The Curse Conduit

As Henry returned to the room Urian guided himself to his feet and walked slowly over to Derek. “There was another reason why I wanted to find you. All his life Danny kept having a dream about you Derek.” Urian could see the questions in Derek’s eyes. “He dreamt about this future time, it was always the same. He dreamt about this meeting. You see in a way I already knew I had to come.”

Derek was curious to see what secrets Danny’s dreams had held. “What did he dream Urian?”

Urian smiled. “It is strange hearing that name again. It has been a long time, everyone calls me Ian.” Urian realised he had drifted, picking up his train of thought he continued. “Yes the dream. He knew of your leg Derek, of the pain it gives you. He described everything right down to the last detail, the scorch marks on the walls, the clothes you are wearing.” Urian looked around him. “Even who would be in the room to see what is to happen.”

Derek tried to sit a little straighter in his bed and Uriah inched a little closer to them all giving the old man a hesitant look. “What has to happen Urian? What is it that you have to do?”

This time everyone looked at Uriah as he continued. “You have something you need to do don’t you?”

Urian nodded, sighed and looked directly at Derek. “I know how to help you, how to fix your leg.”

“Now that is news I can handle.”

Before Derek could say anymore Uriah had rested his hand gently on Urian’s arm. The old man smiled and patted Uriah’s hand. “It is all well son, I have been preparing for this moment for a long time.”

Only Urian and Uriah had understood the silent communication between them. For Uriah it had only been hours since he had seen his cousin. He could still feel his thoughts; know him as he knew himself. “Are you sure?”

Simian and Casta tensed, knowing that something was about to happen and having just witnessed the effects of Elizabeth’s kiss they were more than a little edgy.

Henry quietly and unnoticed took up a position behind Urian. Derek ran his hands through his hair nervously. “Hey guys you are beginning in to make me nervous.”

Urian smiled at his young friend. “You will be fine Derek. Danny told me so.”

Derek was just about to question Urian when the old man placed his hand on Derek’s leg. Again as the room rumbled Casta and Simian looked to each other and swore at the same time and like Elizabeth the surge of energy could be seen leaving Urian’s arm into Derek’s leg. Urian looked like he was being electrocuted; Derek fell back screaming in pain. It was all too much for Uriah and he went to pull Urian away but Henry stopped him. Uriah tried to pull out of Henry’s grip but it was impossible. As the two men’s eyes met Uriah knew that if he tried to break free Henry would certainly cause him some serious damage. The tone of Henry’s voice did nothing to belay Uriah’s concerns. “Let him finish.”

Derek cried out. “Urian stop! Damn it stop!”

As if the universe had heard his plea the charge between the two men ceased, flinging Urian back into Henry’s arms as he discarded Uriah in one swift elegant move.

The room fell silent, Casta and Simian each rushed to Derek’s side, again they both swore. Derek was pale and covered in sweat, a frown on his face and gritting his teeth.

Henry placed a weak and trembling Urian back into the chair.

The look that Uriah gave the large man was enough to freeze time itself. “You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do Henry!” Without deflecting his stare from Henry, Uriah asked Derek if he was alright.

“Give me a minute. I feel like I just got hit by a truck.”

Uriah knelt down in front of Urian and looked up into his face. “You knew this would happen yet you still did it.”

Urian gave Uriah a soft smile. “It was the right thing to do.”

“It could have killed you.”

Again Uriah saw the weary smile cross Urian’s face. “That it could have son; that it could have.” He patted Uriah on the hand. “You understand don’t you?”

Uriah nodded as Derek’s voice took all their attention. “Something’s wrong with my leg…It feels different.”

Casta and Simian helped Derek back into a sitting position. This time everyone noticed that he did not wince in pain.

Uriah looked into Urian’s eyes for permission to move and Urian gave it with a slight tilt of his head. Uriah stood next to Casta looking down at the sheet that covered Derek’s leg. Without warning he pulled it back and before Derek could get the shout of protest out Uriah grabbed the leg. Derek closed his mouth, stunned, looking down in disbelief. “It doesn’t hurt” Derek looked to Urian. “You fixed it.”

Urian smiled. “I can only assume the reason I could was the fact that we were in the plane together. Any other explanations I came up with did not make sense.” Urian looked to Henry giving him another tilt of the head.

“I shall be taking Master Ian back to the hotel.”

Urian could see the protest rising from them all and put a stopped to it. “I am not as young as I used to be. I will see you all soon. We need to finish this.”

Uriah turned to the old man as Henry began to guide him out of the room. “Elizabeth?”

“I will see her tomorrow. I will see you all tomorrow. I haven’t had this much adventure…….” He paused looking from Uriah to Derek. “Since we were together.” Urian tipped his head and they left.

Uriah took up the seat vacated by Urian, he may not have been in as much pain as Derek but his body was protesting at having to move. He was still so very tired but his mind raced as he tried to reason his way through all that he had learnt in such a short space of time. Seeing Urian as such an old man had shocked him. He thought of Urian as his fellow traveller last seen at Declan’s funeral only the day before. Logic told him this was not the case but he just could not get his mind to accept the reality. Then there was the fact that he and Elizabeth were related. The cogs of his brain had been working overtime and he had deduced the he was also related to Derek, in fact they were all related to each other in a small way. Bethie had been married to Danny who was part of Derek’s family tree. Urian had married Anna, Bethie’s sister so that connected them to Derek’s line through the marriage. Uriah was himself part of Urian and Uri’s family tree on another branch. So Elizabeth and Uriah and Derek were related.

Derek had been talking to Casta and Simian about the miracle he had been given when he drew their attention to Uriah, head and shoulders dropped, arms resting on his knees and his hands dangling between his legs. “Hey buddy you okay?”

They got no reply so Simian walked over and touched Uriah on the shoulder. “My friend, you do not feel well perhaps?”

Uriah sat up and smiled just a little. “A little tired, thinking about things.”

Derek gave out a bit of a laugh. “Uriah thinking about all this would tire anyone out.”

Simian gave Derek a reprimanding look before turning his attention back to Uriah. “I think that the doctor was right. You need more rest.” He guided Uriah to his feet without any resistance from his Swiss friend. “I think you need to go back to bed.”

Walking back to his bed Uriah wondered if Derek had made the connection their families had. “We are related Derek.”

Derek smiled. “Yeah that’s cool, you and Lizzie. Bit scary as well though.”

They all knew what Derek was implying by his comment but Uriah chose to ignore it. “No I mean you and me.”

The confused look that appeared on Derek’s face told Uriah he had not made the connection so he explained how he had come to the conclusion. As he finished the blood drained from Derek’s face. But I love her Uriah. We can’t be related I mean, I ….”

As Uriah rested his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. “It will be alright Derek. You are very, very, very distant relations. When she asks you to marry her say yes.”

They all looked at Uriah shocked at his last statement but he had fallen asleep.

It was as if a switched had been flicked in Casta’s brain and he began to jabber in Spanish until he realised his friends had no idea what he was saying. “Derek!!That explains the blood.”

It was Simian and Derek’s turn to look at Casta confused. “The blood in the hospital before. The transfusion. You have the same rare blood type yes. This is why, your family shrub.”

Both Simian and Derek smiled at Casta’s attempt to translate. “You mean our family tree?”

Casta nodded feverishly. “Si, Si this is why Uriah could give you blood. Do you know what blood type is Elizabeth?”

Derek shook his head before lying back on his pillow. “This is just too much.” He lifted his head a little and looked to both his friends. “Find her and make sure she is alright.”

Derek fell back, his little miracle had been exhausting, and he drifted off to sleep as his two friends went in search of the women that he loved.