Chapter 22. If wishes were horses

Jareth ordered, yes ordered was the only way to describe it, her into the ambulance along with Riha. He turned to Hog, "Get young Mr. Channing to the hospital." He commanded. Turning to Lou he barked another order and both he and Shamus ran off to do the man's bidding. Under his breath he muttered, "Damn, I'm good." As he moved like a great cat toward his own motor vehicle.

Jareth arrived at the local hospital just behind the ambulance. He watched as Sarah exited on her own and stood by as they pulled the stretcher with Riha out. Once the girls were in the examination rooms, he took up residence in the waiting room, looking commanding and regal. Hog returned with Conner in tow, and the young man took a seat.

"How bad is it?" Conner asked quietly.

"Bad." Jareth said honestly. "I won't lie to you Conner, it's bad."

Hog took a seat, staring at the door and waiting.

Jareth stood up when the Headmaster came in followed by Lou and Shamus. "I thought you were going to keep a better eye on these two girls." His voice quaked with fury.

Mr. Gregory, already shaken by being dragged to the hospital, didn't need the added pressure being applied by one angry businessman. "Sir, I am the head master of a school… I'm not a baby sitter…. I certainly didn't expect anyone to try to kill two of my students."

Jareth closed his eyes, "What is being done to find the culprit?"

"We are reviewing the tapes of who entered the building before the incident." Mr. Gregory said. "I've left my staff to review the tapes, and I am here."

Nodding, the blond man went on with his interrogation of the headmaster. "Did you call the Williams family? And have you notified Riha's parents?"

Mr. Gregory sighed, "Yes to both questions. Young man, are you under the impression that I owe you any explanations at all?"

Jareth's eyes narrowed, he glowered and the Headmaster looked as if he were scorched by a laser. "See here, if any one ever uses me or something of mine to lure someone to near death, yes… I think explanations are owed to me."

Hog jumped up from his seat and stepped between the men. "Boss… it would do no good… calm down… think of Sarah."

Jareth looked toward the man attached to the hand on his sleeve. "Yes, Hog…. You're right. It's Sarah I have to think of." He looked back at the Headmaster, "A word of warning, sir. If you don't find the one behind this, I will…"

Mr. Gregory was certain he didn't want the ire of this man unleashed on any of his students. Not for what he assumed had to be a prank gone wrong. He moved to a seat and awaited the Doctors.

Shamus had gone down the hall to a vending machine, and now was returning with a cup of tea. He handed it to the blond, who was still seething. "Drink this." He ordered.

Jareth looked at the tea, then at the three who had been with him since the start of this journey back to his right mind. "Thank you Shamus…" He sipped and nodded.

A Doctor was exiting the examination room, with him came Sarah. He looked at the Headmaster. "Mr. Gregory," He greeted the man. "Well, as I said Sarah, you're very lucky. Her coat took the burnt of most of the fall. Can't say you could ever wear it again. She has mostly scrapes and a few bruises… She was very lucky in how she landed. A day or two of rest and she'll be right as rain again."

Before the Headmaster could speak Jareth spoke up. "We'll see to it that she gets her rest." Sarah looked over at him, but didn't say a thing. He looked back at the examination room. "And Riha?"

The Doctor shook his head, "I'm going in now to see her." He patted Sarah's shoulder. "Go home and rest."

"No." Sarah said firmly. "I'm staying here with my cousin."

Mr. Gregory huffed. "Out of the question, Williams… I want you to go back to the school."

Sarah glared at the man. "I'm staying here." She said again with more force.

Jareth placed a hand to her shoulder and looked at the Headmaster. "She should stay; she'll never get any rest until she knows how her cousin is doing." He led Sarah to a seat, "Shamus, get tea for Sarah."

Sarah looked at the headmaster, almost feeling sorry for him incurring the wrath of the Goblin King. She turned to Jareth. "My parents…"

"Will come here, they know you'll never leave Riha alone…" Jareth said with confidence as he took his seat beside her.

"What the hell were you two doing?" Conner asked. "How the hell did you end up in a mine shaft?" His voice filled with annoyance and sarcasm.

Sarah felt a sudden rush of contempt for the young man who had broken her cousin's heart. "Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me, Conner Channing!" She heard her voice and the commanding strength. "Not after what you've done."

Conner's eyes lowered, his face lost all color. "You're right, I don't have any right to question you…Sarah." He swallowed the bile in his throat. "Please, tell me what happened."

Jareth watched her, seeing what he'd seen in her from the start, a strength that was worthy of Queenly status. He didn't interfere, knowing it was best for Sarah to learn to handle this kind of problem on her own. He merely sat besides her, giving her his support.

"Someone sent me a note, on Jareth's stationary to come up to the track of land that he has up on the hillside outside of town." Sarah stated. "I wasn't thinking of how strange it was that he didn't come by in person. I was just too happy that he was back… so I went, hitched a ride with one of his drivers and headed up to the old mine camp. Riha found the note, because I left it on the table… she must have thought it was strange and she set out after me to try and stop something from happening. When I got to the camp I followed what I thought were Jareth's footsteps… they lead to what I assumed was a cave opening. I called out Jareth's name and was shoved into the opening, and down the shaft I fell. Riha followed those same footsteps; now with mine along side them. She was shoved into the shaft as well."

Conner closed his eyes painfully. "Who would want you or Riha to suffer so?"

"Megan Élan, for one," Sarah said, and saw the Headmaster stiffen. "Yes, Mr. Gregory, I do understand the seriousness of what I say."

The Headmaster moved from where he'd been seated to standing in front of Sarah. Most students found him intimidating, but this girl looked at him as if her were merely an inconvenience. "Megan Élan would never…." He began sharply.

Sarah cut him off just as sharply. "Yes, she would." She stood up, not allowing the man to look down on her. "She's a very dangerous and spoiled young woman, Mr. Gregory. She was the mastermind behind the destruction of my cousin's belongings. And if you don't believe me, ask Ellen Courtney!" Sarah held her head up, defiantly.

Mr. Gregory shook his head, "No, that won't be necessary." He backed away from the young woman.

Jareth looked up at his Sarah. "Sit." He said and she complied.

An hour slipped by, then two, three and four. They sat in the waiting room not speaking. Robert and Karen showed up around the end of the third hour, and took seats beside Sarah. Robert looked over at the man seated on the other side of his daughter and he frowned. At long last the doctor came out and his solemn grave expression told them all it was not good news.

"Miss McMannon was severely injured in the fall." He said gravely. "Are you aware of her medical condition?" He asked the Headmaster and the Williams, only the Headmaster nodded. "It's advanced…" the doctor said. "The loss of blood and a night in coal dust…"

"Is she conscious?" Robert asked, "May we see her?"

The Doctor nodded, but held up a hand, "She's asking to see Mr. King… and then the rest of the family." He looked at Jareth, "Sir, if you'll come with me."

Jareth gave Sarah's shoulder a squeeze before he followed the doctor back past the swinging doors to the examination area and the cubical holding the pale Irish girl. He watched as the Doctor exited pulling the drape to give them privacy. He moved to the chair beside the bed and reached for the girl's hand. "Riha," He said quietly. "What do you want of me?"

"I know." She sighed softly.

"You know what?"

"Who you are," she winced.

Jareth looked into her eyes, saw the truth and nodded. "Very well, daughter of Erin," he squeezed her hand. "You know who I am."

"I know who Sarah is as well." She sighed deeply. "I know the prophecies."

Jareth smiled sadly. "All good Celts do," he agreed.

"Goblin King," she tightened her grip of his hand. "Don't let me die here, in this land… this land that is not mine….I need to be on Tara's Hill! I need to breathe my last breaths there." Her eyes filled with tears. "Take me home, Jareth, please."

He nodded. "As soon as the Doctor says you can be moved." He stood up. "I'll go make arrangements. The family is going to come in now… and Conner… say your goodbyes."

"Thank you." She said quietly.

He looked at her, "You're a brave woman, Riha, and it's been an honor to know you."

She smiled, but said nothing in return.

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Jareth found the Doctor standing at the nurse's station, "I need to know how soon I can have the girl moved. She wants to go home."

"I don't think the school would be a good place for her just now." The Doctor started.

"No, you don't understand," Jareth commented a bit bemused. "She wants to go home, to Ireland."

"She's not well enough," Protested the medico.

"She wishes her last breaths to be filled with Irish air," Jareth said. "She knows… she is in control of her self…. And I promised her."

"I can't release her to you… or anyone." The doctor said harshly. "It's out of the question. I'm having her transferred up to a room, where we will watch her closely."

Jareth saw Sarah watching the exchange, he moved toward her. "Riha wants to go home, she's asked me to take her home, Sarah. I promised her I would."

Green eyes looked into the mismatched ones with sad resignation. "Then you must…" She moved toward the cubical. "I'm going to say goodbye to her."

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Conner sat on the edge of the chair. "What were you thinking? Why didn't you call me for help?"

"You know why," Riha said sadly. "We left things so… angry… so hurtful…"

"Riha…." He reached out a hand, but dropped it helplessly when she pulled away from him. "I never meant things to …"

The Irish girl held up her hand. "Conner, I loved you… I love you still and will with my last breath. I've no regrets…. Nor should you have." She sighed. "Tell your mother how much I love her, please." She closed her eyes and bid him to go.

Sarah watched the young man leave, feeling rejected. She recognized the look on his face, a look she'd seen once before on a man's face. She sat down in the chair. "Ri…." She leaned on the bed with both elbows and placed her chin in her hands. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." The girl didn't open her eyes. "I want to go home, Sarah. I want to die in the green grass of Tara's Hill. I want to be in Ireland to die."

Sarah whispered, "What if I said there was a way you didn't have to die?"

Riha looked at her cousin. "No, Sarah, no." she protested. "That's not for me…."

Tears streaked down from green eyes. "Ri….."

"No!" She said firmly. "I'll not ask that."

"But I could…" Sarah buried her face in her hands.

"No." The Irish girl said quickly. "Sarah, we were never meant to share the same fate."

Sarah looked up, "How can I lose you now?"

"I'm not lost to you…" Riha stated. "I will go on…"

Sarah sighed. "You asked Jareth to take you home."

"I did," she nodded. "And I know he will. I know who and what he is, Sarah. And I'm not afraid."

The girl who had run the Labyrinth and beaten it took hold of the Irish girl's hands. "Of course you're not." Both girls looked toward the hall where a loud discussion was going on; Sarah recognized two of the voices. One was her father the other was Jareth, the third voice had to be a doctor. Sarah sighed. "Jareth is making arrangements to have you released now, sounds like my dad is helping him."

Riha clasped the hand of her cousin tightly. "Remember all I taught ye, and pass it on to your draughts and sons."

"I will." She kissed the girl. "Goodbye, cousin mine. I love you."

"And I you," She watched as Sarah moved past the curtain, quietly she added. "Goblin Queen." She smiled softly and leaned back into the pillows.

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Sarah watched as the Doctor fought a losing battle. The driver of the private ambulance stood by waiting to transport the patient to jet that was even now waiting to take off. Jareth was glad that Robert was fighting on his side. When at last the Doctor signed the release form he looked most unhappy.

Sarah stood with Karen as Riha was wheeled past them, looking pale and frail. Both women bid the girl farewell, and watched as the gurney moved past them. Conner asked Jareth if he could ride to the air port with them, and was told yes. Robert looked at the Headmaster, and growled something.

Hog, Lou and Shamus stood in the hall, watching the gurney. Jareth moved to the three of them, said something and was answered with heads shaking yes. Jareth moved toward Sarah and Karen, "Lou, Hog, and Shamus will act as body guards for you, Sarah until I return."

Sarah bit her lower lip, "Alright Jareth."

Robert protested, "That won't be necessary, she's coming home with us."

Jareth smiled an icy smile, "Robert, I don't give a damn where she is. They will be there to guard her. Here or at your home. I want Sarah safe." Before Robert could muster another protest Jareth moved aside, taking hold of Sarah's arm and pulling her to him, "When I come home…"

"I need to think, Jareth." She said urgently. "Give me this time to think."

He moved closer, his lips at her ear. "Fine," He looked at her with mild interest.

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Sarah stood beside her parents as the ambulance drove off. She looked at her father when it was gone. "I want to stay here."

"What? After someone's tried to kill you?" Robert shouted.

"Daddy…" She said too calmly. "I'm a big girl, and I've got my body guards…nothing is going to happen to me now… besides I need… to think."

Karen patted Robert's arm and nodded.

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The sun was going down, Valentines evening, and Sarah stared at the little altar her cousin had set up. She knelt down, lit a candle and whispered. "Danu…. Tell me what to do! Show me a path….. For the love of God and Goddess give me a sign."

Darkness filled the room, and the air filled with the scent of wild flowers and something sweet and fruity… something familiar… something… PEACH.