Sisters Three (Completed)

46. Morna (2/2)

Damp grass brushed against Morna's stockings above her boots, and she looked down to see that she stood in a section of the lawn that wasn't tended to regularly. The grass grew high and wild, and creepers wound up the side of the building. Esmond picked his way through with relative ease, though, and she wondered if he'd walked the escape path sometime before. It seemed such an excessive thing for him to do for a girl he hardly knew, but he grabbed her hand and walked with such purpose that he had to have known where he was going beforehand.

Esmond pulled her toward the empty field that led toward the river. She stiffened at the thought, but before they could get close enough for the sound of water to grow to a roar, Esmond cut to their left and into the woods that flanked the asylum. Morna was thankful for the boots as they passed over roots and broken branches, losing the sight of the looming asylum fairly quick. While Morna knew it was still all too close, she breathed easier knowing that it was out of sight.

A few minutes later, Esmond slowed to a walk. Afton appeared a second later, stepping out from behind a tree. He was soaked with sweat and caked in mud and dirt. But she still ran to him, covering him in kisses and thanking the heavens that he was real and alive.

Esmond waited for them to finish before stepping forward. "Did you get the gates open?" he asked.

Afton nodded, his hand still around Morna's waist. "It took some time, but they're open. Make sure they know that there's water and mud down there. They might get frightened by its depth."

"What are you talking about?" Morna asked, eyes bouncing between Esmond and Afton.

"Esmond asked me to open a sewer gate for him, so he can get the patients out of the hospital without the doctor seeing."

"Once I get everyone out, I'm going to burn it down," Esmond said, face set.

"Good," Morna replied.

"You should get moving." Esmond took her hands, holding them between them. "I'm so sorry for any part I played in what happened to you. I won't let it happen to anyone anymore."

Morna leaned forward, kissing his cheek lightly. "Thank you for saving me."

Esmond looked to Afton, and they traded nods. Then, with a final squeeze of her hands, he turned and headed back for the hospital, to save the souls that most needed saving. She called after him her gratitude, for all he'd done, but he merely nodded and then disappeared from sight.

"We shouldn't linger," Afton said, taking her hand. "We can't waste time."

They walked in silence for the first few minutes, just holding onto each other and unbelieving that they were free and safe, for the moment. Morna stared at Afton like he might evaporate, and he finally glanced at her and laughed.

"You're making me uncomfortable," he said.

"You were dead."

"Not quite. Nearly, very nearly. But not quite."

"I saw you get shot. I saw you fall."

"By some miracle, I didn't lose consciousness when I hit the water," he said. "I got to the surface and floated there, trying not to drown, until a boat came by. They pulled me out and took me to shore. I was so badly injured that it took me weeks before I even remembered my name. Then I had to figure out how to get back without alerting whoever tried to kill me."

"I'm so sorry," Morna said, tears pricking her eyes. "I wouldn't have let them send me off if I knew you were alive."

"No, I should be the one to apologize," he said, stopping. "I couldn't protect you. I couldn't stop what happened to you. When I heard the rumors in the village, that you had been shipped off and that you were insane... I was so filled with anger. I tracked you down, and I wanted more than anything to just charge in there and stop it all."