Heart of Glass

Storm Clouds

Tears falling freely still, Alana stared at the two caskets in front of her. Her mother looked so peaceful, the stress of life no longer evident within her soft features. Her dark curls were brushed out neatly for her last appearance in the world. And then there was her father, who looked just as peaceful. The fresh suit he was wearing for his journey into the next life matched beautifully with the white dress of his wife's. In the end, they had gotten what any happily married couple would want,...to exit this world together. Though it hadn't happened as they had imagined.
The car accident was devastating. At least the young children of Janet and Colin Irvine had the small comfort that their parents' deaths were quick. They did not suffer. Though now the young Irvine children, twins at the mere ages of fourteen, were now orphans. Alana and her brother, Cody, would soon be off to live with their Aunt Edith. It would certainly be a situation that forced them to grow up long before they had to,...a most unfortunate situation.
Wiping her teary face once more, Alana tucked a strand of her bright red hair behind her ear and held her head high.
"W...we'll be okay, Mama,...I promise. Cody and I will take care of each other,...like we always did. We'll keep each other s...safe." She walked closer to her mother's side. Alana swallowed hard with a sniffle. "Y..you look so pretty, Mama. Even more than you already were." Leaning down, Alana pressed a light kiss to Janet's forehead. A single tear fell onto her pale, cold skin.
Turning around, the young girl then went over to her father's side. She placed one of her small hands on top of his.
"I'll always be your little girl, Daddy. No matter what. And dinna fash,...C.Cody will keep the boys away from me. I..I just hope tha' you and Momma are together. Hug her for me if she's cryin',....please." Just as she did to her mother, Alana bent down and placed a light kiss to her father's forehead, slightly messing up his neatly combed red hair.
Taking a few more steps away from them, Alana gave them one last glance.
"I love you both,...and so does Cody. You'll always be in our hearts."
Turning around, Alana's light eyes fell upon the tall frame of her brother off in the distance. In a suit of his own, Cody truly looked like his father. Suddenly feeling very alone in the world, she took off running in his direction. Brother and sister embraced each other tightly in a hug, both crying their hearts out.
"H...hey? Remember tha' song Mom used to sing to us? The one tha' would make us feel better?" Cody whispered, tightening his hold ever so slightly on his sister's tiny frame.
All Alana could do was nod.
"Sing it wi' me....Just like Ma,...I dinna like seein' ye cry either. Go ahead,...we'll start wi' yer favorite part."
Voice shaking, Alana quietly started to sing.

Let the stormy clouds chase,...
Everyone from the place,...
Come on with your rain,...

* * *

"I've got a smile on my face..." Alana whispered.
She hadn't realized that her hands had stopped working the herbs within the grinding bowl. She felt her eyes filling with tears. Though just as she was about to let them fall, the surgery room door opened, slamming loudly against the wall. Swiftly wiping her face, Alana looked up. Her gaze landed upon the MacKenzie clan War Chief.
"Evening, Dougal. What can we do for you?" Claire took over, allowing Alana to keep quiet.
Dougal didn't say anything, only paced around the area for a moment. Sighing, he finally spoke.
'You've seen men die before,...the both o' ye. And by violence." he deadpanned.
Alana bit her lip, still trying to regain her composure.
"Yes, we have. Many of them." Claire said, and Alana nodded in agreement.
An uneasy feeling overcame Alana when Dougal's eyes lingered on her for a second too long, realizing that he had just noticed her discomfort. Luckily he averted his gaze back to Claire.
"Both of ye have done a fine job here as healers. Mrs. Fitz would have ye's sit fer a portrait, iffen it were up to her. And, uh,....I wanted to thank ye's personally for what ye did for poor Geordie, up there on the hunt." Dougal told them quietly.
It was then Alana spoke.
"In truth,...we did nothin'. I wish we could have helped him..." she said, glancing over at Claire as she walked back over to her own table.
"Ye did. Ye took him to a peaceful place,...and that's all any of us can ask when we pass. So,...thank you."
The words truthfully surprised Alana. It wasn't something she ever thought she would hear come from Dougal's mouth.
"You're welcome." Claire told him. "If there's nothing else, you'll have to excuse us. We've a lot to do in our dungeon."
Dougal let out a low chuckle.
"Well, that's why I'm here, lass. To set ye's free from this dank room."
In spite of herself, Alana perked up in interest.
"What do you mean?" she asked.