Marriage is Murder

"Thank you," Robert said. He left quietly and went to Michael's room. "Can't you give it a couple hours before you start hellraising?" he asked Michael.

"I can't stay here. You have no clue..."

"No," Robert said, with an iron firmness. "You don't understand. Alette won't be doing this again."

"What?" Michael asked his eyes filled with fear.

"I'm sorry," Robert said. "There was no choice." There was a long pause while Michael absorbed the news.

"Did she suffer?" Michael asked.

"No," Robert said, not sure that he wasn't lying.

"How?" Michael asked.

"It was self defense," Robert replied.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Not badly enough that I couldn't deal with," Robert said.

"Then it was significant. Who? Who killed her?" Michael demanded. "Was it you?"

"No," Robert said, wanting to be a bit careful. "It was Khaat."

"Oh, God," Michael said, staring up at the ceiling. "How bad is she? I want to see her."

"Michael, give her a bit. She's upset. I'll bring her. I promise. You rest first," Robert said.

"No, you bring her," Michael said. "She's not going to be any better until she sees me, and you know it. Unless you can't bring her?"

"No, I can," Robert sighed. "You rest another hour or so, and I'll see what I can do." He was trying to avoid telling Michael that she was not herself.

Jess stepped back letting Robert into the room and close to the bed she moved to make notes in his medical records about how he'd woke and his reaction to Roberts words. Cassidy looked at them all as Jack stayed at the door to Khaat's room he looked over at Kate. Jess finished her notes and placed it back on the end of the bed then stood listening she could feel how Khaat was and sighed. " I 'll remind him for when you're awake again" she told him.

Michael merely nodded at Jess. Alette was dead. She'd gone after Khaat like she'd gone after him. And Khaat had been hurt somehow. The woman who had gone after him today was not one he even remotely recognized. It wasn't the same woman he'd known. She certainly didn't act like anyone he'd ever known. He couldn't begin to even understand where things had gone wrong. He hadn't even seen it coming. One minute, they were fine. He was taking care of her, trying to get her back up on her feet after a rough patch. And the next, it was worse than any nightmare he'd ever had in his entire life. He had thought he was a dead man.

Robert went back to Khaat. He sat down with her and brushed her hair out of her face. "Khaat," he said softly. "Michael is awake. He's being quite a bastard. He isn't likely to be halfways decent unless he sees you." He waited. She didn't respond. "Khaat," he said. "Come see him with me." He laid his hand on hers and she recoiled. "Oh, so you are in there," he said, seeing her reaction. "Staying away from him isn't going to make it any better. Perhaps he's right. Perhaps you do need to see him after all." He got her up and, whether she liked it or not, he took her down the hallway to his room.

Michael's blood almost ran cold in his veins when he saw her. She looked like hell. Physically and emotionally. Robert sat her on Michael's bed, and Michael drew her against him, into his chest. She was stiff at first and then she gave in and curled into him.

"Leave her with me," Michael said firmly. It wasn't hospital policy, but Robert let her curl up beside Michael in his bed, and he left her there with him.

Jess sat and watched them as Khaat walked in her heart went out to her but she knew sometimes this was best and she said nothing only nodding as Michael asked she be left with him cassidy stayed by the door. Jack looked at Robert and Khaat as they walked down the corridor he followed at a distance but just stayed quiet as he watched with cassidy. There was not much else they could do. " I'll take Kate home if you wish" he asked Robert knowing Khaat would remain with Michael for several hours to come yet . Jack looked at Cassidy who folded her arms to show she was going nowhere just yet and he chuckled " ok cassidy you stay here" he told her softly so not to disterb Khaat and Michael and she nodded sitting back down at the door.

"That's fine," Robert said, "I'll be staying here and I'm sure Brian will too."

Robert kept an eye on his patients, but once Michael and Khaat settled, their great fatigue from their wounds and the blood loss took over and they slept. Robert checked them periodically to be sure they were stable and to be sure that their wounds weren't bleeding through. Twice he had to add more dressings to Khaats wounds and three times he had to add to Michael's. But they were tired enough that nothing woke them.

Robert came back in the wee hours of the morning to find Michael was dressed--well, sort of. He'd borrowed surgical scrubs and was changed and sitting on the edge of the bed. Khaat was still asleep, and it didnt look as if she'd moved.

"Where are you going?" Robert frowned.

"This bed is ungodly uncomfortable. I'm an old man, Robert. If I'm going to feel better, its going to be at home in a bed that is better than this one. And her?" He motioned to Khaat. "I'm taking her with me. She believes I'm going to blame her for this. I can see it in her face. The only way she's going to get past that is if I can talk to her. So, yeah. We're leaving."

"Just walking out of my ICU? Just like that?" Robert asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," Michael said, waking Khaat up gently. She jolted when he touched her. "Its me," he told her quietly. "Come on, get up. We're getting out of here."

"Do I get a vote in this?" Robert asked.

"Did I give you one?" Michael asked.

"I didn't hear you give me one," Robert said.

"Then your ears do still work," Michael got Khaat up and put his arm around her so they could steady each other. "Accio!" Michael accio'd his wand and Khaat's. They flew out of Robert'f jacket pocket.

"You could have asked," Robert frowned.

"Yeah, well, I didn't," Michael said, catching the wands. "Thank you, but stop fussing. We're fine." He apparated out, taking Khaat with him. Robert sighed heavily. This was not what he had wanted at all for either of them.

Jess stayed with Robert when she saw Michael dressing she looked for Robert and sighed listening she stayed behind them as she saw Michael take his and Khaat's wands from Robert's pocket then leave. " do you think they will be ok?" she asked him picking up Michaels and Khaats charts. " one of us could go and check on them later" she said handing him there charts and stripping the bed down to remake it for the next patient. Jack walked over and stood facing him.

" want me and Cassidy to head over and stay with them, undercover of course?" he asked him not really expecting him to say they could as he could tell by his body language he was not happy they had left in the first place.

"Nah," Robert said. "It will be a total waste of energy. He won't go home right now, and he won't take her there--not after what happened there yesterday. And, honestly, I don't have any idea where he would go right now. He'll hide. He knows neither of them are up to even taking care of themselves, much less anyone else. He's got plenty of money, so thats not an issue. He'll either fine some five star accommodation where he can pay for the help they need or he'll find someone he trusts to hide them and help them. Oh, that reminds me. I need to notify Daniella so she can close Alette's case and wipe all Michael's charges off the books. I need to do that straight away so that if he chooses to go to Italy, he's not a wanted man. But first, I do need to tell Brian that Michael has taken her at least long enough to talk with her. Jack, do contact our usual sources to make sure that Alette's burial and memorial will be arranged in our usual manner. Regardless of whatever illness she had at the end, Michael loved her at one time. We will honor her."

Jack and Jess listened and nodded their head " of course. " Jess said and cassidy moved to inform Lee of Roberts instructions. Jack moved to stand with Robert " Cassidy will see to that I'll stay at your side" he said and looked at Jess as the sheets finished the bed.

" I'm fine Jack my shift isn't done yet " she told him and looked at Robert " I'll go right now and speak to Daniella about Alette "Jes stepped forward " she'll have the best Robert" she said softly then moved to leave. Jack stood with him and waited not leaving his side he knew it was more than his job was worth he had learned that the hard way.

For Michael, a very quiet three days passed before he felt much like doing anything. He had taken Khaat to a safe place. He had hidden her. Michael didn't want to attend Alette's funeral or memorial. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel about her now. Khaat had been silent. Entirely. He had hired concierge services to buy anything that they needed. For the first day or so, they lived on fruit and cheese and bread, and a room service dinner.

The second day, he felt a bit more like being up. He encouraged her to be up and to clean up and dress. He ordered room service for them all day the second day. And the third day, he made sure they got at least dressing changes for their wounds. Without a wizarding healer, he had to manage to get ahold of muggle pain remedies, and that didn't exactly agree with either of them. Their wizarding systems weren't used to it.

The third day, he found her out of her room. Out of their suite. He managed to find her. She'd gone down a path through the desert into the wilderness and was just sitting on a rock in the morning sun. She'd chosen just a pair of khaki cargo pants and a baggy sweater. He sat beside her on the rock and handed her an apple.

"Its not your fault, you know," he said softly, biting into his own apple. "I should have seen it sooner. I'm sorry. You should never have been put into any situation alone with her. I honestly did try to take care of it before I bled out that far. I think I wounded her, but I didn't manage to finish it." She looked at him. It hadn't struck her before that he had even attempted to kill her in self defense. "Does that surprise you?" he asked. She nodded. "I cared about her but that was a long time ago. All I had left was nostalgia--and pity. She counted on my having more for her than that. But that died decades ago. I'm a survivor, Khaat. It never occured to me to die for Alette. For you? For your family? That's a different matter. Stop carrying what isn't your burden to bear."

Jack and the others continued their assigned jobs steven tended the animals in the barn as Jess tended the wizards in the hospital Cassidy worked on learning more relaxation techniques and also her cooking was getting better. " so Angus what you teaching me today?" she asked " or what can I help with" she slipped on an apron and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. Jack walked back in from his rounds.

" stupid fence is down again " he looked at Angus " don't worry its just fallen down " he told him " but that whole section needs replacing " he said walking over washing his hands and taking a cup of coffee. " hows Brian today?" he asked glancing back at the stairs. Jack knew he'd have to be missing Khaat he knew the rest of them were and he'd started to wonder when Robert was going to go and get him. each had place a rose at the memorial.