Critical
Clarabelle's cell rang, piercing the quiet night, she moaned and grabbed it. The screen had no number to show.
"Hello?" she whispered.
"Nye needs you to come in." Ravel quickly said, "They got the arrow."
Clarabelle shot up and hung up, not bothering to change, she ran into the night. A taxi picked her up, same guy as before. "Where to now?" he asked.
"The old Wax Works Museum, please." she smiled and sat back.
"Uh, sure." fortunately, since it was three in the morning there was no traffic, making record time. She gave another fifty and then darted to the doors.
Ravel was in the middle of the corridor when she opened it, "Over here." he ushered.
"I know where it is, I work there."
"Well then," Erskine muttered, "can I at least escort you there?"
"Whatever." she started walking and he joined her side. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"I believe you just did."
"If they didn't retrieve the arrow earlier than how'd you know what it looked like?"
Ravel went rigid, "I've scene this attack before, when ever this happens the arrow is always charmed."
Clarabelle spotted Skulduggery waiting outside. "Oh." she mumbled. Erskine opened the door and she walked through, "I'm kinda' busy now." she smiled and closed the door. Putting her game-face on, Clarabelle takes a deep breath and walks. Step by step, each gets faster every time, until she's running.
******* (earlier that night around 12:00 am)
Drusus Hushed smiles and flips his hair back and jumps to the trees. Skulduggery starts firing his revolver, wherever he thinks Drusus could be. Six shells drop and he tries to reload, while at it he looks at Valkyrie and swears.
"This isn't good." he murmurs and holsters the gun.
"No, really?" she chuckles a little but blood starts drizzling down her chin. Valkyrie hoists herself on her elbows while laying on her back. Skulduggery sighs and helps her up and they slowly make their way back.
"You know, it would be faster if I just carried you there."
Valkyrie looked up at him and smiles, "Yes, you can but it'll just make me look weak."
Skulduggery chuckled"Say what you will, but faster we get you there less chance of you dying."
She slightly nods, "Fine." He scooped her up and runs to the doors, getting swarmed by assistants and nurses once in.
"OK," Clarabelle snaps on a pair of latex gloves, "What's on the arrow?"
"Death field." Nye hovered around arrow in Valkyrie's chest."
"What kind?"
"Acidic, basically"
"Great." she muttered, "Where's China?"
As if right on cue, China Sorrows glides through the crowd carrying leather trunk. "Present." she softly said. She placed it on a nearby table and unlatches it. The lid opened by itself and tiers of papers and scalpels raised into view. China took out her magnifying glass and inspected each charm. "Right then, when did Valkyrie get shot?"
"About three hours ago." Nye responded.
"Ooh," she slurs after, "Clarabelle, be a dear and hand my scalpel, the gold one."
"OK…?" Clarabelle obeys and hands it to her.
China etches the same symbol on all her thumb and index finger. "Right, Valkyrie." She looked up at her, "This will hurt." she warns and tenderly wraps her fingers around the stem of the arrow, making Valkyrie groan. "On three. One. Two-" she rips out the arrow and blood welled in the wound. Valkyrie gasped loudly and falls back down. China, still holding the arrow, steps away while the nurses cloud around her.
"May I take that?" Clarabelle asks, holding a pair of tongs in her hand.
"Yes, here." the tongs pinch the arrows' head, "You might want to stop the spread." China suggested.
"We have chemicals for that." Clarabelle said, "When you walk out don't let Ravel or Skulduggery in, OK? Valkyrie is in a deathly state."
"Fine by me." China closes the trunk and makes her way out. "Though I love breaking the bad news." she called back.
Clarabelle ran to a closet and fills her arms with sealed beakers and takes them back. "Go nuts." like birds, the nurses were grabbing at the beakers. "Nye, can I step out for a little bit?"
It looks at her, "Forty minutes top."
She nods, "Thank you." Clarabelle stepped out the door and Skulduggery was leaning on the opposite wall.
"Well?" he asked.
"We just have to stop the bleeding and the Spread."
"Oh, good." he starts walking out.
"Wait," Clarabelle grabbed his arm, "Three things; taking out the arrow was only a third of the battle, we still have to stop the bleeding and the Spread. If she loses too much blood she can die-"
"Won't you just transfused?" he interjected.
"The Spread would have to be minor, if not her body would reject it."
"When is the Spread minor?"
Clarabelle slurred, "Within thirty minutes of the Spreads' start."
Skulduggery sagged, "What state is she in now?"
"Above critical." Clarabelle quietly said.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"In the meantime, just hope, Skulduggery." Clarabelle left him there and she stepped out the Sanctuary and sat onto a step. Some one walked by, light catching his scarred face. "Dusk?" Clarabelle spiked up and walked over, "Is that you?"
Dusk sighed and turned to face her, "Hi." he muttered.
"What are you doing here?"
He scratched behind his head, "I-I need a new order of that serum."
Clarabelle dropped her head back, "Look, I am so, so sorry Dusk but we stopped ordering it. I though you had the recipe for it."
"Damn Caelan stole it."
"Oh, I can write it for you." she offered, "I have it down by heart."
Dusk arched his eye brows, his scar moving with it, "Really?"
"Here." she grabbed a pen and scrap paper and wrote it down.
"Thanks." he took it and started walking away.
I was planning to stop the chapter when Clarabelle said, "Above critical." which would leave another cliffhanger (and I know you don't like that), also if I did I would have been walking for a good 4 km and back. *sigh* this went from simple, intense, sad, back to simple. Huh, new for me.