Content Warning! One F-bomb dropped, descriptions of mental illness, and disturbing OR experience. Major creepiness present, too.

After leaving Valerie in the basement with Lenora, Shane marched back up the stairs in search of his brother. “Al, can you come to the living room?”

“Just a sec,” he called, his hands skillfully working at his inventing bench. Carefully applying the blowtorch to a piece of metal, he smiled to himself. His work was going so well, thanks to the promise Shane had made to him the week before. He would soon have Lenora, and all would be right with the world.

Allen was whistling softly as he entered the living room. “I was just inventing.” He sat on the sofa next to Shane and stretched.

“I know, brother. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have some good news for you,” Shane said, slapping Allen on the shoulder.

Allen’s eyes went wide, a grin spreading over his face. “Is it…Lenora?”

“Yep. She’s here, Al. She’s downstairs with Valerie.”

With a whoop of delight, Allen gave his brother a quick hug. “You did it! You actually got her here. I need to see her. Is she okay?”

“Al, listen to me. there are some things you need to know first. Lenora’s asleep right now, but she’ll wake up sometime tomorrow. She…well…the only way I could get her here was to make it look like she died. Right now, she’s kinda like Snow White, you know, after she ate the apple. She looks dead, but she’s really not. It’s best you wait until tomorrow.”

Allen shot to his feet and started to pace the floor restlessly and mutter under his breath. “I must see her. Must see her for myself…got to make sure she’s not scared. She’ll be afraid…trapped in her body…can’t move. She’ll be afraid.”

Shane grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him gently. “it’s all right, Al. She’s out of it and doesn’t register anything. Listen, now. It was the only way. You can see her a little later, okay? She’ll still be asleep, but she’ll be breathing normally. You don’t want to see her the way she is now.” Shane urged Allen back to the couch and made him sit.

“Please, Shane! I need to. I won’t be scared, I promise. I just…I want to take care of her,” Allen pleaded.

Shane blew out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, but remember what I told you. She may seem dead, but she really isn’t.”

Valerie was still shaken to the marrow long after the vision of Drogo disappeared. She sat beside Lenora, holding her hand and gently touching Lenora’s hair. “I’m so sorry, Lenora. I’m going to make it right, no matter what it takes. Please…please don’t hate me. I love you so much, Lenora. I didn’t want to hurt you. I swear I didn’t.”

Once again, Valerie lowered her head to Lenora’s chest to listen. This time, the thud under her ear was a bit stronger. Placing her cheek next to Lenora’s mouth, Valerie waited a beat, then felt a very soft, almost nonexistent puff of air on her skin. “Okay, you’re starting to breathe, and your heartbeat is getting stronger. Thank goodness.”

Valerie blinked when she heard harried footsteps on the stairs. Looking up, she sighed in resignation as Allen came into view. Seeing the woman on the bed, he gasped and flew into the cell. “Lenora! she’s here. She’s actually here.” He sank to his knees beside the bed, gazing unblinkingly at Lenora.

“Yeah, so it seems,” Valerie replied.

“Shane told me she’s kinda like how Snow White was…sorta dead but not really. Valerie…um…”

Valerie looked at Allen and raised an eyebrow. The guy looked mildly scared, and there clearly was something on his mind. “What is it, Allen?”

“Does she…um…does she feel dead? I mean, is she cold and stiff like dead things always are?” he blurted out.

“No, Allen, she’s not. She just looks like she’s asleep. Here, give me your hand.” She took Allen’s hand and wound his fingers around Lenora’s warm hand. Then, she helped him to gently move Lenora’s fingers. “You see? She’s warm, and her joints work properly. She’s just under a spell is all.”

“But…she’s not breathing,” Allen said.

“She is, but it’s really slow right now. Here, lean your head this way.” Valerie helped him lean his cheek next to Lenora’s mouth. “Now, just give her a minute or two and you’ll feel it.”

Allen did as instructed, frowning when several long moments went by where he felt nothing. He was about to straighten up and question Valerie further when a wispy, warm breath of air fell onto his cheek. “I felt it! Oh, Valerie, I felt it.”

“You see? What did I tell you?”

“I told Shane I wouldn’t be scared, but it makes me sad to see dead things. I don’t want Lenora to be dead, Valerie,” Allen said.

“I know what you mean,” Valerie said in soothing tones. “Just think of her as taking a super long nap and waking up good as new.”

“Will…will she remember being like this? I mean, she might feel trapped in her body because she can’t move. Maybe she’s awake and scared ’cause she can’t move,” Allen said.

Oh, dear Phaedra, how to answer that! She bit her lower lip, contemplating her words carefully. “I can’t answer that for sure, Allen, but I’m sure she’s so asleep that she won’t remember anything. It sounds like you know how being trapped in your body feels.”

Allen absently stroked a hand over Lenora’s hair, frowning at how tangled it felt. he would have to do something about that. He wanted Lenora to look beautiful, and he knew Lenora wouldn’t like her hair to be all messed up.

“Allen?” Valerie touched his arm and eyed him speculatively.

“Oh, right.” Allen shook his head, bringing himself back from his musings. “I had an operation once. My appendix burst. They said they were putting me to sleep so I wouldn’t feel it. Thing is, the stuff didn’t work and I felt it all. They thought I was asleep but I wasn’t, and I couldn’t move a muscle. I heard them talking…called me crazy. Someone said I should be having a lob…lobo…” He trailed off, smacking his forehead in frustration when the word wouldn’t come.

“Lobotomy,” Valerie supplied.

“Yeah, that. They said I should be having one of those instead of having my guts rearranged.”

Valerie’s jaw dropped, and she gaped in horror. “Fuck, Allen! Great Phaedra, that’s horrible!”

“I tried to tell someone what happened after it was over, but nobody believed me. I’m only Crazy Allen, and crazy people don’t know what they’re talking about,” Allen said, balling his fists in agitation.

Feeling a surge of compassion sweep over her, Valerie put her arms around Allen and hugged him. “I’m sorry you went through that. Nobody should ever have to experience something so awful.” She rubbed his back and smiled in relief when his muscles started to relax. “I don’t think Lenora can feel anything right now. She’s under a sleep spell, which is different from the anesthesia they use in the hospital. Sleep spells put everything to sleep, even memories. She’ll wake up and not remember any of this, I’m sure.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Try not to worry.”

“Valerie, could I…that is…can I sit with her alone? I want to take care of her. Her hair is tangled, and her lips are so dry. Lenora wouldn’t like that,” Allen said.

“Well…” Valerie didn’t want to stray too far for fear of igniting Shane’s wrath. Still, it would be a while before Lenora awoke. “I need to go get a few things for Lenora. She’ll need something warm to wear. It’s chilly down here, and you wouldn’t want her to get sick, right?”

Allen shook his head vigorously. “No, we can’t have that.”

“And she’ll need other stuff. You want her to look beautiful, right?”

“Yes, right!”

Valerie riffled through her bag, bringing out a hairbrush, a tube of lip balm, and a small bottle of lotion. “You can use these for now until I bring some stuff back. It won’t take me long. Will you be okay here for a bit?”

The smile that spread over Allen’s face softened his features a great deal. He looked more peaceful and unburdened. “Oh, yes, I’ll be okay. I’ll take very, very good care of her.”

Once alone, Allen was certain the voices would attack him without mercy. Instead, they were blessedly silent. He breathed a relieved sigh and stroked a thumb over the back of Lenora’s hand. “You see, Lenora? You made them go away just like I knew you would. Even lying here like Snow White, you made them go away. Thank you, Lenora. One day, you’ll see just how much I love you, and maybe you’ll even love me, too. That would make me so, so happy. Then, the voices will leave me alone for good.”

Allen ran his fingers over a lock of Lenora’s golden hair and picked up the hairbrush. “Okay now. I’ll be very gentle. You’ll be so happy when all these tangles are gone.” He went to work detangling Lenora’s tresses, handling her beautiful hair with reverence. Allen smiled as he worked, relishing the feeling of the voices being gone for the first time in a long time. “You see, Lenora, you’re helping me while I’m helping you. We’re good for each other. It’s meant to be between us. You’ll see. When you wake up, you’ll be so happy with all I’m doing for you.”

Even after all the tangles were gone, Allen continued to slide the brush smoothly through Lenora’s hair, humming tunelessly. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a singer, Lenora. You’ll have to do all the singing when we’re alone together. It’ll be so nice, beautiful Lenora. We’ll go far, far away from here where nobody can touch or hurt us. We’ll take long walks by the beach and build sand castles. You’ll sing for me always and I’ll give you everything you ever could want. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

He arranged Lenora’s hair around her shoulders and sighed as he put the brush aside. He lowered his mouth to softly kiss Lenora’s unresponsive lips and then ran a forefinger over her jaw. “Beautiful,” he whispered.

Picking up the tube of lip balm, Allen put some on his finger and brought it to Lenora’s lips. “You’ll feel so much better,” he whispered as he rubbed it into her dry lips. “Hospitals and institutions have such dry air, don’t they?”

Allen took Lenora’s hand, moving her fingers so they curled over his. Putting their joined hands against his heart, he smiled. “My heart is beating so fast. It nearly jumped out of my chest while I waited for you.” He stroked the backs of her knuckles and looked into her still face. “You look so beautiful, like an angel. I like being here with you this way, but I can’t wait for you to wake up. I’ll watch over you while you sleep, and when you wake up, you’ll see how good I took care of you.”

After rubbing some lotion into her hands, Allen resumed the brushing of her hair. “I like doing this for you, Lenora. You have such pretty hair. It’s all gold and shiny…and so soft.”

A while later, a jaw-cracking yawn seized Allen, who had lost all sense of time. “You’re making me lazy, Lenora, but that’s okay. It’s been a long day. I’ll just sleep right here with you and be here when you wake up.” He wished the bed was bigger, but he’d just have to make due. Carefully arranging himself next to Lenora, he folded her into his arms and sighed deeply. “For the first time in my life, I’m content. Thank you for that, Lenora. I love you. Goodnight.”

The next thing Allen knew, Valerie was shaking him awake. “Hey, I’m back. How is she?”

Allen sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Same, I guess.”

Valerie leaned over Lenora to check her. “Hey, she’s breathing better, and her heartbeat is getting stronger.”

“Her color looks better, too. She’s not so pale,” Allen said, running a finger down Lenora’s cheek.

“She just needs to sleep, and so do you. Maybe you should go on up to bed. You’ll be more comfortable,” Valerie suggested.

“I’ll stay here. Being here makes the voices stay away.”

“Suit yourself,” Valerie said, putting a black bag on the floor next to an old chair. “Shane wants me to stay here, too.” She sat in the chair and leaned her head back. This was going to be a long night, and Valerie was sure her entire body would be stiff and sore by the time the sun arose.

I couldn’t risk going to Dr. Hughes tonight. I’ll try to get out tomorrow and bring him back here. If Lenora is sick when she wakes up like Shane said she would be, he’ll be better at looking after her than I’d be. I wouldn’t know what to do for her. Hell, I’d probably mess it up like I mess everything else up.” Silent tears rolled down Valerie’s cheeks, and she did nothing to stop them.