Dark and His Queen

Watching over her

Mark was happy to finally be home and to get back to work. He had taken some time to stay with Tyler after telling him about Dark. Tyler had taken it much better then Mark had expected him to. Mark had also went to speak with Najee like Laura had suggested and spent a couple days having dinner with Najee talking about Laura. They bonded over the worry they had for her and Mark liked hearing stories about Laura. They both were still worried but not as much as they had been after Mark told Najee about the last time he had seen her. They exchanged phone numbers agreeing to call each other whenever they needed to. Mark had been avoiding all his calls for the past few days just trying to get his head on straight. So now that he was back home he decided to check all his messages. There were five calls from Jack. Mark dialed his number. The phone picked up on the second ring. "Mark! Where the fuck have you been? I have been trying to call you for days!" Jack screamed into the phone. Mark held the phone away from his ear. "Sean, calm down. I am sorry. I was taking a few personal days. What is the matter?" "Anti showed up, he mentioned Dark, but the crazy thing was he had a girl with him." "Wait, what, a girl? What girl? Did she say her name? What does she look like?" "How come I get the feeling you know who she is? "I think I might but I didn't expect her to be with Anti. I didn't even know she knew who he was. Why were they there?" "Just to fuck with me it seems. I was recording and all of a sudden I hear this blood curdling scream come from the other room so I run out to find Anti standing there with a girl in his arms and he had a knife to her throat. She is crying and pleading for me to help her and to not let him kill her. Anti said she was one of Dark's pets and that he stole her and was going to kill her to fuck with me. I truly believed he would because when I took a stop closer he pressed the knife so hard to her neck it cut her. Then a moment after that he just let go of her and they both started laughing. After that he took a hold of her and they disappeared. Mark proceeded to tell Jack about meeting Laura and all that has transpired since. "I really truly believe she would not have let him hurt you. I can't be one hundred percent positive though. She did tell me that she had anger issues and that she was not a good person but yet she went with Dark on one condition that he did not hurt me or a friend of hers. She also reached out to Tyler and came to my house when she saw that I was spiraling. She does have some decency in her somewhere. So I have to believe that she would not have allowed anything to happen." "I don't know if I can put as much faith in her as you do. I don't trust when Anti just shows up out of nowhere." "I understand. Listen, let me know if he shows up again and I will let you know if I hear anything from Dark or Laura. Until then try not to worry about it." "Ok. I will." They hung up. Mark wasn't sure he had eased Jack's mind but he didn't know what else to tell him. Mark sighed heavily. Mark finished checking his messages and replied to his emails. He was just about to start recording when he felt someone behind him. He jumped up and turned around to find Dark standing in the door way. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Mark yelled taking a couple steps towards Dark. Dark stood his ground just staring Mark down. "If you can calm down for a moment I need to ask you for something." "There is no way in hell I am going to do anything for you! How dare you even come here thinking I would do anything you ask? After everything you have put me through!" Dark took a step closer to Mark stopping him before he could continue speaking. "This is about Laura." Mark stopped immediately. "What about Laura? Where is she? Is she ok?" "Do you ever stop talking?" Laura is sick. I brought her to the hospital. I don't think she should be alone. Plus she was asleep when I dropped her off so when she wakes up she is going to be scared and confused. I want you to go be with her seeing as I can't." Mark looked utterly conflicted. He didn't trust Dark but he wanted to help Laura. "Fine, but this better not be a trick." "It is not. Now go." Dark disappeared. Mark stood still for a moment trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. Did Dark just really ask for a favor? Mark didn't take to long to contemplate it. He got in the car and headed to the hospital. Mark walked up to the front desk. He realized that Laura had been dropped off by Dark so no one there would know who she is. He knew he couldn't tell them he was looking for a girl that had been dropped off without raising a bunch of questions. I have an idea. "Excuse me. I have a friend who has not been answering her phone or her door. I have been searching hospitals to see if I can find her before I call the police. Do you think you can help me? Her name is Laura, she is about 5'4". She has long brown hair, and brown eyes." "Actually we did have a Jane Doe show up in our emergency room who fits that description." "Really? Thank god. I was so worried. I was afraid she was missing. May I see her?" The nurse called an orderly to walk Mark to Laura's room. Mark entered the room to find Laura asleep in the bed. She had no color in her face and her eyes looked sunken in. Her hair was stuck to the side of her face that was wet with perspiration. She had an oxygen mask over her mouth. "What is wrong with her?" Mark asked. "I don't know. The doctor will be in later and can answer all of your questions." "Ok, thank you." Mark walked over to Laura and moved her hair out of her face. Her skin was so hot. Mark went to the bathroom and ran a towel under cold water. He brought it back to Laura and dabbed her forehead and cheeks with it. He then placed it over the top of her head. Mark took a seat next to the bed and he took her hand. He stroked the back of it with his thumb. "Don't get any ideas Mark." Mark heard in his head. Mark promptly let got of her hand and sat back in the chair. He sighed heavily. Then he picked up his phone and dialed Najee. "Hey, Mark. You ok?"I am fine. It's Laura. She is in the hospital. I thought you should know and would want to see her." "What happened? Is she ok?" "I don't know, I will find out what happened when I talk to the doctor." "Ok, I will be there as soon as I can get out of work." "Ok, see you later." Mark put his phone away. He just sat and watched Laura waiting for any signs of her waking. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there before the doctor came in. Mark stood up to greet him. "Hello sir, I am Dr. Brown. Are you a relative?" Mark shook his extended hand. "Hi. I'm Mark. No, I am a friend of hers. She does not have any family. Can you tell me what is happening to Laura?" "She has the flu. She also has an infection in her lungs, causing inflammation. This will cause her to have trouble breathing. We have her on a mild sedative and an IV drip. We have administered an antibiotic to help with the infection and bring down her fever." "Do you know when she will wake up?" "It should be any time now. That is the reason I stopped in to check on her and see if she was awake. I am glad there is someone here." "I called another one of our friends so she will be here later as well." "I will let the nurses station know to show her right to the room." "Thank you doctor?" Mark took a seat back in the same chair. He started dozing. A couple hours later he heard Laura started to mumble to herself. Mark moved the chair closer to the bed. "Laura? Can you hear me?" "Mmm, Dark?" "No Laura. "It's Mark." "Dark." Mark wasn't even sure if she could hear him. "Laura, you're ok. Just get some sleep." "I love you." She whispered. Mark didn't know how to respond so he didn't say anything at all. About a half hour later Najee walked in. She looked worried. She smiled at Mark though and ran to Laura's side. She touched her lightly as if she needed to make sure she was really there. "She woke up for a minute. She wasn't really coherent and then she went back to sleep." "Do you know what happened?" "She has the flu and the infection in her lungs caused inflammation. She is having trouble breathing. The doctor said she should wake up any time now." Najee looked down at Laura, she was shifting uncomfortably. "So, she called you?" Najee asked. "No. Dark came to me and asked me to be here with her. Najee looked at him with a blank stare. "I don't understand. Why isn't he here with her? Have things changed with them?" "No, nothing has changed. When she got sick he dropped her off here. He can't stay here, you know that. But he didn't want her to be alone." "So, he does really care about her, doesn't he?" "I really think he does. This whole thing is way different than ever before. He has never cared about anything or anyone. I saw a completely different side of him when she came to see me and now this. I can't explain it any other way than that he loves her." "Demons can't love!" "Maybe not in the way that we do but in his own way he does." Najee huffed. She pulled up a chair to the other side of the bed. Mark and Najee sat in silence until Laura started to stir. She was moaning in her sleep. Her face was more sweaty then usual. Mark went to rewet the towel from earlier and wiped her face. She eventually opened her eyes. She smiled weakly. "Dark." "Laura it's Mark. Najee is here too." "Laura. I am right here." Laura looked at Mark then turned to look at Najee. "Najee? Mark? Where am I? Where's Dark? What happened?" Laura was getting agitated. "Laura calm down. You're in the hospital. You have a lung infection. Dark dropped you off here and asked me to stay with you. I called Najee to come as well." Mark explained. "The last thing I remember is Dr. Schneeplestien giving me a shot after I had a coughing fit that couldn't stop. I couldn't breathe." "You met Dr. Schneeplestien?" "Yes. Dark had Anti called him when I fainted." Mark rolled his eyes. "So, Anti too? Who else have you met?" "I met Die as well." "God damn it!" "Mark calm down." Laura pleaded. "Do you really think now is the time for this Mark?" Najee asked. Mark sighed. "Sorry. How are you feeling? Do you want me to call the doctor?" Mark asked. "No, don't call the doctor. I don't want a bunch of people in here poking and prodding me right now. I feel some what better. I am just happy I can breathe." "How did this start?" "I got caught out in the rain and I got sick and it turned into the flu." "Caught out in the rain?" "Yes. Caught in the rain." Mark got the clue that she didn't want to explain further. Laura turned to Najee. "How have you been?" "I have been alright. The store is not the same without you there." "You are just saying that. No one other then you cared if I was there or not." "That is not true. No one can make everyone laugh like you could with your customer rants. They are legendary." Laura giggled. "Did you get my gift?" "I did. I saved your note." "I am sorry I couldn't stay and see you." "I was just glad to hear from you." "Guys, I need to sleep. I can feel it. I am fading. Are you both staying?" "I promised Dark I would stay until you were well enough to leave." Mark told her. "I will stay as long as I can and will be back as much as possible." Najee assured her. "Good. Thank you." Laura closed her eyes. Mark saw her smiling in her sleep.