Chapter IV
Sarah didn't know which was worse--Jareth's interminable unconsciousness or the horrifying delirium. If he lay silent, she worried that he would never wake again, but if he screamed at the demons that tormented him, she feared that he would never be the same if he did come back to her--to them.
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"Why is this happening, Talius?"
"It was a rather nasty fall, my lady. Combined
with his weakened state, it is not surprising. I did not think that it
would come to this, but now that it has, I am not shocked by it."
"Is there nothing you can do for him?"
"I'm afraid not, my dear. We can only wait. The
delirium will pass."
"I hope you're right, Talius."
"So do I, my lady. So do I."
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Sarah stayed by Jareth's side night and day, hovering
over him as though she were his guardian angel. She listened to his outcries
end as quickly as they began, listened as he spoke of many things: the
Labyrinth…his goblins…Toby…and her.
Sarah had dozed off in the wee hours of the morning,
only to be roused by a faint cry. At first, she had thought it was part
of a dream.
"…Sarah…"
She blinked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, finally
realizing who it was that had called her name. Moving to the edge of his
bed, she reached out to him, letting her fingers caress his cheek gently.
"I'm here, Jareth."
His eyelids fluttered open, and for a precious moment,
the crystal depths focused on her. "Sarah…"
"Yes, Jareth…I'm here, just like I said I would
be…and I'm not going to leave."
He held her gaze a moment longer, squeezing her
hand in his, before slipping back into oblivion.
Sarah rose from the bed, extracting her hand as
gently as possible, and stepped into the hall. She motioned to one of the
guards.
"Fetch Talius. Tell him to come quickly."
The goblin nodded, its armor clanking as it loped
down the corridor. Sarah sighed, returning to her place by Jareth's side.
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Something tugged on the hem of Sarah's skirt, and
she looked down.
It was a short little goblin--as far as goblins
go--with pink hair. It didn't speak, only pointed its clawed finger at
the door behind her.
She turned, and seeing who it was, rose from her
chair and stole quietly into the hallway. Talius' voice was full of concern.
"My lady, you called. Is he worse?"
"No, Talius. He came around."
"He did? Thank the gods. Is he still awake?"
"No--he was awake for just a minute."
Talius knitted his brows in thought. "Hmmm…it is
a good sign, but I'll be more convinced of his health when he stays conscious."
She sighed, and Talius looked up. "Don't fret, my
dear. I'm not as worried now as I was. You did well by sending for me.
But I am concerned for you. I've been watching you, my lady, and I have
seen that you have not eaten or rested well in quite some time."
Sarah looked away guiltily. "I--I've been preoccupied…"
"I understand that, my dear, but you must understand
that it will do Jareth no good if he comes around only to find you ill.
Now, I want you to go to the kitchen and tell one of the maids to prepare
a meal for you. Once you've finished it, I want you to go to bed."
Sarah squared her shoulders. "No."
"My lady, you must."
"No--I must stay with Jareth. He needs me."
Talius' eyes softened. "Yes, he does." He paused.
"Very well, perhaps we can compromise. I will stay with Jareth while you
eat, and afterwards, you can come back and sit with him again."
"You promise?"
Talius smiled. "Of course, my dear. I promise."
She nodded her head in consent and walked away.
Talius watched her disappear around a corner before going to Jareth's side.
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Sarah wandered down the sterile corridors, her slippers
barely louder than a whisper on the shiny tile floors. She passed door
after door, pausing to look into each room as she continued on. She was
searching for someone.
But who?
Then she saw it--off to the side, all alone, in
a dark corner of the hall. She pushed the door open and quietly stepped
inside.
There was a bed in the center of the room, surrounded
by machines. As she watched, one by one, the monitors went dead, leaving
a deafening silence. She tiptoed to the bed, reaching out to the figure
that lay in it, resting her hand on its shoulder. At her touch, the figure
rolled onto its back. Cold, dead eyes stared up at her from a too-pale
face haloed by long, blond hair.
She screamed.
Sarah jumped, nearly falling out of the chair. Her
eyes frantically searched the room, taking in her surroundings. The kitchen.
She was in the kitchen. She'd fallen asleep at the table. She breathed
deeply, covering her face with her hands-willing herself to calm down.
She laughed nervously. "It was only a dream…"
"My lady! My lady!"
Sarah whirled around to come face-to-face with an
older goblin wearing a peculiar helmet, one reminiscent of the Vikings.
He was terribly agitated.
"What's wrong?" Her voice was edged with fear.
"It's the King!"
"What about him?" She was growing impatient with
this blubbering creature.
"He's awake, my lady! And he's asking for you!"
Sarah looked at the goblin in utter disbelief for
a moment before her mind registered what she had just been told. She leapt
from her seat, holding up her skirts as she raced down the corridors back
to Jareth's room.
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Both men looked up when Sarah swept into the room--Talius
with a slight smile, and Jareth with shock. But his shock was quickly hidden,
and carefully masked admiration overcame him as he gazed at the young woman
in the doorway. She had never looked so untamed--her hair wild where it
had escaped its clasp, eyes wide and glowing, lips parted slightly, her
chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
Under Jareth's scrutiny, Sarah suddenly felt very
uneasy. *What is he thinking of?*
She tore her eyes away, but felt his still on her
as she crossed the room to stand beside Talius.
The doctor smiled up at her. "It was rather amazing,
my lady. You had been gone but a short while when he simply opened his
eyes." He looked to Jareth, as though asking permission to reveal some
secret. "When I spoke, he asked for you. That's when I sent the guard."
Sarah would not meet Jareth's eyes.
Talius glanced at one, then the other. Something
was wrong here--he could feel it in the air. Jareth seemed to have found
a new quest--and Talius had a very good idea what the prize would be. But
Sarah, the one who had been so dedicated, so stubborn, the one who had
refused to leave Jareth's side, now appeared to fear the Goblin King. *Or
is she afraid of something else?* Puzzled, Talius determined that
he should explore the possibility. He rattled his brain for a moment in
search of an idea. Suddenly, he clutched his medical bag to his body and
stood. "Ahem--my lady, it seems that I am lacking a certain drug of which
our lord has need…if you will excuse me, I shall go and fetch it from my
laboratory."
Sarah turned towards him in panic. "No! I mean--tell
me what it is that you need and I'll get it for you."
"Thank you my lady, but I feel that you should stay--to
keep him company."
She glanced at Jareth. "Talius, wouldn't it make
more sense for his physician to remain with him?"
The old doctor grasped for words.
"Well, usually I would agree, but you see--I--I
might need to retrieve some other things as well. So you see, it would
be more beneficial if you were to remain." That said, Talius hurriedly
bowed himself out, leaving Sarah alone with the Goblin King.
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*What do I do now?* Sarah breathed deeply, knowing
that when she turned around, Jareth would be watching her intently with
those peculiar eyes of his. She turned.
And found that Jareth wasn't watching her at all,
but instead was slowly turning the pages of a book that she had not seen
lying by his side on the bed.
Strangely, an emotion much like disappointment brushed
her consciousness.
Feeling her gaze, Jareth looked up, cocking one
eyebrow in question. "Is there a problem, Sarah?"
She shook her head slightly. "No, I just--what are
you reading?"
A mocking smile began to form on his lips, but he
quelled the impulse and answered her honestly. "It is a book of poetry."
"Really? What author?"
"Many. It is a collection. A series of collections,
actually. Each volume focuses on a single topic."
"And which one are you reading now?"
Jareth regarded her carefully, smiling knowingly
as he responded. "A volume of sonnets--Shakespeare especially. Sonnet 116,
in particular."
The possible significance of this revelation was
not lost on Sarah.
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