Splintered Dreams

(Chapter 15)

He remained where he was. Why had he returned? He did not belong here. The blazing eyes that were laid before him a few moments ago supported this train of thought.

And yet, here he was.

Sweeney Todd frowned as he glanced at his most likely former apprentice. He no doubtfully already figured out who was the fiend behind this heinous act. Toby might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but the boy was no fool. Mr. Todd grimaced as he studied the room more closely. Was there this much blood when he had left? His eyebrows furrowed and he couldn't help but feeling his gut fill with the un denial feeling of guilt.

Goddamned guilt.

He could deny it no longer. What he felt was guilt. Guilt because he just might have succeeded in killing the only person in the world that comprehended him even if it only at a slightest. Guilt because he might have destroyed the healing innocence of a child. Guilt because he might have destroyed the one chance that he could have had at having something that was taken away from him so many years ago. A family.

We could 'ave a life us two. Maybe not like I dreamed, maybe not 'ow you remember, but we could get by...

A life. With her.

Sweeney knew there was a choice he now had to make. His onyx orbs gazed below at his fallen accomplice. He had the choice of leaving and allowing the woman who took him in without a second thought and took care of him as well as support him in all of his sick and twisted ideas and even contributing some of her own in order to help him, die, or stay and try to save her and try and re-pay her out of gratitude of everything that she has done for him.

Any insipid, daft fool could see what Sweeney Todd, The Demon of Fleet Street, had to do.

The barber took long strides toward the fallen baker and fiercely turned the small body of the boy around. Toby widened his eyes out of surprise, but once he realized his companion, he narrowed his eyes dangerously and shoved off the arm that Sweeney had placed on his shoulder. The boy's eyes were haunted with torment and filled of pain. The gesture Toby displayed caused something inside of Mr. Todd to churn with hurt. But as I said before, it was merely in the inside. For outside, Sweeney Todd wore his usual stoic mask and made sure that not one muscle was moved out of placed.

"Move out of the way, boy, " Sweeney all but barked.

Toby's eyes furrowed and snarled, "I'll be damned if I listen to you! Do you 'onestly think I'll let ya go anywhere near her after this...this..."

The boy shook his head furiously and mumbled, "You're just like 'em!"

Todd let out a frustrated sigh. There was no time for this incredulous behavior. Once again, Todd clenched Toby's shoulder and hissed in a voice full of menacing poison, "If you do not allow me to her, she will die. Do you understand that, brat? You mother will be dead the moment the sun rises if we continue to do nothing!"

"An' why do you wanna help mum? Hmmm? The reason she's like this is because of you! You're the bloody reason mum is on the border of death!" Toby shouted as tears once again began to fill his black-brown eyes. His eyes no longer he color of playful chocolate, but a more rusty, melancholic hue.

"It was an accident, lad" Sweeney said while taking a glimpse at the razor that was the cause of the dilemma.

Toby raised a dark eyebrow and replied in a voice full of sarcasm, "An accident? You say this is an accident? 'Ow do you accidentally manage to stab someone in tha'gut, eh? Did ya accidentally forget about 'er too, eh? Forgot ya left 'er 'ere dying?"

Sweeney ran a hand over his tangled locks. This was taking too goddamn long! With a voice that seemed restrained from screaming, Todd managed to grit out, "I will explain later, but your mother is dying! If you help me, there will be a chance to save her. But if you wish to continue this pointless discussion, then by all means keep blabbing. It's your mother's life on the line."

Toby clenched his fist till' his knuckles appeared white. As if considering to punch Mr. Todd. Thinking otherwise, Toby said defeated," What do you want me to do?"

"Do you know where Mrs. Lovett keeps her sewing box?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Do not ask questions! Bring it to me at once!"

Toby hesitantly walked towards the door, then remembered the situation and ran outside towards the object that would hopefully save his mother's life.

Once the boy had left, Sweeney Todd wasted no time.

He gathered the broken baker in his arms and placed her on the bed. As he got ready to undo Mrs. Lovett's laces, Mr. Todd nearly groaned out in desperation. There had to be an easier way. Todd's eyes laid once more on the silver weapon that rested upon the darkening rubies. Without a second thought, Mr. Todd reached for the blade and in mere seconds began to slice through lace and silk. The deed being done, Sweeney proceeded to undress the woman.

Knowing it was not the right time to become aroused, Sweeney decided to leave the baker in her undergarments.

Sweeney then raised her top a bit to the point where it lay a few inches above her navel.

That was where the wound laid. As Sweeney gazed at this, his forehead wrinkled. It was still seeping crimson rivers, but not as much as before. Making sure no more blood escaped the damaged area, he placed his hands above it and applied pressure. Mr. Todd felt shudders down his spine as he felt Mrs. Lovett's body temperature at an extreme low. If she had been conscious, there was no doubt she would have been shivering.

Where the hell was Toby!

As if on queue, the boy arrived carrying a small metal second Toby neared him, Todd yanked the box away from the boy. He then snatched the lid off the box and took out a small piece of string, as well as a round ball of yarn with needles stuck inside it.

"Bring me Gin, " Sweeney said in a distraught voice as he began to try to place the string inside the small hole of the needle. It took him three times before he was able to get the string pass through. Once the bottle of Gin was brought, Todd drenched the needle and string with the alcohol as well as a small piece of clothing he had torn from Mrs. Lovett's dress.

First, he cleaned the wound by passing the small piece of cloth. Then began then harder task. Sweeney held in a breath as he began the stitching.

Todd tried to remember how his Lucy had done her stitching. Her lovely pale hands sewing a tear on one of his favorite shirts. Forward. Backward. Forward. Backward.

Mr. Todd bit his lip as he began sewing his landlady.

Slicing throats of men of all sizes was as easy as adding butter to a warm slice of bread. To sew a human being, on the other hand, was easier said then done.

Mr. Todd honestly did not know how long he spent crouched next to dear Mrs. Lovett, but he knew it could not have been in a jiffy. His leg muscles were screaming by the time he was done.

All there was left to do was sit and wait.

"I'm done, Toby," Todd said as he wiped his blood-soaked hands on Mrs. Lovett's once worn dress.

Toby, who had been sitting on the bed beside his mother to hold her cadaver like hand, glanced over towards Sweeney.

"Do ya' think she'll make it?" The sentence had been spoken in a cold, hardened voice, but there was no mistaking the concern at the end.

Todd's brows furrowed once more and he gave a much needed sigh. In all honestly, he did not know. She had already lost too much blood. Sweeney reached for Eleanor's hand and placed his index finger as well as his middle finger a bit bellow the palm. It was slow and unsteady, but it was a pulse.

"I've known Eleanor for awhile. From my perspective, she is a strong woman."

Those were the last words that were spoken in the room that screamed silence.

A ray of sunlight beamed from outside the bedroom window.

A new day.

Think our Mrs. Lovett will make it? Only one way to find out. - RR :)