~ Part XI ~

~ The Eye ~

1.

~ Ariadne tried not to show the horror she felt bubble up inside her at seeing her dearest friend like this. Not when he came home for war, or was in Fischer's hospital the first time, had he looked so near death. His skin was gray and he was struggling to breath in his sleep. A white bandage covered his left check and side of his head from his fail suicide attempt.

"Like I said, the bullet gave him a flesh wound, but it's still very serious." Fischer told her as he delicately removed the dressing and she saw the deep wound to his face. Eames would have a very recognizable scar on his face for the rest of his life. A reminder of what he had done to himself in his own selfish grief.

Her friend stirred and didn't open his eyes.

"Go away, go away, go away." he muttered like a child who had thrown a temper tantrum so hard, he was now too tired to grow angry again.

"Mr. Eames?" Fisher said leaning down to speak into Eames ear. "I have a visitor for you."

"No... no one... no..." Eames muttered and shook his head. His eyes half closed as he didn't even look at her.

"Sir, it's Ariadne." Fischer said.

"Eames, open your eyes." Ariadne said harshly. Her tone was the same she used when Olivia or Harold were doing something bad and refused to listen to her.

Childlike, Eames opened his eyes to see her as if for the first time.

He squinted and peered at her, his mind foggy and confused.

"No..." he groaned. "Go away, go away, go away." he muttered and closed his eyes again.

"He refused food and wants to sleep all day." Fischer told her sadly. "It's not unlike the other men come home from the war. We may have to put a feeding tube in him if he continues."

"That won't be necessary." Ariadne sighed as she looked Eames over. "I'll be taking him home now."

"Home?" Fischer repeated.

"Back to Blue Rivers, sir." she said as if her had lost his mind.

"Ma'am, didn't you hear?" he asked looking embarrass.

"Hear what?"

"There was a fire, Blue Rivers is gone." he told her.

~ "Not wholly gone." He clarified when they were in his office for tea. "But the main house, the library most of the downstairs rooms are lost."

"What happened?" she asked in shock. A house a beautiful and grand as Blue Rivers was gone? How could such a thing happen?

"It would seem the fire was started in the conservatory; it spread quickly. No one is sure of the cause, but Mr. Eames was last seen in the conservatory that evening. After the fire, he disappeared for a few weeks, wound up here from the suicide attempt." he explained.

"Was anyone hurt?" Ariadne sighed.

"I'm afraid Lady Percy and the elderly butler were not able to make it out." Fischer told her.

"Miles?" Ariadne gasped and tried not to cry. The older man had been nothing but kind to her and Arthur since they arrived.

Lady Percy was gone as well, her illness giving her borrowed time to perish in a fire. In the end, despite how horrible she could be, Ariadne had forgiven her and learned to trust the older woman more than anyone.

"The house can still be rebuilt, but the family lacks the funds to do it. I'm afraid there was some frivolous spending on behalf of Juniper Eames." Fischer said.

"I'll bet there has." Ariadne sighed. All those expensive, pretty clothes, silly hats and jewelry for a woman who only cared about how she appeared. Naturally whatever income her son provided, could never be enough.

"After the funerals, Mrs. Eames left the country, a lot of rumors are going around about debts in Paris she owed as well. I tried to reach her in India, but no response." the thin young man told her.

"Well, I'm here now. My late husband, Mr. Hays, left me a house in Town and I can take Mr. Eames there." she told him.

"Mrs. Hays," Fischer sighed. "May I be honest with you?"

"Of course." Ariadne said.

"Perhaps Mr. Eames needs more help than you can give. I've been working with people who are developing real treatments for what were call alcoholism." he said.

"Alcoholism?" she questioned.

"Yes, it's an addiction. Like the morphine addictions we see in the returning men." Fischer explained.

"You can't be addicted to alcohol." she laughed. "Everyone drinks."

"You friend is proof you can become an addict. His body went through terrible withdraws, same as any addict I've ever seen." Fischer told her.

Ariadne shook her head.

'Addiction to the drink, babies born in hospitals, what next?' she thought.

"What to do suggest?" she asked instead.

"Allow him to go into treatment with the group. It's lead by a specialized doctor who can help him. He can't just slow his drinking down. He must give it up. He must start a new life of sobriety."

"But people drink everywhere." she told him.

"Well, he can't." Fischer said logically.

"I'll try and convince him." she said.

"Mrs. Hays, are you and Mr. Eames... are you more that friends?" Fischer asked.

"Good day, sir." she snapped at him and stood. She didn't want to explain herself to Fischer.

"I only ask because we found papers, notebooks, all of them dedicated to you." Fischer said. "You were all he cried out for during his illness before."

"Good day, sir." Ariadne fumed as she left his office.

Sorry I have not been updating like before. My new job is going well, but I don't have the downtime I used to and it's harder to post everyday. It's also harder to find the time to read, which is tragic!

I'm working on more stories; more erotica. There is one that many may find taboo, but is very interesting anyway.

How adorable was JGL, Seth McFarland and Dan Radcliffe at the Oscars? Can't not understand why "Life of Pi" didn't win best picture. Bull Shit!