To Death Shall Thy Part

Chapter 36 - A Hard Question

When they heard Doctor Helene's words, all four men present were stunned into silence. Albert flinched, while William's eyes widened. Meanwhile, Hendrix's hands, which were holding Catherine's, trembled, and Lord Zachary clenched his fist in anger.

"What do you mean, Doctor Helene?" William, the most rational of the four men present, asked.

"Aside from the obvious injuries and scratches on her arms, she is currently in a deep sleep due to the effects of the opium in her system and accumulated exhaustion," Doctor Helene said in a calm tone, trying not to agitate the men in the room, but it was futile.

The room fell silent. They wanted to ask the painful question but could not bear to do so.

"Was she? ... she wasn't, right?" Hendrix asked the crucial question after a long sigh. Everyone held their breaths as they waited for the reply.

The question was only answerable by yes or no, but the difference in answers weighed heavily on them. All four of them were partial to one side of the answer and preferred not to hear the other.

"No need to worry, she wasn't touched. Her hymen is still intact, and there were no signs of force or injury to her private parts. Rest assured, everyone. You all saved her in time." Doctor Helene knew the gravity of her words to the men, so she patiently explained that Catherine was safe and alright.

Hearing the results, all four of them sighed in relief. Hendrix cried with joy, disregarding manners and appearances for the moment, while Albert gently touched Catherine's right hand and slowly lifted it to his lips.

"Is there anything else, Doctor Helene?" William asked, attentive to the details.

"Well... even if she wasn't touched, with the amount of opium she inhaled, she will need to be kept under close observation for the aftereffects of the drug. The symptoms are hallucinations and weakness," Doctor Helene said, giving everyone a reassuring smile. "No worries, I'll personally take care of her."

Lord Zachary nodded at her suggestion. "Yes. I'll have someone cover your shifts and transfer the patients to the other doctors present. Focus your attention on her."

"I would have arranged that even if you hadn't said so," Doctor Helene replied, rolling her eyes.

William smiled at the banter and expressed his gratitude. "Thanks for your hard work, Doctor Helene. I'm not that busy at the university at the moment due to the event, so I'll be able to help take care of Catherine."

Hearing the conversation, Albert joined in. "I'm also on a work break. I wish to take care of Catherine and nurse her back to health if that's okay with everyone."

This time, it was Hendrix who replied. "Not a problem. Thanks, Earl Albert."

"The pleasure is all mine, and please..." Albert looked at Hendrix plainly. "Just call me Albert. No need for formalities."

"Okay. By the way..." After confirming that Catherine was no longer in danger, Hendrix tried to analyze the whole situation. "How did you know Catherine was in danger?"

"Oh, that?" William smiled. "We heard it from a dead criminal."

Hearing the response, Hendrix raised his brows in interest, while Lord Zachary and Doctor Helene stayed silent.

"We went to town to investigate a missing case. Specifically, it was a student of mine who went missing. After further investigation, we found out that he was accidentally involved as a victim in a criminal organization that sells opium and has illegal dealings with the police. While apprehending the criminal mastermind and its subordinates, we heard that there was a Doctor Luke who asked for a special opium, typically used on women in that situation. After asking around, we confirmed it was the same Doctor Luke from the hospital. So, we connected the puzzle pieces together and came to this conclusion. We only wanted to come here to warn and check on Catherine but did not expect that she would be in danger."

William thoroughly explained what had transpired in the town, omitting and twisting some of the truths related to their missions.

"I see." Doctor Helene nodded in understanding. She never would have thought that the person she considered good enough for Catherine would have that kind of character.

"Well... It is a blessing that nothing happened to Catherine." Lord Zachary glanced at them. "You all should go and rest. It's late in the night."

After hearing his words, everyone looked at their own pocket watches. Seeing that it was already midnight, everyone nodded in agreement and began to do their own things.

"We'll leave first. We'll be back in an hour to take the shift," Albert informed them as they walked to the door.

"Alright," Hendrix replied.

It was Lord Zachary who left first. He was an old man, after all, so staying up late was a bit taxing for him. After that, Albert and William left shortly after to take care of things and prepare to help with taking turns watching Catherine. All that remained in the room was Hendrix and Doctor Helene.

"Why don't you take a nap at a hostel first? You came straight here from York; you must be exhausted too," Doctor Helene suggested after looking at Hendrix's tired state.

"No need. I'll stay here and watch her. I can take a nap on the sofa," Hendrix declined.

"Okay. I'll have someone bring a fresh set of clothes for you later. Even if you don't want to leave, you still have to change into comfortable clothing." Knowing that Hendrix wouldn't budge, Doctor Helene did not push him further.

"Thanks." Hendrix did feel uncomfortable in his suit, so he didn't refuse the offer this time.

Doctor Helene left after checking Catherine's condition. As he was left alone in the room, Hendrix slightly adjusted his tie and sighed as he looked at the sleeping Catherine on the bed. He raised the blanket provided by the hospital to cover Catherine. After making sure she was tucked in, he walked towards the sofa, removed his suit jacket, and laid it down on the side, then lay on the couch.

"Well... looks like I'll be taking care of you this time," Hendrix chuckled as he muttered those words, recalling when Catherine had taken care of him after he had been ambushed.

At the Moriarty Manor...

"Brother, is everything okay? You suddenly left town and rushed somewhere. Is something the matter?" As soon as Albert and William entered the house, they were greeted by an anxious Louis.

"Sorry for leaving without explaining, Louis. It was an emergency," Albert apologized.

"Brother Albert, why don't you go and have a bath first? You must be tired. I'll explain to Louis what happened," William said, being considerate of Albert's feelings.

"Okay." Albert gently excused himself and went to his chamber. Both William and Louis watched him go to the second floor until they could no longer see him.

The brothers went to the drawing room to talk. As William sat down, Louis poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea.

"Brother, what exactly happened?" Louis questioned him immediately.

"Well... things have taken a dark turn." William recounted what had happened after they arrived at the hospital up to the hospital room. Louis was shocked by what he heard. He couldn't bring himself to drink the tea he was holding.

"Dear lord! I never knew something of this magnitude was happening. Has the culprit—Doctor Luke, was it? —been apprehended?" Louis asked, anger lacing his voice.

"Yes. Lord Zachary had someone take him to a room and guard him. They don't trust the police here in Durham and plan to send him straight to Scotland Yard once they return to London. Lord Hendrix also agreed with the idea."

"Lord Hendrix? Catherine's brother is here?" Louis was shocked to hear about Hendrix's presence.

"Yes. He was the one who punched Luke after seeing Catherine lying unconscious on the floor with her clothes in tatters." William closed his eyes for a moment. He also felt disgusted by the scene.