I'm sorry I made you cry Gothic! I swear I never meant to leave Doggett dead for a long time. Now it's off to the hospital for pain killers and surgery, whilst the rest of the new gang figures out a way to get Luke out of the clutches of Hell…and the answers to Satan's conviction with Doggett coming up! Did I mention that everyone reading this gets a free coconut?
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"A pill to make you numb, a pill to make you dumb, a pill to make you anybody else. But all the drugs in this world, won't save her from herself."
~Marilyn Manson, Coma White
Chapter 8: Let the Rain Fall
It was raining. The splashes on the window was telling John a constant message in his drugged mind. He was alive.
Course he could have just trusted the agonizing pain building up in his right side. That too was a good indicator that life wasn't gone from the world of the living. A eternity talking through Phoebe? Please say he had a good little while left on his life.
He opened his un-cooperative eyelids, that hung down over his eyes from both exhaustion and artificial drowsiness brought on whatever had been pushed into his IV earlier. He had a vague memory of a mass amount of something being shoved into his system, swirling around his bloodstream and making him pass out.
Monica smiled at him.
"Morning." She said cheerfully. John coughed and smiled mildly, the best he could manage in such circumstances. Carefully she reached for the water on the table. "Thirsty?"
"No." He croaked, but like a mother again Monica forced him to down the whole glass while speaking.
"Phoebe stopped by." She made a small glance to the singular orchid on the bedside table. John placed a hand on it, feeling the petals under his fingers. "And Kersh is expecting our letters of resignation by the day after tomorrow."
"Nice thing to wake up to." John groaned again, laying back on the pillows. Monica sighed and smiled softly. "What are you so happy about?"
"Well, considering you just clinically died within the last 24 hours and I've had to listen to Scully lecture about the danger we put ourselves in the line of duty while you slept, I'd say that you regaining consciousness is a good reason to smile. John nodded and rubbed his eyes, making an imitation attempt at sitting up. Monica placed a protective hand on his shoulder. "And you're to stay lying down until your blood pressure comes back."
"Scully's orders?" Monica nodded with a smirk. "There's nothing I love more then word from Doctor Scully."
"Good, because your about to hear more of them." The red headed Agent Scully walked in, arms folded on her black suit. She looked like hell. Doggett and Monica decided that thought would never leave, but the single mother literally looked like she too had been to Hell and back.
"More Doctor's orders. Somehow, I'm wishing I had died yesterday." Scully bit her tongue.
"Well, you're very lucky, Agent Doggett, since you were in surgery for two straight hours, had to have your intestinal tract fixed and stitched and that you lost a hell of amount of blood." Good thing she's not using big words, Doggett thought with a sigh of relief. That whole statement would have flown right over his head. "But, since you're awake, I'd say you're on the mend."
"That's good news." Doggett replied. Scully seemed to nod. "But why do I think there's some bad news coming after it?"
"Not so much bad news. I'm just confused as to how you seemingly die on a living room floor and are alive and kicking today."
"I wish I could elaborate. But I don't think my explanation is going to make it any easier for you, Agent Scully." The red haired Agent nodded.
"Well, they want to keep you for one more day, observation."
"I hate observation."
"Well, if you don't stay I'll have no trouble in drugging you to your eyebrows." She threatened. Doggett gave a weak laugh.
"I think someone else already beat you to it, Agent Scully." She grinned and turned, walking slowly out of the room. Monica gave a small laugh. Doggett could see right through her. "What is it?"
"Nothing." She replied. Doggett kept his weak eyes staring until she finally broke. "Alright, it was just what Phoebe said yesterday, you know, about you killing me? I was just thinking about that and I found out some interesting info."
"Go on." He replied, trying to get comfortable. Monica opened the plastic bag at her side and pulled out a heavy book.
"You said that the spirit mentioned Jack the Ripper. I was fortunate enough to spend over an hour in Phoebe's room to find this." John looked at it, trying to wake up enough to clearly read the title. The Portrait of a Killer, Jack the Ripper, Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell. "Obviously it's pretty general and sketchy, but I did find something very interesting. This woman claims that Jack the Ripper was an artist named Walter Sickert."
"The Artist?" Monica looked a little surprised that John knew who she was talking about. "Sorry. I remember seeing a little of his work on vacation with Barbara." Monica said nothing, but, instead, continued.
"Sickert painted and drew pictures of women being mutilated for pleasure."
"Kind of sick, isn't he?" Doggett asked, looking at the open picture of Mary Kelly being shown to him. Monica nodded.
"Anyways. I used a couple of other books and pieced together this much. That Inspector Abberline, who investigated the murder, shares your birthday."
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Quick Little Author's Note: That piece of information is fabricated. The book, Portrait of a Killer said nothing of the sorts, and I am simply manipulating some events to my advantage. Abberline did, however, exist (a small tidbit of info most likely cherished by those who have seen the movie From Hell).
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"You're not saying…"
"Reincarnation?"
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"Well, there's too many coincidences to count. Abberline's birth date coincides with your birthday…"
"You're about to tell me one of his victims was on your birthday?"
"No, actually I was going to say that Walter's death day also falls on that day."
"Oh, well that's some form of relief."
"You're lying to me aren't you?"
"How could you tell?" He asked her coyly.
"Because you always do that thing when you lie."
"What thing?"
"That!" She pointed at him. "That thing!"
"You know sometimes I just don't get you." Monica laughed and sighed deeply. Doggett reached out a hand lovingly to her. She took it in her hand. They just looked at one another for a moment and finally he broke the silence.
"What thing?"
"Shut up, John."
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Alex Cross locked the gates into the Church tightly, seeing the rest of his congregation go home. Usually at this time there were no people trying to get into the Church. But he didn't put it past the brunette that showed up on his steps that night.
Phoebe looked through the bars. The Priest turned inside.
"Alex, please don't do this. I'm really sorry." He turned back and let the anger get the better of him.
"Phoebe would you leave me alone!" He shouted, making Phoebe's eyes flare. "You pick me up and drop me for doing the things that I do and now you're back. Why does this look like a lose-win situation in your favour!?"
"Please Alex, I just need a little more of your time." Phoebe begged. Alex growled and turned back inside. Phoebe snatched him by the robe and flipped him to face her. "Please?" She asked gently. The Priest sighed, looking into Phoebe's giant green eyes as he sighed deeply. Finally he grabbed the lock and clicked it open and Phoebe walked in.
"What can I help you with?" The girl grinned and walked with him.
"I need some help with a Demon. And I need to see those Latin books on reincarnation you have."
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Doggett awoke again, feeling a little more in with the program this time. The rain was still splashing on the windows, he noticed, but Monica wasn't in the chair next to him, something that scared him a little. And it wasn't any consolation that Phoebe was standing near the window. He gave a small cough, seeing the teenager turn and give a small smile.
"What news from the other side?" He asked with a sense of mild humour only achieved when you were on your last legs. The Girl grinned wildly and grabbed her chair.
"I have some news."
"Good or bad?" Doggett asked, wondering what was going on in the mind of Phoebe Nameth that day. She yanked out a frail book and opened it to a page showing a man with a upside down pentagram inside him.
"Recognize this?" She asked. Doggett shook his head. "This is a picture painted in the late 16th century, signifying the Devil within men. And this…" She pulled a rough photocopy, "Is a picture done by Walter Sickert."
"Jack the Ripper." John said lazily. "I hate to break it to you but I've heard this before."
"No you haven't, since I just found out that Walter had these things posted all over his Private Study."
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Quick Little Author's Note: Yet another piece of fabricated info right there.
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"Monica said you had mentioned something about Jack the Ripper, so I went looking for a little bit of stuff that wasn't mentioned in the book. And I found out that Walter believed himself to be possessed for the better part of his life. And that the symbol 'Never Ending' was tattooed on his lower back."
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Author's Note: The tattoo is a total lie. I apologize that a lot of my info is fabricated, but I needed it to work with the story.
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"So this thing that currently has my son is Jack the Ripper?"
"No. Because Jack the Ripper, Walter Sickert, was human, and no human can become that powerful. I'm saying that the thing that has your son also used the man Jack the Ripper to carry out his work on Earth. And I'm saying that this thing is trying to use you like Jack the Ripper."
"But that doesn't…" John was about to say something, and Phoebe was waiting for it, but suddenly it all clicked. Monica was insinuating that he was the inspector on the Jack the Ripper case. But what if he wasn't?
"Yes, John." Phoebe finally said. "You are Jack the Ripper. And if you look, today is the day you killed your last victim, Mary Kelly, also known as Monica Reyes."
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Ha ha ha.
As Doggett would say, "Scared yet?" Lol. I loved that episode!
Okay. So now you can review. After I give a little bit of Author's Notes.
1) The Book, Portrait of a Killer, is available at local bookstores. I really recommend it especially if you have seen the movie From Hell, and even if you haven't and are looking for a good historical fiction.
2) I apologize for the large amount of facts that I simply plopped in there for correlation with my story.
3) That 'thing' Doggett does when he is lying will be answered in later chapters…if I feel like it.
4) Monica won't die. I've already caused Gothic to cry for him, and I apologize.
5) Thank you to all the reviewers of this story. You make my day. You really do. (sniff)
6) I should have mentioned this before, but Alex is a direct carbon copy of Heath Ledger's character in the movie The Order, which should be watched over and over because Heath is so hot.
THANKS EVERYBODY!