Marriage is Murder

"Where Papa?" she finally asked softly, watching the kitten. "Papa here?" She had learned that when everything else seemed to go wrong, her papa made it alright. She hadn't heard her grandfather's voice for awhile, but if he were here, he'd make it alright. "I see Papa?"

In the bedroom, Robert stretched some aching muscles in his neck and shoulders from the hours of surgery. Some of the muscles made annoying crackling noises as he moved. He heard a soft moan. Khaat was waking up a lot sooner than he expected. He got up and went over to her and sat beside her. Her pain intensified and he saw that it soon was feeling out of control for her. He knew this injury was so severe that she might have a great deal of pain for awhile.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, laying his hand on her forehead and drawing off as much as he could. "I know that hurts."

"Oh, you have no clue," she managed in a weak whisper.

"Alright. I'll get you some of the stronger pain potion. I didn't expect you awake quite so soon, so I dont' have it here. You really are going to have to lay still."

"Do I still have my arm?" she asked. "I can't feel it."

"Yes. You are still intact. Your pain in your shoulder is so strong that it is overriding everything else. Hold on and I'll send for the gold potion." She nodded. That disturbed him. She hated pain potions, but for her to accept this strong a potion told him that her pain was far more than she could bear, even with his pain relief spell. "We can ice your shoulder too. That will help a bit," he said.

The gold potion was such a strong pain potion that it was rarely used, and the bottle in Robert's potions lab here was very small because he had figured that if anyone truly needed that level of pain relief, they should be in St. Mungos anyway. And by rights, that was surely true now. He knew he could make more, but he didn't want to leave her that long. He considered sending someone into St. Mungos to Hannah to get more.

Steven smiled " yes hes here and I can take you to see him but he is tired too okay" he said and held out his hand to her " do you want to walk or me to carry you?" he asked staying at her level so not to scare her any more as he sat watching the kitten dancing between them. Gently he picked her up resting her in his arms " okay here we go" he said and carried her out of the nursery to across the hall to where Khaat and Robert were. gently he knocked and pocked his head around " some one wants to see her Papa" he said softly not opening the door wide just yet until Robert was done and Khaat shoulder was covered once more. Walking in he handed Abby to Robert once he was clean again and stepped back. " I think she needs reassurance" he told him. " I found her sat on the floor wrapped in her blanket"

Robert took Abbey from Steven. "Thank you," he said quietly to Steven. "I may need someone to go into St. Mungos for me. I'm going to be short a potion that I need. Ask Brant to find the little bottle of gold potion in the lab. Thats the one I"m going to need more of." He knew he had the ingredients for it, but he didn't have time to make it.

He wrapped Abbey close to him in a hug and kissed her. "I'm sorry you were scared, Sweetheart," he said softly. "But everything is alright."

"I hate doggies," she said hiding her face in her papa's chest.

"Yeah. I know. Some days I do too," he sighed.

"He take my mama and gam."

"No," he said softly. "Now listen. They're going to be alright. Mama is here. Gam is in her room...."

"Doggies bite them, Papa!" she was upset.

"No," he said calmly. "No, they didn't. They used their claws. They didn't bite. Abbey, sometimes we get hurt. Thats why some of us are healers. You want to sit with me. Give Mama a minute and then you can see her. And if Gam is up to it, you can see her too. Would you feel better if you could see them?"

"I no like any doggies," she said.

"You dont have to like them," he said, knowing she was just upset.

Steven let Robert take Abby and nodded " the extra strong pain potion I know that one I'll go and fetch more from the hospital" he said then headed down to leave them alone , Finding Brant he nodded and headed out to the lab while Steven headed to the hospital . Jess Woke with a start and sighed finding she was still alone and foot steps moved up and down the hall outside her door. Wrapping a dressing gown around her she headed out to see what was all the commotion and saw Abby and Robert in Khaats room. "

" everything okay?" she asked as she gently pushed open the door and walked in she smiled at Abby " couldn't sleep ether huh" she said softly to her.

"We're fine," Robert said softly, stroking Abbey's hair. "I think we're just mad now. She got scared, and now she's mad. I know how she feels. Sometimes I don't like 'doggies' much either." He paused and looked at Jess.

"Don't draw off any more of her pain, Jess. Its too much. I've sent for the gold potion. I'm going to have to either send to St. Mungos for more or I'm going to have to get time to go downstairs to make more. Its the only thing that is going to even remotely contain the pain."

He knew Jess would understand that if Khaat's pain was strong enough to need the gold potion, then this was going to need a great deal of care. He hadn't checked on Kate for awhile, but when he'd been with her, Kate was dealing well with standard spells and potions. He was starting to worry less about her than he was about Khaat right now.

And then he heard Abbey's stomach growl loudly--just about the same time his own stomach growled.

"Papa, when we eat?" Abbey asked very softly.

"Whenever Uncle Michael says its ready," Robert said. "Probably soon."

Jess looked at Khaat and sighed " I can feel it , every fiber wants me to take it away but yes , has some one gone for it?" she asked then stopped and smiled " ah Steven did" she said not feeling him in the house. Jess chuckled hearing both tummy's rumble " I'l go and check how long food will be" she said smiling. Jess left the room and headed to find Michael . " I have two hungry people upstairs who want to know when the food will be ready" she asked as she moved into the kitchen looking for him. Jess took out a tray and laid on it some cups one Abby's own sippy cup and she filled it with juice for her, the other filled with tea as she waited for the food so she could take it up to both of them.

"It should be arriving any time," Michael said. Angus came downstairs, not quite awake. He seemed to be rattled. "Wake up first, Boy," Michael said. "The place isn't on fire. We really are quite alright."

"But...we're behind...you let me sleep...i have to...."

"Calm hyourself," Michael said looking directly into his face. "I've got this. Did you think I'd let us starve? It should be here any moment."

"What?" Angus looked blank.

"I ordered out."

"What?" Angus was just as blank. Michael poured him a cup of French Roast.

"Here. Wake up first. I have serving platters to get out and a table to finish setting," Michael said. "I'll let you know as soon as it gets here, Jess. It shouldn't be more than a few more minutes. You could get them to send the kids out to the table soon."

Jess smiled and nodded " okay I'll let the nursery staff know to bring them down " she said and moved back up to Robert and Abby in Khaats room " shouldn't be much longer , Michael ordered out" she said and smiled to Abby handing her her sippy cup " I did bring her a drink to tide her over" she said and smiled " if you want to go down I'll sit with Khaat " she said softly thought Michael did say it would be soon and he'd let me know" Steven returned with a n extra large bottle of pain potion in gold walking up to the bed room he met up with Brant who held a smaller one. Walking in they both looked at Robert.

" sorry had to hunt for it , it was on a high shelf" Brant said handing Robert the small bottle as Steven placed the larger bottle next to Khaat's bed.

"Thank you," Robert said, as Abbey took her cup. The juice seemed to appease her for the moment. "Jess, take her for a moment, please?" He handed Abbey to Jess and took both bottles of gold potion and went over to Khaat with them. He put put the larger one aside, and opened the smaller one and poured a dose into a small cup. "Here," he said. "This will cut it," he promised her. He fed it to her carefully. She was desperate enough to be rid of the pain that she didn't care about the side effects of it.

Her head started to spin instantly and she got sleepy. She felt herself floating, as if she were lighter than air. It was the rather drugged effect the potion had. She closed her eyes when everything blurred in front of her. The pain deadened significantly. She was more grateful for the relief than she could express.

"Better?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said very softly.

"Good," he replied. "You know the rules with this. You don't try to use magic, and you stay in bed. Understood?"

"Yes," she said, starting to fall into a very light sleep.

"Well done, then," he said. "Someone will be here." At that point, she didn't really care. All she cared about was that she didn't hurt for the moment. Robert walked aaway, letting her rest. "That is definitely better," Robert said. Robert was starting to smell food now, but he couldn't place what it was. It just smelled like a hot comforting meal. "I think whatever he sent out for must have arrived. I can smell something."

Jess took Abby and held her letting her drink as she stood watching Robert she felt the release as Khaat too the pain potion and slipped into a relax sleep " its working Robert her pain is less now" she said softly then came the warm inviting smell " hey Abby want to head down and get some food?" she asked softly anticipating her to want Robert to come with them as she held her close. Steven smelt it too and his tummy growled to.

" oops sorry, it seems I'm hungry as well" he said and chuckled as Brant turned to look at him and chuckled as well .

" sounded like you swallowed a bear in there " he said and Steven laughed as he moved to the door.

" well I feel I could eat an whole one" he said as he dove out the door and down stairs leaving Brant to shake his head in disbelief.