As soon as Walter left the room we all turned to Anders. "Is he going to be OK?" I asked Marks.
"I'm fine." Said Anders shrugging off Marks' assistance and struggling to his feet. "Fine."
"Oh thank goodness." I said then the last of the adrenalin which had been holding me upright for the past, had it only been five minutes?, ran out and my knees began to wobble. If Burnadett hadn't locked his arm tight about my shoulders, I probably would have gone down like a ton of bricks.
"Wup! Steady there now. A little help here Victoria?"
Seras was on me like a shot wrapping her arms about my waist and pulling me against her tiny frame. So strong, I thought.
"Sorry I'm a bit..." I looked down at my hands, they were shaking uncontrollably. I clasped them tightly in front of me and squeezed my eyes shut. "Oh God." I whispered.
"Corrine?" Came Burnadett's voice laced with concern.
"I'm so sorry." I said. I took a sobbing breath. "How you must hate me."
I felt warm, rough hands cover mine. "Chanson, look at me."
I shook my head unable to look any of them in the eye, unwilling to see their revulsion. How could they not hate me for what had just happened?
"Corrine Doyle, you will open your eyes and face me." He commanded.
I sighed and looked up at him trying to be brave.
"And why exactly is it that we 'must' hate you?"
"Because of what happened tonight."
"Which part of tonight? The part where you gave us the lovely party or the part where you faced down a vampire to protect our sorry hides hmm?"
"But."
"And this reminds me." He said turning to Anders. "When I say stow it, you stow it! Any fool could see he was just spoiling for an excuse and you handed it right to him, mouthing off to Sir Integra like that. What the hell possessed you?"
I had a pretty good idea. "No, but this is all my fault, I dragged you into this, I'm the one who almost got you all killed."
The captain snorted. "Dragged me into it she says, as if anyone could drag me anywhere I did not want to go. Besides, I doubt it would have come to that. Alucard is dangerous but he is also bound by some very tight restrictions. He would not have done Anders any permanent harm."
"Then why the guns?"
"Because, even if he is an idiot, Anders is one of my men and nobody, but nobody, dicks with one of my men."
"But still."
"But nothing Corrine." Barked Marks. "For all that he plays the popinjay for you ladies the Captain is not a total fool. He knows when to push and he knows when to back down. Besides, that butler would have stepped in sooner had he thought danger was imminent."
"I suppose.."
"Corporal Marks' gushing praise aside, he is right. Although I must admit I had my misgivings when monsieur Walter spoke up, he rarely intervenes."
Marks nodded his agreement ignoring his sudden demotion. "I was watching him Corrine and he was watching you and, for the most part, he seemed more curious than concerned. I think he wanted to see what you would do."
I nibbled my lower lip thinking about the brief glimpse I had had of Alucard's true nature and the look in Walter's eyes when he thought about joining the vampire's game. They did not understand. I myself, was only just beginning to understand about the game.
"So you see Chanson, a tempest in a pot, nothing more."
Still brooding on Alucard's game, I shook my head and muttered something about teapots and Arch Duke Ferdinand.
"Acht drollig!" Marks said turning to Burnadett. "She seems quite determined that we hate her."
"Tsk. Seems foolish to antagonize the men with the guns but if she insists... There are of course so many lovely spots to hide the corpse down here."
"What?" I asked, as their words sank in to my brain fog.
"Wait." Shouted Zelig. "Don't you make a mess in my grotto!"
"Bah!" Said Marks.
"It's just so hard to get bloodstains out of marble." Said Zelig. "Remember Somalia?"
"Excellent point private." Said Burnadett. "Fetch me more towels."
I narrowed my eyes and harrumphed at them then poked at Seras who was snickering into the back of my neck. "Not funny." I hissed.
"It's a little funny." She giggled.
"Gee, I'm going to miss you Corrine." said Sherman who was helping Zelig with the towels.
Anders snorted with disgust as he pulled me from Seras' grip (not too hard a task as she was only holding me with one hand because the other was covering her mouth to smother her laughter) and dragged me over to a bench to examine my leg.
"That's the spirit Anders." said Burnadett as the medic placed a towel under my feet and began to pull gauze and a suture kit from his bag. "But aren't the bandages rather pointless, all things considered." Anders simply gave them the long suffering look of a seminary student trapped in a frat house and started cleaning my wounds.
Marks leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear. "Would you like a blindfold leibst?"
"No fraternizing with the enemy!" Said Burnadett.
"Oh yes, I forget, that's your job isn't it?" Said Marks wryly.
"What! Never!"
"Budapest."
"OK, OK, one time. But she was very pretty." He smiled wistfully and sighed then shook his head. "Speaking of which, where were we?"
"Blindfold." Said Marks.
"Right!" Said Burnadett rummaging through his pockets. "Ah," He said pulling out two long silk scarves. "Would you prefer the red or the black Chanson?"
"I don't even want to know why you have those in your pocket." Said Seras.
"They go with the handcuffs." He said grinning wickedly at her.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"And the feather duster."
"Feath..? No, I don't want to know."
"I will show you shall I Petit?"
"No."
"Are you sure? I think the black one would suit you nicely."
"No!"
He shrugged. "Another time perhaps." He tuned to me "Chanson? You will look lovely in either."
I smiled up at him winsomely, warming to the game. "That depends," I said "Are you shooting me or propositioning me?"
Burnadett grinned delighted.
"Ha! That's our girl." Said Marks.
"Wait!" Shouted Stewart. "If we shoot her, who is going to make the brownies?"
"Hadn't thought of that." Said Sherman.
"But, we was promised brownies." Grumped Griffin.
"And biscuits!" Chimed Zelig.
"This is true." Said the captain. "I don't suppose Victoria here could..?"
"Fat chance."
"This is a quandary."
"Perhaps if we didn't shoot her but locked her up in the barracks." Suggested Stewart.
"And chained her to the stove." Said Griffin.
"So she can bake me brownies!" Added Zelig.
"You mean us." Corrected Stewart.
"We'll see." Said Zelig. "But what should we do with her when we are sleeping? She may try to escape."
"I volunteer my room!" Said Marks.
"Now wait a minute." I said.
"Me too." Said Stewart.
"Now who's fraternizing with the enemy?" Said Burnadett.
"But she is so very pretty." Said Marks.
"You know," Said Griffin. "I've seen movies that start like this...Now, about those chains"
"Arrghh!"
"You wish to add to the conversation Chanson?"
"Is death still an option?"
"Sorry, no."
"Drat."
"There is, however, one final option we have yet to explore."
"That being?"
"You could stop feeling sorry for yourself and let the men with the guns not hate you any more."
I winced at the truth of his statement. "I was wallowing a bit there wasn't I?"
"Oui, a bit."
"Then why play along?"
Instead of answering me he turned to Anders. "Almost done there carabin?"
Anders nodded as he tied off a suture. "They look worse than they are but they're pretty deep."
"Ah," I said. "Distraction."
He shrugged lighting up yet another one of his ever present Turkish cigarettes. "Couldn't have you fretting all girly like while Anders was patching you up."
"Girly like?"
"Yes, you know, all womanish and weepy."
"Why you chauvinistic little...You come over here and I'll show you weepy!"
"Finished." said Anders. taping up my bandage.
Startled, I looked down at Anders then back up to the Captain. Who was gazing at me with remarkable innocence.
I shook my head smiling. Normally I hate being 'managed' but you had to admire his style.
I looked back down at Anders who was packing up his bag. "Thank you." I said. He grunted and continued packing. I bent down lower so I could whisper in his ear. "I know what it's like to feel helpless against the carnage. To feel powerless and afraid but you didn't give up. You jumped in that pool and saved me because that's what you do. You fight to save lives." His hand stilled over his bag but he said nothing. "Please don't give up. They need you. They.." But I wasn't sure what else to say.
"The cuts are clean but You should have Dr. Levin check them in the morning." He said still not looking up at me. "I wouldn't worry about scars." He slid his suture kit into his bag then placed a small plastic cylinder on my knee. I Picked it up and read the label. 'Wound Be Gone. Liquid antiseptic bandage.' "For bigger cuts." He said.
"Ah." I said blushing. "Clever." I held out the tube to him. "Truce?"
"Truce." He said accepting my offering. He finally looked up at me with the same sweet/sad look in his eyes I first saw that night in the theater. As if liking me against his will. He stood up, put the tube in the bag, sealed the clasp then walked away without another word.
I understood perfectly.
"I'm fine." Said Anders shrugging off Marks' assistance and struggling to his feet. "Fine."
"Oh thank goodness." I said then the last of the adrenalin which had been holding me upright for the past, had it only been five minutes?, ran out and my knees began to wobble. If Burnadett hadn't locked his arm tight about my shoulders, I probably would have gone down like a ton of bricks.
"Wup! Steady there now. A little help here Victoria?"
Seras was on me like a shot wrapping her arms about my waist and pulling me against her tiny frame. So strong, I thought.
"Sorry I'm a bit..." I looked down at my hands, they were shaking uncontrollably. I clasped them tightly in front of me and squeezed my eyes shut. "Oh God." I whispered.
"Corrine?" Came Burnadett's voice laced with concern.
"I'm so sorry." I said. I took a sobbing breath. "How you must hate me."
I felt warm, rough hands cover mine. "Chanson, look at me."
I shook my head unable to look any of them in the eye, unwilling to see their revulsion. How could they not hate me for what had just happened?
"Corrine Doyle, you will open your eyes and face me." He commanded.
I sighed and looked up at him trying to be brave.
"And why exactly is it that we 'must' hate you?"
"Because of what happened tonight."
"Which part of tonight? The part where you gave us the lovely party or the part where you faced down a vampire to protect our sorry hides hmm?"
"But."
"And this reminds me." He said turning to Anders. "When I say stow it, you stow it! Any fool could see he was just spoiling for an excuse and you handed it right to him, mouthing off to Sir Integra like that. What the hell possessed you?"
I had a pretty good idea. "No, but this is all my fault, I dragged you into this, I'm the one who almost got you all killed."
The captain snorted. "Dragged me into it she says, as if anyone could drag me anywhere I did not want to go. Besides, I doubt it would have come to that. Alucard is dangerous but he is also bound by some very tight restrictions. He would not have done Anders any permanent harm."
"Then why the guns?"
"Because, even if he is an idiot, Anders is one of my men and nobody, but nobody, dicks with one of my men."
"But still."
"But nothing Corrine." Barked Marks. "For all that he plays the popinjay for you ladies the Captain is not a total fool. He knows when to push and he knows when to back down. Besides, that butler would have stepped in sooner had he thought danger was imminent."
"I suppose.."
"Corporal Marks' gushing praise aside, he is right. Although I must admit I had my misgivings when monsieur Walter spoke up, he rarely intervenes."
Marks nodded his agreement ignoring his sudden demotion. "I was watching him Corrine and he was watching you and, for the most part, he seemed more curious than concerned. I think he wanted to see what you would do."
I nibbled my lower lip thinking about the brief glimpse I had had of Alucard's true nature and the look in Walter's eyes when he thought about joining the vampire's game. They did not understand. I myself, was only just beginning to understand about the game.
"So you see Chanson, a tempest in a pot, nothing more."
Still brooding on Alucard's game, I shook my head and muttered something about teapots and Arch Duke Ferdinand.
"Acht drollig!" Marks said turning to Burnadett. "She seems quite determined that we hate her."
"Tsk. Seems foolish to antagonize the men with the guns but if she insists... There are of course so many lovely spots to hide the corpse down here."
"What?" I asked, as their words sank in to my brain fog.
"Wait." Shouted Zelig. "Don't you make a mess in my grotto!"
"Bah!" Said Marks.
"It's just so hard to get bloodstains out of marble." Said Zelig. "Remember Somalia?"
"Excellent point private." Said Burnadett. "Fetch me more towels."
I narrowed my eyes and harrumphed at them then poked at Seras who was snickering into the back of my neck. "Not funny." I hissed.
"It's a little funny." She giggled.
"Gee, I'm going to miss you Corrine." said Sherman who was helping Zelig with the towels.
Anders snorted with disgust as he pulled me from Seras' grip (not too hard a task as she was only holding me with one hand because the other was covering her mouth to smother her laughter) and dragged me over to a bench to examine my leg.
"That's the spirit Anders." said Burnadett as the medic placed a towel under my feet and began to pull gauze and a suture kit from his bag. "But aren't the bandages rather pointless, all things considered." Anders simply gave them the long suffering look of a seminary student trapped in a frat house and started cleaning my wounds.
Marks leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear. "Would you like a blindfold leibst?"
"No fraternizing with the enemy!" Said Burnadett.
"Oh yes, I forget, that's your job isn't it?" Said Marks wryly.
"What! Never!"
"Budapest."
"OK, OK, one time. But she was very pretty." He smiled wistfully and sighed then shook his head. "Speaking of which, where were we?"
"Blindfold." Said Marks.
"Right!" Said Burnadett rummaging through his pockets. "Ah," He said pulling out two long silk scarves. "Would you prefer the red or the black Chanson?"
"I don't even want to know why you have those in your pocket." Said Seras.
"They go with the handcuffs." He said grinning wickedly at her.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"And the feather duster."
"Feath..? No, I don't want to know."
"I will show you shall I Petit?"
"No."
"Are you sure? I think the black one would suit you nicely."
"No!"
He shrugged. "Another time perhaps." He tuned to me "Chanson? You will look lovely in either."
I smiled up at him winsomely, warming to the game. "That depends," I said "Are you shooting me or propositioning me?"
Burnadett grinned delighted.
"Ha! That's our girl." Said Marks.
"Wait!" Shouted Stewart. "If we shoot her, who is going to make the brownies?"
"Hadn't thought of that." Said Sherman.
"But, we was promised brownies." Grumped Griffin.
"And biscuits!" Chimed Zelig.
"This is true." Said the captain. "I don't suppose Victoria here could..?"
"Fat chance."
"This is a quandary."
"Perhaps if we didn't shoot her but locked her up in the barracks." Suggested Stewart.
"And chained her to the stove." Said Griffin.
"So she can bake me brownies!" Added Zelig.
"You mean us." Corrected Stewart.
"We'll see." Said Zelig. "But what should we do with her when we are sleeping? She may try to escape."
"I volunteer my room!" Said Marks.
"Now wait a minute." I said.
"Me too." Said Stewart.
"Now who's fraternizing with the enemy?" Said Burnadett.
"But she is so very pretty." Said Marks.
"You know," Said Griffin. "I've seen movies that start like this...Now, about those chains"
"Arrghh!"
"You wish to add to the conversation Chanson?"
"Is death still an option?"
"Sorry, no."
"Drat."
"There is, however, one final option we have yet to explore."
"That being?"
"You could stop feeling sorry for yourself and let the men with the guns not hate you any more."
I winced at the truth of his statement. "I was wallowing a bit there wasn't I?"
"Oui, a bit."
"Then why play along?"
Instead of answering me he turned to Anders. "Almost done there carabin?"
Anders nodded as he tied off a suture. "They look worse than they are but they're pretty deep."
"Ah," I said. "Distraction."
He shrugged lighting up yet another one of his ever present Turkish cigarettes. "Couldn't have you fretting all girly like while Anders was patching you up."
"Girly like?"
"Yes, you know, all womanish and weepy."
"Why you chauvinistic little...You come over here and I'll show you weepy!"
"Finished." said Anders. taping up my bandage.
Startled, I looked down at Anders then back up to the Captain. Who was gazing at me with remarkable innocence.
I shook my head smiling. Normally I hate being 'managed' but you had to admire his style.
I looked back down at Anders who was packing up his bag. "Thank you." I said. He grunted and continued packing. I bent down lower so I could whisper in his ear. "I know what it's like to feel helpless against the carnage. To feel powerless and afraid but you didn't give up. You jumped in that pool and saved me because that's what you do. You fight to save lives." His hand stilled over his bag but he said nothing. "Please don't give up. They need you. They.." But I wasn't sure what else to say.
"The cuts are clean but You should have Dr. Levin check them in the morning." He said still not looking up at me. "I wouldn't worry about scars." He slid his suture kit into his bag then placed a small plastic cylinder on my knee. I Picked it up and read the label. 'Wound Be Gone. Liquid antiseptic bandage.' "For bigger cuts." He said.
"Ah." I said blushing. "Clever." I held out the tube to him. "Truce?"
"Truce." He said accepting my offering. He finally looked up at me with the same sweet/sad look in his eyes I first saw that night in the theater. As if liking me against his will. He stood up, put the tube in the bag, sealed the clasp then walked away without another word.
I understood perfectly.
