| Subject: The Dragonslayer, Chapters 21 & 22 |
Author:
Jaron
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Date Posted: 19:12:56 12/18/01 Tue
In reply to:
Jaron
's message, "The Dragonslayer" on 16:44:37 12/16/01 Sun
The Dragonslayer, Chapter 21
It was over. I felt Nikita squeeze my hand and I awoke, startled to see Dr. Williams
standing in front of me. “Where’s Rene?” I said quickly, and was relieved to see
Carson coming towards me with a sleeping Rene cuddled in his arms.
“Doctor?” Nikita and I both said at the same time. “How is he?” I continued.
“If we can get him to wake up, I think he will be just fine. With the anesthetic from
the surgery still sedating him, it should be a few hours before we can expect him to
awaken. When it wears off, I would like to see those he cares about and who care
about him to be with him. I want you to talk to him, touch him, tell him how much
you need him to be awake again. Can you do that?” The enthusiastic nodding of
several heads greeted Dr. Williams’ words. He grinned. “Well, judging by the number
of people who care about him, I would say this Michael is a very lucky man.” We all
laughed, and assured him that Michael was. We all cared about him.
The laughter awakened Rene and he rubbed his eyes sleepily. “Is my Daddy okay? Is
that why everybody is happy?” He looked at each one of us and then at the doctor.
“Can I see him now?”
“Yes, Rene, you can see him.” Dr. Williams said, an infectious grin lighting up his
serious face. Carson turned and carried Rene in to see his father, again explaining to
Rene was he could expect when he saw Michael. I sighed, feeling wistfully that
Carson would have made a great father, and feeling very lucky that he had taken such
a liking to Rene. I got up and followed Rene and Carson to the front of the plane.
Nikita, her hand still in mine, came too.
As I passed Walter, I heard him talking to Dr. Williams and I stopped to add my
comments. Nikita looked back at me, smiled and let go of my hand. She continued
on to see Michael.
“Thank you for saving Michael’s life. You have made my son so happy. He was very
scared about his father.” Dr. Williams grinned again and accepted my gratitude.
“I’m glad I could help. It’s what I do.” he glanced back at Walter. “And now, how
about my ride home?” He and Walter walked away from me, so I continued my walk
to the front of the plane to where Rene, Carson, Nikita and the rest of Michael’s team
had gathered.
Michael lay pale and still on the small bed that was snugged into the corner of the
field hospital. His face looked peaceful and I was gratified that even as we watched,
the color seemed to be making its way back to his features. His face pinked up and
each of us looked at the others, noticing the big goofy smiles that showed how glad
we were to see this improvement. I searched Michael’s countenance and saw a huge
bruise on his right temple, as well as a row of tiny stitches over his right eye, which
was swollen. His broken arm had been set and was encased in a plaster cast and was
wrapped tight against his chest to immobilize it. It was the same arm that had been
dislocated from his shoulder. Porter told us that they had found that his collarbone
had also been broken, but that the doctor had told him that everything was back in
place and that he didn’t think there was any nerve damage. We all sighed in relief at
the news. The internal bleeding had been stopped and the broken ribs had been
wrapped.
Michael was on the mend, if only he would wake up.
Nikita reached out and, with her fingers combed the hair off of his forehead, careful
not to touch the newly stitched two-inch cut above his eye. He looked so young, I
thought, so vulnerable. By brushing back his hair, Nikita had bared his face so that
we could see every feature and expression. Even though we knew it was too early, we
hoped as one that we would see a flicker of consciousness returning, but Michael
slept on.
Carson had set Rene down on the side of Michael’s bed and Rene touched his father’s
cheek. “Wake up, Daddy. We’re all here for you.” There were no tears this time, as
he waited for the Dragonslayer to return to him.
The Dragonslayer, Chapter 22
But the Dragonslayer didn’t return.
Rene continued to sit quietly beside Michael, holding his hand and watched hopefully
for any sign that he might be awakening. With Carson close by, watching over Rene
as well as Michael, I had time to contemplate what the next few hours held for us.
Rene and I were about to be taken into the bowels of Michael’s workplace, the
dreaded Section One. After my blatant display of “I’m not going, and you can’t make
me,” which ended in my relieving Walter of his gun, he told me what to expect during
our entry into Section. Rene and I would both be blindfolded so that the location of
Section would remain a mystery to us. That was fine with me as long as we were not
separated from Michael.
I knew that I had made the right decision about my insistence on staying with Michael
come hell or high water. Walter, once he had gotten over his ire about me stealing
his gun, had reassured me that Rene and I would safe. He said again that he knew
where the bones were buried, which led me to believe that Walter would make sure
that Rene and I would once more see the light of day after our sojourn in the
underground world that Michael knew as Section. Whatever the cost, I knew it was
important for Rene to be with his father now.
My reverie was broken by the feel of Walter’s arm around my shoulder.
“Gracie, we are about to land. Take Rene back and make sure your seat belts are
fastened. We will be touching down in fifteen minutes.” Before I could reach for
Rene, Carson had scooped him up off Michael’s bed, and was carrying him back to
the seating area. Rene started to resist, but again, Carson whispered to him as Rene
gazed over Carson’s shoulder, his eyes seeking Michael’s still form. After bending to
kiss Michael’s forehead, I got up to follow Carson and Rene. Looking around, I saw
that everyone, with the exception of Nikita had already moved back to belt
themselves into their seats. She looked stubbornly at Walter, who was extending his
hand to her.
“I’m staying right here with Michael,” she said fiercely, taking Rene’s spot on the bed
beside her love. She took Michael’s hand and held it in both of hers. I smiled at her,
pulling Walter away and putting my hand over his mouth as he opened it to tell his
Sugar that Porter could take care of Michael during the landing.
I thought happily to myself that the Dragonslayer had found himself a worthy mate in
Nikita.
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