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A Sad Love
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What horrid action of his caused Sarah to glare at him so? Why did he grip her shoulders firmly enough to leave bruises?
"Sarah, what happened? I..." He shook his head. Good Lord, he was most assuredly losing his mind! And once again fresh pain bloomed within his head as he struggled to recall the last few minutes. Her eyes widened further. He released her, his grip springing open reflexively as he back away. What
had he done? What was
wrong with him?
"I'm sorry...I don't remember..." He ran from her locking himself in the hall bathroom, keeping her safe from his growing insanity. Her trembling voice called his name through the door. He felt her knocking as he leaned on it, and heard the knob rattle several times. As long as she stayed on that side she was safe. He must conquer this. Taking the risk, Gerard raised his eyes to the large mirror above the sink. The Goblin King's pale, menacing gaze met his from within the glass.
"What do you want from me?" He shouted at the reflection.
'I told you not to touch her,' he spoke inside Gerard's mind, his voice high brow yet ever mocking,
"Leave me alone!" Leaning forward, Gerard repetitively punched the glass with both fists like a speed bag until it shattered. Large spider webs spread outwards fracturing the Goblin King's sneering image.
'You've damned us both.' "I fucking hate you!" Gerard yelled, impacting his bloodied fists into the damaged reflection of the smug Goblin King again and again. Glass fragments, large and small, flew at his face and arms, slicing and cutting until crimson flowed heavily.
'Careful, Gerard, you'll harm yourself...' the Goblin King laughed maliciously, his head thrown back, before fading from the mirror,
'Such a pity...' "Bloody, buggering bastard!" Tears coursed his face, traced through fresh blood as he persistently beat upon the destroyed mirror. Flesh tore from his hands as it caught on the jagged edges, his sanity ripping with his skin. Damned was he? Where ever this Goblin King dwelled he'd find him and defeat him at his own twisted game. With wild eyes and deep pants, Gerard dug through the pile of red spattered glass on the countertop for the largest splinter and grasped it in his fist. The exposed edges sliced through his palm, and more blood dripped from his hand.
"I'll send you to hell, Goblin King!" Gerard plunged the makeshift dagger into his forearm, dragging towards his elbow for several inches. Gushing bright red welled from the deep, tattered wound. It soaked his clothes and splashed the tile until he grew light-headed and went to his knees.
"You hear me..." he mumbled, "I'll find you," Gerard collapsed to his flank dropping the piece of mirror, "You can't torment... us...anymore..." The sound of splintering wood barely pulled his attention, but Sarah's voice and her touch brought him back.
"Jer!" He felt her hands at his back rolling him over onto her lap,
"Dad, call 911!" She vaguely noted her father nod and leave to find a phone.
"Sarah," he whispered as he looked up to her wide eyes,
was that fear he saw? Fear for what or whom? "It's okay now," he said reaching up. He cupped her cheek with his less injured arm, blood smearing her face with an abstract pattern.
"Oh, God, oh God, Jer..." he felt her grip his other forearm, wrapping it tightly with a towel. It felt warm, wet, and cold at the same time. "What did you do?" She sounded faintly annoyed with him. Didn't she understand he did this for them?
"I saved us, Sarah." He smiled serenely. After everything...now he felt abnormally peaceful for some reason.
"
Saved us?" Examining the numerous superficial lacerations on his face, arms and hands, except for the horridly deep cut on his left inner forearm, he appeared to have fought something or someone,
or himself? Her eyes flicking to the shattered, blooded glass at the floor, it appeared as if he tried to cut his wrist.
"Oh, Gerard..." She caressed his face making sure to keep her one hand snug around his still profusely bleeding forearm and spoke as calmly as possible.
Please, God, don't let there be an artery severed! "Saved us from what?"
His good hand shifted from her face grabbing her shirt, "From him...from the Goblin King!" Gasping, she jerked back nearly dropping his injured arm.
"J-Jareth?" Sarah's gaze slowly panned from Gerard's bloodshot, frantic eyes upwards to the place where the vanity mirror once resided. "He...he was here?" Oh, God...what could this mean? After all this time, she swallowed thickly, afraid to travel down this mental path. If Jareth appeared now...to Gerard but not her...
"Yesss!" He tugged on her clothes, leaving blood stains, "Yes! I understand now!"
"Oh, Jer..." She clutched him tighter, his face pressed to her neck. His breath teased her skin when he spoke.
"He's obsessed with you," he levered himself up from her to find her eyes. A strange sort of passionate instability filled his. "But I won't let him hurt you!"
"I know you won't," she said with trailing sob and pressed her forehead to his, rocking him slowly with his injured arm held in her hands. Directed by her father, the paramedics found Sarah several minutes later cradling the bleeding, delirious, and babbling Gerard to her chest.
After quickly explaining what happened, she gave them his medical history then followed them downstairs after they packaged the man she loved onto a similar stretcher as before. They loaded him into another, differently logoed ambulance and directed her to the front cab seat. She fretted when she heard Gerard calling for her, unable to see or hear her as she hesitated on the front porch.
Her parents assured her they would meet her at the hospital with Toby, now that he was safely located and home. Passing her brother on the porch, he stopped her with one hand on her arm, and silently engulfed her in the strongest bear hug she'd ever received. She patted his back and kissed his temple.
"I'm sorry, Sarah. Just because I had a dream the other night..." he frown, "well, I should've done things differently."
"I know, Toby...me, too, I'm so sorry," she told him, her voice thick with emotion, and their eyes met a last time before she rushed down the front porch steps. The heavy rain having never ceased, it re-drenched Sarah as she ran from the house to the ambulance. This time she rode with Gerard to the hospital as his fiancée rather than his girlfriend which reminded her...
'
I should call Cassie,' she thought, deciding to call her as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Regardless of their differences, she deserved to know her brother's condition...
whatever it turned out to be. Gerard gave her Cassie's information after they cleared out his personal items, something about better safe than sorry since Sarah was now his main contact in the City. Gerard might be angry later, she'd deal with his response once he recovered, but it was the right thing to do.
The thunderstorm made driving to the hospital difficult, the roads slicked and the sky darkened to grayish green as if an alien dusk. A sense of foreboding overcame Sarah as they neared the hospital. Lost in her thoughts of Jareth's potential appearance and Gerard's subsequent deteriorating mental and physical health, Sarah refrained from speaking to the female medic driving so cautiously in the terrible weather. Instead she contemplated what Gerard's words to her meant as she stared at the water streaming down the side window.
Could he really have seen Jareth? Why? How was it even possible when she, the supposed labyrinth champion, heard nothing from Jareth or her friends for the last fifteen years? She suppressed a twinge of jealousy beneath her anxious worrying, a part of her irrationally irate that Jareth would ignore her. Why appear to Gerard and not her? Who was Gerard to Jareth besides his look-alike? Why drive Gerard to harm himself? Or did Jareth harm him directly? It all made no sense, and that concerned her nearly as much as Gerard's evident physiological distress. Something was very, very wrong with her fiancé and it didn't involve Ecstasy this time.
"We're here," the medic said, putting the ambulance into park beneath a covered driveway. She nodded silently and followed the woman outside. Again she trailed them as they unloaded the stretcher from the ambulance. Her heart contracted sharply to see Gerard strapped down, his hands and arms professionally bandaged, but restrained as he tossed back and forth muttering incoherently. The male paramedic who treated Gerard interpreted her anguished expression, and quickly explained the need to keep him tied to the stretcher to prevent further harm to himself or others.
"He's mental status is altered," the medic said, "He's very delirious and mildly combative. We don't know what he might do so it's best to keep him restrained for now."
"Do you know why?" Sarah asked while walking along side them as they entered the sliding door ambulance entrance.
The man shrugged, "Everything
we can check is normal and he hasn't had another seizure." The medic gave her a reassuring, yet professional smile, "I'm sure the ER staff will figure out what's wrong. They have more tools then we do and the doc on duty is the best. I'd trust him with my family."
"Oh...well...good." She fell silent and focused on controlling her rising anxiety as it rose like a flood of acid in her gut. Gerard would be okay, he had to be okay. Everything would be okay.
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"
Bloody hell..." Cassie cussed under her breath as she replaced her phone receiver. Accepting a collect call from Memorial Pawtucket Hospital was the last thing she thought she'd do this afternoon, but when one received such a phone call you didn't refuse the charges. She learned that as an RN. You could always beat the living crap out of the caller later if it turned out to be bullshit, but if it was important, which such calls usually were, you'd want to accept. And this one was a dozy, her brother...in the hospital...
again...barely two days later, and not because of drugs. No seizure, but altered and combative, neither good signs.
The fact that Sarah had the guts and moral fiber to ring her, well that just made Cassie feel even more annoyed. Now gratitude would be the expected day's special for Cassie Scott. She snapped herself out of her funk. First things first, better ring Mum again. She needed to know the 411 on this, and knowing Mum she'd book the next direct flight from San Fran to New York. One of her babies was well and truly sick, and the hell fires of Hades couldn't stop her from helping.
As she punched long distance numbers, Cassie calculated her schedule. Quickly as possible, she'd pack an overnight bag, call work and beg off more time then race to Grand Central and catch the next train to Rhode Island. Hopefully she'd be in Pawtucket sometime after nightfall. During their last phone conversation only yesterday, Mum assured her that she and Gerard would see each other again, but this was not how she envisioned it. Part of her almost wished never to see her brother again if it meant his health remained stable. And while she trusted her instincts regarding his recent negative change in demeanor since meeting Sarah, this time she really wanted to be wrong and have him returned to health and normalcy. Even if it meant having that bitch, Melinda, as a sister-in-law.
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"Hello?"
"Kathy?"
"Sarah? Hey...what's wrong?"
"I...I'm at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital..."
"You okay?" Kathy's voice raised an octave and she stopped washing the dishes. Good God, did Gerard do something to her? If he beat her or hurt her in any way...
"I'm f-fine..." Kathy heard a sniff over the line and her friend's voice cut off for a few seconds, "It's Jer. He's...something's wrong..."
"With Gerard?"
"Uh-huh, I hate to ask, but..."
Kathy knew what she wanted without words, her pain bleeding through the telephone cables. "I'm there, Sarah. Just let me make arrangements for the girls and I'll be there as soon as I can."
Sarah gasped in relief, "Oh, thank you, Kath...thank you so much. I don't know...my parents are here with Toby, but it's not the same...you know..."
"I understand. It's a few hours there and with everything...definitely later tonight?"
"That's fine, whenever you can get here, thank you, thank you so much!" Sarah said. The happiness evident in her gushiness, "We're at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital, oh I said that...didn't I...they're admitting him to the ICU."
"Do they know what's wrong?"
"No...Not yet, but we've only been here a couple of hours. So far everything they test is normal except his vital signs; they're all over the place. They're stumped, but thinking maybe it's psychosomatic."
"What? Like a nervous breakdown?"
"I guess..."
"Do people still have those?"
"God, Kathy, I don't know. I just know that he's not doing well. He knows his name and me, but is otherwise delirious. He doesn't know where his is or recognize anyone else, and...h-he had another seizure a little while ago."
"Oh, Sarah..."
"I know." Her voice dropped, "Kath, I'm scared. Something's really wrong with him and the doctors have no idea what's causing it. They're calling in some s-specialists, but I don't know when they'll be here." Sarah's voice breaking on her emotion made Kathy's heart skip a few beats. She'd never heard her friend so upset over a guy before, but then this was a unique situation...wasn't it?
"Look, just hang it there. I'm on my way," Kathy replied putting every ounce of confidence she could into her voice.
"Oh, Kathy," small sniff, "thanks again...I'll see you soon."
"Take care of yourself, Sarah."
"Yeah, you, too, bye."
"Bye." Kathy hung up the phone, paused momentarily to absorb it all then went to work arranging her schedule around her friend's emergency. Currently at work, she predicted Todd's response when she spoke when him over the phone.
Hell no, she wasn't going to Pawtucket alone. She was waiting for him to get home and they'd go together, final, end of discussion. Sometimes as much as Todd annoyed her, she really loved that man.
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A one, long-time divorced, never remarried Ms. Georgia Scott received the second phone call from her distressed daughter much like she received the first call the day before, with calmness and aplomb. Cassandra always did enjoy creating dramatics, but this second one was truly something to be concerned about. Her son was in a Rhode Island hospital for a mysterious medical condition which, before now, he refused to be treated by any physician.
The refusal to be treated sounded like Gerard, and Georgia shook her head. He always did harbor an irrational phobia of hospitals and doctors, but then it would hardly be a phobia if it were rational. Nevertheless, the thought of one of her children in dire need pulled her from her luxury retirement condo. Having done quite well for herself in the divorce, she started her own publishing company which she sold many years later for a tidy profit then invested very wisely.
As foreseen by her daughter, Georgia Scott booked the first flight out of San Fran to New York with every intention to take the earliest train to Pawtucket. With hastily packed bags, she called a cab and left directly for the airport. Gerard would have his mother by his side whether he wanted her or not.
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Hours after they moved Gerard to the ICU, his condition continued to deteriorate. One seizure became two then three and more. The neurological and psychiatric specialists arrived after the attending physician reached the maximum doses of sedation drugs without successfully suppressing the seizures for more than 30 minutes at a time, even anti-epileptic medications showed no lasting effect. How he remained conscious between seizures after so many drugs in his system baffled the doctors. During one such period, the staff allowed Sarah to sit with Gerard hoping his ability to recognize her might anchor him in reality.
"Jer," she said softly, holding his clammy hand. His head turned toward her voice. Thunder from the persistent storm rumbled in the distance, the sheltered ICU muffling the bass. Rain still poured outside. It mimicked her mood: a morass of sucking gloom threatening to overcome even her usual anxiety.
"Sarah?" Eyes fluttering, he looked so pallid and waning. His wounds cleaned by the nurses, his face and arms no longer appeared so damaged. Oxygen tubing rested below his nostrils. It looked uncomfortable. Tri-colored heart monitor wires and blood pressure tubing peeked from his hospital gown and spiraled upwards in a twisted mess to the machine tracking his vital signs. White bandages wrapped his forearms leaving only his hands partially exposed. An IV bag hung over his shoulders, the clear, plastic tubing entering a catheter in his right arm. Soft restraints tied his wrists and ankles to the bed as a precaution against his delirium and combativeness.
Unable to rule out self-inflicted injury as opposed to accidental—and Sarah could hardly explain a visit from the Goblin King without being admitted as well—the staff managed Gerard's delirious state as best as possible until an underlying reason for his medical condition might be discovered. She thought his first trip to the hospital had made him look vulnerable. That visit,
only two days ago, hardly rated on the scale of helplessness. What could she do? What was wrong with him? At this point, she would count discovering a disease as pedestrian as cancer a blessing. Somehow she doubted the answer was that ordinary due to the Goblin King's involvement.
"Jer, I called your sister. Maybe she can help. Cassie should be here soon, okay?"
"Mmm, okay..." a lazy smile stretched his chapped lips. Glassy eyes met hers. Did he comprehend what she told him?
"Gerard, what did I just say?"
"Cassie...be here soon," he mumbled and blinked lethargically, his fingers barely squeezing hers around the bandages and restraints.
"Good, that's good." Holding back tears, she returned his squeeze. "You've got to fight this, Jer. Whatever this is, you've got to get better."
"Mmm, okay..."
"I've wanted to tell you something since last night, but haven't had much of a chance," she glanced around the ICU. No one extremely close by, "I love you too, Gerard," he smiled wide, "You understand?"
"You love me, Sar..."
"Yes, that's right," she nodded, tears falling against her will. "That's why you have to get better." She bowed her head to the rail, "I told my family we're engaged, Jer. They're...well, they're happy for us but concerned about...everything of course." She lifted her head back up, leaned forward, and kissed him, "Whatever happened...in there...the bathroom. I don't care. I just want you healthy so we can get married, and be happy, like we wanted."
"Married...good," Gerard nodded once, slowly, "love you, Sa-rah." Suddenly his eyes rolled back, showing only sclera, and another more severe seizure overtook his body.
"Jer! Nurse! Help!" Two nurses ran to their aid after calling for the attending physicians to return. Rapidly backing out of their way, Sarah flatted against a near wall watching Gerard spasm uncontrollably for several minutes before another dose of medication given by the staff stopped him. Unable to stay there any longer, Sarah stumbled from the ICU into the waiting room and into her family's arms only to see a shocked and damp Cassie standing at the room's entrance.
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A sharp niggling on the edge of his consciousness finally garnered his attention. He realized it wore at him for some time, but with blatant disregard he ignored it until now when it flared from a dull itch to blazing. What in Hades dare disturb him now once he finally tasted the fruits of the mortal world again?
Zeus rifled through his musty talents searching for the cause of the annoyance. Out of practice for nearing two millennia due to lack of mortal belief, it took him more time than he liked to zone in on the source. Once religious belief shifted to the single theistic god with ultimate control, Zeus's power quickly diminished. One god...who ever heard of such a ridiculous notion! Didn't mortals comprehend the complexity of the universe? To have only one god traipsing about organizing and deciding everything...well, nothing would ever get done! Answering human prayers alone exhausted him, and did not take into account the numerous other creatures abounding in the universe which earth mortal's held no concept-the selfish, narrow-minded beings.
Prayers, ah...that reminded him of the niggling. It felt familiar, yet not quite the same as before. Whatever the change, urgency pressed upon him requiring his investigation. He'd much rather remain at his present location and continue absorbing the cries of mortal desperation: emotional, physical, sexual, and mental. Was there anything sweeter? Actually, there was a grander elixir fit for Zeus: the hopeless wailing of an immortal. He feasted for years on that elixir. Shame it grew in rarity. Ah, well...off to see about this pulling...eventually, once he tired of his current pleasures.
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Dropping her overnight bag to the floor, Cassie walked towards Sarah and faced off, anger radiating from every line. The few other people in the ICU waiting area made themselves scarce once Cassie spoke with viciousness directed towards Sarah.
"What the hell did you do to Gerard?"
"Me?" Sarah sprung from her family's embrace to stand toe-to-toe with Cassie. "You're the one who nearly got him killed!"
"Sarah, who is this woman?" Her father asked with more than a little authority in his voice. Toby flanked him with a murder on his face.
"I'm Cassie, Gerard's sister," she replied with an abrupt eye flip towards Mr. Williams and back.
"And the one whose idiot boyfriend nearly killed Gerard by slipping him Ecstasy!"
"I already told you I didn't know he did that!"
"Jer didn't believe you, and I don't either!"
"Sarah! Ms. Scott! Both of you!" Robert said in a raised voice while he grabbed their shoulders prying them apart as they were practically touching noses. Hovering next to her husband with a disapproving scowl for both women stood Karen. "I only know what Sarah told me about what happened in New York, and I don't want to know anymore," he added when both ladies gaped as if to speak simultaneously. "But this is a hospital and you are to conduct yourselves accordingly, or
I'll have security toss you both out until you can behave like adults!"
"Dad!"
"Your father's right, Sarah." Karen spoke with the quiet influence she held since Sarah's late adolescence. "You both need to set aside your differences and focus on Gerard right now. He's going to need the support of his entire family."
"Entire family?" Cassie's brows arched, "What's going on?"
"Um, about that," Sarah's eyes met hers, "Gerard proposed last night and I accepted."
"
What?"
"Obviously we haven't had time for ring shopping." Sarah gestured at their location, "But we're serious about getting married, Cassie. Please support us." Stumbling back a few steps, Cassie plopped into one of the numerous matching, padded hospital seats, her face blanching.
"Holy shit..." she looked at the staunch family of four staring at her then rubbed her eyes with both hands. "I can't believe he did it."
"Why? You can't believe we really love each other?"
Shrugging, Cassie retorted, "That and he's still engaged to Melinda."
"Who's Melinda?" asked her stepmother with a note of concern.
"Damn, go Gerard." Sarah heard Toby mumble which earned him a stern look from both his parents.
Sarah waved nonchalantly, "She's nobody important. He told me about Melinda, and he broke up with her days ago."
"Nobody except his fiancée!" '
How could he not tell me?' Cassie thought, had their relationship fallen this far?
"Ex-fiancée! Whom you hate, Cassie, Jer told me how badly you talked about her, treated her. You couldn't wait to break them up, just like now."
"You know about Melinda?" Robert asked his daughter, interrupting, trying to play catch up while Karen and Toby ping-ponged visually between him, Sarah, and Cassie.
"Yeah, I know. Gerard told me the high points back in New York."
"This is nothing like Melinda!" Cassie jumped back out of her seat, indignant. All eyes riveted on her. Sarah was going to ruin everything! Her brother would finally marry and leave her all alone!
"Really?" Sarah stalked closer, pointing an accusatory finger, "You know what I think? I think you just can't stand to lose your brother to another woman."
"As if!"
"That's right; I think you're jealous and manipulative and selfish!"
"You're bent!"
"
Am I?"
"Sod off, Looney Toons! I'm here to see my brother not justify myself to you!" Before Cassie spun from Sarah another, meeker, voice spoke.
"Williams family?"
"What?" All five answered in unison causing the nursing assistant to cringe slightly.
"Um...Mr. Scott's condition has been upgraded to critical."
"Oh, no!...Why?" Cassie asked, moving closer to the aide as the rest gasped or moaned.
"The young woman grimaced, "You'll have to speak with his physicians, but I think it's because of his seizures."
"Seizures?" Cassie turned on Sarah, "You didn't say anything about seizures when you called!"
"He wasn't having them earlier, oh God," Sarah clutched her stomach, "they're worsening."
"Take me to him," Gerard's sister said to the aide, "now!" The intimated young woman nodded frantically and led Cassie from the waiting room with a lip-chewing Sarah following. Sarah's family watched the ladies leave with equal expressions of horror, even Toby who seriously doubted his earlier actions towards Gerard now that he proved to be rather more human than mystical Goblin King.
They were violating visitor's hours but neither cared at the moment, and the poor aide was the last to willingly enforce it. Cassie entered the ICU as if she were the nurse-in-charge, confidence and assurance radiating from her in the ubiquitous medical setting. The staff was so busy they didn't notice the ladies' entrance. Sarah willingly rode Cassie's coat-tails, anything to gain further entry to Gerard. What they witnessed instilled dread in them both: Gerard in a constant state of seizure.
Nothing worked—more anti-seizure or sedation medications and the physician's risked fatal overdosing. His sister understood the downward spiral of her brother's condition. If the seizures continued unabated they had to place him into a medically induced coma complete with intubation and ventilator until they unraveled the cause. Not a good prognosis.
"What's going on, Cassie?"
"He's getting worse." She didn't bother to look away from glass separating them from her brother.
"I figured that. How much worse?" Sarah barely managed to restrain her urge to strangle Cassie.
"Bad enough that he'll probably be on a vent sometime tonight," she answered coldly, her emotions kept tightly coiled inside her.
"A vent! But...but..." Sarah's head snapped back and forth between watching Gerard seize and watching Cassie watch him with an icy demeanor.
"This is your fault." His sister's frozen tone should've given her frost bite. As it was it did freeze Sarah's vocal cords. Cassie's brittle eyes pierced hers once she finally turned away from the horror show of her brother. "He never should have met you that day in the coffee shop. He was there because I ran out of coffee and he has to have his morning cup."
"Cassie..." Her bottom lip slipped under her teeth. How dare she put this on her!
"If he hadn't met you then this never would have happened," she said her voice flat but her eyes sharp.
"You're crazy!" Protesting, Sarah shook her head. His sister was obsessed with him!
"Get away from us, Sarah. He's my family not yours." Sarah reared back at Cassie's last statement delivered with such frigid cruelty. Taking a last look at Gerard, still convulsing amongst the struggling medical staff, Sarah turned and ran from the ICU. Ignoring her family's calls, she continued running through the hospital, with tears misting her vision, until she exited the front lobby into the torrential downpour.
Sometime ago night fell, and with the unholy thunderstorm, the skies darkened beyond what the parking lot lights could effectively brighten. Sobbing, Sarah ran without purpose, her clothes and hair immediately soaked through to her skin. Gradually fatigue and crying brought her to a halt somewhere in a parking lot devoid of people and most cars. Crouching forward, using her hands on her knees to support her weight, Sarah cried her heart-break out in the cold rain until her abdominal muscles cramped.
What a fucking bitch! She had no right to blame Gerard's condition on her, especially after what she and Jeff did only days ago. Then to tell her she wasn't family. Maybe not officially, not legally, but they were engaged! They loved each other. If only Gerard hadn't ...hadn't what? Seen the Goblin King? All of Sarah's rage and pain concentrated on a single thought:
Jareth! This was Jareth's fault! She'd forgotten, Gerard said as much at her parents' house.
Standing upright, Sarah inhaled deeply and shouted with all her capacity, "
JARETH! Show yourself!" Several seconds passed along with quite a bit more rain, but no Jareth appeared.
"Goblin King!" No change, "I want to see Jareth, the Goblin King!" Just rain and nightfall in her vision, becoming desperate she upped her ante.
"I wish the Goblin King would appear, right now!" Nothing...She spun in place, her arms outstretched and her face upwards to the sky, fat droplets splashing in her eyes.
"I wish the Goblin King would take me away, right now!" She shouted, still nothing. Her head bowed, rain sluicing over her hair; her final plea, her biggest gamble. She spoke in a trembling voice.
"I wish...I wish the goblins would take me away, right now!" Nothing, no goblins, and no Goblin King appeared to rail at or to challenge. And still her fiancé lie in distress.
She collapsed to her knees in a puddle, her jeans reaching their saturation point. A harsh, sputtering sob filtered up from her chest, the end loomed. She had no cards left to play in this insane game without rules. A game she didn't even understand. He finally conquered her, after all these years. In her despair, a rhythmic splashing came to her ears; measured footsteps in the rain that drew closer until someone spoke to her, a woman.
"He can't answer you, hon, no matter how many ways you call for him." A 'tsking' sound, "I knew you'd be a tough nut to crack, but this took longer than even I anticipated."
"Huh?" Sarah looked up from her kneeling position on the asphalt ocean; the rain and dark obscuring her sight momentarily. The woman's hand materialized in her face to help her stand. Absentmindedly, Sarah accepted the assistance and stood, a bit wobbly for a moment.
"Sarah Williams, you are one stubborn lady. Good thing I like that in a person." The woman said and Sarah blinked several times to clear her vision as her brain and emotions rebooted.
"I've seen you before...at the other hospital," the long, flaxen-haired woman smiled pleasantly and nodded, "Your name badge said 'Dee'."
"Got it in one," Dee said with a graceful head tilt, and Sarah noticed that while they both stood in the rain, Dee didn't seem to be quite as
wet. Oh, she was damp, but it was more of an attractive dewiness rather than the drowned rodent look that Sarah likely sported. Even her evening style suit and pumps looked in good condition. "You always were a smart cookie. I like that, too,"
"Oookay..."
"But Dee is more of a nickname. You'll probably know me better by my full name, Aphrodite."
"Wh-huh? Goddess of Love, Aphrodite?"
"The one and only!" Dee said, throwing both arms up in a Greek statuesque pose. "But I prefer Dee, the other is a mouth full and, really, who uses such antiquated names anymore?"
"Didn't you have purplish eyes?"
"Still do, hon, just hard to see in this light, and I can change them if I want. Is that your most pressing question right now?" Sarah shook her head 'no' making water fly haphazardly from her sodden hair. "I didn't think so, Sarah."
"Is this for real? I mean, come on, a Greek goddess?"
Perfect hands on her hourglass hips, Dee snapped, "Oh, so you'll believe in a fae goblin king, but an ancient goddess is overkill? Need I replay your little parking lot drama a few minutes ago?"
Looking sheepish for a moment, Sarah bit her lip, "Good point."
"So now that we're done with the formalities, down to business." Dee rubbed her hands together, "I need your help, Sarah. You need to come with me."
"I
what?" Sarah backed away with both hands up and looked back towards the hospital, "Oh no, I'm not going anywhere. Gerard needs me..."
"This concerns Gerard, too."
"It does? How?" She ceased retreating from Dee.
Sighing, Dee approached her again, "We have a lot to talk about and little time to do it in."
"So start talking."
The goddess twitched then glanced around at the angry sky, "Not here—"
"Why?"
"It's not protected here." Dee held out a hand and said seriously, "Trust me, Sarah. You need to come with me."
"Why now?"
"Stubborn," Dee's arm dropped, "just like I said. Listen, I was able to finally come to you like this, for this, because of your declaration of love to Gerard a short while ago in the hospital."
"You
heard that?" Sarah whispered, glancing around as if it were a state secret.
Preening, Dee said smugly, "Well, I'd be quite a lousy goddess if I missed any and all declarations of love now wouldn't I? It's a major aspect of my job description." She extended her hand again. "Enough tests, now are you coming or not? We haven't got all night."
"Fine, but what about Gerard?" She reluctantly grasped Dee's hand while muttering, "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Don't worry; I'll bring you right back here when were done." Then they flickered from the parking lot and the rain filled the void left by their bodies.
.
A/N: This is a nice long chapter with important character development (not filler! promise!) And yes, a cliffie, cause I love them, muhahahaha! I think this is my longest chapter yet. The next chapter officially starts the major unraveling of the mystery, and because of the pacing (as I warned) the next few will be shorter but super packed. Lots and lots of good stuff! This fic is quickly becoming one of my top favorites by readers and I suspect it will eventually bypass Last Resort! I suspected it would be good when I started, but had no idea of this level of impact. However, I'll be sad when it's over, too, cause I've really been enjoying writing it. The level of detail and nuance has been a wonderful challenge. And the reader response has been amazing! For those interested: I've posted chapter 8 of "Dreams of the Queen" (my first original fic in over a decade) on this site. Officially it starts as sci-fi but it will become more sci-fantasy with major romance. So anyone interested in reading it I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE some review feedback since it's my first original fiction out for mass consumption. So there's my pitch. Hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter and I'm hard at work on the next one! Jinx :o)
