Ben's first day back at school flew by as if it were nothing. What he learned that day though, he couldn't tell you. He was so lost in his head that he missed the worried glances from his friends. All he could think about was his dad holed up in his room at the castle, and getting back to the hospital and getting some answers. When he went to the hospital after class though, they wouldn't even let him through. It was something about the situation being 'too fragile', and to 'come back tomorrow' after everyone has had a chance to decompress.
The next day, after school, his friends finally surrounded him and demanded to know what was going on. They knew it had something to do with sending the VK's back to the Isle, but they still had no idea what.
Lonnie had to call Ben's name several times before he even registered that he had heard something. Something was definitely going on with him.
"What? Lonnie, guys, hi." Lonnie's voice startled him from his thoughts, and he quickly became impatient because he was on his way to the hospital after walking out of his last class for the day. Jane and Doug were right behind her, and they clearly saw that he was not being himself.
"I said, 'Ben, wait up,' but you acted like you didn't even hear me. And done feed us some lies, we know something is up," she demanded with her arms crossed.
"Yeah," Jane agreed, before slipping her gaze to the ground, not really meaning to be questioning their newly crowned king. She only wished she had as much confidence as Lonnie.
Lonnie rolled her eyes at her, before giving Ben a look that meant for him to spill the beans. When that didn't work and all he did was sigh and turn away from them, she tried a more gentle approach. "Ben, we know something is up. And we know it has something to do with sending the VK's back to the Isle. It couldn't have been an easy choice, Ben, but it was the best choice Auradon had at the moment."
"Really?" Ben asked as he suddenly whirled around to face them. "Do you really believe that? Because I don't, and it was a mistake that I realized too late." When a light shone in her eyes and a smile slipped onto her lips, he knew he had been played.
"No," she began, "I don't think that, and I know it wasn't all your decision either."
"Are they at least okay?" Doug asked. "I mean, they looked...afraid."
"They looked afraid to you?" Ben asked, genuinely concerned that they saw something that he didn't that day.
"They did," Jane piped up, "I think they really did like it here."
Under his breath, he murmured the thoughts that had been gnawing at him all day long. "They weren't afraid of leaving Auradon, they were afraid of the Isle itself." He realized he said it aloud when their gazes snapped up to meet his, and worry clouded their expressions.
"Ben?" Lonnie asked hesitantly, "did...did something happen?"
Ben didn't answer; he couldn't. The less people that knew about this, the better. He couldn't let word get out that the VK's were back; Auradon would be livid. But...he needed to talk to someone, and his friends he knew he could trust.
"Do you guys promise to not tell anyone? And I mean anyone," he asked.
After a chorus of 'Of course we won't tell,' from his friends, he broke and told them a small fraction of what he knew.
"The VK's are back in Auradon...but they are extremely injured…"
He was cut off by everyone, all asking at once what happened and if they were okay.
"They are okay-ish now," he promised, but then paused. Lonnie put her hand on his shoulder and he bit back sadness and guilt before elaborating a bit. "A lot happened, and we were not sure if Evie, and especially Mal would make...but they did."
"Evie?" Doug asked; concern and desperation to know more staring back at him, and Ben hated it because he really wasn't sure yet.
"They were bad," he admitted as he forced back tears when Mal's broken form invaded his mind for the thousandth time that day, "but I don't really know what happened; gang violence or a turf war maybe. After we got them off the Isle, they wouldn't talk, and looked...I don't know. I was on my way now to see them, so I have to go."
"Can you tell Evie to call me when she can?" Doug asked hopefully, still looking very worried about her.
"And Carlos too," Jane said, tears already streaming down her face, though she didn't really know why she was thinking about Carlos more than the others. They were all her friends.
"And, well, I guess have Jay let me, I mean us, know how him and the rest of them are doing?" Lonnie asked with a tinge of pink in her cheeks. "Or maybe we can come see them when they are feeling up to it?"
Ben didn't know what to say exactly, because from what he saw the other night, no one would be seeing them for a while. "I'll see what I can do," he promised, and then hurried away before more questions could be asked.
As soon as he left the overcast school grounds, he had plans to head straight to the hospital, but he was called to his castle instead. As much as he wanted to ignore his duties as king, he knew he couldn't. Especially when this was a meeting about the VK's. He expected to walk into the conference room and immediately get berated with all sorts of questions about why they were back in Auradon, but...the council still had no idea the VK's had even left the Isle 2 days ago. This was just a follow up meeting; they wanted to know what his future plans were for the proclamation, and regarding the recent attack from Maleficent and the VK's. He argued on behalf of the VK's of course that they were innocent, but that only served to infuriate the others. After that, he vowed to keep their return a secret, at least until he could gather more information on what happened. The meeting lasted well into the evening, and it was already late when he emerged from the stuffy room. Ben was fuming; angry at the way the other royalty had spoken about the Villain Kids. A heavy drizzle began coating the car he dove into, and he looked nervously to the sky to see that a storm was brewing, and it seemed to be matching his emotions at the moment. He hoped at least that it would hold off until he made it to the hospital; he didn't want to be soaked in rain as he tried yet again to get some answers.
When he made it to the hospital, he was greeted by curious stares. Why in the world would the king be visiting the hospital? He was slightly grateful for those stares as he ducked into a stairwell to remain unseen. Those curious stares meant that the whole VK situation was still under wraps, and he planned on keeping it that way for a while longer. As he made it to the 3rd floor, he entered the hallway and approached the nurses station. It was then that he realized that he wasn't sure who he should talk to about an update, because this was a top secret scenario. The only name he knew was their doctor, so he asked for her.
"Excuse me," he asked as a very alarmed nurse looked up at him in shock, "Is Doctor Ravenna Drake available?"
"K-king Ben! Um- I can find out for you, sure!" the young woman stammered before picking up a phone and dialing a number.
Ben stood there, waiting for an answer as he let his eyes wander around the floor. A commotion caught his attention when a group of people all filed out of an exam room. In the bunch, were two injured male nurses, and they were all sporting some sort of injury or another based on the bandages. Right as he was about to question it, the nurse finished her call.
"Your majesty, Doctor Drake is unavailable for a while. Is there something I can do for you while you wait?" She looked very apologetic, but he knew that it was out of her control.
"Is there anyone else I can speak to about the… VIP patients that were admitted a few nights ago?" he asked, not really in the mood for waiting for answers. He was also uncomfortable at being at the busy nurses station, with prying eyes trying to figure out why he was here.
"Well…" she started as her eyes flicked over to two male nurses that had just left the exam room, as if she were fighting with whether to divulge the small bit of information that she did know.
"Nurse...Hayes? Is it?" he asked, reading her name tag, "I need to speak to someone now, and if Doctor Drake is unavailable, I need to speak to someone else who is aware of the situation. Now."
Slight fear crossed the nurses face and Ben almost broke down and apologized; but, he wouldn't let his resolve fail now.
"Grant!" she yelled, leaning across the desk and calling for one of the nurses on the case that was limping down the hallway. One of the men stopped with a long sigh, and turned towards them. His annoyed features dropped when he noticed Ben there, and then hurried towards them, spouting apologies the entire way there.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were here your majesty," he stuttered.
"It's okay," Ben responded, confused at the state this man was in. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes sir, I will be," he answered, looking slightly embarrassed as he straightened his posture with a slight wince. "Just a dislocated kneecap and a few bumps and bruises. She really did a number on us…" he started when Ben grabbed him suddenly and led him away from the busy nurses station, out of earshot. Once they were in the clear, Grant offered him an apologetic smile before continuing. "Apologies. What can I do for you?" he asked.
"I need to speak to Doctor Drake, but she is unavailable at the moment. Are you on the VIP case?" he asked the man.
"I am," he admitted, looking uncomfortable. "Doctor Drake is dealing with one of them now. She woke up and completely freaked out. She completely knocked out one of the nurses, and almost Asher and I. It only took seconds, but that girl knows how to fight."
"Who was it?" he asked, hoping with everything in his being that it was Mal.
"The blue haired one, Evie," he answered. "I would have never thought she could fight like that. I've always seen her as the more docile and laid back than the rest of them."
Evie? He thought. He would have thought the same; she had never shown an ounce of danger towards anyone. It only goes to show that he did not know these kids as much as he thought. "Is she okay? I mean...she was hurt…"
"That's what I'm saying," Grant said, "it was like she pushed the pain to the back of her mind and just...attacked us. We were only trying to help. We went in to help the other nurse sedate her when she went crazy. She did a number on herself as well; that's where Doctor Drake and Fairy Godmother are now."
"Wait, Fairy Godmother?" he asked, bewildered. Why was she here?
"Yeah," Grant said thankfully. "If she hadn't stepped in, that girl would have probably killed us."
Ben scoffed, still not totally believing that Evie could be that dangerous. Grant looked at him dead serious, and Ben realized that maybe the man was not exaggerating.
"The second Fairy Godmother yelled for everyone in there to not move, Evie just...snapped out of it. I don't know what happened after that because we were forced to leave."
Ben mulled it over for a second, and then thanked Grant. He watched the man limp down the hallway away from him and then collapsed into a nearby chair. There was nothing else he could do but wait for the doctor to try and get some answers. He didn't know where they were being kept.
After a couple of hours of waiting, he finally caught a glimpse of Doctor Drake and Fairy Godmother walking down the hallway. They hadn't seen him yet, but Ben noticed the blood covering Fairy Godmothers dress, and watched as Doctor Drake pointed her towards a room, most likely a place to change. He hurried towards the raven haired doctor then, and annoyance slipped over her features at the sight of him.
"I need to see them," he demanded with the same authority he had on Nurse Hayes.
"No," was all the doctor said before gliding passed him and stopping at the nurses station, grabbing a chart and leaving Ben to gape in confusion at her. No one had ever talked to him that way, save for his parents of course.
"Excuse me?" he questioned as he joined her at the station, bewilderment dripping from his words.
Doctor Drake ignored him for a moment and made some notes in the file she had grabbed, and then snapped it shut and led him to a quieter area. "I said, no," she repeated. "These kids are in no way shape or form ready for visitors yet. As I instructed my nurses to inform you yesterday, they are too fragile and need a moment to decompress."
"Fragile?" he asked. "One of 'your nurses' just told me that Evie took out three of your guys, even though she was on death's doorstep just days ago. What the hell is going on?" There were several other things he said in his state of anger that he probably shouldn't have, but he was upset.
When he finished, Doctor Drake looked at him and asked, "are you done yet?"
In his state of shock, it served to sober him up from his rage. He realized that he had gone too far, and then remembered Fairy Godmother's clothes. "Im sorry. Is Evie okay?"
Doctor Drake looked at him in annoyance, before Ben's emotions ran across his face like an open book. She softened her own gaze, and then tried reassuring him as thunder echoed in the background. "She's going to be okay. She just reopened some of her wounds, and I had to close them back up. She is sleeping comfortably now."
"Why was Fairy Godmother there?" he asked, still not understanding her role in all of this.
"She said that she couldn't bear to leave them here alone," she informed. "And for some reason, Evie seems to trust...well, maybe I shouldn't use that word. She seems to think of Fairy Godmother as 'safe,' and they need that right now."
"Safe? What are you talking about?" Ben asked. Doctor Drake knew something; did she know what happened? "What aren't you telling me?"
"A lot of things," she admitted. "But it isnt my place to judge or tell their stories."
"So they told you what happened?" he asked, unbelievable.
"No," she confessed, "but I have a very good idea."
Doctor Drake obviously wasn't in the most sharing mood, and it was starting to upset him. "What about the others; how is Mal?" He was almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know how she was doing.
"Jay and Carlos are doing pretty well," she said happily. "We've moved them to a private recovery room together, and it's only a matter of time before we move Evie to join them. Mal...is going to take a while."
"Wait," he paused, "they aren't all together right now? I told you to keep them all together! No wonder Evie snapped. She needs to be with her friends!"
Doctor Drake sighed, clearly annoyed once again. "And I told you that there are rules in place here that serve in the best interest of my patients. I will have them all together, but only when I deem them stable enough to do so. You may rule Auradon, but I rule this hospital," she challenged with a dangerous glint in her gorgeous lavender eyes. "You will not come in here and bully these kids or my staff just because you want answers. They are not some mystery to unravel just because you want to know. These are kids who have been severely hurt and tortured on that Isle, and it is my job to protect them here. The state that Mal is in...she should have died on that Isle. She's not even awake yet and I still see the fear flickering across her face at every sound and movement in her room. I know what I'm doing, and if you don't like it, then leave. Visiting hours are over, your majesty."
When she turned on her heel and left him there with his mouth open in pure shock, he was ready to pull the VK's from this hospital and go...go where?
"She's right you know," a gentle voice sounded from behind him. He recognized it as Fairy Godmother immediately, and relaxed into her arms as she gave him a comforting hug.
"Was I being that much of a pain?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"I didn't catch the whole conversation, but I know that you care deeply for your friends and would do anything in your power to help them. You do tend to push though when things don't go your way."
Ben took in her less than ideal wardrobe choice. She looked down in sorrow as she reflected on the reason why she was forced to change. "Are they okay?" he asked, already feeling defeated once again.
"Ben, something bad happened to them there. I want to get to the bottom of it just as bad as you do, but we cannot push them. They are terrified."
Ben didn't know what to do. He felt so stuck, and helpless. "Will you stay with them, Fairy Godmother? I'm sure Doctor Drake won't hesitate to throw me out if she sees me sneaking around the hospital this late." Right after he finished saying it, a bolt of lightning lit up the hallway, followed by a roar of thunder.
"Oh dear," Fairy Godmother said as the hospital seemed to creak as strong winds shifted the tall building, "I'm not so sure she would throw you out in this storm."
He peered out of a window as she said it, and watched as the trees bowed and swayed under the powerful winds. "It looks like its getting worse."
"It is," a guy said as he passed them, "tornado warnings have already gone out."
"Well, there you have it," Fairy Godmother said. "I would suggest staying here tonight. I'll find Ravenna and see what she has to say about it."
"Umm, Fairy Godmother?" he asked before she shuffled away, "I know Doctor Drake has her protocols, but I remember Mal saying that none of them liked bad weather. Maybe they should all see one another, even if it's for a few minutes. That way they know that everyone is okay?"
"I may be able to arrange that," a voice said behind him, causing him to jump just as another crack of lightning echoed down the halls.
"Doctor Drake!" Ben yelled, startled out of his wits. He caught Fairy Godmother laughing quietly as his face reddened in embarrassment.
"Sorry Ben, thunderstorms make it hard to hear someone coming up behind you," she admitted with a knowing look. "Follow me, and I'll let you all check in with one another, but then I'll show you to one of our on-call rooms for the night until the storm passes."
"Thank you, Doctor Drake. And I wanted to apologize...I didn't mean to come off so…" he tried, but was cut off.
"Arrogant? It's okay, Ben," Doctor Drake reassured with a half smile. "I understand where you were coming from, but you have to understand where I am coming from as well. Now, let's go see Jay and Carlos first."
The three of them headed to the next floor, and Ben started to get really nervous. The last time he had seen them was two days ago, and he didn't really leave on the best of terms with Carlos. He was right to be nervous, because when Carlos saw him, Jay had to hold him back. And it looked like even Jay wanted to let Carlos go.
"Doctor Drake, Fairy Godmother? Could I talk to them alone for a moment?"
Understanding where he was coming from, they let him enter the room, though hesitantly, and closed the door behind them.
"Carlos," he began, "I'm sorry-"
"Save it," Carlos spat, "you promised that no one would touch us, and now look."
"It wasn't my intention to-"
"Ben, I think you need to leave," Jay said dangerously, and either it was the lightning that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, or it was the menacing gaze that Jay was giving him that made him want to run from the room. It was only when the thunder boomed and shook the room, filling the gazes of the VK's with unease did Ben hold his ground.
We don't do well with bad weather, Mal had confided in him once during a thunderstorm. On the Isle, bad things happen during them, because it provides perfect cover. He had asked what she meant by that, but even she didn't realize she had said it out loud, because she quickly changed the subject. For the duration of the storm, she was incredibly jumpy and on edge, very near a panic attack until they joined up with an equally uneasy Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Only then did they all begin to relax some. He had always meant to revisit her revelation, but he never got the chance.
"No," he said. "Not until I've said my peace." They both narrowed their eyes at him, but allowed him to remain where he was. "Now, I still have no idea what happened on the Isle, but it's not really my place to ask. I do want you guys to know that I am here for you guys, should you ever need it. I'm sorry things didn't exactly go to plan, but it was never my intention for things to go this way. I'm asking you guys for a second chance, and if I make the same mistakes again, then you have every right to cast me aside. Just, please trust me when I say that I'm on your side."
Jay and Carlos' gazes turned a little less murderous, but it was inevitably up to Mal whether or not to let him back in. Ben had hurt her when he sent them back to the Isle. The look in their friends' face threatened to crush them when he turned his back on her.
"I like people I can trust with my eyes closed and my back turned," Jay said finally, "and there are only three people in this world that fit that criteria. I don't think you realize just how much you hurt us Ben; hurt her. She begged you to listen, and you didn't even hesitate to send us back to the Isle."
This crushed as well as angered Ben, but he kept his emotions in control. "You don't think I realize how much I hurt Mal?" and then his heart squeezed as he remembered her look at the Lake. "She looked at me with such hurt and betrayal in her eyes as I begged my father to help her. It felt as if I couldn't breathe when she gave me that look, and I wanted desperately to trade places with her. It was my fault she was hurt, that you guys were hurt. I would gladly rip my heart from my own chest to give to her if that would make things better, but I know it wouldn't." At his admittance to ripping his own heart out, the boys flinched as if remembering something horrible. "And that isn't even the worst part," he choked as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. "Her- her heart started beating as you," he nodded towards Jay, "tried bringing her back after I dragged her from the water. I could hear it, one of the perks of being part Beast I guess. Each time one of you guys called out to her, it got stronger. When I…" he choked, a sob finally breaking free, "when I called out to her, begging her to come back to us...I heard her heart slow down; almost stop until Evie called to her again." Not being able to stand it any longer, he dropped to his knees, relieved at finally getting that off of his chest, but still feeling as if he had lost Mal forever.
This finally seemed to get through to the boys, but he knew that he still needed to earn their trust. They still didn't look 100% convinced, but at least it was a start.
"Get off the floor Ben," Jay said after a few awkward moments of him trying to gather himself. "I'm not making any promises until Mal comes back to us. For now though, I think we can call a truce. Carlos?"
As Ben stood back up to face them, he watched as Carlos slowly uncrossed his arms from in front of him as if relaxing slightly. "Whatever," he said, a slight smile on his lips, "but could we see that again? You groveling to us about your feelings getting hurt?"
When Ben didn't smile back, Carlos realized that Ben must have really meant what he said. In the end though, he had hurt Mal, whom he had vowed to protect from the moment they started dating. He dropped the smile from his face and sighed, throwing his hands up in surrender. Finally, Ben offered him back a sad smile, and then pulled himself back together. The thunder rocked the room again, and he watched as Carlos shifted closer to Jay as a nervousness filled their features.
"Fairy Godmother and your doctor are here. I thought that you guys might want to check in with the girls so I asked Doctor Drake if it was okay." The nervousness in the VK's bodies suddenly dropped, and an almost relieved and anxious expression replaced it.
"Doctor Drake?" Jay asked, meeting her only once, when he was conscious this time, when she came by to introduce herself. "Something about her gives me a weird vibe," he admitted, though Carlos agrees with him.
"Did she say something?" Ben asked, intrigued because he felt something off about her as well.
"Not exactly," Jay said as he dropped back onto his bed, more relaxed now with Ben in the room. "It was just the way she knew what to say, and how she seemed to read us as if we had known her our entire lives. I don't know, it was weird."
"Well, she told me off earlier, but I think I deserved it," he admitted with a small laugh.
"Well then I think I like her," Carlos said with a laugh as well before becoming serious again. "But really, I don't really know what to think of her yet."
"She's right outside, are you guys ready for me to grab her?" he asked, thinking that it would be good to ask their permission first so that they could still have some shred of control.
Unease seemed to grip them again, but then he mentioned Fairy Godmother being there as well and they sort of relaxed, before agreeing to let them in.
"Hello again," Doctor Drake called as she walked confidently into the room with Fairy Godmother right behind her. "How are you boys feeling?" She said the last part with a quick glance to the window, already knowing that they would be nervous because of the weather.
This sent a shudder down Jay, who was watching her every move. Either she had already known how storms made them feel, or someone had told her; or both. Mal may have told Ben, but he would have to ask later because the pretty doctor was walking towards him, and his tension mounted. Just before he deemed her too close and he jumped up from the bed to put space between them, she stopped, but his unease remained. She definitely knew what she was doing around them to make them more comfortable, and that made him even more uncomfortable because that labeled her as a wild card. He knew Carlos felt the same way, because he had moved to behind the bed. Finding his voice, he tried avoiding her purple gaze. "We're fine. Ben says that you are going to finally bring us to see Evie and Mal?"
Doctor Drake smiled, and tried her best to break the tension in the room. The boys held themselves so rigid, she could have mistaken them as statues. "I will, but I honestly wouldn't mind waiting a few more days. They need some more time to heal, but King Ben has convinced me that its past time for you guys to all see one another again."
This scored Ben some more brownie points, because the VK's looked at him in thanks, and then began to relax a little.
"We do need to go over some things first," Fairy Godmother interjected.
She moved quickly next to the doctor, and Doctor Drake looked at her in fascination when the boys didn't even flinch at her sudden intrusion into the room. She did feel slight anxiety in Jay and Carlos, but it was miniscule as to what they were showing towards her. Clearing her head, she agreed with Fairy Godmother and took the lead again. "Evie woke up earlier this afternoon, but was very confused. She attacked several nurses, but Fairy Godmother was able to calm her down enough for me to look at the wounds she reopened. She is fine now," she promised, "and we sedated her so she could remain still and heal quicker."
"You sedated her?" Carlos asked, slight fear in his eyes as he recalled people rushing at him with needles.
"What did you guys do to trigger her?" Jay asked, before realizing his mistake at mentioning the very word. Again, skepticism flashed into his mind when he very clearly knew that the doctor had taken notice of the word 'trigger'. For some reason, his skepticism floated to the back of his mind, and he quickly forgot about even thinking about it.
"I think that everything just happened too quickly for her," Fairy Godmother answered, having been there.
"I think that my nurses acted out of fear, and rushed her all at once. If it were me," Doctor Drake admitted, "I would have probably done the same thing. She took down three of my team in under a minute, which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself," she said with a laugh. She was trying to get the boys to relax, and when she noticed they were, she deemed it safe to turn the conversation towards Mal. "Now, as for Miss Mal…" and the easiness of the room dropped. She saw fear, anxiety, and sadness reflecting back at her, but there was no easy way to put it. "Let's just say that she got here just in time. There is a lot going on with her right now, but she's in the best hands possible. I'll just...wait until we get there to discuss everything." The boys did look a little relieved, but they were still anxious. "Alrighty then," she finished, "let's get moving before this storm knocks out the power. Also, please call me Ravenna."
The thunder rumbled as they filed into the hallway and without thinking, Jay brushed passed Fairy Godmother and walked shoulder to shoulder with Ben; Ravenna taking the lead while Carlos fell behind to bring up the rear. Fairy Godmother thought nothing of it, but Ravenna knew exactly what they were doing. Her and her sister had done some of the same things with their friends when she was younger. It always became instinctual, and she felt a pang of regret that these kids had grown up the same way and felt the need to put themselves in such a formation as to protect themselves and those they cared about.
They made it to Evie's floor without trouble, but they did bump into a familiar face before they got to see her.
"Lonnie!" Jay called, pleasantly surprised to see her there, but then also a little on edge because of his appearance. His bare arms and face bared the marks from their times on the Isle. The smile she gave him when she whirled around caused him to smile back genuinely.
Ravenna and Fairy Godmother paused to let them talk, and moved to the nurses station on that floor.
"What are you doing here?" Ben asked, a little worried.
"Hey guys!" she greeted after she came over, "I'm so glad to see you. I was crushed when you guys were sent back…" she trailed as she dropped her gaze, realizing that maybe she shouldn't finish that sentence. And if she noticed the marks on Jay and Carlos, she didn't show it. For that, Jay was glad, because he was sick and tired of people and nurses looking at him with sorry eyes. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired," she admitted.
"It's cool, Lon', Jay said with a relaxed laugh, "but yeah, what are you doing here? Did Ben tell you we were here?"
"He did," she admitted, "but that's not why I'm here. My roommate Kenzie's appendix was close to rupturing, so we came in. They took her to recovery after her surgery a while ago, but the storm is so bad that I think I'm staying here for the night. I was just going to grab a coffee; do yall want to join me?" she asked hopefully.
"We can't," Carlos said too fast, nervous in this open environment. "We are on our way to see Evie and Mal."
"Oh good!" Lonnie said happily. "Tell them I said hi then." With a smile, her gaze dropped, but then lingered on Jay's hands, and then Carlos'. Confusion took over her features for just a second as her eyes then ran them both up and down, but she then plastered on a smile. "Ben, could I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah sure," he agreed and moved away from them.
"I'll return his majesty to you guys in a second," she joked as she winked at Jay and walked to where Ben had.
If his face hadn't been bruised, Jay would have sworn that he was blushing right now. There was something about Lonnie that always made him smile. The way she had just looked at them though made him a little nervous.
"Ben," Lonnie said with a concerned expression when they were out of earshot of the VK's, "I thought you said they were hurt from a turf war, or something to do with their gangs?"
"I said 'I think' that's why they are so injured. They still wont say what happened. Why do you ask?"
"Look at their hands, Ben," she asked as if it were obvious. "They have no bruised or brazed knuckles from fighting."
Ben was about to turn around to look, but Lonnie punched him in the shoulder and gave him a look like 'really?'
"Whatever happened, they didn't fight back. It almost looks like they willingly took a beating. No rope burns, shackle marks, restraints...Ben, someone hurt them, and they didn't fight back."
"Lonnie, I dont...are you sure about this? I mean, how do you know?" he asked, wondering why he didn't notice, and if anyone else noticed what he didn't.
"My parents taught me a lot about fighting and prisoners of war from their days of being heroes," she related. "I've studied it, practiced it, and read it. I know what I saw."
Ben wasn't so sure, but out of everyone in Auradon, Lonnie would be the one to notice these types of things. "Then why wouldn't the doctors have said anything?"
"Ben, really? This is Auradon. Everyone here is automatically going to assume gang violence and announce it 'case closed'. Bad things don't happen here, so no one is going to assume the worst or question the VK's. They don't want the trouble in their perfect little lives. Just...watch them okay? Be there for them and maybe they will open up. Please don't have them sent back there to that place; please don't send them back to the Isle."
Ben didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything and instead looked at a spot on the floor. His head became even more crowded than before, and his heart squeezed at the thought of the VK's being tortured by someone they didn't want to hurt back. Who could this someone be? Was it one person, or were there more? Were the VK's together when it happened? No, they couldn't be because Ravenna said that Mal was...tortured for a much longer time than the rest of them, with different injuries.
"Thanks Lonnie. Can I keep you updated? I mean, I don't know who else to talk to about this, and you seem to have seen more than I did in just seconds."
"Yeah, of course!" she said genuinely. "I want to do whatever I can to help them. They are my friends too."
With that, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder and then left for the lounge.
They all regrouped once again, but paused once they were outside of Evie's room.
"She's going to be asleep," Ravenna warned, "and like you guys, her bruising is deepening and may look worse than it really is. We have her all stitched and covered back up, but she shouldn't be in any pain right now. Go ahead and go in. We will be right out here, and when you guys are ready, we can go see Mal."
Jay nodded to her in thanks, and sighed when Ravenna nodded for them to go in. He was anxious to see her. He wanted to make sure she was okay; she really didn't like bad weather and for a much greater reason than the rest of them. He was thankful that she was sedated so that she wouldn't have to go through it alone. In reality though, if she were awake, he would raise a little hell in order for them to allow him and Carlos to stay with her for at least the night.
It wasn't as bad as they thought. They had seen her worse before, but they also couldn't see what she was sporting beneath the blankets she was under. She had a gnarly cut on her temple, and her lip was split. Her cheek was bruised with a deep purple that looked like it hurt. She was laying on her stomach, and the arm that was curled around her pillow where Grimhilde grabbed her, was littered with purples and greens, with a bandage wrapped around one part where her mother had cut her with a shard of mirror the moment she got back from the Isle. It was her arm that Ravenna had warned them about, but it wasn't as bad as they thought. Another cut laid beneath her cheek that was resting on the pillow, and her hair laid in loose waves, no longer kept in their usual braids and clips.
"Eve's," Jay whispered soothingly when he dropped down to her level. "Hang in there E."
Carlos joined him on his right and grabbed her hand gently. "We are all okay, and...safe. And as much as I hate to admit it, Ben is doing a pretty good job at arranging things."
"Yeah," Jay agreed, "and we get to see Mal tonight too! If I take her picture of how she is now, do you think she would kill me when she wakes up?" he asked with a small laugh.
They stayed for close to 15 minutes, just talking and reassuring her, even though they knew she was asleep. It made them feel better at least. And it did seem like her breathing had slowed down into a more relaxed rhythm at the sound of their voices. They hated to leave her, but they also now knew for sure that she was safe and taken care of. They had to give Ben some credit; he had kept up his promise to take care of them.
After they exited the room, Ravenna went in after, and pushed the door to, unknowingly leaving it open a crack. The raven haired doctor looked over Evie for a minute until a dazzling white light lit up the room followed by a clap of thunder that seemed to shake the hospital. Jay nervously watched as the squiggles on Evie's monitor next to the heart icon sped up as he himself felt his own heart race in alarm and apprehension at the weather. Jay's heart sank when he realized that she was still afraid, even in her sleep. He was then confused and concerned when Ravenna did something weird. She put her hand on Evie's forehead for just a few moments, and Jay could have sworn that those same squiggles on the monitor slowed down at once.
He didn't get to think about it for too long, because after a moment, Ravenna soothingly brushed a lock of hair out of Evie's face and tucked it behind her ear before backing away from the bed and heading towards the door. Who exactly was this woman? Jay thought. She was not a typical Auradonian.
"Right!" she said when she rejoined them. "Evie is stable for the night, and I promise that she is in good hands." She then seemed to look deep into Jay's soul when she said the next part, and it made Jay relax as well as wonder how she always knew the right thing to say. "The thunder shouldn't bother her much tonight, she's in a deep sleep and in no pain at all."
Mal was next, and when they made it to her door, Ravenna knew that she didn't need to warn them. All of them entered this time, and Fairy Godmother audibly gasped. She hadn't seen Mal since the shores of the Enchanted Lake, just like the boys.
They all heard as Jay and Carlos sighed in relief when they approached her, but Ben was forced to pause and swallow back bile when he saw how absolutely hurt she was; a mosaic of colors covering so much of her pale skin. And no injured knuckles.
"She almost didn't make it," Ravenna admitted as she grabbed Mal's chart and began writing things down. "She had a collapsed lung that we were able to fix, and we set her broken wrist as well. We took her off of dialysis this morning for iron poisoning. I couldn't figure out why she wasnt improving, but further tests revealed that her system was saturated in iron, most likely from the dagger you guys told us about. And of course, iron could be deadly for fae."
Jay and Carlos both cringed and averted their gazes back to Mal. Ravenna could almost picture the dagger in the hole she had stitched up in Mal's stomach.
"We took care of the puncture in her leg and shoulder, and closed up everything else we found. Any previous injuries other than that have already healed," she said knowingly, having uncovered years and years worth of scars, broken and healed bones, as well as an old piece of some sort of small piece of shrapnel in Mal's back that she did take out in the operating room. "She lost a lot of blood, guys," she said sadly, wishing she could see their eyes right now, "and recovery is going to take a while."
On the other hand, Ben couldn't approach the bed Mal was on. He just couldn't look at her any longer, knowing that he was the reason she was like this. His heart was on the verge of breaking, and if Ravenna hadn't set down her clipboard and put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, he swore he would have just shattered into a million little pieces. In that second, she looked at him, and he started to feel a little better, but he still couldn't bear to stand with Jay and Carlos.
The boys were at a loss for words. They were thankful that most of her injuries were hidden beneath the warm blankets, but it also made them uncomfortable because they were used to knowing what to look out for, and they couldn't see it. They constantly had to remind themselves that they weren't the ones playing doctor this time, and that Mal and Evie were in good hands. Having their fearless leader down for the count also had them on edge. Half of their team was out of commission, and again, they had to remind themselves that they were safe here. Nothing would hurt them, and all of the danger was back on the Isle. The very Isle that they had to get back to before their parents got angrier and angrier. The longer they were away, the worse their punishments were going to be. And like they realized before, if they tried staying here in Auradon, the people here would hang the threat of sending them back one day over their heads for the rest of their lives, and then their parents really would kill them the moment they went back. Could they tell the Auradonians this? Of course they could; but would they believe them, especially after Maleficent's attack during the coronation? No, they would not. They were branded villains, just like their parents. And villains could not be trusted.
The more Jay looked at Mal, the more he became afraid of having to lead this crew if she were gone. Him and Mal had gone at it on multiple occasions before, with her always beating him. To think now that he almost lost her, he knew he didn't want that. It had to take a lot out of her to constantly be thinking of their safety. He himself relied on her a great deal, and so did the rest of them. Mal was always the first one into fights and turf wars, and the last one out. He had taken that for granted, and he knew he could never live up to her leadership. "I wasn't sure if she was going to survive her this time 'Los," he said to Carlos, not realizing that everyone else could hear it as well.
Like a chorus, Ben and Fairy Godmother asked with a startle, "Her? This time?"
Both Jay and Carlos froze, but then the loudest clap of thunder of that night crashed around the room the same time as the night lit as if it were day, and then lights went out. Like a sigh, the constant buzz of lights and machines faded out, and the sounds of the storm raging outside became much louder. Fear crept into Jay and Carlos' being, but after several moments, some of the machines whirred back to life, and dim lights chased out the darkness that they were all cast in.
"Back up generators are on," Ravenna told Ben, "so the hospital is still running as it should. The lights will still be out, but the emergency ones will have to do for now. I suggest you boys get back to your room, and take Ben with you. None of my nurses will be able to go home tonight in this storm, and our on call rooms will be full. Besides, you boys have the luxury suite," she said with a wink. At least they thought it was a wink, it was still very dim in the room.
They then found themselves being ushered from Mal's room, and both Carlos and Jay were close to fighting to be able to stay. Either that or split, each taking one of the girls rooms to protect them. They had to fight hard against their instincts, and tell themselves that this was not the Isle. Ravenna took it on herself to guide them back to their room. It was either that, or she wanted to make sure that they actually went, and were not left to wander the halls. As for Fairy Godmother, she was shown to the luxurious waiting room where she was kept company by Lonnie.
Deeper into the night, the storm raged on. Lightening continued to illuminate the dark spaces, and the thunder clashed, shaking all of Auradon each time it did. Anxiety gripped all life until they were fast asleep, and then something sinister crept through the darkness. It wasn't so much as a something, rather than a someone. It soared through the halls, hunting and searching, before it found the room it was looking for. A puff of black smoke enveloped her body and she shifted back to her human form, and gained entry into the girls room. She stalked over to the unmoving body lying in the bed, and ran her fingers through the girls deep, purple hair. She was ready for what she had set out to do, but she couldn't quite yet, her master wasn't here. The woman laughed to herself and exited the room, ready to play in the meantime after being trapped for so long; but where? She thought about it for a moment, and then another puff of black smoke surrounded her, and she glided through the halls and up stairwells before settling back down in her human form right outside of a door.
"Oh! Pardon me," a voice sounded, startling her. Fighting the urge to rip their throat out, she plastered on a smile, and turned towards whoever it was.
"I thought you had done your rounds for the night. Sorry to scare you. Goodnight Ravenna!" the nurse called as she continued down the hallway.
Shaking her head in annoyance, she waited until the nurse was gone, and then ducked into the room she was searching for. After being caged for so many years, she could use some practice in her abilities, so she entered the room, and laid on the girls bed, facing the young girl who seemed to stiffen at her presence. It didn't matter though, the girl couldn't wake up in her sedated state. The bed was small, but she reveled in excitement as the girl shuddered against her when she brushed a loose strand of sapphire blue hair from her face, and tucked it behind her ear. The woman smiled, and trailed her fingers up and down Evie's arm, inciting fear at her every movement. Evie was trying, but she just couldn't wake up and instead let out a helpless whimper. "Shhh, little princess," she soothed with false promises as she now started tracing the terrified, unconscious features of the young girl's face, "I wish nothing but sweet dreams for you." At her own words, she laughed, and then tipped Evie's face towards hers, and then planted a nightmare inducing kiss upon her lips. She then put a delicate hand on Evie's bruised cheek, and put her forehead to the girls. Flashes of the Isle that she had never gotten to experience flooded her mind, and she saw blood run streets, bloodied shards of mirror, and a glowing green scepter killing the ones Evie loved.
As much as she wanted to stay, she rolled off of Evie's bed, and watched as even more panic started to grip the young girl. She was no doubt getting deep into her nightmare, and she only wished that she could stay and watch the terror that she had inflicted; but, she had even more terror to give out, and it was reserved for Mal.
Back she went the way she came and this time waited for her master, whom she was all too happy to serve. Her father had served her for many years before her, and now it was her turn. After a while, a sort of static filled the room, and then in a puff of green and black, her master appeared.
"Maleficent," Scylla said with excitement, "did you get it?"
Maleficent smiled, and pulled a sharp, wooden object from the pocket of her leather robes. "Did you ever doubt me Ravenna?" The smile from the other woman told her that of course she didn't, and the frown following it told her that she was offended at the name Ravenna, and that it was of course Scylla. The names always confused her. "I sent a tree...or a few, into the museum. Now, no one will know what happened for a while now at least." Maleficent was here, in Aradon. She was almost sure that King Ben had seen her slip past the barrier after Mal and the others went through, when it had faltered, but still, here she was. He couldn't have seen.
Scylla smiled, but then furrowed her brow. "Are you sure that you didn't want to go straight for the wand? I mean, it would help with your quest at least."
"No, no," Maleficent reaffirmed as she caught sight of Mal. "Besides, that would have raised too much suspicion, as the wand would have been the first thing to salvage from the ruins. I have no need for it." She took in Mal's appearance, and instead of concern like a 'normal' mother should have, she instead rolled her eyes and picked up her broken and bandaged wrist, before letting it drop back onto the bed with a flop. "Here," she called, and tossed the broken piece of pointed wood towards Scylla, "poke her and trap her in there." We have a book to find, and the storm damage along with Mal should keep them busy while we search Auradon.
"Are you sure you don't want to do it?" Scylla asked. "I mean, it's your daughter."
"No, she's not," Maleficent said with ease. "Not after her whole 'I'm good, mother!' speech at the wretched coronation. If she's still alive after all of this, I'll kill her myself; for good this time."
Scylla smiled in excitement. "Yes ma'am!" she saluted with the wooden object, and Maleficent rolled her eyes again, but a small smile had slipped onto her lips.
"Your father was much quieter, you know," she said. "And, he didn't talk as much."
"Well, no…" Scylla agreed as she brushed past her master and brushed her fingers across Mals lips, "he preferred to stay in his raven form while serving you. I like both; plus, my abilities only work while I'm human."
"I don't care what form you are in, child; just get it over with and join me back in the shadows of the Forbidden Mountain tomorrow night; and stay hidden as you have." With that, Maleficent disappeared in a cloud of black.
Once again, Scylla wanted to play. She hovered over the sleeping form of Maleficent's daughter, and placed her hand on the girl's forehead, concentrating her magics for a moment. When she felt Mal's grogginess lifting, she leaned forward, and smiled when green eyes fluttered open and met her lavender ones. "Don't try to scream, little dragon, no one can hear you," she whispered manically as panic and pain filled the girl's terrified gaze. "When you look into the deepest shadows of your mind from this point forward, you might catch a glimpse of me. And when you do, know that I only serve to cause the worst kinds of pain imaginable." Tears started to run down Mal's face and Scylla knew that the image of her face would be burned into Mal's mind from this point forward, but that was okay. It wasn't like she could tell her friends. "Shhhhh," she soothed as Mal silently screamed in terror when she grabbed the piece of wood, and began twirling it in her fingers. Mal knew exactly what it was. She stopped the twirling, and then grabbed Mal's uninjured hand, turning it over agonizingly slow, and putting the sharp point of the wood to her finger. "She shall prick her finger - on the spindle of a spinning wheel- and not die!" She whispered with a giggle as she put a spin on her words. She then poked the sharpness of the broken spindle into Mal's finger, and then dropped her hand. In milliseconds, Mal's eyes fluttered back closed, and her breathing got more shallow as she fell into the deepest of sleeps. Scylla knew she wouldn't die like the stories told. The spindle was broken, and with it, part of Maleficent's original spell on it. "Now, little dragon," she whispered as she traced a cut on Mal's lips, "time to have sweet dreams while you sleep." Scylla smiled, knowing that she would bestow an endless cycle of nightmares to torture the young girl as long as she slept; which would be forever. She brought her lips to Mal's, and then gave her the nightmare kiss that would plague her dreams until the curse was broken.