Taylor
No other sounds but the high pitched deafening ringing could be heard as Taylor's grey-blue eyes slowly opened. He was bleeding profusely just above his right eye. Taylor's face was against the cold ground slick with blood. He drifted in and out of consciousness for a few crucial moments.
When he inhaled the thick smoke that had drifted down toward the floor caught in his throat. He flipped quickly onto his back and began to cough, covering his mouth with his bloodied hand. He was numb for a few seconds, then the pain kicked in. He wanted to scream out in pain but all he managed was a choked "Well there is my wand."
He bit his lip as he pulled his wand out of the center of his palm. Blood sprayed out in all directions as the hold was cleared of the magical item. He winced at the sight. He could see straight through his hand, he could see the ceiling that was about to collapse on top of him.
His eyes widened as he rolled quickly over and shifted to his knees. His head was spinning and the ringing in his ears blared on. He could taste the metallic taste of the blood that had sprayed on his face. His head began to hurt even more as he stood on shaky legs. The gash above his eyes bleeding faster now, sending streams of red down his face. He knew he had to do something, but what. He stumbled forward as the loud cracking of stone, wood and metal sounded. The ceiling above the place he was thrown to had broken and crashed to the ground.
Taylor did not know the layout of this strange muggle building but still he stumbled on as if he did, trying to collect his thoughts. "L-Lilac." He groaned as the pain in his hand began to burn. He held his hand in his other, trying to apply pressure but the pain spiked and Taylor let out a scream.
The ringing had dulled to the point where he could hear a few of the louder sounds. No doubt the wetness he felt on his neck, tickling him slightly was blood. He did not mind, he did not care. He had to find her, find his wife and get her out and home to the kids even if he couldn't.
His children's faces flashed in his mind, beckoning him onward "LILA!" he called out hoping to be able to hear her should she reply. He heard nothing but the dulling ring.
It wouldn't be long now before the structure of the broken building would give way and cave in on itself.
"LILAC SALVATORE GOD DAMNIT ANSWER ME!" he roared. "THROW SOMETHING, MAKE A NOISE I DON'T CARE WHAT, GIVE ME A SIGN THAT I HAVE NOT LOST M-" He heard an odd sound coming to the right, the pitch black room that smelled like burning wood. Taylor stumbled over some scattered rocks, tripped and fell when he miscalculated the height of a broken piece of what might have been a desk or chair.
He foolishly stuck his hands out to catch himself and only caused more pain. The dust and other things that had littered the ground stung the wound. The throbbing in his head began as he pushed himself up and there he saw the two shadowy figures of bodies laying on the ground.
"Lila?" he asked breathless and trembling.
The body laying closest to the broken darkened opening attempted to move but failed the attempt.
"LILA!" Taylor called but the body did not respond to the call. Taylor got up as quickly as he could. His eyes adjusting to the dark. He stepped closer
"Ki?" Taylor asked with a closer look. The blood had made a rather large pool around her broken body as she tried to speak.
Taylor knelt down to try and hear her.
"Damn it stop screaming, she's over there." Her eyes were closed but in the darkness he could see her scowl.
Taylor glanced over to the other body. A sudden spell of terror shook his body as he stood and shuffled over to the motionless body.
Her red hair became more and more visible as he went closer. He couldn't hold himself up anymore, both from weakness and fear.
"Lila, come on." Taylor turned her over. Her face pale dirty and specks of blood littlered her face like freckles.
When he managed to get her into his arms she finally stirred "T-Taylor." She coughed suddenly. Her eyes rolling back in her head.
He held her as he body convulsed. She shook violently.
He held her tighter, "Come on Lila. We have to get home to the kiddies."
Her shaking lessened enough for her to look at him. She was distant for a moment...two then realization washed over her.
"Taylor, Ki-Jin where is she?" She managed to say before sitting upright on her own.
Taylor motioned over to their friend, "She is there."
Lila pushed weakly away from him, the sounds of the crumbling building scaring her more than The Doctors.
"Get her out first." She coughed as she got to her knees and pushed off the ground.
Taylor shook his head. "What? You are able to walk, I will get you out then come back fo-"
"YOU WILL GET HER OUT FIRST!" She screamed falling back to the ground.
Taylor was up, standing over her protectively "No I will get you out first."
Lila glared up at him from the ground.
"LOOK AT HER! LOO-" She gasped seeing the blood finally. "DAMNIT TAYLOR, GET HER OUT FIRST OR SO HELP ME I WILL LIVE WITH MY SISTER!"
Taylor's heart sank but she stood as still as he could.
Lila shot up he weak knees causing her to wobbly to the point where Taylor had to hold her steady. "GO!"
Taylor looked into hers, the most vulnerable Lila had ever seen him.
"Take her to safety, I will be right behind you."
"And if you are not...you can count our children orphaned." Taylor's defenses kicked in, his glare darkened his face.
He turned away from her and went to the half conscious Ki-Jin.
"No, don't bother with me." She moaned as he looked her over, trying to figure out a better way to pick her up without injuring her further.
He found the wand that had cause the now numb feeling in his hand. He decided against the wand, no amount of healing spells he knew could help her. He shuffled a bit, knelt down, scooped her up from the blood running like a faucet.
She screamed, which was a good sign. An alive sign.
"Be close behind Mrs. Salvatore." Taylor grumbled as he began to pick his way through the darkness and debris.
Lila stood trying to catch her breath and to assess what her injuries were. Her head was pounding, her lungs felt as if they were on fire and her stomach ached like she had been gutted.
~HALF HOUR LATER~
After stumbling, tripping and almost dropping Ki-Jin a number of times, Taylor emerged from the smoke and flame of the building.
Shouting from the crowds had gotten all attentions on them.
A heavily dressed man was the first to meet the two. "Take her, she is injured, don't know how bad I just know she lost a lot of blood and should not have been moving."
The man just stared right past him, wide eyed.
Taylor must have been delirious because for a moment he could have sworn the man he saw looked an awful lot like "Ares?"
He could not move, or breath as more people, or were they his followers ran up to them, screaming something at him. Taylor turned in time to see the last remaining structure of the building cave in. Shooting out a strong gust of wind, debris flew everywhere. The smell of burning flesh wood and smoke were all he could do. Taylor was prepared for impact but it did not come. He glanced around, and was shocked when he saw Ares still standing there, his wand drawn and a powerful shielding spell let them escape the last bit of the impact.
He said nothing as he stood there protecting the brother he had given up.
Of course the ministry would have guessed him as being one of the dark lords, but never would they find out truly. "What are you doing here?" Taylor roared suddenly livid.
Ares said nothing, he didn't even look at the weakening man to his left.
As soon as the blast started, it was over.
And as soon as the shield was down, so was Ares and the handful of people that had stood near them.
Time seemed to move in super slow motion as the dust storm followed, Not as bad but still messing with his view. He stumbled toward the barricade where ministry officials and muggle officials still were crouched down or hidden under or behind some large objects.
When the EMT's saw Taylor carrying Ki-Jin they ran over, taking her as quickly as they could to the hospital.
Taylor felt a sickening knot twist inside him. He turned back to see the remains of the building.
"Lila?" He whispered, looking confused. His arms had gone completely numb, almost as useless as his hand was.
"Lila." He repeated gaining his voice a bit more.
He felt a strong familiar grip on his shoulders. "Taylor," Lucas Greenley shook him slightly, "This way, you look like you need help."
Taylor shook him off, "Don't touch me." He began to move back to the remains of the once 50 story building.
Lucas went after him. "Taylor, what do you think you are doing? Come on." He tried to pull him back even with force.
Taylor swung, hitting Lucas in the side of the head. "FUCK OFF YOU IGNORANT LITTLE PRICK, YOU HAVE NO INKLING OF WHAT THAT MEANS!" He motioned with his other hand to the giant rocks and flame.
Lucas held his cheek where Taylor's fist connected. He had stumbled back only to catch his balance and glared at Taylor "WHAT THE HELL!"
Taylor wanted to rip his head off, "LILA IS DEAD!" He bellowed, his rage showing through as he quickly spun around looking for anything and nothing at all. Spotting a large rock he swooped down, picked it up causing the blood to run even faster from his nearly dead and useless hand. He flung the rock almost 10 feet and let out a heart tearing scream.
"YOU FUCKING PROMISED!" He glared at the flame and rock.
Lucas's mouth was wide open, the bruise on the side of his face starting to take form and tears stung his eyes as his mind went directly to his family.
Taylor dropped to the ground on his knees bitter angry tears left stains down his cheeks as he repeated himself in a low whimper.
Lucas started to follow Taylor to his knees when something from the flames caught his eye.
A small crack of a rock and out someone shot.
The darkened auburn hair whipped in the wind as Lila fell, rolled and went still 5 feet away from the medics, EMTS and some of the Ministry healers.
Taylor was frozen, his eyes met the green sparks that had sent his wife flying back to him.
"Leslie?" he mouthed unable to speak. Lucas almost had to drag Taylor over to the EMTS that were working there hardest on Lila.
"NO PULSE!" One of them yelled.
Taylor cursed everything, he cursed Ares and Leslie most, ready to tell any and all ministry officials now that they are the ones they have been looking for.
"NO, I HAVE SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO GET HER TO THE HOSPITAL, NOW!"
Taylor could barely catch his breath. The world was spinning, the air was leaving his lungs faster than he could pull it back.
The voices and faces faded quickly to black as he fell backward.
"I'll follow you." He whispered as he hit the ground.
Th dried blood on his face caused the gash to look even worse than it was.
He could barely breathe on his own as the other EMTS picked him up, set him in a stretcher and sent him off to the nearest hospital.
~11 hours later~
The ugly florescent lighting of the hospital glowed annoyingly down, illuminating the room.
Taylor had had visitors, but he turned them all away. He did not want to see anyone; anyone except Lila.
When the doctors came in to check on him he glared at them until they sped up their checking and left.
He didn't want to deal with any of this.
His thoughts were only with Lila. Occasionally going to the three kids he bore with her, Killian, Robert and Azrael and Lila's twin sister Violet.
Taylor drifted in and out of dreamless, restless sleep for the next couple hours when finally he had had enough of waiting.
He tore the IV's out of his arms and the alarms went off, he pushed the blankets off of his almost bare body and shifted to the edge of the bed.
As he stood his body felt like lead as he took each step.
The hospital gown only covering 80% of his body.
He hated hospitals, even if they were there for much happier reasons.
This hospital was foreign to Taylor as he stumbled blindly down hallway after hallway, looking in each window for Lila.
When he had turned down one hallway he had to catch his breath.
'THERE SHE IS, SAFE AND SOUND.' He thought deliriously as he broke into a sprint. His lungs could not handle the sudden change and he forced himself to breathe.
"LILA!" he called to the girl with the same auburn hair, the same face.
"oh no, Taylor no-," Violet tried to stop him but it was to late.
Taylor had swept her off her feet, his lips meeting hers with a feverish intensity until he realized and abruptly broke away.
"Oh my god...Vi...I-" he stopped trying to apologize "Where is she?"
Violet pointed down the hallway. "All the way down to the left that whole wing is full of your men and women. Taylor-" She went to touch his arm, smiling a bit "You practically saved Ki-Jin, if you haven't gotten her out of there exactly then...she wouldn't have made it."
Taylor gave Violet a confused almost disgusted look "So, right now I want to know Lila is alL right."
He froze at her sudden change in expression, she drew her hand away "Uh..Taylor, you should go speak with Doctor Smith before you see Lila."
Taylor's heart dropped "What, why?" he was starting to feel dizzy again.
Vi offered nothing of an explanation but her arm for him to hold onto.
She lead him down the hall, slowly as to not allow him to fall over and pass out for nearly a day again.
The doctor was easy to pick out of the crowd. A taller man than the rest with thick mousy brown hair, a square jaw and a bright big smile.
"Ah, this is the escapE.e" he said with a chuckle as Vi and Taylor approached him.
"Doctor, you should speak with him...tell him what you told me," She paused. "Any difference?"
Smith shook his head, a frown appearing on his lips, "No, I'm sorry, hun." His grey eyes met Taylor's.
"Mr. Salvatore, allow me to escort you back to your room so we may discuss some things." He held out his own arm for Taylor.
Normally if he did not feel this close to passing out he would have told the doctor to fuck off and find his own way back, but he took hold of his sleeve in the most dignified manner he could find and allowed the Doctor to lead him back to his room.
~6 minutes later~
The Doctor had Taylor situated in his bed before he turned, shooed the nurses away and shut the door.
The way he turned back to address Taylor terrified him. It was 'the' look doctors gave patience that had lost someone.
"No," Taylor began. "VIOLET SAID SHE WAS FINE!" Taylor tried to trace back in his memory if she really had said that or if he was just imagining it.
The outer thought of his brother Kody skipped across his mind 'Where was he?' Taylor thought before shaking those thoughts away and turning his attentions on the Doctor.
He had crossed his arms and had been leaning on one of the chairs arms near the foot of the bed.
"First things first, Your wife is in stable condition."
Taylor let out a breath he had not remembered holding in.
"Second, She is in a state of coma ..she had hit her head pretty hard when the blast shot her out of the building," He paused, making sure Taylor understood well enough. When he was satisfied that Taylor was following his words he continued.
"Third, she had some massive internal bleeding in her lower abdominal area when I went into surgery I had managed to repair all of the tears but there is one thing that you should know."
Taylor didn't care as long as Lila was safe, he knew she would come back to him, they always had that knack of finding each other again.
"The baby...it's gone."
Taylor's thoughts screeched to a halt, his brows crashed together, "WHAT?"
The Doctor looked taken back, "Y-you didn't know she was pregnant?"
Taylor shook his head, the fleeting moment of joy left and replaced with an anger that Taylor had never felt.
The doctor pushed off the chair and handed him the box of tissues from the nightstand.
Taylor had only then realized he was crying, taking the box with as much dignity as he could muster in that moment he ripped some out of the box and hid his face in them.
After a moment to collect himself he began again "No...she couldn't have been, I know my wife. I know how she gets when she-how far along do you know?"
Smith bobbed his head, nodding. "Almost 2 months." He said with a heavy hint of sadness.
He almost avoided Taylor's eyes as he dealt the final blow.
"With the surgery I had to preform to save her life...It also meant well, to put it simply."
Taylor hated when people dodged the point.
"Your wife can no longer carry children without the high risk of death."