As she turned to leave, she saw the black welts across her back and arms and then pulled on a robe to hide them. She glared at her growing middle and then left. The guards were overly alert as they walked around her toward the out-building. The Door Guard met her with a heavy Parka and snow boots, which she slipped on without complaint.
“We’ll just move quickly… unless I can carry you,” Kralen told her.
“I’ll move as fast as I can.”
He nodded and then opened the door. The fierce winds blew fresh snow into the main foyer as they all trudged out to the building with the pool. Several minutes later Emily was stepping down into the water alone.
She had to admit, it felt really good to have the soothing water against her battered skin. She leaned back and began to float, then shut her eyes as she heard nothing more than the sound of her own heart beat and the gentle hum of the filters.
***
“Let him in,” Quinn said when Derrick announced that Dr. Edwards needed to see the Council.
He came in with a heku that seemed angry to be there.
Zohn smiled, “Dr. Alona, it’s good to see you again.”
“Do I have a choice?” he asked, a little snappy.
“Watch it,” Derrick hissed at him.
The doctor sighed. He’d sworn when Emily had Alexis with his help that he wouldn’t attend another Winchester birth. The traumatic ending with the close death still made him nervous.
“We’ll discuss your choice to be here when we know why you are here,” Zohn told him.
“What’s up?” Quinn asked Dr. Edwards.
“I suspect Emily is going through a depression. We obviously can’t take her to see an Obstetrician so our only option was to bring in Dr. Alona.”
“Why is that exactly? Why can’t she see Dr. Hayden like she did with Dain?” he asked, glaring at Dr. Edwards.
Zohn nodded toward Dr. Edwards, “You’re correct. We can’t involve mortals in this.”
Quinn smiled at Dr. Alona, “For now… you’re here on orders.”
He nodded, “Fine… I can give her anti-depressants and then return to my coven.”
“It’s more than that,” Dr. Edwards said. “Even for the birth we can’t take her to a hospital… not unless we get the current situation cleared up before then.”
“Situation?”
“I’ll take him,” Richard said as he stood slowly.
Quinn looked up at him, “Do you still want information from her?”
“No, but I want her to keep trusting me and I’m going to do that by trying to stay on her good side,” he said, grinning slightly as he left with the Obstetrician.
Dr. Edwards watched them go and turned to the Council.
“Why do you suspect that Emily is depressed?” Zohn asked.
“Something she said, about wanting to take the baby as early as possible,” Dr. Edwards explained. “I think it’s compounded. She was kidnapped and subject to tortures, and was just barely coming back to reality when this Council was banished and she found herself pregnant and alone.”
“Go ahead…” Quinn said when he hesitated.
“She was clear about not wanting another baby, and I know we switched her birth control to a stronger dose to try to stop it. Now with the assaults happening, I think she’s overwhelmed and needs some help.”
“I can see that.”
“Emily has always been very protective of her offspring though,” the Chief of Defense said. “I’m surprised she’d be willing to let a doctor take the baby early.”
Dr. Edwards frowned slightly, “This one’s different. It’s making her feel more vulnerable, and now that she is being beaten uncontrollably, it’s worse.”
“He obviously doesn’t want to be here,” Zohn said to Quinn. “Yes we can force him, but if Emily’s fear of doctors gets to him, it could cause more tension.”
“Let’s wait and see how things go.”
An hour later, Richard returned with Dr. Alona, who seemed more relaxed and less angry about being called back to Council City.
Richard smiled and sat down, “She was calmer than I expected.”
“What are your recommendations,” Quinn asked Dr. Alona.
He stepped forward, “Other than stopping the abuse as soon as possible? I agree that she needs anti-depressants and a lot of TLC.”
“TLC?” the Chief of Staff asked.
“Something foreign to our kind, normally. She’s extremely fragile right now and on the verge of reverting back to what Lori calls her post-recovery stasis.”
“So we have to be quiet, not make sudden movements, and try our hardest to make her life easier,” Dr. Edwards said.
“So Lori has also been advised?” Quinn asked.
“Yes, she’s out with Emily now.”
“Emily’s allowing that?”
Dr. Alona smiled, “Her psyche is reaching out for someone to understand.”
“But Lori will be gone in two days on a honeymoon.”
“Silas and Lori have both agreed to hold off for now,” Dr. Edwards said. “We haven’t told Emily, we don’t want her to think she’s interrupting their lives or being a bother.”
“When Elder Chevalier returns,” Dr. Alona said. “I suggest we give him and Emily time alone and that we do not allow her to feel abandoned for even one second.”
“She’s not abandoned,” Zohn told him.
Dr. Edwards frowned, “Lori said she is feeling abandoned because the three heku she’s closest to are away.”
“They want answers from the Valle.”
Dr. Alona smiled, “They need to stop being heku, for Emily’s sake.”
“Stop being heku?” Quinn asked, not sure he heard correctly.
“Yes… it’s our way to confront problems face on. Show no fear, show no mercy… however, if one of them were here right now, Emily wouldn’t be crying in the pool.”
“She’s crying out there?”
Richard nodded, “Yes, it was obvious when we walked in that she’d been crying for some time.”
Zohn thought about it and lightly tapped his fingers on the desk.
Quinn finally nodded, “Very well. We’ll talk to Chevalier when he returns about what’s been said here.”
“Should we call her in?” Zohn asked when the Council heard Emily return from the out-building.
Richard smiled, “No, let her be.”
“But she’s alone.”
“We’ve called Alexis in for a visit.”
***
“Come in,” Emily said as she looked over from the bay window seat.
“Mom?” Alexis asked, walking into the dark room.
“By the window.”
“Why are you sitting here in the dark?” Alexis asked when she walked over to the window seat. She bent down and picked up the Bulldog puppy on the way, and then sat down beside her Mom. She had been filled in on what was going on and she knew that Emily didn’t want to be alone.
“I don’t know,” Emily said, looking around the shadowed room.
“Well, Garrett’s out on patrols tonight and I’m bored.”
“Or did the Council call you in so I’m not alone?”
Alexis smiled, “That too.”
“Damnit, I don’t need my daughter to babysit me.”
“I know that. It doesn’t take the Council to elicit a visit. Let’s turn on the lights and do something.”
“No”
Alexis looked around and then began to play with the puppy as he nipped at her knuckle.
“Do you want this baby?” Emily asked her after a few minutes.
Alexis looked up, “Do what?”
“This baby, do you and Garrett want it?”
“I’m not going to take your baby, Mom.”
“Why not? Or do you not want it?”
Alexis sighed, “You know I want a baby more than anything, but I can’t just take yours.”
“Sure you can.”
“I know you’re having a hard
time right now. When things calm down you’re going to want the baby.”
Emily shrugged and looked out the window.
“Besides, I don’t think Garrett wants to be a Dad.”
“Why not?” she asked, looking over at her daughter.
“He just sounded weird about it when I suggested we adopt.”
“Heku adopt babies?”
“No, it’s against the rules… but I’m not a heku… well, not fully.”
“I tell you, you can have this one.”
Alexis smiled, “Let’s do something fun.”
“Like what? Count the lash marks on my back?”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s go for ice cream.”
Emily raised her eyebrows, “You hate ice cream.”
Alexis stood up and put the puppy down on the floor, “I don’t hate it… it’s just not as good as blood.”
“Ew,” Emily said as Alexis pulled her to her feet.
Alexis gasped and then turned around with a mischievous smile, “I have an idea.”
“What?” Emily asked, not really sure she wanted to know.
“Let’s play a prank on the Cavalry. They aren’t expecting it, it’s perfect.”
“Like what?”
“You tell me… you were the one with all the ideas.”
Emily walked past Alexis, “Let’s just go get something to eat.”
Alexis shrugged and followed her down to the kitchen, followed by six members of the Cavalry. Alexis sat down and watched Emily make a pot of coffee.
“I thought we were eating,” Alexis said as Emily put in three times the scoops of coffee she normally did.
“I’m not really hungry.”
“Are you on a sleeping strike?”
“Maybe”
Kralen frowned, “Em… you need food.”
“I’ll eat if you do.”
Kralen glanced back at Silas and then smiled at Emily, “I go find a donor and you’ll eat.”
“Nope,” Emily said, sitting down. “You eat a grilled cheese sandwich and I will.”
His eyes grew wide, “No.”
“See”
“I will,” Silas said, sitting down beside her.
“You cheat.”
“I don’t cheat… I’ll eat it.”
“I’m just not hungry,” she said, sipping the tar-like coffee.
“You have to sleep, too,” Alexis told her.
“I’m the Mom!” Emily yelled.
“Fine”
“If you want to go babysit, go watch Dain.”
“I can’t… he’s on the Island.”
“Doing what?” Emily asked, frowning.
“I don’t know. I’m not his keeper,” Alexis snapped.
“He went to help Allen build a garage onto his house,” Silas told her. “Nothing bad, promise.”
“Right, I’m not stupid… He’s out there training with the bloody guard staff,” Emily grumbled before taking another drink.
Everyone fell silent until she winced slightly and rubbed her tummy.
“You ok?” Kralen asked, moving a step closer.
“No, I’m tired of getting kicked in the ribs… baby must be full heku,” she said, and then slammed her coffee cup down and started to make another pot of coffee.
Silas tried to hold the amusement from his voice, “I wouldn’t hold the species responsible for the actions of a fetus.”
She turned and glared at him until he had to turn away to stop from grinning.
“Lady Emily?” a timid voice said from beside the door.
Emily spun to look at him just as Silas and Kralen pinned the heku against the wall.
“You do not talk to her!” Silas hissed, grasping the heku’s neck too tightly for him to speak.
Kralen tore a package out of the terrified heku’s hand just before Silas threw him out of the kitchen. Two members of the Cavalry that were guarding Emily followed the heku out and slammed the door after them.
“Very nice,” Emily sighed.
“He knows better,” Silas said, sniffing the package. He then grinned slightly and handed it to her, “Think this is yours.”
She took the box, looked at it briefly, and then started for the stairs, “I’m done here.”
“What’s in the box?” Alexis asked as they all followed her out.
Emily looked up when she heard the helicopter arrive, “It’s for Chev… is that him?”
Silas nodded, “Yes, that’s him.”
“Good, let’s go give this to him,” she said as she started slowly up the stairs. She kept rubbing her tummy as they walked up and heard the three heku coming in from outside.
Mark, Chevalier, and Kyle met them on the sixth floor.
Chevalier smiled, “A welcoming committee.”
“Yes, with gifts,” Emily said, handing him the box. “I bought this for you.”
His smile widened, “You got me a gift?”
“Yup, enjoy,” she snapped, and then turned and walked down to the bedroom.
Kralen chuckled, “She’s grouchy today.”
“Well the baby keeps kicking her,” Alexis explained to Chevalier when Emily and her guards disappeared. “She also tried to give the baby to me.”
Chevalier nodded and then opened the box and started to laugh, “My God, Em.”
Kyle looked over at him, “What?”
Chevalier handed Kyle the plain brown box and he looked in and chuckled, “Nice.”
“What is it?” Alexis asked.
Kyle handed her the box and she looked in and a deep blush rose to her cheeks, “Oh… well…”
Mark looked over when she blushed and peeked into the box also. He grinned, shook his head, and started down the stairs to get a report from Kralen.
“I want to go fill the Council in on what happened,” Kyle said, heading down the stairs also.
Chevalier took the box from Alexis and went down to his room.
“Dr. Edwards and Dr. Alona need to speak to you,” Silas told the Elder when he arrived.
“Dr. Alona is here?”
“Yes, Dr. Edwards brought him in.”
Chevalier nodded and then went into the room and shut the door behind him. He looked over at Emily, who was sitting in the bay window, “Seriously, Em? Condoms?”
She turned to look out at the night, “Get used to them.”
“Yes, well, I’m not sure if I’m more offended by the size you bought, or the amount.”
“Size issues, Chev? Isn’t that beneath you?”
He fought back a grin, “These’ll never fit.”
She shrugged.
“Not to mention… there’re only 4 of them.”
“Sounds like enough to me.”
Chevalier put the box down and sat beside her in the window, “Wanna talk about it?”
“No”
“Want to know what the Valle said?”
“No”
“What do you want, exactly?”
She looked over at him, “I want this baby out, now… and I want to give it away.”
He thought for a moment before speaking, “I’m afraid if you do give the baby to Alexis, you’re going to regret it.”
“Doubt it.”
Chevalier cocked his head to the side when he was asked to come to the council chambers.
“Go,” Emily said without even looking over at him.
“We’ll talk about your… gift… later.”
“Whatever”
He smiled and walked out. When he sat down, Kyle was still laughing about the gift.
“I’m surprised you would return,” Chevalier said to Dr. Alona when he saw him standing in the trial area.
Dr. Alona bowed slightly, “I don’t believe I was given a choice.”
Chevalier looked over at Kyle, “You’re still laughing?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, fighting back another round of laughter.
He smiled, “I know, it’s kinda funny.”
“The size…”<
br />
“She and I are going to discuss that later.”
“What’s so funny?” Richard asked, smiling at how hard Kyle was trying to control his laughter.
“Emily bought me a small… very small… gift,” Chevalier said with a grin.
“Interesting,” Dr. Alona said. “I can only imagine.”
“So why are you here?” Chevalier asked.
“Dr. Edwards brought me in under suspicions that Emily is going through a depression.”
“That’s no surprise. Can you fix it?”
“Some… first though, we have to get her to agree to pills.”
“She won’t do it. Dr. Hayden gave me some once that were tasteless though and we just slipped it into her food.”
Dr. Alona nodded, “We can do that… if she’ll eat.”
“Damnit, is she not eating again?” Chevalier asked, looking over at Quinn.
He shook his head, “No, and she’s drinking coffee to stay awake.”
“I seriously hate that stuff.”
“What is being done about the abuse?” Dr. Alona asked. “That’s making the depression worse.”
“I thought you filled them in,” Chevalier said to Kyle.
Kyle grinned, “Sorry, I was going to when I could do it without laughing.”
He chuckled, “Fine then… the Valle didn’t seem to know what was going on, then accused the Equites of actually assaulting Emily to pin on them.”
“They have to know! Who else is doing this?” Zohn asked.
“The Encala wouldn’t do it. They are too afraid of us,” the Chief of Defense said.
“Has to be Salazar, without their knowledge,” Chevalier told them.
“Well he’s in Powan now,” Kyle said.
“Now we just need her to sleep so we can see if it happens again.”
“And if it does?”
“Then I’ll have to touch her, voice or not voice… blood or no blood… and see if I can see what’s going on in her dreams.”
“No more sleep medication though,” Dr. Alona said. “Any chemical imbalance can only make the depression worse.”
“She tried to give the baby to Alexis,” Chevalier told Kyle.
He frowned, “I can’t imagine her doing that.”
“It’s not her, it’s the depression,” Dr. Alona explained.
Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series Page 27