Secrets Of Sanctuary Hospital Nightmare Of The Dark Shadows (17 page)

“They have my son in some sort of cage and
they’re trying to make him believe that they killed the rest of us.
I was trying to let him know somehow that I was still alive, that
he was not alone. They have my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and
now you’re telling me, that he called your pack and they are on
their way. I just don’t know what to do. I knew that one day we
would face something else, but I never expected that it could come
from a mistake.” Frustration envelops me.

“You need to think of it another way. At
least Jacob is alive and so is your family. We will get our
families back and the pack is not going to come for me.” He takes
my hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “I convinced Kenneth not to
call them and he is praying because I have asked him to go back to
the hospital and try to get the two that he heard talking about
staying to come here. He is a little leery about getting involved.
Maybe we should go and see if we can get to your family
members.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,
what if the others haven’t left yet or someone is watching the
hospital. It would be better if he went to get them, but either
way, the others would have to be gone and I only hope that if they
are suspicious, maybe some of the others know that there is
something that they have to be on their guard for. She is ...Grant
I need you to dial a number for me now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“He said that they are going home. We have
children, families and helpless patients at Sanctuary, I can’t just
let Marlena and whatever brutal vampire is with her go there
without warning them. What if she decides to hunt there or just
kill brutally? I can’t give into my fear and do nothing. There are
other families there.”

“Mia, contacting them is dangerous, you know
what could happen.”

“I have to make the call. There is someone
there that I can trust implicitly and they will not reveal
anything, but at least they can be on guard to protect all of those
innocent people.”

“I hope that you know what you are
doing.”

“I’m doing what I have to.” I just hope I
know what I am doing as well.

Telling him the number, he hands me the
telephone. “Jason it’s Mia are you alone.”

“Actually, you caught me in the middle of a
meeting.”

“Don’t say who you are talking to. I need you
to move away from the group or if you can’t, call me back at the
number on your screen, it is a matter of life and death.”

“I will call you right back.”

Kenneth returns. “May I speak to you
alone?”

Thinking he is talking to Grant, I clasp the
telephone tightly until I hear Grant’s reply. “I’ll go get
something to eat. What could I bring back for you Mia?”

“Nothing, I’m fine thank you.”

The cushion dips beside me. “Mia, I’m sure
Grant told you his sister telephoned me and he wants me to go back
and get those individuals I heard speaking about staying behind.
Before I get any further involved, I need some answers from
you.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Grant’s sister believes that you have placed
a spell on her brother and that you are trouble, but Grant swears
she is mistaken. I can see how desperate you seem to get back to
your family, but why should I believe that you haven’t done
something to my friend to cause what is going on now.”

“Father let me assure you that I am not what
made your friend a werewolf, but I believe that you already know
that from the night that you saw some werewolves in the forest
transforming back and forth. It is very easy for us to ignore
things that we cannot explain, I can say that from experience,
because relatively speaking I am new to this word as well. I came
here because my father saved the life of a young boy who is the son
of your minister. I will not lie to you, I am a witch, but I have
never used my powers, such as they are to do anything but good. I
know all too well the nightmare and loss that using gifts that one
has to bewitch someone or do evil could cause. In fact, I’m a
psychiatrist at a hospital in Maine that primarily deals with
patients who have been impaired by evil. My family and I have
always tried to protect those who are weaker than we are. There is
nothing that I can say or do to convince you that I have not
bewitched your friend, all I can do is beg you to help us. All I
want to do is make sure that my family does not suffer and neither
does his.” The telephone rings. “Father, I need to answer this, but
if you wait one moment, I will be happy to answer whatever
questions you have in order to get you to help.” He does not rise
to leave.

“Jason, are you alone now?”

“Yes, but what is going on? You sound very
upset.”

“Andrew and some of the family are coming
home but we have had trouble here. What I am going to tell you, you
can’t tell anyone, except for Rachel and Ryan, but you have to do
it alone and make sure that they understand that they cannot reveal
what they know to anyone, not even my family.”

“Mia, what are you talking about?”

“Jason, please just listen. Andrew will be
returning with someone who looks like me and someone who is
pretending to be Jacob, but they are not who they appear to
be.”

“Mia, back up, you’re not making any
sense.”

“I’m sorry. Let me start from the beginning.
Did Lucas ever tell you the story of his time here in England?”

“Yes, but that was centuries ago, what could
that have to do with anything now.”

“Did he tell you of the little girl that he
rescued?”

“Yes, but I’m sure that she is dead.”

“That would be correct, if she was just a
little girl, but she was a werewolf and a very powerful one from
what I understand. The family that Lucas was with blames him for
rescuing her and causing a werewolf plague upon them which killed
Lucas’ wife and some other family members. When Lucas was here
dedicating the hospital, the dedication made the papers and the
family found out he was back. They wanted to take revenge and got
the children.”

I hear Jason gasp. “Why would they take your
children to get revenge upon him?”

“They thought that they were his children, he
was watching them at the time.”

“When we were trying to rescue them, they
grabbed me and got Jacob. They also got Gabriel and Eva and someone
else, but I don’t know who the third one is.”

“Mia, if they have you how are you calling me
and didn’t you say that Jacob and you are heading home?”

“That is where this gets difficult so I need
you to just listen to what I’m telling you and take it as truth
even if it sounds ridiculous. Can you do that for me please?”

“After what we have all seen is there really
anything that we can classify as ridiculous.”

“I’m not even sure I can fathom it all but it
is essential that you believe me and do what you can to protect
everyone up there. We were on their estate trying to rescue the
kids. I had been channeling with them, so I was slower than our
group. I sent Lucas to go and find Andrew because he went on ahead
and Nicholas and Kayla were hurt.”

He interrupts. “Are they alright?”

“I hope so, but that is something else that
we have to talk about. Jason, please just listen, this is confusing
enough and I have to make sure that you are prepared. The woman
coming back as me is dangerous, she is part of the family that
Lucas spoke of and so is the one who is coming back as Jacob. They
want to kill the family because of his rescuing Elizabeth, they are
looking for revenge and I’m telling you they are barbaric and have
no conscious. They are holding Jacob in some sort of cage because
they saw him transform and know he can escape from shackles, they
are also holding Eva, Gabriel, another of ours, and two other
children in a dungeon. If they believe for even one minute that you
suspect anything, they will kill them and take you out.” I have to
stop as sobs tear up my throat.

“Mia, if there are only two of them, we can
take them out when they get here.”

“I wish that you could, but you can’t take
them out before we get to our family here. If they have some sort
of plan that requires them to communicate with each other and she
misses a communication they will kill our family here before we
have a chance to get to them! You can’t take them out, you have to
let them think that they are fooling you and see if you can
discover their time table. I know that they want to find out how to
acquire our powers before killing our family to torture Lucas, so
I’m hoping it may buy us some time, but I also need you to be on
guard and try to keep the children away from Jacob and keep me away
from the patients. I know that I am asking a lot, but they are not
like our family, they hunt and they do so brutally and
barbarically, if they were to ever hunt there...”

“I understand. I will talk to Ryan and Rachel
and we will make sure that someone is watching them at all times,
what about talking to the family without them being present?”

“I am going to have to leave that up to you,
but you have to be careful and no one can let on that they know. So
if you do talk to them, do it alone and not in a big group without
even Ryan and Rachel present. We don’t want them getting
suspicious.”

“What about you, how did you get away and
where are you now?”

“They may think that I am dead. The one who
is pretending to be me caught me in the woods with another and they
bit me. They left me for dead but I was rescued by a werewolf and
am with him now.”

“Mia, if you were bit, are you alright?
Reginald told me that his transformation was brutal, more so than
usual because he was a witch.”

“I don’t think I transformed. I don’t feel as
though I have changed, in fact, if I had changed, I couldn’t have
been bleeding from the gash in my head. No, I’m sure that I haven’t
changed.”

“How could that be?”

“I don’t know, but that isn’t important now,
Jason, please, you need to protect them up there and if something
should go wrong here, you are going to have to tell Andrew before
the first full moon that Kayla and Nicholas may be turning into
werewolves.”

“What!” His loud response causes me drop the
telephone.

Kenneth places it back in my hand. “Mia, what
in the world is going on? You get bit by a vampire, they are
turning into werewolves and you are with a werewolf now!”

“Jason, please I know this is a lot to take
in but Nicholas and Kayla were bitten, it was a misunderstanding
and Andrew, Nicole and the real Jacob tried to heal them before
Jacob was caught, but we don’t know what the repercussions of their
being bitten may lead to. You just need to be prepared. I also need
you to do something else for me. I know that some of the family is
staying behind, someone overheard their suspicions and with Eva and
Gabriel missing, it must have been decided to have them look for
the others while getting the children safely home. When everyone
returns, you need to determine who stayed behind and give them this
number to contact me. We are going to try to get into contact with
them, but if they are already gone, you can call them to get in
contact with me, but don’t say it is me. Tell them it is someone
who can help. We need to be very careful.” Taking in a deep breath,
“I need you to do one last thing for me. After they all return, if
Emma and Reginald return with them, have them leave Sanctuary and
get in touch with me, but again, don’t say that it is me. The less
you say on Sanctuary grounds near the imposters, the better. Please
Jason, you need to be careful and tell Rachel and Ryan to be
careful as well, if we slip it will be disastrous.”

“Mia, are you sure that you are safe with
this werewolf? If he or his pack bit the children, you cannot be
safe with them. Maybe they are in league with that family.”

“I am safe with him. The family has two of
his children so we both have the same goal in mind. Jason, if you
do tell Andrew and he has trouble believing you, tell him to look
at her ring finger. But if you think it is too dangerous to tell
him or that his reaction will give anything away, leave him in the
dark. I can’t risk the children.”

“Mia, are you sure that you are alright? This
is quite a lot to take in.”

“I’m fine as long as we can protect the
children. Jason, promise me, that you will do everything you can to
protect yourselves and our family at Sanctuary. These vampires are
more barbaric than you can imagine and we can’t afford for them to
hurt anyone there.”

“I promise. Can I reach you at this number
you’re calling from?”

“Yes, if that changes, I’ll call you again. I
have to go, be careful.” With that I hang up.

“I’m sorry Kenneth, or do you prefer
father?”

“Ken is fine actually.”

“Ken, just tell me what it will take to
convince you that I have not done anything to bewitch Grant and to
get you to go back to the hospital one more time in search of those
family members who are staying behind.”

“Actually, I am already convinced. I know
what a good man Grant is, maybe that is why I never truly wanted to
admit to myself that I knew something had touched his life that
could not be explained. I listened with an unobstructed heart to
your conversation and although I could only hear your end, your
concern for individuals besides yourself and your immediate family
rang through ever word. No one can feign that type of concern.
Although, I do have to ask you something, Grant told me that you
became blind in the struggle, why didn’t you tell your friend that
you are blind and that you and Grant are on your own?”

“He is going to have a difficult enough time
keeping the people at Sanctuary safe. If he does decide to tell my
husband what happened, I can’t afford Andrew being distracted
worrying about what is happening here with me in this condition.
Any distraction could lead to a mistake which could cost someone
their life. There is too much that can go wrong, everyone needs to
be focused on protecting the children who are held captive here and
the children and helpless patients that we have at the hospital,
telling him would have served no purpose.”