"Please pick up," Alec muttered for the third time, pacing the floor of the infirmary.
"We've got this, Alec. Hang up and help me hold her down!" Jace growled.
Come on, come on, Alec repeated silently, only to get Magnus's voicemail. Again.
Frustrated, he left a message this time: "Magnus. It's me. Isabelle was attacked on the subway. We tried an iratze. Clary tried a new rune too. It's just getting worse." He glanced over his shoulder and winced. "Please call me back. Bye."
Sliding his cell into his back pocket, Alec approached the bed again and nudged Clary out of the way. She was clenched onto Isabelle's arm with all her strength, and was immensely relieved to be demoted to holding her legs.
"You know, this would be a HELL of a lot easier if you'd STOP THRASHING!" Jace yelled at Isabelle. But she wasn't listening. Her dark hair was plastered to her face - one of the only places on her body that wasn't covered in hideous burns. At first it just looked like blistered skin. Then the blisters started opening. And as Isabelle twisted and thrashed in pain, the raw skin started to break and bleed.
"Oh my God," Clary said under her breath, horrified by the situation.
"Not helping, Clary," Jace hissed.
"We have to think of something else!" Clary said. "We can't just keep her pinned to the bed."
"And you think letting her roll over onto the floor would be beneficial?"
"What about a sedative?" Alec suggested.
"We'd need a really strong one."
"OK. Clary, start going through the cabinets. Look for Hodge's handwriting on any of the bottles. He had the best potions."
Isabelle started screaming again, a wordless, painful, ear-splitting cry that made it worse for everyone around her, already on edge.
"I can't deal with this," Jace muttered, sliding his hands beneath Isabelle's hair. "Sorry, Izz," he whispered, before cracking her neck to one side. Immediately the thrashing stopped and she went still.
"JACE! WHAT THE HELL?"
"Simmer down," he said, glaring at Alec. "I just put her out. She's fine. Well, she's unconscious, anyway."
Clary was desperately opening drawers, reading labels while she went. Nothing sounded useful, except maybe antiseptic to put on the burns. Then again, who's to say they would help? None of the young shadowhunters were clear on exactly what had attacked her - and Maryse and Robert Lightwood were absent. Official business, as usual.
Isabelle had left the Institute for ten minutes to grab some food for them. Alec got the call. There was no voice on the other end, just an open line and the roar of the subway in the background. All Isabelle had managed to do was speed dial his number and hold on the line. Fortunately, she hadn't gotten far. She hadn't actually gotten on the subway, so they found her and brought her back, thankful that she was invisible to the surrounding mundanes. There was no scene to avoid. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses either.
"Clary, get the red bottle," Jace said, still spotting Isabelle's right side - just in case she woke up.
"No!" Alec intervened, aghast. He remembered perfectly just how agonizing the bubbling antiseptic was. He was not sanctioning the use of The Red Bottle on Isabelle. "Jace, that stuff burned like demon poison. And she's already covered in burns. It would be too cruel."
"She not feeling anything, Alec. And when she wakes up, she won't be able to distinguish one burn from the other," Jace replied with impatience. "Would you rather she get a massive infection while we argue the point?"
"No."
"Then let me work my magic. It's the only thing we've got, until your boyfriend gets here."
Alec pursed his lips, but managed a reluctant nod.
"Clary. The bottle, please," Jace requested, holding out his hand.
Magnus was greeted by the sounds of screaming, stepping off the elevator into the empty sitting room of the Institute.
As chilling as the sound was, he felt a small measure of relief knowing they were feminine screams. It most certainly wasn't Alec.
This time. Frowning at the unappealing thought, Magnus escorted himself to the Infirmary. The sound of the screams grew louder, and the arguing voices came into focus as the warlock progressed down the hallway.
"Hold her down," Jace ordered.
"Don't snap her neck again!" Alec warned. "It's not worth ten minutes."
"I'm not. Hold her down," Jace barked. "Clary, get her legs."
"I'm trying!" Clary moaned, struggling to grab hold of her ankles.
"Someone call a warlock?" Magnus drawled, although that was before he was afforded a look into the room. From what he could see over Clary's slight frame - they were desperately in need of magical healing. And a pair of restraints might have come in handy too. If he'd known, he could have brought them from home.
"About time you penciled us in!" Jace rudely responded. His blond hair was streaked with blood, sticking to the sides of his face along with sweat.
"I can't send away paying customers," Magnus calmly replied, stepping further into the room. He could smell the blood, the burnt skin. And something else... his nostrils flared, burning.
"Do you have any idea what did this?" Alec asked from the left side of the bed, looking up at Magnus with hope. The shadowhunter trembled with the force necessary to restrain his sister. He looked drawn and tired, flecks of blood dotting his t-shirt. Was it wrong for Magnus to feel some measure of pleasure in seeing him wearing white? As opposed to the dreary, overworn black Magnus was perpetually trying to steer him away from.
"Several," Magnus replied, glancing back at Isabelle's twisting, badly burned and now bleeding body. It was fairly gruesome. Fortunately, she didn't seem very lucid - in spite of her reflexive struggling. "You'll have to leave me alone with her, so I can work."
"Who's going to hold her down?" Jace sneered, tossing the matted hair from his eyes.
"Not a problem," Magnus replied with a snap. Immediately, Isabelle's body went limp against the bed. Her tight expression smoothed out, looking oddly serene. Jace and Alec slowly took a step back from the bed, hesitant to believe it was over.
"Come on, shadowhunters. I need my space."
Clary released Isabelle's ankles with relief, turning to head out. She flicked a grateful glance up at Magnus before stepping out into the hall. Jace just looked annoyed as he ran a hand back through his sticky hair and followed her out.
Alec hesitated, coming around the bed and pausing at Magnus's side.
"I'm sorry, Alec. But I need to concentrate."
"I know. I just wanted to thank you for coming."
"You knew I would," Magnus replied, turning to look at him. Alec still had that soft look in his eyes. It could be gratitude or relief. Or maybe he was just happy to be in the warlock's presence again.
Magnus reached out and cupped Alec's cheek with his cool palm, stroking his moist face. Alec shivered.
"So you still have no problem calling me when someone else is in trouble," Magnus teased.
"You're still number 1 on my speed dial," Alec pointed out with a small smile. "If I were in her place, you'd be the first one I call."
His reply was sobering. Magnus lowered his hand and glanced distractedly back towards the bed. "I need to get started."
"Of course," Alec said, moving toward the door.
"Alec."
"Yes?" Alec replied, hand out against the doorframe as if to steady himself.
"Will you wait for me in your room?"
"OK."
"Do you remember the protection rune you used on the door?"
"Yes," Alec replied, the reminder of that night's argument making him frown.
"Use it."
But that would keep Magnus out too? Alec looked up at him in question, brow creased. Magnus looked very serious in his request, so Alec felt obliged to nod, promising that he would as soon as he was inside.
Magnus removed his coat, setting it aside on the neighboring bed. Alec quietly closed the door behind him, giving the warlock privacy to work. To save his sister.