“Catherine!” Vincent yelled her name.

And that face, the face of a man with cold eyes looked at him with no fear.

Vincent looked back at him in bewilderment. As the helicopter flew out of sight, Vincent turned back toward the smell of blood.

He prayed if it were indeed Catherine that she’d be alive.

She replayed the doctor’s words. “Morphine… If it doesn’t kill you, get out of here and hide. Never show your face again.” He didn’t say the words but as he injected it straight into her vein, his eyes seemed to almost hold an apology. Almost doesn’t count.

It was like someone had walked across her grave. It shook her. She had to get out. How?

Catherine was laying there feeling tired, hopeless, miserable and alone when Vincent burst through the closed door.

She turned her head as swiftly as she could and heard Vincent call “Catherine!” In surprise and then whispered brokenly “Cathe…rine.”

Tears filled his vision as he rushed to her side, but stopped for a brief second as the smell of morphine assailed his nostrils.

“No! NO! Catherine, we must hurry. We must…” Then he smelled the blood…her life sustenance leaving her…

“Vincent…” She touched his face, his tears. Felt her own as he brushed his hand across her cheek, his thumb brushed under her eye.

“You’re hurt. Catherine, where are you hurt?” He smelled the antiseptics, felt the hospital like surroundings. He turned around facing away from her, took in the stirrups, the blood on the floor, between her legs. Frightened to hear what happened, but knew he had to know, fear crawling up his spine like an icy spider he asked “What happened?”

“There’s a child.” Her words slow; her body sluggish. The morphine was taking effect. Although his mind was going numb with fear and his body started shaking with rage, his chest tightening in worry; un-clenching his jaw, he spoke.

“A child?” He cocked his head to the side, confused.

She smiled a small tight smile and told him- “We loved, Vincent. He’s beautiful.” Vincent picked up her shoulders, slid his arm underneath them. He could feel her get heavier, saw her getting more sluggish. “They took him. Vincent…below; get Below.”

His mind suddenly caught up with his body and he gently lowered her back down. She was struggling to stay awake to help him get her ready to leave. He wasted no time now.

He found a towel, turned the warm water on and quickly cleaned her up as best as he could. Later he might realize what he had had to do but now he was worried about her bleeding and his biggest fear that she would die. He would NOT lose her again.

Grabbing another towel, he put it between her legs and quickly wrapped the sheet around her. Dropping his cloak, he then proceeded to untie his vest. Slipping the vest off his shoulders, he pulled his thicker sweater over his head and roused Catherine.

“You must put this on Catherine. It’ll keep you warm.”

She helped him slip the sweater over her head and she struggled to put her arms through the sleeves, grateful for his help.

Vincent had seen the needle marks and it made him cringe with fear even more. Anger once again rushed through him and yet again he pushed it away. Now was not the time. He had to get her Below. He didn’t know how much morphine was given to her but he was sure it was meant to kill her.

After adjusting his vest and cloak, Vincent gently picked her up in his arms.

She whispered, a breathy sound to his ears; “Forgive me.” Her head on his shoulder felt instantly heavy. His heart skipped a beat and he let loose a few tears and his heart responded ‘There is nothing to forgive.’

He wasted no more time. With fear, anger, and love driving him on, he quickened his pace out of the building. Through alleyways he strode purposely to an old tunnel passage way where he knew the pipes were seldom used but always on patrol. He tapped out a quick urgent message for Father. “Meet in hospital chamber. V” He adjusted Catherine’s weight and continued on.

~*~

Mary had been walking back from retrieving some blankets for a new mother when she heard the urgent tapping on the pipes. She listened and deciphered the code quickly. She quickened her pace, her heartbeat racing faster now than it had been.

As luck would have it, the older daughter of the new mother was looking for Mary and called out to her as Amanda saw her.

“Mary! There you are- Mother thought you may have needed some help…” She saw an expression on Mary’s face that spoke of urgency. “Is…everything alright?”

Mary smiled kindly and told Amanda that she was needed elsewhere and asked if her mother was alright?

“Yes Mary, I will take the blankets to her.” Mary sighed with relief and handed over the much needed blankets for the newest baby.

She made her apologies and quickly turned down the next passage to lead her down the hospital chambers.

~*~

“FATHER!”

Father looked up sharply from his text book, and glared slightly at the young man before him. “Yes Geoffrey, what is so urgent?” He knew he was gruff and impatient. His thoughts were not on the text before him, but on Vincent and the loss of Catherine.

“It’s Vincent! He needs you in the hospital chambers, quickly, Father, quickly!” Geoffrey rushed over to the desk to help Father more quickly.

Father moved as fast as he possibly could, while realizing he was so lost in thought that he had actually not heard the tapping. Geoffrey caught him as he stumbled slightly, bringing himself out of his reverie once more. They reached the passage way to the hospital when Mary brought them up short.

“Geoffrey, run along and have William put on some tea, and some stew, please.” Mary waited for Geoffrey to let go of Father and turn before she grabbed him.

“Come Mary; Let us pray he is not wounded again.”

They entered one right after the other and stopped still, neither believing their own eyes.

~*~

After he had tapped out his message, he looked down at Catherine and noticed her wan complexion and realized she had passed out. He ran the last of the way through the tunnels to the Hospital Chamber. He did not stop until he could put her down. He projected out all the love he had for her.

Vincent sat on the other side of the bed facing the entrance; they easily saw who lie on the bed.

“Vin…” Mary gasped and came up quietly to the bed.

Father joined her side and spoke quietly and urgently. “Tell us, Vincent. Please what has happened?”

Vincent lifted her hand against his cheek. As he looked up at them, he knew tears were racing down his face, gently warming Catherine’s cool fingertips.”She… has been drugged…” He took a breath and let it out in big sigh, a mournful sound.”She has had a…child. She needs our help. Catherine has lost a lot of blood. Please, there’s not much time. Please?”

As they moved her bed to the other side of the room, he felt his strength leave him. Just as he was trying to stand tall, Mary noticed the slight wilt of his shoulders and she commanded that he rest.

“No. I must stay. I…please…” His voice broke and he whispered.”If she wakes, she will need me close by. I need to be close.”

She understood what his heart spoke louder than his words. “Rest in here; on one of the beds.” She led him to one nearer the exam chamber and watched him as he sat first then lay back on the cot. She prayed that now when hope was so near, hope would help them fight, would help them live, would give them the courage and strength to face what they would inevitably have to face.

In his sleep, Vincent’s soul knew Catherine was not well. As he was waking up from a world where all things “shimmer and float” he heard Father and Mary murmuring to one another. All was not lost; it was just another battle to keep what was his.