xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cabin Mirage xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Diagnosis Murder/ ER fan fiction crossover by Nicol Leoraine
Sequel to Reunion
"Brrr," Jesse shaked. They threw down the wet coats and jackets, along with shoes. Steve shook his head like a dog, spraying Jesse and John with water and they all like one marched to the living room, stopping in disappointment when they found the fireplace cold.
"Ah well... we still have to change. I´ll start the fire, but first I need to dry myself. You two do the same," commanded Steve. Nobody argued as they headed for their rooms. John almost stumbled at the stairs, because the water from his hair trickled into his eyes, but once again someone caught him. This time it was Steve and John bit back a frustrated "Thanks", seeing the frown in his eyes.
"You need help?"
"No!" snapped Carter. "I wasn´t dizzy, just trying to clear my eyes." Well, this wasn´t the best formulation, but John waved it off. If they want to be "concerned", good enough. But the cold was starting to get unbearable, the damp clothes clinging to his body, making him feel a few pounds heavier than he really was. And the last thing he wanted was catch cold. With his luck, it would turn into pneumonia in mere hours, snorted John, closing the door and from the watchful eyes of Steve.
Finally alone. John threw the damp clothes at the chair, and dressed into something more "dry" and comfortable.
He then sit at the bed, contemplating the events. He was sure the girl was real and not his hallucination. Sure, he was dizzy - but it was after he fell, not before. And he saw the girl returning to the house - at least he hoped she was smart enough to return. The storm raged above their heads. Even the house wasn´t safe, not in the state it was in, but it still provided some shelter. But who was this girl? And was she really alone?
John tried to imagine what kind of event could´ve brought the child there, into the forest. Maybe she was lost... the though alone made his stomach turn. She was lost and they left her alone. But why did she run? If John had get lost when he was ten, he sure like hell would´ve looked for someone - anyone, to help him. On the other side - it´s a rough world, and not every stranger is gonna help you. Not mentioning the little girl could´ve run away from someone who abused her. Yeah, maybe it was the reason of her fear. But why hadn´t Todd mentioned it, when he was there? They searched for thieves, not the girl...
Thieves? Oh no, groaned John. What if she run across them?
The possibilities were grave, not to mention the queasy feeling starting in his stomach. The knock at the door broke his thoughts and John blinked hard to orientate himself in the place and time.
"Yeah, come in," he answered, straightening his posture.
"Hey, Steve started the fire. I thought..." It was Jesse, his medical bag along, and nervous smile on his face. John frowned at the bag, then at Jesse.
"I´m all right, Jesse. Really. No need to fuss."
"Hey, I´m not fussing," protested Jesse. "You was still due for some check up tonight. It´s a little earlier, but we have time."
"Yeah so try to use it better. I´m fine, my concussion is fine - we get along pretty well."
"Hm, in this case, why don´t you let me do the check up. It will only ease my and Steve´s mind, and we wouldn´t "fuss" over you, as you stated. Otherwise - well, I know for sure Steve will drive you mad. Believe me, you don´t want that. If it concerns his friends, he can be pretty adamant - much like Mark. And you know Mark, huh?"
"Yeah," grinned John. "Okay, do what you want," approved John finally. "but..."
"What?"
"I want to know - is Steve so "protective" over you when you get into problems?" Jesse burst out laughing.
"Man, you couldn´t imagine," he nodded.
"What about Mark?"
"Well, I don´t know, John. It seems to me that either Steve or Mark is in trouble, the other one gets really worked up about it. Huh, I don´t mention when I or Amanda get into problems. You can only imagine what a cop and a doc can do, trying to save your ass."
"I think I can," replied John with a little smile of his own as he remembered how Steve shot Mr. Prescott, when he was trying to kill him. Mark was there too, always near his son.
"Follow my finger," commanded Jesse and John obeyed, thinking how fantastic it would be to have so close relationship with his father.
"Yeah, I often envied Steve," conceded Jesse suddenly and John looked at him surprised. Did he think aloud?
"Me and my father - well, we don´t have an ideal relationship. If any. But mom is really fine." Jesse had this dreamy look on his face when he put the bp cuff on John´s arm.
"Everything has its white or black side," spoke John smugly.
"Steve´s mother and sister died, mine are both alive. But I don´t know, Jess. Sometimes I think Steve get the better part of the deal. He at least knew that they cared."
"I´m sure your family cares too," muttered Jesse. "They just don´t know how to show it"
John didn´t answer, because he didn´t know how.
"Maybe," was the only thing that left his mouth, when Jesse packed up his supplies.
"Well, I have good news. You´re probably gonna live. But your reactions are a little sluggish. That means - no driving, no hiking and definitely no saving the world. The storm seems to stay for a while, so why don´t you get some sleep?"
John rolled his eyes.
"Thanks, no. I don´t need a nap in the middle of the day, however awful that day may look. I need to call Todd."
"I doubt the phone will work. You still think there was a girl?" somehow hesitantly asked Jesse.
"Yes," answered John quickly. "I´m sure she was real. And I mean to find her, once the storm dies down."
"But what would a kid - a girl at that, be doing at the cabin in the forest, all alone?"
"I don´t know, and that´s what I want to find out. Now, what about we go down to Steve? If you were right about the fire, I would´ve gladly warm up a little."
"Ooh, and we can play some poker," suggested Jesse.
"I thought more like Monopoly, or even Scrabble," said John quickly, remembering the earlier play. Jesse only chuckled.
"I can win anything," he stated, confident.
"Yeah, sure."
They made their way down, instantly feeling the warmth. The fire brightly blazed as Steve walked to the room only second later, tray with three smoking mugs and a bowl of bread sticks in hands.
"Whoa, Steve - do you want to marry me?" asked Jesse playfully as Steve scowled at him.
"That´s for a thanks."
"What´s in it?" asked John, smelling the contents of the mug Steve swiftly put into his hands.
"Grog. In your case - just a rum essence."
"Oh. Well, thanks."
"Hm, what about pizza?" asked Jesse, earning a pat from Steve.
"It´s not even eleven. You just had breakfast."
"Hey, but I´d also ran a mile, if you´d forget."
"We will eat later. How about we play some poker?"
"Yeah, buddy, that´s my idea!"
"Hm, but without money."
"Oh," Jesse´s face crumpled.
"What about Monopoly? The winner gets ten bucks. Hm?"
John and Steve looked at each other, smirking.
"Ten bucks from one or both losers?"
"Yep, that´s twenty bucks."
"Oh, and what to say, that the losers will make the dinner?" suggested John and Jesse agreed.
"Gosh, I would like that pizza, boys. If I win, it will be pizza!"
"No arguments from me," added John.
One hour later, the three of them sat in silence. It was paradoxly Steve who won the game, so John and Jesse had to make lunch, but there was one problem. While Steve thought about the menu, trying Jesse´s nerves, John fell asleep on the couch. The storm was still raging and although the boltning was slightly abating, the rain was really persistent. It looked like they would stay in the cabin for the rest of the day.
"Maybe it´s better," whispered Jesse, looking at John´s sleeping form.
"So you think he just imagined the girl?" asked him Steve in the same hushed tone.
"Probably, even if he thinks she was real. But I didn´t see her, neither did you. I was by the doors, when John started coughing, so she couldn´t get around me."
"She could´ve get out from the other room. The windows there were broken, she could easily jump out and run straight to forest."
"Hey, you said first that it´s imposible for anyone to be in that house, when you checked it."
Steve shrugged. Seeing how intent was John on trying to convince them about her existence, he don´t liked to be the one to tell him he just dreamt her up. Maybe he was right - what then? There would be a girl in troubles, not to mention, that if they wouldn´t look at it, they could easily lose John´s trust. And it wasn´t a chance Steve wanted to take.
Always the same nightmare, only slightly changed. He was rescuing that woman, when Sobriki strode inside, pulling out a gun. He fired and the woman changed into Lucy. John backed away, watching with horrid fascination as the blood streamed from numerous wounds. He yelped as something hit his back and spun around, looking at the retreating back of the girl with red hairs.
"Hey, wait!"
With this shout John bolted up on the couch, frantically looking around, trying to see her. But the only red in the room was the flickering fire in the hearth. At least, nobody was witness to his nightmare.
"You okay, John?"
Carter inwardly groaned. So he was wrong. How he didn´t saw the lean figure of his friend sitting in the armchair was a mystery to him.
"Yeah," he answered almost automatically and stretched, his back sore from the couch.
"Sorry. I´m not very much fun these days. But I can assure you, when nobody knock me out, I don´t sleep so much."
Steve smirked.
"Well, I had more interesting conversation with this beer in the last hour than with you snoring, but... hey, we still have few days for good. Anyway, I´ve had enough concussions of mine that I know it can make you sleepy. How about some dinner?"
"What? I slept the lunch away?" wondered John and looked around. "Where´s Travis?"
"Oh, in the kitchen."
"I hope he´s a better cook than me. Why didn´t you wake me?"
"Just thought it will do you good. Anymore sightings of that red hair?"
John grimaced, looking straight at Steve.
"I know she was real, Steve. It wasn´t just a piece of my imagination. If you don´t believe me"
Steve nodded.
"I do," assured him Steve and smiled a little at John´s surprised look. "If you saw her, then she was there."
John let out a relieved sigh and rubbed at his eyes.
"So?"
"So, we can go there tomorrow, if the weather let us, and take a look around."
"Why not today?"
"Because today is almost tonight and I don´t want to wander the woods in dark. Oh, and something else John - if we won´t find her or any traces, that she was there," Steve raised his hand to silence John´s protest, "I don´t say she was a hallucination, John. But she can be gone by tomorrow - maybe with her parents. So," he continued, daring John to speak, "if we don´t find anything, we´ll drop the subject, without any discussion. Is that clear?"
Carter looked at Steve, feeling as a 13 year old once again, even if he got what he wanted. He scowled, but nodded, knowing better than protest.
"Fine. Now we can look if Jesse is still alive. I think he had some problems with the menu I choose,"
John chuckled and they walked to the kitchen, only to find Jesse roaming the fridge, looking for something, while the pan on the fire was smoking. Steve quickly grabbed it from the fire, while Jesse bumped his head at the fridge, trying to look at the commotion. John watched as Steve put the pan aside, inspecting its contest with amusement. Jesse rubbed his head and scowled at them, but his eyes went wide seeing that Steve ruined his dinner.
"Hey! What are you doing with it?" he asked annoyed.
"If I remember correctly, then saving this cabin from a fire. Gosh, Jess... I said medium baked - not burnt. Or is this some experiment?"
Jesse looked hurt and ready to reply, when the horn blared and all three of them looked to the doors, surprised. John was first outside, opening the door to a wet caretaker of the cabin.
"Geez, you came here on your own?" asked him John, leading Billy Todd to the fireplace. Todd shook his head, spraying Carter with water.
"Nah, just from the car. The rain´s pretty heavy, but I think it will stop this night."
"Why did you come in this weather?" asked Steve, handing Todd a smoking mug of hot tea. Todd sipped it gratefully, then sat down on the couch.
"Ah... I just wanted to make sure you´re all right. With that storm and all. The phones are broken, and I wanted to make sure the road isn´t impassable. There wasn´t any fallen tree."
"Which of course doesn´t mean there wouldn´t be any on your way back," said Steve smugly.
"Yeah well... it´s my risk. I also wanted to warn you," added Todd a second later. Steve´s eyebrow shot up, while John frowned. Jesse was standing in the kitchen doors, listening.
"Warn about what?" asked John. Todd coughed and drank the rest of the tea, while the others were getting more and more curious.
"Those thieves. Today, when the Sheriff and his men were trying to hunt them down in the caves, they knocked out two men, and got their guns. They´re still somewhere near, hiding. I just wanted to tell you to be careful, because they are armed and if you scare them, they will shoot."
"Exactly, how are they armed and how many of them?"
"They have two shotguns, as well as one Walther 99 with several cartridges and S&W Magnum .44, along with some knives."
"That´s just great," muttered Steve bewildered. "And they let them run away with this"
Todd shrugged.
"Didn´t have much choice. One of the cops is still unonscious, the other one said it were two boys. They were young, maybe twenty max."
"Druggies?" John jerked at the word and Steve looked at him apologetically, Todd didn´t notice it.
"Hard to tell. The cop said they looked on the edge, but if it was because of drugs or simply the fact they´re hunted down, I don´t know. But either way, they´re dangerous. Hope you won´t roam the woods in the next few days."
"Gosh, we came here to take a vacation, not to hide in the cabin," exclaimed John and started pacing the room. Todd watched him curiously.
"Sorry, Carter. I´m not saying that you can´t go out. Just be careful. If you see someone, call the Sheriff, or simply get away from the place. Don´t interfere," the last was for Steve, who frowned, but didn´t comment. He still had his gun, and if someone should endanger him or his friends, he was ready to use it.
"Uhm, aren´t you missing a girl?"
"What girl?" asked Todd confused.
"Eight or ten year old, long curly red hairs. We... I saw her at the cabin down the stream, maybe two miles from here."
"Oh, that cabin?" asked Todd, putting an extra emphasis on the word that.
"What?"
"No, if I can say we´re not missing any girl. I don´t even remember one with red hairs, though it could be some teenager bagging the school. Why, did she told you something?"
"No, in fact she fled away. So, you don´t know about her?"
Todd shook his head. "Sorry."
"What do you know about that cabin?" scouted Jesse from behind Todd.
"Hey," startled Todd but smiled. "I take it you was there."
"Yeah, right before the storm started. We had to run in the rain, and got pretty drenched. Was the cabin in fire?"
"Three years ago. Two people died in it, and one was sent to prison."
"What happened?" Now that he had all of their interest, Todd snuggled into the comfort of the couch, warming up from the fireplace. Jesse sat next to Steve, even John stopped his pacing and found his place.
"There was a family, which moved there from Toronto. Robert and Nina Paulson, along with their seven year old daughter Francesca. If I remember now, she had long red hairs," thought Todd, while Jesse and Steve looked at John in disbelief.
"I really don´t believe it was a ghost," stated John simply to his friends and they all looked at Todd.
"They built the cabin and moved in. It would be pretty to say that they lived happy till death, but the truth was... they didn´t. Robert Paulson wasn´t the ideal husband and Nina too often visited the ambulance with little "accidents". It started to get suspicious, but then Robert got a job in the hotel down at the Lake Superior, and was more away than home."
"What started the fire?"
"Maybe a candle, or gas, we don´t know. It started in the children´s room, at night. Both the girl and her mother died in the fire, most probably asleep, from smoke inhalation. When we spotted the smoke and came there to help, we found Robert standing outside, just watching the flames consuming the house. He didn´t move a muscle to help us douse the fire and later he said, he was responsible for the fire. The police expertise found a track of gasoline on his dress, though his attorney claimed it was from the gas station where he stopped to refill the fuel tank. But he claimed guilt, and he was condemned."
"Why did he do such a thing?"
"He didn´t tell at the court."
"Is he still in prison?"
"Should be, he got twenty years." The room fell into silence as each person thought about the tragedy. John shook his head and again started his pacing. He was sure the girl was real - but it would be so hard to believe in ghosts? No, he told himself. I would gladly believe in ghosts, because that would mean, that Lucy is still alive - somewhere, and that life doesn´t end just like that. But he didn´t saw Lucy, he saw a little girl. More precisely, he bumped into her.
"Well, I think I should go," he heard as Todd rose from the couch.
"Nah, it´s still raining. Why don´t you stay for the dinner? Maybe the weather will get more sensible."
"Thanks," Billy Todd accepted the offer and Jesse walked to the kitchen to try and prepare some food. John quickly followed him.
"Hey, can I help you with something?"
"No, it´s okay, really. Why don´t you return to your friend?" suggested Jesse and watched as John grimaced.
"He will ask questions and I don´t want to answer them."
"You can´t stop communicating with people just because they´re curious, Carter. Anyway, Steve´s here, and if I know him, he´ll start a third degree interrogation about those thieves. Go and save your friend,"
John smirked and headed back to the room, realizing, that Jesse was right. He can´t hide forever. His grin went wider as he listened to Billy Todd, trying to evade Steve´s questions.
"How long were they bothering your village?"
"Two months," replied Todd a little annoyed. "Look, Sloan..."
"Yeah?"
"I realize that you´re a cop and everything, but..."
"What?"
"Well, just don´t look for trouble. The Sheriff and his people saw two thieves, but I have a feeling, that there is someone older coordinating them, if you know what I mean."
Steve cocked his eyebrow, looking at Todd with steel eyes. John took that moment to intervene.
"Well, Jesse doesn´t need my help. So why did you stay here, Todd? I thought you would like to see the world,"
"Doesn´t everyone?" smiled Todd and the conversation started. When Todd asked questions that John didn´t want to answer, Steve always quipped in, changing the topic ever so slightly. Soon Jesse announced the dinner is ready and they ate in relaxed silence.
"I think the storm stopped," said Steve and Todd nodded, standing up.
"So, it´s time to go. Remember - you should be careful around strangers. Don´t intervene if it´s not necessary. Don´t be a hero, they often ends up dead."
The room fell into silence, as everyone present thought about his words. They were too familiar with them from close experience, and didn´t protest, though Steve made sure that the windows will be closed at night.
At least the weather was good. As John woke up, the first thing he did was to look out the windows. He squinted as the sun shone to his eyes and his lips curled up in a slight smile. After quick breakfast, the trio headed back to the cabin. John´s space was fast and the others had to catch up with him.
"Hey, slow down!" shouted Jesse as both Steve and John were ahead of him almost fifteen yards. They stopped and waited for him, but then started walking in the same pace. Jesse silently fumed, but tried to keep up. It was only eight in the morning and the air was cold but sweet. The cabin was seen from distance, though they lost it from the sight for few minutes as the stream curled. John halted as he spotted some movement to the right.
"Carter?"
"I think I saw something," he muttered and squinted, but saw nothing only trees. Shaking his head he continued in the walk, the others near him. They stopped only before the cabin itself, and observed the building, as if looking for any sign of weakness in static, that could bring the walls down on them. They saw none and Steve, like the day before, was first inside. Jesse walked after him, only John lingered in the doors, looking to the right. There again, something red caught his eyes, but as quickly it vanished and John growled in frustration, following his friends inside.
His feets brought him to the room where he encountered the girl the last day, just as Steve went up the stairs, while Jesse lingered in the kitchen and hall, as if considering where to go.
John slowly made it to the parlour. The couch was still there, along with the glass shards and dirt. John looked around, for the first time realizing what really happened there. Before his imagination could create the fire and smoke, red head appeared in the window, and the girl with dirt on her face looked straight at him, her eyes wide and warning.
"Get out!" she hissed at him.
"What?" asked John surprised by her husky voice. The girl shook her head, the expression on her face clearly annoyed.
"Go!"
Before John could ask something else, he heard a loud thump, as if someone fell, followed by another thud. He spun and ran to the hall, almost colliding with Jesse.
"What was that?" he asked, but got only a shake of the head. John turned, half waiting to see the girl, but the parlour was empty.
"Steve?" called out Jesse. No response. "Sloan - this is not funny," he called again, this time frowning when Steve didn´t respond.
The two doctors shared a look, then with a common shrug walked up the steps. John was shocked by the appearance of this floor, as it was clearly more struck by the fire than he imagined.
"Where?" asked Jesse and John counted four rooms. Two rooms were without doors, and the walls there were burned almost black. The other two had doors, though they were also dark from soot.
"I take the left, you take the right," said John and stormed inside the room, finding it empty and in the state of total destruction. He turned, frustratedly walking out and straight to the barrel of a shotgun. He stopped dead in his track, almost afraid to breath.
"D-don´t shoot," stuttered John and slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. Behind the gun was a skinny young man, more like a teenager than adult. Sweat was slowly trickling down his face and his fingers nervously twitched near the trigger.
Yeah, not much action. Just wait for the next part (devilish grin:) - coming up in a week.
Till then - please review or send a mail. It really helps and I write faster that way.