Chapter 8

"You just left him there?" Roz asked in disbelief.

"I didn't know what to do," Sabrina replied.

"Um. You could have, I don't know, stayed?!"

"I wanted to!"

"Then why didn't you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Theo interrupted. "Im sorry, are we just forgiving Nick for lying to you? Like, I get he went to Hell, totally cool. But he got you in the situation in the first place."

"Did he though?" Harvey asked. "The path was laid out. Ms. Ward….I mean, Lilith was really the one that made sure she was on it."

"But Nick kept her on it. You guys think we should just forgive him?"

"I don't think we should punish him forever for making a mistake," Roz said. "We all make mistakes. But he was in hell for a year. If he wasn't sorry for what he did, he wouldn't have did what he had. I'm not saying we can't be upset, because I don't like people messing with Sabrina, but we have to at least give him a chance."

The trio began arguing, talking over each other wanting their point to be heard. Sabrina sighed and slipped out of the booth. Her friends were so busy arguing, they didn't notice she was leaving. Just as she stepped out of the shop, she ran right into Prudence.

"Prudence! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," she said. "I'm surprised to see you here. You never come to Dr. Cee's."

"Ambrose requested a milkshake," Prudence explained. "Who am I to deny him of a pleasure he desires?"

"Right….well, I'm just going to…."

"Besides, I couldn't stand seeing Nicky the way he is."

Sabrina sighed. "He is pretty beat up still. But now that he's awake, Aunt Hilda said he can eat and hopefully…."

"He refuses."

Sabrina was taken back. "Did you say he's refusing to eat?"

"And speak."

"Well, maybe he just can't yet."

Prudence rolled her eyes. "Sabrina, I have known Nick for a very long time. I know when he is simply just doing something to prove a point."

"And what point would he be trying to make?"

"Really, Sabrina? You cannot be this dense." Prudence let out a sigh. "He will only speak to you. You were the first thing he saw when he came back to this world. He probably has so much to tell you and you just walked out on him. And you call me cold hearted."


Nick sat silently in his bed as Hilda changed the dressings on his wound. She said it looked better, but her eyes told him she was lying. He already knew she was lying. He had seen the wound. Heaven he felt the wound. It was slowly sucking the life out of him. He had accepted the fact that he would never truly heal. The Dagger of Dawn was a cursed blade. The potion he required included one ingredient he did not have.

For a week he sat, contemplating the fact that not only should he not have been alive, but there was a very likely chance he would die soon. He cheated death with each breath he took. He was in a race against time and the finish line was nearing. He settled back into his bed as Hilda announced she would let him get some rest. He shut his eyes as he tried to will himself back to sleep.

He was about to drift off when he felt something drop into his lap. He opened his eyes to see a grease stained brown paper bag sitting in his lap. He looked up and found a not very pleased Sabrina standing nearby.

"You need to eat," she said simply. "Whatever you're doing, stop it. If I have to force feed you myself, Nicholas Scratch, I will."

Nick opened the bag and pulled out a cheeseburger. Sabrina crossed her arms waiting for him to take a bite. He put the burger aside and folded his hands, resting them on his stomach.

Sabrina groaned, walking over and picking up the burger and holding it out to him. "I was serious. I'll shove this down your damn throat if you don't eat it." Nick continued to stare. He dared her to do something. Sabrina put the burger down. "Fine. Don't eat. I don't care." She turned to leave.

"You left," she heard him say. She turned to face him. "I opened my eyes and by some miracle, you were looking back at me. I thought I was so damn lucky. Then you left. For a week, people came and went. Your aunt, cousin, the Weird sisters….heaven even your mortal friends came. But not you. The one person I had something to say to refused to come."

"I never refused to come."

"Oh? Too far out of your way? Get lost getting here? I mean, I live 10 feet below you. I can see how hard the directions can be."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Something. Anything. Let's not pretend that this," Nick said pointing to the bandage on his chest, "isn't here. That it's not killing me. We both know it's just a matter of time before I die. I just couldn't die without seeing your face again. Hearing your voice. I love you, Sabrina. I need to tell you at least one more time. You don't need to say it back to me. You don't have to forgive me for what I did. You just need to know that I held on….I woke up to tell you I love you. I just need you to say something."

Sabrina stared at Nick. It was her turn to be silent. There were so many things she wanted to say to him now. She just wanted to grab his face and kiss him. Dear Lilith how badly she wanted to kiss him. Part of her had already forgiven him, but she still didn't trust him.

"You need to eat," she said softly. "Eat and we can talk." Nick nodded. "And shave off that beard. I can't stand it." she turned and headed for the door.

"I thought you said you wouldn't mind if I kept it," he called after her. Sabrina froze and looked back at him. "I thought you liked it."

Sabrina raised a brow. He heard her…. "I do. I never said that I couldn't stand it in a bad way."

Nick smirked at her and took a bite of his burger.


"I'm so sorry about earlier," Roz sighed into the phone. "We were so busy talking how we felt, we forgot to consider how you feel."

"Don't worry about it, Sabrina said as she got into bed. "You guys are just looking out for me."

"So….you saw him today?"

"I did."

"And how did it go?"

Sabrina shrugged. "Ok, I guess. I got him to eat and speak."

"Stubborn man that Nick Scratch."

"He is." Sabrina paused. "Hey Roz, did you guys visit him? Since he's been away I mean."

Roz was silent for a moment. "We did. It was when you first told us he woke up and before you told us you ditched him. We thought you would be there, so we wanted to go support you. We couldn't just leave when you weren't there so we stayed for like 10 minutes."

"And that was it?"

"Well…."

"Roz!"

"I went back on my own to tell him off for you. But then he was just sitting there, staring at me. I don't know how you resist him. Especially with that beard."

Sabrina sighed. "Yea, the beard is kinda sexy."

"I just felt bad for him. So I would read to him. He wouldn't say anything. Just sit there and smile or nod. His eyes would light up anytime I even said your name. They looked sad sometimes, but I think he just hoped you would show up."

"Well, thank you for visiting him."

"No problem. So what did you guys talk about?"

Before Sabrina could answer, a scream pierced the air. It was filled with pain and agony and coming from right below Sabrina.

"What was that?" Roz asked.

"I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow," Sabrina said as she jumped out of her bed.

"Brina…."

Sabrina hung up before Roz could finish her sentence. She hurried down the stairs to the infirmary. Ambrose and Prudence were trying desperately to hold Nick down. His body was tense and his face scrunched in pain.

"What's going on? What's happening to him?!" Sabrina demanded to know.

"Cousin! Get Aunt Hilda! Hurry!" Ambrose yelled.

Sabrina turned and ran right into Hilda. "I heard the screaming," Hilda said as she hurried past her niece and to Nick's side. "What happened?"

"He was sleeping then his body started to shake," Prudence replied, her voice shaking.

Hilda touched Nick's sweating forehead. "The bloody fever is back," she sighed.

"Why? He hasn't had a fever in weeks," Sabrina said.

Hilda shook her head. "I wish I knew. Pray to Lilith the o fection isn't back. Prudence, Sabrina, go get the herbs in the pantry with Nick's name on it."

"Which ones?" Prudence asked.

"All of them." Hilda turned her attention back to Nick. "Shhh now. Calm down, Nicholas. You're going to be just fine."

Prudence let go of Nick, grabbing Sabrina by the arm and leading her out of the room.

"What happened back there?" Sabrina asked.

"Just help me get what your aunt needs," Prudence said.

"Are you going to tell me what's happening to Nick?"

"Sabrina, we need to get…."

"Not until someone tells me what's going on!"

"He's dying! You stupid, dense girl, Nick is dying." Prudence closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. "That blade the Dark Lord used to cut him inflicted an infection that will spread until it has killed him. Your aunt can rub as many herbs on him and have him drink as many potions as she desires to slow the process, but it will only do that. Slow the process. His time on this earth draws close to an end."

"There has to be something we can do. We have to….to…."

"To what half-breed? Not even your magic can save him." Prudence shoved vials into Sabrina's hands and pushed past her.

Sabrina knew Prudence was just scared. She knew Nick for a long time. They were friends. To lose him, just like so many others in her life, must have been taking a toll on her.

Hilda made quick work of the ingredients the two witches brought her. Sabrina sat outside the room, waiting not so patiently for someone to tell her how Nick was. She had never been so conflicted in her life. She was still upset with Nick, but she couldn't bare to lose him without fixing things. The room had finally gone silent. Nick's agonizing screams subsided. So why hadn't they come to tell her he was ok?

Sabrina cracked the door open slightly. Nick was resting now. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath he took. Hilda and Ambrose stood at a table on the other side of the room.

"He's only getting worse, Auntie," Ambrose stated. "He just had a heart attack with no warning. If I had not been here, he would be gone."

"Then thank Lilith you were," Hilda said.

"Auntie…."

"Ambrose, I just need more time."

"We don't have more time. Agatha and Dorcas return with the exotic ingredients within a day, but it won't be enough. They're useless without…."

"I know, Ambrose. I know the clock ticks away with his bloody life. I'm doing all I can for him. I just can't give up on him." Hilda was shaking. From sadness and frustration for Nick or Sabrina, she wasn't sure. She just knew that she couldn't let Nick die.

Ambrose put his arm around her aunt in an attempt to comfort her. "You've done your best. But Nick is the last of the Scratch line. He has no blood relatives. No matter what we do, it will be pointless. It's a matter of time before his entire body shuts down. There's nothing we can do about that, Auntie."

Sabrina quietly shut the door and ran back up to her room. This had to be a nightmare. There's no way fate could be so cruel. They just saved him. He just woke up. But of course it was really happening. It was no nightmare. It was Lucifer's final torture he needed to inflict on the warlock….and Sabrina. He never intended to bind himself to Nick again to keep him from Sabrina. He wanted a more permanent means to separate the young lovers. He intended to make Sabrina watch Nick die.