Jalena – haha, yep, absolutely. I had to leave it hanging so people would review, complaining at me :D
"She's not dead!" Winnie informed the crowds around her, and one collective sigh of relief was issued, "she probably wishes she was, but hey, it's Keller we're talking about!"
Quinn stepped forward out of the crowd, a savage look on his face, as the oldest one there he had some form of authority, he snapped out orders, "James, contact Thierry, tell him Jez and Keller have been found. Poppy, phone Galen, tell him to get as many medical witches as he can find. Delos, take a team and get the kids the hell out of here, Gillian: phone Thea, tell her to discharge herself from hospital and get over to Galen's mansion. I want these bodies taken back to Thierry's mansion. There's a helicopter waiting outside for Morgead, Keller and Jez. Now go!"
Normally, at that sort of request, there'd be a lot of mumbling, who made you boss? And, you're telling us what to do? This time, all he got was compliance. He turned to Rashel and outstretched his arms, her toppling neatly into them. He always knew how she felt through the chord that chained them together, and even the untouchable Rashel Jordan was upset to see a four-year-old child beheaded with her parents.
Just as soon as she'd joined his embrace, she stepped back, "We need to help," Winnie and Nissa were trying to carry Keller out. Although Nissa probably wished Winnie would stop fussing and let her do it alone, it seemed the witch was doing more bad than good.
Jez was in a bad state too, as was Morgead, but neither were as bad as her. They could both still stand up, still walk, and still breathe without coughing up blood, and they seemed as though they wanted some time together, so no one bothered them.
They'd get the story out of them later.
Eventually, the warehouse had dispersed of Night World creatures and Daybreakers alike. Jez, Morgead and Keller got into the helicopter. The little girls got into Nissa's car along with Winnie and Nissa; the rest of them all went to their own vehicles.
Quinn was content. His soulmate was going to become a vampire so that they could be together forever. The mission had been completed, even at the death of a child and the king and queen of the shape shifters. The world still had as much hope as it had had before, now all there was for it was for them to get the hell out of there. Whistling, for no apparent reason, he ran over to his own car.
As soon as the helicopter stopped outside his house, Galen was in the courtyard, running over the grass, and was there before anyone could stop him. They were wheeling people out on stretchers, apart from Delos, who swaggered out and put a hand on Galen's shoulder, "don't touch her. She's in a lot of pain, she doesn't look…quite like Keller…"
Even after being given that warning, Galen couldn't quite believe his eyes when he saw Keller. Never before, in all her missions, had she ever gotten that bad. The bastards, he thought, and this was rare, because Galen hardly ever hated a person to the extent of calling them that. Internally, he felt the desperate urge that seemed to be trying to make him grab Keller and hold onto her for the rest of existence.
He didn't, however, because of what Delos had said. Instead, he reached for her hand, hoping that he wouldn't find a bloody stump there where her hand should have been. His fingers met hers and he held on tightly, she was unconscious, she probably couldn't even feel him there, but it gave him a rush. He had never thought he'd be able to touch her again, never again be able to see her beautiful face. And even though she was covered in blood and scars, her face was still that of his greatest dreams.
"Galen," the voice was threatening to break him away from his beloved Keller, was threatening to pull him away from her, and he'd been away from her too long, too, too long…
"Galen," he held Keller's hand to his mouth and kissed it, felt hands on his back. Ignored them. Then there were arms around his neck, and he pretty much had to turn around.
"GALEN!" Thea was screaming at him, she hugged him briefly, then pushed him aside, "you're going to have to let go of Keller so we can get her inside, then we'll be able to heal her…" she paused, looked doubtful, "some of her anyway."
He didn't like the sound of that. What wouldn't they be able to heal? Had the bastards that had held her captive injected her with some deadly disease or something? The thought was irrational, but so had everything in his life lately, "what do you mean?" he asked Thea in a small voice.
"I mean…" she trailed off when she saw her face, "don't look at me like that Galen. We're not going to let her die, but chances are we might not be able to heal most of the scars she's developed."
Oh. Well, as long as she lived, he didn't mind what she looked like; being soulmates was beyond caring about one another's looks. He loved her for her soul, for her ferocity, her nobility. For the way she could be completely uncomprehending about how much her friends thought of her, the gentle girl with a panthers instincts. Really, her looks hadn't come into it at all, even though she was beautiful.
He just hated to be there when some poor fool gave her a mirror.
Thea hurt all over as she helped wheel Keller through the house to one of the downstairs bedrooms, Eric was on the other side of the trolley, and although he wouldn't be able to do anything for Keller – he wanted to be a vet, after all, not a doctor – he would be able to help her. The other medical witch was with Morgead. Thea smiled when she thought of the trouble she'd had to go through just to get there: she'd gotten stubborn argumentation from Eric, his mother, Rosemund, and the doctors. Actually, she had gotten flat orders from the doctors – you must not leave this hospital, Thea Harman – but she'd ignored them. One of her own children had died in vain because she hadn't been able to save Holly…it made her want to help Keller even more, and eventually Eric had relented and helped her get out of that place – just as she knew he would. He might be stubborn, but he didn't want her doing it on her own.
Now, she rapped out orders to those following the trolley, "Winnie, I need some Marigold, Calendula officinalis, crushed into salve… it should help the scars heal, Nissa, go to one of the witches and see if they have a Jasper bloodstone, Jeannette: I need some Chickweed, stellaria media…and some mistletoe, Poppy: get a clear quartz, and Eric: go get something so we can wash the blood."
Everyone around her stared. They weren't used to seeing Thea so authoritive, but it wasn't only that, "Marigolds?" Winnie asked incredulously.
"Marigold Calendula Officinalis," Thea repeated calmly, "it's twice as big as a normal marigold, a very effective herb, and I'll need it to close the scars quicker, hopefully she'll only have faint marks where the scars have been. There must be some here, if not, go into town and buy some…"
"Urm…" Jeannette seemed reluctant to leave, "I don't even know what Chickweed blah is supposed to be."
"it's a herb, when used with mistletoe it restores strength. Just say chickweed when you look for it, they'll know what you want."
"I sincerely doubt it," they all heard her mumble as she started off down the hall. Poppy and Nissa took their instructions fine, so did Eric, squeezing her arm softly before taking off down the hall. With Galen, she wheeled the trolley the remaining distance to the bedroom and let Galen lift her onto the bed.
"Okay, Galen, time for you to leave now," she shot him a glance.
He looked stunned, as though he was surprised that anyone could ask it of him, he looked down on Keller's unconscious form, "Please Thea…I…I…don't want to leave her," he seemed to be choking the words out, his head was down, "I haven't been with her for the past three weeks or so, and it… I need to be here…"
Because she felt the emotion behind the words, and because she doubted she could move him anyway, Thea nodded, Eric returned with water and clothes a few minutes later andwrang out a cloth, dabbing at Keller's forehead, waiting for the others to come back.
The story's nearly over, I really want to finish this one before I go on holiday, but I don't know whether I will or not. Sorry if I don't…
And REVIEW!
