Secrets Past chp 11
Date: 6/21/98
From: barnster
At the Cannery, Barnabas found that he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts were filled with
concerns' over Sarah's health, and the situation with his eldest son...and Julia.
The open hostility his son had towards Julia, bothered him. Before Sarah's sudden illness, he had
been resentful of what he's termed Julia's interference. But now, he was becoming increasingly
difficult to handle. Even Paige, whom he had gotten on with quite well, had been having difficulty
in getting him to concentrate on his lessons, even his favourite subjects.
A week had passed since he had threatened to get rid of Sabre, and since that time, his son had
avoided both him and Julia.
This bothered him, more. It seemed that he was going to have the same relationship, with his son,
as he had had with his father, after all. And he couldn't see any way of stopping it.
The unexpected beep of the intercom, startled him from his reverie. "Yes, Siobhan?"
"There's a call from Dr. Hoffman, Mr. Collins."
"Put her through," he said, hoping it was some news about Sarah.
***
When he had awoken that morning, Barnabas. Jr, had felt strange. He had tried to ignore it, but
as the day had wore on, the feeling had grown. He paced his room, like a caged animal, and
absently scratched at his neck.
Again, he'd been plagued by another of his dreams. This one, more terrifying than the last.
The bat that had attacked Barnabas, had left him desperately ill. Angelique, hadn't died, when
he's shot her, and on recovering had tried vainly to remove her curse. But she had failed, and now
Barnabas Collins, was dead.
Joshua Collins had had Barnabas secretly buried, and was telling everybody that his son had left
for England, and would be unlikely to return to America.
Angelique had found out where he was buried, and was about to drive a wooden stake through
his heart, for her curse had turned him, into a vampire.
He stopped pacing, abruptly. He scowled at the realisation that his father had lied to him! He was
almost certain of it!
If Barnabas Collins had died back in 1795, then how could his father claim that he was from
England? If he were to take the family history, as the truth, and Barnabas *did* go to England,
then that would bare out his father's claim, that he was a direct descendant of the first Barnabas.
But if he took his dreams as the truth, and Barnabas had really died, then how could his father
claim to be whom he said he was? But his resemblance to the portrait, bore out his ancestry, but
*how*?
He thought back to his dream. Where had Joshua buried Barnabas? "The mausoleum!" he said
aloud. "If I find the coffin in the secret room, of the mausoleum, then my father's lying!"
He rushed downstairs, shouted for Sabre, and hurried out of the house.
*** "I don't believe it!" said Barnabas, as he looked through the microscope.
Julia smiled and said, "The prove is there!"
"But how is this possible?" he demanded, turning to face her.
Julia applied her eye to the microscope, and watched in fascination, as the virus was attacked, by
Sarah's immune system.
"I don't know. But it's very similar to what happened with your's at Wyndcliffe. It could be
possible, that you and Sarah, share the same antibody, that can destroy this illness."
"But how? I was never affected like this."
Julia frowned, slightly. "Think about it, Barnabas. You became ill, almost at the same time, as
Nicholas was destroyed. What happened then, seems to be happening to Sarah. I don't have all
the answers, but it seems to be happening by itself."
"If it is, is she out of danger?" he asked anxiously.
Julia smiled. "I'd say so."
Barnabas closed his eyes. "Thank God!" he breathed, relieved.
"I'll need to do some more tests, but from this slide, I'd say, she's much improved."
"Then she's out of danger?"
Julia nodded. "Yes. Though she'll still be weak, her chances have improved greatly."
"Then she's well enough to come home?"
"Home?" said Julia, shocked. "That's the last place she needs to be right now. I have tests and
examinations to complete, before that can happen."
Barnabas threw her an angry look. "But you've just said, she showed improvement. Now surely,
you can do what you have to do, at the old house, as easily as you can here?"
Julia sighed. While she knew how desperate Barnabas wanted Sarah back home, she knew that
caution was the best policy. She felt she should refuse him, but on seeing the look on his
handsome, concerned face, she knew that she couldn't.
"Let me think about, Barnabas," she improvised. "If the test results are as good as I expect, then
I *might* consider it."
"Thank you, Julia!" he said, his eyes sparkling. And he kissed her lightly on the cheek.
***
Barnabas stared at the mausoleum. In there, he would find the answers to some puzzling
questions.
He'd often come there, with his father, and at the time had thought his father's reaction, strange.
The expression on his father's face, on seeing Sarah's grave, had been almost guilt-ridden. As if
perhaps, he were the cause of her death.
He frowned at the memory. Now he didn't know what he thought. He looked around, for the
caretaker, and seeing no sign of him, headed to wards the latticework door.
He hesitated a moment. Could he really expect to find a secret room, and a hidden coffin? And
what if he did? What then?
Making up his mind, he opened the rusting door, and went in, Sabre following at his heels.
He looked at the lion's head, above Naomi's grave.
If he pulled that ring, would the secret panel, really open?
Well, there was only one way to find out.
Standing on Naomi's coffin, he reached up, and pulled the ring....
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