Holly & Yew

C39

Chapter 39: All of my heart ... It wants to hold you ... All of my heart

The room was silent for a long second.

Then it burst into motion. Harry began chest compressions while one of the little ones dialed the emergency number on Mrs. Cole's telephone and another ran for the neighbors.

"Tom," Harry scolded sharply between compressions.

"I didn't do anything on purpose, darling," Tom said innocently, kneeling beside Harry. "I swear. Her ticker gave out all on its own."

Knowing Tom, the truth was probably somewhere in between.

Mrs. Cole regained consciousness, sitting up. Harry quickly moved to the side.

"Are you on any medications, Mrs. Cole?" Harry asked urgently. "Have you been taking everything properly?"

Mrs. Cole opened and closed her mouth, pointing at Tom with a furious look in her eyes.

Harry sighed.

"Tom, do you think you could step out for a minute?" Harry asked.

Tom rolled his eyes.

"I'll take over the phone and direct the stretcher," Tom said, kissing Harry's forehead loudly before leaving the dining room. Mrs. Cole glared hatefully at his back.

Harry guided Mrs. Cole to sit on one of the dining room chairs, handing her a glass of water. The demand for ambulances for the war meant over thirty minutes passed before one finally showed up to take Mrs. Cole to the hospital. Mrs. Cole spent half the time instructing Harry on how to take over her duties temporarily. The other half... well...

"Keep your distance from the devil spawn, Harry," Mrs. Cole ordered, muttering deliriously. "He'll try to corrupt you, but you have to resist. Everyone has someone that was put on Earth to be their temptation, and that boy is your test of virtue. I shouldn't have let you two run wild for so long. I thought your blessing would hold you over, but I see now he has his roots in you."

A crash of fury overcame Harry at the vile way she was speaking, but he bit his lip, knowing now was not the time to upset Mrs. Cole further.

"You don't need to worry about me and Tom," Harry said firmly. "Just focus on yourself, Mrs. Cole."

"It's my one regret," Mrs. Cole said feverishly. "I almost let the devil take you for his bride."

"You're talking nonsense," Harry dismissed, face heating. And Harry wouldn't be a bride. He'd be a groom.

"You're in danger, boy," Mrs. Cole warned. "A broken soul will break another for company."

"Mine and Tom's souls are just fine, thank you," Harry snapped.

Mrs. Cole chuckle-coughed.

"If you believe that, child, you're blind. That wretch is malformed. You think he loves you, but he's incapable of it. You're nothing but a pretty trinket to him."

"He's my best friend!" Harry snarled.

"Friend? Ever since you were children, I saw how he looked at you," Mrs. Cole hissed. "I see the way he touches you now, like he owns every inch of you—"

"Just shut up!" Harry shouted, losing it. The glass cups on the table exploded and Mrs. Cole screamed with fright. "Be quiet until the ambulance gets here, Mrs. Cole. Don't you dare speak another word of Tom. You are an unkind woman and you know nothing."

Mrs. Cole gasped for breath, holding her chest. Harry half-thought she was going to pass out again.

He exhaled slowly. After a minute, when his head had slightly cooled, he repaired her glass with an anti-clockwise wave of his hand before refilling it with water.