Dear Readers,
Here is the continuation from the series "The Guardians". Do read that series first in order for you to understand this series. I apologize greatly for the extremely long wait for some of you. I hope you enjoy this story and follow the characters through =) M.C
The electrocardiogram showed a slow but steady heart rate denoted by a bright green line; an even amplitude that measured slightly less than 60 beats per hour. The nurse in charge of the patient took down the readings on the monitor and replaced a new saline bag for him.
She was tall for her age; standing at 5.6feet, Heidi Lang towered over the other nurses. It was only a month after graduation from being a student nurse and Heidi was eager to learn, eager to do her best. She was the first in her family to go to college and after much tears and persuasion, her Ma and Pa allowed her to travel to England to fulfill her scholarship.
Looking at the clock on the wall, she noted the time: 2.06am. She was supposed to administer his dosage of painkillers as well. Looking down at the man resting peacefully in front of her, Heidi wondered what sort of misfortune had befallen him. His hair was blond, like hers and framed his beautiful face. She wondered what colour would his eyes reflect when they open. He had been in coma for almost a week now; no visitors. She felt sorry for him...
Checking that no one was around, she smoothed the hair from his face and placed her palm on his cheek. He was so cold, and so alone too, she thought. She felt pity for the handsome man.
"I don't think that's part of your job scope. You can go now."
Heidi turned, startled by the icy voice that just spoke to her. The light in the room was dim and she was half frightened at the looming figure standing at the door. If it wasn't for his white lab coat, she would have panic; telling him that visiting hours were over.
"Yes... yes sir," she stammered as she walked out of the room, looking down on the ground.
Closing the door behind her, Adrian, sighed to himself. It had taken so much trouble to pull strings from the University Medical Centre at Princeton Surgical Centre to have him transferred to the University College London Hospital. If it wasn't for Aqurico swaying the board's decision to let him go, he didn't think he could have done it alone.
"Abben... wake up soon my brother. I... feel so lost... without you."
There was still Ella to think about, but he didn't want to mention it yet. He just needed Abben to wake up. He couldn't sense Ella; couldn't tell where she was or how she was feeling... and it made him feel useless, as a guardian.
The midnight shift was always the hardest. Coffee was only available in the form of instant powder in the pantry or dispensed from the vending machine. Heidi didn't like either. She liked her coffee, French pressed, thick and full bodied. It was another 6 hours at least until the Starbucks opposite the hospital would be opened for business. In the meantime, she stifled a yawn and tried to reorganize some of the files that were propped up on her desk at the nurses' station.
It was really quiet, except for the beeping sounds from the monitors and the occasional click of some nurse's heels. Leaning back on her chair, she swivelled around to find an unfamiliar face staring at her from across the nurses' station.
His eyes were so black and held her gaze in a sharp and steady look. She noticed that he was wearing a white coat and relaxed a little.
"He's a staff silly... don't get spooked!" she chided to herself under her breath. Turning her chair back slowly, Heidi tried to ignore the man's penetrating gaze. It felt as if his gaze was burning a hole in her back. And suddenly, as intense as it was, it disappeared. When she turned around again, he was gone.
Adrian was wary. It wasn't like him to be suspicious of women... but the circumstances called for such paranoia. Olybrius could employ just anyone to do his bidding for him... and should he have this woman as a spy for him... Adrian didn't want to think about it.
As he dissolved into his spirit form, a soft gentle huff from Mélas could be heared echoing softly down the hallway.
***
"Hi, I know you're all kinda busy at the moment. But can you point me the way to Doctor Martin's office? Oh? Oh I see. Yes I know he's working right now. But... ah, never mind..."
Aurora gave up attempting to stroll into his new office to surprise him. A minute later, in her spirit form, she was irritating him by blowing in his ear while he was speaking to a patient.
As soon as his patient left, Aurora materialized and sat on his table facing him. Adrian gave her a bored look and got ready to press the call button for the next patient.
"I'm busy," he snapped
"And cranky too," added Aurora chirpily. She started walking about in his office, examining this and that.
"I'm not here on a holiday, Mon Cherri. I'm here to keep an eye on Abben," he sighed, giving in to her. "Tell me, about Raphael and Aqurico. Are they well?"
Smiling, broadly, Aurora nodded and resumed her sitting position on his desk.
"Aqurico is keeping Raphael company. They are still trying to find some clues as to where Olybrius might have taken Ella. That old man is really an intelligent scholar. Well... almost on par with Abben when he was at his age."
Suddenly, the door flew open and in came a nurse, carrying a folder. Her expression was shocked and changed immediately to one that was flustered.
"Ah, ah... I'm sorry... I thought you were not taking in anymore patients... I thought you had left. Oh I'm so sorry. I'll uh come back..."
"What's your name?" Adrian asked curtly.
"Heidi..." stammered the young nurse.
"Put the folder on the table, Heidi and leave us."
"Yes, sir..."
When the door was closed behind her, Aurora raised her eyebrow at Adrian. He raised his hand to silence her even before she could open her mouth.
"Still! That was so rude Adrian!" she yelled in her head. She knew he could hear her thoughts even as they stood glaring silently at each other.
"Walk out the door Aurora and I'll see you later," was all he said as he punched the call button for the next patient.
Aurora was unsure what to do next. Abben was always around to tell her what to do. She just felt so lost without him and without Ella. For centuries, her duty was always to protect the guarded woman and now, she felt oddly liberated from her shackles and it disturbed her greatly.
Were they going to become mortals one by one? Will that be enough to remove Olybrius's curse and make him mortal just like them? When he had made the deal with the devil, Olybrius had signed his soul as well as theirs into eternal slavery- they were the price he paid to gain the powers of immortality from the devil. And for them, their price was the eternal guardianship of the key to the entrance to the afterlife. That key, was born every 30 years or so and lasted up to a century at least.
Aurora thought about it for awhile and decided to make the long trip back to Princeton to see what her brother and Raphael have come up with. Her purpose of coming to England was to assess the danger that both her brothers were in. Adrian, being the healer among them would not be able to detect anything other than internal balance inside a person. As for her, her ability was to take life; she would know instantly should there be any other being that was immortal as them or a potential threat to their lives.
She didn't need to tell her brother that, for his ego would not have allowed his baby sister to worry over them. For as long as she was the pesky little sister to him, Adrian would remain his stoic self.
*****
"Nurse Lang, can I see you for a minute?" said the Matron in charge for the shift that day. Heidi looked up at the face of her senior nurse and felt a rush of adrenaline. Did she do something wrong? Oh she was such a klutz!
"Yes Ma'am?"
