Dupe saw Caroline's form appear at the front door. He knew the moment she realised who he was carrying. He saw her face pale. Her eyes widen and her jaw slacken slightly. Then she broke into a dead sprint towards him. Alice's breathing was rasping unevenly and very heavily. She seemed to be getting paler by the second too. Dupe too was pale. He was scared that they were gonna lose her.
"Oh my God!" Caroline breathed as she reached them and saw the state Alice was in closely.
Dupe couldn't find the words to try and explain. Not that he knew what was wrong anyway!
Caroline looked back to the house, knew that Charlotte was in there and she couldn't see her mother in this state.
"Anders take Alice down to the surgery. Check her body for cuts or scrapes. Anything that might give us a clue as to what is wrong with her. That is our only chance at the moment! I need to sort Charlotte ok?"
Dupe nodded seriously.
Caroline walked up to the house as Dupe carried Alice down to the surgery.
(X)
Alice was lain on something cold and she felt her body shudder. Her eyes were shut tight, she needed Danny!
"Danny…Danny. I miss you." She murmured weakly. "I neeeeed you!"
Voices floated around her but she didn't recognise any of them. Since Danny was ignoring her she decided to ignore these voices. Something warm was beginning to surround her and she welcomed its soothing blanket. There was a chill beginning to settle in her bones. She hurt too, all over. Her whole body felt like it was submersed in acid and it was burning her skin relentlessly. She throbbed. There was the loneliness too, this soul deep loneliness that was rooted firmly inside her. It had disappeared with Danny's warm assuring love. Now that was gone it had returned to torture her and she felt like she couldn't take anymore. She didn't want this anymore. This warm feeling could come and take her where it wanted. She just wanted this to end. She wanted peace. Other voices began to become louder. Voices she had hadn't heard in such a long time. It was her parents calling to her. Her father the loudest and most boisterous asking her to go to him. Alice simply let go and went to her waiting parents.
(X)
Dupe walked into the surgery and laid Alice down on the cold metal operating table. Her breathing echoing all around him.
"Where's Trevanion when you need him!" he muttered. It was then he realised that he had a Trevanion lying on the table in front of him. "Trevanion's aren't quitters Alice and neither are you. Hang on this is gonna be sorted!" he told her stubbornly.
Alice's eyes fluttered tiredly. "Danny." She breathed tiredly. "Danny I miss you. I neeeeed you!"
"Ach Alice." Dupe said softy. His tone betraying his true feeling. Even dying she still wanted Danny beside her. Then he focused. If she was awake then she could tell them what was wrong! "Alice, Alice it's Dupe tell me what happened. Tell me how to help you."
Alice wasn't responding - lost in her own world. She called for Danny one last time before she closed her eyes.
"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" he blasted out loud. Then he sat her up and removed her jacket. "Trevanion is gonna kill me when he finds out what I'm about to do!" he muttered. He then looked down Alice's arms, then stomach. He refused to look any higher. Caroline could do that! Danny would disembowel him! He was quick and methodical and found no marks on Alice's upper body.
Caroline walked into the surgery as he began pushing her trouser leg up. "Anything?" she asked.
Dupe shook his head after checking that leg "Nothing so far." He pushed the other trouser leg up and swore when he saw the gash Alice had made. Saw the angry skin and the bite marks. Suddenly Alice began to convulse.
"Whoa!" Caroline declared.
"Oh no we're in trouble!" Dupe muttered.
"What is it Anders?" Caroline asked. Held Alice gently as she convulsed. They gradually began to subside.
Dupe exhaled. "Snake bite. Nasty one by the looks of it."
"But wait, if you know a snake bit her then why can't you fix it? We have stuff for this right?" Caroline asked.
"Yeah Caroline we do bit it isn't that simple. The venom is specific to the snake. I have no idea what type of anti-venom to use." He frowned. Suddenly looking his age.
Caroline frowned. "Does it really matter?"
"Well if we give her the wrong one it could kill her faster then the actual venom would."
Carolines eyes widened. "So no pressure then." She squeaked.
Dupe looked at Alice. His eyes growing more concerned as he realised her breathing was steadily getting worse. Standing here talking wasn't helping! He stalked over to the cupboard and brought out the 2 bottles of anti-venom they had. Set them on the table and stared at them. God this was intense! He thought. He couldn't deal with this. The ramifications were huge. Off the scale! He didn't do well under pressure. He panicked!
"Ok Caroline what one we using?" he asked calmly.
She stared at him for a second. "ME? I don't think so!" she said shaking her head.
"What if I get it wrong?" Dupe asked.
"What if I get it wrong?" she retorted.
"Look we can stand here arguing or you can choose!" he told her pointedly. He didn't want to be responsible for hurting Alice!
"I REFUSE to choose!" Caroline said stubbornly.
"ACH!" he fumed and stared at the bottles. He put his hand to his mouth. Ok he knew how to do this! The age old way of choosing things…
ip do magazoo it is not you! Right he had his bottle, he just hoped…
"Ok I chose this one." He breathed shakily picked up a bottle.
"That one? Really?" Caroline asked.
"Yeah why?" Dupe asked hesitating.
"Coz I would have picked the other one." She admitted.
"CAROLINE!" he snapped. "I DON'T need this!"
"You could be right though. Actually no you are right!" she said nodding.
Dupe wasn't so sure now. His full-proof way didn't seem so good now! "How is this one so right now and not before?" he asked angrily.
"Well I got a good look at the snake on the label and he looks, well venomy." She told him seriously.
Dupe momentarily went into shock, then his face went from pick to red to purple. "Venomy?" he squeaked. "VENOMY! Is that even a word? CHRIST Caro…" As Dupe was about to start a rant Alice inhaled sharply then made no movement or noise.
Caroline froze.
Dupe's mouth fell open. His brain went blank. Then thoughts began racing rapidly. "What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" he asked quickly his face wild.
"Breathe into her mouth!" Caroline barked all business. "Once I inject her I'll do chest compressions. C'mon Alice don't give up now!" she told her sternly.
Dupe started blowing air into Alice's lungs Caroline picked up a bottle, didn't look at what one. She filled a needle and injected her straight into the chest.
"Caroline?" Dupe asked.
"Danny did this with a kid in the township once. He was close to death. Said the anti-venom was needed closer to his organs coz they were close to shutting down." She told him.
Dupe nodded and continued blowing air into Alice. Caroline was doing her chest compressions. After a few minutes both people were beginning to worry that it simply wasn't working.
(X)
Alice opened her eyes. She was looking at a bright white ceiling. Everything was gleaming, sparkling with a blinding brightness. She was lain on white sheets; they were soft to the touch. She sat up to look around – and found her dad was stood across the room. The automatic feeling was to run into his arms. To sob and beg him just to love her. That was all she wanted. All she had ever wanted – but she wasn't going to do that! She had her pride!
"Hello Alice." Her dad said softly.
"Dad." She answered and crossed her arms.
He smiled at her. "As stubborn as always I see."
She detected a hint of something she didn't recognise in his voice – was it pride? Couldn't be! "Well you would know." She said accusingly. He knew he was as stubborn as her!
"I see you let go, I wish you hadn't." he said softly. "I never wanted to see you here. You or Rowan."
"Rowan!" she muttered. "Trust you to bring up Rowan!"
Her dad exhaled and shook his head.
Alice shrugged. "I had to let go. What other choice did I have?" she asked not looking at him. Couldn't bear to see the accusation in the eyes she inherited. The accusation that she was weak, that she hadn't lived the way he believed she should.
"You could have chosen to live." He offered.
She scoffed. "Without Danny?"
"I felt the same when your mother died."
Alice frowned. "Danny is alive and well and in love with S….."
"You." Her dad interrupted - finished for her.
Alice bristled. "Why should I listen to you? You don't know me or Danny."
"You don't have to listen to me Alice. You never did." He looked at her. "But I do know you. I know what drives you."
Alice's jaw dropped in indignation. "No you don't and you never will!" she fumed.
"Because of your poor upbringing you constantly feel the need to prove yourself to others. To prove that you're worth something. It happened with everyone - except Danny he is the only one who has never made you feel less than what you are. You have a complex; see you have always been second best. To me against and your brother. To Ian….."
"Don't dare mention him dad, don't dare say his name!" she hissed. "I could have had a chance if you hadn't told his wife!"
"Open your eyes Alice, he was never gonna leave her. You were nothing to him!"
"No I wasn't he cared he couldn't leave the kids!" she cried.
"What about your child Alice. Has he made any move to know her? He abandoned her but not the others.
Alice's eyes filled with tears and she hid her face. "If this is what you wanted dad then mission accomplished!" she said shakily tears falling down her cheeks.
He walked over and sat beside her. Felt guilt at her emotion. "I'm sorry Alice. I guess we fell back into old arguments huh? You know I'd never hurt you."
She stared at him for a second angrily. Felt it melt away at the sincerity in his eyes.
"I guess I just wanted to protect you from Ian. You were so young." he whispered.
Alice sat in silence for a moment. Found the courage to ask a question that plagued her for the last 14 years. "Why dad? Why ask me to stay away?"
Her dad frowned. She saw the internal battle inside him. To hide, to not tell her the truth. Saw the moment he gave in. "It was pride Alice. You don't understand, see our family – we're not academics. We don't go to university. We don't be vets. We're just normal people. I just…" he stalled then quieted.
"Dad?" she asked.
"I was angry coz you didn't need me." He finally said. "I needed my dad when I was a teenager. But not you. You went off to work. You earned your own money and went to college. You wanted to make your own way in the world. I was losing you, but it was on your terms I hated that." He said softly.
"Why did you act like that when you found out I was pregnant – I needed you then dad and you slammed the door in my face!"
"He was married Alice."
"I was in love dad!" she retorted. "I knew what I was doing was wrong but I loved him, and regardless of what you said earlier I know he loved me too."
Rowan senior nodded. Unwilling to be drawn into another argument. "I don't want to rehash the past Alice. I just want to see my little girl."
Alice looked at him. "I havn't been your little girl in a long time!"
"You have always been my little girl Alice. Forgive a foolish old man please. I've been watching over you for a long time. Through everything, the storm your relationship with Danny and beyond. I can't tell you how gutted I am that I missed all this time with you and Charlotte."
"You wanted it that way dad, not me." She told him icily.
He exhaled. "You were always just like me. You refuse to make this easy." He said smiling. "I expect nothing less."
"I tried dad. When I heard you were dying I tried. You said you hated me, that the shame I brought on you burned as brightly as ever. It was as much a poison as the cancer that ravaged your body."
"I have no justification for my words. All I can say is that you have no idea how proud I have always been of you. Of everything that you have achieved alone. Your job. Your daughter. Danny. He is exactly the type of man I would have chosen for you."
"I find that hard to believe." She said dryly.
"I swear on a stack of bible's Alice. I mean every word."
She sat absorbing his words, found herself swaying. "What about hating me?" she asked shakily.
"Alice I've never hated you. You frustrate me. Make me angry but I could never hate you. You're my baby. We are just too alike. We're as stubborn as each other. I didn't mean the words and I know it's too late to take them back but I just needed you to know. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realise and tell you."
Alice felt her throat growing tight. She nodded. "I'm sorry too dad."
"I love you so much Alice." He said softly.
"I love you too dad." Her chest filling.
Her dad pulled her close and encircled her in his arms. Alice felt something loosen in her chest. Physically shift and begin to drain.
"I guess now I'm here with have all the time in the world to catch up huh?" she asked wiping her eyes.
He pulled back. "Not quite. I've never been prouder to have you as my daughter. Go get your husband and don't let him go." He placed his hand on her chest.
At his touch Alice felt burning and throbbing. It seeped from his fingers into her skin and spread throughout her body. She put her hand to his to move it but found it was melded to her body. Her dad's eyes were intense. She frowned. "Dad?" he pushed her down onto the bed so she lain flat. He stood above her.
"Dad, it hurts!" she told him. "Please stop dad!" she cried her shoulders and legs thrashing.
He leant over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you angel." He promised. As he rose Alice looked down and saw that her father's arm was no longer skin and bone. It was green and had scales. The scales were shooting up his neck, down his chest stealing her father and leaving this thing in his place. His eyes were now a luminous yellow. Her father was gone leaving an nasty looking snake in his place. She was pinned to the bed frozen in place, frozen with fear. the snake eyed her evilly.
"DAD!" she pleaded.
"Alice. " the snake dad hissed. Then the head lowered, aimed at her chest, it struck. Alice screamed.
A/N leave me your thoughts - good/bad/bleh lol
me and my metaphrs huh? alice releasing the posion she feels with her dad is helping her to release the actual snake venom - i know im a cracka lol :D
And finally im gonna write the storm alternate so i dunno wen ill b updating this - which is y this chapter is so long i was gonna cut it off and let you think that Alice was dead - but i decieded to b nice - but then again u still dnt know if she lives hmmmmm x