Ch 22: Memories
Integra sat at the desk in her makeshift office, a large portion of the house still under repair. She opened a letter that had come from Buckingham Palace. A short, handwritten note from the Queen expressed her condolences for the men and women that had been lost during the battle with the Iscariot organization.
Integra set the letter aside and rested her chin on her interlaced hands, thinking back to the battle that had caused such devastation to the Hellsing organization. She also thought about what had happened to her. Integra knew that she should be dead, but the bullet that tore through her chest had left no trace except a tiny scar. The scar served as a reminder of what Constance had done for her. Integra owed the doctor her life. She had revived enough after the battle to see Alucard holding the doctor as she bled her life away, her wings brushing the ground. She had then seen the doctor disappear as if she were an illusion.
Integra bit back tears as she thought about the doctor who was no longer with them. Constance had been the closest thing that she had ever had to a sister, and she felt her loss intensely. It had been impossible to locate her father or brothers, so a marker had been erected in the graveyard along with all the others who had died that day. There had been nothing to bury. Integra felt the tears escape as she returned to the stack of paperwork that had increased exponentially since the battle, working until well after dark.
Walter opened the door to a man who looked to be about forty, with thinning hair and glasses.
"Dr. Ralph Chase," the man said as he held out his hand.
"Welcome, doctor" Walter said to the surgeon who had been hired to replace Constance.
After giving the doctor the standard tour, Walter showed him to the room he had been assigned. It was not the same room that Constance had used. Thus far, no one, including himself, had had the heart to clear away all of her things. Once the new doctor settled in, Walter opened the door of a room down the hall.
Constance's room looked like it always had. Her black jacket hung over the chair at the desk and her helmet was placed on top of the desk. Walter picked up a picture surrounded by a cheap metal frame from the desk and a smile crossed his face as he studied the picture that had been taken at the last Halloween party. Constance had convinced Integra and Ceras to wear costumes that coincided with her own. They had generated plenty of stares and some whistles from the men at the party when they arrived clad as Wild West saloon girls. Covert snickers had replaced the stares when Alucard arrived at the party dressed in a black duster, jeans and shirt, and a black cowboy hat. How Constance had talked Alucard into dressing up was beyond Walter. They had posed for the picture at the doctor's insistence, Pip joining them dressed as a sheriff. The smiles on the faces of the people in the picture was a bittersweet reminder to Walter about how much joy and comfort Constance had brought to those in the Hellsing house. Turning the frame over, he removed the picture and placed it in his pocket to add to his personal album. This is how he wanted to remember her, rather than how he had last seen her.
"Come on, Victoria, pick up the pace!" Pip was shouting at her as she ran through a maze of plywood, blowing holes into the heads and chests of wooden targets. She was grateful to be training. It helped take her mind off of the events of the past few months. She and Pip had talked about the events at length, finding comfort in each other's company, but even that could not completely exorcise the pain that they felt over the loss of their comrades and the doctor. Ceras ran faster, pushing the painful memories from her mind as she took the head off of another pretend enemy.
The sound of a small motor echoed through the room as the lid to Alucard's bed was raised. When he exited the room after finishing his ration, he left his guns behind. There would be no mission, he knew, since the Queen had turned over all missions to MI-5 and the SAS until the Hellsing organization was back to full strength. He supposed that he could find his master or the police-girl and try to relieve his boredom by giving them a hard time, but he did not seem to have the heart for it. Instead, he walked to the garden and sat down on the same bench where he had first spoken to Constance. It had been more than a year since he had seen the doctor run from a spider, but to him it seemed as if were yesterday.
Alucard stared at the moon, surprising himself at how much he actually missed Constance. It shouldn't be a mystery, he thought. She had been his best friend and confidant. She had possessed the best qualities of the people he cared about. His masters strength, the police-girl's kindheartedness, Walter's wisdom and Captain Bernadotte's sense of humor and zest for living. Alucard had loved her, in his own way, and the pain of her absence was almost more than he could bear.
Why, Constance? Why did you leave me alone? he cried in his mind.
Why do you think you are alone when you're not? The voice of the angel he had known and loved echoed in his head.
"Constance?" Alucard looked around him, but saw nothing.
You are never alone; there are plenty of people who will always stand by your side. And I will look in on you all from time to time. As the voice spoke these gentle words, images of his master, his apprentice and his comrades in battle flashed through his mind.
A fluttering movement caught Alucard's attention. There, wedged in between two stones that made up the path, he spotted a brown object. Reaching down, he released the feather and held it between two fingers. He was almost positive about where it had come from. Rising from the bench, he smiled and tucked the feather into one of the pockets inside his coat. Constance may have gone from this world, but she would always have a place in his heart and mind.
Time to wake up, police girl.
Unknown to Alucard, Integra had risen from her desk and walked to the window, stretching her arms above her head. From the window, which had an excellent view of the garden, she had seen Alucard sitting on one of the stone benches. He had been behaving differently, she thought. Since the battle, he had not put up his usual complaint about being bored with no FREAKs to kill, which had actually begun to concern her. Perhaps he had a heart after all, if it could be broken. She continued to watch him as he plucked a small object that she thought was a feather from the ground and put it in his pocket. Integra smiled to herself as she returned to her desk.
Integra sat at the desk in her makeshift office, a large portion of the house still under repair. She opened a letter that had come from Buckingham Palace. A short, handwritten note from the Queen expressed her condolences for the men and women that had been lost during the battle with the Iscariot organization.
Integra set the letter aside and rested her chin on her interlaced hands, thinking back to the battle that had caused such devastation to the Hellsing organization. She also thought about what had happened to her. Integra knew that she should be dead, but the bullet that tore through her chest had left no trace except a tiny scar. The scar served as a reminder of what Constance had done for her. Integra owed the doctor her life. She had revived enough after the battle to see Alucard holding the doctor as she bled her life away, her wings brushing the ground. She had then seen the doctor disappear as if she were an illusion.
Integra bit back tears as she thought about the doctor who was no longer with them. Constance had been the closest thing that she had ever had to a sister, and she felt her loss intensely. It had been impossible to locate her father or brothers, so a marker had been erected in the graveyard along with all the others who had died that day. There had been nothing to bury. Integra felt the tears escape as she returned to the stack of paperwork that had increased exponentially since the battle, working until well after dark.
Walter opened the door to a man who looked to be about forty, with thinning hair and glasses.
"Dr. Ralph Chase," the man said as he held out his hand.
"Welcome, doctor" Walter said to the surgeon who had been hired to replace Constance.
After giving the doctor the standard tour, Walter showed him to the room he had been assigned. It was not the same room that Constance had used. Thus far, no one, including himself, had had the heart to clear away all of her things. Once the new doctor settled in, Walter opened the door of a room down the hall.
Constance's room looked like it always had. Her black jacket hung over the chair at the desk and her helmet was placed on top of the desk. Walter picked up a picture surrounded by a cheap metal frame from the desk and a smile crossed his face as he studied the picture that had been taken at the last Halloween party. Constance had convinced Integra and Ceras to wear costumes that coincided with her own. They had generated plenty of stares and some whistles from the men at the party when they arrived clad as Wild West saloon girls. Covert snickers had replaced the stares when Alucard arrived at the party dressed in a black duster, jeans and shirt, and a black cowboy hat. How Constance had talked Alucard into dressing up was beyond Walter. They had posed for the picture at the doctor's insistence, Pip joining them dressed as a sheriff. The smiles on the faces of the people in the picture was a bittersweet reminder to Walter about how much joy and comfort Constance had brought to those in the Hellsing house. Turning the frame over, he removed the picture and placed it in his pocket to add to his personal album. This is how he wanted to remember her, rather than how he had last seen her.
"Come on, Victoria, pick up the pace!" Pip was shouting at her as she ran through a maze of plywood, blowing holes into the heads and chests of wooden targets. She was grateful to be training. It helped take her mind off of the events of the past few months. She and Pip had talked about the events at length, finding comfort in each other's company, but even that could not completely exorcise the pain that they felt over the loss of their comrades and the doctor. Ceras ran faster, pushing the painful memories from her mind as she took the head off of another pretend enemy.
The sound of a small motor echoed through the room as the lid to Alucard's bed was raised. When he exited the room after finishing his ration, he left his guns behind. There would be no mission, he knew, since the Queen had turned over all missions to MI-5 and the SAS until the Hellsing organization was back to full strength. He supposed that he could find his master or the police-girl and try to relieve his boredom by giving them a hard time, but he did not seem to have the heart for it. Instead, he walked to the garden and sat down on the same bench where he had first spoken to Constance. It had been more than a year since he had seen the doctor run from a spider, but to him it seemed as if were yesterday.
Alucard stared at the moon, surprising himself at how much he actually missed Constance. It shouldn't be a mystery, he thought. She had been his best friend and confidant. She had possessed the best qualities of the people he cared about. His masters strength, the police-girl's kindheartedness, Walter's wisdom and Captain Bernadotte's sense of humor and zest for living. Alucard had loved her, in his own way, and the pain of her absence was almost more than he could bear.
Why, Constance? Why did you leave me alone? he cried in his mind.
Why do you think you are alone when you're not? The voice of the angel he had known and loved echoed in his head.
"Constance?" Alucard looked around him, but saw nothing.
You are never alone; there are plenty of people who will always stand by your side. And I will look in on you all from time to time. As the voice spoke these gentle words, images of his master, his apprentice and his comrades in battle flashed through his mind.
A fluttering movement caught Alucard's attention. There, wedged in between two stones that made up the path, he spotted a brown object. Reaching down, he released the feather and held it between two fingers. He was almost positive about where it had come from. Rising from the bench, he smiled and tucked the feather into one of the pockets inside his coat. Constance may have gone from this world, but she would always have a place in his heart and mind.
Time to wake up, police girl.
Unknown to Alucard, Integra had risen from her desk and walked to the window, stretching her arms above her head. From the window, which had an excellent view of the garden, she had seen Alucard sitting on one of the stone benches. He had been behaving differently, she thought. Since the battle, he had not put up his usual complaint about being bored with no FREAKs to kill, which had actually begun to concern her. Perhaps he had a heart after all, if it could be broken. She continued to watch him as he plucked a small object that she thought was a feather from the ground and put it in his pocket. Integra smiled to herself as she returned to her desk.