25 The Hospital

As they stepped out of the carriage Delaney looked up at the looming hospital building with tiny snowflakes swirling through the air around it. She felt a shiver crawl up her spine. This was not a welcoming place.

Cora took Delaney's hand in her warm one and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. Delaney looked down at her worried blue eyes and tried to force a smile to her face.

"Come on," Miles said gruffly, heading for the door. He opened it for them and Delaney and Cora slipped inside the dimly lit hospital beyond.

The first thing Delaney noticed was the smell, like unwashed bodies and strong soap. She stopped cold as she heard a loud crying from somewhere in the building and other sounds of people in pain. She looked up at Miles who looked panicked himself which did nothing to steady her nerves.

"Lord Adair," an older woman spoke as she walked up to them, carrying stacks of white towels, "Have you come back to see your brother?"

"I have," he nodded but his voice was raspy.

"Well, I can take you back to his room," she forced a small smile but her eyes gave away her pity, "There can only be three people at a time though and you know your friend is already there."

Miles looked down at Cora desperately. Delaney knew he wanted her with him. Knowing it as well, Cora stepped around Delaney to him and took both of his hands in hers with a squeeze and a smile.

"It'll be alright," she assured him, "I'll wait here and when Duncan leaves I can join you. Vincent will be happier to see you and Delaney anyways."

Miles swallowed and nodded before meeting Delaney's eyes, "Are you ready?"

Delaney hesitated, biting her lip. The older woman watched them with eyes of understanding. She did not try to hurry them. Finally, Delaney nodded and Miles offered her his arm. They walked off down a hallway and she gave one last look over her shoulder at Cora who gave her a little wave before they turned a corner.

Delaney lifted her skirt as they went up two flights of stairs. All around them were sounds of men, women, and children. Some were crying, some were calling for help, others made noises unlike anything she'd heard before.

Wooden doors lined the stone hallway, most closed now. When the older woman stopped in front of a particular door, Delaney's grip on Miles's arm tightened. He studied her face but couldn't hide his own fear and worry to make her feel better. Delaney knew this was something they were facing together. Miles was lucky because at least he already knew what was behind the door.

"He's been sleeping for a time," the woman spoke, "The doctor gave him something to help with his pain and force him into sleep." She hesitated then and looked at Delaney for a moment before turning her eyes back to Miles. "I imagine he'll be waking up soon," she continued, "I'm not sure if the lady will want to... be there... for that."

Miles nodded, "I will take care of it."

"Well alright then," The woman looked from one of them to the other before saying goodbye and continuing on down the hall back the way they had come.

Miles stepped to the door but stopped, hesitating with his hand over the latch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Delaney watched then as he stood up straight, relaxed his face, and opened the door with a look of confidence she knew he didn't have at the moment.

They stepped into a room, lit by candles and warmed by a small wood stove in the corner. Delaney saw Duncan first, leaning against the opposite wall with his arms folded over his chest. The red-headed man looked as worn and worried as Miles.

Relief flooded his face when he saw Miles but when he noticed Delaney beside him, the man's eyes shot back to Miles in surprise. "You brought her here? But what about your Mother?"

"I stopped to tell Cora and she insisted we tell Delaney," Miles whispered, "I didn't get to Edgewood to tell mother."

"I'll go there now to tell her then," Duncan nodded, whispering too, "In case... in case the worse happens, she'll want to be here."

Miles thanked him and Duncan left, leaving Miles and Delaney to look on at the bed in the middle of the room and the form on it. Delaney felt her heart pounding in her chest. Miles saw her fear and patted her hand lightly before stepping forward with her.

The man in the bed was naked save for a blanket covering everything from his belly to his thighs. Only one thigh was uncovered, bandaged in white, blood that seemed too dark was seeping through. There was the same bandaging and blood on his torso and shoulder. His whole body was glistening with sweat and covered in scratches and bruises.

Spreading out from the bandages were webs of raised, angry, red marks. They were something like a mix of a scar and a burn. They worked down his thigh, tapering off before reaching his knee. The same marks spread from the bandage on his torso across his muscled abdomen and towards the bottom of his rib cage.

Delaney's gaze went to the bandage on his shoulder, right under his collarbone. The web of marks spread upwards, up his neck, along the underside of his chin, and continued on. His face was turned away from them as he slept so Delaney couldn't see if they were on his face or not but she knew they must be.

Pressing her hands over her mouth, Delaney shook her head. Vincent groaned in his sleep and the sound made her jump. She looked at Miles who was watching his brother with worry. They both watched Vincent as he moaned louder and began to shift around. Then, he turned his head towards them in his sleep.

As soon as she could see his face Delaney gasped and stepped backward, tripping over a stool she hadn't noticed and sending it toppling over. The sound scared Vincent out of his sleep, his eyes flying open and looking wildly about in fear.

When his eyes landed on Delaney they widened in horror and he turned to look at Miles, giving Delaney a complete view of his face in the light. The marks spread their tendrils up his neck, into the hair at the base of his neck, behind his ear, and worst, over the side of his face.

Lines ran over his cheek, under his eye, and ending right before the bridge of his nose. Another barely missed the outside of his eye but cut through his eyebrow and onto his forehead. One made it's way to the side of the bottom of his nose. The line she had seen on his chin had its pronged tails ending on the bottom of his other cheek.

A cry escaped Delaney as soon as she saw his grotesque markings.

Vincent glanced at her again before looking at his brother in bewilderment. "Why would you bring her here?" he questioned, his voice hoarse.

"I... well... she wanted to come to see you so I..."

"So you brought her?" Vincent's shouted at his brother but the effort made him cough. He cried out in pain and curled over, clutching his side where the wound was. Delaney could only watch, frozen in fear.

"Vince I just..."

"Why would you bring her here to see me like this?" Vincent almost sobbed, closing his bloodshot eyes tightly against the pain, "Why would I want anyone to see me like this?"

"I just thought that maybe seeing her might..."

"You didn't think," Vincent roared in anger then, grabbing a ceramic cup off the table by his bed and throwing it at his brother. Miles ducked and the cup shattered against the wall. "You didn't think or you would've known not to bring anyone here! Especially not her! I look like a goddamn monster, you idiot!"

Miles mouth was open, eyes wide in fear as he watched as Vincent fell to his side and pressed his face into his pillow. He yelled out in pain, the pillow only able to muffle so much, Miles and Delaney both jumped.

"Vince," Miles whispered, tears in his voice, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I just thought seeing her might... might cheer you up..."

"How the hell was this supposed to cheer me up?" Vincent hissed in anger, looking at Miles with fury in his eyes, "I'm in this godforsaken hospital dying and you think it will cheer me up for you to bring the beautiful woman I was betrothed to here so I can die knowing my horrible appearance will haunt her nightmares forever? Tell me Miles! Was that your brilliant plan?"

He cried out again then and curled over on himself against the pain. Sweat was pouring from him and the marks seemed even redder than they had before. He pressed his forehead against the mattress and tried to choke back the wail that came from him.

"Delaney," came a whisper from behind her, and Delaney spun around to see a horrified looking Cora standing in the doorway.

"Vince, I can go find the doctor for you alright? Do you want me to go find him?" Miles tried desperately.

"I want you to take your goddamn sword and put it through my chest," Vincent choked out, writhing in pain in the bed, his eyes pressed closed, "Why would you do this?"

Delaney felt a sob of her own escape her before she could catch it, looking at this tortured creature before her.

"Vince please," Miles tried, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks as he shook his head in loss, "I can't do that. Please don't ask us to do that."

"Leave me your sword then," he snapped, looking up at Miles again. He was like something from Hell with his bloodshot eyes, angry red marks on his face, covered in sweat, and crying out in agony.

"I can't..."

"Then take her," Vincent jabbed a finger in Delaney's direction, "And get the hell out of here."

"Vince..."

"Get out!"

He was so loud and angry Delaney didn't wait for Miles but spun around, grabbing Cora's arm, and rushed from the room. Delaney all but ran down the hallway, hearing Vincent cry out behind her as she did. She did not stop until they were back inside the carriage, far from the gruesome man that had once been her handsome future husband.