Battle the Dark: Chapter 21

He was over her, his long hair touching down and brushing her breasts, his face adoring her, his eyes connected with hers and moistened with emotion.  She felt him moving, inside her, in slow, deliberate circles, touching all parts of her and bringing her nothing but pleasure.  She called to him, "Todd, love me," as he changed his motion, bringing her to glorious heights.  She could not stop starting at his beautiful face, so young, like time had not passed.   She touched his scar and her thumb went to his lips.

He sucked it lightly, and bent to kiss her, and when he pulled back, he said he loved her, and she felt his warmth inside her spreading like spring.  He nuzzled onto her, expended, and she ran her hands over his strong and lean back.  She closed her eyes; he was home.  He had come back to her.  She opened them and saw blood on her palms and fingers.  She stared at her hands, not knowing where the blood came from, until she looked down and saw the raw, open wounds all over him.  


She screamed.

"There, there child," the nun said, sitting still by Blair's bedside.  She'd seen Blair sit up and let out a shriek, and raced to her.  "You were dreaming, dear."

Blair rocked and cried.  "No, no.  No, Todd.  I want Todd!  Please."

Sister Rebecca Katherine was not sure how to console her.  "Darling, please.  You mustn't lose hope.  He will be all right."

"It was terrible, he was bleeding, he was cut, he was hurt.  I can't do this," she turned away, pulling herself into a ball and sobbing.  

"It's all right, now, the dream is over.  It's all right."  The sister was not sure she was telling the truth.

***

At the hospital, Timothy and Jessica waited.  The worst was over, and Devon, who had come close to passing from this world, had been revived and was in critical condition in the ICU wing.  They had, without resting, moved to the Intensive Care Unit, and were sitting, together, outside his room as the nurses worked over him.  "He looks pale,"  Jessica said.  

Timothy chimed in, "He does, but he made it.  Remember, a few hours ago, we were expecting the worst."

"I wish he would wake up, so I could talk to him.  I just want him to know, even if we don't reunite, how I feel."

"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it."

"Were you with him in the ambulance?"

"Yes, I was, and before and a bit after."

"Did he say anything?"

"Of course.  He said, 'please tell Jessica I'm sorry and I love her very much.'"

She lifted her eyes heavenward.  "Oh my God.  I've been so pigheaded.  I want to tell him.  I want to see him so much, just see his perfect smile."

"You will, just believe that."

***

Starr had been up most of the night.  She waited until dawn, and headed down the stairs and into the foyer.  Picking up her keys, she was stopped by Shaun.  "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I'm going to my mother," she said.  "and you are not stopping me."

"Wasn't going to try, but I do have to know where you are going.  Just to be on the safe side."

"I have to go to her," she broke down, "don't you see?  She can't do this again.  She can't lose him."

"You can't either, isn't that what you mean?"

"Yes.  I love my Dad, Shaun, I'm his little girl."  Her tears flowed.

"I know, Starr," he hugged her, "but you have to believe his coming back was more than a fleeting moment.  He fought too long and too hard, and if he has anything to do with it, he won't be away long."

***

"It's McBain," John said, "I need to call in a favor.  I've got a missing person, abduction.  Happened last night after midnight.  Todd Manning.  He went willingly with the Statesville prison escapee, Michael Leona.  Yes.  Exactly.  I need that favor, Clem."

He hung up, looking out his office window.  The sun was shining onto still-wet grass.  Natalie walked in and said, "Hey, good looking, what's going on?"

He didn't want to be the one to tell her, and he hoped she knew.  "Nothing, beautiful.  How's that boy of ours?"

"He's great.  Mom told me about Todd, she got a call last night from Llanview hospital about Devon Kelly, and when she called Jess, she told her."

"Any ideas?  Anything on the forensics?" 

"Nothing we didn't know.  No clues to Todd's whereabouts."

"We have to do something."

"I know what you are thinking," she walked behind him, putting her hand and chin on one of his shoulders, "I'm thinking the same.  What are they doing to him?"

***

Michael Leona picked up the untraceable cell phone he had and answered, "Hello?"

"My good man, any news for me?"

"I've got him."

"The baby?"

"No, Manning himself."

Carlo's tone changed, "Excellent.  I am very impressed.  You're quite the overachiever, aren't you?"

"I do what I can.  But this I really can't take credit for."

"Ah, Mr. Manning.  Such a lost soul.  Lost in the seduction of that tramp, Blair.  He sacrificed himself, didn't he?"

"Yeah.  Pretty unexpected."

"Au contraire,"  Hesser spouted, "it is just what I would expect of the man.  Gallant, yes?"

"Stupid, if you ask me."

Carlo paused, "Have you gotten reacquainted?"

"Of course."  He tapped his knife, "We're on our way, but he's definitely not talking."

"Did he 'stay' with us?"

"Yeah, he's with us.  Put up a little fight, but how much could he do with his arms and legs tied?"

"Keep working at him.  No details.  The specifics are, let's say, less valuable to me than the outcome."

***

Sam and Jack were in the breakfast area.  Sam was playing with his Cheerios, and Jack, was distant.  Addie sat across from them.  "Boys, how is breakfast going?"

"Good," Sam said, and his spoon dropped, splashing milk all over the table and Jack.  

"Shit Sam!  Now I have to get changed!"  He pushed the chair aside, and it hit the table.  He raced out of the room, and his footsteps were hard up the staircase.  

Addie said, "It's okay, Sam, here's a paper towel.  Clean up this little bit of milk.  I'll be right back, honey."

Addie ascended the stairs, and rounding the top, she headed left toward the room Jack and Sam had shared for the night.    She knocked.  "Jack, let me in."

"I'm changing."

"All right, I'll wait until you're decent."

Jack opened the door violently, and walked away from her, plopping himself onto the bed.  "What?"

"Jack, Sam was scared when you did that downstairs."

He continued avoiding her eyes.  "Sorry, but he's aggravating sometimes."

"He's a little boy."

"Heh, that's sweet.  He's a little boy, and I'm not.  I'm also not a grown up.  So what am I?"

"You're a young man.  You're a young man who is very afraid."

"No, I'm not.  What would I be afraid of?  I'm not scared.  I'm not scared of anything."

She sat down next to him.  "You are."

"Oh yeah?  Of what?"

She took his hand, and at first, he pulled back a bit, and then let her hold it.  He looked at their hands.  "Your father being killed, or taken away again.  I know, you just got him back.  You finally connected with him again, and you've been through a lot together.  And you're scared.  I am too, for my daughter, your mother, to lose him, and for Little Ray to never know him."

"Stop it!  He's coming back!"  He pulled his hand away and threw himself onto the bed, turned away from her.  

Sam came to the door, that moment.  "Grandma, why is Jack crying?"

"He's upset with himself, Sam, for getting so mad at you."

Sam approached the bed.  He tapped Jack on the shoulder, and he ignored his little brother.  He tapped again.  Jack shooshed him away with his hand.  He tapped a third time, bringing Jack to a sitting position, who wiped at his eyes with one hand.  "What?"

"I'm sorry Jack, I didn't mean to get milk on you.  You're my best friend.  Sorry."  He looked down at his little shoes, one of which was ceremoniously untied.

Jack gulped, and sniffed, turning to Sam fully.  He picked him up under his arms and put him on the bed next to him.  "Sorry, buddy.  You're my best friend, too."  Sam jumped into his arms and hugged his neck.

"When Dad gets home from his short trip, we can go back to the park and play."

Jack became visibly choked up.  "Yeah, bud, we can."

Addie caught his eye, "You're a good brother, Jack."

***

Todd opened his eyes, and was immediately met with agonizing pain coming from somewhere on his own body that he couldn't exactly determine.  Uncertain, he attempted to roll onto his back, to then work himself to standing, and found he couldn't.  Lying still, he felt more tired than he had in weeks, and the room came into better focus.  He noticed blood, a small amount, splashed onto the pillow near him, and a little more on the cot.  He attempted to talk to himself, aloud, and his voice was hoarse and his throat felt sore and hot.  It was right then that he realized where he was what he was tired from.  He remained still, and closed his eyes, picturing her in his mind.  Blair.  I will come back to you.  Don't give up on me.  But, what if she did?  What if he were gone again, longer this time, and she moved on with her life.  How could he live without her and their children?  He'd have to get out of there.

Unable to see his arms, back and hands, he concentrated his efforts on bringing himself to a standing position.  Hoping to make it across the room to the crooked mirror and small toilet, he struggled to sit up.  Does the blood on the pillow mean he got my face?  Every move was a strain; the flexing of his musculature made his skin in some areas feel as though it would rupture.  He had been there before, and realized quickly what it was.  Stay put, Manning.  It's not worth this.  You don't need to see yourself; you know exactly what he's done.  But, he refused to relive it and recount the memory, so he just accepted the general concept that he had been marked and decorticated.  This was nothing new, but in his time back with his family, he'd researched every possible way of saying it.

He concentrated more and realized the pain was mostly from his back, and some from his upper left arm.  His face was not hurting; and he relaxed a bit, lying still and waiting.  Soon, his keeper would return, and if in the right mood...

Without prior notice, he spied a beam of light coming from the window, alongside the shade that was fully pulled, but accidentally moved slightly to the side.  The light reflected in such a way that it mimicked a beam of sunlight, coming through the clouds on an extremely bright day, where a storm might be coming later.  And something came over him, just then, as he stared at the light and the way it graced the room.  The trail rested very close to his head, so he moved, with all his might, until his face passed through it, though it took a great deal to do so.  He closed his eyes and felt the warmth over his cheeks, brow and nose, and sighed.  He heard Sam's voice in his head; there's God coming down.

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