Chapter 30
Kylie's head slowly dropped to the table where she sat before she awoke with a start and lifted her head back up.
"Come on Kylie," she told herself shaking her head to clear it, "stay awake."
Kylie pushed her chair back and stood up. Turning she walked away from the table and into the kitchen turning on the lights as she went. Filling up the kettle with water from the sink Kylie set it on the back burner and turned the stove on. While she waited for the water to boil she opened the cupboard and removed a teacup, saucer, and a box of tea bags.
Kylie's favorite tea was always green tea but now that she was pregnant it made her stomach upset and she settled for a bag of ginger.
When the kettle whistled that it was done Kylie carefully poured the hot water into her cup, where her tea bag sat, and replaced the kettle back onto the stove. She turned the stove off before she picked up her saucer with her tea cup in one hand and a bottle of honey sitting on the counter in the other. Carefully walking back to the table she placed the items she carried onto the table trying to avoid the papers and books she had spread out.
As Kylie let her ginger tea steep she looked down at the table in front of her.
"This is getting me nowhere," she said aloud to no one in particular.
Since July 1st Kylie had been working on comparing Eduardo's and her list against Roland and Garrett's list. She had not been happy to find out that Roland's and Garrett's list was bigger, meaning that there were more demons out there roaming the earth than they or the original team had caught.
Not only were her and her teammate's lists spread out on the table but she had hand written pages from Professor Spengler on Azazel as well.
Even though Professor Spengler didn't personally know about the origins of Azazel he had found someone who did. After Professor Spengler had visited a "Kohen" Egon had written up what he had learned.
According to the "Kohen" Azazel, together with Shemyaza, were the leaders of a group called "Watcher Angels". The "Watcher Angels" were believed to have come down to the mortal world in order to mate with human women. The children of the "Watcher Angels" were giants compared to their mortal mothers, and thus gave rise to the biblical notion of "giants in the land".
Kylie sat down in her chair and pulled it forward. She remembered how Professor Spengler had told her that they didn't have to worry about "giants" these days.
"My concern is that Azazel is still walking the earth today and causing trouble," Professor Spengler told Kylie as he handed her the papers he held in his hand.
According to Professor Spengler's research Azazel was punished along with Shemyaza for inspiring the revolt of these "Watcher Angels". Both demons were bound hand and foot in the desert only Azazel escaped to remain on earth and cause problems for humanity.
"The "Kohen" that I talked to said that Azazel can be seen as an angel of warfare, as he taught mankind about the metals of the earth," Professor Spengler told Kylie that day.
"According to the "Kohen" this was forbidden knowledge and Azazel was not to share it with mortal men, but he did. Azazel showed mortal men how to fashion weapons and armor."
"And it is of interest to note," Professor Tvardovsky said to Kylie, "that in ancient times the sins of all of the Israelites would be cleansed once a year by transferring their collective guilt to a sacrificial goat."
"That's correct Verdie," Egon replied smiling her way, "The high priest would confess all of the sins of the people over what we would later derive the term 'scapegoat' from and release the animal off into the desert to meet its fate."
"And," Verdie said smiling back at Egon taking his hand into hers, "the 'scapegoat' was often recorded as having the name Azazel. By driving the goat into the desert and associating it with the name Azazel, the ancient Israelites were sacrificing this sin-offering to the demon."
Kylie smiled to herself as she reached for her tea. She liked Professor Vladislava Tvardovsky a lot. Even though Verdie, as Kylie had been told to call Professor Tvardovsky, towered over her; Kylie was only five feet four inches tall; the older woman reminded Kylie of her mother. Fierily independent, but capable of long term lasting friendship.
Taking a sip of her tea Kylie thought about her parents. They had divorced when she was young with her father gaining custody of her. Her father's grandmother, Rose Lockyear, had become her primary caregiver.
On the occasions that Kylie got to see her mother she remembered her as a small woman with jet black hair. But what Kylie's mother, Jill Davies, lacked in statue she made up for in attitude. Just like Verdie, independent, relying upon no man, Jill had made it known to Kylie; through her actions; that one didn't need a man to survive.
That attitude had become Kylie's and that was one of the reasons that she had taken so long in opening up to Eduardo.
Kylie reached for the honey and poured some into her hot tea before she place the honey back onto the table.
Yes Professor Tvardovsky was very much like her mother, only taller. Same black hair and attitude, but Kylie could sense that Verdie was also hiding something from Professor Spengler. It wasn't Kylie's business to pry into her mentor's personal life and she hoped that whatever Verdie was hiding wouldn't hurt Egon.
Sighing Kylie went back to work.
Sipping her tea Kylie flipped through the pages of Tobin's Spirit Guide sitting to her right stopping when she reached Beelzebub. She knew the entry by heart.
Beelzebub or Beel-Zebub, with numerous archaic variants, is a semitic deity that was worshiped in the Philistine city of Ekron.
Kylie set her tea down and flipped through a new book that she had just gotten from the New York Public Library that sat on her left. Stopping on the chapter for Beelzebub Kylie leaned forward and read the entry.
First; Beelzebub or Baalzebub as it is spelled in older versions, is roughly translated as the Lord of the Flies. It is said that he is a powerful devil that is high up in the echelons of hell, but that Beelzebub is not Satan.
"Just swell," Kylie said sitting back in her chair.
"What's the matter?"
Kylie turned around to see Eduardo standing before her in his pajama bottoms. Was it that late already she wondered?
"Eddie," Kylie said, "I'm just stuck on this project, that's all. I'll come to bed in a little while."
"Kylie," Eduardo said as he crossed to the chair that she was sitting in, "its way past bed time. It's Sunday morning already."
"No that can't be," Kylie stated getting up from the chair and walking over to the calendar that hung on the wall.
"See," she said pointing to a box that didn't have an "X" through it, "It's Friday."
"Kylie," Eduardo said taking her gently by her hand and leading her over to where the big flat screen television set was that hung on the wall.
Eduardo sat down into one of the two love seats, placed before the television, and gently pulled her down to sit on his lap.
"Look," he said as he turned on the television with the remote that sat on the end table next to him.
When Eduardo flipped to the menu Kylie could clearly see the lettering Sunday 8-30-15 5:00 A.M.
"But that can't be," Kylie said as she watched Eduardo turn off the television.
"Sorry Ky, but it's true."
"I can't believe I've been up for two days straight," Kylie said as she got up off of her husband's lap and started to walk back over to the table.
Eduardo rose up from the love seat as Kylie sat back down into her chair at the table.
"I can," Eduardo said coming over to pull an empty chair out and sit down next to her, "how far have you gotten."
"Nowhere," she replied as she glanced over the papers and books.
Eduardo reached out and picked up a paperback book.
"What's in this?" He asked, "It doesn't look like it belongs with your research."
"Actually," Kylie said taking the book away from Eduardo, "it does."
"This is John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost"," she said.
"So what?"
Kylie frowned and playfully swatted Eduardo's head with the paperback book.
"Boy Eddie," she stated, "I'm really amazed that you even passed High School some days."
"Milton mentions Beelzebub in here," she said as she shook the book in his face.
"And," Eduardo said rubbing his head with one hand and trying to get the book back with the other one, "did he tell you where to find this demon?"
"No," Kylie said as Eduardo finally took the book back.
"Kylie I think you need to get some sleep," Eduardo said thumbing through Milton's book, "you've been at this for days."
Kylie sighed and took the book back out of her husband's hands. Eduardo didn't understand how important this was to her. Finding the cause for the disappearance of the Sistine Chapel was her top priority right now, but Eduardo thought that she needed to be resting.
Kylie had lost out on her summer teaching job at the college because she had become pregnant and was sick with nausea each morning. Nine weeks and counting, Kylie had spent most of her days in the firehouse and close to the bathroom. Manhattan Community College wanted her back the 1st of September for a Tuesday/Thursday schedule of Psychology 101 class from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. That was only two days away Kylie realized and yet she wasn't any closer to figuring out who took the Sistine Chapel.
"Actually Eduardo," Kylie said bitterly, "I've been at this for one month, four weeks, and one day."
"Well in two days Doctor Spengler will return," Eduardo stated, "maybe she can shed some light on this," he finished waving his hand over the papers on the table.
Kylie narrowed her eyes at Eduardo. Now she was upset. Here she was trying to come up with an answer and here he was trying to give away all her hard earned work so that someone else could take the credit for it.
Eduardo watched as Kylie's face went from an expression of softness to one of anger.
"Oh boy, Eddie," he silently said to himself, "now you've done it.
Eduardo was used to Kylie's mood swings by now. Janine had explained what he had done wrong the first time Kylie had turned her back and walked away from him. Eduardo was ready when Kylie threw the book that she held in her hands his way. Taking his left hand he batted the flying book to his right sending it tumbling onto the table. He turned his head just in time to see the book "Paradise Lost" make contact with an open book on the edge of the table. The momentum of "Paradise Lost" sent the open book tumbling off the table and onto the floor.
"I'm sorry Kylie," Eduardo said as he got up from his seat to pick up the mess that he had just created.
"Smooth move ex-lax," Kylie said as she bent down to pick up the two books.
Eduardo beat her to the books and picked them up. Looking at the floor Kylie noticed a piece of one of the books had been ripped out. It was from the library book she had just borrowed. Picking up the piece of paper she sighed. She would have to find some tape and try and fix it before she returned the book.
Halfway, sitting back up Kylie stopped. What did the paper say? Did she read that correctly? Bending closer to the piece of paper she carefully read it slowly.
"It is said that the devil has many names. Commonly known as Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Great Red Dragon, even the Beast emblazoned with the number 666, and there are some who refer to him by the name Azazel."
There was the connection! Kylie held what she had been looking for in her hands. The team wasn't after two demons, just one! One named Azazel. Kylie had her answer.
Quickly sitting up all the way, to show Eduardo what she had discovered, Kylie suddenly felt dizzy. She saw Eduardo standing in front of her holding the two books that he had just picked up from the floor. She tried to focus her eyes on him but he kept moving. No he wasn't the only one moving, the whole room was spinning now. Kylie shot her hands out to hold onto the edge of the table to keep herself from falling over.
"Ky?" Eduardo asked as he sat the books down onto the table that he held in his hands.
Eduardo had seen Kylie's face go from pink to white in color when she sat up.
"Feeling sick," Kylie blurted out before she leaned forward to vomit between her legs under the table.
Pushing herself away from the mess under the table Kylie stood up, almost lost her balance, and than regained it.
"Ky?" Eduardo asked again, "you okay?"
Kylie tried to look at her husband but he was moving too much for her to see him clearly. She had a sudden feeling that she was about to pass out and panicked.
"Eddie!" Kylie called out as she reached out for him.
Eduardo quickly moved forward to catch Kylie as she fainted into his arms. Picking her up he walked down the stairs to the second floor. Carefully he carried her through the door to their room. Gently he placed Kylie in their bed and covered her body up with a blanket. Picking up his cell phone on the nightstand he called the only person he could think of.
"Professor Spengler?" Eduardo asked as he carefully sat down next to Kylie on the bed, "Kylie just fainted. I need your help."
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The phone ringing on the nightstand woke Grace up. She opened one eye to look at her clock, in front of the cell phone that was blaring away, and wondered who was calling.
"Oh for Pete's sake," she said as she sat up in bed, "This had better be good."
Her clock read five-thirty on Sunday morning as she reached over it and grabbed the cell phone.
"Do you have any idea of what time it is," Grace said into the receiver.
"Yes," came a familiar voice back on the other end, "I do, but I need to speak to Paul."
"Sure thing Egon," Grace said as she elbowed her sleeping partner to her left.
"Paul wake up," she told the man sleeping next to her, "Egon wants to talk to you."
Stretching his arms above his head Doctor Paul Stringham slowly sat up in bed.
"What's wrong Grace?" Paul asked as he looked to where his wife sat.
"I don't know," Grace replied handing him the cell phone.
"Hello?" Paul said sleepily into the receiver of the phone.
"Paul, its Egon."
"Long time no see my old friend," Paul replied as he placed his arm around Grace and pulled her to his side, "What can I do for you?"
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Doctor Paul Stringham took the stethoscope away from Kylie's chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's going to be fine Eduardo," Paul said taking the stethoscope out of his ears, "Dizziness and fainting are part of Kylie being pregnant."
"That and Kylie staying up for two days straight with very little food and water causing her to become dehydrated, didn't help either," Grace stated.
Paul reached down into his black medical bag. After depositing his stethoscope he produced a small bag of fluids and a catheter. Handing the bag of fluids to Grace he placed the catheter on the end table.
"Does Doctor Spengler still have her box of medical supplies stashed here?" Paul asked.
"Yes," Kylie replied weakly as she rolled onto her left side and bent her legs, "It's in the locker Eduardo."
Paul watched as Grace took a pillow and carefully placed it between Kylie's legs as Eduardo went for Doctor Spengler's medical supplies.
Soon Eduardo was handing him a medium sized, slightly yellowed plastic box with an equally faded blue top. Paul wondered how old the medical supplies were inside, but as he took the lid off and looked inside he was relieved to see that Echo had kept up with rotating the supplies she keep on hand.
Paul pulled out a blue plastic rubber tourniquet, gauze squares, chlorhexidine scrub, a cap for the catheter, and tape setting them on the nightstand as he explained to Kylie and Eduardo what he wanted to do.
"Kylie," Paul said, "you are moderately dehydrated. You told me that you have been more thirsty than usual, but you have only used the restroom once, over eight hours ago."
"You are dizzy when you sit up and you had a fainting spell called syncope about an hour ago."
"Syncope is a loss of consciousness that occurs when your blood pressure drops very low and not enough blood reaches the brain. This usually happens quickly, which causes symptoms to appear suddenly."
"So," Eduardo said to Paul, "are you telling me that Kylie got dizzy from sitting up too fast?"
"Yes," Paul replied, "When you get 'dizzy' or tell me that 'you feel dizzy' that tells me one of two things. That one: you are lightheaded. You feel that you are going to pass out. You sometimes have nausea or vomiting but the feeling goes away after lying down. Or two: you have vertigo. This is a sensation of spinning, either "you" yourself or the world around you. Vertigo if often caused by an inner ear problem but in Kylie's case it was triggered by a change in the position of her head."
"Kylie had both today," Paul finished, "and being that she didn't take care of herself she became dehydrated."
"Now if you were mildly dehydrated Kylie I would tell you to drink more fluids but I don't want to take a chance with you being pregnant."
Paul held up the catheter before he spoke to Kylie and Eduardo again.
"I would like to give you a bag of intravenous fluids. It is only a small bag, 500 ml, it won't take long but you do have a say in this."
Kylie looked at Doctor Stringham and then at her husband. She hated being a bother to anyone. This was the second time Doctor Stringham and his wife had come to the firehouse and she heaved a sigh.
"Recommended or required?" Kylie asked.
"What's the difference honey?" Eduardo questioned his wife.
"There's a big difference Eduardo," Grace said, "Recommended is to have one's approval to do something. Where-in required is officially being told that something is essential."
"In this case Eduardo, and in answer to Kylie's question, the fluids are recommended," Paul replied.
"So if I say no then that will be it," Kylie said.
"Correct," Paul answered back.
"What are you nuts spooky little lady!?" Eduardo shouted at Kylie, "You need the fluids."
"No I don't," Kylie shot back.
"Kylie," Grace said tenderly as she held up a beige colored hand-held device that was connected to a small square-like box by a long wire, "before you answer Paul's question I want you to hear something first."
"What?" Kylie asked.
"Something wonderful," Grace replied.
Kylie narrowed her eyes at the device that Grace held in her hands. If it got her out of the intravenous fluids that Paul wanted her to have then Kylie would take Grace up on anything she had to offer.
"What do I need to do?" Kylie asked Grace.
"Nothing," Grace replied, "I will do all the work. All I need from you is to lie on your back for a moment."
Kylie thought about what Grace had just said to her. She didn't want what Paul was recommending to her and yet Grace was offering a way out. All she had to do was listen to something wonderful, but Kylie had no idea of what that was. Quickly deciding that she could get out of being a nuisance to everyone in the room Kylie rolled onto her back as Paul removed the pillow from her legs.
"This might be a little cold," Grace said as she pulled up Kylie's black tank top and rubbed gel onto her stomach.
Kylie watched as Grace placed the wand end of the device on her belly and slowly rubbed it over the area. Soon Kylie heard the sound of galloping horses and watched Grace smile.
"What is that?" Kylie asked.
"It's a heartbeat," Grace replied as she looked at the square box on the device, "155 beats per minute."
"My heart doesn't beat that fast," Kylie stated.
"No," Grace replied as she looked into the young woman's eyes, "but your baby's does."
"My baby?" Kylie questioned suddenly realizing what she was hearing.
"This isn't about you anymore Kylie," Grace said as she held the probe still so that Kylie could hear the baby's heartbeat, "this is about you and this new life that you are creating."
Kylie started crying. She had taken three home pregnancy tests even after the blood test from Doctor Stringham, totally unconvinced that she was pregnant. Hearing her baby's heartbeat moved her. Here was her first child, developing right inside of her. She found comfort, reassurance, and knowledge knowing that she was truly carrying an unborn child. That little life that had a right to be loved and cherished. What Grace had said was correct. This wasn't about her anymore. Kylie was living for two. Her and her baby.
"Give me the fluids," Kylie said between sobs as she reached for Eduardo's hand for comfort.
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"How is she?" Paul asked as he watched Grace climb the last two stairs to the third floor of the firehouse.
"Resting comfortably," Grace said as she walked over to where her husband sat in one of the two love seats. "Kylie only has two hundred milliliters of the fluids left."
"Good," Paul said as Grace came to a stop before him.
"Tell me something," Paul asked as he reached for Grace's hand, "How did you know that you would even find that baby's heartbeat? Usually you can't pick it up until 12 weeks."
"I've had a lot of practice," Grace said as she carefully sat on her husband's lap.
Paul's smile turned into a frown. He knew what his wife was talking about.
"Paul," Grace asked, "Do you remember how many she lost?"
Paul shook his head, "I try to make myself forget, but when I come back here the memory of each late night comes flooding back to me."
Paul sighed, "It's not that I hate this place. It's just that the room where Kylie and Eduardo live hasn't been touched. You would think that they would paint the walls, move the furniture, or something…," Paul trailed off.
"Yeah," Grace said as she stifled a cry, "I can still hear Eden crying late at night. Why can't I get her voice out of my head?"
"I don't know Grace," Paul replied as he pulled her up against his chest.
"I can't get the sight of her baby's blood off of my hands," Paul said softly into Grace's ear, "That's why I gave up the Emergency Room and went into specializing in ultrasounds."
Grace pulled back from Paul and narrowed her eyes at him.
"You did that before Eden lost her first child," Grace stated.
"No," Paul replied, "That was Eden's second child that she lost here at the firehouse. I'm talking about Eden's first child with Ben."
"Oh!" Grace said as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, "I'd forgotten all about that day. How could I have forgotten that horrible day?"
"I wish I could," Paul said as a tear fell from his eye, "I lost two patients that I was responsible for that day. Adam and…," Paul trailed off.
"Grace," he asked, "did Eden ever name her stillborn baby girl?"
"Yes I believe so," Grace said taking her hand down from her mouth, "I just can't remember. It's been too long."
"I remember it had something to do with the Bible," Paul stated.
"Yes, that's right," Grace replied, "Was it Sarah?"
"No, that's her sister," Paul stated, "It was something with a 'T'."
"Tirza!" Grace said remembering, "Tirza Parnell."
"That's right," Paul said as he pulled Grace back to his chest, "I hated that night."
Paul shivered holding onto his wife for comfort and closed his eyes. Try as he might that awful night came flooding back to him.
Paul awoke to a female screaming before it was suddenly silenced by a loud slapping sound.
"You little slut," a man's voice yelled out.
"Ben no!" Eden's voice rang out through the apartment as Paul heard something being slapped again.
Paul sat straight up in bed wondering what was going on.
"Grace?" Paul said quietly as he shook his girlfriend's shoulder.
Paul heard crying and then Eden's voice came to him again.
"I'm telling…," the voice cut off suddenly and a powerful thud was felt through the apartment.
Paul knew that something or someone had been thrown into the wall and he tossed off the bed covers heading for the bedroom door.
"Leave me alone!" Someone shouted from the kitchen, "That bitch deserves to die!"
Before Paul opened the bedroom door he turned around to see that Grace was fully awake now, sitting up in bed, scared.
"Stay here," Paul said before he opened the door, "I don't know what is going on."
"Ben stop!" Iris screamed as Paul ran down the hallway towards her voice.
"NO!" Iris cried as Paul ran into Ben coming out of the kitchen.
Ben slashed out at Paul with a knife that he had in his hand, but Paul was quicker and ducked out of Ben's way, falling to the floor. Paul watched as Ben continued past him muttering that 'he was going to cut it out of her'. Paul tried to get up but his legs buckled under him. He had done something to his ankle but now was not the time to worry about himself. Ben was headed for the front of the apartment where Eden and Grace were.
Trying to get up and falling again Paul saw Ben stop before Eden's door.
"Adam!" Iris' voice cried, drawing Paul's attention to the kitchen in front of him.
Paul saw Iris holding her hands over Adam's chest as the blood seeped out. Paul couldn't help Eden, but he knew that Iris could.
"Iris!" Paul cried as he pulled himself over to where Adam lie, "go save Eden!"
"I can't leave him!" Iris wept as Paul put his hands over hers.
"I'll take care of Adam for you," Paul said, "my ankles hurt. I can't get there in time, but you can."
"But…," Iris said before Paul cut her off.
Knowing that time was running out Paul took Iris' hands off of Adam's chest and turned her around to face the hallway.
"GO!" He shouted at her, "Use your military training. Save your friend. I'll do all that I can for Adam."
"But…," Iris said once again turning part way around.
"That's an order Captain Churchill!" Paul shouted and pointed a finger out the kitchen door.
Paul saw Iris' demeanor change and she quickly got up and bolted out the door and down the hallway.
"Hold on Adam," Paul said as he reached over and grabbed the kitchen dish towel off of the handle to the stove.
Pulling back Adam's pajama top Paul saw where the knife had entered Adam's chest.
"Shit!" Paul said under his breath as he placed the kitchen towel over the open wound.
Paul knew what had happened and in his heart he wished it wouldn't have happened to him.
Ben's knife had most likely found Adam's aorta because the blood spurted out with each heartbeat and was bright red in color. Adam was in shock as he started hyperventilating under Paul's touch. Paul knew that he needed to get Adam to an emergency room right away, start him on intravenous fluids, and get him into surgery, but Paul wasn't anywhere close to an emergency room setting.
Confused Adam tried raising a hand towards Paul, but he could not. Paul saw what Adam was trying to do and reached out and grabbed Adam's hand bringing it to his chest. Paul could feel that Adam's hand was cold and he knew that death was near. With a tear in his eye Paul picked up the man and cradled him in his arms. There was nothing that Paul could do to save Adam's life and he felt helpless.
"Iris," Adam slurred out, "I love you."
"I love you too," Paul said as Adam's head rolled to the side and his hand became dead weight in Paul's hand.
Paul gently laid Adam's body back on the ground and placed the man's hands on his chest before he heard Iris screaming down the hallway. Pulling himself up, with help from the nearby kitchen chair, Paul quickly limped down the hallway to where Helen and Grace were standing outside of Eden's bedroom door. Grace turned towards him, her face white in color.
"Something's wrong with Ben," Grace said under her breath, "his pupils were dilated and he had increased energy."
"Had?" Paul questioned his girlfriend.
"Iris broke Ben's neck," Helen said under the hand that she held to her mouth, "I think I'm going to be sick."
Paul looked into the bedroom as he heard Helen vomiting onto the floor of the living room. What he saw made him sick to his stomach also.
To his left was upturned furniture, but to his right was Iris sitting next to Ben's body. Paul could see that Iris' face had been cut open, from the bottom of her right ear to the corner of her mouth, and she was bleeding heavily. Paul went to rush forward and his ankle gave out from under him.
"Paul!" Grace shouted starting to rush to his side.
"Stay back!" Paul shouted turning her way and holding up a hand to stop her, "let me make sure Ben is dead first."
Paul saw Grace stop and he quickly dragged himself over to Iris' side. Carefully reaching over Ben's body, just in case he was passed out and would come to at any moment, Paul felt for a carotid pulse manually with his index and middle finger. Pressing down hard between Ben's windpipe and large muscle in his neck Paul felt nothing.
Heaving a sigh Paul turned his attention to Iris as he placed his hands tenderly on the crying woman's face. Her cut was deep, oozing, and would require stitches but at least she was alive.
"Grace," Paul called out, "bring the first-aid kit."
Paul heard Grace turn and run away. A moment later she was kneeling by his side. Paul removed his hands from Iris' face and took the first-aid kit from Grace. Placing it on the ground he opened it up and pulled out an absorbent compress dressing. Tearing the paper off of the dressing, Paul tossed the paper to his left and folded the white dressing in half. Tenderly he placed it onto Iris' face as he reached back into the kit for some tape with his left hand. Retrieving the tape Paul saw Grace reach over and place her hand on top of his right one.
Paul turned his face to see a tear in his girlfriend's eye. He nodded his thanks and released the dressing that he held in his hand but not before Iris called out to him in a whisper.
"I don't think I made it in time," Iris sobbed to Paul.
Paul placed his right hand on Iris' left shoulder before he spoke to her.
"You did what you could."
"No," Iris cried, "I saw Ben kick Eden in her stomach before he raised the knife into the air."
Paul listened as Iris recalled what had just happened to her.
"I grabbed Ben's arm to try to stop him and he turned around and cut my face open."
"It's okay Iris," Paul said quietly, "We'll get you to a hospital."
"No," Iris cried out as she reached both hands out to grab Paul's shoulders, "you don't understand. When I grabbed Ben he turned back around, after he cut me, and started tossing the furniture nearby at Eden."
"She's under there somewhere," Iris finished as she took her right hand away from Paul's shoulder and pointed behind him, "dead."
Paul dropped his hand from Iris' shoulder and turned around. What he couldn't see from the doorway of Eden's bedroom was two feet sticking out from under a broken desk and chair. As quickly as he could Paul crawled towards where Eden's body was. Carefully he started to remove the pieces of furniture as he heard Helen come into the room and join Grace.
"Eden didn't deserve this," Paul muttered to himself as he moved the final piece of debris off of her body.
Eden moaned when Paul removed the top of the desk from off of her and he wept for joy.
"Oh thank the God in heaven," Paul said moving closer to Eden's side.
"The baby's yours Ben," Eden muttered to him.
"Eden," Paul said as he saw her open her eyes briefly, "its Paul."
"Paul?" Eden questioned before she passed out.
Paul lifted the bottom of Eden's light blue teddy out of the way.
"I'm sorry Eden," Paul told her sleeping form, "but I have to check."
"Grace," Paul called out, "could you bring me the scissors from the first-aid kit? I need to cut Eden's panties off of her."
Grace was by his side in minutes and handed him the scissors that she had brought with her as she knelt down next to him. Paul took the scissors and carefully cut away Eden's red thong. As he place the thong and scissors down onto the ground next to him Paul noticed that Eden's panties were not red but blue in color. She was bleeding.
Paul quickly turned his attention back to Eden and placed his hand between her legs. When he pulled it away there was fresh blood on his fingers.
Eden woke up just then moaning and trying to hold her stomach.
"Paul," Grace said scared, "I think she is giving birth."
"I know," Paul said as he put all of his attention into helping Eden.
Paul watched as a blood-clot-like material gushed from between Eden's legs and she turned her head to vomit onto the carpet next to her.
Eden passed out as Paul placed his hand between her legs to gently catch her fetus as the next contraction expelled her unborn baby. Gently he lifted his hand with Eden's baby girl to his face.
About the size of a large plum and weighting about a half-ounce, Eden's baby's face was human looking with black dots as her eyes on either side of her head. Tiny ears alongside of her head greeted Paul as he gently touched the fetus. Her small chest, with ribs sticking out, paled in compairson to the large blackish, red liver underneath them, the umbilical cord still attached.
This was a person no matter how small and Paul cried openly at the loss. Not only had he just lost Adam, now here he was holding Eden's 12 week old stillborn baby girl in the palm of his hand.
Paul opened his eyes and looked at Grace. She was sound asleep in his arms but the vision that he had just seen was still there before his eyes.
Paul held onto Grace as she cried watching Eden and Iris place the small brown box into the grave and sit down beside it. That had to be the hardest thing that the two friends had ever done, Paul thought as he listened to Eden's beautiful soprano voice.
"Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon;
The flames of love extinguished,
And fully past and gone."
Paul once again closed his eyes trying to shake the memory out of his head but all he heard was Eden's voice.
"And there's a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o'thine!
And we'll take a right good-will draught,
For auld lang syne."
"Wait," Paul thought to himself, "that wasn't the verse that Eden had sung." Slowly he opened his eyes. Someone in white was standing before him. Carefully, so he didn't wake Grace up, Paul looked around her body.
Standing before him was Eden and a small child. Paul couldn't tell if the child was a boy or a girl as the child was hiding behind Eden's legs peeking out at him.
"Hello Paul," Eden said smiling at him.
"Eden?" Paul questioned the woman in white.
"Yes," Eden replied, "it's me."
Paul sat there not knowing what to do. Never before had he seen Eden after she had died. She looked beautiful with no worries or cares in the world.
"Paul," Eden said taking a step forward, "I need your help."
"Sure," Paul stammered out, finally finding his voice, "anything."
"I need you to go back and become an Emergency Room doctor again."
"Eden," Paul said dropping his face from her view, "you know I can't after what happened to you and Adam."
Eden took another step forward, bent down, and carefully lifted Paul's face back up with her left hand.
"Yes you can," Eden whispered to him, "I forgive you as well as Adam."
Paul looked into Eden's face as she released his face and stood back up.
"Adam?" Paul cried out softly.
"Yes," Eden replied gently, "he couldn't come because there is much to do."
"Listen Paul," Eden said as she backed away from him, "Egon's going to need your help. Echo too."
"What can I do?" Paul asked as he watched Eden take the child's hand into hers.
"I told you," Eden said as she started to fade from his view, "go back and become an Emergency Room doctor again."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kylie walked down the crowded street until she got to the corner. Stopping she looked both ways but couldn't see the old woman that she had been following.
When she had seen the woman Kylie had sworn that she was her great grandmother Rose. When Kylie had shouted at the woman to stop the look-a-like had kept on walking.
Kylie looked up at the street sign. It read 34th and Vine. That couldn't be right. There was no Vine that crossed 34th Street in New York. There were eleven avenues, ten if you counted 4th Avenue as Park Avenue South. There was the West Side Highway on the Hudson River side with Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive on the East River Side. Then there was Broadway, Madison Avenue, and Lexington Avenue, but no Vine.
Looking down from the sign and across the street Kylie saw what looked like her great grandmother Rose standing outside a store front.
"Wait!" Kylie shouted as she darted out into traffic to cross 34th Street.
Dodging the cars that slammed on their breaks to avoid hitting her, Kylie saw the look-a-like Rose turn to her left and enter a building.
"Rose!" Kylie shouted as she reached the other side of the four lane, two-way street.
Kylie ran to where the woman had just entered the building and stopped. The store front had the name Madame Rue in a semi-circle on the top of the dirty window with the words Physcic Readings underneath. The dead potted plants, that were in the window, didn't make the place look inviting but Kylie wanted to see if the woman was Rose. Slowly she reached out and opened the door.
The bells on the top of the door jingled her presence as Kylie shut the door behind her. Insence filled the dimly lit room, as light in front of her showed the way into another room. She stepped forward and drew the beaded curtain aside so that she could step through the open door into the next room.
"Hello?" She called out.
"In here my child," a grizzy old voice called out.
Kylie looked to her left. Sitting at a square table in the corner was an old gypsy woman. She was tall, medium built with large gold earrings and bright red hair. She was shuffling a deck of large playing cards in her hands.
"Come, sit," the gypsy said laying the cards down and beckoning to an empty chair in front of the table, "You have come to have me tell you what you want to know?"
Kylie stepped further into the room and released the beaded curtain. As she listened to the noise it made she approached the table.
"No," Kylie told the gypsy, "I'm not here for that. I saw someone who looked like my great grandmother come in here. Have you seen her?"
"Her name is Rose," the gypsy stated fanning the cards out on the table in front of Kylie.
"Yes," Kylie said stopping in front of the table, "How did you know? Can you tell me where she is?"
"Madame Rue knows all," the gypsy stated.
"Rose is here," she said waving her hand across the facedown cards on the table. "Now come, sit, and she will tell you what you want to know."
Kylie slowly sat down on the chair and watched as the gypsy pulled four cards from the deck and placed them facedown in a square with two cards on top and two cards underneath.
"You have come for self-knowledge," the gypsy said as she took the other cards and piled them up and placed them on the end of the table so that the only cards out were the four she had just laid down.
"I can show you how you perceive yourself and how others see you," the gypsy said as she turned over the first card on the top left of the row.
Kylie could see a mature, massive figure wrapped in majestic garments and framed by two large ram's heads that occupied the pillar of a crystal throne. Now she knew what the large cards were. What she had thought was a large deck of playing cards were really Tarot cards. Kylie had only seen pictures of the cards in books. She had never directly been involved with them and didn't know the names of the cards, or their meanings.
"Ah," the gypsy said, "The Emperor."
Running a hand across the card's surface the gypsy interpreted the meaning of the card for Kylie.
"Rulership," the gypsy stated, "Justice, order, courage and leadership ability. You have clear concepts, discipline, perseverance, decisiveness, and the will to take responsibility upon yourself."
The gypsy looked up at Kylie.
"You run a business. You are in charge of other people are you not?"
"Yes," Kylie answered a little taken back that this gypsy knew what she did for a living.
Pointing to the ram's heads that were on the pillar the gypsy said, "The ram is a symbol of the power we have within us. On a higher level it is also associated with the creative powers of fatherhood."
Kylie sucked in a breath hoping that the gypsy didn't notice, but she had.
"The Emperor also appears to us as an archetype of the good and evil father. He awakens within us associations of our own father."
"Have you come to terms with your own father?" The gypsy asked looking her in the eye now.
Kylie sat there shocked. Her father, Steve Griffin, had never been around when she needed him. He was always off working, traveling. Rose had been her trusted friend and Kylie had never been able to come to terms with her father's absence.
Slowly Kylie shook her head no.
"I see," the gypsy said taking her hand away from the card.
"If you are not successful in reconciling with your father than you will tend towards tyranny."
"Be carefull in your relationship with men. There is a danger of repressed feelings and encrusted manners. Remember that true assaults come from within. Watch what you say to men because they have a way of making our dreams and wishes become reality."
Kylie watched as the gypsy looked away, reached out to the bottom right hand side of the square, and turned over the next card.
There were nine jagged and rusty swords all of them pointing downwards. Red drops of blood were running down the blades and dripping off onto the bottom of the card.
"Nine of Swords," the gypsy said studying the card.
"Despair, bleakness, suffering," the gypsy said as she took her forfinger to touch one of the swords.
"Inwardly you are tormented by demons. You fear failure in the face of special encumbrances through tasks with unusual risks," the gypsy stated.
Kylie watched as the gypsy looked up at her again.
"You fear abandonment and the pain of separation?" The gypsy asked.
Kylie bit her lip. She didn't like where this was going. Yes, she secretly feared that Eduardo would leave her, much like her parents had left her and slowly nodded her head yes.
The gypsy nodded her head back in understanding.
"Only perception and understanding can break through the circle of failure, dread, and inner aggression. In any case it is important to put an end to these torments."
"How?" Kylie asked.
"We can free ourselves of the situation by leaving," the gypsy said to her looking down at the cards again, "or we can courageously stand up to it. That is your choice to make."
The gypsy reached out and turned over the next card to the left of the Nine of Swords.
"The Tower," the gypsy told Kylie.
The graphic design on the card showed chaotic expression with destruction shown wherever Kylie looked and it upset her.
"Destruction, dying…," the gypsy started to say before Kylie cut her off.
"I can see that!" Kylie shot out.
"Yes my child," the gypsy replied, "but it can also mean rebirth."
"This," the gypsy said pointing to the card, "is the shadow card in this self-knowledge reading. It shows what is concealed. Things that we know about ourselves, yet we hide them from those around us."
"So," the gypsy stated leaning closer to the card, "what are you hiding?"
"The tower signifies order, structure in life and yet the flames," said the gypsy pointing to the card, "create aggression."
"If we perceive the structure of the tower as a self-imposed prison created by our own isolation of fear, then when we breakdown this structure; experienced as a danger to us; exposes our fears to others."
"The card indicates an area of presumed security into which you have walled yourself."
The gypsy looked up. Narrowing her eyes and turning her head slightly she studied Kylie. After what seemed like an eternity the gypsy spoke again.
"You don't concider yourself a leader. You wonder if you can trust the others you work with. That is what you are hiding."
"This will only protect you as long as you believe that no one will find out. Someday, sometime they will. Then your self-imposed prision will fall. Then what?"
The gypsy watched as Kylie sat still not answering her.
"It is through this destruction that we can make room for something new."
"Because until now," the gypsy said pointing to the card, "we have kept ourselves hidden."
"Remember the Phoenix that rose from the ashes, reincarnated, new. Every ending is a new beginning my child," the gypsy said as she reached for the last card.
Turning over the top righthand card, that sat next to the Emperor card, Kylie saw a stern-looking woman sitting on a mountain of clouds. She was dressed in a simple, elegant skirt from the waist down with her breast covered by a transparent silk cloth. One hand held a sword while above her was the head of a child.
"Queen of Swords," the gypsy said, "Intelligence, wisdom, resourcefulness. These are things that others see in you, but that you yourself are not aware of."
"The eloquent Queen of Swords is of sharp intellect and cool, clear mental outlook, but distances herself from her emotions. The Queen is the expression of our ability to solve problems with the help of our mind."
"However," the gypsy said, "The Queen of Swords can indicate an ideal of perfection through which our emotions are in danger of being neglected."
"Thank you," Kylie said as she rose up from the chair, "but this didn't help me find my great grandmother."
"You said that she was in the cards," Kylie said turning and walking away.
"But I am in the cards," Rose Lockyear said.
Kylie stopped and turned around slowly. The old gypsy woman was gone and in her place sat a small old woman with short gray hair.
"Great Grandmother Rose?" Kylie questioned softly.
"Yes," Rose replied.
Kylie let a tear fall from her eye.
"When you died, I had so many things that I wanted to tell you, but I…," Kylie said trailing off.
"I know dear," Rose said, "Please sit down. I don't have much time."
Kylie slowly walked back over to the chair and sat back down. She watched as Rose replaced the four cards that the gypsy had used back into the deck.
"I have so much to ask you," Kylie said as Rose shuffled the Tarot cards.
"I know," Rose replied as she fanned the cards out on the table in front of Kylie, "but like I said before I don't have much time."
"I can't personally tell you what your future is," Rose stated, "but if you believe I am in these cards," Rose said waving her right hand over the cards on the table, "then I can."
"What is my future like?" Kylie asked.
"The cards will tell you," Rose replied, "but remember that you have the power to change the future with what you are doing now."
"I understand Great Grandmother Rose. So what do I need to do?"
"Choose," Rose replied, "The cards can be questioned in regards to anything you ask. Choose the cards. Choose your destiny."
"Will you give me the interpretation of each card?"
"I cannot," Rose said, "but I can answer simple 'yes' and 'no' questions put to me. You must associate the meaning of each card yourself."
"But I have never dealt with Tarot cards or their meanings before," Kylie said, "What if I don't know the meaning?"
"Look with your heart," Rose said, "it has always shown me the way to go. I will leave you with the cards that you have picked out. In time you will come to understand their meanings. Do you understand?"
"I think so," Kylie said as she reached out with her left hand and picked her first card.
"Choose seven cards Kylie," Rose said watching as her granddaughter chose each card carefully and then sat them facedown on top of each other, one at a time.
When Kylie was done Rose placed the left over cards into a pile and placed them aside. Next Rose picked up Kylie's cards that she had drawn and placed them into a horseshoe shape with the heel of the horseshoe facing Kylie.
Rose placed the cards facedown in the order that Kylie had drawn them. When she was finished Rose reached over and turned over the first card on the left hand side closest to Kylie.
"Your past," Rose said.
Kylie saw that the card contained a red heart with three swords thrust through it. One straight through from top to bottom while the other two were thrust in sideways. A dark menacing cloud hung over the top of the heart.
"This is my past," Kylie asked as she reached a finger out to point at the card.
"Yes," Rose replied, "Three of Swords."
"What does it mean?" Kylie asked.
"You tell me," Rose stated, "I can only answer 'yes' and 'no' questions remember. That is the rule for allowing me to show you the future."
"I don't know," Kylie said drawing her hand back, "I told you I've never really studied or dealt with the Tarot cards before."
"It is completely normal if in your initial individual interpretation of the cards you only attain clumsy, meager, or less-than-understandable statements," Rose told Kylie. "Remember I'm leaving the cards with you. If you don't know what they mean now, you will have plenty of time to study them afterwards."
"Right now though what does you heart and mind tell you?"
Kylie studied the card closely before she answered. She was a bit squeamish at the sight of it. To her it meant she had pierced someone's heart and had cause them pain, but who?
Kylie shook her head and answered Rose in the form of a question.
"I have hurt someone in my past?"
"No," Rose said as she reached for the second card above and to the right of the Three of Swords.
"But…," Kylie started to say before Rose cut her off.
"Kylie, I don't have much time. I will be called back soon, but I have to show you this first," Rose said as she waved her hand over the horseshoe shaped cards.
"Called back where?" Kylie asked as she watched Rose turn over the second card.
"I can't tell you dear," Rose answered.
Kylie looked at the next card. Two people were naked, gazing at each other while a third person was hiding behind a cloak, that they were wearing, with their arms outstretched over the top of the naked couple beneath.
"Your present," Rose said, "The card is called 'Lovers'."
Once Kylie heard the name of the card she knew what it represented right away.
"This card represents Eduardo and me," Kylie said proudly, glad that she knew at least one card's meaning.
"No," Rose said reaching for the next card above and to the right of the last card.
"What!?" Kylie said taken back that she was wrong in her interpretation of the Tarot card, "But…,"
Kylie trailed off as she saw her great grandmother slowly shake her head. She watched Rose mouth the words "not much time" as Rose went to turn over the next card.
"Hidden influences in your life," Rose stated as she tapped the card three times.
Before Kylie's eyes appeared two new cards, but she had only pulled one. What was going on? Kylie watched her great grandmother tuned over the first card slowly.
"The Magus," Rose stated placing the card above the two facedown cards.
Kylie saw a pleasant, youthful figure, on tiptoes, standing on a mountain and juggling floating symbols around him. The picture reminded her of Garrett if the man could walk.
"The Hierophant," Rose said as she turned over the next card.
Rose pushed the facedown third card out of the way and placed the Hierophant card in its place.
The card's picture contained a priest or maybe a high priest Kylie thought sitting on a throne with his right hand raised as in a blessing or benediction, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing down. In his left hand he held a cross. The figure reminded her of Roland, always trying to be a positive role model to the local neighbor kids.
"The Hermit," Rose told Kylie turning the last card over and placing it below the Hierophant card.
Kylie saw that all three of the cards formed a row, straight up and down. "That must mean something," Kylie thought to herself as she looked closer at the last card.
The card showed an old man in a cloak holding a lantern in his right hand and a staff in the other. But as Kylie looked closer she swore she saw her husband's elderly, full bearded face looking back at her. Was this Eduardo in his old age?
"The three cards together are called the Three Magi," Rose said.
Kylie narrowed her eyes at Rose.
"You said that these cards are hidden influences in my life, correct?" Kylie asked.
"Yes," Rose replied nodding her head.
Kylie thought a moment. Garrett, Roland, and Eduardo were her teammates and as such they often consulted with one another on difficult cases. Could they be influencing each other in the process Kylie wondered? Slowly Kylie nodded her head. Yes, that had to be the answer.
"These three cards represent each member of my team," Kylie told Rose.
"No," Rose again replied as she quickly reached for the next facedown card at the top of the horseshoe.
Before Kylie could voice her complaint to Rose she saw the next overturned card and shuttered.
In the center of this card was a goat with mighty sweeping horns. The goat's facial expression was sly, dark, as if some force was at work that didn't want to be seen.
"The obstacles in your way," Rose told Kylie, "The Devil."
"The Devil as a goat?" Kylie silently questioned herself and then it hit her.
Azazel! The scapegoat story Verdie had told her about. The Israelites' associated Azazel with darkness and the desert wilderness. This had been Kylie's obstacle for close to two months now. The card couldn't be clearer.
"This represents Azazel," Kylie said.
"No," was Rose's reply as once again she reached out to turn the next card over that sat to the right of the Devil's card but this time below it.
"This card shows the attitudes of others towards you," Rose said quietly as she turned the Tarot card face up.
"Seven of Wands."
Kylie had looked up when she had told Rose that the last card was Azazel. She sat there shocked that she had been wrong yet again. Slowly she looked down at the next card on the table.
Six wands, three on each side, were crossed to from the background for the last wand which was vertical, over the other wands, and bent in the middle. Kylie had no idea what the card had to do with the attitudes of others towards her and she slowly shook her head.
"I'm sorry," Kylie said, "I have no idea what this card means."
"I understand," Kylie's great grandmother replied as she reached for the next card below and to the right of the Seven of Wands.
"This card," Rose told Kylie, "is what you should do."
Kylie saw Rose turn over the next Tarot card. The first thing the Kylie noticed was that the card was upside down to her. If she was sitting in Rose's seat then the card would be the right way up.
On the card were two upside down jackals that looked like the Ancient Egyptian God Anubis. If Kylie remembered her ancient Egyptian mythology correctly Anubis was the guide for your soul as it passed into the world beyond. But what did it mean when the card was upside down?
"The Moon reversed," Rose told her.
Kylie didn't know what to make of the card that Rose had just shown her. Rose had told her that the card was what she should do, but what was that? Die? Follow Anubis to where? The Underworld?
Kylie didn't think that she had been an evil person but as she looked out over all the cards laid out on the table she doubted her inner self. She had hurt someone in the past, yet Rose had told her that was wrong. Kylie was sure that the Lovers were her and Eduardo, but she had been told that wasn't so also. But who could they be? Echo and Daniel? Verdie and Egon? "Or," Kylie thought to herself, "Eduardo and another love."
Kylie's heart broke at the thought. Were her teammates keeping something from her? She had caught them talking, but when she had come into the room they had stopped. Somehow Kylie thought that was the answer. Eduardo didn't want her anymore, but why? What had changed between them? And then it hit Kylie. The baby.
But Eduardo had been happy, no make that ecstatic, that she was with child. Yet she had been rude to him and snapped at him for the smallest of things some days. And just today she had thrown a book at his head, because she had been mad, upset about a comment that he had made. No wonder he didn't want to be around her anymore. If she were in his shoes Kylie wouldn't want to be around herself either.
"I don't know the meaning of this card either," Kylie said starting to cry as she reached a hand out to point to the moon card.
"You will in time," Rose said as she gently reached out with her left hand to gather Kylie's hand into her own.
Rose squeezed Kylie's hand before she released it and gathered the cards on the table together, handing them to Kylie.
"Remember dear that I am in these cards," Rose said smiling.
"Use them, study them, and they will tell you your future. But remember that you have the power to change what the cards are saying to you."
"What about the last card?" Kylie asked.
"That is for you to turn over. It shows the outcome in your future."
"What is it?" Kylie asked.
Rose smiled gently. Her time was up and she started to fade from Kylie's view.
Kylie sat there as she watched her great grandmother Rose fade away from her. Slowly she reached over and turned the last card left on the table over.
On the card Kylie saw a kneeling skeleton wielding a scythe and harvesting withered forms of people. Kylie drew her hand back in fear. The card scared her and she heard a voice, her great grandmother's voice, right behind her making her jump in her seat.
"Kylie they are coming."
Kylie sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily. She looked over to see Eduardo sleeping next to her. Taking a hand and rubbing her face she realized that it had all been a dream. A stupid, really bad dream and she pushed back the covers to get out of bed. As she put her feet on the ground she spied the nightstand and stopped dead in her tracks.
There laid out in a horseshoe formation were the cards that Rose had just given her. How could they be here? On each card, on the bottom, was the card's name. The cards that she had just seen with Rose had no names on them. Only one card was still left facedown.
"Kylie," Eduardo called out sitting up in bed, "what's the matter?"
Kylie ignored her husband as she reached out with a shaky hand and picked up the last card. Bringing it to her lap she saw out of the corner of her eye that Eduardo had joined her sitting by her side.
"What are these?" Eduardo asked.
"These are Tarot cards that my great grandmother Rose gave to me in a dream," she replied.
"That card doesn't look like a dream Ky," Eduardo replied, "so what is it?"
Kylie slowly turned the card over afraid of what she might find. One word was written on the bottom. One word that she never in her life wanted to see, sitting next to the man that she loved.
And that word was: DEATH