CHAPTER 35
It was almost an hour later when they heard the sound of Beth's car come to a stop in front of the
house.
Duncan opened the door in time to see an exhausted but very much alive Methos stepping out of
the driver's side.
"How is she?" he asked, hardly stopping to hand MacLeod his coat and sword as he passed him.
"She lost consciousness right after Richie got her back here … I don't know how she hung on as
long as she did … She's been drifting in and out ever since …"
"I think we should consider taking her to a hospital." Joe urged as Adam rushed in and knelt
beside Beth, searching her face and smoothing her sweat dampened hair back from her
forehead.
"Beth … sweetheart …" he called her name gently. "Beth … can you hear me?" he asked as his
eyes scanned her face, looking for any sign of recognition.
"She's had a terrible shock." Amanda offered. "Maybe Joe is right …"
"NO … she can't go to a hospital." Adam insisted. "When she wakes up in a strange place with
people poking around on her she'll be even more afraid … they won't understand her fear … she
stays here …" His voice went from stern to tender with the simple turn of his attention back to the
woman on the sofa. "Come on Beth … look at me … wake up sweetheart … wake up and look at
me."
"Adam … maybe you better change out of …" Richie's words of warning about the blood and the
deep tear on the arm of his sweater went unnoticed because Beth seemed to be coming around.
"Adam?" she called out in a quiet voice, her eyes focusing on his face … trying to discern if this
was real or if she was hallucinating.
"I'm here Beth … I'm here." He smiled, moving even closer as he continued to caress her face.
"Oh Adam …." She said, her eyes filling with tears. "I was so scared."
"I know … I know … but it's over … he can't hurt you anymore, and I'm all right … it's all right."
He told her, relieved when a little color started to come back to her complexion.
Not able to stand it any longer, Beth threw herself into his arms, burying her face in the crook of
his neck as she clung to him in desperation.
"Shhh shhh." He cooed. "It's all over … it's all right. That's my brave girl." he said as her tears
began to ebb.
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief as she seemed to come around and appeared to
be all right. But they all were surprised if not shocked when Beth lifted her face from his shoulder
and Adam kissed her deeply.
Richie had to look away … fighting the impulse to resent what the two had obviously found. Joe
shook his head with a grin and Duncan moved to put his arms around Amanda, the two of them
exchanging a satisfied smile.
It was Beth who broke the kiss … suddenly remembering the last thing she'd seen … the way the
sword had sliced through his arm.
"Oh God Adam." She cried as she turned her attention to his arm.
"It's all right … it's nothing … just a scratch." He lied, hoping she would believe him … but the
amount of blood on the sleeve and the cut in the fabric told a different story, and everyone in the
room knew there was nothing he could do to hide the truth if she continued to explore.
"Let me get that. I've had a little experience … we'll just go into the kitchen where the light is
better … and Amanda can help you upstairs." Duncan tried to get between them, but she
wouldn't hear of it. "I've got it … and the light is fine here if you'll turn on that lamp. But we'll
need something to clean this with … I'll try to be gentle." She promised Adam as she leaned
forward to get a better look.
Adam tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let go. "Adam please … you're hurt … we should
probably get you to a hospital." She said as she began to tear the material away. "Amanda will
you get the scissors out of the kitchen drawer so I can cut this sweater off … and there are
bandages in the medicine cabinet." Her mind was amazingly clear as she took a deep breath and
forced herself to focus on helping him. She looked up at Richie, wondering why no one was
moving to help. And then she saw what Adam wished he could keep from her. As she pulled the
fabric away from the arm, she saw all of the blood was dry … and even though she tore the cloth
further and further away … there was no wound … only dried blood. Using the damp cloth that
Duncan had bathed her face in, she wiped away the blood and saw a flawless arm.
She gasped and her eyes met Adam's with an expression that told him she felt betrayed.
It was almost an hour later when they heard the sound of Beth's car come to a stop in front of the
house.
Duncan opened the door in time to see an exhausted but very much alive Methos stepping out of
the driver's side.
"How is she?" he asked, hardly stopping to hand MacLeod his coat and sword as he passed him.
"She lost consciousness right after Richie got her back here … I don't know how she hung on as
long as she did … She's been drifting in and out ever since …"
"I think we should consider taking her to a hospital." Joe urged as Adam rushed in and knelt
beside Beth, searching her face and smoothing her sweat dampened hair back from her
forehead.
"Beth … sweetheart …" he called her name gently. "Beth … can you hear me?" he asked as his
eyes scanned her face, looking for any sign of recognition.
"She's had a terrible shock." Amanda offered. "Maybe Joe is right …"
"NO … she can't go to a hospital." Adam insisted. "When she wakes up in a strange place with
people poking around on her she'll be even more afraid … they won't understand her fear … she
stays here …" His voice went from stern to tender with the simple turn of his attention back to the
woman on the sofa. "Come on Beth … look at me … wake up sweetheart … wake up and look at
me."
"Adam … maybe you better change out of …" Richie's words of warning about the blood and the
deep tear on the arm of his sweater went unnoticed because Beth seemed to be coming around.
"Adam?" she called out in a quiet voice, her eyes focusing on his face … trying to discern if this
was real or if she was hallucinating.
"I'm here Beth … I'm here." He smiled, moving even closer as he continued to caress her face.
"Oh Adam …." She said, her eyes filling with tears. "I was so scared."
"I know … I know … but it's over … he can't hurt you anymore, and I'm all right … it's all right."
He told her, relieved when a little color started to come back to her complexion.
Not able to stand it any longer, Beth threw herself into his arms, burying her face in the crook of
his neck as she clung to him in desperation.
"Shhh shhh." He cooed. "It's all over … it's all right. That's my brave girl." he said as her tears
began to ebb.
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief as she seemed to come around and appeared to
be all right. But they all were surprised if not shocked when Beth lifted her face from his shoulder
and Adam kissed her deeply.
Richie had to look away … fighting the impulse to resent what the two had obviously found. Joe
shook his head with a grin and Duncan moved to put his arms around Amanda, the two of them
exchanging a satisfied smile.
It was Beth who broke the kiss … suddenly remembering the last thing she'd seen … the way the
sword had sliced through his arm.
"Oh God Adam." She cried as she turned her attention to his arm.
"It's all right … it's nothing … just a scratch." He lied, hoping she would believe him … but the
amount of blood on the sleeve and the cut in the fabric told a different story, and everyone in the
room knew there was nothing he could do to hide the truth if she continued to explore.
"Let me get that. I've had a little experience … we'll just go into the kitchen where the light is
better … and Amanda can help you upstairs." Duncan tried to get between them, but she
wouldn't hear of it. "I've got it … and the light is fine here if you'll turn on that lamp. But we'll
need something to clean this with … I'll try to be gentle." She promised Adam as she leaned
forward to get a better look.
Adam tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let go. "Adam please … you're hurt … we should
probably get you to a hospital." She said as she began to tear the material away. "Amanda will
you get the scissors out of the kitchen drawer so I can cut this sweater off … and there are
bandages in the medicine cabinet." Her mind was amazingly clear as she took a deep breath and
forced herself to focus on helping him. She looked up at Richie, wondering why no one was
moving to help. And then she saw what Adam wished he could keep from her. As she pulled the
fabric away from the arm, she saw all of the blood was dry … and even though she tore the cloth
further and further away … there was no wound … only dried blood. Using the damp cloth that
Duncan had bathed her face in, she wiped away the blood and saw a flawless arm.
She gasped and her eyes met Adam's with an expression that told him she felt betrayed.