CHAPTER 8
Just as Van Helsing had begun stitching up the last gash on her stomach, Anna began to stir. She moaned and then reached down to touch her stomach, but Gabriel quickly caught her hand. "Nonono, don't touch," he said softly as he looked up at her face to see her eyes flutter open.
"Gabriel?" she croaked, lifting her head a bit to try to see what he was doing. "What—"
"You lost consciousness because you had lost a lot of blood," he explained, his tone soft, but also serious. "You should have told me you had been hurt."
"Would the outcome have been much different?" she questioned, her eyes set on the needle in Van Helsing's hand.
"I suppose not, but—"
"But nothing," she said firmly, dropping her head back down on the bed. The loss of blood was making her dizzy. "Just finish what you are doing. We must leave soon."
Gabriel frowned for a moment before nodding. "All right, but this will hurt now that you're awake."
"Well, there's not much we can do about that now, is there?"
Taking that as a rhetorical question, Van Helsing merely nodded before saying, "All right, this won't take long." He lowered the needle slowly and after a moment of hesitation, he pierced her flesh with it. He head Anna gasp as he brought the needle through the other side and then pulled that part of the wound shut. He took a moment to glance at her to see her eyes fixed on the ceiling and her bottom lip firmly grasped between her teeth so to prevent herself from making too much noise. Gabriel hated causing her more pain but it had to be done.
He was halfway through stitching up the wound when he heard her let out a soft whimper. He immediately looked up in concern to see her trying desperately to fight off the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes. Gabriel felt horrible. He had been concentrating so hard on stitching her up that he didn't notice the obvious agony she was in. He knew that it was going to hurt her some, but it took a lot of pain to get Anna Valerious to shed tears meaning she had to be in quite a bit of it now for her to be so teary-eyed.
He gently took one of her hands into his and gave it a little squeeze. "I'm almost done," he said softly.
Anna looked down at him, tears glistening in her eyes, and then nodded. She felt Gabriel give her hand another gentle squeeze before he let go and got back to work.
A few minutes later, he tied off the last stitch and then smiled up at Anna. "All done," he announced before hearing Anna sigh in relief. "Let me just clean up everything and wrap some bandages around it, and then we can go."
"All right," Anna replied.
Gabriel did just that. He wiped away all the excess blood off of her stomach and then carefully helped her into a sitting position so he could wrap the bandage around her.
Anna let out a pain-filled gasped as she straightened up. It was then that she noted Carl on the ground. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Is there any particular reason why Carl is lying on the floor?"
"Oh, he just fainted," Van Helsing replied dismissively, not taking his eyes off his bandaging task to look at the downed friar.
Now Anna was even more confused. "Fainted? Why?"
Gabriel paused and turned his gaze to her, a small grin across his lips. "Because he has a countenance that is weaker than that of a little girl."
"I do not," Carl suddenly spoke up from where he was lying on the ground, his eyes still closed. "I'll have you know that I was told that I have a countenance that is stronger than one of an ox." He opened his eyes and looked pointedly at Gabriel, but still did not rise.
"Mmmhmm…" Van Helsing said doubtfully, a smirk lighting up his handsome features. "And who told you this?"
Carl didn't answer right away. He sat up and looked decisively around the room. He then glanced at Gabriel and Anna, who were both waiting for his answer, before finally standing up. After brushing himself off, he turned his attention back to them and quite blatantly said, "My mummy."
Gabriel's smirk widened for a moment before he forced his face into a serious expression. "And being the well-informed woman that she was, may she rest in peace, I happen to wonder if she ever witnessed you doing things such as fainting at the sight of blood before she told you this."
"I did not faint."
"Oh yes, you did."
"I did not!" Carl exclaimed. "I merely placed myself on the ground in order to give the impression that I had lost consciousness."
"For what purpose?"
"To…"
"To avoid the blood perhaps?" Gabriel taunted good-naturedly. "Admit it, Carl, you're afraid of blood."
Carl narrowed his eye slightly. "I am not AFRAID of blood," he replied with an indignant snort. "I merely prefer not to be around it. That's all," he quickly added, his voice nearly a whisper.
"Mmmhmm…"
"Gentlemen!" Anna finally interrupted. Both men looked at her. "In case you have forgotten, we were trying to leave here as soon as possible." She paused, "Remember?"
To avoid looking sheepish, Van Helsing quickly cleared his throat while Carl nodded. Both men were embarrassed at having acted like children in front of her.
"Ah, yes," Gabriel said in as manly a voice as he could muster.
Carl nodded again. "Right, right," he agreed before adding, "I will go have Bernard prepare the horses." He turned on his heel and went out the door, picking up all his bags on the way.
Gabriel turned to Anna and gave her a small smile. "Forgive me for behaving so childishly. Now is not the time for it," he said sincerely before he made a motion to go back to bandaging up the Princess's stomach.
Anna stopped him before he could though, placing a hand on his arm. He moved back so that he could look her in the eyes as she spoke. "I prefer that you two behave like that…Well, that you act like yourselves," she admitted as she reached forward and lovingly pushed a few stray locks of hair out of Gabriel's eyes. "When you do, it helps me to believe that what is happening now, and what is going to happen in the future, is not nearly as grave and well,…dire as it truly is."
Gabriel noticed the dejection in her tone and immediately felt a pang of it himself. When he had first met Anna, she had shown him what courage really was. No matter what monstrosities were after her and no matter how hopeless the situation seemed, she never gave up. She just kept fighting back. And more importantly, she didn't let the constant threat of death way her down. She was even able to see the brighter side of death and draw strength from it, but now…now she seemed different.
It wasn't as if she had given up or had lost the courage that Van Helsing so deeply admired –he didn't even think that was possible– but she now seemed as if she finally feared something. Be it the creatures after her or death itself, he didn't know. But what he did know was that he was going to help, protect, and love her no matter what.
Giving her the smallest of smiles, he nodded and then reached up to gently caress her cheek with his hand. She leaned into his touch, but didn't take her eyes off of his. Straightening up on his knees so that his face was level with hers, he slowly leaned in, capturing her lips.
Anna immediately responded in kind by wrapping her arm around his neck, effectively pulling him into a deeper, more passionate kiss.
Just as it began to get more heated, Carl suddenly emerged at the door. "Van Helsing, the horses are–" He stopped when he saw them and upon realizing what was happening, he placed his hands on his hips and sternly said," What did I already say about this?! There is a better time and place!"
Gabriel and Anna immediate broke apart, their faces flushing a bright red. They both suddenly felt like teenagers being caught in the act by a village elder or something.
Van Helsing quickly cleared his throat and looked at the young friar. "Has anyone ever told you that it is rude to enter a room without knocking first?"
Carl snorted. "As IF that would have made a difference."
"Carl…" Gabriel growled, one of his eyes narrowing at the little man.
The friar quickly diverted his eyes to Anna. "The horses and well, everything else is ready… whenever you are."
"Thank you, Carl," she replied sweetly, giving him a small smile.
He returned the smile, but instead of leaving, remained standing there.
No one moved.
Carl looked from Anna to Gabriel and then back again, still smiling. "Whenever you're ready," he repeated.
Anna blinked.
Van Helsing stared.
Carl slowly lost his smile. "When..ev..er…"
There was another moment of silence before someone finally spoke. Van Helsing cleared his throat and gave Carl a pointed look. "Thank you, Carl," he said, repeating Anna in hopes that the young friar would get the hint and actually leave.
Carl blinked and then smiled again. "You're welcome, Van Helsing."
Gabriel slumped. His quirky little friend had obviously missed the point again. "Carl…"
"Yes?"
"Leave."
The friar blinked again and then everything finally registered. "Oh!" His eyes bulged slightly. "I-uh…I'll be with the horses…whenever you're ready." He nodded to himself.
"Thank you," Gabriel said slowly.
Carl gave him and Anna an embarrassed smile before he turned and disappeared down the hall.
Gabriel shook his head and turned back to Anna. He smiled slightly. "You'll have to forgive him," he said, smirking. "He's brilliant, but at the same time, very…slow."
Anna smiled. "I never would have guessed." There was a paused and then her face grew serious again. She dropped Van Helsing's gaze for a moment. "We must go," she said meekly.
Gabriel could tell right form the start that Anna was worried, much more that usual, about the mission they were about to undertake. He wasn't sure if it had to do with the fact that her life was in danger –it had never seemed to bother her before– or the uncertainty that lie ahead of them. Either way, he had no plans of allowing her to deal with any of it on her own.
Reaching forward, he placed his hand underneath Anna's chin and lifted her head until her eyes were level with his. "Don't worry," he said in a soothing tone. "I won't allow any harm come to you." He kissed her softly on the lips. "I promise."
Anna gave him a small smile and nodded. "I know," she whispered.
Gabriel smiled back at her. "Allow me to finish dressing your wounds and then we will leave." With a nod from her, he finished wrapping her stomach and then after he grabbed all of his gear, they headed out.
TBC…
(A/N: Well, lookie here! I ACTUALLY posted another chapter! LOL! Go me! I'm OH SO SORRY that it took me so insanely long to do so. -shakes head- I have no excuse really except for my own laziness. Either way, the next chapter will be up soon. Lady Sirinial and Sarah, you two have my permission to kick me until chapter 9 is up and the rest is written! As for the rest of you, I REALLY appreciate all your reviews before and look forward too more! PLEASE REVIEW! LOL! -hugs- Emily)
