THE ELIZABETH SERIES

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

HOSTILITIES

by JoLayne

RATING: PG

CHARACTERS: Methos, Duncan, Amanda, Stephen Keane, Joe Dawson, OC's Elizabeth, Claire, Joey

SUMMARY: Emotions come to the surface as everyone gathers at the hospital fearing what has truly happened to Claire.

DISCLAIMER: All characters and concepts you recognize from Highlander: The Series are owned by Panzer/Davis, and maybe Greg Widen. Just using them for fun, no profit is expected or pursued.

~~~~~

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013
NEW YORK CITY

If ever Methos itched to take a head, it was now. He never thought he could be so angry at Amanda, but he was now, and may the gods help her if she steps one toe out of line, or the hospital would have a black out from the quickening he'd take. He didn't have his Ivanhoe with him; he figured he would take off if confronted by an immortal he didn't know, but he'd lift a scalpel to relieve Amanda's head from her shoulders if need be.

As he stalked through the hospital lobby to the bank of elevators, he felt like punching every single person he almost ran over in his determination to get to his daughter. No one can take care of her as well as me! Why was I so stupid as to put her in the care of a flighty bird who insists on wearing high heels? Amanda's no better than Claire's obstinate mother, and she's lived six times as long. When will she learn??

He stared down the people in the elevator, who gave him room to enter and stand without being crowded. There was no need to see smoke coming from his ears, it was clear to the others that his anger was full-blown and just simmering below the surface. Never one to make a scene of himself, he just stared at the lights flickering on every floor they came to. When the elevator stopped at a floor to let people off or add someone new, Methos would sigh heavily. When it stopped on the fourth floor, he got out and looked for a stairwell to get up to Claire as soon as he could.

By the time he reached the eighth floor, the need to run once again made his adrenaline rush through him. He had two things on his mind: Find out how Claire was and tighten his fingers around Amanda's neck. He felt immortals immediately, and just followed the sensation, opening and closing his fists as he darted down the hallway. In a large waiting room, there was a door marked, "Private Family Room," which opened to reveal Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Methos whisked past him as soon as he saw Amanda. She had been a bit bent over, and then sat upright with her eyes wide when he approached. "If you killed my child, I'll have your head!"

Duncan took hold of Methos' arm. "She didn't have anything to do with Claire's injury."

Methos growled and shoved him back. "Don't you dare play protector." He stood taking great gulps of air as he flirted with the idea of finding a scalpel or something thin and sharp with which to separate Amanda's head from her body.

She appeared to have been crying and stammered, "Daniel. I tried. It was all so fast. Please..."

"Quiet!" Methos ordered. "Where is she?" He decided to turn his attention away from them to find out where Claire was. He felt as if he had lost a part of his heart since getting the call from the hospital on his cell phone asking for his permission to run tests and bring her into surgery if needed.

Duncan shut the door and then told him in a quiet, calm voice, "She's in surgery, Daniel," which really pissed Methos off more. He should be riled. Didn't the Highlander care one lick for his beautiful child?

"Why? What the hell happened?" Methos asked the small room, which consisted only of Amanda, Duncan, and some red haired man. It came to Methos slowly who he was. Stephen Keane was an immortal on a mission last time he saw him. Actually, the last time he laid eyes on the man was after he had killed him with a dagger and was about to take his head when the Boy scout intervened. Why Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod chose to fight his own battles when Methos was perfectly willing to take care of it, Methos would never understand. It wasn't like it was an everyday occurrence. Methos remembered the thrill of that day, just after having shot the Highlander to get rid of him for a few minutes to take care of what needed to be done. During the latter part of the duel to the death with Keane, Methos had been almost out of breath, on his knees on the slick pebble stones with Keane standing over him about to swing when Methos thrust a hidden dagger into his gut. He wanted to do it again. And again... "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was there when it happened," Keane stated simply, as if that explained everything.

"You went after my kid?!"

Before Methos could get his hands on the Englishman's coat, Duncan and Amanda pulled him back. Amanda said, "No, he saved our lives."

Keane smiled and continued to sit in the chair as if there had been no unpleasantness at all. "So, good thing you didn't take my head when it wasn't your fight."

Methos stared Keane down and Amanda quickly explained what had happened in the alley and that Keane had taken control of the situation by bringing Claire to the safety of his apartment building, then deciding to call an ambulance. With almost every word of Amanda's recitation Keane displayed, then grew, a smug smile on his face that Methos would have been very happy to wipe off for him.

There was a knock on the door, then a nurse came in, making the small room seem even more enclosed. "We can hear you down the hall. There are sick people and caring family members who would appreciate privacy and silence. You'll have to leave if you can't-"

Methos challenged her authority by yelling, "Where is she? Claire Gordon. Tell me now!"

"As I told them-"

"I'm her father! Tell me!"

"She's in surgery Mr. Gordon."

"For what?"

"She's had an MRI to see if the skull is fractured, and they must have seen something-"

"The skull? Her skull, you mean! Fractured?" Methos swung around to look at Keane; Amanda insisted he saved them, but how could he have let a little girl get a fractured skull? How could Amanda? He focused instead on the nurse. "And? Is it?"

"I don't know the results, Sir. The doctors do, and will do what needs to be done while in surgery. It could have been nothing."

"Then why is she in surgery?"

"She needs stitches for the cut on her head."

"You don't need anesthesia for that!"

"She also has a broken arm, I believe it is broken in four places."

Seeing Amanda cower behind the nurse, looking into the corner with her arms crossed, Methos echoed, "Four places?" to Amanda more than the nurse. How scared Claire must have been, how much pain she must have been dealing with... Methos couldn't take it.

"The doctor will be with you as soon as she's out of surgery," the nurse said, about to leave.

"When will that be?"

"We don't know, Sir."

Methos thought of a way to get past this bitch and at least see his child. He told the nurse, "I'm a doctor. Let me observe."

"I'm sorry, Sir. No family members are allowed."

"If you call me Sir one more time in that condescending tone, I'll-"

"I'm sorry, Doctor," the nurse rambled quickly.

Duncan broke in. "Thank you, ma'am," he said as he pushed Methos down into a chair. Methos bolted up again when Duncan told the nurse, "We're very concerned about Claire. Please have someone tell us her condition as soon as possible."

"Of course," the nurse said with a smile, a relieved smile more than likely, and then left.

"Oh, so on top of everything, aren't you?" Methos spouted at him. "Where were you when she was attacked?"

"If you must know, I was going to meet up with Guy Barstow and pick up Joe at the airport when he lands. Does that meet with your approval? Where were you? Grabbing a beer?"

"Paying for my daughter's surprise surprise present! I couldn't very well tell her that I was going to a travel agency I've been working with over the phone for the last week to plan the perfect vacation at Disney World with her in the room, could I?"

"You could have told Liz. Is she in on this plan?"

"Will you stop being her protector? I was going to bring her with. Does that meet with your approval?"

Methos saw Amanda sink into a chair that obviously didn't have much padding. The urge to throttle her came over him again, but he calmed himself with a few breaths and only said, "I thought I could count on 'friends' to keep Claire safe for one afternoon. Imagine my surprise to find out I can't."

"You can, Daniel," Amanda exclaimed as tears ran down her cheeks. "I did my best. I'm sorry. You know I'd rather die than allow Claire to get hurt."

"And yet you still live."

"You weren't there, Pierson," Keane said. "She did the best she could, but it was slippery."

"Daniel Gordon is my name."

"Whatever."

He noticed Amanda's bare feet and ripped pantyhose. There was one high heel shoe on a far chair in the room with her purse. "You should always wear proper shoes when responsible for my kid."

"I will. I promise."

"No, there'll never be another opportunity, Amanda," Methos stated coldly, shaking his head slowly. "From now on, you're only with Claire if I'm around."

The small room was closing in on him, and he needed to find out more information about his daughter and certainly wouldn't get it in there. He opened the door and walked out.

~~~~~

Elizabeth hastily paid the fare and bolted from the cab, then had to open the back seat door quickly before the cabbie could take off as she had forgotten her purse. Her mind had been in a whirl since Duncan's call that Claire was in the hospital, and what really ticked her off was that he wouldn't explain why. He just said, "Come now."

She had reamed him out mentally during the journey to St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital. Not having much to do with hospitals in quite a long time, she wondered if this was a good one with qualified doctors. The only thing she knew about it was that John Lennon died there. She hoped that wasn't their track record as she ran into the hospital still mentally scolding Duncan for the lack of information he had given her. Given the many people around, she was overwhelmed by the sudden crowd, the noise, and the newness of being in a hospital because of a family member.

She didn't know where to go or where to turn. As she placed herself by a wall out of the fray and the hallway where one gentleman had bumped into her from behind, she came to realize that Duncan probably would have told her what happened, but he didn't want anyone else to hear. She hoped that Claire wasn't there because of her pre-immortal status and that it was just a head cold. But, except for the chicken pox, Claire hadn't been sick a day in her life. Why did she have to start now?

Elizabeth found an information desk with a woman who looked to be quite caring and motherly sitting at it. She walked over to her after the old couple she had given directions to were gone. "My daughter, Claire Gordon? I was told she was here."

The woman had a look on her face that Elizabeth interpreted as sorrow, and she clicked information into the computer at her desk. "Let's see... Claire Gordon, you said?"

"Yes. She's ten years old."

"Probably brought into the ER?"

"I suppose." Elizabeth looked around for any sign of Duncan or Amanda, who was supposed to be with Claire and taking care of her. Maybe even Methos was there. Maybe the last call that Duncan made was to Elizabeth, and he didn't tell her what happened to Claire because she was dead. If she was dead, she'd revive, but remain one week from eleven years old forever. Forever, Elizabeth grunted. She wouldn't last a year. Or worse yet, Claire had been beheaded and she really was gone forever.

No, Elizabeth berated herself. If she had been beheaded, she wouldn't be in a hospital. "Can you hurry, please?" she asked the woman, who was still searching in a computer for her daughter.

"Ah, I see she's been brought up to surgery."

"Surgery! For what?"

"You are?"

"Elizabeth Gordon, her mother. I got a call that she was brought here. Where is she? What's the matter? Why does she need surgery?"

"She's under Dr. Freelow's care. Go to the eighth floor, turn left from the elevators, and it says here that family is in the family waiting room."

Elizabeth stretched over the desk to look at the monitor. "What else does it say there?"

Taking a quick scan, she read CLAIRE GORDON at the top, which make her heart constrict but didn't catch anything else on screen. "Those elevators?" Elizabeth asked, pointing to a bank of them to her right.

"Yes. The eighth floor, go to the left."

"Thank you."

Elizabeth saw that an elevator going up still had its doors open, so she ran to it, hollering, "Hold the doors, please?"

A male hand reached out to hold them open, and they opened wide just as she got to them. She ran in and was surrounded by five bikers. All five were imposing, heavy set, hairy, and wearing leather, chains, and boots. She pushed the 8 button as they didn't pay attention to her. She wasn't really listening, but the gist of their conversation was that there was a recent motorcycle (or "hog") accident where someone by the name of Chester had used up another of his "nine lives."

Elizabeth read the plaque, which listed everything on every floor, for something to do to take her mind off the fact that her daughter could have used one of her lives also. She only had one mortal life to give. She felt her heart start to race so badly she thought she was going to have a heart attack, sweat beaded on her forehead, which she brushed with the back of her hand. She started to feel dizzy, and didn't know if it was because of her diagnoses, just visiting a shrink, her daughter's situation, or she was stuck in an elevator with a bunch of tall, beer-bellied men. She just hoped it would rise faster, but it seemed that at each floor the doors would open. On a couple of floors, the doors opened to lone women looking hesitant, who just stepped back to wait for the next one, probably because of the gang in the elevator. On another floor, a man walked in, making them crowd together more.

As she was pushed to the back of the car, she started to gasp for air. The man who had held the door open for her looked at her and asked if she was all right. She did a half shake, then half nod of her head, not sure she had really heard him. When the elevator stopped again, she was thinking about sitting on the floor as she was getting woozy, but the guy said, "Didn't you want eight?"

"Oh, yeah... thanks," she muttered as they made room for her to get through and out. She didn't feel any better when she stepped out.. She put a hand out and caught herself against the wall before she fell. She clutched her chest as she felt sweat puddle on her forehead and armpits.

A nurse, who was walking by, stopped to ask, "Ma'am, are you all right?"

She had even taken Elizabeth's arm, and Elizabeth told her, "My daughter," but in such a raspy voice she wondered if the woman could hear her. "She's here somewhere."

"What is her name?"

"Claire Gordon. She's in surgery, I guess. I need to see her or Duncan MacLeod, my friend who called me about her."

"Ask at the desk," she said, then was gone.

Feeling like she was going to pass out, Elizabeth leaned against the wall and rummaged through her purse for one of the pills she had just gotten from Dr. Bradford before getting the overwhelming news that her daughter was in the hospital. Now she found out that some stranger was cutting into her. She wanted to fold up and die, she couldn't handle the worry.

She realized that on top of her internal struggle and pain, she was feeling the presence of immortals, which made her instantly frantic, then she realized that it had to be Duncan. Or Amanda? Where was Amanda? Wasn't she the one who was taking Claire shopping? Why was it Duncan who had called her?

Her mind was full of questions with no answers when she felt a hand on her arm. Duncan's soothing voice said, "We've been waiting over there," and escorted her to a waiting room, then to a smaller room where Amanda was.

"Where were you when Claire got hurt? What happened?" Elizabeth probably sounded frantic; her insides felt like she was going to explode. Her head was pounding so badly, she could hardly comprehend that Duncan was still holding her up. She thought that if he let go, she'd fall into a puddle on the floor.

It took all the concentration she could muster to hear Duncan explain what had happened to Claire after he had closed the door and sat her down on a chair next to some red haired man she didn't know. He was immortal, but Duncan and Amanda didn't seem too worried about it, so she just concentrated on the story. He concluded with, "She's in surgery now, so all we have to do is wait and pray."

Elizabeth slowly turned her head from Duncan's concerned face to Amanda's. The one female immortal that she had looked up to for over a decade looked like a hurt little girl. She should! Elizabeth screamed to herself, but kept the thought to herself because she was worried about what she'd do if she did anything more than clutch her stomach and try not to throw up.

Duncan said he would get a round of coffee for everyone and also, "Just sit and relax. It's going to be all right," as he patted her hand.

Elizabeth hoped so and also hoped she could soon take a good deep breath of air, but felt her throat closing off again. She opened her purse to take out the little white pharmacy bag to see what stash she had gotten from Dr. Bradford again. If there was ever a time to use them, now was it. She pulled out the Paxil bottle, and saw that the label said to take it in the morning, so she dumped it in her bag. The next bottle was the Ambien, but that would make her fall right to sleep. She needed to be alert right now, just calmed down before she started hyperventilating as she had in the doctor's office and again in the hallway before Duncan arrived. As she pulled the last bottle out, she asked, "Where did he go?"

Amanda scooted next to her and took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Liz. I did the best I could."

Elizabeth jerked her hand away and in the process, dropped the last bottle on the floor. The red haired man leaned forward off his chair to pick it up and present it to her, but first looked at the label. "Here you go," he said politely.

Grabbing the bottle from him, she asked, "Who are you?"

"This is Stephen Keane," Amanda told her. "Stephen, this is Claire's mother, Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet you, but wish it was under more pleasant circumstances."

He seemed friendly enough, but Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what he was doing there. Had Amanda gotten a new lover, so fast? Just when she was going to ask, she fumbled with the bottle, which she remembered was the other medication, Librium, Amanda said, "Stephen interfered with the challenge when I went down and saved both of our lives. Claire would be dead in that alley if not for him."

The words 'dead in that alley' rushed through Elizabeth with a jolt. She asked low and seriously, "What the hell were you doing accepting a challenge with my daughter in your care?"

"I didn't, she just came at me and wouldn't stop. When Claire went down, I-."

"When Claire what?" Elizabeth cried out.

"She was pushed hard and hit the wall. I had to do something to protect her. From the way your husband acted, I should have just ran away wearing sensible shoes or some such nonsense."

"He said what?"

"That's not really what he said," Keane offered.

Elizabeth looked at him as Amanda said, "Don't remind me. He'll calm down."

"Calm down? Our daughter is laying on a table with her insides open because of you."

"It's not because of her," Keane said, then sat back a bit when Elizabeth jerked her head in his direction again. She knew that her eyes stared daggers at him, but she was starting to feel stronger by focusing her emotions on blaming Amanda. "She did the best she could."

"It was slippery," Amanda offered as the ultimate excuse.

"I don't care. If you killed my child, I'll have your head!"

"Stand in line," Amanda whispered.

Duncan came back with four coffees and sat across the small room from Elizabeth. When he handed one to her, she said, "Thanks, but I need water instead," then put the styrofoam cup down on the table between her and Keane. She looked at him again wondering what his story was, but needed to find out something about Claire's condition. "Where's Daniel?"

"Making a scene down the hall, demanding that someone tell him what's going on in surgery."

"Good plan. I'll join him."

Clutching the Librium bottle, she stood up, and almost fell back down; she was lightheaded. Amanda was right there. "I really couldn't be sorrier, Liz. You have to know that. I'd cut out my own heart to save her, and I tried to best that woman, but she had a sword and I didn't."

"Why didn't you have your sword? You were supposed to protect her!"

"I couldn't very well waltz into Bloomingdale's packing a blade. How about you? We were going to meet for dinner later, do you have a sword? Claire would have been in your care then. What if you would have been walking Claire home and didn't have a sword and that woman came after you?"

"Amanda," Duncan said. "Stop."

Elizabeth held out her foot, which was clad in a boot with a rubber sole. "I always wear proper shoes!"

"God! I learned my lesson! I get it," Amanda moaned. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm sorry."

"Sorry is too late if she dies, Amanda."

"She'll always revive," Keane offered. His little one liners were starting to grate on Elizabeth. Saved Claire's life or not, she was tired of having him around.

"Why are you still here, anyway?" Elizabeth verbally challenged him with anger. "You did a good thing, but you can go now. Thanks, but have a nice life."

"I'd like to know how she is. I do have a vested interest in her."

"Why?"

"I saved her life."

"Maybe. Yeah, she could revive, but then she'd be immortal and last about twenty minutes being seven days from eleven years old forever. If you were trying to make light of this, or make jokes, I swear to God, I'll-"

"He's not," Duncan interrupted her and also took hold of her arm. "Are you?"

"Not at all," Keane replied.

"See? We all want what's best for Claire," Duncan said lightly, bringing an air of stability to the room and Elizabeth's heart. "Claire wouldn't have even made it this far if not for him. Amanda wouldn't be sitting there, either."

"It was my fault. I know it was all my fault. I'm sorry," Amanda plead to not only Elizabeth but Duncan as well.

It irritated Elizabeth that she was trying to make points with Duncan during this time of crisis. Always on the lookout for an opportunity to show what a great gal you are...

"It's wasn't anyone's fault, except for the bitch who did this," Keane said just as Methos opened the door and entered.

"It's about bleeding time you showed up," he said to Elizabeth, then lounged in a chair as best he could in the tight room where chairs and tables lined the walls. At least there was a window. Maybe she could throw Methos out of it to make her feel better.

"What's that supposed to mean? I came as soon as I heard."

"I got here all the way from Brooklyn. Where were you?"

"None of your business," she snipped at him. If he didn't have to tell her where he was going, she didn't have to tell him. "Have a good beer?"

"Yeah, I did," he said defiantly, almost daring her to egg him on and he'd have her for lunch. "What was your all important appointment anyway? I finally ask you to take care of Claire-something you've claimed to want all along, I guess-and you can't? You have something more important than taking care of her and making sure she doesn't lose her head?!"

The rage and panic started to rise in her again as she spouted, "Fuck you! Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!"

"Very nice!" he exclaimed right back at her.

Elizabeth threw the Librium bottle at him, shouting, "I went to a damn doctor, okay?!" She pulled the white bag and two bottles out of her purse and one by one threw them at Methos too. "I needed all this shit so I can live with watching every single word or deed I say or do around you. It's like walking on a fucking tightrope, and it's got to end!"

Methos caught the Paxil bottle but just knocked away the Ambien and white bag. He rose to his feet and grabbed hold of Elizabeth's coat collar before Duncan stood up to intervene by holding him back.

"Not doing a very good job of it, are you?" He shouted, trying to get past Duncan. The room was so small that Amanda hiked up her legs to get out of the way.

Elizabeth got to her feet and wished Duncan wasn't as tall as he was; she couldn't see over his shoulder to holler at her oh, so loving husband, "What did I do? I got a call that my daughter's in the hospital and came right here? What was I supposed to do?"

"You should have been with her! Not a mistake that's going to happen again! She's with me at all times from now on!"

"That makes a lot of sense," Duncan said, as he pushed Methos back and they both landed on the chair. "Just stop it!"

"Why does this matter to you?" Methos asked him in a high, yet still powerful voice and pushed him off.

"I'm her mother, and I deserve to spend time with her!" Elizabeth leaned over Duncan to say.

"You lost that privilege when you broke your promise!"

"What promise was that?"

He looked at her as if she had just gotten off a spaceship from Mars. "The one about never taking each other's heads."

"I didn't, did I?"

"Because I got out of the way!"

"It wasn't all my fault!" she screamed, and it felt good to finally say it, with decibels.

"Oh really?!" Methos charged up and stepped over Duncan to confront her. "Who was holding the sword?" Then he laughed bitterly. "Oh, I forgot, you were living in a fairy tale. It was the ghost, wasn't it?"

Elizabeth reflectively slapped him, which wasn't the best maneuver she could have made at the moment. She instantly regretted it, but even more when Methos pulled her toward him roughly with his hands hooked hard on her arms and shook her.

"Think about what you did!"

"You had to buy that house without asking me first. It was a shitty house! It was cold, it was bare, it was a lot of work to just get water running, and it was full of ghosts!"

"There's no such thing."

"How do you know?! You were living in the stables. Why was that? You think! Think about what you did!" she sneered as she shoved him back.

"Me?"

Duncan rose to his feet and put himself between them as the door flew open and a nurse shouted, "Hold it down in here, or we'll have to evict you from the premises!"

"We're sorry, we're just very upset about Claire," Duncan said calmly to her. "Is there any word yet?"

"No, Sir."

"Stop with the 'Sirs'!"Methos shouted as he pushed Elizabeth.

The nurse jumped and stared with fright, then promptly left. There was complete and utter silence in the room as everyone took seats and clenched their jaws. Amanda said, "She's probably getting reinforcements."

"So help me, Amanda," Methos slowly said. "If you say one more word..." then he stewed in silence.

Elizabeth suddenly felt awful for everything, especially slapping him, and looked to him with sorrow, which Methos seemed to take badly. He swung his head to the wall and tapped his foot, something he only did if he was ready to bust. She assumed that the only reason he didn't haul off and hit her back was because Duncan would be there to protect her, or they'd all be thrown out, which was still a great possibility.

"Can we talk?" she asked guardedly to Methos and was surprised by the choking cry in her voice. "In private?"

Amanda almost jumped to her feet. "Yes, I think I need some air. Mac? Stephen? Care to join me?"

Duncan stood up and said to Elizabeth, "We'll be just outside."

"It makes me feel all warm and gooey inside to know you're so close, Highlander," Methos intoned. "Doesn't that make everything better knowing that your lover is right outside?" he asked Elizabeth.

Keane stood up. "As much as I'd love to continue being a witness to this soap opera, I think I'll follow Amanda's good advice and wait outside as well."

"I should have ignored him and took your head all those years ago," Methos told him.

Keane laughed. "Then your daughter and friend would both really be dead now, wouldn't they?"

After Keane left quickly, probably before Methos could do anything, Elizabeth said, "You know him?"

"We ran into each other a while back."

She was glad Methos was talking in a normal tone of voice, he was probably as rattled inside as she was, feeling the aftershocks of the adrenaline rush of a few minutes ago. She had always held a fear in the back of her mind that someone else from his past was going to show up, and now another had. This time, however, the man from Methos' past did a good thing. "Why didn't you?"

After a pause where Methos rubbed his face and brushed his hair back, he asked, "Hm?"

Wanting to pry a little more into how they knew each other, but not wanting him to explode again, she said quietly, "Take his head."

"I chose not to. But if you were to ask MacLeod later, he'd say I didn't take him because he asked me not to."

"Why did you have a choice?"

"Because everyone does. At all times. There are always choices to be made, aren't there?"

Since he pointedly looked at her, she knew that he was talking about not just slapping him, sleeping with Duncan that one night, or going to a doctor's appointment rather than taking care of Claire; he was also talking about almost taking his head. But she had made good choices too. If she hadn't taken Pyrius' head, nothing since would have happened. If he hadn't slaughtered Pyrius' family and village, turned him, then later decided to let Pyrius take his head after days of torture, Elizabeth wouldn't have been hounded by Pyrius' quickening/ghost in the first place. Her mind whirled with all the nuances that comprised her and Methos' relationship; one that had been filled with choices, good and bad, that had been made.

She sat forward to lean her elbows on her knees and let her hands hold her head up. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she didn't even know where to begin. To state it simply, she said, "I'm sorry."

"For what in particular?"

"Everything." She dared to crack and smile when she asked, "Can it be all encompassing?"

She peered over at him to see a flicker of a grin appear on his face, or maybe not. It was gone so fast that she could have been dreaming it. "We can't fight each other now. We have to show a united front for Claire." When he didn't reply, she asked, "Did you find out anything?"

"They won't know anything until the doctor comes out of surgery, I gather."

"I'm sorry for hitting you."

"Thank you. Even though I wanted to return the favor, I used all my breeding to hold back."

He rubbed his cheek that she had slapped, and she would have liked to do that for him. After all they'd been through and said to each other, she did love this man. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, and it seemed like she did that automatically. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she said, "Thank you."

"I'm a gentleman. I don't hit broads." Methos shrugged. "Well, only if they deserve it, or they hit me first."

Her look in response was a challenge which he took up. "I'm not the same man as I was back then. That's not my pattern now," he said as his voice became more desperate with each passing word. "You know that. Don't you?"

"You mean Death?"

"No, Santa Claus!"

Surprised by his sudden eruption that put a stop to the cordiality, she moaned, "I know you're not."

"Do you?!"

Because he had lost his calm demeanor, the onset of relaxation she had been feeling flew right out the window. Trickles of nerves started to prick at her insides. "Yes!"

Methos settled back into his chair and shook his head silently as if carrying on a conversation with himself.

"Where did that come from?" she asked. "I didn't bring that up, you did."

"You did, too! You looked at me earlier like I forgot what I was half my long life ago."

"I was thinking of when I left you in Sintra after finding out your real name. You hit me first. That's what I was thinking."

"I didn't hit you at all."

"You did, too! As I was picking up my suitcase, you hauled off and literally punched me."

"I did not! You told me to fuck off and slapped me when I took your arm to stop you so you'd listen to me."

Elizabeth had to pause and think back. She had neither 20/20 hindsight nor precise recall of the events that he seemingly had. Must have to do with age. "I didn't. You hit me first."

"I did not, Elizabeth. I have a lot of regrets, but I have never laid a hand on you first."

She had no idea if it was true or not and her mind flashed through the highlights of their past together. With all they'd gone through, for all the love they'd shown to each other, they were talking about who hit who first? Violence between them hadn't been a common occurrence, why would they focus on a minute of time in their past. Her hand went to her neck to scratch it, which made Methos fume. "Don't do that!"

"What?"

"I didn't mean to put that scar there. Don't bring that up again."

It took a minute for her to figure out what he was talking about, but then she remembered that he had held a sword to her neck and left a mark that hadn't ever healed. She was so used to it, and Methos had been so loving since, that she didn't think about it unless she was in the right lighting and wearing something that didn't cover it. He must think about it all the time.

"I had an itch, Methos."

"Don't call me that in public! In fact, don't call me that again."

"Don't close off on me. Please?" She sadly shook her head, hoping he would calm down. "We need to be able to talk, at least. For Claire's sake. For mine? Please?" Once again, everything she wanted to tell him for so long rushed back into her head so fast it was all a whirl. All she was able to say quietly was, "I can't function without you... I need those pills because of it."

"Don't blame that on me."

"I'm not. I need to take them and see Stone and Bradford because of what I did. It was my hands holding the sword," admitting that again at this time made Elizabeth feel like dirt and tears flooded her eyes. "I know that. I accept that. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"Yet you just blamed me. It was the house. It was the ghosts. It was everything but you."

"We share in it," she stated guardedly. Elizabeth couldn't even work up the courage to look at him as silence reigned in the room. She began slowly, "I would never have done it if not for outside forces, you have to know that. If I could just explain everything that was happening..." Illustrating for him all that she felt, saw, and heard without looking like a total insane idiot, which she was sure he thought she was, would be a tall order. Too much for her to handle in her still rattled state. She hoped he would change the subject.

"You still lifted a sword against me."

He had given her no leeway. Elizabeth took a deep breath and folded up her tent, she had to stop the rumbling in her stomach and the shakiness that enveloped her. She needed a pill. Any pill would do. Anything that would make the uncontrolled emotions waving through her stop would be heaven. She saw a bottle on the floor under a chair next to Methos. "I'm sorry I threw them," she said softly as she got on her knees to get it.

Methos got up and moved after her side brushed his leg. She felt like collapsing when she realized that he didn't even want her to touch him by accident and berated herself for not keeping her feelings in check when things got a bit hot. There was no need to strike out at him, physically and verbally. Her arm holding her upright almost buckled, but then she spotted another bottle, so she reached for it as the door opened behind her.

She grasped the orange plastic bottle and looked to see who was there: a tall man wearing light blue scrubs, still wearing a light blue disposable elastic banded cap. Great, the first look Claire's doctor got of her was her big ass. As she got into a chair, Methos had stood up and shook the doctor's offered hand. "Mr. Gordon? I'm Dr. Freelow, Claire's surgeon."

He turned to her and also stuck out his hand. "Are you Claire's mother?"

"Yes," she said, then had to immediately clear her throat as it was constricted. The same hand that had just cut into her daughter was soft, cold, and now shaking hers. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and brushed her hand on her pants as he said, "Claire has a Grade 3 concussion, which is a bit worrisome. I'd like to keep her in the hospital for observation over the next two or three days."

"Observe her for what?" Elizabeth found her feet to stand with the men.

Dr. Freelow said, "It's common procedure. We'd like to watch her to make sure there's no brain swelling, or she doesn't lapse into a coma."

"Does she have brain damage?" Methos asked tightly in an almost inaudible voice. Elizabeth could tell that the doctors words had cut into him as much as her.

"From the EKG, I don't think so, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up."

To Elizabeth's surprise, Methos' hand rose as if it was searching for something. She took it, and he squeezed it lightly. He didn't let it go, and it felt wonderful to her that they could comfort each other, and that he had wanted her comfort right now.

"When will that be?" Methos asked with eyes that were filled with fear.

"Each patient is different," Dr. Freelow said. "Could be a few minutes, could be a couple of hours."

The waiting thus far had been complete and utter torture; to wait another couple of hours seemed like a lifetime. Dr. Freelow continued, "We also set her arm. Claire had fractures in three places. We put a cast on her arm from the hand to here," he indicated quickly where the fracture probably was on his left arm half way between the elbow and wrist then settled it about half way between the elbow and shoulder. "And then we put pins in her shoulder as there was also a fracture about here," he put his finger on his left arm just under the shoulder.

Methos squeezed Elizabeth's hand his eyes were focused solely on the doctor's face. "Was she in pain?"

"I wouldn't think so. The concussion might have made her body go limp, which was why she might have fractured her arm in the first place. Falling onto hard concrete, where I hear there was also ice, I don't think she felt a thing."

"Why does that not comfort me?" Methos asked, still not losing his soft tone of voice. His hand, however, was holding harder and harder on hers, for which she was glad. If she felt something, she would know this was real. It was still so out of this world, seeing the doctor, hearing him talk about her Claire, and feeling Methos squeeze her hand were making this all very real. As Bradford had told her, she had to be alert for everything. Instead of dread and overwhelming fear, she felt glad and slowly felt more in control.

"Are there any questions?" Freelow asked, looking at them both.

"Why pins?" Elizabeth asked.

Because there was a pause, she thought she asked a stupid question, but the doctor replied, "Because the fracture was too close to the shoulder. She should keep her arm stable for a couple of weeks, and she should come back to get X Rays to monitor her healing, but that will be explained more thoroughly by her orthopedic surgeon that I called in."

"So, you didn't do the surgery yourself?"

"I was concerned about her concussion, and I did put eight stitches on the back of her head."

"Eight?"

"I brought in Dr. Eric Kroener to set the arm as I assisted."

"Is he good?"

"Very good. Claire was lucky he was available."

"Are you good?"

Dr. Freelow smiled at Methos and said, "I'm very good."

Never underestimate the confidence of a doctor. Elizabeth just hoped he wasn't tooting his own horn before the band had warmed up properly.

"Are there any other questions?"

"Did she ever...," Methos began, but then paused a moment and looked at Elizabeth.

She could tell that he was worried that she had been turned, but how could you ask a doctor if Claire had died and then come back to life without raising many red flags. They would know for sure when they could finally see her. If her hum was now a buzz, it would tell them. But she wanted to know now. She needed to know something now.

Methos asked in a stronger voice, probably after having had a second to ponder his word choice, "Did she ever flat line?"

"No," Dr. Freelow said confidently, which allowed Elizabeth to take a breath. "Your daughter has a very strong heart. Don't be concerned about that. Claire was injured, and it's serious, but she was never in danger of death."

When the doctor said that, Elizabeth took a great sigh of relief, and knew that Methos had as well when his grip loosened on her hand. As he pulled his hand away, she missed him immediately.

Dr. Freelow continued, "She might have been if she wasn't brought into the ER so soon, but don't worry about what could have been. Any other questions?"

"We can I see her?" Methos asked, a bit of lightness taking over the previous solemness of his features.

"In a few minutes, but for only a few minutes. Claire's being brought down to recovery, and they have to make sure her head and arm are stable. I'll send a nurse in to get you when you can see her. Any other questions?"

"She'll be all right?" Elizabeth asked. She had gotten a lot of information yet didn't know if the doctor had said so or not.

"Time will truly tell, Ms. Gordon; Claire has some hurdles to pass, but it looks good. After she wakes, and we take tests, we'll know more. For now, just relax and I'll send a nurse to get one of you in about a half hour or so."

He was gone with a nod of his head, leaving the door open. One of them? What did that mean? They couldn't both see Claire? Elizabeth looked to Methos, who walked out into the larger waiting room with people sitting around looking worried or just reading newspapers. When Methos greeted Duncan with a few words she couldn't hear and then hugged him, she knew that he was back on top of the world. Only one of them could see Claire, and she instantly decided that after all she had done to Methos today she would stand aside and let him go. As long as he told her what Claire looked like, sounded like, and all the contraptions she'd be hooked up to, she would be fine.

"Liz, that's great news," Duncan said as he came to her with arms wide.

She saw Methos talk to a man in a black uniform, who looked like a security guard as she hugged Duncan. "Yeah. He wouldn't say so, but I think the doctor was telling us Claire will have a rough night or couple of days, but she'll be all right." To sink into Duncan's arms was just the relief that she really needed to make her lose all the fear and anxiety that had taken over since the phone call and argument with Methos.

She saw that Methos was still talking to the uniformed officer. "Who's that?"

Duncan turned and chuckled. "He wanted to throw you both out, but I made sure he didn't."

"Thanks."

"You both were awfully quiet in here. Did you even talk?"

"A bit."

"Did it go well?"

"I have no idea. We talked about bad times, and it really didn't go anywhere."

Duncan put his arm around her shoulder. "It's stuffy in here."

When he was going to usher her out of the room, she said, "I gotta get my pills and purse and anything else I might have thrown around." She cringed at how she had felt and what she had done. So juvenile. No wonder Methos won't give her a break. But had he? She couldn't really remember. Maybe he had given her openings to really talk about important things and she didn't take them. She had given him a couple but he had gone in the other direction. She collected the Librium and Ambien bottles and the bag with receipt stapled to it and shoved them in her purse, but couldn't find the Paxil bottle. It was liquid in an actual bottle and she wondered if it had broken when she had obviously thrown that at Methos too. Feeling irresponsible and losing her bit of control, she sat down and took out the bottle of Librium. Bradford had said that one was for anxiety, so she thought that would help her now. She took one out and popped it in her mouth. She saw the coffee cup she had put down when Duncan had brought it to her seemingly a year ago and took a gulp to get the pill down. It wasn't a miracle pill, that was certain. She sat waiting to feel differently, but didn't.

Elizabeth put the bottle back in her purse and hauled the strap over her shoulder. A walk would feel good about now, fresh air as well. Since she assumed Methos would be the one to see Claire, she could go outside and get some cold air to cleanse her head.

Duncan and Elizabeth walked into the waiting room to see Methos and Keane facing each other. The uniformed man was gone, so Elizabeth assumed that Methos had sweet talked him into not throwing them all out. Elizabeth walked closer to the men as she heard Methos say, "Well, thanks," as he stuck out his hand to Keane.

Keane looked at Methos' hand, then slowly took hold of it. They shook, and continued to hold hands. It wasn't in new-found friendship either. From the look of it, they were one-uping each other once again to check who had the stronger grip. Elizabeth chuckled, as Methos let go and turned to her. He told Duncan, "Thanks, Mac, for not letting that guy break into the room. For being here, too. I appreciate it."

"My pleasure. I love Claire, too."

"Where's Amanda?" Elizabeth asked, looking around.

"She went back to the hotel," Duncan explained. "She really feels horrible about this."

"Well, she should," Methos said with finality as he took a seat by a boy who looked about Claire's age. He smiled as he looked at the book the boy was reading. "Treasure Island. Good choice."

The boy shrugged and said, "I have to read it for school."

"No matter why you have to read it, you'll read it. It's a good book, isn't it?"

The boy shrugged again.

"With that attitude," Methos said, "You're not going to get anything out of it." He nudged the boy with his arm. "Come on. What do you want from a story? Adventure, exotic places, fights, good versus evil? You know I could have just explained Star Wars. You liked Star Wars, didn't you?"

"The last three sucked."

"But the first three...," Methos said with a wink. "They were pretty good, right?"

The nurse who had wanted to throw them out came with pierced lips to say, "You may see Claire now," to Methos.

Methos instantly stood up. He told the kid, "I'd love to tell you all that happens in that book, but you'll find out yourself, then kick yourself for not paying attention while you were reading the first part. And I can just guess that you'll read the beginning again."

He joined the nurse in the hallway, and then looked back to Elizabeth, who just assumed he'll go alone to see Claire. She hadn't wanted to butt in after all she'd said and done in that family room, or anything else in the past few months. Methos called to her across the waiting room, "You coming?"

Elizabeth felt that if someone nudged her, she'd fall right over. The nurse cautioned, "Only one at a time."

"That's silly," Methos argued, in a good mood. "What's the difference if two of us look at her as opposed to just one? We're not going to bring her to an amusement park. We're her parents, we should both go."

The nurse sighed and pierced her lips together even more and just shook her head and walked down the hall. Elizabeth jumped to her feet before anyone could change their mind and followed Methos as he followed the nurse to the elevator.

When they were inside it, Elizabeth realized she didn't have her purse. Hoping Duncan would realize it was there, and also wait for them so they could tell him how Claire really was, she just berated herself for being a scatter brain again and tried to calm the lasting effects of nerves she had experienced. She would feel better when she saw her little girl, which she would not be doing if not for Methos' 'choice.'

She whispered to Methos, "I'm really sorry for blowing up at you."

"You should be. Shame on you." The doors opened and he walked out after the nurse. Elizabeth knew she deserved that and followed them silently. He slowed in the hall outside the room the nurse indicated and told her, "Give us a second."

The nurse went inside the room as Methos turned to Elizabeth. "If it wasn't for the fact that if I went in alone, and the first thing Claire would ask is where you are, I'd have to think about taking your head, too."

"Thank God my kid loves me."

"Why? I have no idea."

"Hey!"

He shook his head sadly. "Sorry. Habit. Come on, let's see our daughter."

When Methos' hand went to the small of her back, she was totally confused. He was making fabulous gestures indicating he wanted to forgive her, but his verbalizations in no way fit with that program. She decided to give up trying to figure him out while her sick daughter was in that room just down the hall. She beat Methos to the door and entered.

As soon as she did, she felt the need to fall down. Her healthy, vibrant daughter looked about four years old. She was hooked to machines, laying on a high twin hospital bed. Her left arm was placed in a valley formed by pillows, the lower half in a cast, the upper part looking swollen with actual metal spikes sticking out at the shoulder. The doctor had said pins. Not what she expected. Claire's head was held in place by a steel arm, probably to hold it still. Methos had to have been as affected as Elizabeth was when he whispered, "Is her back broken?"

"No, sir," the nurse said, then paused wide eyed remembering he had reamed her about being called sir in the past. "Doctor. We're just stabilizing her head."

"Can I touch her?" Elizabeth asked, edging closer to the bed, but not wanting to hurt Claire.

"Please be careful," the nurse warned, but in a gentle tone. "It would be nice if you didn't talk too much as that could stress her out."

Methos said, "Talking with us will calm her, not stress her. Will you please leave us?"

"I"ll be back in five minutes."

"Set your timer," he groused as he walked to the left side of Claire's bed while Elizabeth had taken the right.

Claire's eyes were closed, and Elizabeth didn't want to disturb her. She looked to be sleeping peacefully, so that did make all the instruments around Claire less scary. Elizabeth chose to believe that they were all there for the sole purpose of making Claire well, which made them seem less daunting with each passing moment.

Methos and Elizabeth just stared at Claire as she slept, almost not wanting to breathe as it might disturb her. Watching her chest go up and down with fresh air, and also just sensing her pre-immortal hum had done wonders to arrest the fright Elizabeth had been feeling since hearing her girl was in the hospital. Because the doctor had said she would need to be in here for at least another two days all the machinery, the spikes, that now looked more like pins as Elizabeth got used to them, confirmed that her daughter was far from out of the woods, which hindered Elizabeth's ability to relax completely.

Methos laid his hand lightly over Claire's heart and looked content as his hand rose and fell with her breaths. As he was tall enough, he did what Elizabeth had wanted to do. He leaned to her and kissed Claire's forehead. Elizabeth had felt she would jostle Claire if she did, so she lived vicariously through Methos as he leaned his cheek against Claire's forehead, keeping careful distance from the pins on her shoulder.

Claire's eyes fluttered, and then they opened. Elizabeth could tell that she wasn't focusing as they were opening and closing quickly, then lingering hazily on the ceiling. It was a moment before she focused on her father and smiled. "Hey, dad."

She tried to move, then cringed in pain. "What happened?" she groaned. "Where am I?"

"You bumped your head, Little One," Methos said soothingly. "It's all confusing, I'm sure. But Amanda's fine, you're going to be fine. Nothing has happen to any of us."

"Momma?"

Elizabeth squeezed her right hand and said, "I'm here, honey."

"Okay," Claire said as her eyes closed and the nurse came back in.

The nurse asked, "She woke up?"

"You could tell from the monitors?"

"Please, excuse me. There's a waiting room where you both can wait down the hall."

Methos rubbed Claire's head before he left her side as Elizabeth placed Claire's right hand back where it had been when they entered. They didn't argue with the nurse when asked to leave, just seeing Claire was enough for now. If they were good, they'd be able to come back that much sooner. The nurse didn't seem to be paying attention to them as she opened Claire's eye and flashed a light in it.

Elizabeth opened the door and felt Methos fall in behind her. They both looked back at Claire and the nurse noticed them. "We'll let you know when you can come back in."

With one last look at Claire, Elizabeth walked out to the hallway and sighed as she leaned against the wall. She missed Claire already as the hydraulic made her door close slowly. "Let's find that room, and tell the nurse that's where we'll be."

When they walked down to the nurse's station, she felt an immortal sensation. She turned to see Duncan on the other side of double doors that had two little windows. Elizabeth walked to it as Methos went to the nurse's station.

"How is she?" he asked immediately after she opened the swinging door.

"I'm not sure, but she woke for a second."

Duncan lifted her purse to her. "They won't let me in, but I thought you'd want this."

"I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached," she commented as she took it gratefully.

"Well, good thing it's attached then. I'm going back to the hotel to see about Amanda. Call me as soon as you know anything."

"I will. Thank you for everything."

"Yeah," Methos said tenderly as he joined them. "Thanks, Mac."

She could tell that just the act of seeing and feeling Claire had done wonders for him too. If they knew for sure all that was wrong with her, they'd really feel better, or when they could actually take her home again... that would be heaven.

After Duncan smiled and left, Elizabeth told Methos, "I'm sorry."

She could tell that he thought she was just repeating it over and over. "For which act?"

"I was worried about Claire, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry I did that. You didn't have to invite me in there, but you did. Thank you."

"I'm not a monster, Liz."

"I never said you were."

"That's debatable. I'm going to find some coffee. Want some?"

"Yeah, I need to find a powder room first. Meet you at this waiting room, where I'm sure we'll be camped for a while?"

He nodded as he sauntered down the hallway. She could tell he was stepping lighter and had been encouraged by the act of seeing Claire. She wondered how come even though she felt a little better, something could happen making her feel shaky, and remembered her medication. Elizabeth found a ladies room and took all her medications and instructions from her purse. She read everything and then took the Librium, then had to reread the instructions for the liquid Paxil. She was going to take the Ambien, but remembered that was a sleeping pill, and for once, she didn't want to sleep. She wanted to be alert to everything, as Dr. Bradford had suggested, and wanted to be there if Claire needed her.

She went in search of the waiting room feeling better that she had taken care of her medications, the next step after sending out resumes and seeing doctors in her recovery. She didn't feel any better, but then again, they weren't miracle pills. Methos was sitting on one end of a comfortable couch and there was no one else in the room. The TV was turned to CNN, and she took the other side of the couch. He handed her a cup of coffee, and she accepted it gratefully. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the national news but not really paying attention to it, certainly not reading that annoying, constant scroll on the bottom, which she had always hated since every network had it.

It felt as if everything was now starting to settle on her. Claire was out of surgery, she had awoken, they had seen her, but there was no indication yet of whether there was permanent brain damage or if she was paralyzed. A paralyzed immortal would last even less time than a ten year old one. Elizabeth let the tears fall down her face as her mind went through all the nightmare scenarios that could still happen to Claire. It would be a long time before they could see her again or get any of the answers from the doctors that they needed.

Pretty soon, Elizabeth was crying and didn't want to stop. Not wanting to stop any natural emotion, she just let it out. Soon, she felt a hand on her arm and looked over to Methos, who also had tears in his eyes. He patted the back cushion of the sofa. "Come here."

She scooted over and fell against Methos' chest and cried from fear for her daughter. Methos' hand rubbed her shoulder, then her hair. He pulled her head to his, and they held each other as they let out their sorrow for their little girl's fate.

~~~~~

Joe took Benji's help to get out of the back of the cab as it came to a stop in front of the hotel that Guy and Amy were staying at. He asked at the desk for the Barstow's room as Benji carried in their bags and guitars. The desk clerk would only ring their room, not give out their room number. Joe said, "That's fine." It wasn't as if it was a trying time, taking a fast, expensive flight across the ocean because of news of his daughter's disappearance. Sure, why not make things more difficult, he thought as he took the phone receiver from the desk clerk.

If Joe hadn't felt anxious before arriving in New York, he just about had a heart attack now. Joey was on the phone and asked, "Dad? Where are you?"

"Hey, Joe. It's granddad."

"Dad's gone too!" Joey cried out. "Where is everyone?"

"Whoa, hold on. What room are you in, I'm in the lobby and will be right up."

"Dad said he wasn't going to leave us, but he's been gone all day."

"Maybe we crossed paths at the airport," Joe said wisely, but fear gripped his heart thinking that whatever happened to Amy had also happened to his son-in-law. "Joe, what room are you in?"

"780. You won't leave, too, will you?" was Joey's answer.

It had been years since Joey had exhibited outright fear. He had been 'too old' for acting like a child or scared about the world in general. Joe knew that Joey wasn't just imagining things. As he went to the elevators and looked to Benji, he was as afraid of what was happening to his family as Joey was.

Continued soon