Derek and Alex followed James to a small room at the end of a small hall
way. In the room lay Nick, looking pale and small in the white bed. White
bandages were wrapped around his head. His hands were hidden in casts, and
no doubt his feet were too. He was awake and gave them a sad little smile,
missing it's point completely. He was glad his friends were there, for he
was scared and in pain.
Alex plopped on the bed, stroking his forehead.
"Hey hun, you gave us quite a scare. How are you feeling?"
Nick smiled.
"Like I've been nailed to a cross and survived." He looked to Derek. "This is bad isn't it? Isn't this what they call a stigmata or something?"
"Yes, it's what they call stigmata." Derek didn't tell him he thought it was an enigma. He'd better not, Nick was still too weak. He smiled to Nick, hoping he could calm the young man a little.
"There have been various cases of stigmata's throughout the ages. Most of them had no meaning at all, they just happened. I don't think we have to worry just yet."
Alex glanced to Derek, knowing he was lying about that, trying to protect Nick. And by the looks of it, Nick didn't bought it either.
"C'mon Derek. This is the Legacy we're working for. Nothing happens without a reason, you said that yourself once."
Derek cursed in himself. He was always proud of his members, because of their intelligence and wittiness. But now it was an irritating fact, something he couldn't use right now.
"True, and we'll look into that. You need to rest now. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Nick shrugged, or tried to. He hated hospitals even if it was a small one like this. He knew he would convince the doctor to let him go tomorrow, so he could be alone now for a few hours.
"Okay, deal."
They said their goodbyes and left the clinic, heading towards the castle on Angel island. Alex was quiet during the ride home. She was thinking about it all.
"Derek...?"
Derek was so lost in thoughts he didn't heard her at first. She gently prodded him.
"Hmm? What's wrong Alex?"
"I want to know what's going on, and don't give me that 'It doesn't matter now' crap. I know it's important, I can see it because of your frown."
Derek stopped frowning immediately, feeling caught. Alex always read him like a book.
"Old Hebrew Aramaic legends described one certain stigmata, called enigma, a special one. About a young man who was the chosen one and he would reveal himself in time when people would demand that. He would reveal himself through a stigmata and the clouds would gather, causing darkness, day would be night."
Alex looked shocked.
"And today is a very dark day. So you think Nick is the chosen one? And what exactly is he chosen for?"
Derek stopped the car, waiting for the ferry.
"The legends say that if the chosen dies, Satan will come to earth, to destroy all life. But that's all. It doesn't say how to make sure it doesn't happen, or what Nick has to do. I suggest we find that out."
"How much time do we have?"
Derek gave her a sad look.
"Not much. Nick will keep getting those bleeds until the person responsible for the summoning knows who the chosen one is. And like James said, Nick is weak, too weak to loose any more blood. He will survive a second one, but a third or a fourth?"
Alex nodded, too shocked to speak. They had faced danger so many times, but this was the first one she didn't believe the Legacy could win. This was the first time she actually thought she could loose Nick. And that frightened her a whole lot more then she cared to admit.
Alex plopped on the bed, stroking his forehead.
"Hey hun, you gave us quite a scare. How are you feeling?"
Nick smiled.
"Like I've been nailed to a cross and survived." He looked to Derek. "This is bad isn't it? Isn't this what they call a stigmata or something?"
"Yes, it's what they call stigmata." Derek didn't tell him he thought it was an enigma. He'd better not, Nick was still too weak. He smiled to Nick, hoping he could calm the young man a little.
"There have been various cases of stigmata's throughout the ages. Most of them had no meaning at all, they just happened. I don't think we have to worry just yet."
Alex glanced to Derek, knowing he was lying about that, trying to protect Nick. And by the looks of it, Nick didn't bought it either.
"C'mon Derek. This is the Legacy we're working for. Nothing happens without a reason, you said that yourself once."
Derek cursed in himself. He was always proud of his members, because of their intelligence and wittiness. But now it was an irritating fact, something he couldn't use right now.
"True, and we'll look into that. You need to rest now. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Nick shrugged, or tried to. He hated hospitals even if it was a small one like this. He knew he would convince the doctor to let him go tomorrow, so he could be alone now for a few hours.
"Okay, deal."
They said their goodbyes and left the clinic, heading towards the castle on Angel island. Alex was quiet during the ride home. She was thinking about it all.
"Derek...?"
Derek was so lost in thoughts he didn't heard her at first. She gently prodded him.
"Hmm? What's wrong Alex?"
"I want to know what's going on, and don't give me that 'It doesn't matter now' crap. I know it's important, I can see it because of your frown."
Derek stopped frowning immediately, feeling caught. Alex always read him like a book.
"Old Hebrew Aramaic legends described one certain stigmata, called enigma, a special one. About a young man who was the chosen one and he would reveal himself in time when people would demand that. He would reveal himself through a stigmata and the clouds would gather, causing darkness, day would be night."
Alex looked shocked.
"And today is a very dark day. So you think Nick is the chosen one? And what exactly is he chosen for?"
Derek stopped the car, waiting for the ferry.
"The legends say that if the chosen dies, Satan will come to earth, to destroy all life. But that's all. It doesn't say how to make sure it doesn't happen, or what Nick has to do. I suggest we find that out."
"How much time do we have?"
Derek gave her a sad look.
"Not much. Nick will keep getting those bleeds until the person responsible for the summoning knows who the chosen one is. And like James said, Nick is weak, too weak to loose any more blood. He will survive a second one, but a third or a fourth?"
Alex nodded, too shocked to speak. They had faced danger so many times, but this was the first one she didn't believe the Legacy could win. This was the first time she actually thought she could loose Nick. And that frightened her a whole lot more then she cared to admit.