Alrighty then! Last chapter, not last update! I still have an epilogue to post, people! AND!! If you be so kind when you review, leave me a few names of historic places (preferably in US), events, documents, ectthat you would like to see in a POSSIBLE SEQUEL. Not a hundred percent gonna happen (I still have major things to work out), but it is a definite possibility. Also, title suggestions for sequels would be nice, too. Haven't really come up with any yet.Anyhoo, here's the last chapter! See you in the epilogue! ENJOY!!!
- Dis/Claimer –
.:: Prisoner or Azkaban won! LoL ::.
x) Janelle Leigh - I'm here, lol! But sorry, only one more post after this! Hope you enjoy the last chapter! Thanks for the review!
x) lanmwolf - Okay, you know how throughout the story Riley and carolyn constantly said that they hated each other? Well, as the story goes on, they begin to mean 'I love you' when they say it, so Riley saw it as the perfect opprotunity to cover up what he really wanted to say in front of everyone. And Carolyn shot herself out of guilt, to create a distraction, ect. Don't worry, though! Keep reading, and thanks for the review! If you're still confused at all, PM me or something! I'm always happy to explain!
x) YoSafBridge - Gah! No more flames! PLEASE! LoL... You are a passionate reviewer, and I love that! and I think you and my best friend Lindsay would side against me with GoF over PoA, lol. I liked GoF (it's n the top half of my list), but I guess it was just that after all that time, Harry found out he had a whole bunch of people that cared for him and could find out more about his past and parents with their help in the third book. When I first read it, I thought Lupin really was a bad guy at the end, but I loved how they all used to be James's best friends and were devoted to helping Harry. LoL, also glad to hear you're begining to like Carolyn at the end of the story, lol. You'll see what happens when you read on! Thanks for the reviews!!!
x) Norma Jean - Haha, he does. Glad to see you're still with me all the way through this story, and that you're a fellow PoA fan! That book was the best, hands down. Thank you so much for reveiwing! Read on and enjoy it!
x) AnonymousME2 - LoL, Indiana Jones... Wanna know the best part? (Don't hurt me) I've never watched Indiana Jones. Only snippets when I was younger, lol. And yes! Another PoA person! And I know what you mean about DH. I guess it wasn't totally what I expected, though my favorite chapter by far was The Prince's Tale. I LOVED that chapter (I'm a secret Snape fan, lol) and felt so bad for him losing Lily and all that. I actually believe they may have ended up together if not for him calling her a mudblood. They probably would have had a chance... Sad... Anyhoo, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoy the story so much, and come back for the epilogue!
x) FallenAngelFreddie - Glad you thought so, lol! I hop you enjoy this chapter and the epilogue just as much. Keep reading and thanks for the review!
x) Fizzy Fitz - Thank you for the compliment! I won't be so evil with cliffhangers anymore, seeing as this is the last chapter and there's only an epilogue left, lol. Thanks for reviewing, and read on!
x) Pinkey the Brain - I guess with DH I was expecting more Hogwarts or something, lol. I do feel bad for Teddy also, but I felt extremely bad for Snape, lol. My favorite chapter in the entire book was The Prince's Tale, and actually, as I told AnonymousME2, I think he might have had a chance to end up with Lily if not for his 'Worst Memory.' Anyhoo, thanks for reviewing! Hope you like the end of this story, too, even though I still have the epilogue to post! Read on!
x) hjj48jc42 - Hehe... I'm evil. But I resolve. I always resolve, lol. Well, I hope you enjoy the last chapter (and the epilogue I plan to have up within a week)! Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!
x) The Randomist - Hahaha... And no worries, your long reviews are so fun and enjoyable to read. I hope I see them when I get the sequel up sometime! Yes, I had to do something with 'I hate you,' simply because it's been in the story so long, lol. And yeah, Riley's got to have a kick-ass moment. I was in a rage myself at the time, so it was easy to write, lol. Thanks for the great review as always, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter! I won't get gushy til the epilogue, lol. Enjoy!
x) ProcrastinatingPyro09 - Well... maybe she will... maybe she won't... lol. Read on to fnd out! Thanks for reviewing!
x) breakaway01 - Thnank you! Alos, I did get that email with the trailer in it (like two days ago, lol... I haven't checked that email in a while), so thanks for that, too! Riley's little 'recap' has me so pumped, lol. Anyhoo, last chapter is here, so read on! Enjoy, and thank you for reviewing as always!
x) The-Pirate-Lass - Aww, you could write a Riley-centered story! Make him related to a pirate or something, follow his heritage back or something... Gah! You're getting ideas in my head! That could be good though. Yeah. That might be good. If you ever think of writing that story, I've already got ideas, lol. And yay! Another PoA person! I heart you, lol. And yes, I loved Sirius, too, though for the longest time I pronounced his name Sur-I-us, lol. Thank you for a great review as always, and enjoy the last chapter! See you in the epilogue!
x) geek'd - Hehe, a few people expected her to shoot Ian which was good... it meant you were totally unprepared for Carolyn turning the gun on herself, lol. And yeah. I think I'll update since you said please, lol. Enjoy the last chapter and the soon-to-come epilogue! Thanks for reviewing!
x) Sairahiniel - LoL, I was sad for almost everyone who died in DH (save You-Know-Who. No one wanted him to live, lol). Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like the last chapter! See you in the epilogie! Enjoy!
x) Dimonah Tralon - A few people though she would shoot Ian, lol. But I FOOLED YOU! MUAHA! lol... Sorry. Glad you agree from the writer's perspective, though! Thanks for the review, and enjoy the last chapter! Come back for the epilogue! ENJOY!!!
x) Solitude of Texas - I thought it felt a little rushed, too, but then again, I'm not used to writing a lot of action sequences yet. I'm working on it, lol. Anyhoo, glad you liked it overall! Enjoy the last chapter and come back to read the epilogue (I know you will)! Thanks for reviewing!
x) daisyduke80 - Hmm... I might have to die then, lol. Read on! Thank you for your review and enjoy the last chapter! See you in the epilogue!
.:: READ! HURRY! Haha ::.
x xx
. Chapter Twenty-One .
Rushing darkness seems to always mute the screams. Your stomach plummets with your body, twisting itself tightly, waiting for the inevitable. You heart races faster than you could think possible, and your eyes dart wildly in search of dear sweet light you know you will never see again. Somewhere in the back of your mind amidst the chaos, a prayer is said. Then, you wish for only a fraction of a second (for that's all you have) that you had done certain things,
'Dad, can we go to the library and look up Charlotte tomorrow? And the next day? Can I just go there straight after school from now on?'
It was utter nonsense, this treasure business, but he nodded. 'Yeah, son. Just be home for dinner and leave time for homework.'
Ben's face lit up with excitement.
Not done others,
'A credit card slip?!'
Enjoyed life a little more,
Carolyn laughed riotously as Riley backed her against a wall with his arms around her, a wonderful smile on his face…
Especially with the people who really mattered,
'Twins? Oh my god… REALLY?!'
Possibly said some things you should have,
'Riley, this is complicated but I'll explain, just listen… I'm Ian's sister.'
Take back the ones you didn't mean,
'Maybe that's real Gates family legacy – sons who disappoint their fathers…'
Not given up on a childhood dream,
'These paintings are rubbish! No one would pay you for a picture! It's no way to make a living!'
Taken more risks,
'Come on, Ben,' John said to his six-year-old grandson. 'It's just a Ferris wheel.'
And then just like that-
CRRRRRSSHHHHH
- it's over.
x x x
Weak.
Numb.
Cold.
Heavy.
Dark.
Pain.
Tired.
Very tired…
Her eyes fluttered open barely, breathing shallow and inaudible. Not that it made a difference; it was too dark to tell if her eyes were open or not.
Were they?
Wood was beneath her. Were they on another wooden platform?
She moved her hand slightly, and her ears came alive as small cold pieces of metal fell over her hand. She pinched one between her fingers. It was large, thick, circular, and textured.
A coin?
Somewhere out of Carolyn's knowing, Ben coughed with body-racking pain as he struggled to his feet on a rock. He heard people around him groaning, coughing, wheezing… some he didn't hear at all. He hit the light on his helmet until it gave off a dim beam on his father.
"Dad! Dad, you okay?" he asked, helping Patrick to sit up against a rock as he panted heavily.
"Y-yeah… I'm okay… I think I threw out my back."
"Just rest, I've g-"
Ben's eyes narrowed passed his father's profile. A small ornate statue of the Egyptian god Horus stared directly at him, a spiraling pole coming from his head. Ben lifted the light of his helmet with the pole. The side of a large, round mirror appeared from the darkness. He rose, hypnotized by its presence.
"Ben." Patrick's hand slipped from his son's wet sleeve, his breathing choppy. "Where… are you going?"
"I'm right here, Dad," Ben said reassuringly as he came face to face with the dirty mirror. He took a swipe of dirt away, seeing his own face appear before him. The frame was very plain, smooth, and cylindrical, but a tarnished icon of the goddess Isis knelt on top, her wings open.
"What… are you… what are you doing?"
Ben turned his head to answer, but his helmet light reflected strongly in the mirror, blinding him briefly.
Somewhere far off, Carolyn saw the flicker of the light. Her heart leapt.
Light…
Ben stood before the mirror in amazement. Quickly, he turned around, his beam of light not stretching far enough to hit anything.
Another flash.
Ben shielded his eyes, squinting back across the darkness.
Nothing, save another mirror.
His heart pounded hopefully as he took off his helmet.
Carolyn could distantly sense the light, wishing it would never leave her. She let her hand fall on the pile of – she supposed – coins nearby, grasping them lifelessly as they fell onto the wooden surface beneath her more. They were cold and meaningless but a comfort enough. At least she had touched something she believed to be treasure before she would die. She didn't know hell could be so cold…
"Close your eyes!"
Her consciousness resurfaced at the voice. Ben's voice?
She let her head fall to the wood heavily, eyes closed.
She wished she could take a deep breath.
She wished she could breathe…
The warmth of the blood was stinging compared to the cold, causing more discomfort. She groaned, tenderly touching it, but the pain shot through her mercilessly. She lost her thoughts for a moment after a sharp gasp; her head spun. She tried desperately to remember anything in those few seconds of suspense, but a light shone through her eyelids. She yelped and buried her head in her arm against the splintering wood.
After a few more agonizing seconds of pain from her lungs, she was convinced that she was still clinging to life. In fretted exhaustion, she turned her head out of the crook of her elbow, laying her cheek on the wood.
Light. She felt it. It was there… real light…
After a grueling (but silent) argument with herself, she forced courage upon her eyelids, prying them open with great difficulty. They were overly sensitive to the smallest ray of light, but Carolyn was overjoyed in her misery.
Ben stood next to the mirror, his helmet sitting on a rock pointed at it. The beam of light reflected from mirror to mirror, and the perfect angles of placement of each mirror sent the light all around from one side of the cavern to the other.
Egyptian mirror trick. Unbelievable.
His mind failed to comprehend at what he was looking at first when the light was evenly displaced – a long, endless cavern of gold.
Valuables beyond value shined dully in the light emitted from Ben's helmet. Statues and chariots, chests and jewels, odd and ends of all kinds, things he had never seen before, and towering before him – a broken Spanish galleon.
He stepped forward from the side of the cavern, overcome with triumph and ready to climb the fallen mast at his feet, but a feeble moan detached him from his glowing moment.
Ben turned with a concerned glance, feeling awful for almost forgetting he was not alone. He looked around, seeing his father standing now with violent shivers, but the groan came again from behind a large boulder and foreboding statue of a knight. Ben hurried around them with Patrick trying to keep up, and his heart sank.
Ian lay there on the wet, cold ground, a few ruined silks and statues surrounding him. He squirmed and mouthed incoherently, small moans and displeasurable gasps escaping him. Ben's eyes went right to the source of his discomfort regrettably; a blotch of shining crimson was on the bottom of his coat and the very tip of an old blade – about half an inch or so – protruded through the center of the dark puddle.
Ben knelt quickly, though it seemed impossible to hope for Ian's survival. The man's clouded eyes slowly looked around, and to Ben and Patrick's surprise, he smiled.
"Ian."
He looked up at Ben in amazement. Ian's mouth quivered without a sound until the smile fell on his lips again. He attempted to nod.
"It's… real."
Ben nodded with pity in his gaze. "Yeah," he said in a hoarse whisper. "It's real."
Ian gasped disbelievingly, his smile fading a little with his eyes. Ben swallowed difficultly, taking back every wish he had made that Ian would just die. The blonde man heaved out breathy laughter.
"I… I saw… it," he said. "I saw th… the gold. Treasure…"
Ben remained silent as Fischer stumbled over clutching his bleeding arm. He looked upon Ian as the light reflected fully on his empty glass eyes and absent grin. Ben sighed unevenly. Fischer's face fell.
"Ian?"
Ben shook his head, stopping Fischer from touching him.
"Don't."
x x x
Carolyn could see. She could actually see.
She saw unimaginable things.
Easing herself into an awkward position on her elbow, she shivered uncontrollably as she lay on the wooden deck of a ship. She looked at the pile of golden coins in a daze, picking them up and letting them fall out of her weak hand in shock.
Where was she? Was this a joke of sorts?
She was… on a ship! A real, solid ship!
Astounded, Carolyn sat up a little more. She craned her neck, taking in her surroundings: the high cavern ceiling, the mounds of treasure just on the deck of the ship, the chests, silks, clothes, pieces of armor…
Her head turned slowly towards the bow, following the piles of glowing gold with her wide eyes. A sudden crash made her jolt, the pain in her ribs and lungs firing again. She gasped loudly before attempting to find the source of the crash out of sight on the deck. Blood spilled from her more steadily. She winced and looked up towards the bow again, and her pain was suddenly forgotten.
Riley stood before her, soaked, shivering, and staggering towards her down the deck. She was taken aback but overcome as he fell lifelessly to his knees in front of her, holding her close, and burying his face in her hair. Her ribs wanted her to shout in protest, but she remained rigid in his arms with large eyes, stunned.
"You're warm," he moaned happily, his face moving down into her neck. "I love that you're warm."
Somehow, Carolyn smiled weakly, putting her arms around his neck. "I'm fr-freezing," she choked out with a shiver, attempting to hug him back whilst the pain. His face and nose moved along her neck and ear longingly, further desensitizing her as his chest heaved against hers erratically. She felt him smile.
"You're warm enough."
Carolyn was very ready to just did there in his arms and proclaim herself happy when Ben came climbing up the fallen mast, shouting and running towards them. Riley lifted his face from her, but when Carolyn turned around, she cried out in pain.
"Lay her down, lay her down," Ben said quickly. He helped Riley ease her down on her unharmed side. He did not like the look of the wound.
"Is she going to be okay?" Riley asked frantically, taking off his coat to give to her. "Ben."
When he didn't answer, Riley looked up fearfully. Ben was gazing at the injury angrily, helplessly, and almost apologetically. Riley felt the color and life drain from his face. He stared at Ben as the historian ran a hand over his face. Riley was suddenly hit with reality; he understood. He swallowed thickly, not sure if he was ready or not.
"Ben," he said at length, "go help the others."
Ben looked up at Riley as if he had misheard, but Riley nodded quickly, his eyes shining in the soft light. Before Ben could say anything, Riley cut him off with a thick, low, quavering voice.
"I'll take care of her."
Ben nodded gently, seeing a plead in his friend's tired eyes. He stood and headed back for the mast, looking over his shoulder with concern and remorse. Riley sighed when he lost sight of Ben. His chest felt as if it were caving in.
Swallowing his emotion, he laid on his side to face Carolyn, minding his broken arm. He smiled what he could between winces until he was down. Her eyes fluttered to him as he took her feeble hand in his unsteady one. He gripped it, though it was barely a squeeze. She returned it with weaker strength.
"You know what… the best part of… all th-this is?" he asked her quietly, a joke in his eye. She smiled, ever-glad to see it.
"What?" she whispered.
"We f-found all… all this treasure," he said, "b-but we're going to…fr-fr-freeze to death before… befo… before anybody… finds u-us."
"I think I'll… die from blood l-loss… bef-fore that," Carolyn ventured. A pang hit Riley, rendering his speechless, but Carolyn caught his eyes with hers. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Riley's chest heaved. "M-me, too."
"Are… are Ben and Ian okay? A-and the… others?" she asked.
His head lolled on the deck indifferently. "I don't know." He stared at her longingly. "I don't care."
He wished he would die before her. He didn't think he could bear having her die next to him, though that was how he wanted it. Just not first. He wanted her get out and live her life. Not watch her die. Not watch her face fill with sadness like it was now…
"I feel s-so bad… for Ben," she said. Riley gave her a questioning look, and she told him, "He'll n-never… see Abigail or… Char-Charlie and Sally again. And th-the baby…"
Riley was hit hard with this, beginning to choke back his emotions. Abigail was going to be so heartbroken. And the kids? The baby that would never know its father? His mind told him that the correct response to this was to clam up and feel awful, but a breath of laughter came in its stead. Carolyn looked at him in surprise.
"I won-wonder what she'll… n-name it," he said.
"Ben J-Jr.?" she guessed with some amusement strained onto her face. Riley smirked.
"L-like… likely, given the… circumstances."
"What about a… a girl?" Carolyn asked.
"I don't kn-know."
He tried to curl his hand around hers more as darkness spotted his vision. She could not find the strength to return his grasp, so she widened her smile ever so slightly. The brightness instilled some warmth in him.
"Did –you find… a fr-friend for… B-Bill?"
Riley smiled. "No. But I f-found a ship…"
She giggled, but it cost her a horrific stab in the side. Riley tried to help her, but the cold numbness refused to let him move. His mind was going blank, leaving him to wonder where he was and who the woman beside him was. His wife? On a ship? Boat? Was he a… what were they called? A parrot? No… pirate?
"Riley?"
His drooping eyelids would not obey the order to open. They fluttered madly against his will. Carolyn became alarmed.
"Riley… look at me…" she whispered weakly.
"Just… just resting," he lied calmly.
Carolyn was not fooled, but she did not say anything. She was touched that he was trying to protect her, to watch over her, but there was nothing more true than the fact that he couldn't protect or save her. No one could anymore.
And so, she inched towards him, wriggling on her side and ignoring the pain as she did. She finally came to rest against him and closed her eyes, hiding her face between him and the deck, faintly detecting his heartbeat. Riley fell into relaxed content as he slid his face into her icy hair, softly smiling as he met the opaque darkness in peace.
x x x
"Mr. Gates?"
Ben looked up from beside his father's hospital bed. His tired eyes blinked several times, trying to bring the young man into better focus after almost thirty-four hours of sleeplessness.
"Yes?"
"Dr. Kristley is on his way for your father's treatment," he told him. "He asked that you leave the room until the procedure is over."
Ben shut his eyes, exhaling slowly as his stood. He gave the nurse a strained grin before heading out. "Sure. Just have someone come get me in ICU 436 to let me know if everything went okay."
"Will do," the man said as two other people came into the room passed Ben. "Oh! Mr. Gates," – Ben turned, and the nurse smiled genuinely at him - "Congratulations."
Ben's face lit up as he stepped out into the hall. "Thanks."
He began walking down the hallway, watching as another nurse passed him and went into his father's room. He shoved his hand into his pocket as he picked up a meaningful step, a destination-determined stride. After nodding and passing a few doctors, he ended up in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, winding around corners, stretchers, and more people. Eventually, he found his way down a corridor, scanning the room numbers until stopping at the open door of 436. He leaned in the doorway as a woman near his age turned down the volume on the television from beside Carolyn's bed. She was ready to leave the room with a tray of untouched food before spotting Ben and smiling at him.
"Hello, sir."
"Hi," he said politely. "Everything going okay?"
"As good as it can for the moment," she replied, looking back at Carolyn's bed, regrettably unable to give a better answer. "Her sugar dropped earlier, but it's taken care of."
Ben nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Would you still like us to send more food up?"
"Yeah," he said hoarsely. "Just in case."
The woman nodded, leaving with the tray of food. Ben walked into the spacious room more, glancing up at the murmurs of a talk show as he shuffled closer to the bed. He sat down silently, looking her over protectively. Her only movement was the soft breathing beneath the white sheets. An oxygen tube had helped to regulate her spasmodic breathing for a while now, and maybe tomorrow (according to the doctor) she could go without its dependency.
For a while he sat there in the cheap faux-leather armchair (a deep shade of blue) reading a magazine, going through his wallet, and thinking of so many things that needed done, had happened, would happen… As the sun became strong on his face from sinking behind the horizon, his stomach grumbled – again. He decided to mull things over in the cafeteria at this point, but he was only staying ten minutes before coming back up-
"Dad?"
Ben looked up just in time to have Sally swing her arms around his neck, Charlie entering the room behind her.
"Hey honey," he said, hugging her tightly on his lap. "Are you two hungry? Daddy was just about to go find something to eat."
"We just ate with Mom," Charlie said with a sour look. "Green beans are gross."
Ben smirked. "Only in hospitals."
Then, Sally slipped off Ben's lap, running with short steps to Carolyn's bed. Charlie went over, too, as she looked at Carolyn's arm.
"Why is there a needle there?"
"Well… since she's not awake, they give her a special kind of liquid food that keeps feeding her so she doesn't get hungry," Ben said, putting it in five-year-olds' terms the best he could. "And it goes into her body from the needle."
"Shouldn't she have it in her mouth?" Charlie asked.
"No, sick people have to have it done that way," Ben explained.
"Why?"
"Because they aren't awake to chew and swallow like we are."
Sally fell off her tiptoes, eyes wandering away from Carolyn. "How's Uncle Riley?"
Ben tensed at his mention, not sure how to say what they had the right to know about their beloved 'uncle.' But before he had to say anything, a soft but audible exhale got his attention. He looked at Carolyn's bed expectantly and stood as the twins gripped the bed rail, Charlie jumping up and down.
"She's waking up! She's waking up! She's waking up!" he repeated excitedly. Ben stood over her on the other side of the bed holding his breath as she visibly stirred.
"Carolyn?" He spoke gently, hopefully. "Are you awake?"
A groan in response as her face twisted and scrunched. Her shoulders tensed some as her head lolled from side to side, and finally, she fell limp again. Her eyes opened slightly. Ben motioned for Charlie and Sally to stay quiet for a minute as he leaned over her again.
"Hello, Miss?"
Carolyn's blurred vision could not focus in on him, but she heard a voice. When she tried to speak, her own was raspy and tired. She made a sound as if clearing her throat.
"Wh… What?"
"Who – are – you?" Ben asked, raising his voice some. Carolyn's eyes blinked open fully, but the squinted with confusion.
Who was she?
"I…ah…"
'You… look nice in blue.'
A name card: Riley J. Poole.
A concerned look as a thumb slid along her jaw. 'Are you hurt?'
A kiss in a doorway.
She opened the trunk of a car for this person to put bags in it.
'Riley!'
Running.
An embrace in… a phone booth?
She sat up in a hospital bed, this 'Riley' sitting in a chair next to her. 'You're not dead.' She laughed.
A deep feeling of betrayal. His look of disappointment and hurt shot through her.
'Carolyn? Carolyn, are you okay?'
Back in the doorway. A smile. 'You never seem to have any trouble saving me.'
"Uh… Carolyn," she said, still half out of it. "Carolyn…"
What was his last name?
"Carolyn Pole… Poole?"
Ben looked at her sharply. "What did you say your last name was?"
Then, everything rushed back to her. She wasn't married. She was a criminal. But this Riley… She looked up at the man standing over her, finding it odd that she remembered him and at the same time did not.
"Ben."
"What's your name?" he repeated.
"Carolyn."
"Carolyn what?"
"Carolyn Howe."
He looked almost relieved. What? Did she say something wrong? She tossed her head to the other side, looking around, when she saw the twins. Also not remembering them but recognizing them, she smiled and spoke their names before realizing it.
"Charlie! Sally! What are you doing here?"
"The cops brought us here to see Daddy and Mommy," Sally said with a radiant smile. "I'm a big sister now!"
Even more came flooding back as she remembered Abigail. Carolyn smiled up at Ben, pushing herself to sit up more in bed. She winced, and Ben steadied her.
"Ah, watch," he said. "No strenuous activity for a month at best."
Her face suddenly paled. "I shot myself, right? In the… cave."
Ben sighed. "At least your memory's coming back."
More terrifying images came back to her, but she shook them away; they were obviously safe now. She smiled back up at Ben after he positioned another pillow behind her back.
"Abigail had the baby," she stated happily. Ben's smile at the words broke through all the tired strain in his face, and it heightened Carolyn's spirits tenfold.
"Yes she did," he announced proudly. "And he's perfectly healthy."
Carolyn's face glowed with excitement although she still felt weak. "A boy! What's his name?"
"He's named after-"
"Alex!" Charlie said, skipping over his Dad's speech.
"No," Sally said, correcting him. "Alexander Hamilton Gates."
Ben rolled his eyes, motioning to his impatient children. "Yeah. I was going to say that."
"Eventually," Charlie murmured as he and Sally ran out of the room. "We're gonna go see Mom!"
Ben shook his head as Carolyn smiled.
"Congratulations, Ben. How's Abigail?"
"They actually just let her out an hour ago, but she's still talking to some of the doctors. The baby was born yesterday."
"When?"
"Late afternoon. In fact," – Ben looked up at the clock on the wall – "he's twenty-five hours and six minutes old now."
She nodded, just now remembering that she had no idea how long she had been asleep. "How long have I been like this?"
Ben took a deep breath. "Well... we were in the Pit for maybe a little over a day before a rescue crew found us. It took them nearly another day to get to us, and by that time, things weren't looking so good for you." He lowered his voice. "In fact, we weren't even sure you had made it. You've been unconscious for almost five days straight."
She nodded solemnly, remembering how weak she felt as she laid on the deck of a ship with Riley. She opened her mouth quickly in panic, ready to ask about him, but Ben spoke first.
"Carolyn…" She felt her chest tighten at the tone of his voice. He looked up at her and said quietly, "Ian didn't make it."
Her face fell slightly, despite all the trauma he had put her through. He was still her brother, and Ben saw that in her face as he carefully spoke more.
"When we fell, he landed on a blade," Ben continued gently. "He got to see the treasure after the cavern lit up, but not much after that."
"Did they recover his body?" she asked quietly. Ben nodded.
"Yeah. I hope you don't mind, but I made a few arrangements while you weren't with us."
"No it's fine," she said. "Just…"
She exhaled slowly, looking at the sheets feeling a little emptier. Ben went to say something again when a knock came at the door. They looked up at the young man in a green outfit.
"Mr. Gates, you may see your father now if you like," he said. Ben nodded, getting up.
"Thanks. And have someone come in and check on her, please," he said, nodding at Carolyn. He turned to her perplexed face. "I'll be right back. Just rest."
Then, before she knew it, everyone had gone. A hushed roar of laughter came from the television on the wall as she stared at the door, heart pounding. Before she could let a torrent of emotion take her, she laid down calmly, trying to be optimistic. She let her head face the window in her restlessness, but the world stopped.
There was a bed beside her.
Occupied.
By him.
His arm was in a cast, and he wore a light blue gown identical to hers. She smiled in disbelief when he saw his face. Several cuts were illuminated by the television and cast strange shadows on him, but nevertheless, it was Riley in that bed. Riley.
She said his name breathlessly, a smile melting onto her face. The world slowly turned again.
"Riley."
"I hate hospitals."
Carolyn's eyes darted, doing a double take.
He just talked!
"Riley-"
"They smell weird," he muttered in a low, raspy voice. Carolyn smiled tenderly.
"You're safe now, Riley."
"Ben…"
"No, Riley, I'm not Ben-"
"Give this to Carolyn."
She froze as he set something on the stand between them and repositioned himself. A crumpled, yet folded, piece of paper sat there. She looked over at him.
"Make sure… she gets it…"
"Riley-"
"Night, Mom."
Tears pricked her eyes as he fell silent again. She glanced down at the paper on the stand, almost fearing its disclosed words. The paper looked aged, worn… She picked it up cautiously, unfolding the thin, creased parchment. The writing was his, however. She brought her hand to her mouth as a tear fell onto the paper.
I love you, too.
. Please Review .
Again, if you review, please tell me:
1. Any historic places/ documents/ people/ ect. you'd like to see in the sequel and
2. Possible titles for the sequel
THANKS!!!
Epilogue will be posted by Thursday, August 23rd.
(I've had a car accident, so please be patient. Thank you!)