The Curse Conduit

Elizabeth brushed her hand through Derek’s hair as her tears fell and Kimberly lent over and kissed Uriah tenderly on the lips. She gasped and touched her own lips a little shocked. Simian put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright Cherie? Is something wrong?”

“It tingled.”

Elizabeth looked at her a little confused. “What did?”

“When I kissed him. It tingled.”

Again Elizabeth had to choke back tears so she could speak, she dared not hope that what she was thinking could possibly be true. “Kimber you have to be very, very honest with me. It’s important. Do you love him, really love him?”

The room was silent; all eyes on Kimberly who just looked back at Elizabeth mortified. “Please Kimber. I saw the way you looked at him the first time you met. I need to know.”

“I haven’t known him long. Not long enough anyway.”

Elizabeth cut her off. “But what does your heart tell you?”

Kimberly bit her lip. She already knew what her heart spoke. It had been thundering in her ears since the first time their eyes met. Her answer brought gasps of shock from Simian and Casta. “Yes……….. I love him.”

Elizabeth continued. “Can you, will you love him even if he cannot return your love?”

Kimberly’s tears flowed ever faster washing her face with the realisation that Uriah may never love her. “How can I not love him; he stole my heart and my soul the first time he walked into the room.”

Elizabeth gave her a weak smile. “Then kiss him like you mean it. Kiss him and show him how much you love him.”

Simian and Casta looked from Elizabeth to Kimberly witnessing some unspoken communication between the two as Henry and Dr Horton joined them.

Much the same way as Elizabeth had; Kimberly brushed her hand through Uriah’s hair. “I do love you; I will love you even if it means never having your love in return.” Slowly she bent down to kiss him.

Dr Horton was about to protest when Henry stopped him with a less than gentle grip on his arm.

As her lips touched Uriah’s Kimberly felt the tingle again but this time instead of pulling away she continued to kiss him. The tingle from her lips permeated through her whole body and she wondered if she would pass out; then it happened. Uriah’s lips felt warmer and then he began to kiss her back.

Elizabeth saw first as she had been watching for it; the small rise of his chest as he took that first breath of life.

The others were all stunned, astounded into silence when they saw him raise his arms to hold her.

Uriah gently pushed Kimberly back to see her tears and her smile. “Welcome back.”

He was a little confused, uncertain of where he was when he heard Simian’s voice as his friend rattled off his amazement in a flurry of French that made Henry smile. Uriah coughed and replied to his friends’ questions also in French. He then looked back to Kimberly as the doctor came over to check his vital signs. He spoke to her in French at first then in English. “You did this?”

Kimberly nodded.

Uriah was overwhelmed by the implication of her actions. “You love me?”

Again all Kimberly could do was nod her head and squeeze his hand.

Uriah felt like he had been hit by lightning, his love for Elizabeth still very raw and real. He had no idea if he could ever love anyone again, had never expected anyone to love him. He did however understand that it was Kimberly’s love for him that had brought him back from the darkness that had taken him. In a strained, weak voice he spoke. “Thank you.”

Uriah followed Kimberly’s gaze as she looked to Elizabeth. “It worked Lizzie, it has to work for Derek, it just has to.”

All eyes were on Elizabeth as she bent over to kiss Derek.

As their lips touched everyone else tensed hearing the rumble of thunder ricochet around the room. Casta crossed himself while Simian swore in French and touched his still throbbing head wound. Kimberly felt like cowering in the corner of the room but instead threw herself over Uriah to protect him.

Henry slapped his hand on the doctor’s shoulders. “I think you are in for a surprise doc. Hold on, this is going to be one hell of a ride.”

As Elizabeth continued to kiss Derek she could feel the heat from his lips invade her own, only vaguely aware of what was happening around her, all her thoughts, her prayers were focused on Derek and getting him back.

The thunder intensified, the room began to tremble like it was in the throes of an earth tremor, electricity crackled making all but Henry ducked in the fear they would be struck.

Uriah wrapped his arms around Kimberly but kept his eyes on Derek. Derek needed to be alive. Uriah was not sure he could continue to live if Derek did not. It was Derek’s life they had gone back to save.

The thunder kept rumbling around the room and just as everyone thought there was no more to come Elizabeth yelled and standing straight with her hands on Derek’s chest and her head tilted upwards. She was shaking but she was ridged. Everyone saw the electricity rushing down her arms into Derek’s chest. Dr Horton rushed to her side and in a move much too fast for Henry to stop he touched her and was flung across the room. As Henry attended to the doctor there was a roaring explosion of light and sound as Elizabeth was also flung away from Derek landing heavily against the wall. Kimberly screamed but she was drowned out by the sound of the lightening that was striking out at every corner of the room, leaving scorch marks as it travelled, striking out from Derek’s chest.

Dr Horton came to just in time to see Derek sit bolt upright and shout. “Elizabeth!”

As Derek slumped back into his bed the room suddenly became eerily quiet. No one moved. Then Dr Horton gained his senses and hurried to check on Derek as everyone waited. Henry had Elizabeth in his arms, she was unconscious but breathing.

Casta could not contain himself any longer. “Well doctor?”

“He’s alive.”

As if to reassure his friends Derek spoke. His voice was quiet and a little breathless. “Uriah, where’s Uriah?”

“I am here my friend.”

Every part of Derek’s body ached, he was so tired he could not even open his eyes and like Uriah he was confused and not sure if he was still dreaming. “Where are we Uriah? This feels different.”

Kimberly squeezed Uriah’s hand as he gave Derek his answer. “We are home.” Uriah coughed and winced at the pain still humming through his own body. “Home Derek, back in our own time.”

Derek slowly turned his head and opened his eyes to see Uriah smiling at him from the other bed. “Home?”

Although Uriah smiled at Derek it was Simian who spoke. “Yes my friend you are home.”

Again Derek turned his head but instead of seeing Simian he saw Elizabeth in Henry’s arms. Shocked at the sight Derek tried to move but yelled as he grabbed his leg in pain. Again he fell back gasping for breath. “Lizzie! Is she alright?! Someone tell me, is she all right!”

Henry’s voice rose above all others. “Yes Derek she is alright, just concussed when she hit the wall.”

Derek gasped again in pain as Dr Horton pulled back the sheets and looked at his leg. It looked perfect, no bruises, no scars, and no open wounds. “Derek what does your leg feel like.”

“It hurts Doc,” He tried to move it and sucked in his breath. “Like it’s broken. Lizzie, look after Elizabeth.”

They all looked to Henry who was still holding Elizabeth in his arms like she weighed nothing. He also had his back up against the door stopping anyone from coming in.

Henry smiled at Derek although he still had his eyes closed. “She will be looked after Derek.” Henry looked to Dr Horton. “I shall take her back to the other room Doc. You come and see her when you get this sorted.”

Henry left to the stares of the nurses outside the room who had been trying to get in.

Dr Horton ushered everyone else out of the room stating that his two patients needed to rest.

Derek had drifted back off to sleep but Uriah coughed as Kimberly was about to leave. “Can she stay?”

Uriah was looking straight at Kimberly as the doctor gently pushed her back into the room.

She stood between Derek and his bed. “Are you sure?”

Uriah took hold of her hand. “I need this to be real. If you are here then it is real.”

Uriah drifted off to sleep still holding her hand and Kimberly cried wondering if he would ever love her. She dried her eyes watching the doctor as he looked over Derek. “He going to be okay Doc?”

Not taking his eyes of his work Dr Horton answered her “ I think they are both exhausted but I don’t understand why Derek’s leg hurts him so much there is nothing wrong with it.”

“It’s not broken?”

“No.”

Kimberly took a deep breath. “Doc Lizzie told me what happened to him in…..”

She wasn’t sure how much she should tell the doctor.

“It’s alright. They told me all about the dreams.”

“No doc, it was more than dreams. You heard Uriah say they were back. Well they left; they really did travel back in time. That’s when Derek hurt his leg. He almost died. He got shot down in a plane in world war two. It took them weeks to get back to England.”

Dr Horton looked at Kimberly a little confused. “Weeks but?”

She cut him off. “Yeah I know. But Elizabeth said he never really recovered from …”She didn’t finish as she felt Uriah squeeze her hand.

“Derek?”

“He is here Uriah. It is okay you made it home.” She felt him squeeze her again as he once more drifted back to sleep. A sleep that for the first time contained no dreams. A sleep that was quiet and healing.