Paradox

Chapter 34: Heart And Soul

After eating the soup he hung around with her a little and helped clean up. He seemed lost. She wasn't sure what to do to help him find himself again. She tried to help him find himself again. She tried to get him to talk but he was evasive and after a while, he left the beach house and headed home.

He flew out from the rooftop of Lux, it was a night, moon and stars cloaked by a cloying blanket of black cloud that whispered rain. A damp wind uncomfortable and penetrating accompanied him on his journey. He landed in the clearing; the carousel by all appearances was being dismantled. The old Victorian house was gone - in its place a pile of ash. He wondered what Maze and Amenadiel had used to incinerate it so thoroughly. He went closer staring at the scene. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled the opening bud of a lily. He had taken it from the courtyard garden outside Lux. The petals were so fragile and easily breakable. He sat down in the grass, letting the flower scent soothe his muddled thoughts. He still wasn't sure why he had come, The detective had said he should do whatever it was that would bring him peace, and somehow he felt compelled to visit the site. Linda had said he needed closure. He couldn't see how being here would bring it but he was willing to give it a try.

"Mum, I know you aren't here, probably not anywhere if Dad truly granted your request." His heart raced and Dr. Linda's council echoed in his ears so he paused to breathe deeply. "I wish..." he laughed hoarsely. "I wish you hadn't gone crazy. You truly were a lovely mum up to that point. I do need to thank you for introducing me to the piano and the other instruments. To this day they bring me both solace and joy."

He cleared his throat, his chest felt tight and the obstruction was back in his throat but there were no tears left, he had shed them all on the beach. A drizzle started to fall. "I can't forgive you for what you did to me, I realized now that your illness made you irrational and filled with rage. I can however forgive you for forcing the wings on me. They truly helped me defeat  Asmo and protect Chloe and her offspring. You were right I was irrational. As good as it feels though to be able to fly again I have to get Maze to cut them off. I'm sorry mum, I know you meant well but they remind me of things I'd like to permanently put in the past. From here forward I'd rather focus on the good at the beginning when you taught us to cook and to fly, we had fun together." He added softly, "Be at peace, mum." He threw the lily into the ashes and sat staring at them for some time. Later he got to his feet and pulled out a cigarette trying unsuccessfully to light it. Growling with annoyance he threw it and the lighter. Seconds later a pain so excruciating it brought him to his knees coursed through him before everything went black.

Chloe was awoken from a deep sleep by her phone going off at 7 am. She groaned - who would call her this early on her day off? She groggily answered it.

"Chloe?" Dan's voice asked.

"What the hell Dan, it's my day off!"

"Sorry, but I thought you might want to know that Lucifer is in the hospital."

"What?" She awoke instantly bolting upright.

"We were at the crime scene and found him unconscious. I couldn't get him to wake up. The ambulance just drove off with him a short while ago. I thought you'd want to know."

"Thanks, Dan." She grabbed clothes and ran downstairs. She called to ensure Trixie could stay with her friends until the next day. After talking to a nurse she found him in one of the rooms in an emergency. She was relieved to see him sitting up in bed scowling. A look of relief crossed his face when he spotted her.

"Detective, help me get out of here." He started pulling at the tubes attached to his arm and hand. Wires were attached to his chest and a blood pressure monitor recorded his vitals.

"Stop pulling at the wires. I spoke to a nurse and she told me you're a little hypothermic, as soon as your temps come up they'll let you go. They also did an MRI on your head to see why you were unconscious. What happened?" She sat down on a chair by his bed.