Chapter 33 Blood and Panic

I loud noise was heard from the bedroom. A mumble was heard shortly afterwards so Josh looked at Sam and shrugged. "Marie? You ok in there? I know you were going to go in the VR game world but I didn't like that sound. Marie? Hello? Listen I know you are not happy with us right now but please let me know you can hear me. Ok, I dont want to look in without your reply but you are about to give me no choice. If you are changing, I am sorry for this but the silence treatment will not prevent me from looking in on you." Josh said as he walked closer to the door. "Also I will take the bodyguard job and leave Sam the husband role. It would be better for him to marry you and we be a trio. Will you allow me time with you to though even if I am not your husband? Marie?"

Josh stuck his head in looked around and then down and saw Marie's hand from the other side of the bed sticking out.

"SAM!!!" Josh yelled too loud as he rush over and dropped to his knees next to Marie.

Sam came rushing in and looked down at Marie. There was a bit of blood on the floor. It looked like she tripped and hit her head on the way down. Multiple footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Sam turned around to see the baker, his wife and Cindy all come into the room armed with whatever they grabbed for defense. The look of confusion crossed their faces when they realized that there was nothing for them to fight.

"We are still secure up here. Marie just tripped and hit her head. There is blood and Josh panicked a bit." Sam said.

The baker's wife went big eyed and handed her marble rolling pin to her husband and walked towards the bedroom right away.

"You little girl go get some towels and a bowl of clean water from downstairs and bring it up here for my wife. Go now, away with ye." The baker said firmly.

"How bad is she hurt Sam?" The baker asked.

Sam just shrugged, "Josh is checking her out right now."

"That man wouldn't know what to look for if it bit him on the arse. Move out of the way so I can see her Sam." The baker's wife said sternly.

"It doesn't look too bad, looks like she hit hard enough to cause some blood out her ear but I can't find anywhere else that is bleeding. The little puddle of blood though is concerning though. What do you think Tammy?" Josh asked.

"Well now, you finally used my name so now I know you are serious about her. Since when did you learn to care about women? We aren't just a wife or girl anymore? If you would move out of the way so I can get a better angle at her I will look closer then arms reach and see if you didn't miss something." Tammy the Baker's wife said with feeling.

"So, he now dares to call my wife by her name huh, things sure change fairly fast it seems. Last I knew he wouldn't even give a woman more than a glance before drooling over a guy and giving only us men respect. Now he is showing my wife respect. Did that drug affect more than just knock him out? Sam? Any thoughts here?" The baker stated and asked.

"He took the bodyguard job to protect Marie. I was talking to him about respect and what our future roles will be then just before we heard a loud noise in here. I am guessing that is what changed his views or something." Sam replied.

"Future roles huh, are you into Josh, Sam? It is ok if you are but don't string Marie along just to break her heart. That girl has been into you for a few years now. If you prefer men you need to tell her so she does not get anymore attached to you then she already is. Also if you don't know my name is Paul." Paul the baker said.

"Nice to meet you Paul. For your information Marie and I have been discussing marriage. I would like to marry her but she is still too young and is considering it. I was talking to Josh about how I expect him to be with Marie if and when she comes to her senses and says yes to my proposal. Right now though that does not matter. I just want Marie to be ok and safe. Josh can make her safe and I am not worried about having a man be in the room with her as I don't have to worry about anything that I normally would have to worry about. I mean she is helpless when in the VR world and to have a man in the room would raise issues for me. Luckly though Josh likes men so it relaxes me knowing she will at least have him even if she turns my proposal down." Sam said with truth and honesty in his voice.

When Josh heard that tone, he glanced over a sec with a raised eyebrow but didn't comment on what was said. He focused on the issue at hand and that was Marie. What caused her to hit her head and be on the floor. Something is clearly wrong with Marie and he did not think that it was just the drug. She was different with how she was acting. Her last statement before she went in the room was so unlike herself that it was concerning. Yes it did get the result I think that was needed but the fact she said things so harsh and shut us both down as if we meant nothing to her was kind of scary. I was actually a bit worried that she might just do what she threatened to do and if so, she would be heartless towards my confessed feelings and towards Sam's love as well. For her to act that way something had to be wrong. Marie was caring and kind. That is what made her different then the other woman around here.

"I can't find any other wounds either. Looks like it is just her ear and after what just happened with her a bit ago, I am not going to touch that blood in any way, shape or form. You though Josh, should be immune so I will move out of the way and let you do your job and take care of her. Also, I am glad you found another job so quickly. That you finally stopped calling me as the baker's wife and actually used some respect towards me by using my name made me happy. Had you of done that sooner, you would have kept your job with us." Tammy said with feeling.

Tammy moved out of the way and Josh moved in with that shirt again. Just then Cindy finally came back with the towels and hot, clean water. She set them on the bed near the edge, so it was close enough for Josh to reach but far enough they won't spill off the bed. Josh reached up and grabbed a towel, got it wet in the hot water and carefully turned Marie's head a touch so he could wipe the blood off her face and then the floor. The care he was showing was shocking to everyone.

"Sam, I think you have some competition for her affection after all. He is looking at Marie like a man completely in love with a woman. I would be shocked to hear that he does not care about her. If he claims that then either he is oblivious or he is lying to himself. Either way he cares about her." Paul said quietly to Sam at almost a whisper.

Apparently, it was loud enough that Cindy and Tammy heard him, but Josh showed no reaction at all to his comments. Cindy went big eyed and looked around. Tammy just nodded her head. All the blood was cleaned up and there were indeed no other signs of damage, no bruising, bleeding or bumps that could be seen, felt or found. We all tried to wake her up and nothing was working.

"I hate to say this, but I do not think that the fall caused her to black out. As a mother I would say she passed out and then fell to the floor. Pretty sure the blood started before she blacked out or as she blacked out and was not caused by the fall either. She could have pressure on her brain which caused the ear rupture and bleed but that much blood means that Marie could be dying right now, and we would not even know until she stops breathing. I miss having power and a phone that could call for help and advice." Tammy said.

"What could cause that?" asked Cindy with concern in her voice.

"Poison, trauma, abuse, drugs and so much more. If it is a clot in the brain, then she will die. The others will depend on the damage and amount. You seem pretty worried right now Cindy. Is there something you need to tell us? Maybe about the VR gear you brought for Marie. Hmmm?" Tammy said with suspicion.

Cindy shook her head. "I didn't do anything to anything. I just packed up what was there and headed out after her like I was told to do. I want to work for her, so I would never harm her."

Sam caught her wording, "Wait a sec what do you mean, you packed up what was there and headed out. Was stuff laid out for packing or something?

Cindy nodded and looked at her feet and shook.

"Josh did you move any of her stuff? I know I didn't and wouldn't mess with anything of hers and she would skin me alive if I even tried. Her stuff is precious to her, and she has so little that is hers other than her books." Sam asked.

"I wish I could say yes, but I was too busy trying to save her those multiple times that I did not have a chance to do any packing or prep work with her stuff. So, I guess we can infer that her stuff was moved and tampered with before Cindy packed it up. The fact that Cindy is ok says that it is something that will affect Marie but not us or has to touch more of our skin then we have touched in order to affect us. I would have never known not to touch her stuff though so thank you for that information. What are we going to do now? Is it safe to move her? Random question, Could she of put her headgear on and started the game and then fell and it knocked it off? Would that cause this sort of thing?" Josh stated and asked.