"Get her straightened out!"

"Get bandages!"

"Steady now, steady!"

"I can't stop the flow!"

"Call a doctor!"

"Hurry!"

"She's getting hot!"

"Get her inside!"

"Get some water!"

"Where is she!?"

"Patrick! Over here!"

"Somebody get more towels!"

"The blood still won't stop!"

These were the cries of the people.

Over and over.

The cries that Sliver heard, as he was quietly sobbing in the corner, clenching his blood stained hand. People he didn't know were helping his mother. His father had come in and rushed over to Aay, grasping her hands and helping her get back into the hotel.

They cleared away the tables and placed her down slowly, and a doctor rushed in, carrying a bag full of tools. He was still in his pajamas, but he didn't seem to matter. He pressed a towel to Aay's stomach and started clearing away the blood so he could get a clear look at it.

Everyone sat back. Sliver could see tears glistening down on most of the women faces. He had never seen his father cry, yet here he was, a tear going down his cheek. Sliver hadn't known that his father could cry like that. Sliver looked at Auntie Otaku who was helping pass the tools to the doctor, seeming to know the basic details of medicine.

After about an hour of the people sitting near the back, waiting for news of how she was doing, the doctor stood up straight and started put on new gloves.

He looked around and announced quietly, "The baby is dead."

Gasps were heard around and Sliver saw his father lean back in the chair, head in hands and leaning on his knees. He got up quietly and walked over to his father, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Daddy…?"

Patrick looked up at Sliver and gathered him into a hug. He whispered into his ear, "It's at times like these that a man breaks."

Sliver nodded, not quite knowing what he meant. His father's eyes were hard and sad at the same time. Something he had never seen in his eyes before. Something he had never wanted to see in his eyes before.

The doctor looked sadly at the father and son. "I can still save Lady Black. Though she will have lost the ability to have children. Whoever stabbed her such a way must have meant it to be that way, or else she probably could have still had children."

Patrick nodded. He looked down at Sliver. "Did you see who did this?"

Sliver nodded slightly.

"Can you tell me who it was?"

"Patrick!" Webbuu, the kindly old wizard, came and grasped his shoulder. "Do not get any hateful thoughts."

Patrick glared at him. "You saw what the person did to her."

Webbuu grasped his shoulder even tighter. "Patrick. I know. But I also know what you want. Revenge."

"So?"

"It will not do Aay any good! NONE!" Webbuu yelled at him. "I've known Aay since she's gotten to Runescape. She would NOT want this."

Patrick stood up. "How do you know what she wants?"

Webbuu took a step back, seeing Patrick's hand on his sword handle. "I won't stop you. I can't stop you. But don't turn into your brother."

Patrick gave a small cold smile. "I don't plan to."

Kid Mental, not so much a kid anymore, took a step up. He had just arrived in Fallador when he heard the bad news. Living on the streets and in hotels now and then had changed him into a nice young man, with shaggy blue hair and twinkling eyes. His drinking hadn't stopped that much, but, in Runescape, you didn't seem to have to worry about getting liver damage.

Mental reached down to his sword, grasping the handle. He looked at Patrick sadly. He had never expected Patrick to break. He had always thought of Patrick as an invincible good guy. But he could clearly see hate in his eyes now. He closed his eyes, and then opened them, speaking clearly, "Patrick, what Webbuu said is true. You're thinking of the totally wrong thing. I know you're sick of having your family attacked. I know your sick of not having peace for once in awhile. But you have a son to take care of. A wife who is injured. A family that cares about you. A family who doesn't live on the road of revenge. You, Patrick, are probably a stronger swordsman than most of us here, but we will stand before you until you regain your senses."

Patrick's eyes opened wide, losing their hardness. He looked down at his son. "I still need to know who did this."

Mental nodded. "You need to promise that you will NOT go hunt her out of revenge."

Patrick looked back at him. "I can't promise that."

"Father…" Sliver started and grabbed his hand. "It was a woman. She… she had bright red hair."

"Myla?" Otaku gasped.

"I don't know who Myla was, but my mom said 'mother' before… before…" Sliver finished mumbling before starting to cry again.

Patrick leaned down and picked him up. He looked at Mental with hard eyes again. "Scarlet."

The people nodded, agreeing. There had been a rumor about the Lady Scarlet going around. She had been seen with a limp, but always unable to catch her.

"She also… also had a limp," Sliver finished, which confirmed that it was Scarlet.

Patrick looked down to Aay, who the doctor was bandaging up after taking care of the four-month year old baby remains. Patrick laid a hand on Aay's brow. "Why must our family always try to kill us?" he spoke, his voice strained.

Webbuu laid a hand on Patrick's shoulder softly. "Sometimes it's just our path in life. It is just one thing that we must face and live through."

Patrick nodded.

Silence started once more. Everyone sat down, still taking in Patrick's outburst. They watched the doctor stitch up Aay's stomach and bandaging her slowly around the stomach. The doctor said he had to leave for another appointment, now that it was morning, and left them with bandages and painkillers. The doctor would come visit them in Varrock the next day to check up on Aay.

Otaku offered to stay up with Aay and watch her, but Patrick shook his head and said he was heading back to Varrock. Sara, an old friend of Patrick's and Aay's, had offered to go and help watch when Patrick had to go to work. Otaku had to stay a few more days at the White Knight's castle, and then she would come help Aay and watch Sliver when Patrick wasn't there.

Days passed. Aay still hadn't woken up, even after a week. She was still pale, but she had no fever, which they were all thankful for. Her breathing was slow and steady, which they would always listen for.

Sliver sat on a couch by himself. He gazed at the items covered in blankets in the corner. The things his father had bought. Seeing no one around, he walked over and peered inside the blankets and gasped. Shining brightly at him was the new bronze brand. He put the blanket back to where it was and sat back down on the couch.

His father had probably gotten those for him.

And now he's forgotten all about it.

Sliver sighed sadly and looked into the room his father was with Aay. His father had barely come out of the room, except to eat and take care of business.

Sliver felt ignored. He knew he just lost a sister or brother. He knew his mother wasn't waking up. So why did his father have to go all weird like that? Have to go angry and depressed? Sliver was alive! Why couldn't he cheer his father up? Why couldn't he?

Sliver stood up and looked at the door. If his father didn't want him, maybe the streets did.

He took a step closer to the door. His father wouldn't notice him going out.

He opened the door and stepped out into the bright sunny day. He walked down the steps and headed towards his friends house. He knocked on the door and was told his friend wasn't home. He went to go find them.

After a while, he found them behind a fence, holding something. They were holding a pipe and passing it to one another.

"Hey guys," he said.

They looked at him and grinned. "Lookie what we got!"

"Where'd you get it?"

"An old man. He had some gold on him too."

Sliver sat down. "How much?"

"100 gold. Enough to buy a bronze sword!"

Sliver nodded.

"I've discovered a nice way of stealing something," went on the kid, who was about two years older than Sliver. "We're gonna be rich in no time. We could upgrade to steel!"

Sliver nodded. This was one way to escape his worries at home. He grinned. "What are the tricks?"

"You sure your father won't catch you?" the boy asked, knowing his father was the popular Sir Black.

Sliver nodded again. "He's distracted. He doesn't even notice me gone."

The children laughed. "Good! We'll be so good even Patrick won't notice!"

"Aye!" the children responded.

:hides from oncoming death threats:

This story isn't related to the upcoming Oh Dear IV. So yeah... the ODIV is sort of an AU as Otaku said.