by Anne Manning
Her flight from here remain unknown,
'til from Erin's land she returns again."
He winced at the bad poetry. His ma had always told him he should pay more attention to versification.
"You have a nice sleep darlin'," he said to Erin. Patting the log, he smiled and went to join the Doc and Frank in 1115.
Erin strained to open her eyes when the door slammed. It was so hard to stay awake, even harder to take in the surroundings. She felt, though, the body in bed next to her.
Turning her head, she came face-to-face with...
Herself.
Naturally, she screamed, and fell from the bed. Groggy and unable to stand, she sat on the floor.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway, giving her only a moment's warning to roll under the high-standing bed. She pulled a sheet down to hide herself.
A nurse came in and stood by the bed, unaware of Erin hiding underneath.
"Miss Tinker," the nurse called, much too loudly. "Miss Tinker, are you sleeping?"
Erin, groggy as she was, was amazed by the stupid question and almost answered.
"What is it?" A second nurse came into the room. "Shall I call Dr. Duncan?"
"No, she just screamed in her sleep. Look at her, sleeping like a log. What's this?" the nurse asked. Erin peeked around the metal frame of the bed and saw the nurse pick up a syringe. "Very careless of the doctor to leave this lying around. Here you are, Miss Tinker. You'll be quiet now for another twelve hours."
The nurse went over to the red-topped container hanging on the wall and Erin heard the top snap as she deposited a used syringe.
Had she really given a shot to that...thing?
The nurses left the room together. Erin carefully slid out from under the bed and stood up on still shaky legs. When she looked at the body lying there, they got shakier.
"What's going on here?" She studied the form in the bed, even summoning the courage to raise the sheet and peek underneath. Suddenly, it was all clear to her. "A pod person! Just like in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I knew it! Aliens. She's one of them, and those big orderlies, too. I've got to get out of here."
Digging through all the drawers in the room and the closet, Erin found her clothes and shoes. She dressed hurriedly, pulled her hair back into a ponytail and tied it with a string torn from her hospital gown. With a deep breath, she pulled the door open just a crack and went out into the hallway, glancing up and down for the aliens.
Annabelle would love this, Erin thought with a nervous giggle. What a story for The Weekly Investigator. "My Sister Escapes Alien Trap," by Annabelle Tinker.
Might even win a Pulitzer.
"Hey, you!" a deep male voice startled her.
It was one of the orderlies who followed Dr. Duncan around like poodles. Well, maybe Great Danes was more accurate.
Erin dashed down the hallway and ducked into a room marked "Women--Staff Showers."
* * * *
Gaelen, followed closely by Lucas, arrived in the middle of what looked like a manhunt. Nurses, orderlies--including Linette's two pet fairies--and doctors, ran the halls like a pack of white mice in a maze.
"Looks like we've arrived at a good time," Lucas whispered.
"You go get her. I'll keep watch out here," Gaelen said.
With a nod, Lucas stepped quickly around to the door and into the room. Gaelen scoped out an escape route.
Sliding down the hallway, Gaelen peered down the nearest flight of stairs and, satisfied it was the safest way to go, went back to meet Lucas and Erin.
"What the hell? Lucas!" Gaelen hissed.
Lucas sat on his rump outside the room, his face a mask of agony.
"We're too late, Gaelen," Lucas muttered.
"What?" Gaelen shoved Lucas out of the way and pushed into the room. When he caught sight of the bed, his heart stopped. "Holy Bridget." He walked up to the side of the bed and gazed down at a well-hewn stock of beechwood.
He rejoined his brother out in the hallway, sliding down the wall to sit beside Lucas on the floor.
"I'm sorry, Lucas. I thought we had time."
"It's not your fault, Gaelen. It's mine. It's all my fault." Lucas began to weep, the copious, out-of-control tears of fairy sorrow.
People passed by, not even noticing them.
The lack of interest in two unauthorized persons sitting on the floor outside a patient's door, one keening like a banshee, piqued Gaelen's curiosity.
"What is going on up here?" he asked.
"What does it matter?" Lucas answered between sobs.
"Come on, Lucas, get hold of yourself, man. Look." He pointed at the tiny figure of Dr. Duncan running along the hallways, a look of panic on her face. The fairy orderlies followed behind her, spreading out to comb the floor. "They're looking for her, Lucas," Gaelen whispered, suddenly understanding. "They've lost her."
"What?" Lucas said, wiping his sleeve under his nose and looking in the direction of Gaelen's finger. His face cleared as understanding dawned on him, too. "They're lookin' for her," he repeated. "They put a changeling in the bed, but before they could take Erin, she got away."
"That's it, bucko. Let's go find her before they do."
* * * *
Erin pulled a shower curtain across the opening of the stall just as the door opened and one of the orderlies came in. She shrank against the corner, holding her breath and praying to become invisible.
"Here, Frank. Quickly, it's Lucas!" Dr. Duncan's voice blasted through the shower room.
Erin let out her breath as Frank turned and ran from the room.
"Lucas." Her heart pounded. "He came to get me." Creeping to the door, she pulled it open just a crack and peered into the hallway.
The commotion was deafening. Gurneys rattled, then crashed into the walls. Women squealed as they were shoved out of the way.
"There." The diminutive Dr. Duncan pointed with a thin finger. "Behind the potted plant. Get the net!"
"Net?" Well, it was the psych ward, after all, but Erin hadn't thought they'd use nets.
She peeked back out. The mesh Frank dragged along didn’t look like any net she’d ever seen. It made a metallic swish as it swept across the tiled floor.
"Come, boyo. Let's not make any more trouble, eh?" Frank said, his friendly words belied by the edge in his voice.
Frank raised the net and tossed it like a fisherman. It landed over the large philodendron in a distant corner, but not before a pinpoint of light flickered and flashed out of it, dashing down the hall, stopping in front of the door behind which Erin hid like it had hit a stone wall.
She stared at the pinpoint of light. She could have sworn it was staring back at her. In an instant, it reversed direction and flew back down the hall to meet the oncoming herd of orderlies, all of them now brandishing some sort of restraining device.
Erin sucked in a breath.
"No," she whispered. "Don't let them catch you."
The flicker of light came to an intersecting hall, just as the orderlies were about to reach it. With an incredible change of direction like she'd seen on those alien invasion shows, it dashed down one long hallway.
Erin giggled at the comic foot slapping and sliding of the orderlies trying to follow.
"Erin. Come away from the door, darling."
She spun, not daring to believe she'd heard his voice. One of those beautiful moments lingered, where time stands still, as she and Lucas stared at each other, really, actually, drinking in each other with their eyes.
"Lucas!" Erin jumped into his arms.
"My darlin'," he murmured into her hair. "I'm here. Now we've got to get you out."
"Yes," Erin replied, trying to be calm. "You're in danger, Lucas. You and Gaelen. I heard them talking when they thought I was asleep."
"Them who?"
"Dr. Duncan. The orderlies, you know, the ones with the accents?" Erin took his hand and led him into the shadows. "They were talking about getting you and Gaelen to Ireland for some reason. Something about a Cou
ncil. Lucas, what is this about?"
He squeezed her hand and, wrapping his arms around her, pulled her closer.
"I can't tell you now, love. There isn't time. Come," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door. "Is there another way out?"
"I don't know. I just ducked in here to get away from the goons."
Lucas chuckled. "It's all right. We'll get out. They have to deal with Gaelen now." He drew open the door and peered out. Erin glanced out around him, but could see nothing. "Good," Lucas said at last, "Gaelen has them far away. I'm going out to make sure the way is clear. You follow when I give you a wave, okay?"
She nodded and, for the first time in days, really felt everything would be all right.
He leaned toward her. She stood on her tiptoes. Their lips met in a sweet, too-short kiss of promise.
He winked at her playfully, lifting her spirits even more, before he went out into the hallway.
Erin watched, waiting for the sign. A creepy crawly wiggle of dread inched up her spine.
"There he is, boys. Get him!" Dr. Duncan shouted.
Frank and the other big orderly jumped out of a room and onto Lucas.
This wasn't the sign he'd intended, Erin was sure, but it was close enough for her. She yanked the door open and leapt into the hallway. Screaming her head off. Hands out, ready to scratch, teeth bared for biting.
"Let him go!" Erin yelled at the burly men who held Lucas down. "Let him go!" Her little fists made no impression at all on them.
"Damn minx! Stop!" Frank waved her off him as though she were no more than a gnat, sending her flying against the wall.
Woof! The air whooshed from her lungs and her legs crumpled. Erin slid to the floor, gasping, aching.
"Leave her alone!" Lucas roared, though he was unable to move.
"Can't you shut him up, Sean?"
"Sure." The other orderly, Sean, whacked Lucas with a meaty paw.
Lucas's head snapped backward, a thick crack sounding as he made contact with the wall. His eyelids fell shut as his eyes rolled upward in his head.
"Lucas!"
"Don't you worry, darlin', I just gave him a little Ulster sedative," Sean said with a laugh as he bent over and tied Lucas's wrists behind him with a dark green rope. He turned back to Frank and the doctor. "He'll be giving us no trouble for a bit."
Erin crawled over to Lucas, running her hands along his chest, his face, his arms.
"Yuck," she exclaimed, drawing back her hand from the cold, wet, fishy-smelling bonds around Lucas's wrists. "What do you have him tied with?" she managed to ask.
"Never you mind, dear," Frank said, offering her a hand up. "It's just the ticket for holding such as him down."
"It looks like seaweed."
"Aye. He won't be breaking out of a well-tied strand of good, salty seaweed." Frank looked at Dr. Duncan. "How 'bout it, Doc? It's up to you. Do we wait to get the other one?"
"What other one? You leave my sister alone!" Erin shouted, terrified for Annabelle's sake. Everybody knew aliens abducted beautiful Earth women to have sex with them.
"Not your sister, sweetheart," Frank reassured her. "It's Lucas's brother we'll be after."
"Why are you wasting time explaining to her? Gaelen will follow us to get his brother. Then we can bring them all before the Council and get our reward. Bring these two and let's be off." Dr. Duncan swirled away in a blur of long white lab coat and led the way.
Frank grabbed Erin's arm and pulled her to her feet. Turning to his companion, he asked, "Can you get that one, Sean?"
"Sure'n I can handle this wee lad."
Dragged along the hallway, Erin glanced around, frantic for a glimpse of a friendly face.
The nurses and doctors strolled along the hall as though they were invisible.
"Help!" she cried. "Help us!" She grabbed at the sleeve of a passing nurse.
Her fingers passed through the woman's arm.
A gasp of terror whistled through her.
"They can't see you, dear. Nor can they hear or feel you. You are invisible to them," Frank explained.
"But how?" Erin stopped her question. "Of course. You are aliens. You can pass through walls, so I suppose you can make yourselves invisible, too."
Frank laughed out loud. A passing nurse looked right at him, then, face wrinkled in confusion, she moved on, shaking her head.
"Yes, dear. We're aliens. Right, Sean?"
Sean joined in the hilarity. "Aye, Frankie. But I got me green card right here in me wallet."
The two laughed all the way to the end of the corridor where a freight elevator stood open, waiting.
"If you can hold down the comedy, George and Gracie, we'll get on our way." Dr. Duncan was leaning against the corner of the huge elevator, finger on the button that would take them to the basement.
"I'm Gracie, okay, Frankie?"
Frankie laughed as he followed Sean into the elevator.
"Begorrah, Sean. You know I don't like cigars. Maybe we could take turns?"
"Shut up, the both of you." Dr. Duncan pressed the button, then pressed her palm to her forehead.
"You need to relax, Doc," Frank told her. "You pixies just take life too serious."
Dr. Duncan rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "I'm not going to get into a whole big stramash o'er this."
"Stramash?" Sean and Frank said the word together, stared at each other, then smirked.
Erin, still held in Frank's tight grip, ventured a question. "Where are you taking us? Why are you taking us?"
"We're going to Ireland, dear."
"Ireland?" Erin felt her eyes widen and a smile spread over her face. "I've always wanted to go to Ireland. My Granny Tinker was born in Ireland." Then she remembered she was being taken to Ireland against her will. "I don't think I can go now. I've got a biochemistry final and practicals and..."
"Don't be too concerned over that, dear," Dr. Duncan said. "If the court finds you innocent, you'll be returned."
"What court?"
"The court being convened at the brugh of King Finnvarra."
"Brew?" Erin asked.
"She means palace, lass," Frank offered.
Dr. Duncan glared at the man. "Palace," she repeated, looking very irritated, before she turned her back to them all.
"Who's King Finnvarra?" Erin asked Frank.
"The king of the good folk of Connacht, lassie." Frank tipped his head and looked her up and down. "I wouldna worry o'er much, were I you. The king has an eye for the comely lass, and a special affection for your kind. He'll not let harm come to you."
"What kind is my kind?" Erin asked, sure she wasn't going to enjoy being the object of this king's affection.
"Mortal."
"Mortal?" Erin was about to ask another question, but the sharp sting of an injection bit into her arm an instant before Frank's face faded before her eyes, and she fell into blackness.
Chapter Twelve
Gaelen sped along the hallways, purposely leaving a trail. At the end of a long hall, he stopped, unsquooshed, and caught his breath. He waited for the lads to come after him, ready to take on the two fairy mercenaries with his bare hands.
"Okay, buddy," a voice startled him from behind. "You the guy causing all the hullabaloo?"
Gaelen turned to face the man, one of the regular hospital security men, doughnut-padded belly hanging over his belt.
"Me?" he asked, all innocence.
"Oh, come now," the guard said. "Let's not be coy." He pulled a pair of handcuffs from behind his back and jingled them. "Don't make this difficult, eh?" He motioned with one hand ahead of him. "Shall we?"
"Certainly," Gaelen answered, glad to have some help in finding Lucas and Erin. "I don't know what the trouble is, though, officer. I was looking for my brother. He's visiting his sweetheart up here."
"Really? Tell it to the supervisor, buddy. All I know is, a doctor called security to come up to restrain some patients who'd gone gaga. You one of them?"
"Do I look
gaga?" Gaelen asked, offended.
"Do I look like a doctor?" the officer said, grabbing Gaelen's elbow.
"Hey!" Gaelen cried, wrenching his elbow free.
The officer pulled the pistol from his holster. It shook a little, as though the man were unfamiliar with it.
Gaelen was starting to get antsy. Lucas was supposed to be here by now with Erin. Glancing over the officer's shoulder, he wondered what to do now. The shaky gun in the man's hand didn't worry him. It would be an easy thing to squoosh and get out of the way. But that would reveal his nature to a mortal who wouldn't be likely to believe. That could be more fatal than the bullet.
"Okay, officer. Don't get nervous. I'll come quietly." Gaelen raised his hands over his head and waited for the officer to indicate the way they were to go.
The shaky officer let Gaelen pass him and start down the hall. Gaelen, hands still in the air, walked slowly, hoping to see Lucas and Erin come around the corner. Then he could let the officer take them all to the security office, somewhere he and Lucas could engineer an escape.
But Lucas didn't come.
A hard punch in his back redirected his attention to the officer.
"Come on, what's the hold up?"
"Listen, officer, could we go back this way? I was supposed to meet my brother, and I seem to have misplaced him."
"Looking for reinforcements, eh?"
"No," Gaelen said, stopping and turning, only to freeze as he found himself staring down a blunt, blue steel barrel. He stepped back. "I think he can help us work all this out. I hate to waste your time, you see."
"Sure, you're a regular humanitarian. Get going. We'll take the elevator here."
They were back in the psych ward, its normal hum of activity resumed. Gaelen turned his head, back and forth, looking for Lucas's russet head.
The doors squeaked open and again the officer urged him forward with a poke in the ribs.
"Wait," Gaelen said, becoming more anxious now. "Nurse!" he called to a passing woman in a flowered scrub suit. "Where is Dr. Duncan?"
"Dr. Duncan left about a half-hour ago."
"Where did she go?"
The nurse narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "What business is it of yours?"
"I'm her boyfriend. I was supposed to pick her up for a hot date."