The Way Back Home: A 1917 Fanfic

Chapter 44: Once Upon a Dream

Joseph Blake led Madeleine up the porch steps of his house, having raced to the Schofield residence in his rig to fetch her as fast as he could, not wanting to leave Amelia alone and vulnerable for too long in his living room. Myrtle, ever the faithful guard dog, leaned her head on the unconscious woman's stomach and whined, her ears perking up at the sound of her owner's voice.

Since it was mid-morning, Madeleine had already taken the girls to school and she immediately accompanied the exhausted man in the pouring rain back to his home as soon as he uttered the name, Amelia. On the way over he told Madeleine that Amelia was returning into their lives, but in a comatose state of whether she would awaken or not.

Before Madeleine left with Joe, she had been sure to grab clothing from Amelia's old room. Clean nightgowns, undergarments, stockings, fresh towels...

"I don't know what to bloody do, Madeleine. I ought to fetch the doctor, but I'm not bloody well sure what can be done for her." The raven-haired lieutenant said, his Irish accent cutting through his words as he opened the door for Madeleine and allowed her entry into his home, gauging her reaction to seeing her dear "sister" lying motionless on the chaise.

Before he hesitantly left her side, Joe had covered Amelia with a thick blanket to keep her warm as well as preserve her modesty since she was still wearing the revealing lingerie Klaus had dressed her in, the girl not appearing to have moved a centimeter from where he had laid her.

Madeleine froze where she stood as her hands went to her mouth in disbelief and sadness. Not many things could bring a reaction from such a strong, fearless lady, but she cared not if anyone saw her cry as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Myrtle, sensing the female visitor's melancholy, padded up to Madeleine and rubbed her head against the woman's dress skirt, smelling the familiar scent left on the fabric courtesy of her puppy adopted by Eleanor and Edith, whom they named Winston.

The brunette Englishwoman shakily went to the chaise and knelt at Amelia's side, her shaking hand feeling her lukewarm forehead. She looked down to see the barely visible rise of the American girl's stomach as she breathed. Blinking back tears, she turned around to meet Joe's equally devastated gaze. "I didn't want to believe you when you said she was in some sort of coma at first, Lt. Blake. How long has she been like this?"

"I found her lying in the front yard this morning. I've no idea how long she was out there, maybe all night. Anything could've happened..." Joseph found himself unable to finish that sentence, not wanting to blubber in front of the lady he regarded most highly as a friend. "I looked her over and she seems to not have any injuries... but I have a feeling it was the bastard Klaus. As you can see She's been dressed in some sort of scandalous clothing, that's why I covered her with a blanket."

Madeleine looked again down at Amelia's frozen features, her fingers swiping away stray strands of her blonde hair off her forehead, allowing a thick sob to block her throat as she almost struggled to breathe when she spoke. "I know about Klaus...Will told me about him and how he was a danger to her but since she is back and away from his clutches, we can take care of her now. And we need not waste any more time doing so. We need to get her bathed and changed out of this scandalous outfit before Will sees it or else he'll try to time travel forward himself no matter how impossible it might be and beat the everliving hell out of Klaus for putting her in an outfit like this, plus God knows how long she's been out in the rain too."

Joe inhaled a deep breath himself, gathering himself together as he bent down by the unconscious woman's side. "Yes, of course. Mum's old room has been empty, but the bed is the biggest and most comfortable one in the house. The sheets are freshly clean and haven't been used."