Through the Darkness: Of Love and Loss Series Book One

8

Elyria stared at the building, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. Then she clenched her teeth against the wave of emotion threatening to reduce her to a weeping mess right there outside the hospital.

Mother and Father had questioned whether returning to the hospital today proved wise after only a week. She ought to have remained home with them another day, they said, mourning the loss of her brother Stephen. And for a moment, she wavered in her decision.

But in the end, she'd found herself walking out the front door. She'd had only one destination, one person for that matter, on her mind.

Upon entering the hospital, Elyria feared she would have to face heavy stares or even awkward hugs and words of condolences. But instead, life carried on as usual, and, for the most part, they ignored her like before.

After depositing her hat, coat, and gloves in her little cubby in the staff cloakroom, she made her way down the long corridor leading to the Captain.

Had he missed her? Would it even be fair to hope that he did?

Her heart already beat at a furious pace, but it threatened to jump out of her chest when she turned down his hallway.

"DON'T touch me," he barked, his voice strained, "I can do it on my own."

"And fall flat on your face again?" Tabitha said, frazzled. "I think not,"

"If you hadn't been standing in my way," he grumbled in a condescending tone, "I wouldn't have fallen."

Tabitha let out an unladylike growl before saying through clenched teeth, "You are infuriating."

"Then get out of here," He snapped, "Leave me alone."

"Suit yourself," Tabitha said in a huff. "Nurse Winters will hear of this."

"She doesn't scare me."

"Well, she ought to!"

Elyria froze where she stood. Heavens, what was she about to walk in on? She waited until Tabitha's footsteps receded in the opposite direction before crossing the remaining distance to the Captain's room.

She'd taken only one step through the door when a loud crash several feet ahead shook the floor beneath her and reverberated through the walls.

"DAMN THIS INFERNAL LEG," The Captain shouted. He threw something across the room, a piece of wood, by the sound it made, smacking into the wall to her right before falling to the floor with a clatter.

He spewed several curses, many of which she'd never heard before.

"Your command of the English language is quite inventive, Captain."

"I was speaking French," he grumbled from the floor. "Where have you been?"

She barked a laugh and shook her head. "I may have only taken one course in French years ago, but even I know that is a bald-faced lie... I was at home," She answered, frowning as she realized he wasn't where he should have been. Had he fallen out of bed? "What are you doing on the floor?"

"I'm playing a game of jacks; care to join?"

Oh dear, he was in a foul mood. Worse than any she'd born witness to before." Would you like help back to bed, or do you wish to remain where you are?"

The most sullen kind of silence filled the room. Elyria didn't know if she wanted to deal with this behavior from him today. Perhaps Mother and Father were right; she should have stayed home.

"I need my cane," he muttered, sounding more like a petulant child than a grown man.

Elyria let out a slow breath and said, "Well, then use it."

"I can't."

She counted to ten. "Why not?"

Silence, and then, "Because I threw it over there."

So that's what that sound had been?

"Where?" She turned this way and that as if she could miraculously make her eyes work at that exact moment.

"I. Don't. Know," he ground out, "I'm blind. Remember?"

So am I, you idiot! She wanted to shout. "Let me go find someone to help you. I'll be right back."

"NO," He cried out with panic threading his voice. "Don't leave... you're the only one here I trust."

Elyria gnawed on her bottom lip, torn over what she ought to do. There was no denying that she was not the best person to handle the current situation, regardless of his protestations.

But somehow, instead of leaving in search of help, she found herself muttering a curse and getting on hands and knees, hunting along the floor to her right until she discovered his cane. "Found it," she declared, holding it aloft in victory.

"I'm overjoyed."

She let out an unladylike snort of laughter. "Liar."

Now, if she could just find him—without kicking or stepping on him, although in his current mood, he probably deserved it—and then somehow get him back to bed. Easy-peasy, just like Daphne used to be fond of saying when they found themselves in ridiculous situations that were anything but.

Elyria swallowed hard and decided to creep over to him on hands and knees; it would be safer for both of them that way. And with any luck, no one would walk in while they were crawling on the floor like infants.

"What are you doing out of bed anyway?" She asked, needing to keep him talking so she could locate him faster.

"Battle-ax Winters gave me the cane and told me to try walking. Since I've been doing it rather well over the past two decades of my life, I didn't think it would be all that difficult."

Elyria bit back a smile. "It didn't go as planned, I take it?"

"No."

She found his foot and wanted to whoop for joy but refrained. "There you are."

"Right where I've been all along. Where did you think I was?"

"Goodness, you are sulky today. Perhaps I shall leave and return once you've had a good think on your current attitude."

He grunted, pushing himself into a sitting position and bumping her as he did so. "Can you blame me?"

No, in fact, she couldn't. Heaven knew she'd done her fair share of sulking when she'd been in his similar position. But her parents hadn't tolerated such destructive behavior, and neither would she. "Here you go," she murmured, offering him his cane. "Reach out your hand." Once he had it firmly in his grasp, she made it to her feet.

"Show off."

She smiled. "Can you stand?"