Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the movie Labyrinth. You know the rest of the drill.
Your Eyes
Story by Jessica Arbuckle (Jessi, Princess of Impatience)
June to possibly September, 2005
Chapter Twelve, And It Just Gets Worse…
Sarah paced back and forth relentlessly. She had started about a half an hour after arriving in the waiting area and had been doing it for over two hours. Unable to watch her run herself into the ground in exhaustion, Jareth stood. He placed Toby back on the small sofa he had been sitting on and covered him with a blanket one of the nurses had brought out for him. He crossed the waiting area to where Sarah was pacing, reaching out to grab her as she went past him. He brought her to an abrupt halt, swiveling her about sharply to face him.
"Sarah, you have to sit down. The only thing this pacing is doing is driving you further towards exhaustion."
"Don't you think I know that," she retorted angrily. "But no one has been to see us in almost three hours! I can't just sit down. Dammit Jareth, that's my dad in there! He's the only parent I have left. What else am I supposed to do?" she cried and pulled from his arms, intent on returning to her pacing.
"You are supposed to be saving your strength," he scolded. "We have no indication how long this could be and you want to be able to see him, do you not?" he finished softly.
"Of course I do," she yelled, stamping her feet. Toby stirred restless across the room at the sound.
"Sarah, do keep your voice down," he said sharply. "I only placed a light charmed sleep on him which he can be roused from easily. It is easier for everyone the longer Toby stays asleep."
"I know," she said softly, her anger oozing from her at his reprimand. Her anger at not knowing what was happening had been holding the feelings of overwhelming sadness for her mother and the fear for her father's life at bay, but now they, along with the tiredness, came crashing in on her. Jareth caught her against his body as she seemed to crumple. He held her tightly, not speaking, as she trembled.
The sound of doors swinging open drew both of their glances. A dark haired doctor stood there, looking at them both.
"Miss Williams?" he asked, walking towards them.
"Yes, that's me. Did you come to tell me about my dad?" Jareth felt her body tense up under his hands and he wrapped an arm around her tightly as they turned to face the doctor.
"Your father sustained serious injuries from the fire," the doctor began. "In his attempt to rescue his wife, he was also hit by a falling rafter that broke his ribs and punctured both his lungs. It also caused intense internal bleeding from several other damaged organs. He received third degree burns over most of his body. We took him into surgery and attempted to stop the internal bleeding, but his injuries are too numerous. Miss Williams, I am so sorry, but your father is dying."
The word bounced around in her head like a demented ping bong ball as she collapsed against Jareth. 'Dying… Dying…'
Jareth guided her to a chair and she sat down, shaking uncontrollably. She started to feel lightheaded and the doctor, who had been watching her for signs of shock or fainting, quickly bent down to her level.
"Put your head between your knees and breathe slowly," he instructed gently.
She did as she was told, fighting the waves of grief washing over her. Her dad couldn't die, he couldn't. This had to be some kind of horrible mistake. Or a dream. 'That's it,' she thought wildly. 'This is all a dream and all I have to do is wake up.' But the strong hand on her knee alerting her to Jareth's continued presence told her that it was very much real.
"Are you sure?" she said, her voice cracking as she looked at the doctor.
"Yes, I am. The damage to his body is too great for him to recover."
"How long?" she heard Jareth ask as she stared wordlessly at the doctor.
"It could be hours or days. He is breathing on his own, but he is unconscious. We don't know if he will become conscious again." He turned back to Sarah, his dark brown eyes sympathetic. "We've made him as comfortable as we can. You can go see him once the staff has him in a room. Once again, Miss Williams, I am so sorry."
At that, he stood up and walked away, leaving the couple in stunned silence. Wordlessly, Jareth hit the floor in front of Sarah, pulling her out of the chair into his arms. She leaned limply against him as his grip tightened around her and he rocked her gently like a child, stroking her hair. She was still for several minutes, desperately fighting back the tears once again building up, and then he felt her grip his shirt tightly as she uttered an angry noise.
"This isn't right!" she cried. "He's a good man. He's a loving husband and fantastic father and he doesn't deserve to die. Dammit to hell," she ground out, unconsciously pounding her fists against Jareth with each word. "It's… not… fair!"
His usual irritation at the phrase nonexistent, he pried Sarah's clutching fingers off the fabric of his shirt. Holding her hands tightly in his, he caught her gaze.
"No it is not. It is not right and it most certainly is not fair," he said softly, his mismatched eyes holding her red-rimmed green ones.
Sarah, on the verge of more sobs, began to laugh hysterically, the sound hollow and without any humor. "I never thought I'd hear that from you."
He released her hands to cup her face in his hands. His fingers wiped away the tears that escaped from her brimming eyes as his eyes bore into hers. "That is because most use that phrase offhandedly. What you are going through is the most unfair thing a person should have to deal with and I would never dare make light of it."
"I know," she said softly, breaking eye contact to look across the room at Toby. She rose unsteadily, assisted by Jareth, and crossed to where Toby lay sleeping. She looked sadly at the sleeping form of her brother and reached out to softly touch his cheek, his skin soft under her fingers. 'He's too young to lose them both,' her mind cried. 'How will I even tell him?'
She turned back to find Jareth standing right at her side. Looking up at him helplessly she asked, "How am I going to tell him? He's never experienced death before at all, not even a pet because he was too young to understand when poor Merlin got sick and had to be put down. He's not even five, will he even understand now? If he does, will he be able to cope?"
"Sarah, Toby is very smart," Jareth said gently. "He is also very strong and brave. This will be devastating to him for a long time, but you will help each other get through this. I will help you both get through this."
She looked gratefully at him as a nurse came through the doors. "Miss Williams, you can come in when you are ready. Your father is in room five." She turned and left and Jareth bent down, gathering Toby up as he dropped the blanket back on the couch.
He followed Sarah through the doors, looking at numbered plaques on the windows of the rooms as they passed them. They reached room five and Sarah started into the room, Jareth following after her with Toby in his arms. The nurse in the doorway to the room stopped them.
"You all can't be here," she said briskly. "You should just go home and come back in the morning."
Sarah glared at the woman, anger shaking her form. "Listen, my dad is dying, we don't know how long it could be and I'm not leaving, so you…"
Jareth's hand on her arm stopped the angry tirade from continuing and he wordlessly handed Toby to her. His demeanor became very intimidating as he eyed the nurse and Sarah recognized the very cool and superior demeanor as one displayed by Jareth in his Goblin King moments.
Walking forward into the room as the nurse retreated in fright at the sight of him, he began a quiet discussion with her. Sarah couldn't hear what was being said, but she watched, clutching Toby tightly against her body as the nurse first shook her head no several times before finally nodding, then escaping from the room. Sarah could almost feel badly for her being confronted by the brunt of Jareth's darker side.
Jareth returned to Sarah's side. "She's agreed to let us stay but she said she can't break the age rule, which means Toby can't stay," he said grimly.
"But what will I do with Toby? Jareth, I don't have anyone else, no other family. Just my…" her voice broke. She had been about to say her mom, but now that was no longer true. She continued, "my dad and Toby. And you," her eyes met his, desperate and hopeful.
"You'll always have me Sarah," he said with a distressed intensity. "Never doubt that, ever."
Shifting under Toby's heavy weight, she leaned into Jareth. "I love you," she whispered tiredly.
Jareth, sensing her growing weariness, extracted Toby from her grip. The small boy slept on, unaware of all the moving he was doing. Holding Toby in one arm, he enveloped Sarah in a one armed hug as she stared into the room at her father, his heavily bandaged body still and unmoving.
"I'll take him to the Underground," Jareth said. "I know the perfect place to take him. He'll be well cared for, I swear it on my life Sarah."
She listened to him distractedly, her eyes never leaving her father's form.
"I trust you," she said. His heart leapt at the words. "I know you'll make sure he is ok."
Jareth dropped a kiss on the top of Sarah's head and she rested her head against him for a moment, wrapping one of her arms around his waist as she drew some comfort and strength from his own strength. Then she kissed Toby softly on his head, stroking back his blonde bangs. She reached up and gave Jareth a soft parting kiss, which he returned with love.
He whispered, 'I'll be back very soon my love." Glancing around and seeing no one, he stroked her cheek and then the man and the boy she loved disappear from sight. She walked to the chair in her father's room and gently gathered one hand in her own.
"Oh Daddy," she cried softly as she began her vigil over his battered form lying still in the bed.
a/n: winces Ok, it is another semi- cliffy, I'm SORRY! This story just is full of them and the only person to blame here is JARETH! However, because I adore you all so very much, I'm posting another chapter…I'm such a bulker, it seems, but you all LOVE that, right?
Tons of love to my lovely reviewers, you truly make my day - Sparkle E. Slugg, Lady Saffron of the Daggers, Britican, Jibiathon, filteredlight and Victoria. - Sparkle, you SO know you want to see that image of the man in jeans meow and yes, her parents were not thinking of her at all when they up and got hurt. Now watch me as I blame Jareth for that too! Saffy, I'm glad you love Jareth, he certainly appreciates that his softer side is not being mocked and as for chaps, I'd say possible in the early 40's when all is said and done. -Britican, thanks and here's your update! -SnapeM, I will ALWAYS keep writing. -Jibiathon, come on, would I ever let them not have a happy ending? Perhaps if I were a wicked girl… hmm, perhaps I am evil laugh teasing, this is romance! -Light, yep, Jareth is getting OOC for what we know of him, which, really isn't much at all when you think about it. Dealing with human things tends to make you more human. Though, I won't tell him you said so, as he'll be horridly offended. Jareth offended tends to not produce the fun I need wink -Victoria, I now must go gets myself a t-shirt that says fantasmic, I love that word!
As always, even though I cliffy you into panic, please R/R, I would just adore it!