Chapter Thirty-Four
Niebos:

J.D. blinked and slowly opened his eyes. "Hey there little man," said Grace. "How are you doing? You had us really worried this time. Don't try to talk. Just nod your head. Throat hurt?'

J.D. nodded. His throat felt like a bad bruise if he pushed on it. He raised one hand to it and rubbed it.

"I'll get you some ice chips. Now I'm serious… no talking." She turned and he could hear her getting ice and water from a pitcher. He also heard a door open. His mother entered.

"How is he?"

"He's going to be fine. Pretty bad contusions and there will be some swelling for a week or so. Amazingly… nothing was broken." She indicated an x-ray illuminated by a panel light. J.D.'s mom took a look.

"Crush windpipe and swelling along the esophageal tract."

He wished he knew what that meant. He hurt and that was all he knew. He wasn't even certain what had happened. He'd been with the other boys. He'd gone to talk to Philip and… J.D. shook his head.

"No ice?" Grace asked.

He shook his head again.

"Here… I'll do it. I know you have bigger problems than this guy," his mother said, holding out her hands to take the cup of ice from Grace.

"He's always a gentleman," Grace laughed as she handed the cup of ice over to Eleanor. "Oh… I see no reason to keep him here. Give him some ibuprofen for the pain. He can go back to the house when you think he's ready." She turned to J.D. "But no talking. I mean it." She smiled. J.D. had always liked the way Grace smiled. It was warm and inviting.

She left and his mother leaned on the gurney to scoop up a spoonful of ice chips. "Open wide."

J.D. did so. The ice melted in his mouth and cooled his throat when he went to swallow. It still hurt to swallow though. He raised a hand and shook his head. His other hand went to his throat.

"Hurts huh?" his mother said. She smiled sadly as she brushed his hair from his eyes. At least Grace had said he could leave.

There was a knock on the door and Phillip opened it. He stood there looking very sad. His mother turned her head toward Phillip and motioned him in. "He's going to be fine."

When Phillip came to stand beside J.D. he had never looked sadder. His eyes were red-rimmed. Had he been crying? "I'm so sorry lad. You startled me and… I'm just so sorry." He lowered his head and made to turn and leave. J.D. grabbed his hand. Phillip turned back. "Yes?" He glanced at J.D.'s mother. She nodded.

He leaned down to J.D. "It'll be fine. I was just startled lad. I didn't mean to hurt you."

J.D. tried to recall the event. Phillip had hurt him? He didn't remember that. He remembered coming up to him and calling his name. Phillip was his friend. He'd never hurt him. J.D. raised his arms to Phillip's neck and hugged him.

Phillip sobbed a moment. "Guess that means I'm forgiven… at least by you."

Phillip straightened, and J.D. released him. He then rolled toward his mother who still looked worried and smiled as he sat up and clasped her around the neck. He tried to put his long legs around her so that she could carry him as she used to. He wanted to go home. And he wanted his mother to hold him.

She nearly fell. He'd forgotten he was nearly as tall as she was. She was such a tiny thing. "Hey wait a minute. J.D.… this isn't going to work. I can't carry you this way. She set him back on the gurney. "I think you have to walk."

J.D. looked back at Phillip. He raised his hands to the man he called Uncle. Phillip sniffed. He looked at J.D's mother. "May I?"

"Fine… just be careful."

"The rage is gone. The hate is gone. It's just me. It's as if…" Phillip stopped and shook his head as he lifted J.D. in his arms. The boy hooked his legs about Phillip's waits and his arms about his neck. He rested the side of his head on Phillip's chest and felt the reverberations when Phillip talked. "We need to talk," Phillip said to his mother.

"Yes we do," she replied.

Together the three of them left the trauma room and hospital and crossed on the path leading to the villa. His friends were on the portico to meet him.

"He's fine but he can't talk. Phillip I don't think he should bunk with the boys."

"He can have my room. I'm returning to the other side of the island. Where's Adam?"

"He's not here. I'll explain later. But… we can't put J.D. in your room?"

"Why not? It's big… it's private…"

"We… uh… used it last night and we… uh… Well there was some damage," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

J.D. smiled.

"Damage?"

"We got a little carried away."

"Carried away?" he sputtered. "In my room?"

"Well you weren't there."

"Again… In my room?"

"Phillip, please let's just get J.D. upstairs. We can put him in my room."

Phillip sputtered. Behind them, J.D. could see the other boys laughing and holding their sides. He grinned. He didn't quite understand it… but he had an idea. After all… he was thirteen.

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Eleanor straightened the covers on the bed and then sat beside J.D. "I know you may not like sharing a room with me, but I don't want you with the other boys until your throat heals. You cannot talk."

J.D. wrinkled his nose and folded his arms across his chest to show his dislike of what she said. He'd watched the voiceless Kenny for months and had become pretty good at mimicking him.

Phillip snapped his fingers. "I think Madame Kostas has some ice cream. Would you like some ice cream?"

J.D. grinned and gave him a thumb's up.

"I'll go order it up then," laughed Phillip. It was good to hear him laugh; even his mother smiled so she must think so too.

After Phillip left she leaned over and brushed his hair out of his eyes again. "What am I to do with you?"

He shrugged.

"I'm just thankful you're all right," she sighed.

There was a knock at the door. Jayne peeked in. "I have someone who really wants to see you."

Marianna came in shyly. "You okay J.D."

He smirked at her and nodded.

She climbed into their mother's lap. "I was afraid."

J.D. smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I had a gift for you that I was going to give you later," Jayne said. "But if your mother says okay, I think now would be a good time. It will give you something to do while you're recuperating. She held out a small box. He opened it. His eyes widened. It was the new Time Warrior X cartridge for his game player. He'd been wanting that and had been disappointed that he hadn't gotten it for either his birthday or Christmas.

He shook one hand with excitement and pointed in the general direction of his room

"Oh you mean this?" Jayne laughed and pulled the personal game player from behind her back. "Have fun!"

"Rest and recuperation also means he shall have time for studies too," his mother said with a wink. "But not today.

J.D. grinned. He 'd think of another excuse not to do lessons tomorrow. Today he was going to enjoy this! He slipped the cartridge on, fitted the earpiece/projector over one ear, scooted down in the bed and turned it on. All around him the holo-vid began to play.

His mother rose with a laugh. "Well that should keep him entertained for a bit.

"A bit? I tried that one and got nowhere!" Jayne laughed as they left the room with Marianna between them.

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Eleanor picked up Marianna. "I need to have a talk with Opa. Will you go with Miss Jayne? Or do you want me to find Denara?"

"Miss Jayne." She grinned at the young Watcher. "You got a present for me?"

Jayne took her in her arms. "I do indeed. Shall we go to my room and you can help me unpack and we can open it together." She winked at Eleanor, who nodded and descended the steps. Phillip was in his study looking at the broken artifacts.

"Well we certainly made a mess in here."

"That's hardly important now. Methos is furious enough to kill you right now."

"I don't blame him. I truly don't know what happened lat night."

"Not for that… for J.D. What did happen?"

"It's as I said. I was still trying to clear my mind of what had happened. I got to the farmhouse… I couldn't sleep so I went down to the shore and meditated. The next thing I know is I sense an immortal coming up on me and I lashed out. But it wasn't an immortal… it was J.D." Phillip began to pace.

"I tell you if I hadn't heard Marianna scream I don't think I would have released him in time." He looked up. "That's what brought me out of it."

"You heard Marianna?" Eleanor shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. She was here at the house."

Phillip shrugged, "Perhaps I only thought it was her. But someone screamed." He lifted a hand to his brow and rubbed it a moment before continuing. "All of us seem to be on edge these days."

Eleanor nodded. "It's what I've been saying for some time. I think Nestor has found a way to influence those of us who've spent time in that cove. It may be time to move Valeraine's body or something."

"By something… you mean kill her. We can't and you know it. Through us Nestor would be too powerful for anyone to stop."

"I know," Eleanor said with a shake of her head and a stomp of one foot. Her eyes were squeezed shut. "It's just we have to do something. You've been at the cove more than any of us. It's been happening ever since the tsunami. He received a moment of power while the water was withdrawn and with it, he's trying to destroy us by turning us against one another."

"I think you're right."

"As soon as Methos gets back, I'm taking the children out of here."

Phillip nodded. "I quite agree." He looked around. "Not that I'm not happy he's not here to take my head, but where is he?"

"He decided to go on the yacht to where that Burke fellow seems to want them to go. They needed someone who spoke Arabic. Mine isn't so good."

Phillip chuckled. "Yours is better than you know." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I'm still going back to the other side of the island. I want to be certain I'm not a threat or a danger to anyone."

Eleanor shook her head and stepped back. "I'm not certain I could take your head."

Phillip smiled gently. "I think you could. I really do. I taught you everything I know. I held nothing back. If I'm to die… let it be by your hand."

He bowed to her and left. Eleanor flung herself onto the sofa and wept. In her mind Methos was there… consoling her. He wanted to come home now.

No! We're fine! Go find Derrick! she told him and imagined herself kissing him.

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Returning to the house, Sarah Manning had gone immediately to her room for a hot shower. Then she'd dressed snickering at the few items of clothing the other women had given her. Nothing really fit right… but it had to do. Staring into the mirror she smirked with satisfaction and then applied some bright red lipstick. She smacked her lips and tossed the applicator onto the boudoir table with a laugh. She fluffed her hair before opening the top button of the pale blue blouse she'd put on. "Time to play," she chuckled.

In the hallway she saw three of the boys watching Madame Kostas labor up the stairs… a wooden tray in her hand. On the tray was a silvery dome… frosted with cold.

"What's that?" Chou asked the old woman.

"Something for the young master," Madame Kostas replied. She'd reached the second story and had turned to head down toward Eleanor and Adam's room.

Sarah decided to follow and see what was happening. She caught up with them as they reached the closed door. Sarah reached out and opened it. "Here, let me help you with that."

"Oh no, I have it, but thank you," the old woman said and entered the room. On the bed was J.D. Sarah's smirk widened. Ooh… something happened to him, she thought giddily. The small immortals entered the room, passing her by.

As Kenny, the last of them entered he looked up at her. My, such a tasty-looking morsel he is. Sarah mimicked kissing him. He blushed and stepped back. But he stared at her as if he knew something. Sarah wriggled her tongue. Kenny swiftly turned and joined the others.

Sarah waved at them all and left. She was after bigger fish today. Sauntering down the stairs she sensed an immortal in Phillip's study. Usually Adam was in there lying on the floor while he examined those stupid pieces of pottery. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to approach him. She slid the doors open.

On the sofa was Eleanor weeping. The bitch sat up and wiped her eyes. "Do you need something?"

"I was looking for Adam. I was curious about what happened to J.D."

Eleanor rubbed her forehead. "Adam isn't here right now. J.D. had an accident… he's fine."

Sarah closed the doors behind her. "You look like you need a friend or someone to talk to." Maybe the two had had another fight this morning while she'd been gone.

Eleanor pursed her brows suspiciously. "Oh it's nothing. I just needed a few moments to let off some emotion after J.D.'s fall. He's fine… really."

She rose and headed for the door.

"Oh," Sarah said with a smirk. "What happened in here? Did you break your toys?"

Eleanor paused a moment, her hands flexing and unflexing. Then she pushed past Sarah, opened the doors and climbed the stairs.

Behind her, Sarah chuckled. She kicked at some of the fragments and then turned and left the house. Adam wasn't here… but playing with Eleanor and pushing her buttons was almost as much fun. Maybe she'd take a walk around the island. Maybe she'd run into him. Once down on the path, she bent over and laughed out loud. Oh it was good to be alive!

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Upstairs, Kenny pondered what had happened between him and Sarah Manning. There was something different and odd about her. Kenny wasn't certain what he'd seen. It might only have been an illusion in the shadows and shafts of light. But he'd thought for one moment… that Sarah Manning's eyes had glowed red.

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