Debbie Banna - Shattered Dreams, New Beginnings
Tony opened the door to his room in the castle and entered, rubbing the rounded area above his belt that seemed to him to be expanding daily. Any more of these extravagant palace breakfasts with King Wendell and he would become as large as his very pregnant daughter, Virginia. Maybe, Tony thought to himself, one of the books Virginia would bring back for him would contain plans for the building of an exercise machine.
Looking at his watch, Tony realized it was just about time to turn on the magic travelling mirror. He had decided to keep it in his room since Virginia and Wolf left three weeks ago and had been watching daily for their return. Their visit had taken entirely too long for his liking and, with each passing day, Tony was growing more concerned.
"Beep beep. Beep beep,” the timer sounded on his watch alarm and Tony crossed the room to the mirror where he carefully grasped the knob and turned it on. Before he could think or speak, Tony was knocked to the floor by his son-in-law Wolf, who was now stretched out on top of him.
"Tony! Oh Tony!" Wolf cried as he disentangled himself from Virginia's dad and jumped to his feet. "We need help. Help now! Right away!" Wolf panted frantically as he grasped Tony's arms and pulled him up.
"What is it, Wolf? Is it Virginia?" Tony asked, looking into Wolf’s fearful, green eyes for a clue.
"Oh Cripes! Oh Tony! Something's wrong. Virginia's alone and she's bleeding. She needs help," he sputtered.
"Is it the baby?" Tony gasped.
"I don't know but we've got to find Rose and a doctor and get back to her right now." As one, the two men dashed to the door of the room and out into the corridor, Wolf shouting as he ran, "Help! Someone, please, help!"
Heads began to poke out of various doorways as they ran toward the main staircase and King Wendell's war room, where Wolf seemed to sense he would find the king. At the bottom of the stairs Wolf collided with Lord Rupert who had heard the commotion and had just stepped out of Tony's invention workshop. Caught off guard, Rupert hit the floor with a thud and opened his mouth to reprimand Wolf when he caught a glimpse of his face. "Great kings and lords! What is it, Mr. Wolf"? Rupert questioned.
"I need King Wendell. I need Rose. Where are they?" he shouted frantically.
Rupert pulled himself up off of the floor, rubbing his tender backside. "King Wendell is in the war room but I haven't seen Queen Rose yet this morning."
Before he could finish, Wolf and Tony had already covered the distance between the stairs and the room and had flung open the door. Lord Rupert quickly followed, intent on finding out what was going on.
King Wendell was seated at his desk, a large map rolled out in front of him, when his friends burst in. Looking up, he sensed the urgency in their faces and was on his feet and across the room to meet them in a flash. "What is it, my friends? Is there trouble?" he asked, grasping Wolf by the shoulders and looking into his tormented face.
"Wendie!" Wolf cried. "There's no time to lose. Virginia needs help. We need to get a doctor and to find Rose. Would you help me please? I promised her I'd be right back. She's alone. I left her alone," he shrieked, his voice rising to almost a howl. Wolf began to whimper pitifully now and a tear trickled down his cheek. Quick to realize the need for action, Wendell spotted Rupert. "Lord Rupert. Send word to my physician immediately by the fastest rider in my command. Tell him to drop everything and come at once. And send a palace guard to the gardens to look for Queen Rose. She went out to gather some herbs and medicines this morning."
Rupert turned on his heels and, in an instant, had disappeared from the room. "Now, sit down, both of you and tell me what has happened while we wait." Tony dropped into an overstuffed chair, settling closely to the edge as if ready to jump up at a moment's notice. Wolf would not sit but began pacing the room, his eyes darting everywhere at once, which gave him the look of a cornered beast. As best he was able, given his current state, Wolf explained what had happened that morning. When he had finished, Tony was on his feet, moving nervously from window to window, anxiously watching for the physician's arrival.
A moment later, Rose, a garden basket in her hand, rushed in through the open door and ran to Wolf, wrapping her arms around her brother. "Tell me what's happened, Wolf. I need to know what I can do to help. Is it the baby?" Rose questioned him in her calmest tone. She could see that he was barely able to focus on what she was asking, so great was his agitation. "Wolf. Look at me. I will try to help. What do I need?"
With an effort Wolf focused on Rose's face and took a deep, steadying breath. He explained to her about the pain and the blood and as he did, Rose's expression grew solemn. "Rose. Can you help her? Please. You have to do something," Wolf cried, desperation creeping back into his voice.
"I'll try, Wolf. I'll try. It sounds as if she may be losing the baby. We've got to stop the bleeding. If she loses too much blood..." she let her voice trail off. "I'll go to my room and get my pouches. There are a few things I can try. I've helped in some difficult birthing situations before. We'll do whatever we can to help her." With that, Rose released Wolf and hastily left to gather her medicines.
While she was gone, Wendell planned. "When Rose returns Wolf, you take her with you to Virginia. Tony, you stay by the mirror and as soon as my physician arrives I'll send him to you. You can bring him through to your world and take him to your daughter. Tony agreed reluctantly, hating to be left behind a moment longer yet, knowing that there was no one else who knew how to find Virginia.
"Oh, so much time!" Wolf groaned. "She needs me now. Hurry, Rose! Hurry!" And momentarily, as if she had heard Wolf's plea, Rose arrived, carrying some leather pouches on her belt and a bag in her hands.
"Let's go, Wolf. We're ready," Rose said, taking his hand in hers. Wolf pulled her from the room with him and he hit the main staircase at a gallop. Tony followed only a little less swiftly behind them, breathing hard as he reached the top landing. Before he even entered the room, they were gone, leaving him to stare at the teasing view of Central Park that the mirror was reflecting.
"Virginia!" Wolf cried as he burst though the bedroom door to their apartment. In his frantic anxiety he all but threw himself onto her silent form as he sought reassurance of her safety. But as he touched her arm, he recoiled at the cold feel of her skin. The hair on his neck began to rise, and he forced himself to put his hand to her dear, sweet face. "Virginia, my love! I'm here," he cried desperately. Then realizing it was too late he cried, "No! No! Not this! Please be all right. Please!" he begged as he dropped to his knees and buried his face in the blankets of her bed.
Rose had entered after him and stayed by the door, watching Wolf give vent to his grief. She had smelled it as soon as they had neared the room. The smell of blood had been mingled with the smell of death. Her heart sank and a lump formed in her throat as she realized it was too late to help her sister-in-law and friend. She walked slowly to the opposite side of the bed from Wolf and touched Virginia's lips. They were cold and she could feel no air passing through her fingers. She bent and pressed her head to Virginia's breast but there was no comforting beating sound.
Wolf, even in his dazed emotional state, began to sense his loss and started to howl in a low mournful key. "Wolf! Not here," Rose cautioned, getting up to close the door to the room. "You'll give us away. You must be quiet." Coming up behind him, she knelt on the floor and took his heaving body into her arms, holding him close while he cried.
A sound behind her drew Roses attention to the now open door where Tony and a medium sized man with straight, close-cropped brown hair stood. Tony glanced at Rose and Wolf on the floor, then his glance shifted to the bed where Virginia lay pale and still. As if he had been punched in the stomach by a troll, Tony's knees gave was and he dropped to the floor moaning, "Oh no. Virginia. Not you. It can't be."
The doctor moved past him to the bed and after a short examination shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid we're too late to save the mother. If you would all leave the room, I'll see if we can save the baby." Rose stood to her feet, trying to get Wolf to rise with her but he refused, clinging to the bedclothes for dear life and continuing to moan. Deciding it better to let him be, she crossed to Tony, where she managed to half carry him from the room. She sat him at a table in the neat, compact kitchen where he dropped his head into his hands and stared off into space. A few moments later, the physician joined them with his news.
"I'm so sorry. We were too late. We've lost them both."
Rose let herself collapse into a chair next to Tony. She could no longer hold back the emotions she had been fighting since they'd arrived. Tears rolled down her beautiful, freckled face, as she buried it in her arms now braced on the table in front of her. She released the moan she had been holding in, and then with a choking sound, she began to sob.
