The End of Blame: Chapter 24

In the midnight silence, Blair panicked, "Todd, no.  Todd?"  She shook him.  No response.  "Oh my God!  Todd!"  She scrambled to her feet, carefully letting him rest against the tub.  She raced to the other part of the suite and grabbed the phone, "John, I'm sorry, hurry," she panicked.  Sister Rebecca Katherine flicked on the lights suddenly as well, saying in a whisper, "My goodness, child, what's the trouble?"


"I can't, I don't know."  She was frantic, all of her emotion pouring forth in her terror.  "He's gone, he's gone somewhere else."


"Who has, dear?"


"Todd, he's gone.  Sister!  Help us!  Oh God," she fell into the nun's arms.  "Oh no, don't Todd," she cried.


The nun was not certain what she meant, until she sat her down on the bed, and went to the bathroom, where she cried, "Goodness, Todd, can ya hear me, Lad?  Don't go all quiet on me now, Boy."


Just then, John knocked at the door, and the nun scuttled across the room to answer.  Blair, was sitting on the bed, beside herself with tears and panic.  Todd was motionless, on the floor of the bathroom, his burned palm by his side.  The sister said, "Oh my, Lieutenant, it's not such a pretty scene.  Something awful has happened."


Stepping into the bathroom, John surmised the scene quickly, then said, "Todd's not in immediate danger, Sister."  Of course, though it terrorized both women, John was right; Todd was safer where he was than any place he had been in the last month.


John went back to Blair, and taking her in his arms, soothed her.  "Blair, tell me what happened here."
 
Suddenly realizing what could be the outcome, she said, "Nothing.  Nothing happened.  He just had a dream."


John became angry with her, "Now, Blair, don't do this.  I can't help you if you do this."


"He was dreaming.  He was dreaming, and he ended up in the bathroom."


"And how do you explain his huge mess of a hand?"


She looked at him, "I don't know.  But you're not taking him from me, John.  You're not!"  She panicked, and fell against him, crying.


"I'm not going to take him from you.  Shh, now.  Did he hurt you?"


"No."


"Did he try?"


"No, and if he did, he wouldn't have been doing it to hurt me.  It would have been an accident.  He was reliving . . . something."  She lied about the bump on the back of her head, which she had almost forgotten about.


"He was reliving the abuse he took from Peter."


She stared into John's deep blue eyes, "Yes.  I think so.  He was talking to him, John.  It was so, awful."


"Was he awake at all?"


"Yes.  Later.  He asked me to help him.  He said something happened to his hand.  Then, he was gone,"  her voice trailed off.


Just then, the three of them heard the baby crying in the other room, and Sister Rebecca Katherine, who had gone to retrieve some gauze and antibiotic ointment to treat his wound, called, "I'll get the baby in a moment," as she fumbled in the medicine cabinet in a small room off the bath.  Turning back, she saw Todd was gone.


Blair, looking up from John, saw Todd standing, as if nothing had happened, with Ray in his arms.  "The baby was crying.  He's okay now, right Buddy?"


She said, "Todd?  You're okay?" with both surprise and relief.


The nun raced into the room and said, "Oh, let me hold the little angel, will you Todd?" and took Ray from him.


Todd turned back to his wife and said, "Are you going to tell me what I did, Blair?  I mean, John's here, my hand's all fucked up.  Sister Rebecca Katherine is playing The Flying Nun.  You're a mess. . . " he stopped, "Did I hurt . . . anyone?"  He became afraid.


"No, you didn't," she didn't want to mention the shove, and attempted to reign in her tears.


"Then what did I do?  You want to tell me?"


"I woke up.  You were in the bathroom.  You were dreaming."


"That must have been some dream," he said, turning his palm upward, and wincing.  The blisters were raised and red.  "I never had a dream bite me before."


He sat next to her on the bed.  John moved away from them a bit, and stepped back toward the nun.  He said to her, in a whisper, "He's losing it.  He's coming undone in front of us."


"The dream did not bite you.  Do you really want to know what you did?"  Blair said.


"Yeah.  I asked, didn't I?"


"Come with me, in the bathroom.  You'll figure it out."


The two of them went together, and he said, "Shit.  I burned the hell out of myself."


"You did."


"I didn't know what I was doing, did I?"


"No."


"Are you lying to me?  Did I hurt you?"


She couldn't look him directly in the eye, "No."


"How did you get me out of it?"


"I clapped three times."


He smiled a little, "Good idea.  That always worked."


She began to cry, and found his chest against her face, as he pulled her close.  The lingering smell of his sweat was enticing to her, even during this, and she let herself give in to his embrace.  He said, "I'm all right.  It wasn't good, but I'm okay."


"I thought you left us.  Forever."


"You mean I went away, to my safe place?  I'll never be gone forever, Blair.  As long as I'm breathing . . ."


"I know.  I'll never be rid of you."


"Never.  Ever.  You're doomed to be a Manning."


"Oh God, Todd, I don't want to be anything else."


"Blair?" he suddenly seemed nervous.


"Yes?"


"Don't leave."


"Todd," she said, softly, "No leaving.  None."


"I'm tired."


"I know.  I know you are."  She walked them to the bed.  "You lie down, I'll fix your wound, and then we'll sleep."  His face was a mixture of fear and longing, as he looked at her, apprehensive.  She continued, "I said, we'll sleep, because I say so, and that is what we are going to do.  And that's all there is."


Doing as she said, he lay on his back, grimacing a little from the pain on his hand.  She left him for a moment, and went to John.  "John, you have to go.  Now.  I've got this under control."


"Blair, I'm telling you, as a friend, he could be dangerous. . ."


"No.  Stop.  Don't.  It won't work, you'll never get an agreement from me, so don't bother.  Please, I appreciate your help, but please go."  She turned to the nun, taking the items from her hands.  "Please, Sister, put Ray to bed.  I know what I am doing."


John, not knowing what else to say, exited, but not before touching her elbow and kissing her cheek.  Her eyes brimmed, but she refused to falter.  The nun, looked into her face and said, "Yes, dear.  Ya know what ya are doing.  Hold onto him, Bridgette."


Blair Cramer Manning was holding on.  And more than that, she was taking charge.


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