Chapter Five: Home Again

Cait heard a beeping sound coming from far away but as she opened her eyes she realized it was close by her. Something was on her arm squeezing her and it seemed that was causing the noise. A bright light suddenly appeared in one eye then the other.

"Cait do you know where you are?" A deep voice asked.

Caitlin swallowed trying to relieve her dry throat. "I'm in the Kingdom of Pope." She weakly replied.

Dom and String looked at each other worried that her head injury was worse than they all thought.

The nurse put a spoon to her lips. Cait ate the ice chips letting them soothe her dry lips. Lights and ice chips, Cait took a closer look at the people standing over her. She tried to lift herself up.

"I'm not in Pope anymore."

The nurse took the arm cuff off her arm. "Her blood pressure slightly elevated as she came to."

The doctor continued to ask questions as Dom and String awaited their turn with her.

"Cait do you know what year it is?"

"2017"

"Correct. Do you know where you are now?"

Cait looked around and spotted String and Dom. "You're here. I thought you left me."

String went to her side. "Baby we would never leave you. We've been here since last night."

The doctor continued his assessment. "You are in the hospital. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Cait licked her lips. "May I have more ice please?" String took the spoon and began to feed it to her.

When she had her fill she answered. "The last thing I remember was driving my car. I saw headlights then it went black. I woke up in a forest."

"Cait you were dreaming." String said smiling down at her.

"No String it was so real. A fairy flew up to me and told me I needed to return home but I didn't know how I got there. She told me I was in danger." She tried to sit up but String gently guided her back down.

"Cait you can't get up yet. Take your time telling us about your dream. We're not going anywhere."

The doctor and nurse decided to give them some privacy. Just as they left Lisa came in to check on her. "How is she doing?"

Cait pointed at her. "You were there in the forest with me. You were a fairy."

Lisa laughed. "Well I know I'm small but I've never been mistaken for a fairy."

String introduced her. "This is Lisa. She's the ER nurse that was with you when you were brought in last night. She stayed with you until they got you to surgery."

"But there were big leprechauns that were after me. They were dressed in green."

Lisa patted her hand. "The people that wheeled you into surgery were wearing green scrubs. That would explain the leprechauns."

Cait paused reflecting on the explanations they were giving her. It made sense. "You saved me String. The leprechauns were going to take me to sheriff Bogan. You flew down on a big black bird that breathed fire from its mouth."

Dom looked nervous as he ushered Lisa from the room. "Maybe we should let her rest."

Lisa was still amused by her story. " That sounds like a good idea. It's not uncommon when people suffer trauma to remember what was going on around them but the brain sometimes plays tricks on us. You take care. I'll check on you again tomorrow."

Dom did a low whistle. "That was close."

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked looking confused.

String began to laugh. "No you didn't do anything. Tell us the rest of your dream."

"After you saved me you flew away. I fell asleep and when I woke up the fairy told me I needed to return to Pope because there was trouble and I needed to help. There were big doors that I entered through. I came to a jail and you were there. You had wings like a hawk. I was afraid but I trusted you. I let you out but Bogan and the leprechauns caught us. Bogan poked me in the side and it hurt. You were real angry at him. Dom flew down on the bird and you..."

String finished for her. "And I killed them all."

Cait nodded her head yes. "Then you flew away."

Sting began to inturpret the dream for her. "Cait the black bird was Airwolf. You were back in Pope county. And the doors were probably to surgery. Bogan poking you was the pain from the surgery to repair your spleen."

"Oh." Realization sank in. "That makes sense now. After you and Dom flew away I made up my mind I was going to find you. Then I woke up and you were both here."

String reached down and kissed her forehead. "Yes you did find us and it was the best thing to happen to both of us."

The pain medicine was getting the best of her. She wanted to stay awake but couldn't. She reached for Strings hand. "Don't leave me alone."

He brushed her lips with his. "I'll never leave you. I promise."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

String returned to the hospital after he went home to get a few hours of sleep and a shower. Cait's parents arrived later that night. He and Dom gave them their time with her promising he would be back in the morning. He entered her room and found her mom asleep in the reclining chair.

"Good morning." He turned to see her father carrying two cups of coffee. "If I would have known you were here I would have brought you a cup."

"I had some already but thank you anyway."

Cait's mom stretched and yawned. "Goodness what time is it?"

Mr. O'Shannessy walked to her giving her a kiss on her forehead. "It's 8:00am."

String liked her parents. They seemed very much in love. "If the two of you want to get some breakfast I'll stay with Cait."

Mrs. O'Shannessy started to object but her dad intervened. He never knew where String stood with his daughter but after last night he was sure he was in love with her.

"Come on mother. You could use some food. I think Cait's in capable hands. " He said as he winked at String.

String waited until they left to sit by her bed. He noticed that she was trying to hide a smile. "OK you little faker. You can open your eyes now."

Cait giggled. "I think my dad likes you."

"Oh yeah. I'm not so sure about your mom."

Cait sat up. " Trust me, if my mom didn't like you my dad wouldn't have been able to drag her out of here."

There was a long silence between them.

"Cait...String" They both spoke at the same time and laughed.

"Ladies first." String said as he motioned for her to continue.

"String I'm sorry for what happened on St. Patrick's day. I kinda over reacted."

Strings smile was a loving one that Cait felt as she held his eyes with hers waiting for him to say what he was going to say.

"No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I had no right saying the things I said. As usual what I feel and what I say never come out right. I guess I'm just not good at saying what I feel."

Cait held her breath as she waited for him to finish.

Dom stood outside her door listening, praying String would finally tell her how he felt. He heard the sound of a cane tapping on the floor and knew it could only be one person. He turned to intercept him.

"Mikey, you really do have bad timing."

Archangel ignored him and started to go into Cait's room." I need to see Hawk."

Dom took him by the arm leading him away. "If you take one step in that room right now it will be the last one you will ever take."

String took a deep breath and let it out. "Cait what I'm trying to say is I love you. Or more so I'm in love with you."

Cait remained silent. String was nervous. He suspected she felt the same way but her silence made him have his doubts. "Cait please say something."

Cait let out the breath she had been holding and took his hand. "String in every hardship I have ever gone through I always try to find the good in it. This morning I couldn't think of anything good that would come from my accident."

Strings heart sank as he pulled his hand away. This was not the answer he was hoping for .

Cait took his hand again in hers. "Until this moment."

String looked up to see Cait smiling. She looked happy and just as relieved as he was.

"Cait you never did tell me how your dream ended."

She pulled him in for a kiss . "Happy ever after."