Chapter 7
Hilda paced in their makeshift infirmary. With every moment that passed, she worried for her niece and her mortal friends. Despite the protests of the older Spellmans, they insisted on traveling to the Pit. To make matters worse, Ambrose and Prudence took it upon themselves to capture Faustus Blackwood. If there were any more cunning and manipulative warlock, Hilda never wanted to meet them.
It had been days since the younger generation ventured into the deep. She tried not to think about what horrors they could be facing. She didn't have time. She had to stay vigilant should they arrive and need her. If they arrived at all…. Hilda shook the thought from her mind. They would return and in one piece.
Suddenly, there was a pop and Sabrina appeared with Ambrose and a unconscious Nick in his arms. Another pop and Prudence arrived with Roz, followed by Zelda, Harvey, and Theo. Each one of them covered in dirt, soot, and blood.
"Auntie! Hurry, we need help," Sabrina said frantically.
Hilda stared in shock at the sight of Nick. His skin was pale, sweat dripping from his face. The worst of it all, chunks of his skin looked like they had been sliced off.
"Dear Lilith," she breathed as she quickly cleared the table. "Ambrose, bring him here quickly." Ambrose put Nick down on the table as gently as possible, but it was clear that every little movement shot excruciating pain through his body. "Dear boy, who did this to you?" Hilda asked as she pushed back Nick's hair. She pulled her hand back quickly, feeling the heat emanating from Nick's body.
Everyone looked at each other as of they knew something she didn't.
"There's no time for that right now, Hilda," Zelda interjected. "You need to treat him quickly before we lose him and all this will have been for nothing." Zelda grabbed a washcloth and began to rub the dirt from her face as she headed for the door, reaching for something in her pocket.
"Zelds? Where are you going?"
"Hilda! Tend to boy!"
"Right," Hilda said softly. "Ambrose, get me some bandages and a basin of fresh water. He has a bloody fever. That means he has an infection somewhere. We need to clean all the wounds if we mean to contain…." Hilda gasped as she opened Nick's shirt and saw the deep gash in his chest. The skin surrounding the wound was a greyish blue color, Nick's veins a prominent navy blue. "What….what did this?" No one answered. "I asked a bloody question!"
"The Dark Lord, Auntie. He used….he used the Dagger of Dawn," Ambrose stuttered.
Hilda looked at him as if he had just spoken another language. She shook her head hurrying back to clean Nick's wounds as her hands quivered. She said a prayer in her head, hoping she could handle all that was ahead of her.
"You need to leave, the lot of you, except Ambrose," Hilda said, pointing at her nephew. "I may need your...expertise."
"What? No, I'm not leaving Nick," Sabrina said firmly.
"Sabrina, this is not a negotiation. You, most of all, cannot be in here."
Sabrina moved forward to plead her case, but Prudence grabbed her arm. "Sabrina, she's right. You can't be in her," she said. "I want Nick to be well too, but we would just get in the way. Come now, we'll stay with you."
Sabrina looked over at her fellow witch. Sometimes she forgot that Prudence actually cared for other people. She had known Nick for a long time and the look on her face told Sabrina she was worried and terrified for him as well. She gave Prudence a look as if to ask for permission to say goodbye to Nick. Once her arm was free, Sabrina walked over to Nick and kissed his forehead.
"Hold on, Nick," she begged. "Please don't leave me. Just hold on a little longer."
Rozalind and Harvey came to her as the tears began to fall. They walked her out of the room, enveloping her in a hug as the doors closed behind them and her knees gave in. She prayed to Satan. To Lilith. To God himself. She didn't care who answered her prayer as long as they saved Nick.
On the other side of the doors, Hilda was quickly wiping the blood from the various wounds on Nick's body. She didn't know how to feel in that moment. She wanted to be upset with him for hurting her niece, for all the pain he had put her sweet Sabrina through. Looking at him now, despite the stubble on his cheeks, he looked like a boy. She forgot how young Nicholas actually was. He was a child and they had sliced into him like a pie.
She could feel tears in her eyes. "Who would do this to him?" she asked angrily. "What monster would do such a thing to a child?!"
"Auntie Hilda," Ambrose said in a soft tone as he walked toward her, "it was Uncle Edward."
Hilda tossed the blood soaked cloth into the growing pile and wiped the sweat from her brow. She and Ambrose worked tirelessly on Nick for hours. His infection had at least stopped spreading and his fever stable. There were times Hilda feared the worse. Nick would stop breathing, his lips turning blue as his face got even paler. They would need to resuscitate him before they could continue. She would need to apply potions and salves every few hours on the wounds where the runes had been to try to get the flesh and skin to regrow. Even then, he would be left with scars to remind him of what he went through.
The wound on his chest, however, was a different story. Much like when Ambrose had been attacked by the witch hunters, the wound was inflicted by a blade from the False God. The Dagger of Dawn, she had thought, was only a myth. She had heard stories of what it could do to those it inflicted pain upon. She hoped that the herbs and potions she used would keep Nick alive for now, but she knew he needed more. She headed to the sink to wash the blood from her hands. Already she could see blood seeping from the various bandages on the warlock's body.
They had cleaned his body of the dirt and soot. He looked more like the Nick that did not hesitate to trap the Dark Lord to keep the end of days from beginning. He laid on a bed covered in soft white sheets. He looked peaceful as he slept. It was probably the first sleep in a year he didn't have to worry about someone or something trying to kill him.
She took a deep breath before stepping out of the roo. She was immediately greeted by her niece, who looked just as terrible as Nick had.
"How is he?" Sabrina asked immediately. She was trying to look around her aunt, hoping to catch a glance at Nick. "Is he ok? Can I see him?"
"Hey, hey Sabrina," Hilda said as she put her hands on her niece's arms. She suddenly realized Nick's blood soaked parts of her shirt. "Darling, we need to talk before you see him."
She led her niece over to the couch and sat her down. Sabrina knew something was wrong. If everything was ok, she would have been allowed to see Nick already.
"Sabrina," Hilda said in a soft but shaky voice. "Nicholas id recovering, but….Sabrina, he's lost a lot of blood. He's still bleeding now. I've done all I can for now."
"What….what are you trying to say, Auntie?" She could feel the tears stinking her eyes. Roz and Prudence were behind her now, a hand on each shoulder as they cried for both Sabrina and Nick as well. "Is….is he going to die?"
Hilda tried to force a smile, but it was useless. "We'll be lucky if he survives the night," she admitted.
The cry that came from Sabrina was heart shattering. It was close to the sound Zelda had made when they were told their beloved brother, Edward had died, but the sound from Sabrina was more pained. The young witched collapsed into a fit of tears. Her friends tried to comfort her, but it seemed fruitless.
"Sabrina," Hilda said sitting her niece up straight. "Listen to me now, Sabrina. It is very important that you be the strongest you have ever been now. This goes for all of you." Hilda looked around the room at the sullen faces. "Nick needs us now more than ever. If he's going to get through this, we need to support him. Is that understood?" They all nodded. "Good. Now, wipe your faces. No tears. Ready, Sabrina?"
Sabrina nodded. Hilda helped her to her feet and walked her to the door. She gave Sabrina a supportive squeeze of her arm before the younger witch slipped into the room Nick was resting in.
The first thing Sabrina saw was the piles of towels and bandages soaked in blood. How could he have lost so much blood and still be alive? Ambrose stood over Nick's motionless body, his hands hovering over him as he muttered a spell. He let out a sigh and leaned leaned against the edge of the table.
Sabrina walked over to where Nick lay. Ambrose looked up at her, giving her a weak smile. "Cousin," he said softly. He reached out to her, giving her hand a squeeze. "He's as comfortable as he can be right now."
"Did you put him under a sleeping spell?" Sabrina asked as she stroked Nick's hair.
Ambrose shook his head. "That would be nature taking its course. I finally got the wounds along his collar, on his legs, and back to cauterize. He has a fresh bandage on his chest. But, I think the best medicine he can use right now, is some time alone with you.." Ambrose kissed his cousin's forehead before leaving the room.
The room was completely silent. In the movies there was always a monitor beeping in the background. That would have been a welcome sound right about now. She reached down and took his hand in hers. She gave it a squeeze, part of her hoping he would squeeze back like in the movies. But nothing came but the tears in her eyes. Why did he have to be so stupid? Why did he have to do what he did?
I did it for you, Spellman, Nick's voice said in her head. I would do anything for you.
Sabrina gently climbed into the bed with Nick. If tonight was his last night, she would be there with him. She placed her head on his chest opposite from his wound and listened to his heart beat. She expected it to be strong and steady, but it was barely there. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the last time she laid with him like this.
Nick was going through her phone, teasing her as he found her guilty pleasure playlist. Oh Spellman….this is bad, he laughed. This song is so sappy that you can turn it into maple syrup.
Shut up! Sabrina laughed as she tried to take the phone back. So I like romantic indie songs. I am a teenager.
You never stop surprising me, Spellman.
Sabrina closed her eyes as she put her hand over Nick's bandage, but she dare not sleep in case the worst happened. She started to hum a tune. He mocked her for the song, but it seemed to fit it the moment. She kept her eyes closed as she started to sing and tears still managed to escape. "And while there's something to talk about. And while there's something to say. I promise you. I won't be gone on the day the dance is over. I will be your song. Keep holding on. On the day that the dance is over. I will be your song."
It became a routine for Hilda to find Sabrina laying with Nick every morning when she came to tend to him. She barely left his side, fearful that if she did when she returned he would not be breathing. Others came to see Nick as well, Roz, Theo, Prudence and her sisters, Ambrose, even Dorian came to wish well thoughts to the warlock. Mostly they came to check on Sabrina and be sure she was eating.
"Why don't we go to Dr. Cee's and get a burger?" Roz suggested.
"I can't," Sabrina simply said. "Nick had a bad night. I need to be here just in case…."
"In case something happens, I know," Roz sighed. "Brina, I get that you're worried about him but you need to take care of yourself too. You look like you're barely sleeping."
"I'll sleep more once he's ok. I just need to be here for him. Every night can be his last and I….I need as many with him as I can."
"That's another thing. Sabrina, what's going to happen when he wakes up? You keep talking about being here for him if he doesn't wake up, but what if he does?"
It suddenly hit Sabrina, she didn't know how to answer. She had been so worried about Nick not waking up, she didn't know how it would go if he did. She was still upset with him for lying to her. She definitely did not trust him like she used to.
"What would you do?" Sabrina asked.
"Well," Roz said as she sat next to her friend, "if it were me, I would tell him I'm glad he's better but we need to talk about everything that happened. How are you feeling….about everything?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I was so upset with him when everything happened. I felt….betrayed. i want to be mad at him still. I want to be able to feel angry at him for lying to me. But right now, knowing he's fighting for his life…." Sabrina had to pause. "All I want is for him to come back to me."
"Do you love him, Sabrina?"
She nodded. "More than anything or….anyone I ever have."
"Then when he wakes up, do whatever it takes to fix this. He did a shitty thing lying to you, but the man loves you. He gave his life for you. He's fighting for that life now. When he comes back to you, fight for him."
"Honestly, Nick, your hair is just out of control," Sabrina said aloud. She knew he wouldn't answer. It had been weeks since they returned and he still hadn't woken. His body was healing, but he still hadn't come back to her. In the last two weeks, she found herself talking to out loud. It made her feel better. She just couldn't stand the silence anymore.
Today she decided to cut his hair and trim his facial hair. It had started to grow long and wasn't sure if she liked it. She was sure not to move him too much so not to cause him any pain.
"I gotta tell you, the beard doesn't look terrible. I mean, I wouldn't be mad if you kept it. But I'll leave it up to you." Sabrina finished his hair cut and held a mirror up to him. "What do you think? Not even a thank you? Manners Mr. Scratch."
She put the scissors away and gathered the towel she used to catch the hair she cut. She readjusted his pillows to make him more comfortable. She placed a hand on his cheek. She was beginning to lose hope he would open his eyes. She wanted to cry, but she had shed too many already.
She let out a sigh and was pulling her hand back when she felt another hand gently holding it. Her heart quickened when she realized that it was Nick's. Her eyes travelled back to his face to see a pair of brown eyes staring back at her. His hand left hers, but she couldn't leave his gaze. she could feel the warmth of his hand on her cheek, wiping away the tear that had escaped.
She pulled away from his touch without even realizing it. "I'll….I'm going to get my Aunt Hilda," she said softly.
For the first time in weeks, she left the room, Nick's hand still reaching out to where he had touched her face.
