Just The Way You Like It - Under Construction

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Blake snuggled next to Alice as closely as he could without hurting her. He knew it was wrong, but didn't care. If Willub wanted to fire him, so be it. He thought he probably needed Alice as much as Alice needed him right now, and he couldn't get the image of her lying in red snow out of his mind. When Alice had finally woken up, the anger on her face only made Blake fall more in love with her. Most people would have been frightened or panicked, but Alice had remained stoic, even being blind.

Blake knew that another hit on Alice would most likely kill her on the spot. After a heart attack yesterday, and a beating today, one more would mean her demise. She was tough, but not that tough. The guilt still clung onto Blake's back, as excuses for why he hadn't been with Alice began to form in his head. He never should have left her alone, and we was never going to do it again.

Alice had fallen asleep quickly, and Blake could tell by her slow steady breathing that she was sleeping peacefully. Knowing she wouldn't hear him, he brushed her hair behind her ear, and told Alice he loved her. Relief and joy surged through his body after the words finally escaped his lips. It felt so good and so right to say it. He thought he might be crazy though, really he didn't know a thing about her. Hell, she didn't know a single thing about herself. But, somehow through it all, Blake knew what he was feeling, and it was love.

Every few hours a nurse would enter, peeking over to make sure Alice was okay. Every time she came in, Blake motioned for her to leave. With a look of disbelief and curiosity, she would, but only after giving Blake the stink-eye. Blake could only imagine the rumors that would surely be circling around the hospital's staff by the morning. Still, he didn't care what they thought or said, so long as Alice was safe.

He spent most of the early morning coming up with the plan. Alice obviously wasn't safe at St. Micheal's anymore, and the police couldn't possibly keep the place under lock and key for the months she was going to need for recovery. For that night and the following morning, Luke had made it rule number one that no one, not even staff, was allowed to go anywhere without a police escort. The New Coven Police Department wasn't very large, so Luke had made a few phone calls to get the Portland authorities down for a little extra help. Blake decided that once Alice was awake in the morning, that the three of them were going to have a talk. They had to get her out of there, and there was only one place Blake knew of where he could keep her safe.

The fewer the people that knew about it the better, but Blake reasoned that a handful of people were going to have to be in on his scheme too. He started going through the list in his mind of all the people he thought he could trust. It was harder than it sounded though, someone at St. Micheal's was not playing for the same team. Worried he would tell the wrong person and send Alice right back into the hands of death was enough to make him begin to sweat.

About an hour after sunrise there was a knock at the door. Alice stirred from the noise, reached up, and began rubbing her eyes. Slowly and gently, Blake slipped out of the bed and tucked Alice in with the blankets. She looked like a sleeping angel. Her blond curly ringlets of hair framed her face perfectly, and Blake knew that in a few weeks most of the bruising and swelling would disappear.

Blake threw his doctor's coat back on and slipped into his shoes quickly, before opening the door an inch to peak out and see who was there. Nurse Tess beamed back at him through the crack. “Good morning!” She whispered excitedly. “You've been a busy boy, haven't you Dr. Hansen?” A mischievous smile inched across her lips. Blake pulled her in through the door by her coat collar, shutting the door behind her.

“Get in here Tess.” Blake said quietly as the door latched behind her.

“I swear, I go home for eight hours to take care of my ailing husband, and you go and get the whole hospital in a tizzy.”