Sarah had lost count of time. It had felt like an unending nightmare what should have been a joyous occasion, Jareth's return, had turned into a worried frenzy. Healers of all kinds were called from all corners of Jareth's kingdom to try and cure his malady. Watching Jareth endure what Sarah could only describe as knocking on death's door. He had gone thru periods of cold sweats, fevers that would have had any other being to die and then he had stopped breathing entirely several times. Sarah had kept a vigil at his side and had only left to shower and change as needed. All matters of state had been left in Hoggle's and Sir Didymus's hands. At night they would come and talk to Sarah and Jareth in his chambers to update them both about had happened and how they resolved the minor issues. Sarah would always ask Jareth what he thought about her ideas on resolving the bigger issues before she told Hoggle and Didymus to proceed as she had directed. Inquiry's from nosy individuals who had come to once more ask about Jareth had been told that a grand ball was upcoming and that he would be in attendance.
During the day Sarah had read to Jareth books that she had the goblins bring to her from the library. Sarah remembered that doctors would say that when a person was in a coma that they could still here you so that was exactly what she had done. She read all kinds of books and when she got tired she had talked about everything and anything that came to mind. Sometimes she would act out parts from the plays she had participated in just to cut the monotony.
"Sarah?" Hoggle shuffled over to Sarah who was sitting close to the fire trying to absorb some of its warmth. It was a particularly chilling night and as Sarah stoked the fire and Skrit lay in front of it to stay warm she had begun to hum. A whimsical cord at first but then she remembered a line from long ago and couldn't help but giggle. Hoggle patted Sarah's hand. He had seen her at her worst the last several months and when she giggled like this that was when she began to cry and he would give her his shoulder to cry on but tonight it was different. "Hoggle the healers have tried everything and even Grench hasn't been able to make a dent in the Enchantresses spell. I'm running out of ideas." Sarah moved to sit at the setae that had been her chair and her bed since Jareth's return and settled in for a restless sleep.
She began to hum a song from long ago and Hoggle blew some of the candles as he walked out of Jareth's chambers for the night. He left the door slightly ajar so he could hear Sarah's call more clearly into his room which was directly across the hall from Jareth's. As he lay down to sleep he heard Sarah singing the song instead of humming it and had to agree with the lyrics.
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
Sarah had switched from humming to singing the old Doors tune and about her fifth or sixth time she had fallen and hadn't noticed the effect the song had had on Jareth. A glowing mist marked a trail from the Labyrinth into Jareth's chambers through the slightly open window and had enveloped him. It had glowed several warm shades but it had culminated in a golden yellow. As the glow diminished Jareth began to stir and momentarily opened his eyes and then burrowed into his covers. He had had a long twisted dream and he would make the goblins pay in the morning but for now he needed more sleep.