MY HEART IN STONE

PART THIRTY-TWO:

“Lisa?  Are you there?”

Rachel stood at the door of the hotel room where her sister stayed, a myriad of thoughts

flitting through her mind: would Lisa be tired?  Would Finn?  Was Lisa put out with her

for being out of touch for most of the day?  She wouldn’t blame her at all.  But Rachel

had to think of a cover story; she didn’t think she could go through another explanation

of her job and Cort’s real identity.  Lisa would think she was nuts anyway.  What could

she possibly say that would sound legitimate enough?

Her sister opened the door, already in the process of adding jewelry and makeup to her

outfit, tweaking an earring into place as she pulled the door wide.  Lisa smiled politely

at her and stood back so Rachel could enter. 

“Oh good, I was coming to see if you were going to eat with us,” Rachel said, a little

loudly, for the television was on a bit high and Finn was running about the room

making airplane noises.

“Aunt Rachel, Aunt Rachel, I went boating today!”  Finn exclaimed excitedly. 

“You did!  Was it fun?”  Rachel knelt down to get eye level.  Finn had his mother’s brown

eyes and dark blonde hair and wore glasses that gave him a ‘Harry Potter’ look, which

pleased Finn tremendously whenever anyone mentioned it.

“We nearly lost his glasses,” Lisa contributed as she turned down the television. “Remind

you of someone?”  She added, raising her eyebrows at her sister.

“Nah.  Not at all.  Finn’s smarter than his aunt,” Rachel teased, lightly tickling the boy’s stomach. 

“Did you lose your glasses?”  Finn asked.

“A long time ago, on a 'faery' boat,” Rachel said, standing.  She turned to Lisa, who was

looking at her expectantly, arms crossed.  “I’m sorry about today.  You’ve no idea the

kind of things I’ve been dealing with.  My boss wanted Cort and I to give a report of our assignment here and that took us to a castle and we had a bit of an accident…”

“Oh no!  What happened?”

“Well, more of a relapse,” Rachel amended, snatching up the words her father used when

he asked about Cort.  “He injured his leg a couple of weeks ago…trying to keep me from

falling off a ledge, and well, he overdid things this morning and his leg gave out on him. 

He’ll be all right though.  He’s much better…now…”  Please buy the story, Lisa!

Lisa latched onto a few words herself.

“You?  Falling off a ledge?  Why doesn’t that surprise me?”  She teased, grinning at

her younger sister.  “It’s all right, Rachel!”  Lisa went on to say.  “It was actually kind of

nice to be someplace we could explore on our own.  I just hope you have everything ready.”

“Dad did tell you things have been postponed a day, didn’t he?”  Rachel asked, secretly

thankful Lisa did not press for more details.

“Oh yeah.  Not a problem.  I kind of need your help, though, which is why I was looking

forward to today.  Come here…look at these dresses…” 

“They’re beautiful,” Rachel said, realizing she hadn’t given much thought to wedding preparations after all.  So much of her mind had been towards saying her vows to Cort,

it kind of seemed superfluous to dress the party up on themes and colors and who would

wear what…beyond herself and Cort and Henri.  Her heart clenched at how narrowly

focused she had been.  “Any one of them will be just fine, Lisa.”

“I need more information than that,” Lisa complained with amusement.  “Is this going

to be Victorian?  Western?  Psychedelic Sixties…?”

Rachel gave her a look of horror.

“Are your colors blue?  Green?  I tried to bring dresses that would fit, based on what I

know of your tastes.  And I know you love laces and weird historical things.  Your

fiancé, however, kind of strikes me as the plain ol’ country and western type.”

“You might say that he is,” Rachel laughed, amused by Lisa’s astute observation.  “Really,

all I want you and Deidre to do is just be there and look your very best in whatever it is

you love.  I can show you my own dress either tonight or tomorrow so you have an idea,

but truth be told, I don’t even know what Cort is going to wear.  Henri just said it will

go perfectly with what I’m wearing.”

“Who’s Henri?”

“Cort’s…” Rachel paused, caught by a detail she did not want to explain.  “Cort’s father.”

Well, he is now, she thought.

“Speaking of which, where is Dad?”

“With Cort.  Which makes me glad, because Cort’s been wanting to talk with him, and

I know Dad had a few questions.”  Oh boy, did he have questions!  “I had a nice long talk

with Dad, too,” Rachel added. 

“Well how did it look when you left them?”

“Good.  I think Cort’s going to have to get used to Dad’s brand of humor.  And it's going

to take some time before Dad can really know Cort.  They seemed like they were okay with

each other.  I left before one of them recruited me to stay.  And,” she added, remembering

other details, “we’re getting married in the park under this grand old tree.  So don’t feel

as if you have to dress to see the Queen.  Its why I said just bring something you look good

in.  Don’t look at this as some kind of stiff formal affair.”

Lisa’s eyebrows went up once more at the news about the tree, but Finn was the one who

voiced the surprise.

“A tree!”  He cried out.  “Are you going to dress like a monkey?”

“Yes, we are!”  Rachel replied, finding his interruption the perfect diversion for Lisa’s

look of doubt.  “And we’re going to hang from the branches like this…” she picked him

up and turned him so that his head swung level with her knees and he hung shrieking

with laughter, “and eat bananas and screech ‘I do!  I do!’ like monkeys!”  She turned

him right side up and set him on his feet again.  “You did bring your monkey suit, didn’t

you?”

“Finn, get your shoes on, we need to go eat,” Lisa said.

“Is your…your…fee-onzt going to wear a monkey suit?”  Finn asked, while he put on

his shoes.

Rachel looked up at Lisa trying to figure out the word the little boy was saying.

“He’s not quite got the sound of the word fiancé mastered yet,” Lisa said, laughing herself

now.

“Well, now that’s something you’re going to have to ask him,” Rachel replied, the thought

of the look on Cort’s face at that question making her smile.

While Finn finished with his shoes, Lisa began shutting off the lights and getting her purse.

“Lisa,” Rachel began, wanting to smooth things before going back into the public, “I’m

really sorry about not being here to host your first day.  Cort and I have been through

so much and the nature of our jobs has demanded a lot of our attention…”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Lisa said as Rachel trailed off, as they opened the hotel

door to leave.  “What do you do?  Must be something wild to send you off to a place like

the Czech Republic.  I would have figured you to find your way to France or England.”

“Erm….” Rachel floundered.  Here it was, the moment she needed an alibi for, and she

still hadn’t thought of one.  What would Terry say?  “We do reconnaissance for a

technology company.  We find out if there’s potential for expanding the business here. 

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Czech Republik’s been trying to bring in investors

…so….”

Lisa looked impressed, but all she said was “ah!”

Rachel directed them down a hallway towards Terry and Deidre’s room, but no one

answered there, so they made their way downstairs to the concierge’s desk, where she

picked up a note from Terry specifying where to meet.  They sat and visited in the lobby

for ten minutes until Glen and Cort came in the front door, smiling at one another as

they talked and walked.

Oh, thank goodness, Rachel thought, as she caught Cort’s eye and waved them over, her

eyes going immediately to the way Cort walked.  He was not limping as badly as he had

been in the last few days, but she also suspected he would do his utmost to act like nothing

was wrong, if there was something wrong.  Her father was the receiving end of a tackle by

Finn, so she didn’t get a good sense of his mood.  Nevertheless, there seemed to be a

different air between the two men now, and that was definitely a relief.

“Where’d y’all go?”  She asked, after greeting Cort with a kiss.

"Took him to our lime," Cort explained, sitting on the wide arm of her chair, sliding his

hand around her shoulders.  "Talked a lot.  Stopped on the footbridge on the way back. 

Talked some more.  Was good," he answered the unspoken question he saw in her uplifted

eyes.  Then he grinned widely.  "We can get married after all."

“Provided…” Glen cut in.  “Provided you perform three simple tasks.”

It was a toss-up, whose eyes widened the most...Cort's or Rachel's.

“Her, I mean.  You’ve passed the test, promised your first born and a liver…or two…”

Glen went on.

“Dad, I’m still working on the list you gave me to go off to college,” Rachel protested. 

She turned to Lisa.  “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Oh, he’s been saving it up, dear.  I told you so,” Lisa grinned.

“Deidre!  You’re just in time!”  Rachel cried and leapt to her feet as a stunning red-head

dashed up to their group.

"Terry said you'd find the note, but then he confessed he didn’t give the name of the café,

and then we changed our minds…thought I’d better come guide the way,” said Deidre,

looking a little breathless.  She greeted Rachel and Cort with a quick hug.  “Well, c’mon

people!  We got some eating to do!”

Deidre led the troop of them out of the Angel and across the square, down a side street

that once again looked as though it had not changed since its Renaissance heyday, and

they followed until they saw wide doors open on one building where a gypsy band

crooned and the sound of revelers made the street echo.  Deidre continued to lead them

through the restaurant where the low ceilings curved in white stucco archways and

medieval armor decorated the walls above the patrons’ heads until they came to a second

set of wide doors opening out onto a terrace that overlooked the river.  In a section of

the balcony at the end of a long table sat Terry enjoying a cigarette, with Henri sitting

next to him.

Cort walked up to Terry, offering a grin and a handshake. He was happy Terry was here

and it showed.  He squeezed Henri's shoulder affectionately and pulled out a chair for

Rachel. Once everyone had taken their seats, he looked slowly around the table, sucking

in his upper lip a bit as he let his eyes roam from person to person.  Something in him was

still a bit stunned that so many people were now in his life, people that meant so much to

him. He shook his head in the wonder of it, released his lip from its grip between his teeth,

and whispered, "Thank You," into the air. 

Rachel slipped her hand into Cort's and gave it a gentle squeeze, leaning over to whisper,

"I missed you this afternoon."

"I...," he started to reply, but then Finn was suddenly standing almost between him and

Rachel.

"You gonna marry my Aunt Rachel?"

"Why, yes, Finn.  I am."

"Why?"

"Because I love her," he said, then turned his eyes back to Rachel's. “And...other...reasons."

"What other reasons?" Finn demanded.

"Well, for one, Finn, she loves me."

Finn made a face.  "But what's a GOOD reason?"

Rachel tried to suppress a laugh.  Unfortunately, it came out as a snort.

Cort thought a moment.  "We fight the bad guys together? Does that count?"

The boy smiled hugely.  "Yeah.  I like that one.  You know Zurg?  Did you fight him?"

“Uh…Finn…” began Rachel, glancing at Lisa, who was engrossed in looking at the menu.

"Zurg?  Um, I'm afraid I've never met the fellow."

Finn reached in his pocket, pulling out a small white figure with a helmet. "HE has.  He

fights Zurg all the time."

Rachel couldn’t decide whose face was more interesting to watch: Finn’s for the expectant admiration of his favorite toy, or Cort who had yet to be introduced to the history of the

space program and why someone would want to wear a clear bowl over their head.

"I'm sure he must be very...brave."

"Yeah, Buzz isn't afraid of anybody."

Cort was aware every eye at the table was turned on them.  He took the plastic figure in

his hand, examining it.  "All by himself?" he asked, handing the figure back.  "Nobody

helps him?"

"Sometimes the LGM's do," Finn admitted.  Then at Cort's puzzled look, explained,

"Little Green Men."

Rachel covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, right!"  Cort nodded.  "LGM's...of course.  But, well, Finn, I don't have any, um,

LGM's of my own.  So that's why I need your Aunt Rachel.

Finn seemed to find the concept of his Aunt battling Zurg quite funny and burst into a

belly-shaking series of laughs.

"No, no, Finn.  Really.  Your Aunt is quite good with a sword."  Too late he heard Rachel's

little gasp and realized maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that particular aspect of her

battle prowess.

“You used your sword on your job?”  Glen asked and as soon as the words were out of

his mouth, he winced a bit.  He had forgotten Lisa was out of the loop as far as NanoCorp

was concerned. 

“May I see Buzz?” Rachel asked, pretending the subject had not come up, and Finn handed

the prized figure over.  She clicked a button and the aero-wings popped out.  “To infinity…

and beyond!”  She exclaimed and made Buzz take a controlled nosedive off the table.

"To...infinity?"  Cort's eyebrows raised a bit.  "Buzz...warps?"

Rachel pressed her finger to her lips with a smile.  “Shhh!”

But Cort was wrapped completely now in the concept of the little toy warping. "He

travels through...space?  Time?  Things like that?"

“Cort, I don’t think….” Terry began, but Cort ignored him.

"Yeah," Finn replied, bobbing his head.  "Buzz goes everywhere.  Lotsa planets and

things."

"He does, huh?" Cort said, looking at the little figure again.  "He wouldn't happen to have

a movie of his own, would he?"

"Three!" Finn crowed, holding up the middle three fingers of his hand proudly.  "He has

three movies and I own them ALL!"

"Three?" Cort responded, genuinely impressed.  "I only have...," he caught himself.  "I've

only seen very few movies so far.  Some day I hope you'll show me your Buzz ones."

"Really?  You'd watch Buzz with me?"

"Really would."

"Cool!  You kinda remind me of Buzz's friend, Woody.  I could be Buzz and you could be Woody."

Cort looked at Rachel.  "Who's Woody and why do I remind Finn of him?"

Rachel could only shake her head and laugh.

“Woody’s a cowboy in the movie Buzz is from,” she said and grinned at him with pleasure. 

“I guess it’s your laconic manner that he’s referring to.”

"Cowboy, eh?" he chuckled.  "No wonder.  Yes, Finn, I'll be your Woody."

“Finn, come here and tell me what you want to eat,” Lisa said, only half attentive to the conversation at hand because talking with Deidre.  Finn took his space hero with a brief

‘thank you’ and obliged his mother.

The conversation around the table turned to more grown up issues once the waitress took

their order, leaving Finn to play quietly with his Buzz Lightyear.  Deidre and Terry

entertained them with various stories of their own.  Only Rachel, Deidre, and Cort knew

that his lighthearted accounts had deeper backgrounds behind them.  Deidre struck up

a lively conversation with Henri about archaeological sites in France; and while Lisa

remained blessedly incurious about Cort’s remarks to her son, Rachel could not help but

feel they had narrowly missed an awkward moment of having to explain things that

everyone but Lisa knew and understood.  She’ll probably corner me later, Rachel thought,

but I can probably laugh it off by that time.  Glen joked around with everyone and it

wasn’t long before the whole table became animated with laughter and conversation.

Then there was Cort, who was finding subtle ways to distract her, like a thigh pressed

against hers, and looks that made her wish they were as far away out of the public eye

as possible.  Like a certain pine woods glade…

“Are you doing alright?” She asked into his ear when she got the chance.  “It seems ages

since we talked.”

"Guess I'm not used to such crowds eating together.  It's nice in it's way, but, yes, I'd

really like to be alone with you.  I think I slept through any time we had together this

afternoon.  I just need to be close to you a while.  Do you think we can leave soon?"

Rachel glanced at the people around the table, their faces lit by the candle and lamplight, regretting the lack of a camera.  How could they get away without being…obvious…about

their reasons why? 

“Let me touch base with Dee and Lisa about tomorrow.  We have shopping to do!  But

yes, I think soon would be good.  You’ve had a rough day.”  She met his eyes briefly,

showing him the concern that still haunted her.  “We both have.”

He blew out a short breath that let her know he agreed entirely then added, "Tomorrow,

when you go shopping with the ladies, Henri will drive me out to talk with Father Pavel. 

I wanted to speak with him about the ceremony, maybe some other things.  Will that work

for you?"

“Perfectly,” she said.  Leaning out to the rest of the table, Rachel called for Deidre’s

attention.  “Are you two ladies ready to do some damage tomorrow?”

Terry faked a protective cover of his pocket book and shook his head at Deidre, who

laughed with amusement.  Lisa nodded.  “If you don’t mind if we bring Finn along.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Rachel said, smiling at her nephew who was now

leaning against his mother, trying to keep his eyelids open.  “I think someone is ready

for bed.”

“Well, on that note then,” Glen said, wiping his face and scooting back from the table,

“I’m going to have to say I’m bushed, too.  Wouldn’t mind catching a few more zee’s if

no one else needs me to do anything.”

“Oh, I might come by for a bit,” Terry said, as everyone followed Glen’s example.  “We’ll

just do what we men always do and wait for our ladies to pay attention to us.”  He grinned

at Deidre as he put his arm around her.

“Oh, listen to him!”  Deidre exclaimed.  “He’ll have you thinking I just happen to bump

into him once every blue moon.”

 “It was a full moon, actually…” Terry began, making a face because Deidre was giving

him the reaction he wanted.

Deidre obliged with a gasp.  “There are children here, Terry!”

After a full round of good-byes, Cort took Rachel's hand and they started to walk slowly

back to the Mini.  "I'll remember this town forever," he mused, pulling her around so

that she faced him.  "Our wedding town."  He cupped her face with his hands, bending

low to kiss her, his lips warm and soft, lingering atop hers, then he pulled back a little,

smiling into her eyes with his.  "Wife.  I can hardly wait to call you that.  I never..," he

breathed deeply, "...never thought that would happen."

Rachel let out a long breath, sliding her fingers up into his hair to deepen the kiss, sighing

out of a sense of relief that the day’s flux of family had ebbed; for a deep gratitude of the

feel of Cort’s lips on hers and the encompassing love of his presence.  All the tension, all

the trauma, all the sweat of anxiety and pressure melted as he spoke, and opening her

eyes, Rachel met his gaze with all the feeling she had been longing the day through to

show.

“Husband,” she called him, smiling back.  “A day feels like forever to wait and call you

that.  Think we can ask Buzz Lightyear to show us how to skip time and space and go

directly to our wedding vows?”  She teased.

They began to walk along again as he answered.  "I think we've already skipped time...and

space as well. You came through all that and more to find me."  He kissed her palm, then

slid his arm around her back.  "One more day.  An age in its way, I know.  But one more

day in this place, one more day with you...here.  Let's...," he stopped, catching sight of the

larger bridge with the cross, then guided her in that direction.

“Have we come this far in town?”  Rachel asked with some amazement as they approached. 

She stopped for a moment in the middle of the bridge to stare up at the cross, a cross that suddenly felt like an old friend.  A friend had led her this way, she remembered, thinking

back to Gerta and how the woman had tactfully stepped away so she could make her appeal

to the One who hung on the cross.  She stood with her hands clasped under her chin, looking

up at the face riven with pain and sorrow, thinking of her own despair that night, after

realizing Cort didn’t remember her.  “Oh, Cort, I wish Gerta was here.  I wish she had

lived.  She would be so happy things turned out so well,” she murmured.  She put her hand

out to touch the base of the cross, the base she had leant upon because she felt so drained of anything else to do.  “She and I had dinner together that night…after we…met in the kitchen. 

I was so…upset, and she sat and listened to me, encouraged me.  We wandered over this

way and…” her thumb rubbed a rough corner, “she let me pray.”

He put his hand over hers where it rested on the stone. "You must have been as alone

in your way as I was in mine. I'm glad for Gerta, for how sensitive she was to you.  I wish..,"

he looked up at the face, deep night shadows etching the curve of cheek bone, the line of

brow.  "I was going to say I wish none of this had happened, that we'd just warped back

with Sid as planned, but I see Him there and I can't think that all of this was for no reason."  Brushing back her hair with his other hand, he whispered so softly, "I treasure you all the

more.I feel...how to say it...I feel this settling of my soul into yours.  Does that make sense?"

“Yes, it does,” Rachel replied, and meant it.  “Before, there had been a straining, like I

couldn’t get enough of you, but now…it’s the same, but we aren’t just bound physically….”

She felt her cheeks grow warm, but it was the only way she could explain it.  “Its like the

union is beyond that…” she trailed off.  Yes, she knew exactly what he meant.

"Do you know how much I love you, Rachel Keirs?  Do you really know?"  He pulled her

close there in the shadows of the bridge, just pressing her to him.  "Come," he said at last,

"let's go back to the hotel."

They walked back through the square, now filled with groups of people and entertainers,

and Rachel gave him a brief summary of the afternoon, telling him she’d rather go into

specifics of what Terry did to explain Cort’s arrival for when they got back to their room. 

She tried to watch and make sure he was not limping anymore.  He seemed to acquire

more speed as they approached the Mini, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs,

both of them silent until they closed the door to their room.

“Cort, I’ve been thinking so hard about you today,” she began as she turned on the lamp. 

It was a relief to take her shoes off.  “I didn’t want to wake you up, but I didn’t get a chance

to talk with you at all.  Sweetheart, how are you?  Are you okay?”

He flopped back across the bed, folding his arms across his face, puffing out a long sigh at

being flat again.  Then, still lying there but his arms down, he said, "Leg's really doing

better.  Don't notice it so much now when I walk."  He reached his hands up behind his

head, pulling down a pillow so he was at a better angle to look at her.  "But this morning

...that was something else...worse than any time before." His hands, now at his sides, formed

into fists.  "I know you don't actually bleed in that thing, when it's taking you.  But it felt

like that, like I was being ripped into little shreds.  I felt like I was bleeding."  He squeezed

his eyes shut tight.  "Have still got this sort of sense of...I don't know...maybe 'vibration' is

the right word.  All through me.  Like my nerves are still trying to get over it, get themselves back together.  It's just not quite...right...yet."  Opening his eyes, he reached his right arm

up towards her.  "If you lie beside me so I can feel you there touching me, I...I think it

would help...a lot."

Rachel crawled up into the bed next to him and knelt at his side, watching his face,

brushing aside his hair.  That he still felt reverberations from the event somehow did

not surprise, but it still scared her.  She took the hand he stretched out to her and clasped

it with both of hers, holding his fingers to her cheek.

“You said that the machine tried to take you once before…did you feel the same way after

that?  This vibration?  Or is it something new?  Did you tell Henri?”  She wasn’t quite

ready to lay down with him yet.  She wanted to look fully at him, observe him. 

He looked at the ceiling, remembering.  "The first time, there in that tower room, when

it started...all the aqua swirlings...all that goes with it...I didn't fight it.  I...I...wanted it to

take me, tried hard to let it take me."  His eyes found hers.  "You were gone...completely

gone.  All I had was the explosions in the street of Redemption.  Nothing after that."  His

eyes closed.  "I didn't want to be in that room.  So when it started...I thought nothing

would be worse than staying where I was.  That's when Mikol came in and started hitting

me.  He was strong...but it took him a lot to stop me."  He smiled ruefully, looking at her

again.  "But stopping me was the best thing he ever did for me.  I would have lost you forever

if he hadn't.  But, no the vibrating thing wasn't so bad after that.  Maybe it was because I

was so beat up I couldn't feel it so much?  I don't know.  It's definitely worse this time.  I

didn't tell Henri, no."

She stared at Cort for a few moments, mouth in a thin line of worry, wishing she had pulled

him aside sooner…like when Henri was nearby.  Without another word, she scooted off the

bed and picked up the phone to dial Henri.

"No," he said softly, "don't bother him.  I'm all right.  Really I am.  Just come and lie here

with me, touch me."

Rachel shook her head.  “What if something happens to you during the night?  What am I

going to say to Henri?  He’ll be so angry with me.”  She began dialing.

He simply was not sure...not totally sure he was ok...so grudgingly he nodded, "If it will

make you rest easier...."

She turned her back to him so he wouldn’t see the tears spilling out again, waited while

the phone rang three times before Henri’s voice came on.  Cort’s arm snaked around her

 waist, curled himself up against her.

“Henri?  Hi, it’s Rachel…well, by all appearances, everything’s fine but Cort’s saying

he’s still not feeling right…You haven’t gone to bed yet, have you?  If you would…thank

you,” Rachel spoke into the receiver.  A brief call–Henri didn’t seem to need much

information.  As she hung up the receiver, the more selfish part of her pointed out that

it would probably mean no privacy yet again for the night.  Better this than something

bad happening later, she reminded herself.

“I’m sorry, Cort.  I guess my nerves are still jangled, too.  You were lying there, turning

blue and…and…transparent...and I couldn’t DO anything.”  She turned to face him,

the memory of the horror returning.  “Nothing!  Even if this isn’t anything to worry about,

if I could do…something…”

"Oh, Sweetheart," he said, pulling her close, "please don't worry. I'm sure I'm all right. 

I'll never let anything take me away from you...not ever."

Henri had lain aside his book, answering the ringing of his cell phone. He'd not wanted

to go back to Kamen, not after the morning's events, so Volos had found him a small room

in the back of the Mini...not much more than a little bed, a side table, a lamp. It was all

he needed. After talking with Rachel, he slipped his shoes quickly on, glad at his proximity

to them. In less than two minutes he rapped softly on their door, opening it to Cort's

slightly muffled, "Come in."

Cort was lying on the bed and Rachel just getting to her feet beside it, running a hand

through her hair to straighten it.

"That was quick," Cort smiled at him.

"I've taken a room downstairs," Henri replied, setting his bag on the floor near the bed,

his eyes scanning Cort.  "What seems to be the matter?  How are you feeling, Son?"

The concern in Henri's eyes was evident and Cort didn't want to worry him needlessly. 

"Not much.  Just this sensation of sorta of a vibration all through me.  Doesn't really hurt

or anything.  Just mostly keeps me keyed up a bit, on edge."

Henri sat on the side of the bed, listening to Cort's heartbeat.  "A bit faster than it should

be," he said then leaned to shine a light in each of Cort's eyes.  "No aqua, though.  Thank heavens.  Do you have any of that 'scattering' feeling?"

"Not that, no.  It's different from that. Kind of a fingernails on a school blackboard thing."

Henri stood up, facing Rachel.  "This is all unknown territory, my dear. I have no real

way of knowing what's going on with his system. I think...I believe...I hope," he looked back

at Cort, "that when I destroyed the control room, the warp will have been destroyed along

with it, that it will never try to take you again.  But...," he paused, "you are manifesting

some sort of residual effects from it.  How long they will last...what they might do...I just

don't know.  I'm sorry." 

He opened his case, handing Rachel a small, slender box.  "I understand you have had, as

a retriever, some medical training?  So I'm going to leave this with you...just in case.  When

the warp was taking him back in the tower, even Mikol's beating was not enough to fully

stop it.  I had to give him a shot, knock him completely out, to get him away from it."  He

licked his lips, staring at her very seriously.  "Keep this with you and should I be wrong,

should the warp ever reach out after him again, this will be the only means you'll have to

stop it.  Somehow the thing seems to need a conscious mind to warp.  And this," he handed

her a small bottle, "is just to help him sleep tonight if he can't manage it on his own." 

He patted Cort's leg.  "Sorry, Son, but that's all I can do."  Gathering up his bag he

walked toward the door.  "I'm just downstairs.  If you need me.  Don't hesitate."  He

turned his smile from one to the other, then closed the door behind him.

When she had set the box onto the bedside table, she resumed her kneeling position beside

Cort, feeling a bit mollified by Henri’s remedy, but ‘jangling’ still with the implications

of the trauma Cort went through, and her utter helplessness.  She went from kneeling to stretching out beside him and wrapping her arms around him.

“Do you know how much I love you, Cortland Wells?”  she asked, echoing his earlier

question. 

He smiled, his lips in her hair.  "I think I'm getting the idea, ma'am."  Her arms around

him were the best medicine for him.  He knew that without a doubt.  "Just hold onto me,

my Love, and I'll hold onto you.  We'll be all right, then.  Both of us.  We'll be just fine."

ON TO PART 33

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