WindSwept Narrows: #4 Alice Branch

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  Nick decided he definitely did not like pants without pockets. He put his hands behind his back, clasped as he wandered through the crowds. Then he caught sight of a robin’s egg blue bow sitting atop some gorgeous blond waves. He followed the bow, making certain he was following the right Alice before approaching her from behind.

  “I don’t recall getting my evening kiss,” Nick said softly, meeting the wide silver grey eyes with a smile. She went to her toes, kissing him, swaying and grateful for his hands steadying her.

  “You’re very handsome…” Alice ran one hand over the front of his fitted jacket.

  “And these pants are too tight,” he growled, pulling her hard against him. “So try and behave…” He offered his arm, escorting her through the large gathering, greeting friends and sipping wine. “Why are we tailing Damian?”

  “Because…there is mischief afoot,” she hinted dramatically, tipping her wrist up. “And it’s almost time…” she pulled a dark bandana from one of her pockets and led Nick toward Damian. “Hi, Damian…what’s wrong?”

  “I’ve misplaced my Jane Austen,” he said with a frown, his Victorian London suit much the same as Nick’s.

  “I can help you with that, come with me,” she told him, linking her arm in his and taking control. She saw the two men exchange frowns above her head.

  “Am I going to like this?” Damian asked cautiously.

  “I believe…you are going to totally love this,” Alice assured him with a smile, stopping outside a set of double doors. She held the bandana up.

  “You’re not serious…”

  “Please? Jane asked me to help,” Alice tied the bandana carefully in place. “Just let me lead you…”

  Damian had to admit he knew something was up. Jane had been jumpy and nervous the last few weeks. He listened as they walked into the room that had been closed in front of them. He heard the murmur of voices, very low.

  “Alright…” Alice left him standing in front of Jane, backing up and standing with Nick and all their friends.

  Damian lifted the bandana, blinking in the new light and staring at Jane standing in front of him. A woman was at their side, the collar of a reverend around her neck. The room held a dozen of their close friends.

  “Jane…?” Damian stared into those beautiful midnight eyes, her dark hair feathered and framing her face. There was a high color to her cheeks.

  “I promised I wouldn’t get too crazy with words…because it would mess with our makeup…but I love you ever so much…will you marry me, Damian Brandt?” She took his hands in hers, her slim fingers cold and shaking slightly.

  “Will I…Jane, yes…god, yes,” His head shook and he realized his own hands were shaking, his palms out and framing her face for his kiss. He knew just what it was taking out of her to do this so publicly.

  “In that case…” The reverend cleared her throat, smiled and opened her little book. “You have the rings?”

  Jack stepped forward with a wink at Jane, pacing a small velvet box in the hand she held out.

  “As we are all gathered here tonight to witness the solemn vows about to be exchanged between Jane Foster and Damian Brandt…”

  “You knew about this?” Nick whispered in her ear, his palms comfortably on her waist. She leaned into his arms, her head nodding.

  “We all did…the girls…we’ve been working it for the last couple weeks,” Alice confided with a whisper, listening and watching them exchange rings and words.

  Isabel watched, nodding to Chloe against the wall, the music soft as the couple kissed. A side door opened and several people from the lodge pushed tables through, one with a wedding cake in the center. On the other side, the doors opened and several other tables came in with champagne and glasses. The scent of food filled the room.

  Damian lifted his head, staring into the midnight eyes sparkling with stars.

  “You did all this?”

  “I had help,” Jane whispered, leaning happily in his arms. “I was afraid…I’d lose my nerve…”

  “I am incredibly glad you didn’t…Mrs. Brandt,” he bent over, kissed her solidly and lifted her in his arms, spinning wildly. Laughing, he set her down and accepted all the good cheers from around them.

  Gabe shook his head, accepting a glass of sparkling wine. “I can’t believe we didn’t know what was going on…”

  “The only guy in on it was Jack…because he made the rings,” Emily said with a bright smile.

  Diana winked at them. “Wait till you see our next plan.”

  “If I was a small country, I’d be nervous,” Mac announced, shaking his head and joining the laughter.

  Nick held Alice in his arms as they moved to the soft music later, his mouth next to her ear. “This was one of the nicest evenings I’ve had in a long, long time, Alice…thank you.”

  “You know some of these people, Nick…you’ve been friends with them much longer than I have,” she said with a peaceful smile. “I believe…you have some research…regarding a garter, sir…”

  Chapter Twelve

  Alice frowned into the rear view mirror. She cast a cautious glance at Matthew, relieved he was involved with his interactive book on his lap. The car behind her was dark, the windows shielding the driver who was following far too close for a quiet coastal road. There was no one behind him. No one in front of her. It was barely four thirty. She had gone north a little to a butcher shop and was headed back to the house after work.

  Alarm raced through her when she felt the first hard jolt to the chrome bumper. She met the dark, wide eyes in the mirror.

  “Just hold on, Matthew,” Alice said quietly, her foot down on the accelerator, carefully taking the bends and twists in the narrow road bordering Puget Sound. There were few houses along this stretch, just densely wooded areas leading straight to the water below. The road was wet, the day having been overcast and damp with rain now and then. She felt her hands cramping from gripping the wheel too tightly but knew she couldn’t let go.

  Another thump made her gasp against all control she struggled to keep contained.

  “Alice?” The quiet voice broke through her thoughts. He was frightened.

  “It’s okay, Matthew…”

  “What is it? Why are we bumping…”

  “Just…someone is chasing us…just hold on…we’ll be alright…”

  The startled gasp left her lips at the same time the solid looking vehicle struck her again, sending her smaller, lighter car spinning off to the side. A path of brush led her through, thirty feet off the road, beneath the trees, headed downhill. Her foot was on the brake but nothing happened until the tail end swerved, sending the driver’s side into a very solid, large old tree trunk.

  Alice struggled with keeping her eyes open.

  “Matthew…it’s okay…it’s stopped…” She blinked, brushing the hair from her face and peering into the mirror. “Please, Matthew, stop crying…I need your help…

  “Alright,” came the sniffled response.

  “It’s good…we’re good…remember…I showed you how to open the seat…do you remember?” She pressed, forcing herself to speak against the pain throbbing in her head.

  “Yes…” Was the shaky, sniffling answer.

  “Okay…open…” Alice closed her eyes, took a long slow breath and forced herself to ignore the pain in her head. “Open the snap…on the tray…open it…pull hard…you’re very strong, Matthew…good boy…lift it up…over your head…you can do it…”

  She struggled against the metal, the side and front compressed enough to keep her trapped in the seat, unable to move or even reach her bag on the floor. Her head went back on the seat. Except for the occasional sniffle, it was silent around them, an early dusk prompted by the over cast day settling ominously.

  “Alice…it’s dark…”

  “I know, but I’ll protect you. I promise. Nick will find us…but I need your help, Matthew…” Alice tried to sit upright. She was pretty sure nothing was broken, nothing cut. Sh
e was simply pinned in place. “Okay…remember…the buckle…squeeze it tight…both hands like I showed you…” She vaguely listened to him, growling and making her smile. He sounded like Nick…so much like Nick…” she stretched her arm behind the seat, reaching for him. “Put my hand on the buckle, Matthew…I can’t move…good…that’s good…” She released it, breathing a long sigh and held her hand open. “Come up here…up front with me…you’re a good climber…like climbing on the playground…grab that blanket, Matthew…”

  Alice let her head go back, her eyes closed against the unnatural loss of energy. Only for a moment…but the next time she looked, the clock had move six minutes.

  “Matthew…you must listen to me…you must make me wake up…tell me…over and over, Matthew…stay awake, Alice! You…you shake me and shout at me…but I have to stay awake…” She wrapped the blanket that had been in the backseat around him as best she could.

  “I need to…get my bag off the floor…yes…now find the phone inside…you know my phone….” She saw him pull the bag to his lap, little hands opening it. “Pull it closer here…to me…”

  “Alice! Wake up! Wake up!” Matthew shouted, standing at her side with both his hands on her face.

  Alice gasped, dragging in a long breath. Five minutes on the clock this time.

  “Good…that’s good, Matthew…thank you…don’t let me sleep, Matthew…” She held the phone in her fingers, peering at the screen and feeling her head spinning.

  “Alice? Alice! No sleeping!” He shook her again, falling against her when she opened her eyes, her arms around him tightly. “Alice…I want daddy…”

  “I know…me, too…sit down…let me try and call…” She found his number and pressed the button, holding it to her ear.

  “Hi, beautiful…”

  “Nick…oh, god…we…we…we’ve been run off the road, Nick…I can’t…”

  “Run…are you okay? Matthew?” Came the instant seriousness.

  “Fine…but I’m kind of…kind of stuck…”

  “Alice…I need to hang up and call the police…leave your phone on, honey…okay?” He waited. “Alice?”

  “Alice! Wake up! No sleeping!” Matthew climbed to his feet, the phone falling to the floor beneath her legs.

  “Oh! Oh god…Matthew…thank you…I’m so sorry…” She reached for him, holding him close, wrapping the blanket around them both. She kept staring at the clock on the dash. Counting the numbers that went by.

  “Tell me a story, Matthew…tell me one of your story books…talk to me, Matthew…did you meet new friends in the play care today?”

  She listened to him, struggling more and more to just keep her head up. The minutes went past. Fifteen minutes…twenty five…Matthew lay in her arms. Then the lights came, bright and powerful. Then the noise. Voices. Shouting.

  “It’s okay, Matthew…daddy is coming for you,” Alice whispered, her head falling to the seat one last time.

  Nick wasn’t far behind the rescue unit blowing through the brush.

  “Daddy!” Matthew jumped up, flying out the passenger door when it was pulled wide and into Nick’s arms. “Alice went to sleep! She told me…told me no sleeping…we have to wake her up!”

  “Well, he’s looks in good shape,” the paramedic said with a chuckle.

  “Sir…” The officer held out her bag and phone.

  “It’s okay, Matt…we’ll get her out…” Nick knew he might be holding the child a little too tight, a little too close. But neither of them wanted to be apart right now. “What happened?” He didn’t expect an answer from the little boy with his head on his shoulder.

  “Someone chased us…Alice said…and they bumped us…lots…”

  Nick looked at the officer next to him, both of them frowning. The officer walked with Nick to the back of the car, the powerful flashlight showing the new indents.

  “The car was almost brand new,” Nick told the officer. “Not a scratch on it. Is she alright?”

  “Looks like it, sir…she’s just pinned in place…hit her head on the side window from the impact,” the paramedic told him, waiting patiently while the rescue people pulled the car from the tree and yanking the door open.

  “We’ll take the car to impound and let our people check it over,” the officer told him, walking with the stretcher toward the waiting ambulance.

  “Take her to St. Michael’s…” Nick said firmly.

  “The salts aren’t working…” The paramedic said to the other.

  “I’ll meet you there,” Nick told them, buckling Matthew into his car seat and accepting the young boy’s bag held out to him from the officer. “Thanks…”

  Darren Hunter parked at the same time he saw Nick pulling into the emergency room parking area, his arms accepting Matthew as they walked.

  “Do you know what happened?”

  “Not a lot…” Nick looked at his father, his head shaking slightly.

  “Someone chased us, Alice said,” Matthew repeated firmly. “Where is she?”

  “You stay with me and let dad go check, okay?” Darren took him into the hall.

  “Nick Hunter…looking for Alice Branch?” Nick looked up to see Anya shoving a curtain aside and step into the cubicle. “Anya!”

  Nick felt his chest freeze. His eyes caught on the still figure on the large bed.

  “Sir, you’ll have to wait…”

  “Let him in,” Anya said clearly, nodding to Nick to come inside. “We are running tests, Nick. She has no internal injuries. Everything is good. Except for the head injury…” Her attention on the monitors she had attached to Alice.

  He moved numbly to her side. She was still in her office clothes. They’d removed her jacket, the sleeves of her blouse shoved about her elbows. He wrapped his hand around hers, his other palm stroking tenderly along her arm.

  “What happened, Nick?” Anya checked Alice’s eyes again.

  “I…” He looked up, his head shaking. “Matthew says they were chased. She’s got several dents in the bumper that I know weren’t there before. The car came to a stop next to a tree, her side and she was pinned there.”

  Anya closed her eyes, orienting herself for a moment and then, gently moving the hair around on the side of Alice’s head until she found the bruise.

  “Where’s Alice?” Came the demanding young shout.

  Anya looked from Nick to the monitors above Alice, a small frown creasing her lips. Smelling salts did nothing. Not even move her vitals. She knew Alice was slipping into a coma from the head injury.

  “No! Put me down, gran’pa,” Matthew struggled for freedom.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll see if I can…” Nick moved toward the hall.

  “Bring him in here,” Anya ordered quietly.

  Nick looked at her but stepped out of the cubicle, accepting the struggling little boy in his arms. “Okay…settle down…I’ll take you to Alice but you have to behave. Thanks, dad…”

  “Okay…I’ll be good,” Matthew promised, waiting patiently.

  Nick carried him into the room.

  “Alice said no sleeping,” Matthew said firmly. “She told me…”

  “What did she tell you, Matthew?” Anya asked carefully, watching the monitors with mounting interest.

  “She said don’t let her sleep…she said shake her,” Matthew squirmed against the strong arms of his father. “I want down…”

  “Matthew…” Nick knew his voice was sterner than Matthew was accustomed to, yet Matthew seemed not to notice.

  “Here…” Anya brought a step stool to the side of the bed, lowering the railing on the side. “Put him here, Nick.”

  “Anya…”

  “Please…Matthew…show me what you did to wake up Alice,” she asked, moving to the other side of the bed, her vision between the monitors and Matthew.

  “She told me…don’t let me sleep,” he whispered, his little hands on Alice’s face and shaking. “She told me to tell her stories…”

  Anya frowned again a
t the monitor. Nick stepped closer and pulled Matthew back, holding his son against him. “Can you tell Alice some stories, Matthew?”

  “I know lots of stories,” he said with a fast nod of his head. He let Anya lift him to sit at Alice’s side, his little legs crossed beneath him and he started talking.

  “Anya…”

  “Nick…” Anya interrupted him quickly. “Alice is lapsing into a coma, and somehow…she knew…that’s why she told Matthew to keep her awake,” she told him bluntly. “I cannot stop her…but I think Matthew can.”

  “Matt? He’s…”

  “Look at the monitor, Nick…watch it,” Anya saw his eyes go to the bouncing lights. “Stop talking a minute, Matthew,” she instructed quietly, the bright blue lights falling abruptly. “Alright…you tell her stories, okay? I think Alice likes your stories.”

  Nick watched the erratic behavior of the vitals being monitored.

  “Matthew is getting through to her. She hears him, somewhere, somehow…she knows he is there. She might not have carried him for nine months, Nick, but he is as much a child in her heart as he is yours,” Anya moved to the other side, checking Alice’s eyes again. “I don’t have another…I have no answers…only time…stay with her, Nick…I will be back in a few minutes.”

  Nick put the rail up on the side of the bed and went to pull a chair to the side, sitting down and leaning over his knees. This is what happens when wonderland comes crashing down on you, he thought, his hands running heavily over his neck.

  He stood up, carefully moving her arm and holding her hand. He had to touch her. Let her know somehow he was there. Matthew reached out and gently touched her face.