BETHANY

12

Beth's Hospital Room

"But...but...do I have to go?" Whispered Beth, fidgeting wth the deck of cards in her hands. "Really, really have to go?"

"Oh Beth, darling," murmured Quinn, sitting next to her on the bed and smiling comfortingly. "Don't you want to see you our house? And your room? And Mary? Mary is already home waiting for you..."

Beth looked at her Mother, eyes shining with tears. "But...does Terrin know where I live?" She sniffles. "What if he doesn't find me?"

"He knows where we live," said Quinn gently, brushing the tears from under her eyes, "and he has visited often. I'm sure he will come to visit you very soon. Very soon indeed."

Beth nodded. "I think he is my handsome knight Mother," she said softly, leaning her head on Quinn's shoulder. "Like Peter or Edward."

"I know darling, you told me," she replied sweetly. She tilted her head back and looked at her daughter. Beth was wearing a pair of jeans that belonged to Bella and a soft, blue sweater with a 'B' embroidered in pink on the front. Grandma Carly's present. Beth said that was the first time that she wore something like that- Quinn knew it wasn't true, but she didn't ever correct her daughter when she said something that reminded them of the painful fact that she didn't remember them or her life before her captivity.

And Beth liked those clothes, so here was no need to make anybody sad.

Au contraire. She was her Mother, she knew perfectly well what to say to make her smile again.

"Bethy," she said sweetly, "do you want to go outside this afternoon?"

Beth's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. Suddenly she seemed unable to contain her joy. "Yes Mother," she exclaimed, "yes please! Please Mother!"

Quinn caressed her hair. "Then we better get ready for when Daddy comes to pick us up," she told her gently.

Beth nodded eagerly and started to put her cards in the pretty, beaded handbag that Kieran had bought for her.

And Quinn just smiled, as she felt her heart swell in her chest, at the thought of bringing Beth home.

Ground Floor of the Hospital

Terrin had Prince Caspian: The Return To Narnia in his hands. He had ordered on of his maids to wrap it in a colourful paper and add a nice bow on the top. Girls like colourful papers and nice bows.

He knew that when people went to visit patients in the hospital, it was customary and very probably expected, to bring flowers or chocolate. But Terrin couldn't think of any flower, or any kind of chocolate that Beth would have wanted more than that book.

His heart beat a bit faster than usual as he dwelled on the fact that he knew what Beth wanted more than anything in the world. Surely nobody, not even her siblings or her parents, knew her deepest desires like he did and, for a very brief moment, Terrin's chest swelled with smugness.

It was a feeling that lasted only a few seconds though, because then he remembered why it had taken him so long to find the courage to finally go and see her and he suddenly felt as small and as insecure as a child.

Terrin Christopher David was afraid.

Yes indeed. He was afraid of the moment he would be admitted into Beth's room and finally come face to face with her.

Up until that horrible night- the memory of those hours in the playroom still gave him nightmares- she had always called him a knight, he knew that. She had told him in a split second chance to whisper to each other. Not just any knight, either. Her knight. And he let her believe he was just that.