Secrets Of Sanctuary Hospital A Hidden Enclave For Angels, Demons, And Vampires

by L.A.A. Law

Chapter Fifteen – Death Arrives Claiming His First Two Victims

  Katrina, David, Andrew and I leave around one o’clock. Katrina’s shoulders are at an angle in the front seat and she is speaking animatedly about the nursery. Without warning, Andrew throws his arms around me, tucking my head into his chest. Something smashes the back of the car with a crushing blow, sending us careening toward the truck in front! Katrina screams! The crunching of steel is deafening. A haunting silence follows. Andrew releases me. I feel a piercing pain in my leg and see smoke!

  “Are you alright?” His voice is panicked.

  Stunned, I nod. Kicking open the door, practically removing it from its hinges, he thrusts me back forcefully and I’m across the street on the ground before I even blink. Dashing back to the car, he is immersed in the engulfing smoke! I can’t tell if the car or truck is on fire, but either way, it isn’t good! I struggle to rise, but fall and for the first time I am cognizant of a large piece of metal piercing my leg. Looking back at the car, the wind is blowing some of the smoke away and everything begins to register in slow motion. Andrew rips off the back of Katrina’s seat, yanks her motionless, limp body into the back and carries her to me. “She’s not breathing!” He shouts, placing her before me. Kneeling over her body, I force myself to ignore the pain of the metal driving deeper through my leg so that I can concentrate on giving Katrina CPR. As Andrew returns for David, he barks orders at the truck driver to call the police. The faint sirens are coming closer as the driver holds me steady. The driver yells. “The car is engulfed in flames!” My heart stops, but to my surprise my hands keep moving.

  I see the flashing lights, but fear they are too late. Katrina still has no pulse and Andrew and David are still in the fire! The firemen jump out and begin spraying the car and truck. Andrew emerges through the smoky mist with David’s lifeless body in his arms. David’s head is practically hanging off.

  A fireman with oxygen begins working on Katrina. The ambulance arrives and I hear Andrew informing the EMT that Katrina is pregnant and that I am a physician who can help them in transport. Andrew assists them in placing Katrina inside and I can see his hands resting on her heart as he buckles her in before placing me inside. Before they shut the doors, he lets me know that he will wait with David, his ambulance has just arrived. From the look on his haunted face, I know that David is dead. I force back the tears and panic that threaten to overtake me to continue our resuscitation efforts to bring Katrina back. The monitor registers intermittent heart beats. I plead with her to fight her way back for her children.

  The emergency staff is waiting outside and works on her during transport. The doctors try to move me down to x-ray, but I refuse.

  One of the doctors steps out for a moment and when the door opens again, he enters with Andrew. Their expressions hit me like a wrecking ball. Andrew embraces me as Katrina’s doctor delivers the final blow informing me that she is brain dead. I can see his lips moving but there is no sound, then my world goes black.

  Andrew’s anxious voice is calling to me through my sea of darkness. “Mia, I need you to wake up. Important decisions have to be made. I called your father, but he hasn’t arrived.”

  My eyes flutter open. “Can you help her?” I plead.

  His tormented expression answers me, before his choked words. “I’m sorry, it’s beyond my power! Her injuries are beyond my abilities, I could only sustain her temporarily. Her obstetrician recommends putting her on life support because it is too dangerous to take the twins now. They are awaiting your consent.”

  After signing the papers, Andrew carries me outside to give them room to work. My father is arguing with the physician who I just gave instructions to as my brother, aunt, uncle and mother are coming down the hall. I know I will carry my mother’s devastating expression to my grave.

  As she runs to me, Andrew puts me down, supporting my weight. “Where’s Katrina, what happened?”

  “I’m not exactly sure.” I can barely force out the words.

  Stephan barks at me. “What do you mean you’re not sure? David’s dead, Katrina’s brain dead, and you barely have a scratch!”

  “Now just hold on Stephan!” Andrew growls, his face fierce and frightening. Stephan steps back. I quickly try to force out an explanation to diffuse the volatile situation.

  My mother grabs Andrew’s arm and I hear her strangled plea. “Isn’t there anything you can do?”

  His tormented face looks whiter than I’ve ever seen. “I’m sorry Ann. I would give anything if I could.” Her face drops into her hands and we move her to a waiting area. Stephan joins my father.

  Two officers interrupt us to take our statement. They state the driver who hit us from behind is dead and they suspect alcohol was involved but are awaiting final toxicology results.

  As we await the arrival of physicians from Boston my father contacted, I am taken into the operating room. I insist they operate to repair my severed artery using a local anesthetic.

  After surgery, I insist on returning to my mother. Andrew is still with her, he appears relieved as I approach. As I sit next to my mother, he places his hands on my leg. I feel the healing heat.

  Holding my mother’s hand, I try to comfort her, but there is no way to bring peace to a parent whose soul is ravaged by the loss of a child and possibly her grandchildren.

  My father emerges from Katrina’s room with a physician who moves toward Andrew who whispers something into his ear. Andrew rises immediately, goes to the nurses’ desk, hands them something before making a call and then returns to speak with me in private.

  He wheels me into a private room. “Stephan called David’s parents and they told him about the papers naming you as guardian. Stephan and your father are furious, but the physicians have confirmed there are no brain waves and nothing can be done.” As my tears flow quicker, his voice fills with compassion. “I don’t mean to upset you more, but the physician who spoke with me knows about Sanctuary and convinced your father to let us take her there considering what he is facing, but your brother is vowing a fight, so if you want to honor David’s wishes, we need to transfer Katrina to Maine before he can roust a judge here to stop it. Once it is in court here, you will be tied up in New York until the matter is settled.”

  “What’s he thinking?” I growl enraged.

  “He isn’t thinking, he’s grief stricken and cannot deal with this tragedy head on. Regardless we should move now, all the transport arrangements are made but you and your mother need to execute the paperwork”

  He wheels me out. “Mom, the physicians that dad brought up here…”

  She stops me. “Your father told me everything. I know you have to leave. Your father is saying good-bye. I just need to see you first. Mia, I’m sure that David knew what he was doing when he chose you. I know this is a lot, but you can do it. I realize now that you knew exactly what you were doing all along. I’m so sorry you will be facing this alone too.” Her eyes shift to Andrew. “Well, not entirely alone. He’s a good man and he loves you. I can see that. Let him help. Raising children is difficult but rewarding. You will make mistakes, we all do, but you have an unlimited capacity to love. Trust yourself and you will be a wonderful mother. Promise me that you will include your father in the twins’ life. He will need you more than ever when I’m gone. He is a good man and loves you. I know he is critical and stubborn, but I think that’s where you get your streak from. Try to include your brother too. I know he has given you a rough time, but I can’t bear the thought of him being without family. Promise me, please! I’ll be watching if I can and I know you will make me proud.”

  Hugging her tightly, I know this is her good-bye to me. “Mom, I promise that I will do my best. I love you.”

  My father emerges as if knowing she is ready to say good-bye to Katrina now. They are so in tune with each other and I feel a new wave a grief for the next loss he will endure.

  Before leaving, I have Andrew wheel me to the morgue. As
they remove the sheet from David’s face, sorrow overwhelms me. I can’t believe they will never see their children. Touching his hand, it’s cold like Andrew’s. I have become so used to cold touches with living creatures, that I half expect him to open his eyes. As I say good-bye, promising to do my best to raise his children and vowing they will know how much he and Katrina love them, someone beckons Andrew.

  He returns moments later. “It’s time to go. Jackson has the court order from a judge in Maine honoring the copies of the custody papers which David’s parent faxed to him. We need to leave now before Stephan is successful in getting an injunction.

  I want to travel in the ambulance with Katrina. Andrew’s expression is one of understanding but his tone is authoritative. “You need to heal and rest on the way to Maine. I gave the driver my number and we will be directly in front of them. There is really nothing you can do for her other than get yourself strong for the twins.”

  Hearing him speak the words, I realize what I’ve agreed to do and panic. “I don’t know what I’m doing. How can I raise two children? I don’t even have a home. I will do them more harm than good! Stephan is right to fight me. I’m just getting my own mixed up life settled. I’ll mess them up as well!” I begin to hyperventilate.

  Andrew places his hand on mine, his tone turns deliberate. “You are not alone and you have a home, we just need to rearrange some things. You will be fine and when they come, they will be loved and well taken care of. You’re just overwhelmed. You need to rest and most of all you need to know that we are all here to help you. The children are not arriving tonight. There is time.”

  He cocoons me in a blanket before pulling out to the road. His hand reaches across and touches my bandaged leg. His cool touch brings relief but then I can feel the heat. Exhausted from the night’s sorrowful events, I close my eyes, but the accident and David and Katrina’s lifeless bodies play before my eyes as sobs rip from my chest.

  Andrew reaches across, snaking his arm behind my back, and pulls me across the bench seat so I can rest my head on his shoulder. “You are not alone.” He repeats.

  I watch as the city passes us. After a few miles, I feel my eyelids droop and everything goes dark. In my restless sleep, I relive the accident over and over again, sometimes with different endings, with myself perishing, my sister surviving, and one which frightens me more than any other with myself being the only survivor and seeing David and Andrew caught as the car is engulfed by flames. My eyes fly open and I am lying on the pillow, wrapped tightly in the blanket. My heart is pounding and although the heat is on, my blood runs cold. “How far are we?” I murmur.

  “We should arrive in thirty minutes. How do you feel?”

  “I’ve been better. I couldn’t help reliving the accident.”

  “I know. You screamed a few times.” He sounds distracted. Concerned, I look over. His normally glistening blue eyes appear dark.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. Nicholas must be up to something.”

  Bemused by his words, “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s not important,” His tone is dismissive.

  “I want to know.” I plead.

  “It’s nothing. Sometimes when Nicholas is behaving badly, I can feel the effects of his actions.”

  Placing my hand on his thigh, he glances at me. “What can I do to help?”

  “I’m fine. I’ll talk to him later. We have a lot to set up when we return. Don’t concern yourself with this.”

  “Andrew, you have helped me ever since I arrived and even before then. I want to share your problems and help if I can. You cannot always be solving my problems and facing yours alone. I hope that you don’t think I’m so self-absorbed that your problems aren’t important to me because I want to help.”

  He flips his hand over, intertwining our fingers. Bringing my hand to his lips, he kisses it. “I do consider you someone to talk to. You are not self-absorbed, selfless yes, but never selfish.” He kisses my hand again before opening the window to type in Sanctuary’s entrance code.