"Eve Baird?"
Two hours and a small mountain of insurance and hospital paperwork later, a doctor finally came to the waiting area to give them an update on Cassandra's condition. By that time Jenkins was pacing like a caged tiger, and as soon as he heard the petite African-American woman in the white coat call Colonel Baird's name, he nearly knocked over everyone else in his haste to get to her.
The doctor gave the apprehensive group a quick synopsis of what had happened to Cassandra in the park, and informed them that since Cassandra had been struck in the head, she likely had a very mild concussion. Her ribs and hip were bruised from having been kicked by the perpetrator, but the doctor felt confident that no permanent physical harm had been done, and that the Librarian would make a full recovery with plenty of rest and time.
A few minutes later a nurse led Cassandra out to her anxious friends, and Jenkins was heartsick at the sight of the battered young woman. Her left eye and cheek were swollen and beginning to purple nastily, and there was a deep scrape on her forehead where her head had hit the pavement. He could tell that the injury to her side caused her pain with every breath she took. The rest of her face, with all of her cosmetics removed, was alarmingly pale, but she managed to smile wanly as soon as she saw everyone waiting for her.
As the others clustered around her in an excited knot, Jenkins hung back, suddenly unsure of himself and of how welcome a sight he would be to her right now. His worry was unfounded, though; as soon as Cassandra saw him she held out her arms to him, tears springing to her pale eyes. He didn't even realize that he had been holding his breath until then. Jenkins, nearly weeping with relief, rushed to her as the other librarians discreetly cleared a path for him. Mindful of her injured ribs, his long arms gently encircled her shoulders as he held her, kissing her uninjured cheek in a rare public display of affection towards her.
"I'm so sorry, Cassandra," he whispered huskily into her ear. "This is all my fault! I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me!"
"It's okay," she whispered back, giving him a quick squeeze despite the pain it caused in her ribs. "It wasn't your fault. I'm just as much to blame…"
He made a soft hushing sound as he released her and looked down with sober eyes into her pale face. "Let's go home now, my love. When you're feeling better, we'll talk."
At that point, Jenkins's nurturing nature took over. He placed his hands lightly beneath her elbow and at the small of her back as he escorted her carefully down the hallway towards the location of the Annex portal. Her adopted family crowded around the pair, their relief just as palpable as Jenkins's had been, joked with her and wished her well as they all walked slowly along the hallway. When the coast was clear, everyone stepped through the door and entered the warm, familiar surroundings of the Annex workroom.
He immediately ushered the injured young woman to his suite. He helped her to undress and brought out one of his pajama tops for her to slip into. He winced inwardly at the ugly bruises that were beginning to mar the porcelain skin on Cassandra's side and hipbone where she had been kicked as he helped her into the large bed and carefully tucked her in. He stood there for a moment staring at her, as though considering something before speaking.
"Now, you wait here—do not get out of that bed, young woman! I'll be back in a moment," he firmly instructed, then left the room. After a few minutes he returned, carrying a small, yellow, cut-crystal bottle. He sat on the edge of the mattress, unstopped the bottle and held it out to her. Cassandra caught the familiar, sweet odor of a healing potion.
"Take just a small sip of this, my dear," he directed her. "It's a very powerful healing elixir, you only need a small amount." Cassandra obeyed, and she immediately felt a soft, quicksilver warmth spread throughout her body as she swallowed the potion; it tasted like pale yellow sunshine to her mind. The Caretaker took the bottle and replaced the stopper, then placed it on the nightstand.
"There," he murmured softly. "Now, just lie back and go to sleep, let the potion do its work. When you wake up tomorrow you'll feel much better." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his hand gently caressing her uninjured cheek at the same time, then stood up to leave.
"Jenkins, wait!" she called out. "I want to apologize..."
Jenkins turned back, held a hand up and shook his head gently, giving her a tiny smile. "Hush, my love; you need rest now. The potion will make you sleep soon. There will be plenty of time for us to talk tomorrow."
The Caretaker slipped quietly from the room, and within moments of the door closing behind him, she was fast asleep.