Chapter 8
Sam
After Dr. Watson left, Mrs. Watson left Danny and I a bell in case we needed her and went to clean up her house. I felt guilty about letting a woman who had let us into her home, fed us, clothed me, and listened to us do the chores by herself, but with a broken rib and arm I wasn't in any condition to do much. Danny looked at me and I looked back at him until finally he said, "Do you think Orion is here too?" That thought sent chills up and down my spine, that monster, here? He could slaughter the whole city of London, or even the whole United Kingdom, while we were busy healing. I swallowed and said, "I bet he's still recovering, after you tore his head off and blasted him with that Ghostly Wail, and I know that the Ghost Peeler weakened him pretty good too." "Does it really matter? He still managed to do all this to us even after all the stuff we did to him," Danny glumly said.
That was true. We had never faced anything like the being we could call 'Orion' before, he was in a separate league entirely as far as monsters went, I don't think even Danny's Evil Future version, Pariah Dark, and Vlad Plasmius combined were as evil as 'Orion'. And what if he repeated what he did to hos other victims back in Amity Park? "What can we do?" I finally asked. "I guess we have no choice, we gotta try to get them to let us walk around and see if we can find any signs of Orion. Even if we got a few broken bones," Danny said and tried to sit up, only to gasp in pain from his ribs. "Not yet we can't, not while your ribs are broken," I told him. Danny just sighed and finally said, "Sam, I'm sorry I got you into this mess." "Now you just wait one minute buster," I told him, and crawled over to him before finally laying closer beside him, my broken rib felt like it was on fire.
I sat up as best I could and poked him on his muscular chest and told him, "No one dragged me into anything. I chose to do this, and I don't regret it, not now, not ever. We both know you never would have made it this far without me and Tucker." I cringed when I said his name again but had to shake it off. "The fact is that we have to try to do the best that we can do with what we have. I'll talk to Mary later, but for now, I guess we'll have to try to get a little rest," I finished. Danny's right hand cupped my face and he gave me a small kiss on the lips as he said, "I'm going to get us through this…somehow." With that, we both lay down to try to get some more sleep; we were going to need it.
Watson
It was difficult keeping my mind on my usual patients that day. Whenever I was between appointments my mind would turn back to Daniel and Samantha and Daniel's incredible story. Ghosts, the very thought that ghosts could be real sent a tremor down my spine, especially if they were anything like those monsters that had been unleashed from that 'Ghost Thermos'. It was then that I remembered the fraudulent ghost hound we had killed in Devon County. I remembered the legend that had inspired the murders and started to wonder if the Hound had in fact once been real! The arrival of my 11'o clock patient, Major S. snapped me out of my thoughts so I could focus on him for a time.
As soon as the clock struck noon I raced back home, paying an extra half-pound to the hansom cabbie for incentive. That was one of the most terrifying trips I ever took, how my driver wasn't arrested I'll never know, but at the time all I cared about was returning home to make sure that Mary was alright. Once I paid the man I went inside and was relieved to see that Mary was safe in our living room, sitting at the couch nearest our window and reading a yellow novel. She looked up as soon as I entered and she exclaimed, "My Lord John, you look terrible." I sighed as I sat down next to her, "I was worried about what has been happening and could not wait to see you." I gave her a small kiss and asked, "How are the patients faring?" Mary gave a small sigh, "Samantha is one of the most…unique girls I have ever encountered. They both took a small nap, and after I escorted them to the toilet room again she asked if we had anything for her to read. I suggested some of my romance novels and the girl looked horrified! She then almost begged for other authors, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lord Dunsany, and someone called Bram Stoker. I went out for an hour and found some books by Robert Louis Stevenson and brought them back, they're both reading them now," Mary informed me.
"I think I shall check on them while you make lunch," I told her and made my way back to my bedroom. Inside I saw Daniel was helping Samantha keep open her book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. "Good afternoon," I greeted and they both looked up, "Good afternoon," Samantha greeted. "What's up Doc?" Daniel greeted with a small chuckle and Samantha rolled her eyes. "Mary informs me that you're both doing very well. I just came to check on you and see that you were both healthy," I told them. "I feel fine, but these bandages are starting to itch," Daniel informed me, "Wish this dress wasn't so tight, but aside from that I'm alright," Samantha told me. "Very good, now, Mary is making lunch, are there any dietary restrictions you have been prescribed?" I asked.
"I can eat just about anything as long as it's dead and cooked," Daniel said. "I'm an u…vegetarian," Samantha informed me. "Very well, I shall inform Mary and then we'll change your bandages," I told them and went downstairs to tell Mary about our patient's diet. Once lunch was ready there was a knock on the door and Mary went to take lunch up to our patients while I answered the door. It was Holmes, looking as pale as a sheet. His clothes were wrinkled, his hat barely on his head, and he smelled as if he had taken a bath in his experimental chemicals and tobacco smoke. "Holmes, are you alright?!" I asked as he came in. Holmes collapsed on the couch without removing his coat or hat, dropped Samantha's bag next to the couch and said, "Not at all dear Watson, and I may never be alright ever again."