Chapter fifteen
Jesse ran up the steps, followed by the others to the library. Hudson, Bronx, and Fox were there.
"I'm sorry lass." Hudson was saying. "He is just a dog."
"Yeah? Well look what that dog just did."
"'Twas a mouse. He wanted to help."
"A mouse?! Was it the size of a freight train?! Look what he did. That was a genuine Ming Vase! Now it's genuine carpet dust. And over there, he knocked over the books that took months to alphabetize. And my drawings! He drooled all over them!"
Jesse walked over to the panting doggoyle. "Bronx. Bad dog!"
His tail stopped wagging, and he limped over to a corner whining. Fox was on the verge of killing someone. So Jesse took her by the hand and led her off trying to talk her down.
Brianna stood there. "There's more of you?!"
Hudson turned. "And who be this fine lass?"
* * *
End of November, 1996
Fox stood beside the resting Jesse. "David, the attacks are becoming worse. I'm at a loss for what to do. She's been to every specialist there is that is listed."
"Perhaps we should go to one that is unlisted."
"How?"
"I am a very powerful person, and a member of the most powerful secret society."
As he left, Brooklyn knock on the door. "Okay if I come in?"
"Sure Brooklyn."
"How is she?"
"I don't know."
Brooklyn knelt on the floor beside the bed, and gently kissed Jesse on the forehead. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Hey Brooklyn."
"Hey, how ya feelin'?"
"Pretty lousy. I don't feel nauseous, anymore, I just feel so. . .drained."
"Don't worry, we're gonna get through this. You and me, just like old times, fighting side by side." She smiled weakly. "But now, you must rest."
* * *
The new doctor inspected Jesse from head to toe. "Has she been throwing up?"
"Only once two months ago. Since then, she hasn't had any nauseous attacks. She's just been extremely tired, and hasn't be able to function." Fox said
"Hmm. I see." He said and poked at a small lump on Jesse's neck.
"Ow!"
"How long has this been here?"
"I don't know, usually I don't look for lumps on the back of my neck." Jesse said sarcastically. "What's that?" she asked worriedly as he produced a small hand held, something.
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Literally. Don't worry, it won't hurt. Much." He snickered as he ran the device over her neck. "Think of it as future technology. Like Star Trek." He looked at the screen and his face twisted up like he was confused. "You said she's from tenth century Scotland? I don't believe I've ever seen anything like it. The best advice I can give is, watch for additional lumps, and if you find any, contact me immediately."
* * *
Brooklyn sat on the edge of the bed, gently stoking Jesse's hair, and softly singing A Time For Us, from Romeo and Juliet. Jesse had long since fallen asleep, but he felt that she needed his presence.
His fingers gently went down her neck, and he paused, with a confused look on his face. He ran his fingers over her throat again, and felt a small lump right below her ear.
"Lex!?"
The smaller gargoyle bounded in. "What?"
"Go tell Goliath to find Xanatos!"
* * *
"Jesse? Jesse? Come on. Darling wake up." Fox said gently stroking Jesse's face.
The doctor was there again. And as he went from top to bottom, he found new lumps on her; neck, chest, back and left calf.
"Doc, what's the matter with our daughter?" Xanatos asked.
"I. . .don't know. But from the little knowledge I do have about medieval times, this was slightly common around the time she would have been growing up."
"Is it contagious?"
"No, I don't think so. But it is deadly."
"No." Fox said, holding back tears.
"I give her two years to live."
Fox's head dropped to the bed and she started crying softly. Xanatos shook the man's hand.
"I really wish there was something I could do." The doctor said as David led him out.
"Thank you for trying."
When Xanatos walked back in, he was met with a sight he thought he'd never see. Fox was sitting on the side of the bed, tucking the blankets around Jesse, singing the lullaby, she sang when Alex couldn't go to sleep.
There were black smudges under her eyes, where her mascara had run from her tears.
"Fox. . ." David said and offered her his hand.
"Shh." She gently kissed Jesse on the forehead and took the offered help, shutting the light off as they left the room. "Who's gonna tell the others?" she asked looking back on the sleeping girl.
* * *
The room had never been so somber. The Gargoyles sat there as if they were stone, as did Elisa. Angela turned her head and began softly crying into Goliath's shoulder.
Brooklyn looked like her was about to join her, but instead he spoke. "We just found her. We can't lose her again." Then raising his voice, "It's not fair." He pounded his fist on the chair, shattering the arm, and stormed from the room.
"So, who's gonna take this pep talk?" Lexington asked.
Elisa laughed through her tears. "Why don't I go?"
* * *
"Brooklyn?" Elisa climbed to the top of the parapets. Brooklyn sat on Goliaths pedestal looking out over the city. "Hey, are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay."
Elisa put her hand on his shoulder. "Wanna talk about it? It'll make you feel better."
"Elisa, when the Magus cast the spell on us. The first thing that raced through my mind was, 'what about Jessondra? I'll never see her again. How will I survive without her?' And then when I find her, she's about to be ripped from my grasp again. Only this time, there isn't a spell to be broken. Jesse means more to me than anything else in this world. Elisa, if I lose her again, I won't have the will to live."
Elisa felt new tears form in her eyes, and pulled Brooklyn into a hug. "I don't understand what you're going through, but I can feel your pain. I know what it's like to lose someone close to me. I've been there, and it isn't easy. But it is possible to go on."
"Elisa, I don't know If I can."
"Brooklyn, you're strong. Try. If not for yourself, for the rest of the clan."
Jesse ran up the steps, followed by the others to the library. Hudson, Bronx, and Fox were there.
"I'm sorry lass." Hudson was saying. "He is just a dog."
"Yeah? Well look what that dog just did."
"'Twas a mouse. He wanted to help."
"A mouse?! Was it the size of a freight train?! Look what he did. That was a genuine Ming Vase! Now it's genuine carpet dust. And over there, he knocked over the books that took months to alphabetize. And my drawings! He drooled all over them!"
Jesse walked over to the panting doggoyle. "Bronx. Bad dog!"
His tail stopped wagging, and he limped over to a corner whining. Fox was on the verge of killing someone. So Jesse took her by the hand and led her off trying to talk her down.
Brianna stood there. "There's more of you?!"
Hudson turned. "And who be this fine lass?"
* * *
End of November, 1996
Fox stood beside the resting Jesse. "David, the attacks are becoming worse. I'm at a loss for what to do. She's been to every specialist there is that is listed."
"Perhaps we should go to one that is unlisted."
"How?"
"I am a very powerful person, and a member of the most powerful secret society."
As he left, Brooklyn knock on the door. "Okay if I come in?"
"Sure Brooklyn."
"How is she?"
"I don't know."
Brooklyn knelt on the floor beside the bed, and gently kissed Jesse on the forehead. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Hey Brooklyn."
"Hey, how ya feelin'?"
"Pretty lousy. I don't feel nauseous, anymore, I just feel so. . .drained."
"Don't worry, we're gonna get through this. You and me, just like old times, fighting side by side." She smiled weakly. "But now, you must rest."
* * *
The new doctor inspected Jesse from head to toe. "Has she been throwing up?"
"Only once two months ago. Since then, she hasn't had any nauseous attacks. She's just been extremely tired, and hasn't be able to function." Fox said
"Hmm. I see." He said and poked at a small lump on Jesse's neck.
"Ow!"
"How long has this been here?"
"I don't know, usually I don't look for lumps on the back of my neck." Jesse said sarcastically. "What's that?" she asked worriedly as he produced a small hand held, something.
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Literally. Don't worry, it won't hurt. Much." He snickered as he ran the device over her neck. "Think of it as future technology. Like Star Trek." He looked at the screen and his face twisted up like he was confused. "You said she's from tenth century Scotland? I don't believe I've ever seen anything like it. The best advice I can give is, watch for additional lumps, and if you find any, contact me immediately."
* * *
Brooklyn sat on the edge of the bed, gently stoking Jesse's hair, and softly singing A Time For Us, from Romeo and Juliet. Jesse had long since fallen asleep, but he felt that she needed his presence.
His fingers gently went down her neck, and he paused, with a confused look on his face. He ran his fingers over her throat again, and felt a small lump right below her ear.
"Lex!?"
The smaller gargoyle bounded in. "What?"
"Go tell Goliath to find Xanatos!"
* * *
"Jesse? Jesse? Come on. Darling wake up." Fox said gently stroking Jesse's face.
The doctor was there again. And as he went from top to bottom, he found new lumps on her; neck, chest, back and left calf.
"Doc, what's the matter with our daughter?" Xanatos asked.
"I. . .don't know. But from the little knowledge I do have about medieval times, this was slightly common around the time she would have been growing up."
"Is it contagious?"
"No, I don't think so. But it is deadly."
"No." Fox said, holding back tears.
"I give her two years to live."
Fox's head dropped to the bed and she started crying softly. Xanatos shook the man's hand.
"I really wish there was something I could do." The doctor said as David led him out.
"Thank you for trying."
When Xanatos walked back in, he was met with a sight he thought he'd never see. Fox was sitting on the side of the bed, tucking the blankets around Jesse, singing the lullaby, she sang when Alex couldn't go to sleep.
There were black smudges under her eyes, where her mascara had run from her tears.
"Fox. . ." David said and offered her his hand.
"Shh." She gently kissed Jesse on the forehead and took the offered help, shutting the light off as they left the room. "Who's gonna tell the others?" she asked looking back on the sleeping girl.
* * *
The room had never been so somber. The Gargoyles sat there as if they were stone, as did Elisa. Angela turned her head and began softly crying into Goliath's shoulder.
Brooklyn looked like her was about to join her, but instead he spoke. "We just found her. We can't lose her again." Then raising his voice, "It's not fair." He pounded his fist on the chair, shattering the arm, and stormed from the room.
"So, who's gonna take this pep talk?" Lexington asked.
Elisa laughed through her tears. "Why don't I go?"
* * *
"Brooklyn?" Elisa climbed to the top of the parapets. Brooklyn sat on Goliaths pedestal looking out over the city. "Hey, are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay."
Elisa put her hand on his shoulder. "Wanna talk about it? It'll make you feel better."
"Elisa, when the Magus cast the spell on us. The first thing that raced through my mind was, 'what about Jessondra? I'll never see her again. How will I survive without her?' And then when I find her, she's about to be ripped from my grasp again. Only this time, there isn't a spell to be broken. Jesse means more to me than anything else in this world. Elisa, if I lose her again, I won't have the will to live."
Elisa felt new tears form in her eyes, and pulled Brooklyn into a hug. "I don't understand what you're going through, but I can feel your pain. I know what it's like to lose someone close to me. I've been there, and it isn't easy. But it is possible to go on."
"Elisa, I don't know If I can."
"Brooklyn, you're strong. Try. If not for yourself, for the rest of the clan."