Chapter the ninth. Again, I own the ideas but not the characters. Unfortunately XD
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Isis had arrived home to find the house empty and dark. "Hello?" She tossed her keys on the kitchen table. "Rishid? Malik?" The red light of the answering machine was blinking at her, and she pressed the button apprehensively to listen to the new message.
It was the hospital. Reaching out behind her, Isis found a chair and sat numbly as the message played. Rishid and Malik were in the hospital, but both were in stable condition. The voice continued, leaving a number where she could reach them or hospital staff.
"Gods…" she whispered to herself. She had just spoken to her brothers that very morning, and now this. She felt blindsided; even after all this time without the torq, she was still taken aback by how strongly the sense of bewilderment struck her. The necklace had afforded a powerful crutch, and she hadn't realized how heavily she sometimes leaned on it until she let it go. To go through life not knowing, being suddenly ambushed by events as they came to pass…it was a sensation she still grappled with.
The room fell once again into silence as the answering machine reached the end of the recorded message. Isis sat quietly for a moment before gathering her keys again. It was senseless to wonder what would have happened if she could have seen this coming; the only thing she could do was deal with the present. She left the house, locking the door resolutely behind her before hailing a cab.
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Rishid shifted his shoulder experimentally as he waited outside the room that held Malik. He didn't think his brother had been seriously injured, but there had been so much blood…it was hard to tell whose was whose. Just then the door opened, and a nurse acknowledged him with a small nod. "You may see him now, Lieutenant."
Stepping into the room, Rishid felt an ineffable relief at seeing his brother's eyes: the Creature was no longer in control. "Brother," he said quietly.
"Rishid!" Malik tried to sit up, but his motions were sluggish. "Sorry," he said, shifting awkwardly. "They gave me some sort of sedative…it's a little hard to move." A slow smirk crossed his face as he glanced down at his right arm. "Plus there's this." There was a faint clink as Malik revealed his arm handcuffed to the side of the bed.
"How are you feeling, Malik?"
The smirk fell away, and Malik looked down for a moment before looking up at his brother. "I'm…tired. My headache is almost gone, though…" He did sound tired, almost defeated. "What about you? Are you OK?"
"I'll be fine," he assured him, glancing at the bandaged shoulder. "Luckily it wasn't a serious injury."
"Yeah. Lucky," Malik said bitterly. "I…" He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Rishid," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry."
"Malik…" Rishid crossed the room quickly to pull his brother into a hug with his good arm. "It's alright, Malik…"
The younger Ishtar was quiet for a moment, clinging to Rishid's jacket before he spoke again. "What…what else did I do?"
Rishid's first instinct was to say, "Nothing." He had spent so much time protecting his brother from the Creature and the resulting aftermath. Not wanting to upset Malik, he generally tended to downplay the events when his brother came to again. But there was no avoiding what had happened this time. "People…were hurt, Malik."
Malik heard the hesitation in his brother's voice. "Badly hurt, I'm guessing." His voice sounded thick, as though he were fighting off tears.
"You'll have to talk to the police," Rishid said, sidestepping the comment. "But we'll get through this together, brother. I promise." Malik nodded, and Rishid squeezed his shoulder gently. "Don't be afraid, Malik."
"Malik?"
Both brothers turned to see Isis in the doorway. "Sister!" Malik exclaimed.
"Malik! Rishid! Oh, thank the gods…" She rushed forward, embracing each of her brothers in turn. "Are you hurt?" she asked anxiously, looking over Malik.
"I'm fine," he assured her. "It…was bad for a while…but I'm not hurt."
She nodded soberly. "How's your head?"
"They gave me something for the headache…it seems to be working."
"Good." She turned to Rishid, cerulean eyes concerned. "And you? I got a call saying you were both being treated here…"
Rishid nodded. "A minor shoulder injury – nothing to worry about," he said calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Isis's shoulder. "I'm sorry to have worried you – they made me turn my cell phone off for this wing of the hospital."
"I'm just glad you're both OK," Isis said, feeling better now that she had seen her brothers. She smiled toward Malik, who seemed to be feeling the effects of his sedative. "Perhaps we should let Malik get some rest, though…right, brother?"
Malik smiled a lopsided grin, eyes half closed already. "Yeah…sleep…you'll be here?"
"We'll be right outside," Rishid affirmed. "Get some rest, now."
As Malik closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Rishid led Isis out into the hall. "Are you alright, sister?"
Isis nodded as the door closed. "I was scared when I got the phone call from the hospital," she whispered, "but it seems like you're both OK. For now, at least. Rishid…" she hesitated. "What exactly happened? Did Malik's other attack anyone?"
He nodded wordlessly, looking away. "More than one person, I think." He didn't want to tell her about the other murders. Not yet. And as far as the police were concerned it was still technically speculation at this point…nothing definitely linked Malik to the other girls… He frowned, considering for a moment. I'll probably be pulled from the case…conflict of interest…
"…Rishid?"
"Sorry," he apologized, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "What were you saying?"
"What happens now?"
Rishid closed his eyes briefly, sighing. "I wish I knew for sure. I suppose Malik will have to talk to the police; we'll have to see what charges are brought against him. The courts will probably have to consider Malik's…mental state, too."
"Gods," Isis whispered, "I hate this." The sadness in her voice made Rishid's heart ache, and he wordlessly put an arm around her shoulders. They waited in silence, then, each lost in thought. Finally, Rishid spoke.
"We will get through this. Whatever the future brings, we'll get through it."
Isis nodded. "Yes," she said, sensing the truth in his words. "We will. Together."
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Holy mackerel. I think I'm done! (Unless anyone has any concrete suggestions for an epilogue : ) ) This is without a doubt the longest fic I've ever written – woot!! Thanks for coming along for the ride, guys : ) Review if ye want…