Marriage is Murder

Brian had slept all night, that was true, but s much as he was too far asleep to get a muscle to move, he was starting to feel pain. A lot of it, and it was fast moving, gaining momentum.

The pain in his head was like nothing he'd ever felt. He woke, screaming, clutching at his head, wishing he'd just die and get it overwith. He wasn't sure what the rushing sensation was, but it was unlike anything he'd ever known.

Robert was up, and was just about to pour a cup of tea from the tea tray that the crew had delivered. He heard the screaming, recognized Brian's voice, and immediately dropped the mug on the floor, wanting to get to Brian at once. He raced down the hallway.

Khaat was up. She hadn't slept, really. She heard the screaming and had run across the hall the instant she heard his voice starting to rise. She wanted to remove his pain, but neither of her hands would move.

Robert burst in behind her. "Don't touch him!" Robert said to Jess to stop her. "Jack, don't let her touch him. You don't know what this is." He looked at Khaat, "And you have to move out of my way. You can't help me. Marcus, get her out of my way."

Marcus wrapped one strong arm around her waist and drew her back to unblock Robert's path. Robert went around and put both his hands on Brian's head. He felt Brian resisting, not wanting to chance anyone would take this pain on themselves.

"Let it go, Brian," Robert said with a steady calmness that seemed to almost be completely illogical to the situation. "You've got to give it to me. You're making it worse by holding onto it. Let it go."

Brian had intended to resist Robert, but Robert was strong, and Brian's pain was even stronger. It was intolerable. Any ability he thought he had to deal with it collapsed, and when Brian's resolve gave way, Robert took hold of Brian's pain with tremendous force. Robert winced, not quite as prepared as he had intended to be for the amount of pain that Brian was dealing with. Robert drew off the pain as quickly as he could to try to keep Brian from getting sick.

"Jess," he said to her quietly, "Now--if you would, please, A strong calming spell for him. That should do it." He wanted Brian's mind and his body to have to relax. If he was right, Brian would start to feel better at once.

Jess looked up as Brian cried out she was about to go to him when Robert burst in telling ehr not to touch him , no sooner as he did Jack grabbed her hands and pulled them away from Brian moving her to once side as they both watched Robert work. Once he called for her assistance Jack let her go and she walked over placing her hands on Brian's temple she sent a calming spell into him. Soon she felt him relax and she looked at Robert " so what happened?" she asked wanting to know more f or if or when it happened again.

Jack stood back off to one side his arms folded across his chest as he watched them both working on Brian. " did that have something to do with his memories coming back?" Jack asked now leaning against the wall.

Robert didn't reply to Jess.  He didn't seem to even hear her. He merely turned and left abruptly.  Standing in the doorway, though, Jeffrey had seen the whole thing, and he was livid. He had heard the screaming, had come on the run, and had seen Robert working. Now Jeffrey was angry.

"That's exactly what happened," Jeffrey said quietly, not wanting to be outwardly upset in front of Brian.  "The healing spells kicked in, and it jogged him not only physically but jogged his memories and his emotions. Its not a common reaction, but it can happen. So, now he knows.  He remembers, and to remember what you believed was your own death is something most people never get past. Most of the people I've worked with who have experienced that simply go crazy. Its too much for most folks. That moment you just saw, for him, as more than anyone should have to ever, ever live through. Robert made sure he survived it. You're a seer. Its why Robert couldn't let you touch him. You wouldn't have survived it." He looked at Khaat. "And it would have probably immediately killed you to have to deal with his physical pain, his emotional pain, his memories, all combined with what it would make you relive. He was right about not letting either of you touch him.

"Now, Jess--I need you to merely let Brian rest. He needs to be kept comfortable to get over the shock of so much all at once.  In the meantime, I need to go undo the damage that my dear friend just caused himself.  And, Jess, if you ever even attempt to do what he just did, I will personally bind your magic for life."

He turned and walked out of the room and went over to Robert's cabin where Robert was sitting on the edge of the bed, clearly suffering. Jeffrey was furious with him.

"You are my very dear friend," Jeffrey said quietly, "but if you ever do that again, I will hurt you myself.  I cannot believe I just saw you do what you have told every healer you ever trained not to ever do.  You bloody big idiot!"  

He went over to him. "You didn't draw off one stinking thing from him. You didn't ground a speck of it. You deliberately only transferred all that to yourself because you wanted it to stop immediately and you didn't want to take the time to do it right.

"Well, now you have to put up with me, and you need to let me do this right. I will not do this the way you did."  Jeffrey laid his hands on Robert and began drawing it off properly.

Jess and Jack both watched as Robert turned and left with out a word Jess looked at Jeffery worried until he started to talk about what had happened. Jess sighed and looked at Brian nodding at Jeffery's warning to her " ow don't worry, I saw what it did to Robert and hes more powerful than I." She told him. She also heard Jeffery's orders to let him rest for the night, again she nodded her head and looked at the sleeping Brian in front of her. Jack walked over to her and sat down next to her as Jeffery left the room.

Brant woke to the commotion but stayed in his room until it went quiet then he headed up on deck where he found breakfast and a beautiful day. He looked around and wondered if any one else was around and up yet.

Khaat felt utterly helpless. Her father had been essentially correct. She couldn't move either hand to help Brian, even though she had the skill to do so. She really didn't care what it might have done to her seer's abilities.

Across the hall, Jeffrey wasn't done with Robert. He knew this was about to blow into a big argument, and he didn't want everyone else overhearing every word. He flicked his wand at the door and cast a charm to muffle the words, so that although others outside Robert's room might well hear yelling, they would not be able to distinguish the words.

Jeffrey began to list all of the things he was unhappy with in regards to Robert's health. He was angry and critical of Robert and the way he was not taking care of himself because he was so concerned about his job as the Minister, the chief healer at St Mungos and also his concern for making sure his family was safe.

Jeffrey wasn't going to give Robert any more options. He was not going to let him try to manage it himself anymore because clearly Robert didn't see himself as a priority. He simply told Robert he was taking over for now.

And Robert was fighting angry.

Brant heard the yelling from below and recognized Jeffery's voice and knew to stay out of it. Part of him wondered just what Robert had done and get away with chewing out the minister as he was. Brant always thought Robert was a man that nobody could chew out as he would chew you up and spit you out just as quick but yet there he was stood listening to Jeffery doing what he thought impossible and he frowned in confusion.

Cassidy and Steven walked passed Roberts door and looked at each other. Cassidy wondered where Kate was and why she was letting Jeffery talk to Robert that way. Both looked at each other when he said he was taking over from Robert. " must be bad if Jeffery's taking over" Cassidy said to Steven.

"Not had this happen ever while I worked for them this is a first for me too" he said waiting for Jeffery to appear.

Michael had gotten well accustomed to hearing the sound of Robert's raised angry voice because of the curse, and now it alerted him. He came rather quickly downstairs.

"Damned muffle spell," he cursed. He tried the door and found it locked. For Michael, that was just an annoyance. He opened the locked door with no problem.

"And that's final!" Jeffrey was bellowing.

"Go home!" Robert was shouting at the same time.

"Oh, no, no. You are not getting rid of me that easily...." Jeffrey retorted.

"Hold it," Michael said, "Stop the shouting, and start acting like normal humans. Or I'll seal both of your mouths shut." He shut the door. The shouting died down pretty quickly.

It was nearly another hour before the door opened, but when it did, the yelling had completely stopped.

In the meantime, Brian had slipped into an exhausted sleep.

"There is nothing you can do here," Marcus told Khaat. "And there really isn't anything you can do for your father either. Come with me. We're going to go get some breakfast and do what we need to do. Life doesn't stop because Brian is hurt and your father is pissed." He took her up to breakfast. Kate had clearly heard the yelling as well, but she knew better than to interfere. Michael soon came upstairs alone.

"Are they done?" Kate asked.

"For now," Michael said. "Let's eat and then move on with our day."

Brant looked at Kate and Michael then back to Kate " should we ask what that was about or not?" he asked Steven who chuckled and shook his head.

" if we're meant to know, then they would have told us by now ." he told him" grab breakfast and just relax a little " he added grabbing a plate for Cassidy and himself as he walked back to sit with her. " So Michael all blown over for now?" he asked his voice soft and not threatening but quiet and questioning wanting to know if they should pack to return home early or if they were staying on board.

"Michael," Khaat said. "As my father's employer and his healer of record, he has no right to keep any health information from me. Spill it."

"Should you not ask him?" Michael asked.

"You've not been relieved as his 'handler.' Talk," she said.

He looked at her and a slight smile came across his face. "You really are getting more like Remus every day, you know that?"

"I certainly hope," she said.

"Alright," he said. "Your father deliberately placed himself in harm's way to protect Brian, and the truth is that he's damaged his own physical and magical energies in the process. Jeffrey is outraged that your father didn't send for him when he was cursed months ago. He's not any happier than your father hasn't even thought of starting to work on recovering from the damage the curse caused. Your father has stepped immediately into stopping James and undoing the nightmare at the ministry. It appears that Robert had no intention of changing anything until he settles the werewolves and the marriage law. So, Jeffrey has decided he's not giving your father a choice. He's going to force him into addressing his own needs as well, which actually is the right thing, no matter how much your father wants no part of anyone giving him ultimatums."

"Robert has never accepted an ultimatum in his life," Kate said quietly.

"Well, rarely, anyway," Michael said. "I will have to continue helping him manage his frustration for now, which I presume you will want me to do."

"Since he really isn't letting anyone else do that, then certainly," Kate said.

"He'll be allowed to continue to do what he's been doing, but Jeffrey isn't going to permit him to ignore himself anymore."

Every one stood and listened Brant sighed knowing this was not going to be the last time all this would blow up. "So is this typical of Robert?" he asked and saw the look on Stevens face as he had asked the question. " ah I see " He said and sat down at the table and ate his breakfast. Jack appeared at the top of the stairs and walked over to the table not saying one word about the argument.

"So we still fishing as I would think now would be a good time to do that " he said placing down some fruit and bread on a plate. " Michael and Jeffery have it in hand leave it at that Brant, Khaat that village has a fresh fruit and veg ad fresh fish stall" he said " thinking I might take a look at what else they catch if we don't " he hopped to relax every one again so all the drama could drift away.