "Slow, remember?"
William nodded before moving on to the sausage.
Another hour, which involved an awkward—yet thankfully solo—first bathroom trip, and William was changed out of his hospital garb and back into his black attire, the one thing he was able to keep from his time as an angel. Exiting Greg's building, he paused on the stoop, taking everything in.
It was now mid-morning, and London was awake and thriving. William stared at the people walking by, once again struck by how much more bright and vivid everything was. The sights of the elegant buildings and preoccupied civilians; the sounds of taxi cabs honking and a couple birds singing somewhere nearby; the feel of the cool morning air contrasting with the warmth of his coat; the smell of the crisp morning air—
William took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the city. True, it wasn't exactly a fresh meadow, but it was real. And it was wonderful. As if reading his mind, the dreary London clouds parted, and the sun shone through. William glanced up at it and immediately regretted it. Wincing, he brought a hand up to shield his face, squinting up at the great big ball of light. He then closed his eyes and lowered his hand, a smile growing on his face as he reveled in the sunlight. Molly was right; it was like being surrounded by your loved ones.
"Excuse me."
William quickly stepped down onto the pavement, turning to see a young woman in the doorway behind him. He had been so drawn into his own experience that he had quite forgotten that he was no longer able to be invisible to those around him. "Sorry."
The woman nodded politely at him as she closed the door and stepped into the pedestrian traffic.
William followed her to the corner, looking for the name of the street. Walton Street. Good. That's only fifteen blocks from Molly's flat.
William turned away, setting his mind to transporting himself to the street outside Molly's flat. As he completed his turn, he was confused to find that he hadn't moved. Staring at the street for a moment, he then rolled his eyes and shook his head.
It's going to be harder to adjust to this than I thought.
Pointing himself in the right direction, he set off at a quick pace while also trying to enjoy the walk. The noise, the people! He never knew that the humanity he always found so boring could be so exhilarating. It would most likely not stay that way, but for the moment, he was surprisingly happy to feel how everyone else did.
William's gaze wavered when something collided with his shoulder, sending him to a stop as he staggered a little. The bump jarred an injury he had sustained in the Fall, sending an ache out through his shoulder and down his arm and chest. He turned to look at the hurrying man as he continued on, not looking back. William raised a hand, rubbing at his shoulder and smiling absently at the sensation.
DING, DING, DING, DONG!
William turned and looked up as the bells continued to sound. The Elizabeth Tower that housed Big Ben stood against the backdrop of sky, tall and bold. He listened to the quarter bells ringing out their quarterly tune. It was beautiful in its own way, the first music he had heard in this new world.
DONG!
DONG!
DONG!
William looked towards the clock face as Big Ben continued to strike the hour. The time read ten o'clock. The sight triggered a memory from earlier that week.
Molly. Her date!
William set off at a renewed pace, pushing through the crowd to get to her. He had seen on her calendar for the day a scribbled-in entry labeled, "TOM 11AM." He hadn't known what it was at the time, but now that he knew…He had to get to her before she left.
Finally after twenty minutes, he was standing in front of Molly's building, ringing her buzzer. There was no answer.
No…Oh, God, no!
She had left. She had already left for her date. He hadn't made it.
The door in front of him suddenly opened, and Molly almost collided with him.
"Oh, sorry," said Molly quickly as she looked up at him and froze. "William?"
William's eyes looked her over, taking in her black trousers, her purple button-down shirt, her pearl necklace, her subtle yet flattering make-up and her slightly curled hair. She's on her way out to meet him…
Molly frowned, peering closely at his face. "Are you bleeding?" She reached up towards the bruise and cut on his head. "Oh, my God! What hap—" Her voice broke off as she stopped, lowering her hand as she stared at him. "I thought you couldn't…"
"We can't," William told her and then stopped himself at his word usage. "They can't."
"They?" asked Molly, confusion on her face.
William hesitated a moment, feeling something literally indescribable (because how can you describe it if you've never felt it before?) at being able to say it. "I'm human now."
Molly's eyes widened. "Human?" She struggled for the words in her shock. "How?"
"I fell," he told her. "I chose to become human, and I fell."
Molly's jaw dropped open further. "Why? Why would you give up everything you've ever known?"
William's gaze softened as he smiled at her. "For you."
Molly let in a sharp breath, taken back by his words.
William stepped closer to her, bringing his hand up to cup the side of her face. "I love you."
Tears sprang into Molly's eyes, and William frowned in distress, believing he had upset her again. "This isn't just me trying to win you over to get what I want, or anything else you may be thinking. I had the briefest glimpse of a life without you, and it was agony. I don't want to live forever if you're not with me. I love you too much to—"
Molly suddenly placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him down, their lips colliding. William responded in kind by wrapping his arms around her. He had been right; the sensation of having Molly's lips on his, his arms wrapped around her, was so exquisite and amazing that there were no words. It was so much more extraordinary than he had ever fantasized it would be.
They finally broke apart, and William looked down into Molly's eyes, now understanding that her tears were ones of joy.
"I'm not too late?" he asked.
Molly frowned, her hands sliding down to rest on his chest. "For what?"
"Tom," said William, Molly's actions conflicting with her attire and calendar plans and sending his brain for a loop.
Molly frowned in confusion.
William frowned as he gestured pointedly at her appearance. "Your date."
Molly looked down at herself before it finally clicked. "Oh…" An embarrassed smile lit up her face as she brought a hand to the side of his face in sympathy. "Tom is not my date. It's my pathology conference."
William's frown deepened.
"'Theory of Medicine Conference,'" Molly explained. "We all call it the TOM Conference for short."
William's mind flashed back to her calendar, where the name Tom was indeed in all capitals. But…
"But your date…" said William, frown still in place.
Molly's embarrassed smile returned. "There is no date." At the questioning look on his face, she went on. "I made it up. No one asked me out."
"Why?" asked William, easing away from her slightly.
Molly hesitated before plowing on. "I was afraid."
William's expression eased as understanding flooded in. He could completely understand; he had been afraid as well.
"I'd been down this road before, and…it had ended badly, so I pushed you away," Molly explained. "I had no idea you felt this way. I'm…I'm so sorry." Tears—sad tears this time, and William allowed a small moment of satisfaction at being able to tell the difference—filled her eyes and began falling down her face.
William reached up and stroked the tears away with his thumb. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I understand. And I will never—never—hurt you. I love you too damn much to."
The tears renewed themselves as she smiled. "I love you, too."
William smiled as he caressed her face with his hand before drawing her into his arms and resuming their kiss. Molly's arms wrapped around him as the kiss grew more passionate. The feel of Molly's lips coupled with the knowledge that he could now be with her for the rest of their lives…It was intoxicating. What could possibly be better than this?
"Ahem."
The two of them broke apart to see an elderly woman standing in the lobby behind Molly.
"Oh, sorry, Mrs. Bell," said Molly softly, a blush rising to her face. She stepped back into the building as William stepped back to allow Molly's neighbor through. "Have a nice day."
Mrs. Bell nodded as she passed by, heading for the street and hailing a cab.
William looked back at Molly, whose face was still lit up with the blush. They stared at each other for a moment before laughing together. As their laughter trailed off, Molly's gaze shifted towards the stairs and back to him.
"Would you like to come in?" she asked.
William very much wanted to, but the thought that he was once again ruining her life surfaced. "What about your conference?"
Molly stepped forward and took hold of his hand, smiling at him. "I couldn't care less."
William smiled as Molly pulled him into the building, closing the door behind them.
ATTENTION! I know this looks like an ending, but it's not. I have at least three more chapters to go.