Monsters

Waking

Previously:

"Memory loss?!"

"It's possible."

"Good God." Henry left without another word, rushing back to his precious Catherine. He knew this was his fault but he didn't know what he would do if she suffered damage from it.

Once he reached his chambers he found her just where he'd left her, he went to sit beside her, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb for a moment. "I need you to cooperate if this is going to work okay?" He asked her, knowing she wouldn't respond.

He took the tiny vial out of his pocket and uncorked it, attempting to part her lips so she would drink it but she would have none of it. Instead she scowled in her unconscious state and creasing her eyebrows angrily. He sighed, "Stubborn even when you're unconscious."

As if she could hear him she turned her head away from him as well. He however would not give up that easily, he turned her head back towards him and once more tried to get the antidote through her lips. This spurred her to sleep glare at him and fling an arm up, 'accidently' hitting him in the nose. He jerked back, one hand on his nose, glaring at his unconscious wife, "Damn you." He growled.

He wasn't playing around anymore, he forced the concoction into her mouth, she choked a few times before swallowing and snuggling into a nearby pillow. He watched her warily as if she might be a pile of gunpowder ready to blow without warning. Fortunately for him she seemed to be coming to, she was rolling over in the bed and trying to get comfortable.

He remembered when they were younger she would always hog the blankets and kick him in her sleep. One time she managed to completely knock him off the bed, and had spread out, taking up the whole bed. That night he'd been forced to sleep on the couch near the fireplace. He smiled in remembrance to happier times, when she had greeted him each morning with her lovely smile and kissed him on the nose.

Her small hand flying up and hitting him in the face again slapped him out of his thoughts...quite literally. "Ouch Catherine!" He exclaimed, turning to look at her only to find her still asleep but so close to falling off the bed that if she moved an inch more she would land on the floor. He jumped from where he sat and quickly scooped her off the edge of the bed, helping her get back into the middle of the mattress he noticed her waking. He had to get off the bed before she accidently...ah! Too late she'd decided to smack him again, he sighed and clambered off the bed as she began to shift.

"Henry...Henry..." She mumbled.

"I'm right here Catherine, you're okay." He touched her hand lightly.

"Yes...yes...we okay." She smiled dreamily.

"Are you alright?" He asked noticing her seeming a bit off.

"Water."

"Yes of course...I'll get you some water." He took some water of the bedside table and handed it to her. She reached out, her tiny hands shaking in an attempt to take the cup. Henry realized that she was still too weak to drink by herself and so her helped her sit up slightly and lifted the goblet to her lips. She sipped the water silently before snuggling back into the blankets, curling up in the fluffy covers like a kitten.

She still hadn't opened her eyes to look at him, "I had the most awful nightmare." She told him.

"Oh? What was it about?" He asked, concerned.

"I dreamt that you brought that stupid Diane back to court and I had an affair with Richard, but I didn't really love him. I only loved you, but you didn't care...you didn't like me anymore. It was because I couldn't give you any children, but even when I did you still hated me. I was so mean. We were both so mean." She shook her head, eyes still closed, "I'll never be that mean, but I did have little children, Francis, Elisabeth, Claude, Charles, little Henry, Margaret and Louis and the twins but they died. It was horrible, then pain in my heart." She touched her heart, "Then Mary Queen of Scots came to Court to marry Francis but I couldn't let her. Nostradamus told me she would be his undoing and I couldn't let it happen, so I tried to kill her. I never wanted to...I loved that Mary girl but I loved Francis more. Then you told me that you would kill me because I was in the way of getting England. Then we admitted to each other that we were still in love but then you found out about Richard and you were going to kill me. Oh it was horrible, it was horrible." She cried, burying her head in the pillow.

His heart ached as she spoke, "Catherine darling, you've had a nasty fall and this might come as a bit of a shock but...it was no dream."

"What?!" Her eyes flew open, "Henry...oh my God." She looked at her hands and then back up at her husband before quickly trying to get off the bed or sit up but alas it was no use. She struggled to move but he gently pushed her back to the bed, however she couldn't suppress the surprised and slightly terrified yelp that escaped her lips. "Please don't touch me." She pulled the blankets around her, as if this would shield her from anything.

"Catherine I..."

"No. Please don't, I remember, I remember everything, I need Nostradamus." She muttered, refusing to look at him.

"Yes, yes of course." He nodded, heading out of the room. He had made it half way down the corridor when he stopped dead in his tracks...what was that? He'd heard something crash from his rooms, bolting back to his chambers he threw the door open.

A/N CLIFFHANGER!