Chapter Two: Far From Home

String went back to the hanger after dropping Everett and Dom off. It was too late to fly back to the cabin. He would have stayed at Dom's if it had not been for the uncomfortable silence between them on the ride home. Dom had a right to his anger towards him. He didn't mean for his words to come out the way they did. He did think Cait was capable and smart. When she had asked him what he meant by his comment he couldn't tell her the real reason why he was upset at the pub. Seeing her laugh as she danced with another man did things to him that he didn't want to admit to. He should have been the one to make her laugh and her eyes sparkle. He let out an exasperated breath. He shouldn't be angry at her, she had no idea how he felt . Keeping his feelings in check was becoming harder to do.

String was pulling out the cot as his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number but answered anyway. "Hello. Yes this is String. May I ask who's calling?"

"This is Riverside hospital emergency room. Caitlin O'Shannessy was brought in an hour ago. Your name was in her phone as an emergency contact."

String dropped the blanket that he was about to lay out on the cot. His legs gave out as he fell to the bed.

"String, are you still there."

String was afraid to respond. "Yeah, I'm still here. Is she... ok?"

"She was in an auto accident. A car ran a red light and hit her on the drivers side. They are getting ready to take her into surgery. We have no other contact information. Do you know her family?"

String rubbed his eyes as he sat there with his head hung down. "Her family all live in Texas. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."He hung up the phone. He was grateful he didn't have much to drink tonight. Cait needed him. As he was getting dressed he called Dom asking him to be ready. Doms house was on the way to the hospital. He said a silent prayer asking God not to take another person from him. Not her, not his Cait.

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Cait opened her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. She did not know where she was or how she got here. She lifted herself off the ground looking around. It was some kind of forest. She hurt all over but did not know why. She needed to find out where she was. As she walked she heard a faint small voice. She stopped to listen but as soon as she did the voice stopped. As soon as she started walking again she heard the whispers.

"Go back gental human. You do not belong here."

She stopped and stood still. "Who's there, show yourself." She waited for an answer and when none came she began to walk again.

"Heed my warning, go back. You are in danger of never returning."

Cait turned quickly to come face to face with what she was sure was a fairy. She jumped back and fell over some roots from a tree. The fairy which was no bigger then her hand fluttered to her coming close to her face as she dared. Cait was unable to speak. Her throat was parched. She swallowed then spoke.

"Where am I?"

The fairy fluttered down to the ground landing at her feet. "You are in the Kingdom of Pope. "

"Why do you say I am in danger?"

The fairy turned her ear in the direction of a sound. " He is coming for you. You must return from whence you came."

Cait suddenly stood up frightening the fairy as she fluttered away. "Stop, please come back. I won't hurt you." The fairy stopped as if to decide if she could trust the beautiful human.

"You must leave now. The sheriff is very evil. There is word that he seeks a beautiful human with golden hair with flecks of a red sunset in it. Her eyes shine like an emerald."

The fairy started to fly away. "Wait, what is this sheriff's name."

"Bogan" the fairy said as she quickly dissappeared.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

String busted through the emergency room doors with Dom right behind him. They found the front desk and at the same time gave Cait's name. The woman tapped the name in her computer.

"Are you family?" She asked without looking up.

"Look lady, that's our friend in there. " Dom shouted at the young woman who had yet to look up at them. Seeing Dom was in no shape to negotiate String put himself between Dom and the desk.

He reached down closing her laptop. That got her attention. "Sir, please sit down and I will have someone come out and talk with you."

Before String could plead with her a nurse called out to them. "Are you String?" He nodded yes. "I'm Lisa the nurse that called you earlier. Come back with me. I will fill you in on her condition but I also need some information."

Dom and String followed her to a room in the ER. String was aware of the chaos going on around them. The ER was full. Some were there for minor injuries some were critical. He was hoping Cait was in the first category but his gut told him that was not going to be the case.

The nurse pulled the curtin back and it only took them both a second to realize they were in the cubicle Cait had been in. A bloodied shirt that had been cut off her lay in the corner. Lisa saw where their eyes were and explained. "Sorry you had to see that. We are understaffed tonight and don't have enough staff to clean up. Pleses sit down."

String thought her a compassionate person considering how many times she probably had to deliver bad news to families.

Dom spoke first. "Sweetheart I know you're busy but can you just let us know how she is?"

"Of course, what we know is a drunk driver ran a red light hitting her on the drivers side. She was unresponsive when they arrived. We did a quick assessment here. She has a head injury she sustained when her head hit the side window. There is internal bleeding and that is the reason she is in surgery."

She placed her hand on Strings knee noticing that he was not handling this well. Neither man was but her intuition told her he loved this woman deeply. "Do you have any other questions?"

String took a moment to take it all in. "Did she ever regain consciousness?"

"She was talking but was not fully awake. She did call your name and something about a big black bird saving her. That's expected with a head injury and trama. Now if you could fill out theses forms the best you can. I will let you know when she's out of surgery."

Dom and String sat there looking at Cait's personal things laying around. Dom saw the look on his face and knew where his head was at.

"It's not your fault Kid."

"So if I hadn't upset her and made her leave when she did she wouldn't have been in that intersection."

"Don't go there String. She needs us."

"I'm not going anywhere Dom. Especially knowing she was calling for me to help her."