Battle Casualties

Hyde yelped when he started to get hit in the head, and then spun in circles, large cuts appeared on his chest, and he howled in agony. Flinging himself at the wand holder, he tackled him to the ground, and pushed himself off of him, making sure to dig in his claws as he did. He stood at the door for a moment, looking back at Khaat, and growling. He licked his chest carefully for a moment, looking at the note that had fluttered to the floor, before bolting down the hall and out of the building. Hyde limped back to Felix where they had planned on meeting. Luckily it had been a success, even though Hyde was pretty badly hurt. Felix was pissed when Hyde got back and he saw his wounds. "You bit her right? Good.. I hope you got that son of a b*tch who slashed you with these.." He growled, bending down and glancing at the wounds. "Not to deep.. but your out of commission for a while buddy.." He said and gently patted the dogs head. They would pay for that... pay for hurting HIS dog.. but of course, they would pay for it rather quickly, when they discovered who he had taken, and who would be missing, and hurt beyond repair. SHE would repay for hurting his dog, with a bit of blood of his own.

Holding onto Hyde's collar, Felix apparated away, his work here finished, but still angry as hell.. the girl would pay.. that was fine... all would be well, for Felix anyway.. he wasn't sure how well it would be for any of the others.. but what did he care? They could go rot in hell... he would have his revenge, and he would break Khaat Lupin.. he would break her like the little china doll she was.

Khaat had fallen out of the bed and onto the floor in her skirmish with the dog. The room looked like a massacre had happened in there. It was covered in blood. The enormous dog had tackled Brian to the ground and clawed him. And right now, he didn't have time to worry if he had more wounds than that from that ugly thing. But really? He'd been outwitted and beaten by a dog? What was that? Brian was already beating himself up for how badly he'd screwed up. He picked himself up off the floor and flew to Khaat, who was trying to beat him with the metal basin, swatting at him repeatedly.

"Stop, stop, stop," he said, snatching it from her. He tossed it aside and snatched the wand out of her hand and laid it aside as well. "Its me. Its me, Baby. I"m sorry. I'm so sorry. Let me look. I can't tell where that thing's blood stops and yours and mine begins. Hold on...."

"Don't let it bite you..." she managed to tell him. "It's Barker's dog. Its bite is cursed. Infected....hard to heal..."

"He's gone, Baby," he reassured her, trying to check her. "He's gone. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you to go after it. Come on. You can't stay here on the floor." He picked her up and put her back on the bed. She began to wake more fully, the sleep spell finally beginning to truly wear off now.

Jack ran back up the corridor he saw paw prints bloodied paw prints and ran floolowing them they lead to Khaats room his heart pounded in his chest as he picked up the pace screeching to a halt by the door. Hia eyes now widened as he saw the blod all aroun d him he felt a hand touch him nad jumped aiming his wand at the poerson opnly to find jess stood beside him . Waving her wand she cleaned up the room and sheets as she walked in " ok Brian you clean up while I clean Khaat " she placed her hands on Khaats tummy and nodded " all fine and well but something isn't right we need Robert here and now " she said looking at Brian " that thing bit her " she said moving down Khaat arm her fingers finding he puncture marks " here " shes aid to him placing her hand abouve the bite she took a deep breath in halting the flow of the infection " I have stoped the flow but I can't do any more " she looked at him knowing he knew what he had to do. Jack stood helplessly looking on.

"Thanks, Jess," Brian said. "Give me a moment." He looked down on the floor and saw the note and the pacifier that were new to the floor. He could seem them now. He read the note and the signature and saw the lock of red hair with it. He knew that red hair. Chase. Felix had Chase merely because Chase meant something to Khaat. If he told her right now, Khaat would come unglued altogether. He hoped against hope that Barker didn't have Chase's baby as well--Eli's child. If he did, there would be no putting Khaat's mind back together. He passed the note with its lock of red hair tucked inside and the pacifier to Jack for him to examine, not saying a syllable, deliberately so that Khaat might not suspect anything.

"i'm gonna kill him, I swear," Brian said softly. He took a moment to wash up, not knowing if the blood he was washing off was the dogs, Khaat's or his. He had no clue. But at least if he weren't bleeding all over Khaat, then if he had been bitten, then he wouldn't add to her contamination. He went over to Khaat and Jess and inspected the bite wound on Khaat's arm. "Good job so far, Jess." He knew what she had drawn off was only temporary, but it would help for now. He laid his hand on her stomach. The babies had settled due to the sleep spell and weren't terribly active. "We'll have to wait for the war to end at Hogwarts before we can ask Robert if there is a potion to nullify this. So for now, we'll just do what we can. I'm afraid there is no other choice."

Jack looked at the things he had been given his face pure anger himself a child felix had stooped so low as to endanger a child in all this . he fought not to lose control over his wear side . He looked at Jack and smiled he felt instant calm and he slipped the things into his pocket keeping them safe for later and away from Khaats eyes " now what Brian " he asked but heard him curse that he would kill him and he knew how he felt " I totaly understand Brian" he said his face loking at Jess her own showing a slightlanger but still seeming calm and focused on Khaat.

Jess looked at Brian and just nodded as he said all they could do was wait " yes " she said " time will tell" she added and took jacks hand in her own for a moment draining away some of his anger so he could think better.

"Just a minute," Brian said. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Khaat," he took her hand. "Are you with us?" She seemed dazed to him. She nodded, her eyes closed, trying to regain herself.

"Stupid dog," she said softly, sighing.

"My fault," he said, stroking her cheek, "I shouldn't have ever left you."

"If he wants to find me, he will," Khaat said. "Not your fault. I should have let the Wizengamot kill him when they had the chance. Now I have to hunt him."

"No. You don't. Not this time. When your father gets back, we need him to see to your bitemark from that dumbass dog. And we'll consult him about what to do about Barker. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," she said. "I really want a hot shower and some clean clothes, though, for some reason."

"Could it be because there aren't hot showers in the Forbidden Forest?" he kissed her, laughing. "We do have several at home, though."

"Can I have some coffee, please?"

"Sleep spell still a bit heavy?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'll get you some if Jack and Jess will stay while I'm gone," he said. He stepped out into the hallway and saw Angus returning on the run, out of breath. He pulled Angus tight against the wall. He whispered into Angus's ear. Angus looked at him, his face shocked. He disappeared quickly, apparating out of St. Mungos.

Angus apparated with a loud crack outside Chase's place. And in his anger, he had caused an unintentional large cloud of white smoke to wisp up all around him. He was instantly disgusted with himself. Showoff, he chided himself, his wand at the ready. He went up to the door and knocked but the door creaked open when his hand rapped on the door. And the minute the door creaked open, he could hear a baby crying. He was almost relieved--almost. The place was utterly destroyed. Everything turned over, broken. Drapes and furniture torn. Broken windows, broken dishes. Everything Chase owned had pretty much been destroyed. That, and there was clearly blood on the floor. She hadn't gone easily.

His mind flashed to all the endless nights of screaming that Khaat had gone through. Not so much after the first time Barker had her. She was almost totally silent then. The second time had brought the endless terror in her mind that no one seemed able to soothe. He did not want that for Chase. He moved carefully through the house, wanting to be certain that he wasn't about to be ambushed. There wasn't enough blood for that stupid dog to be here. Not now anyway. And then he found her. Chase and Eli's baby--Kitty. Chase had evidently done her best to hide the child. Would not have been Angus' choice for a hiding place, but it was effective enough. Evidently, Angus gathered, Chase had heard someone breaking in. He had found Kitty, of all places, in a lower kitchen cabinet, laying in a turkey roaster, with the lid half on and half off. Enough to hide her at first glance.

"You do not look like a turkey to me," Angus smiled, picking up the small child tenderly in his arms. He took a moment to soothe her from crying. Then he secured Chase's place and apparated away quickly. His next stop was to hide the child before returning to Brian.

Once he had done that, he returned to St. Mungos. He called Brian outside. He had been gone, maybe, 45 minutes. He called Brian out into the hallway and whispered to him his report. Brian nodded and whispered back more instructions. Angus quickly nodded and apparated out again.

Jack looked at Brian as Abgus came back his mind wondering what was going on that was till Brian moved him out side and told him chase ahd been kidnaped he loked abck at Khaat asleep in the bed in the room he had left . He knew it would evistate her and he loked abck at him " so what now , go looking ?" he said folding his arms across his chest as he waited for Brian to awnser him . He saw jess walking down the corridor and right to him , she moved into the room and placed her hand on Khaat marking what she found on her chart as she looked at Jack, Brian and Angus but she could feel something wasn't right tenshion was high and she could feel it.

"No," Brian said firmly. "Our primary responsibility stays the same as its always been. To Khaat and her children. I won't let us be drawn off her again. If we do that, Barker can get to her. My thoughts are that I need to wake her up and we need to get her the devil out of here. She is not going to be safe here. She's an easy mark here. If she's home, Barker can't find her because our place is utterly unplottable. My thought is that we take her home and then I will have no choice. I will have to tell her. She is the guardian. Once she knows and is over the initial upset of that, we can use her input to help us plot our next move. I'll get the discharge papers from Hannah and we can get Khaat discharged. I know she wants clean clothes and she needs some decent food. We'll do that first. And then we'll tell her. Otherwise, I'll have to go shower with her to keep her from dashing out to look for Felix."

jack nodded he usderstood how Brian was feling as he looked at jess as she walked over " then I coming with ehr you'll need a healer while Robert ios otherwize engaged I know you are one but you have to find Barker and you can't be with Khaat and do that too" she sid looking at him as she stood with jack who shipped his arm around her waist gently pulling her to him .

" she's right Jess can look after Khaat leving you free " he said and held Jess closer to him.