Chapter 5
When Baileywick saw the hospital come into view, he was relieved as he quickly pulls up to the entrance, saying, "St. Luck's Hospital!"
The moment the words left his mouth Miranda wasted no time in bolting out of the carriage, no wanting for anyone to open it for her as she wanted to see her children, after throwing a quick thank you to Baileywick, she ran inside the building.
"Miranda!" Roland shouts as he tries to catch up with his frantic wife, but he curses when he sees her already in a elevator.
Tilly puts a hand on Roland's shoulder as the man was frantically pushing the button in hopes of getting the elevator to move quicker.
"Roland, doing that isn't going to make it go faster, we have to wait, take a deep breath."
Roland does as Tilly orders and by the time the elevator doors finally open he was a bit calmer, as they entered the lift and pressed the button for the children's ward, second floor, by the time they out Miranda was no where to be seen, so Roland and co. went over the reception desk.
"Hello, I believe my wife, Queen Miranda of Enchancia came through here, I am her husband." Roland said politely.
"Yes sir, the doctor is talking your wife now, I will bring you to her, come." the Nurse Judy said as she gestures from them to follow as she leaves the desk with another nurse and soon they were making their way to the ICU, which didn't sit well with the family at all as they make they way through the locked doors.
When they came in they saw Miranda sitting with another woman in a Doctor attire and when Miranda spotted him coming their, she stands up and clings to Roland for all he is worth, sobbing her heart out in his chest as the man looked at the Doctor.
"Hello I am Dr. Ashley." The woman said in her most kind and professional manner.
"Hello, I am Roland, I see that you met my wife and this my sister and mother, now tell me how are my children?" Roland said as he held his wife closely.
"Well as I told your wife, your children were admitted with injuries that are consistent with abuse the worse of it is with your son, he is being treated for pneumonia, but they have been starved and beaten for awhile." The doctor said to see the reaction of Roland and what she was a man who was stunned and near crying, as the other two women were now sitting and crying silently at hearing the state of their grandchildren/nephew and nieces.
"I need to see my children, please." Roland said his voice breaking as he tried to keep himself from crying.
The doctor sighs and says "Unfortunately, your children's health is frail, especially your son, in order to prevent further spread of infection, we have to keep your children in isolation for the time being, but you can see them through the window, they are currently asleep at the moment."
The doctor leads them to where the children were staying and nearly fainted when they saw their children, looking so pale, gaunt, and sickly as they slept, they did notice the two other children in the room and looked at the doctor, "Who are those other two children?"
"They came with your children, apparently their mother was the owner of the home that your children were staying in and from I was told they are in their late teens and I have yet to find any next of kin."
Kimberly went as pale as a sheet when she heard about where the 2 older children came from, "No...no, you mean she hid those children all this time, I was always under the impression that they were taken away by their father, but now I see that wasn't the case."
"Mother?" Roland look at his mother in question, watching as she shook her head and then looked at the doctor, "If my memory is correct there was a third child of Malum that disappeared years ago when the child was 1 year old, I simply that maybe the child had died of a grave illness or something, but then I do remember that woman saying something about the "one" that got away, and I just assume she meant her husband, but now I see she meant the child, but I could be mistake, my memory isn't as great as it used to be."
The doctor nods saying, "I will pass this information on the investigator, don't be surprised if they call you in for questioning." Kim nods and then goes to sit down, while Tilly was off talking with her husband, telling him about the situation.
Tilly speed dials her husband number, which was picked up quickly, but not by her husband, but her husband right hand and friend, Sir Oliver.
"Hello, Lady Tilly."
"Hello, Ollie is my husband close by I need to speak with him now, it's urgent."
"Sure I will get him." Hearing a muffle shout and then soon she heard her husband's voice.
"Tilly? What is my butterfly is everything okay?" The man said his filled with concern and worry.
"I am fine my knight, I am at the St. Luck's Hospital, it's the children, I can't explain it over the phone, please just get here."
"I am come my way, bye my butterfly, I love you."
"I love you too, ride safe." Tilly said before she hung up and went to rejoin the rest of her family.
"So what is the treatment plan for my children, doctor, just how long do my children have to stay here?" Miranda asked.
"Treating the starvation is going to take time, we can't rush it or it will end up doing more harm then good, for now we are putting them on a feeding tube to help them gain back the weight they lost, but I warn you that the tube can be a bit uncomfortable, so you will have to keep an eye on your children to keep them from trying to pull at it, I know that you don't like seeing your children in anymore pain, but a mild discomfort is better then sending them into shock by making them eat too much too soon and they will need physical therapy to help gain back their strength."
"But how can we keep them from touching the tubes if we can't be in the room." Roland questioned.
"Normally this goes against protocol, but if you wear a full gown, cap and mask with gloves you are allow to enter the room, but I can only allow one at a time for 15 minutes and I can't stress enough that you have to keep on your gear, no matter what." Dr. Ashley said as he ask for the nurses to bring the gear, meanwhile Baileywick called Roland from downstairs.
"King Roland do you want me to pack up and close the Beach house and bring your things home to the castle?"
"Yes, that would be fine, Baileywick, I am sending Tilly and Mother your way so they can get their stuff."
"Okay I will be waiting sire."
Roland hangs up the phone and turns to his sister and Mother telling them of his plan, Tilly protested saying her husband was on his way, so Roland relented promising to make sure that her stuff was brought to the castle temporarily, but insisted that his mother went back to the castle.
"I can't have you targeted by that woman, please." Roland plead which had the normally stubborn woman give in.
"Fine, but the moment those kids are out of danger, I am going to spoil them rotten." Kim said stubbornly as she left the hospital with Baileywick.
Roland sighs and smiles sadly when Miranda holds his hand in his own, just as the nurse brought the protective gear and soon they were helping the parents into them and soon Miranda was standing over by a sleeping James, she gently runs a gloved hand through his hair, whispering that he was loved and to get better soon, she did the same with Amber and Sofia a well, even surprising everyone by going over to where Michael and Ryan slept and do the same, thanking them for rescuing their children.
Roland did the same as well, silently vowing to see the to two teens that they were given the best care from now on.
The next morning at Vincere Castle of Albingoria was a cloudy and stormy day when King Garrick woke up that morning and gathered his guards and the police to help come up with a game plan to arrest the Malum woman.
After getting the final touches in place, Garrick had everyone getting ready to go, when Axel came in and looked around the room in both confusion and worry.
"Dad? What's going on?" Garrick ignores his son's question as he kneels down to his son's level and look him square in the eye.
"Axel, I have an important job for you, I need you to stay with your Mother and little brother until I come home."
Axel nods seriously, "Yes sir." He saw a woman with long reddish brown hair greenish brown eyes and tall slim figure, wear a dress similar to her husband's attire.
It was his wife Sarah, with his youngest Hugo trailing behind her as they came into the room.
Standing up he goes over his wife and gives her a peck on the cheek, "Stay here my love with children, I will stop by the hospital after I am done with the arrest."
Sarah looks at him with a determine glint in her eyes as she said, "I am going to the hospital, no amount of deals or pleading is going to change my mind and also I am going to offer for Roland and his family to stay here, until the children are discharged."
Garrick sighs heavily, but he nods anyways, "Keep me updated on the children and the boys being good for your mother." When boys nodded he was off followed by his guards and a few cops out the door.
Once they were gone Sarah turns to her two boys and said "If you two are ready, we can go to the hospital now."
"Do you think they will let me see Sofia, Amber or James, my friend have been asking about them." Hugo asked.
Sarah sighs, "I can't promise anything and it up to the doctors if they are allow any visitor outside of family, so don't get your hopes up."
Hugo nods sadly as both mother and sons got into the carriage and soon they were off to the hospital.
Pain was all James remember as he ran endlessly trying to get away from the looming cackling shadow as it swiped at him causing him to fall to the ground as the shadow surrounded him, choking him, hitting him until he felt like his body was on fire as the shadow started to take shape and he saw to his horror, Ms. Malum standing over him wielding a nasty looking whip in her hands, when he tried to move he found he couldn't as she raised to scream him, he let's out a loud bloodcurdling scream.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The scream combined with the monitors going haywire, had the doctor and nurses running towards the isolation room where they saw Prince James screaming his lungs out while still in the thrones of his night terror, as the doctor injected a strong dose of sedative to calm him down, it almost work instantly as the boy stopped screaming and started to fall back asleep, when the boy opens his eyes, he notices his parents standing in the window of the room with look of worry on their face as he reaches out them, before sleep claimed him once more.
Miranda puts her hands over her mouth as she stifle her cry as her legs gave out from under her, thankfully Roland caught her and put her in a chair, kneeling in front of her he lets her sob into his shoulder, while he rubs her back.
It broke their hearts to see their children suffer and they couldn't do anything about, this helpless feeling was amplified as they were forced to watch as the doctor and nurse held their scream son down long enough to get a sedative into his IV, watch as he looked at them with fear and longing in his glassy eyes as he reached out to them, but they couldn't come into the room.
When the doctor came out, Roland asked "How much longer are they to be kept in isolation, Doctor?"
The doctor thinks for a moment and then answers "Tomorrow I will have them all transfer to a regular room, but I need to keep a sharp Eye on James's lungs as that screaming didn't do him any favors, since he is still recovering."
Before Roland could say anything, the elevator opens to admit Sarah and her sons, Hugo and Axel.
"Sarah? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Miranda asked concerned.
"I am fine, everyone's fine, I just came by to check on you and the children and also I want to open my home to you, just until your children are well enough to go home and I am not taking no for answer."
Both Miranda and Roland look at each with mild amusement as before Miranda turns to her friend smiling, "Yes." The answer had Sarah smile at her, while Hugo and Axel were looking in the room through the window both shocked at the state of their friends and the other two boys.
'Dad will make sure justice is done.' Hugo vows silently as he looks at Sofia his heart breaking when he saw how ashen and frail she looked.
Meanwhile Garrick was busy preparing the guards and cops in case of the worst possible scenarios, once the house was in sight they sprung into action, the guards and cops spread out, ready for anything, while Garrick calmly walks up to the door, pounding on it.
"Desdemona Malum! This is your King Garrick speaking, I am ordering you to open this door, and don't bother running I have the place surrounded!" The man shouts, watching with caution as the door opens to reveal a disheveled Malum, who appeared to be hungover as she scowled at him, her speech slurred.
"W'at th' 'ell is all th' racket!" She shouts annoyed as her head was pounding.
Garrick wasn't impressed as he looks at the woman coldly, saying. "Arrest her and put her in the drunk tack and then when she is sober, take her to interrogation, search the house for any evidence, keep me up to date on the investigation."
"Yes sire." said one of the cops as he watch with a satisfied look as they handcuffed the woman, dragging her to the car, kicking and screaming as she curse at them.
Once the woman was taken away and the crime scene investigator started to take pictures, bagging and tagging anything in the house and the surrounding area, Garrick sighs wary as he goes to leave, deciding to head home first to get the guest wing cleaned up for his guests.
Meanwhile back at the hospital, Tilly came back with her husband in tow.
"Anymore news on the children?" Tilly asked
"Dr. Ash told us that they will have the children transferred to regular rooms tomorrow, but if James's condition worsen, he will have to be put back in the ICU until he recovers."
Roland explains as they all watch the doctor check over the children, who are now awake and fussing a bit about the feeding tubes that the doctor had put in earlier last night, thankfully they let Miranda and Roland come in to help comfort and sooth them through the procedure and then he started to slowly feed them the vitamin and calorie enrich food through the tube, but after some reassurance and explaining of why they shouldn't touch the tube, he came out of the room to explain the treatment plan for the children
and the Next Moring the nurses were bring the children out of the Isolation room and down to a regular hospital room or rather a ward, which was a large room big enough to house a lot kids all one area.
Once the children were settled, both Roland and Miranda sat down with each child hearing their complains about the feedings tubes.
"I know they are weird and uncomfortable, but they are there to help your stomach eat food normally again, so no touching the tubes and if you even try to pull it out, the doctor might have to restrain your hands if necessary." Roland explained.
"Alright so we can't touch the tubes and we can eat as much as we want once they come out." Michael stated.
Roland nods, "Yes that is right and first you must start slowly as to not overload your system it could make you sick." he explained what the doctor had told him.
But Ryan was still doubtful as he said, "But why, we were told that we were unworthy of food and should be grateful that we got to eat at all!" the younger teen exclaimed feeling slightly panicked, which had Miranda coming over and carefully soothing the distressed teen as the boy clung to her tightly.
After a bit Ryan loosen his grip and then gently pushes away from Miranda, blushing, apologizing instantly.
Miranda shakes her head, saying "Don't apologize for needed comfort or reassurance, you and your brother are safe now, we all will make our mission to make sure you are happy and healthy."
While Miranda was soothing Ryan, the Doctor check Sofia over and noted that she had a low grade fever, nothing too serious, but something to keep an eye on.
"It would appear that Sofia has a low grade fever, it's not serious, but I would keep an eye on it just in case." The doctor said as she listens to Sofia's heart and lungs.
"All is clear, no sighs of wheezing or rattling that is a good sign." The doctor said making a notice on Sofia chart before moving onto Amber, the girl had the same low grade fever, but what concerned him was the slight wheezing he could hear, so he checked Amber's throat and notices the slight chemical burns around her throat.
"Amber when you were in the house were you forced to drink any strange liquids that might have smell weird to you?"
The blonde girl nods, "I was forced to drink soap and it made me sick for about one week, my stomach cramped horribly and I had the runs, but I wasn't allow much access to a bathroom at the time when I was put in a meat freezer." She tried to suppress a shutter as she remember that first week from hell.
When Roland heard that he stomp out the urge to go murder that woman for daring to hurt these children, so he quickly goes over to Amber, holding her close in his arms.