Ch 19: Home Again
Alucard, Ceras and Pip were once again sitting in the small flat. In one of the bedrooms, a doctor that Pip had heard about during his excursion into the underworld of Rome was stitching the wound in Constance's shoulder closed. Pip had heard that the doctor would treat almost any wound for a price and did not ask questions. Ceras had sat herself down next to Pip and was staring at the floor with a depressed look on her face. Without a word, Pip placed his hand over Ceras's hand, which was resting in her lap. Ceras smiled sadly at Pip, then looked at her master. His face was unreadable, much different from the anger she had seen in the hospital. The only other time she had seen her master like this was when Sir Integra had battled for her life after being attacked by Incognito's minion. Truth was, she was amazed that Pip had been able to stop Alucard from blowing the doctor's head off. Part of her wished that he hadn't.
The three Hellsing officers stood as the doctor emerged from the room, wiping his hands on a towel.
"All done. The wound was deep and will take a couple of weeks to heal. It is important that you keep her from moving around too much. I also suggest that she be kept warm to avoid shock."
Alucard thanked him, paid him and saw him out. He then returned to Pip and Ceras. Taking some more cash from his coat pocket, Alucard told them to go out and get some food and clothes for Constance as she had been clad only in a flimsy hospital gown when they found her. "I will stay here with her in case the Vatican decides to try again." Pip and Ceras nodded and left the flat, Ceras donning a special pair of sunglasses that protected her eyes from the evening sun.
When they were gone, Alucard melted through the wall of the room that Constance was sleeping in. Approaching the bed, he saw that she was lying on her stomach, her wound having been neatly stitched and bandaged. When he bent to brush her hair from her face, she cringed and a moan escaped her lips as if she were afraid of being touched. Understandable, considering what she had been through. As he looked at the fearful expression on her face and the wounds on her body, he felt as if the claws of a wild animal were slashing his heart. He was surprised at the feeling of rage that he felt over her fate. How can those who live their lives in the supposed service of God do this to a creature that is closer to God than they could ever be, he wondered to himself.
Some time later, Constance woke in another unfamiliar room. The people who had kidnapped her must have moved her, maybe to keep her from being found. Moving slowly, she found that her hands were no longer bound to the bed. Maybe I can get out of here, she thought. She tried to get out of the bed in a hurry, but was greeted by pangs of white-hot pain from several places on her body. I'll have to take it slow. She fumbled around in the dark for the door, not wanting to risk turning on the lamp. She was rewarded for the idea by tripping over a chair and landing on the floor with a loud thump that was drowned out by the painful scream that she could not quite bite back. Hearing noises outside, she held perfectly still hoping that they had not heard her. Her hopes were dashed when she heard the creak of the door opening and saw the figure of a tall man silhouetted by the glow of a lamp in the other room.
"Don't move," the man said. "You'll hurt yourself."
Constance ignored the advice, getting up as fast as she could and attempting to run past the man. He caught her with one arm and then wrapped both arms around her chest, holding her tightly to him. She kicked and screamed, "Let me go, you son of a bitch!," trying her best to break the iron grip of the man who held her. The pain from her tortured body was intense, but was forgotten in her desire to get away.
"Could I get some help here?!" the man shouted. He was answered by the sound of more feet on the carpet. Constance felt hands holding her legs down and struggled even harder to get away. She bit the hand that had been placed over her mouth and heard someone yell "Ouch!" as the hand was pulled away.
"Turn on the light, will ya?" The click of a switch illuminated the room and Constance found herself staring at Alucard, who was sitting on her legs. She stared at him for a long moment without comprehension. She twisted her head around to see Pip behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso. Ceras was standing by the lamp, looking at her with concern on her face.
"Seems the good doctor is feeling like herself again." Alucard chuckled as he rose and helped Constance to her feet.
"I'll say," Pip replied, rubbing the spot on his hand where she had bitten him. Ceras had come up to her master's side.
"A.Alucard?" Constance asked as the fact that she had been rescued began to sink in.
"Indeed." Alucard said as he smiled at the doctor.
Relief flooded over Constance, who had thrown her arms around Alucard in a bear hug. "God, am I glad to see you guys! I don't think I've ever been gladder to see someone in my life," she cried, tears streaming down her face. Wiping them away, she turned her attention to Pip and Ceras, hugging them as well.
"God, Pip, I'm so sorry," Constance said as she spotted the blood on his hand.
"No problem, doc. I'm just glad you're ok." Pip replied. He moved to catch the doctor, who was on the verge of collapsing as the pain of her wounds made itself known again. "Take it easy. You've been cut up like a holiday turkey." He helped her back to the bed, sitting her down gently.
"You need to get some rest," Ceras chimed in. "We'll be going home as soon as you are strong enough."
"Where are we now?" Constance asked as the thought occurred to her that she had no idea where she was.
Alucard chuckled. "We are in Italy. Get some sleep now."
Constance nodded and covered herself with the blanket, squirming to find the most comfortable position. She fell into a sound sleep, knowing that she was safe at last.
"Thank you, Alucard. I will send Walter with the helicopter in two days time. Well done, all of you." Integra smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks as she hung up the telephone. Her thankful prayer was joined by one from Walter as he stood beside his mistress.
Deep in a grove of trees, Father Maxwell and Father Anderson surveyed the lab that had all but been destroyed. The doctor and nurses had all given him the same story about a tall black haired man and a short woman in a police uniform along with another man who had blasted their way in and taken the prisoner.
I will not fight with Hellsing forever. I think it's just about time to get rid of that sow and her pet vampires once and for all. Turning to Anderson, he barked "I want you to start gathering forces. I think it's about time we end this." Anderson nodded and left to carry out his orders. Maxwell left to contact his spy, who had very cleverly avoided Walter's investigation.
Alucard, Ceras and Pip were once again sitting in the small flat. In one of the bedrooms, a doctor that Pip had heard about during his excursion into the underworld of Rome was stitching the wound in Constance's shoulder closed. Pip had heard that the doctor would treat almost any wound for a price and did not ask questions. Ceras had sat herself down next to Pip and was staring at the floor with a depressed look on her face. Without a word, Pip placed his hand over Ceras's hand, which was resting in her lap. Ceras smiled sadly at Pip, then looked at her master. His face was unreadable, much different from the anger she had seen in the hospital. The only other time she had seen her master like this was when Sir Integra had battled for her life after being attacked by Incognito's minion. Truth was, she was amazed that Pip had been able to stop Alucard from blowing the doctor's head off. Part of her wished that he hadn't.
The three Hellsing officers stood as the doctor emerged from the room, wiping his hands on a towel.
"All done. The wound was deep and will take a couple of weeks to heal. It is important that you keep her from moving around too much. I also suggest that she be kept warm to avoid shock."
Alucard thanked him, paid him and saw him out. He then returned to Pip and Ceras. Taking some more cash from his coat pocket, Alucard told them to go out and get some food and clothes for Constance as she had been clad only in a flimsy hospital gown when they found her. "I will stay here with her in case the Vatican decides to try again." Pip and Ceras nodded and left the flat, Ceras donning a special pair of sunglasses that protected her eyes from the evening sun.
When they were gone, Alucard melted through the wall of the room that Constance was sleeping in. Approaching the bed, he saw that she was lying on her stomach, her wound having been neatly stitched and bandaged. When he bent to brush her hair from her face, she cringed and a moan escaped her lips as if she were afraid of being touched. Understandable, considering what she had been through. As he looked at the fearful expression on her face and the wounds on her body, he felt as if the claws of a wild animal were slashing his heart. He was surprised at the feeling of rage that he felt over her fate. How can those who live their lives in the supposed service of God do this to a creature that is closer to God than they could ever be, he wondered to himself.
Some time later, Constance woke in another unfamiliar room. The people who had kidnapped her must have moved her, maybe to keep her from being found. Moving slowly, she found that her hands were no longer bound to the bed. Maybe I can get out of here, she thought. She tried to get out of the bed in a hurry, but was greeted by pangs of white-hot pain from several places on her body. I'll have to take it slow. She fumbled around in the dark for the door, not wanting to risk turning on the lamp. She was rewarded for the idea by tripping over a chair and landing on the floor with a loud thump that was drowned out by the painful scream that she could not quite bite back. Hearing noises outside, she held perfectly still hoping that they had not heard her. Her hopes were dashed when she heard the creak of the door opening and saw the figure of a tall man silhouetted by the glow of a lamp in the other room.
"Don't move," the man said. "You'll hurt yourself."
Constance ignored the advice, getting up as fast as she could and attempting to run past the man. He caught her with one arm and then wrapped both arms around her chest, holding her tightly to him. She kicked and screamed, "Let me go, you son of a bitch!," trying her best to break the iron grip of the man who held her. The pain from her tortured body was intense, but was forgotten in her desire to get away.
"Could I get some help here?!" the man shouted. He was answered by the sound of more feet on the carpet. Constance felt hands holding her legs down and struggled even harder to get away. She bit the hand that had been placed over her mouth and heard someone yell "Ouch!" as the hand was pulled away.
"Turn on the light, will ya?" The click of a switch illuminated the room and Constance found herself staring at Alucard, who was sitting on her legs. She stared at him for a long moment without comprehension. She twisted her head around to see Pip behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso. Ceras was standing by the lamp, looking at her with concern on her face.
"Seems the good doctor is feeling like herself again." Alucard chuckled as he rose and helped Constance to her feet.
"I'll say," Pip replied, rubbing the spot on his hand where she had bitten him. Ceras had come up to her master's side.
"A.Alucard?" Constance asked as the fact that she had been rescued began to sink in.
"Indeed." Alucard said as he smiled at the doctor.
Relief flooded over Constance, who had thrown her arms around Alucard in a bear hug. "God, am I glad to see you guys! I don't think I've ever been gladder to see someone in my life," she cried, tears streaming down her face. Wiping them away, she turned her attention to Pip and Ceras, hugging them as well.
"God, Pip, I'm so sorry," Constance said as she spotted the blood on his hand.
"No problem, doc. I'm just glad you're ok." Pip replied. He moved to catch the doctor, who was on the verge of collapsing as the pain of her wounds made itself known again. "Take it easy. You've been cut up like a holiday turkey." He helped her back to the bed, sitting her down gently.
"You need to get some rest," Ceras chimed in. "We'll be going home as soon as you are strong enough."
"Where are we now?" Constance asked as the thought occurred to her that she had no idea where she was.
Alucard chuckled. "We are in Italy. Get some sleep now."
Constance nodded and covered herself with the blanket, squirming to find the most comfortable position. She fell into a sound sleep, knowing that she was safe at last.
"Thank you, Alucard. I will send Walter with the helicopter in two days time. Well done, all of you." Integra smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks as she hung up the telephone. Her thankful prayer was joined by one from Walter as he stood beside his mistress.
Deep in a grove of trees, Father Maxwell and Father Anderson surveyed the lab that had all but been destroyed. The doctor and nurses had all given him the same story about a tall black haired man and a short woman in a police uniform along with another man who had blasted their way in and taken the prisoner.
I will not fight with Hellsing forever. I think it's just about time to get rid of that sow and her pet vampires once and for all. Turning to Anderson, he barked "I want you to start gathering forces. I think it's about time we end this." Anderson nodded and left to carry out his orders. Maxwell left to contact his spy, who had very cleverly avoided Walter's investigation.