Marriage is Murder

Steven had finished a patrol around the intensive care ward when he heard the news he quickly made his way up to Khaats office , with his hand on the door he listened but did not enter hearing what had happened and seeing how exhausted Khaat was he stood on guard letting Michael and Brian tend to Khaat. He himself knew eventually she will give in and have no choice but to be taken off duty but right now he would not let any one interfere in their private moment. He watched as Hannah walked down and he moved to stop her. "Better wait, what is it?" he asked and she told him he thought for a second and then told her how to get around it. Nodding she agreed she moved away from the door back down the corridor.

Robert came down the hallway towards his office and saw the confusion around his daughter's office. He frowned. "I presume you've got this, Steven," Robert said, proceeding to go into her office. He trusted Steven was going to make sure that no one unwanted was going to get in past Steven. He saw Michael keeping watch over Khaat and the door to her new private quarters was open. Her clothes were covered in blood. He looked at Michael. The look in Michael's eyes said it all. Physically she was unharmed. It wasn't her blood. The firewhiskey Michael was feeding her was to help her regroup. That meant Brian was trying to get her into fresh clothes. Michael pointed one finger at a file on her desk. Robert went over and read it. He laid it aside and went over to her.

"Shall I check the bodies for you?" he asked her quietly. He knew she was questioning herself, wondering if there was something more she should have done.

"Yes," she said, not looking up. She knew if it wasn't what she wanted to hear, her father would still tell her the truth.

"It sounds like you did as much as any of us could have done, but I'll check. Now, finish that firewhiskey and go shower. You have a busy day ahead. And I don't know when you ate last." He went over to the office door and looked back at Steven.

"I hate to ask," Robert said, "But I really do need to get her something that will bribe her into eating. If you don't mind, would you go see Lizzie at Sparks and tell her I need to bribe her into eating something--anything? She'll know what to send for her. I'd appreciate it. I know its not part of your usual duties but I'd be grateful."

Steven saw Robert walking down the corridor right to Khaats office he turned and opened the door for him so he could enter. He heard Robert and nodded " got it covered " he said closing the door and standing guard again. it wasn't until Robert open the door again that he looked around at him. Hearing him ask him to go to sparks and talk to Lizzie he nodded. "On it" he said and aperated down into Diagon alley he found Sparks quickly and entered smiling at Lizzie as he walked over to her. " been sent by Robert they need something for Khaat, or more to tempt her into eating , got to be healthy shes not eating right" he suggested and looked at the board of what was on offer and shook his head " got any special ideas?" he asked " its important this time" his face saying it all " I'll wait and take it to them better that way and safer for you" he moved to a table and sat down.

"Well," Lizzie said, sighing, "So we're back to that, are we? The last time she did it, it was because she was entirely overworking herself and because she was grieving losing Rob so badly." She motioned him to follow her into the kitchen. "What is it this time? Grief overwork, or stress? That's usually at the core of it for her. I only know of a couple things that will bribe her when this happens, and its not all that healthy. But--if Robert sent you to me, he doesn't bloody well care what she eats. He only cares that she eats."

She got out a large dark chocolate fudge cheesecake and sliced it and put the whole cheesecake in a box. "This works, no matter what," Lizzie said. Then she got out a bowl from the cooler of a fresh raspberry sauce for on top. "This bit is more nutritious than it looks. And I'll send a thermos of our French Roast. It at least will give her some fluids. I'll send her some fruit salad at lunch, but, truthfully, she likes Angus's fruit salad better. You'd do better with having him either send some or bring some in at lunch time. He makes better champagne dressing than I do, and I don't know how he does it. If you want her to eat dinner, Michael's your man. He'll cook for her and then downright bribe her. Don't be disappointed if she leaves a lot of meals untouched. Its just the way it is." She finished boxing up the cheesecake, raspberry sauce and coffee.

"Try that," Lizzie said. "If it doesn't work, then let me know because it sounds like Robert and I will need to talk. Tell him I'll put it on his tab."

Steven sat listening to Lizzie as she spoke " how about all of the above" he said to her question as to what it was this time. He listened and made a note of who was good at what meal " yes, buy the sounds of it you two should get together and work something out, I was only sent to get something that she would eat " he said and looked at the box I'll tell him its on his tab" he said and picked it up and the other things too. He gathered the things and Aperated back to St. Mungo's and Khaat's office. Pushing open the door he placed the cheese cake down and relayed all that Lizzie had told him and that the food was on his tab. Steven moved back to the main door and stood back guarding it as a young man tried to enter Steven told him to find some one else.

"Thank you," Robert said. He went over and set Khaat's empty glass aside and gently got her to her feet. "Brian's waiting for you," he told her. He took her to her private quarters and shut her in with Brian, closing the door. Then he returned to the box. "Let me see if she remembered," he said, curious. He opened the box. "Yes. She did. Good job. Now--we're all going to eat cheesecake and like it." He served up slices of cheesecake and poured French Roast for all who wanted it.

By that time, Brian had coaxed Khaat into the shower and out again and into clean clothes. Blue slacks and a simple crochetted white tunic top and her heels. It had helped to get clean again. He had put her messed up clothes out of her sight by the time she was out of the shower. He brought her back out and saw Robert had bought cheesecake. Brian knew the stories of how that darned cheesecake had saved her life when she had nearly starved to death while she was pregnant with Abbey and it was back. He was grateful.

He helped Khaat take a totally different chair and watched her father float over coffee and cheesecake.

"What's this for?" Khaat asked.

"Slight twist to the recipe," Robert lied. "We're all taste testing. And I presume you'd like coffee with that."

"Yes, please," she said, as he put the coffee beside her. He said nothing more but rather motioned everyone else to take cheesecake.

"Steven," Robert called. "We're all eating cheesecake. Come get some."

Steven looked back at Robert he was going to say he didn't want to leave his post but the corridor was empty and he could afford some time. Moving in he smiled and took some along with a coffee " did you get the sauce ?" he asked taking out the raspberry sauce in its bottle and pored some over the cheese cake. " nice" he said and looked at Robert " that sauce brings out the flavor of the cake " he was trying to get her to have the sauce and extra vitamins. " mum tasty " he said and started to eat he had to admit he too was feeling like the food had given him a bit more energy and he now knew why Robert had asked for Lizzie to make it.

Brian perched himself, with his slice of cheesecake, on the arm on Khaat's chair. Khaat was glad to see him closer. She somewhat sensed what her father was doing, and really, she didn't have any appetite. But she decided to let it go. She decided to merely go along with it. A slice of cheesecake wasn't that much to ask, and the coffee was welcome. She poked aound a bit with the cheesecake, but she did eat most of it. She liked the new formula for the old recipe. The chocolate cheesecake was now a rich dark chocolate fudge with raspberry sauce. But the coffee wasn't helping her anymore. Her fatigue was kicking in. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to ward off a headache that was setting in due to simple lack of sleep.

"Your first meeting doesn't start for another two hours," Brian told her gently. "How about laying that schedule aside to go get a little sleep. If you don't, your fever is just going to go up anyway."

"Maybe," she said, "but I'd have to get up." He laughed gently.

"Come on. A couple hours wont hurt," he said, floating the dishes back over to her desk. He helped her to her feet and took her into her quarters. He came back just moments later, closing the door quietly. "I think she was asleep before her head hit the pillow," he laughed gently.

Steven enjoyed the cheese cake and watched as Robert took Khaat into the second room then closed the door. He watched the door open as he finished his food and placed his plate with the others and them returned to the door to stop any one entering " she won't be disturbed trust me Robert " he said standing with his arms folded across his chest as he waited. He could hear Brian and Robert inside but knew it was private things they were talking about. But he did know it was about Khaat and the virus that was seeming to spread.

"I know," Robert said. "I need to leave this to you and Brian, though. I really do have to go back to work. I'll be down in the potions lab if you need me." He left and went downstairs, asking Hannah to clean up the cheesecake. She came in, and Brian told Steven he was going to get the paperwork from his own office to work on at Khaat's desk while she slept.

He was only gone a few minutes and came back and double checked on her and made himself at home at her desk. He wasn't saying anything, but he was getting concerned as to how much the green rash was spreading, and her fever was becoming more resistant to his control. He didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to try to make others believe she was well. Her attempts were becoming more and more difficult to pull off.

"Steven," Brian finally sighed, "You and Jack both realize that I do have to depend on the rest of you to keep my kids and my house safe, right? I mean, without much help from Robert and me, right? I don't foresee my being able to leave her. You and I both know she's getting sicker by the day. I don't think I can have her here around the clock and not be here with her. And I don't want my kids to start thinking we're never coming back."