The Curse Conduit

After the looks and stares that she had been given as she had walked through the hotel lobby Elizabeth was grateful she had not opted to walk home. Her medieval attire would be the topic of many a conversation in the hotel coffee shop that day. While she was trying on several outfits Elizabeth had mentioned to Kimberly that maybe Uriah and Derek would need a change of clothes for when they were discharged. By the time she had chosen an outfit Henry had returned with a small bag packed for both men. Elizabeth smiled at the ever efficient valet but wondered what he had packed and if indeed it was the right clothes. If not she could always come back to the hotel and change them.

There was a sleek, black sedan with tinted windows waiting for them at the front of the hotel. Henry opened the back door for both ladies to enter and then got into the front passenger seat giving the driver the direction to the hospital. Elizabeth patted Henry on the shoulder. “This is very nice Henry but very unnecessary. We could have caught a cab.”

“No Miss Elizabeth. You are in my care for now and the hotel has given me permission to use any of its services that you may require. I think a lady who has been through so much requires the very best.”

Elizabeth looked at Kimberly. “Did you tell him?”

Kimberly shook her head. “Not a thing…… but Lizzie, he’s not brain dead. Who do you think fixed up the room? He would have seen Uriah and Derek. He may not know exactly what is going on but he knows it has been traumatic. Besides how can I tell him anything? I don’t have a clue what the hell is going on except my new friends are hurt. My best friend has been back in time and came back looking like thirteenth century royalty. And I am not sure I want to hear what you have to tell me.”

Henry had been listening to their conversation but kept his eyes on the road. He had smiled when Kimberly had mentioned he was not brain dead. Indeed he was not, having successfully completing a double degree in law and bio engineering, fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and Japanese, well versed in the arts and an avid reader. Once he had finished his study he was in such desperate need of human contact that he put his career on hold just wanting to interact with people for the sake of interacting. Hence the job as a porter. He loved what he was doing and he got to meet so many people who had no idea who he really was. Some were arrogant and rude towards him thinking his status as a porter was beneath them, others polite. His height did intimidate many and he knew it was this fact that had gained him the job. But the people he liked the most were those that treated him as an equal and those special people like the two fragile flowers that now sat in the back of the car. People who were kind, considerate, had that special something about them.

So it was with interest and concern that he listened as Elizabeth tried to explain to Kimberly what had happened, where they had all been for much, much longer than the eight hours Kimberly said they had been gone. Kimberley cried and held Elizabeth’s hand as she retold their story. Henry’s own heart was griped with pain. When Elizabeth had first began to tell her tale he thought it fanciful and she had been telling it for his benefit to see if he was listening but then he realised Elizabeth was so lost in the telling she had forgotten where she was. As she described Declan’s funeral he wanted so much to turn around and hold her, hearing the pain and anguish in her voice but also the pride when she spoke of the King when he had knighted them all.

Kimberly let out a little gasp as she brushed the tears away from her face. “Oh my gosh Uriah and Derek are knights. Real honest to goodness King Arthur type knights. Does that mean we have to call them Sir?”

Kimberly’s comment gave Elizabeth a reason to laugh a little and the atmosphere in the car lightened.

Henry smiled to himself. Maybe Miss Elizabeth was strong enough to make it through all that she had spoken of. But he still wondered at what point she may break down, what thing would trigger all the emotions she had yet to release.

He cleared his throat before he turned to let them know they had arrived at the hospital.

Elizabeth caught his gaze and Henry nodded slightly. In that moment she comprehended that he had heard all she had said and that he understood.

Henry got out of the car and opened the door for them to alight. Guiding Kimberly to the footpath first then talking Elizabeth’s hand. “I believe you Miss Elizabeth. You worry for your friends but remember to look after yourself as well. You have been through more than one human should ever have to endure.”

Elisabeth was a little stunned but Henry just stood smiling down at her.

“Thank you Henry it means a lot to know you don’t think I am a fruit cake.”

“Far from it Miss Elizabeth. A courageous women. But even the most courageous need time to heal when they have been wounded.”

Elizabeth squeezed his hand, sometimes when he talked he reminded her of Uri, of the King.

Dr Horton had admitted Derek and Uriah into the same room and had initially hoped that he would have to do nothing more than wait for the two men to wake up. They were not unconscious in the true meaning of the word but once again he found himself with patients that presented him with a quandary. Their brain functions danced around so wildly he was amazed that they were not awake. He had even gone as far as trying to wake them the same way he had done with Derek when Uriah had begged him to help his friend. But it had not worked.

Dr Horton was now standing with paddles in his hands after having to shock Uriah’s heart back into working order for the second time. Standing between the beds surrounded by his team of nurses the doctor looked to Derek, waiting, checking his monitors. If he had to shock him again it would be number three for Derek and each time Derek went into cardiac arrest Uriah followed. His staff looked on stunned at what was happening to the two men. Not only did the monitors sound out shrill alarms each time their hearts failed but cuts, bruises and even open wounds instantly appear. One nurse gasped when she saw what looked like an impression of teeth marks appear on Uriah’s shoulder.

Dr Horton had no time to explain to his staff, nor did he really want to try, just ordering them to take care of the wounds as they showed up.

His eyes darted to Derek as one more time the alarms sounded and his heart failed. Ready with the paddles he barked orders at his staff and one more time cold steel connected with Derek’s chest, his body jerking as the electricity was sent surging through it.

This was the scene that greeted Elizabeth, Henry and Kimberly as they walked into the room. Both women shouted, Dr Horton about to tell them to leave when Uriah’s monitors shrieked into life. Again Elizabeth and Kimberly cried out.

As he worked on Uriah, Dr Horton did order them out of the room and before either one could protest Henry gathered them into his arms and pulled them back out into the hallway. He could feel both of them struggling to be released from his hold protesting to go back.

Henry’s voice was calm and smooth as he spoke. “There are enough people in there already. The doctor will do all he can. I know this.”

Elizabeth went to protest again. “What the hell is going on? How come they need to start their hearts?”

Henry stood both women in front of him. “I don’t know but I am sure that they will let us know something as soon as they can.” He looked up and down the hall seeing the sign for the waiting room. “Let’s go and wait. We can do nothing but pray at the moment.”

Both women went to protest and both thought better of it, allowing Henry to guide them to the waiting room.

As the three of them walked in Simian and Casta stood, a cloud of concern crossing both their faces as they saw Elizabeth and Kimberly. Instinctively both men opened their arms, well Simian did, Casta injured shoulder had been x rayed and strapped as a precaution. However their invitation was taken up by both women, Elizabeth going to Casta and Kimberly tucking herself into Simian’s embrace. Both men looked to Henry for answers.

Henry bowed a little, introduced himself and then explained what they had just seen.

In unison both Casta and Simian swore in their respective languages.

Simian could feel Kimberly’s body trembling. “How can this be? What can have happened to cause this? Elizabeth came back to us unscathed.”

Back in the room Dr Horton was shocking Derek for the fifth time. As his heart rate returned to normal he turned waiting to do the same to Uriah, he was not disappointed.

If the doctor had really known what was happening, it may have gone some way to explaining why both Derek and Uriah’s bodies were reacting as they did.

They were dreaming, intense, and overwhelming dreams. They were dreaming of everything that had happened. Not only to them but to Uri, Declan, Danny and Urian. Dreams that neither man had ever had before, dreams that went back into history. Dreams that found them in each battle that Declan and Uri had fought up until the very last one they had all fought together. Dreams that had them living Danny and Urian’s lives from the day they met until the day of Declan’s funeral. They saw, they felt, they lived everything. In their dreams Derek and Uriah recognised each other, understood that they were living lives that were not their own. The one thing that they did not know was the fact that they were dreaming. Each man thinking he was on a roller coaster of time travel, somehow having been thrust into the lives of their ancestors and not able to get out. To those around them they were Uri and Declan or Danny and Urian. But trapped inside was Derek and Uriah with no way home or so they thought.

While in their dream state they had decided that they could not go on any longer, confused and exhausted both men gave up their fight. Each time this happened their hearts would fail and Dr Horton would shock them back to life, each time they would start to dream all over again from the very beginning.

In their dream state neither man understood why it happened, all they wanted was for it to be over.

Just as Dr Horton was about to shock Derek for the sixth time he stopped. Paddles poised above his chest, listening to the monitor as it screeched in his ear. He waited, his team got nervous and then Uriah monitor began sounding out its warning. Several nurses came to help but Dr Horton stopped them. “No, no more. If they can’t keep going on their own, we can’t keep doing this. No more.”

Watched by horrified nurses, Dr Horton placed the paddles back on the cart and stood motionless as Derek and Uriah went into cardiac arrest, their hearts failed and the monitors flat lined. Several nurses moved over to the monitors; switched them off, the room fell silent.

Derek and Uriah were dead.