Chapter 26 - A friend in need is a friend indeed

Within five minutes of arriving the paramedics had Vicki loaded onto a gurney and were running towards the waiting helicopter preparing for a direct flight to Toronto General Hospital. Vicki lay pale and white against the sheet but oddly at peace, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Henry who had not left her side since he had finished 'cleaning' up the mess inside the cavern.

Mike looked towards them as they loaded Vicki and Henry into the helicopter for once glad that his job required him to organize the evidence gathering and body removal on the scene. He did all he could to avoid looking at the newly dead girl, her throat torn open as if by wild dogs. Inside he knew that Henry did what was necessary but his head and his heart weren't reconciled. Up until that point Mike had never really seen death inflicted in that way, the vampire, Henry, being the judge, juror and executioner. He had known intellectually that this is what he had done in the past but the shock of seeing him kill like that was taking its toll.

Shaking his head Mike pulled himself together. He had a job to do, just like Henry did. Time to move on.

"Mike" he heard a raspy voice behind him causing him to turn.

"Bruce, your ok" he said genuinely happy to see Bruce alive after he thought he was going to be killed by Henry.

"Just, do you think you could go back in there and have a search around for my gold silk tie pin". He paused painfully touching his throat.

"I seemed to have dropped it. Sorry to be a bother" he finished slumping back down and letting the team work on his forehead cut while checking him over for further injuries.

Mike smiled and placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Sure, if I can't find it I'll personally buy you another one as a gift".

Bruce smiled in wonder at the Chief's face hoping that it couldn't be found. A gift from the tall blond one, now that was almost worth all the pain!.

...Vicki...

Vicki's eyes fluttered open again over the roar of the helicopter blades feeling Henry's presence over her, literally pouring his strength through their connection, weakening himself in order to give her the metaphysical energy necessary to supplement her weakening body.

He squeezed her hand warmly. "Vicki", he said gently. "Your going to be alright"

She couldn't answer him, the energy for such a response wasn't there but she did smile into his eyes warming her cold self with his presence before drifting off again.

Henry held Vicki's hand monitoring her progress with his own senses as well as watching the monitor being careful to not knock the IV drip going into her arm, an oxygen mask was placed over her face.

He drew her cool hand to his mouth and kissed it urgently. He felt a hot mist in his eyes and lowered his head. If she died... if she died, what would he do? How would he go on living without her?

Henry remember back to the conversation they had not so long ago when the Were danger was revealed.

...Earlier...

"If anything happens to me" she said. "It won't" he replied smiling at her which she ignored batting his hands away from her body.

"Listen Henry this is important. If I do 'somehow' get myself into a situation where you would have to make the decision to turn me the answer is no"

Henry stopped his hunger advances on her and pulled back. "I won't allow you to die Victoria" he said simply his beautiful blue green eyes hardening.

"This is my choice Henry and I stand firm. Now lets just say you were to turn me what would happen to the baby"

Henry shut his face down completely and turned away from her before answering.

"If the baby survived the turning process it would be born a full vampire, without the possibility of ever growing past that stage of development." he finished having only once in his lifetime seen that hellish nightmare unfold. It wasn't his fault. He had come to a territory where a mad young vamp had been hunting, one of his victims was a heavily pregnant woman who he attacked and then in a fit of remorse turned.

Henry had been there at the birth and had seen the monster born with black eyes and fangs extended wanting only its mothers blood. It was killed by the local villagers and Henry had done nothing to stop them. The mother herself, so horrified by the whole experience had walked out into the sun the next day to die.

Henry looked back up at his Victoria "Yes, I agree" he said simply and then moved back in to finish kissing her properly, needing her near to comfort him.

...Present...

There was a team waiting at the hospital when the helicopter landed. Henry was told by the emergency team what would happen when they arrived. The cardiac team would first examine her and schedule the tests necessary to determine the extent of the heart damage. If the damage wasn't immediately life threatening then she would be taken to deliver the baby before the dangerous heart repair surgery would begin.

It was the recipe for a nightmare and it got worse when the surgeon Dr Smith told Henry what could go wrong. Vicki's pregnancy was advanced enough that they could take the child but the C-section would compound the risk if her heart was weakened. Henry turned to the doctor

"Vicki comes first", he said simply eyes narrowed with feeling and pain. "No matter what".

Dr Smith smiled back at Henry "I'm hoping to save them both" he replied simply giving Henry the first hope he had since he saw the talon plunge into her chest. He then went on to explain the damage done to Vicki's heart and the necessary repairs causing Henry's heart to again constrict within his chest.

Mike walked through the door 30 minutes later, organizing the crime scene while he had the medics stitch up his wound on the spot insisting that he had to be functioning and couldn't afford down time to go to the hospital. He needed to be with Vicki.

Henry rose to look into his eyes questioning him silently as to how he was feeling, about everything. Mike looked back and shook his head once and walked straight up to him and drawing Henry into his arms. After being so strong for all this time Henry allowed the tears to fall and held onto Mike as he cried out his pain, the pain of possibly losing Vicki and the baby, the pain of taking the girls life. Mike made small comforting noises rubbing Henry's back firmly giving him back some of the strength Henry had given all of them in the caven.

A/N: I love the You Tube Blood Ties Video called Pure Morning. Check it out. Listened to it while writing story.