Here Comes The Son (Ghost Band / Papa Emeritus fic)

The Closer We Get to the Last Bow

Cardinal Matthias entered the infirmary, heading directly for the nurses station. Standing at Phantom's bedside, Dew turned a suspicious eye towards him, sending a low growl into the floor, informing Rain of his arrival. Another growl was sent further; reinforcements were required.

The nurse pointed towards Copia's room, but even as he approached Rain was already standing in the doorway, in partial glamour only and glaring at the cleric.

"Ghoul, step aside, I wish to see Papa."

Rain merely remained, unmoving, glaring with a fierce expression on his face.

"Do I have to get security to remove you?" Matthias snapped, angry at the presumptive ghoul.

"You can try, certainly," Rain snarled. "But we are carrying out Papa's orders."

"Your Papa is unconscious, he could have given no such orders." Matthias argued.

"He is unconscious now, but his orders come from before that. Nobody comes inside this room except us." Rain stood his ground.

"Step aside!" Matthias tried shoving the shorter ghoul backwards only for it to feel as if he were pushing against a wall. "I am his friend!"

"If you are his friend, then you will know he has been threatened and attacked. So, you'll understand why he is in isolation now."

"I want to see him!"

A nurse walked over, her expression one of disappointment mixed with anger.

"Please, this is the infirmary. We have sick patients in here, please keep your voices down!" She hissed.

"I want to see one your patients but this..." Matthias held himself in check. "This ghoul is preventing me!"

"No one is to enter this room except for medical staff, Papa Nihil, Sister Imperator or Papa's ghouls," Rain insisted.

"I will not be dictated to by a ghoul!" Matthias fumed.

"I'll fetch Doctor Stone," the nurse sighed, unwilling to be drawn into the argument.

"Given the number of attacks there have been on Papa, and how much time he's needed to spend here lately, I doubt Doctor Stone would be willing to allow any risks to be taken. Don't you agree it's better not to take any risks with your friend's life, Your Eminence?"

"I am not a risk to him," Matthias growled through gritted teeth.

"And I'm making sure of that." Rain replied.

Matthias turned sharply as Rain looked past him, only to see Mountain standing directly behind him. Standing possibly an inch or two taller again than Matthias somehow gave him a level of authority that Rain didn't have, in the cardinal's mind at least. It was ironic, Mountain was possibly the least intimidating of all the ghouls - a gentle giant, but today, he put on his sternest expression to back up Rain's insistence on no visitors.

"What's going on?" Stone asked, sighing with impatience. "Cardinal, I have requested that Copia be left alone to recover and I have to agree that until we know who is behind the attacks, he is to have no visitors," he explained before adding, "even from his friends," as he saw Matthias about to object.

"Very well," he sighed, shaking his head.

As he turned to leave, Matthias had to wait as a gurney was pushed into the infirmary carrying a zipped up body bag.

"What's this?" Stone asked.

The orderly whispered something into his ear and he closed his eyes, sighing heavily.