"Sam, what happened anyway?" 'Vannah asked as the nurse finally left once more satisfied that things in the room were all right. She had never seen that before, the look of despair on Sam's face at the nurse's words, that Catherine might not.... This was a nightmare, definately a nightmare. Here they had come to help Sam and they were making things worse.
"We got trapped in the basement together after the tornado hit," Noah murmured as he gently stroked Catherine's hand, tears stinging at his eyes that he could barely control. She had to get better, she just had to get better. If they lost her like this.... He glanced over at 'Vannah for a moment, relieved at least to see that she didn't have a hostile expression on her face. What was Cosmo thinking? Didn't he care what this was doing to Sam? He shook his head, forcing himself to continue with his explanation. If Cos wanted to damage their family like this, there was nothing that he could do to stop it. "I tried to take care of her, to get us out as fast as I could but there was just so much damage to the building and Catherine...."
"Ruptured intestines, infection," Sam whispered as he stroked Catherine's cheek, hoping that touching her, some sort of positive contact, would make a difference.
"Claiming he saved her? Yeah, right," Cosmo muttered to Bobby under his breath, still looking at Noah with an angry expression. How could this guy fool Sam, fool 'Vannah? He could tell from how she was looking at the boy that she already halfway believed him.
"Why don't we go and get some coffee or something?" 'Vannah said softly as she looked over at Cosmo with a pointed expression that belied her words. Something was going to have to be done about his attitude, and fast, before damage was done that couldn't be fixed. "Looks like it's going to be a long night."
"'Vannah, you know that can't be...." Cosmo said the second they were out of the room, barely keeping from shouting, he was so angry. They had loved Noah, they had all loved Noah, and for someone to come in like this and desecrate his memory was intolerable.
"Cos, I don't know," 'Vannah whispered, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over her now that they were where they could talk freely without worry of endangering Catherine or enraging Sam. Sam seemed utterly convinced that the boy was Noah. Din't that count for something, no matter how rattled Sam was? Sam wasn't the type to go off half-cocked, no matter how upset. If he believed the boy was Noah, there had to be a reason, and a good one. "There's something about him.... and we didn't see...." They should have seen him, looked at him one last time but everyone had been so rattled.
"Sam saw! He's the one who told us!"
"Cos, keep your voice down, okay? I'm not saying it is Noah but something.... And Sam seems to believe him. Gotta be a reason why Sam believes him..." 'Vannah mused out loud.
"You know," Bobby said with a puzzled tone in his voice as he thought back on things, munching on the remaining meatloaf as he thought. "Now that I think about it, something did seem a little off when we were carrying that coffin. Felt heavier than it should have. Thought you weren't carrying your end right, Cos."
"Me? It was you that wasn't doing it right," Cosmo grumbled. "Almost dropped the damn thing!"
"Guys, come on," 'Vannah led them into the waiting room and over to the coffee machine, swiftly pouring cups for everyone. "I'm not saying that we have to believe it's Noah. I'm not sure myself. I think we need to at least accept it as a possibility right now though."
"Sam's going to get hurt," Cosmo said quietly. Although he and Sam definitely had rough patches in their friendship, Cosmo cared, and he couldn't stand that thought, couldn't stand it if he had to just sit there and let some impostor.... Didn't 'Vannah see, remember what losing Noah had done to Sam? When this guy was exposed as a fake.... And what if Catherine didn't make it? How would Sam handle a double blow?
"Cosmo, Sam needs that boy right now." 'Vannah reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder, knowing that she had to make him understand. "Catherine's sick, maybe dying. If it is Noah, then we've been given a miracle. Let Sam have some hope that maybe another miracle will come through for Cath. Even if it isn't.... Cos, we can't take that boy away from Sam right now no matter what we think. He's giving him hope and that's what Sam needs."