Welcome back to No More a Savage Life: Chapter Two
This Chapter is dedicated to my friend Hollie
PROTECTOR UNBOUND
Hannibal carried Clarice to their bed and ran for his medical bag. Returning he took her blood pressure immediately to find it elevated. He checked her pulse.
"Clarice you have an elevated heart rate but I don't believe it's due to your medical condition. You are panicking and that will not help our baby…please, Clarice you must relax and breathe deeply."
She gripped his arm, "I'm scared, H…I feel…wet."
Slowly massaging his hands up and down her shoulders and arms he sought, both by touch and the soothing sound of his voice, to comfort her. "I have this well in hand, Clarice."
"But the baby…"
Hannibal put the earpieces of his stethoscope quickly into his ears and listened to Clarice's heart. He then palpated her abdomen and upon determining the position of the baby in relation to Clarice, listened for the child as well. Hearing movement and the steady beat of his baby's tiny heart Hannibal slowly released the breath he was holding.
"You are fine and the baby is fine. We will need to visit the emergency room but I would like to have a look to get an idea of what we may be dealing with. Do you trust me, my Love?"
Clarice nodded, "I do H…I do."
"I am going to move you slightly, then examine you. If you feel any pain, please let me know immediately."
"Okay."
Hannibal very gently moved Clarice onto her side by turning out her hip and raising her body just slightly. He quickly placed an absorbent sterile pad he had partially rolled under her. He then turned her to him, reached around her and unrolled the portion of the pad he had tucked beneath her. In this way, he could prevent the mattress from absorbing any blood and monitor any additional blood loss.
Quietly, he explained his intention, "I'm going to remove your undergarments Clarice and check for bleeding. As you've guessed you have passed some blood, but I don't believe it is an amount necessary to cause immediate panic."
Clarice whispered as if speaking the words aloud would make the situation more real, "H…any blood loss is bad."
"Clarice, blood loss is merely a symptom. We must assess your condition to determine what it is a symptom of and how to treat the problem. I am quite capable of triage. I did do this for a great many years and was quite good at it. You are in capable hands until the ambulance arrives."
Hannibal very carefully removed her undergarments. There was a fairly significant amount of blood. He wiped the area quickly and saw additional blood slowly appear. His heart raced as he reached for the phone.
"Clarice, there is no cause for concern but as a precaution, I'm going to call your doctor and ask her to meet us at the hospital."
Her voice shaking with fear, Clarice clutched for Hannibal's hand, "H…I don't want to lose the baby."
Taking her hand and kissing it gently before placing it on her belly Hannibal spoke with confidence, "Clarice you are far enough along in this pregnancy that if they believe the baby is in danger, they will take him. He is developed enough to survive. His lungs are my only concern. Once you are stable, if they believe our child's birth will be within the week they will begin giving you betamethasone, it is a corticosteroid to move the baby's lung development along. If they believe bed rest will prolong the pregnancy you will have to be very careful but we have many options so you needn't worry. I will be in the next room speaking to the doctor. Rest, I won't be long."
Hannibal reached for his cell phone and punched through his menu to the address book. Upon finding the number, he called and explained the situation quickly to the secretary. Within moments, the doctor was on the line. Hannibal very quietly relayed all of Clarice's symptoms and offered his diagnosis. The doctor agreed. She would meet them at the hospital.
Hannibal hung up the phone and dialed 911. Again, a quick explanation allowing the dispatcher to send the appropriate emergency responders and within moments, Hannibal was again by Clarice's side.
Stroking his hand over her cheek he spoke tenderly, "I would like to clean you up and prepare you, Clarice. Please be patient."
Hannibal went to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water. Returning with the necessary items he used her favorite soap and a plush washcloth to clean the blood. He then retrieved fresh undergarments, placed a pad within to capture any additional blood, and finished dressing Clarice. He ran down the stairs to unlock the front door, opening it widely to allow the paramedics easement.
As Hannibal comforted his wife, holding her and rocking her gently, his cell phone rang. Hannibal checked the number. It was Will Graham.
"Hello Will, I'm having a bit of an emergency with Clarice, can I call you back?"
"I'll be quick…Bloom filed the papers with the court and they approved the involuntary commitment. The police are going to be looking for you. What do you want me to tell Bloom?"
"Tell him that I am transporting my wife by ambulance to the hospital. The paramedics are in transit. Please, Will…see what you can do about stalling them. I'll go willingly if they allow me to stabilize Clarice."
"I'll pass that along to Pearsall maybe he can do something- he doesn't know about this yet, but I think they scrambled already…good luck and give my best to Clarice."
Within minutes the paramedics entered the home. Hannibal carried Clarice down the stairs and held her close to him. He had no way of knowing if the officers were with the paramedics or had been sent by Bloom and would attempt to restrain him. Considering the medical position Clarice was in Hannibal was having a difficult time controlling his heart rate.
Suddenly, in a flurry of activity Bloom rushed into the home with a series of reporters and a camera crew at his side. They were already rolling the cameras when they burst through the door.
Seeing Bloom, Hannibal slowly descended the stairs realizing his options were now very limited.
He whispered to Clarice, "My Love…They will take me now."
"Doctor Lecter…" the officer approached cautiously as Hannibal stepped off the last stair, "…place your wife on the gurney please and step away from her."
Hannibal sought some consideration though it was more for the camera as he expected none, "Officer, will you please allow me to escort my wife to the hospital? She is eight months pregnant and has suffered spontaneous blood loss. You can cuff me and you may shackle my legs, but please let me be with her until she is out of danger."
Bloom's voice boomed loudly, "They have instructions, Hannibal. You can plead all you want, you are leaving with me."
Ignoring Bloom, Hannibal kissed his wife gently on the forehead as he cradled her in his arms, "I love you very much, Clarice…no matter what happens please remember that. You are in good hands. They will transport you to the hospital and your doctor will meet you. You will be safe, my Love."
Clarice saw several more police officers enter the home. When they drew their guns, remembering the tape, she understood what was happening.
"No…not now…no, please don't take him," Clarice's voice pleaded, desperate she reached for Hannibal and clutched at his jacket hopelessly. She would not allow him to lower her to the stretcher. "Don't put me down, H…Don't!"
The officers closed in. Hannibal's eyes flashed a warning as his head rotated to quickly assess each of the men. They were terrified of him and their fear caused the situation to become very precarious.
Hannibal addressed Bloom, "Doctor, why do you find it necessary to invade my home accompanied by, not only law enforcement, but a news crew as well? Had you requested my presence at your office, I would have obliged. I spoke with you willingly earlier this week. I would have done so at will."
"I have an order from the court to have you taken into custody and involuntarily committed for evaluative purposes," Bloom stated quite proudly for the cameras.
"Why? I have been living my life quietly. I am no threat. This is no emergency. My wife is having an emergency. Surely this ridiculous vendetta of yours can wait."
"There is nothing ridiculous about this," Bloom asserted without denying the claim of vendetta.
"Everything about this is ludicrous but I will absolutely indulge every moment of your scrutiny if you allow me to secure the safety of my wife."
"We've seen what you do to ambulance drivers." Bloom answered sarcastically, "And you will indulge every moment of my scrutiny anyway."
Hannibal pulled his wife close, Protector slowly emerging.
"I promise you, on the life of my child, on all that I hold sacred, that if you grant me this, I will surrender to you immediately. Allow me to escort her to the hospital."
Hannibal was standing in the center of the main hallway of their home, still holding Clarice.
Understanding Bloom was programmed not to relent she was now clinging to Hannibal, her arms around his neck and her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles whitened from the effort. Her voice was so reflective of her suffering it was heartbreaking as she pled, "No…don't go H…my god…I need you with me…don't let them take you."
Hannibal walked to the stretcher. He trembled mightily as he struggled to hold back the soaring wall of his own emotions, now threatening collapse as he prepared to set his wife down.
His voice was rich with feeling, "I am not abandoning you of my own will…they are giving me no choice, my Love." He hugged her tightly as he set her down and spoke lovingly, "For your safety, I must submit."
His eyes welling, Hannibal reached around his neck to remove Clarice's hands.
In a moment of sheer panic, she tightened her grip and began pleading with him as great floods of tears began to flow unabated down her cheeks. Her cries pierced his heart.
"No…H…the baby… what if I lose the baby? What if I lose the baby and you're not there? H…Please! Don't let them take you! Please!"
Hannibal was having difficulty maintaining his composure. His wife's tears burned like acid, his body trembled as he struggled to hold back his own tears. His voice began to shake, "I am with you always, Clarice. You will be fine. The baby…" his voice cracked with emotion, "our baby will be fine."
Bloom swept a hand at the two of the officers with him directing them to remove Clarice. They reached for her, grabbed her wrists and pulled to remove them from around Hannibal's neck. Wrestling her off him they then attempted to force her to the stretcher. They twisted her arm too far causing Clarice to cry out in pain.
Hearing the sheer anguish in her voice, Hannibal's body began to quake with anger. A deep, threatening growl rolled up the back of his throat as he raged at the pair. He grabbed them buy their shirts and using all his strength, yanked them off her body by their collars.
His adrenalin surging, Protector now unbound, he tossed the pair of them like rag dolls through the air, "Get your fucking hands off my wife!" he roared.
Hannibal moved quickly to check on Clarice. As he reached to comfort her Bloom waved his arm and an officer stepped forward with an odd looking rifle.
Hannibal, seeing Clarice's eyes widen, turned to see what caught her attention. The officer aimed. Bloom lowered his hand. The officer fired sending a dart into Hannibal's throat. Hannibal stumbled for a moment. "Not the throat…too cl…close…not…the…thr…"
Hannibal realized he was going down and staggered away from Clarice. He understood exactly what was happening to him and knowing he would soon lose total control of his body was panicked that he would fall on his wife.
Stumbling awkwardly in a desperate attempt to protect, he grasped at the dart and pulled it from his neck causing a quick fountain of blood. Choking on the fluids building up as his throat closed, Hannibal Lecter dropped to his knees.
Realizing what was on the dart, Clarice screamed, "No, no not a muscle blocker! He's allergic!"
As his body succumbed to the poison coursing through his system, it began shutting down essential systems. His body now seizing, Hannibal toppled over like a felled tree and struck his head on the table by the door. The merciless contact with the furniture opened a large gash from the top of his forehead straight down through his right brow. Slumped to the side, and fully unconscious, his body began to convulse.
Clarice was screaming, reaching for him, struggling to get off the stretcher and go to him. She recognized this was no normal darting. His body's response was too dramatic. Understanding what was happening she called out in a panic, "Christ…he'll die! He's allergic!"
The larger of the paramedics pushed Bloom back and ran to Hannibal's side to discover his body in full seizure. "What do you mean he's allergic? What's he allergic to?"
"He has low pseudocholinesterase levels. He can't have muscle blockers. He's going to stop breathing!"
The senior officer in charge moved to Clarice's side and spoke very quietly, "We've got him, ma'am. We're going to move you now. He's in good hands."
The officer then waved his arm and yelled at the EMT'S, "What do you need a fucking invitation? Get her out of here."
The men strapped Clarice to the stretcher and moved her. One of the camera operators stayed with Hannibal, the other followed Clarice, still calling out her husband's name and crying as they loaded her in the ambulance.
The female reporter, obviously shaken by the scene put the microphone to Bloom. "Doctor Bloom, this has been quite a scene. Are you surprised at how much love is obvious between the two? He risked everything to try and stay by her side and she appeared as if she needed him as well."
The men, all of the men except Bloom, rushed about as they turned their medical attentions to Hannibal. Bloom stood, quite pleased with himself, and addressed the reporter.
"It isn't really love it's Stockholm Syndrome…He's held her for so long she can't see anyone but him."
The reporter spoke into the microphone, "You can't attribute his reaction to Stockholm Syndrome. He was trying to protect her. Even with the dart in his throat, he turned away so as not to fall on her. It cost him a gash to the head. He tried to pull your officers off her. If that isn't love…what would you call it?"
"It isn't love…He isn't capable of love."
The reporter again questioned, "He is a man, what makes you think he isn't capable of love? It looked like he was willing to die to protect her. It looked like he loves her very, very much. What would make you find him incapable of love after witnessing that scene?"
"He is incapable of love because he is not a man."
The statement caused a hush in the room. The reporter, aghast, pursued.
"If he's not a man…what is he?"
Bloom stated quite proudly that which he and Chilton had agreed to though only privately, "Oh…he's a Monster."
"So that's your official diagnosis?" The police officer shot Bloom a disgusted look, "Okay Doctor Fucking Phil…take your goddamned bullshit medicine show outside. Nobody wants to hear your ridiculous psychobabble while we're trying to save this man's life…Not that you give a shit what happens to him as long as there's a camera in your face while he dies."
Growing more arrogant by the minute, Bloom dismissed the officer and spoke to the paramedics. "When you have him stabilized, you will not transport him to the hospital. You will bring him directly to the prison. There is a hospital there equipped to handle this type of thing. He'll be stable in no time so make sure you cuff him to the gurney and lash him down good and tight. And remember what I said earlier, you don't want to take your eyes off him for one minute. You don't want what he did to the ambulance crew in Memphis to happen to you."
The front door to Hannibal and Clarice's home swung open and Deputy Director Pearsall stepped in. When he saw the scene his mouth dropped open. His voice incredulous he looked at Bloom and spoke softly, just above a whisper, "Jesus Christ, Bloom. What the fuck have you done?"
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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Until the next chapter my friends!
LH