Beauty and the Beast (32 page)

I don’t think anyone will ever hear a performance like this one again! That is pure love he is expressing with that pretty lullaby.”

Jamie smiled, “You should have seen the look on Vincent’s face as he watched Catherine singing that lullaby to Ellie. Their relationship has always been an

inspiration to all of us.”

Diana asked Jamie about the lullaby. “I’ve never heard that piece before. What is it? Did one of your people compose it?”

Jamie smiled at her with sadness. “Actually, that is Catherine’s lullaby. I haven’t heard it since she sang it to Eric’s sister, Ellie, just before she died. There was a Russian stowaway, Dmitri, who came to America desperately seeking his childhood sweetheart, and we tried to help him. What we didn’t know, and neither did Dmitri, was that he was carrying pneumonic plague, and it quickly swept through our community, killing Dmitri and Ellie. Peter sent down medicines for us, and Catherine insisted on bringing them down herself, although we begged her not to. She said that Peter had inoculated her against the plague when she took a trip overseas a few years earlier, but she had not had any boosters since then. She really took her life in her hands coming down to help us. Vincent was completely immune to it, so she and Vincent were able to treat and nurse the rest of us who became sick. She told Vincent that the lullaby she sang to Ellie was one her mother had sung to her when she was little. Cathy thought that her mother must have made it up, because after her mother’s death, Cathy never heard it again.”

Diana smiled, “Well, it is perfectly lovely, especially with Vincent singing it to her.”

Finally, the effects of sleep deprivation and the emotional roller coaster Vincent had been on for the past year took their toll. Vincent was both relieved and elated, but he was also thoroughly exhausted. He carried Catherine back over to the bed and gently settled her back on her pillow, covering her carefully and softly sweeping her hair from her face. Then Vincent lay down on the extra pillow on the huge bed, scooped Catherine into his arms, and pulled her against his body, giving her a lingering tender kiss on the lips as he did so. When Diana and Jamie heard Vincent stop singing, they waited a few minutes and then quietly opened the door to check on the couple. They both heard the deep, soothing rumble as Vincent purred until he fell asleep, finally, deeply asleep, with his beloved Catherine safely tucked against him in his arms.

Diana went to the bed, and she gently removed Vincent’s boots. Jamie got a blanket out of the cabinet and covered Vincent up with it. Catherine was already securely wrapped in blankets and in Vincent’s arms.

Then, the women left the room, carefully shutting the door behind them, and they both went to their rooms, to bed, and to peaceful sleep.

When Vincent awakened, he was confused to find himself lying on the sandy bank of a very wide raging river. Storm clouds were gathering overhead, and then the air was split by a frightening clap of thunder as

lightning struck a tree close to the bank, bringing it crashing down. Vincent jumped up, frantic over how he could have left Catherine and ended up here. Had he been sleepwalking? Darkness descended because of the gathering storm clouds, and rain began pouring down in torrents. He was quickly drenched. Then he saw Catherine. She was standing on the other side of the river, and she looked terrified. Vincent finally saw what was frightening her. An enormous cobra had risen up in front of her, with its hood spread, ready to strike. Catherine was frozen with fear.

Vincent quickly pulled his boots and socks off and shed his shirt. Then he heard a woman’s voice speaking softly to his mind. “Vincent!”

He answered her telepathically this time, “Elisia?”

She continued, “Yes, Vincent, listen to me carefully. You are still asleep. Catherine is still safe in your arms. You are caught up in her nightmare. It would be best for her if you participate, but let it play out. She needs to work through her fears with you. Just be aware that this is a dream. When this fear of hers is resolved, you will wake up.”

Vincent asked Elisia, “Will Catherine also wake up?” Elisia replied, “Perhaps not this time, but eventually, when she finally feels safe and overcomes all of the emotional traumas that have caused these nightmares, she will.”

Vincent nodded and felt hope surging through him

that he would be able to save his Catherine from her nightmares after all. “Thank you, Elisia.”

Elisia responded softly, “You are very welcome, my dear brother.” Then she was gone from his mind.

When Vincent looked back across the river, Catherine had managed to climb up onto an huge boulder away from the menacing snake. She was dangerously close to the edge, though, which jutted over the raging torrent of water.

She hadn’t seen Vincent, and he tried to yell a warning to her, “Catherine! Stay still! Don’t back up! I’m coming to you!”

Vincent’s voice was carried away by the noise of the storm. He watched in horror as Catherine lost her footing and fell into the river. She struggled against the current as Vincent let out a mighty shout of fear for her, “NoF and dove into the water.

Vincent kept his eyes on Catherine’s location as he swam with powerful strokes toward her. He could see that she was tiring as she tried to keep her head above the water as the rapids carried her along. She slipped under the water several times before he could reach her. When Vincent finally got to Catherine, she had lost consciousness and had disappeared under the surface.

He dove for her, saw her body slipping deeper, and sliced through the water, wrapping his arm around her and then bringing her to the surface. Vincent quickly swam for shore with his precious little wife limp in his arm. When he got to shore, Vincent gathered Catherine up in his arms and carried her out of the river and onto the bank. The storm cleared as quickly as it had come, and the sun came out.

Vincent thought, “Catherine must still have a fear of drowning left over from when the stalker locked her in the trunk of his car and pushed it into the lake. Elisia said to participate in her nightmares, so I guess it is time to resolve this fear.” He laid her gently on the grass, kneeled down beside her, tipped her head to straighten her airway, and then performed CPR until she coughed up the water in her lungs.

When Catherine finally opened her eyes, Vincent smiled at her. “That’s my Sweetheart!”

Catherine began crying, “Oh, Vincent!” She threw her arms around his neck as he sat back on the grass and pulled her onto his lap. “You came for me!”

Vincent held her tightly. “You always came for me when I was in trouble too, Catherine. You bravely faced coming to me when I was suffering from the effects of Paracelsus’ hallucinogenic drug, even after I had injured Father in that delusional state. You took a chance that you would get lost in the tunnels when Father and I were trapped in the cave-in, and you saved us by going to Elliott Burch for help. You knew there was the possibility that I might kill you when Paracelsus drove me into a maddening illness, and you went into that cave anyway to save me from myself. You were even willing to sell yourself in marriage to Elliott Burch, to stop him from building Burch Tower, the foundation of which threatened to destroy our world. You wouldn’t allow me to stop you from sacrificing yourself like that to save us. Thank goodness that building meant more to Elliott than you did, and you were able to finally stop him, using legal means. Your selfless love has always been like a shield protecting me and my world. I will always come for you, Catherine, always!”

Catherine looked up at him in surprise and smiled. “Vincent, you remember all of that?”

Vincent smiled softly at her. “I remember everything now, Catherine, and my bond with you is fully restored. Know that I am with you again, no matter where you are or what is happening. Know that!”

Catherine sounded very sleepy. “Vincent, I love you deeply, and there is so much I want to say to you, but I am so tired. I don’t think I can stay awake!”

Vincent spoke softly to her. “Then don’t try to, Catherine. Just sleep now, my Love.”

As Catherine drifted off to sleep in Vincent’s arms, Vincent woke up in her hospital bed. Catherine was still asleep, but she was safe in his arms, and he sighed with relief and happiness. There was the soft scent of roses in the room, and when he looked over Catherine, he saw her rosebush under the window on the other side of the bed.

It was in full bloom with its pretty white and red flowers,

and he realized that Diana had moved it from her loft for them.

Vincent carefully pulled his arm out from under Catherine and gently settled her back on her pillow. He sat up on the edge of the bed just as Diana and Sarah were coming into the room with fresh towels and bed clothes.

Sarah smiled at Vincent. “Well, Vincent, would you like to help us get Catherine bathed, and then we will take care of her while you get a shower? Next, I assume that you are going to want to learn the routine we have worked out for her care. After that, we can answer any questions that you haven’t already figured out the answers to!” Vincent nodded as he smiled at Sarah and Diana.

“You assume correctly. Please teach me what to do, ladies. I don’t plan to leave here until Catherine is awake and well again. Is Little Jacob here too?”

Sarah went on into the bathroom, and she started to draw a bath as Diana nodded, “Yes, Vincent. He is still asleep in the nursery next door. We can prepare some of Catherine’s frozen breast milk for him until we get you oriented with Catherine’s routine. Tony slept in Little Jacob’s room last night.”

Vincent closed his eyes and shook his head as all kinds of strange things finally made sense to him. “I guess I’m going to need some clothes and bath supplies.” Diana smiled at him. “I took the liberty of packing your bag for you the other day when you left for the

Crystal Cavern.”

Vincent smiled as he looked at Diana. “You knew!”

Diana nodded, “We all figured that you would end up here after that trip. Now, if you want to carry Catherine into the bathroom, well get her taken care of first. Then, your toiletries are in the bathroom, and your clothes are in the dresser and wardrobe.”

When Catherine was bathed, dressed, and back in her freshly remade bed, Vincent felt a pang of anxiety to be leaving her even for the short period of time it would take for him to shower. Diana put her hand on Vincent’s arm and looked up at him. “I promise she will still be here when you get out. We never leave her alone, Vincent.” Vincent looked down at Diana and smiled. Then he went to the dresser and wardrobe, picked out his change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.

When Vincent came out of the bathroom, he put his dirty clothes into the hamper he had seen by the wardrobe. Mary had come in and was sitting in the rocking chair by Catherine’s bed with a notepad on her lap. Vincent sat on the edge of Catherine’s bed, and Mary gave him the notepad which had Catherine’s care schedule written on it. He looked at it, and Mary said, “This is the routine we have worked out which seems to work well for Cathy. We were pumping her breast milk regularly, but now that you are reconnected to her, and Little Jacob can stay here with the two of you, his nursing

needs can be taken care of on his own hunger schedule. That will naturally regulate her milk production for him.”

Vincent asked Mary, “I seem to remember from Father’s medical textbooks that there is some kind of a technique to nursing?”

Mary smiled at Vincent. “Yes, Vincent, 111 show you how to help Catherine nurse Little Jacob until she wakes up. She is able to swallow, so we have been feeding her William’s special soups and herbal teas. We also have her baths scheduled, and Peter examines her every day. He does a brain scan every two weeks. Vincent, we will be available anytime you want a break or need help with Catherine. In fact, you are not going to be able to get rid of us!”

Vincent smiled at Mary. “I know that, Mary, but I won’t need any breaks from Catherine’s care. I have already had a long agonizing break, and I don’t ever want to be away from her again! It will give me great joy to be involved in every detail of her care.”

Just then, Kipper came into the room with a covered bowl of soup from William’s kitchen. Vincent chuckled when he saw the boy, as another strange occurrence now made sense. Kipper was accompanied by Geoffrey and Samantha carrying a tray of food and a thermos for Vincent as well. Diana had been sitting at the table while Mary was explaining Catherine’s care to Vincent. She now got up and went to the dorm-size refrigerator and took out a pitcher of herbal tea. She poured some into a paper cup

from the cup dispenser on the wall, and she got a plastic spoon out of the box of them on top of the refrigerator.

She put the pitcher back into the refrigerator. Then she took the tea and spoon to Catherine’s bedside table.

Kipper handed the soup to Vincent just as Peter was walking into the room. Vincent smiled at the boy. “Thank you, Kipper. You have logged a lot of miles walking back and forth between here and William’s kitchen chamber, haven’t you?” Kipper smiled and nodded, and then he went and sat down at the table with Geoffrey and Samantha, who had laid Vincent’s meal on the table.

As Vincent began feeding Catherine her soup and tea, Peter talked to him about Catherine. “Cathy’s condition is very perplexing from a medical standpoint, Vincent. She was in a deep coma for three months which required an IV, a feeding tube, and a catheter. Cathy finally came out of that, and she is now just deeply asleep, according to her brain scans. Even in her deep sleep, though, she responds to feeding and even being taken to the bathroom on the schedule we have worked out for her care. There really is no physiological reason for this state. She should be awake. I assumed that the reason had to be emotional trauma. We had hoped that if your connection to her was restored, she would then wake up. It looks like it won’t be that simple, though.”