Chapter Eleven

Since becoming a nurse, Caterina had become immune to the side effects of seeing blood. Over the past few months the number of wounded soldiers had risen dramatically, meaning that every moment she stepped into the Valentine Hospital, she was greeted to men howling in pain, as open wounds frothed with new, warm blood.

But even this could not prepare her for the massacre at Tori Oliver's cottage.

When she first saw the letter, she recognised the loopy, elegant swerve of her handwriting. Her heart soared with hope that maybe this was a letter of peace and recognition and it was both of those things; but it was also a farewell letter, one that very nearly broke her friend's heart. That's the problem with suffering, Caterina learnt from a young age that it was like a baton, someone would carry it around with them until it was resolved, but then sadly, it had to be passed on to someone else. Tori apologised, not for her behaviour towards Cat, but for her cowardice. She had tried so hard to climb the wall that was blocking her from ever feeling anything but grief. It became clear to her on this night that she would never be able to live in this word without someone to support her. Cat wanted so much to run to her and tell her that she was not alone, she realised that she had been a fool for letting Tori so easily push her away; that she would care for her, and she would always have a home if Caterina had anything to say about it.

Then she read on, Tori explained about her debt. The debt she had gotten herself into because she had found a companion in alcohol. Caterina let out a pathetic whimper as she read on, her hand over her mouth as she screamed.

"Oh Tori." She whispered, "Why?"

She felt her heart lurch into her throat when she read about Mr. Davidson, a man who Caterina had known since childhood. For years he had taken care of the business side of the Manor, he overlooked all of the payments for the cottages, he had been a friend of her fathers. How could she have never seen him for what he was?

Crushing the letter in her hand Tori turned to Betty, who by this stage, was looking at her Mistress as if she was going to throw up, her hand was quivering at her sides as Cat clutched her by the shoulders.

"Who gave you this?" Caterina demanded as she dragged the maid with her to the front room, "Was it Tori?"

Betty shook her head furiously, "No Ma'am it was Mrs. Grey, she was carrying little Natalie and it was covered up by the blankets. We did not find it until we lay her down on one of the beds."

Grabbing her shawl she wrapped it around her, fastening it swiftly as she grabbed her emergency medical kit. Racing over to the front entrance, Cat furiously swung the heavy door open, the bitter night breeze nipping her cheeks, "There may still be time." She said, although her voice wavered, showing her lack of confidence in her words, "Keep watch of Natalie."

Leaping from the front step, Caterina sprinted towards the woods, making a beeline for the cottage. How long would it take her if she kept up this speed she wondered, five minutes, maybe seven? The cold air made her eyes water as her shawl blew out around her like a cape. She tried to remember her training, from the letter it was obvious what Tori plans where, but there was so many ways she could have done this and there was no certainty she was in the cottage. But it was the only logical place Caterina could look.

Her heart banged against her chest, the kit weighing down one side of her body as she emerged into the small secluded area where Tori's cottage lay. Not even wasting time to catch her breath Caterina rushed up to the front door and pulled on the handle, Tori had locked it. Gritting her teeth she set down her kit and took a step back. She cried out as she began to bash her shoulder against the door, the hinges creaked and groaned in protest as she tried it once more, her arm ached by the time the door gave in and burst open. Caterina fell to the ground, she closed her eyes and she placed her hands out to lessen the fall. The impact was painful, but not enough for Caterina to give up, then she realised her clothes where beginning to dampen, she whimpered when she opened her eyes and realised her clothes where stained red.

For the first time in months the sight of blood made Caterina cry, it was still warm to touch, with a stench of copper that filled her nostrils and made her stomach her churn. She crawled to Tori's side, her eyes glistening over with large tears as she placed her head in her lap. Tentatively she placed her two fingers on her exposed neck and waited, praying to feel a pulse. She counted quietly as the second passed by; she took her fingers away when she reached a minute.

She was too late.

With a shaky breath she pulled Tori's hair away from her face, the ends were matted together with dry blood. Leaning down Caterina kissed her cold forehead.

"I love you." She whispered before lifting her lips away.

She sat there for a while, cradling Tori in her arms. She could not believe the girl she was holding was her best friend; this girl was so fragile, so sickly thin that Cat thought she could have snapped when she tried to move her. Then she rose and walked away to grab her kit, pulling it into the room, she snapped the clips open and brought out some gauze. Filling a bowl with water she grabbed a cloth and began to wash the blood from Tori's face and wrists. She bit down on her tongue as she handled the wrists, aware of the torture she was putting herself through. She realised now that it was much easier to treat someone who meant nothing to you, it was the memories that made this task so difficult. These were Tori's wrists, her brittle wrists that she could wrap her thumb and her forefinger around. Countless times Caterina had grabbed though wrists to get her attention, or take her away to change out of her ridiculous man costume, when they were younger Cat had woven a friendship bracelet made of grass and had placed it on this very wrist. Never would she have imagined that eleven years from then she would instead be wrapping gauze around her now butchered wrists.

Even though her knees bashed together when she stood, she managed to walk over to the mantel piece. Leaning over she poked the glower embers of the fire, willing them to light as she gently blew on them, she needed to create more light. Sparks began to crackle as it danced across the piece of wood that she had just thrown in. Sitting down with her legs crossed, she watched as it ignited, creating a small inferno in the fireplace. She watched as the fire illuminated the room, creating shadows that seemed to sway on the walls, with a heavy sigh; she stood in front of the bed, her eyes narrowing at the twisted sheets and the ripped dress that sat on top of it. She could feel her stomach acid froth and bubble as she thought of Mr. Davidson, a man she had always thought of as friendly. This was where he had violated her friend. A screech tore out of her as she clutched the sheets and dress and threw them into the fire, she watched the burn, glad to see them wither away to ashes. Storming over to the dresser she pulled it open and grabbed new sheets, she dressed the bed quickly, making it as neatly as possible. She had never done this before, she thought with cruel irony, it seemed that her and Tori had switched roles. Eventually Caterina stepping around the pool of blood, grabbed the mop and bucket and began to clean the floor to the best of her ability. It amazed her how quickly the blood was absorbed into the rags attached to the head of the mop; in an instant it was completely red. She changed the water four times until the floor was respectable.

Wiping her brow, she rose, her cheeks ablaze from the effort. Once again returned to the small dresser that held all of the girl's possessions, crouching on her knees she opened the bottom drawer and rifled through it until she found a clean shirt and skirt. Finally she picked out a pretty pink, starched shirt with a thick, woolen plaid skirt. Flying back over to Tori, she spoke to her gentle as she shed her of her blood stained clothes, replacing them with the clean clothes she picked out.

With strenuous effort the smaller girl managed to lift the feather light maid into her arms, she weighed no more than small bale of hay as she lay her down on the soft mattress, her head falling neatly on to the middle of the pillow. Caterina lifted the covers and draped the around her waist, Tori's hand connected together as they sat atop her small stomach. Caterina finally sat at the end of the bed, unable to rip her gaze away from her best friend.

Caterina had always been jealous of Tori's naturally sun kissed skin, of her superior height and calm, reassuring nature. It was hard to believe that she would never again hear Tori's voice, or see her toothy smile. Never again would her skin feel warm to touch or her heart beat, fluttering rapidly with anticipation when she heard the name Beck Oliver.

"I should have helped you sooner." Cat said as she touched Tori's icy arm, "I was just so livid at you because you were right. Everything you said about me was right. I was selfish for not asking you about Beck. I ignored you because I was so engrossed with my own petty problems." She said; her voice laced with self-loathing.

"I wish I could have stopped you from doing this." Caterina's voice wobbled slightly, cracking as she tried to continue, "What will I do without your guidance? What will Natalie do without her mother?"

She stared at Tori, wanting nothing more than to see her bounce up and laugh in her face, to tell her that this was all in her imagination or that she was playing an elaborate prank. Sadly, she knew reality did not work like that, no matter how much she prayed or wished.

The rising sun warned Caterina Shapiro of the day ahead of her, that everyone back at the Manor would be anxiously waiting for her return, desperate to know why she had rushed down to Tori Oliver's house with her kit. With a heart like lead she rose from the bed and leaned down to kiss her cold cheek one last time.

As she rose she spotted a small toy in the crib, a soft little rabbit. Leaning over she picked up the small rabbit, it was in its own right, a veteran. Caterina had given it to Tori when they were younger, the only present the girl had received on her seventh birthday. Caterina pocketed the memento, vowing to pass it back to Natalie. With a final glance she gazed at Tori. Cat could not deny that in death Tori looked so at peace with herself, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she lay on the mattress. She could have just been asleep, Caterina noted as she picked up her kit and walked out the door. She did not glance back at the cottage as she made her way up the path, instead she kept her eyes to the ground, tears marking the soil were they fell as she marched back to Blackwater Manor. Preparing herself to tell everyone the tragedy that had just struck their small village.

Cori friendship! :( That's all I have to say apart from I am writing the next chapter of Strange Occurences ATM so expect it soon!

xox