Subj: The Obsession of Maggie Evans Chapter XIV
Date: 11/5/98 12:32:36 PM Central Standard Time
From: Beverly LaCroix

Recovery

Downstairs, in the elegant drawing room of the Old House,Julia was pacing, fear causing her heart to pound. When Barnabas had brought the unconscious form of Maggie Evans through the door, Willie stood holding back tears at her appearance. "Willie, go get Dr. Hoffman," Barnabas said walking up the stairs carrying Maggie. Julia was appalled at the appearance of Maggie. She had done everything in her medical knowledge to right the wrong that she knew she was partially responsible. Responsible for getting Barnabas to agree to convince Maggie to go to Canada, responsible for not telling Barnabas that Maggie was pregnant with his child. Julia had honestly thought Maggie would miscarry the baby, due to the unnatural relationship of the parents, but it had worked the opposite. The vampire blood of the father had served to protect the baby from the mother's sickness, and the dehydration she was suffering. Oh poor Maggie, Julia thought to herself. Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought of the dehydrated appearance of Maggie. She had immediately had Willie go into town to the Collinsport Hospital, calling ahead to order the IV's and vital electrolytes that Maggie's system needed so badly.

Obviously, she had also gotten addicted to the Valium Julia had prescribed so she would be able to sleep. Julia had not prescribed enough for addiction but Maggie had liked the oblivion the tranquilizer had brought to her ravaged mind and body. The tranquilizer had also calmed the chronic nausea. Julia could only surmise that the nausea was due to the foreign antibodies of the vampire blood that Maggie had ingested when Barnabas and Maggie had exchanged blood. T0he blood had acted as both a protective agent to the baby, and an almost dangerous one to the mother. Maggie was continually nauseated, could not hold food down, and thereby becoming dangerously dehydrated, all the while the baby was thriving drawing from the mother's depleted resource weakening Maggie to the point of hallucinating. Coupled with the abrupt withdrawal of the powerful drug and the depleted body, it was no wonder Maggie suffered so badly and at such a rapid rate. After Willie had returned with the equipment, Julia immediately inserted the needle of the IV with the electrolytes to balance the electrolytes in Maggie's system that would bring her back to health. The nausea, Julia told herself, she would treat with Dramamine. That should work. Being nauseated during pregnancy was like motion sickness, Maggie needed to be comfortable. Julia vowed she would do everything in her power to make sure she suffered as little as possible.

"Julia! Julia!" Willie said breaking her out of her reverie.

"Yes, Willie, what is it?" Julia retorted.

"Barnabas wants you to go check Maggie,"Willie said staring at Julia stung by the sharpness of her tone. "Why Is something wrong?" Julia asked rapidly, suppressing the panic she felt rising like bile.

"Ye"-- Willie started to answer, only to be cut off by Julia.

"Is Maggie okay" Julia asked quickly.

"Julia, slow down.   Maggie's fine. She's sleeping. Barnabas said she somehow undid the IV needles, and he wants you to fix them before he goes down for the day," Willie replied.

Julia went upstairs to Josette's Room quickly, and entering the room she saw Barnabas sitting on the bed, with his head and back against the headboard, and his body was stretched out on the bed, and in his arms was Maggie sleeping very peacefully. Barnabas heard her enter the room, and gently placed Maggie on the bed, so he could get up and let Julia take care of the IV, and whatever else she needed to. Julia tended to Maggie, Barnabas never once taking his eyes off what she was doing, and once he was satisfied Maggie was comfortable, he told Julia to leave. Barnabas knew the sun was beginning to rise, he could feel the tiredness that would soon begin to overwhelm him, but he wanted to make sure that Maggie knew he would be back at sundown. Walking over to her, she began to stir, and he reached down, careful not to disturb the IV dripping the vital fluids into her body, very gently pressed his lips to hers, and whispered to her. The words were meant to enable Maggie to sleep peacefully throughout the day until his appearance at sunset. Assuring her she would be with him through their bond, and no one or nothing would ever hurt her again. He left her, and stopping to tell Willie once again no one was to be allowed to visit with Maggie without him present, especially her father or aunt and uncle from Canada.

"Willie, if Elizabeth or Roger come here today, get rid of them. No one is to disturb Maggie. Make sure Dr. Hoffman does not leave this house. I will go to Elizabeth and Roger tonight and talk to them. I will also employ their services in arranging a wedding. Willie, what I have to say to you next is very important, and I don't want you to speak of it to anyone. I am going to marry Maggie, and stay here until the child is born, and if there are no complications we are going to move to England, and I want you to prepare yourself to go with us. I'll need you to guard me during the day." Barnabas told him.

"England!" Willie exclaimed.

"Yes, Willie, England. I am going to arrange to buy an estate in England. Tomorrow I want you to go into Collinsport and do what is necessary to get the wheels in motion to find something suitable. Maggie is not going to live here. I will not tolerate her father, young Haskell or anyone else trying to see her or our child. What they let happen to her is unforgivable, and my wrath will be felt." Barnabas told Willie in a very deadly voice.

Willie was taken aback at what Barnabas had just told him. All he could do was repeat the word, "England?"

"Yes, Willie, England," Barnabas replied quickly. "England," Willie whispered.

Looking down at the floor, he heard Barnabas saying, "You know my instructions, Willie. If anything goes wrong today, I am holding you responsible."

Willie walked Barnabas downstairs to the basement, and continued on down further into the bowels of the Old Collins Mansion to where his master's lair was hidden. So far down that there was no chance of the light of day ever invading the damp sanctuary of the vampire. After closing the lid of the coffin, Barnabas had issued one more warning with a brief
flash of red in his eyes, and a split second show of fangs to let Willie know how very angry he was.

Willie hated it down here, he dreaded every moment he was in this damp dank tomb. He could hear the large rats scurrying about, staying as far away from the coffin as possible Willie, out of curiosity asked Barnabas why the rats, and spiders, and god knows what else was down here, steered clear of the coffin. He told him that animals instinctively knew what he was, and bowed to his superiority, and thereby, proclaimed their allegiance to him as their leigelord, and proceeded to show him. He watched in horror as Barnabas had stood erect in the cellar, and his eyes had glowed, first a tinge of gold, then red, and as he stretched his hand out his hand, rats seemed to come from everywhere. Huge ones, small ones, Willie stopped noticing the size, when they started to swarm around him, biting at him ripping his pants leg, Willie was paralyzed with fear, but he noticed they did not go near Barnabas nor his coffin. Through their blood bond, Willie heard a voice, "Don't move! Say nothing! Disobey me, and they will feast upon you, Willie." Willie didn't argue. Then he noticed the rats retreated into the darkness from whence they came, and his master had returned to normal. He never questioned Barnabas about his power over anything again.

Willie could always feel an aura of power emanating from Barnabas, but now it was throbbing like pain from a blinding headache. Willie could hear the throbbing that sounding like a heartbeat. It didn't subside. The rain had started pouring when Barnabas had begun his descent to the basement, now it was lightening, and thundering. This had been going on for two hours, when Willie said out loud "Is this going to go on all day long!" Between the storm and that continual beating, which had seemed to get louder and angrier as time went on. I wonder, if Barnabas is raging because of his helplessness during the daylight hours, Willie mused to himself. No! That's why he's got me, and Julia too for that fact, Willie thought. Walking into the kitchen, he wondered if Julia was sleeping. I'll go check, he thought. Good, that beating has quieted down, but the storm sure hasn't, Willie noticed as the branches on the trees by the windows of the Old House were brushing angrily, and the wind was rattling the windowpanes.

I'd better go fix that shutter Willie thought as he saw the shutter at the kitchen window was hanging loose, batting back and forth against the outside of the house.

Having tightened the shudder, putting away his rain gear, he poured himself a cup of coffee that he had made earlier, and decided to take Julia some coffee, and maybe he'd make some toast. As much as he hated to admit it, food cooked and prepared on the old wood stoves tasted better, despite their inconvenience of having to keep wood in them, and then cleaning the ashes, and Barnabas could be very finicky when it came to being remiss about cleanliness, and would not put up with any kind of mess, Willie thought sardonically.

The rain started slowly that morning, and continued steadily throughout the day. The thunder sounded steadily, and the lightning streaked the sky, the dogs surrounding the Old House had started a steady howl at sunrise, and continued throughout the day. A lone wolf could be heard howling in the nearby forest, Julia was watching the rain streaming down the window panes, tired, but afraid to leave Maggie. Maggie had been resting peacefully for several hours. No more outcries caused from the withdrawal of the drug she had been addicted to. A knocking on the door, snapped her out of her thoughts, she said to herself Willie can get the door. Loud voices reached her all the way up the stairs, and Julia jumped up and opened the door with the intention of going down to stop the noise. She was only concerned with Maggie at this point. Afraid the loud voices, angry by this time, would wake Maggie.   Julia didn't want to take the chance of Maggie waking up to the loud angry voices, because she didn't know what her reaction would be. Running down the stairs, Julia recognized Sam Evans voice. She saw he was about to push his way through Willie, and enter the house. Julia knew Sam was the stronger of the two men. She also knew that Barnabas had left strict orders that Sam Evans was not allowed under any circumstances to see his daughter.   Fear permeated through Julia coursing her very being, thinking about Barnabas' anger if Sam Evans got in to see Maggie, and Julia knew the anger would be towards her and Willie, as well as Sam.

"You can't come in!" Willie exclaimed.

Sam reached out to shove Willie out of his way, and Willie cried "Hey! What are you doing?" As he fell back. Julia was running down the stairs by this time, and froze in her tracks. What seemed like it came running out of the woods was a large timber wolf poised to jump and attack Sam Evans. It's teeth were bared, fangs glistening, saliva streaming from its cavernous mouth. Willie couldn't move. The wolf stopped before its attack, but never ceased its growling. The big German Shepherd dogs that guarded Collinwood, had formed a phalanx behind the big wolf. It sounded like every dog in Collinsport was howling at the same time. They had been howling all day, and could be heard above the steady rainfall, and the storm that had been swirling about them all day long.,but now the sound was deafening.

"Julia, Willie managed to whisper loudly, "go back upstairs to Maggie."

Julia backed upstairs slowly, never taking her eyes off the nightmarish scene that was going on at the doorway.

Rain had drenched Sam Evans and the entrance to the Old House. The wolf was so close to Sam he could smell its fetid breath. Sam tried to move backwards into the Old House, but it was as if the animal had anticipated his move, and lunged for him. Sam lost control of his bodily functions, and any dignity he had left with only the need to escape the certain death of being torn apart by this rabid animal. He had never known the kind of fear he was experiencing now. He could see inside the wolf's huge mouth, and the German Shepherds advancing towards him, fangs bared, it was then that Sam screamed, when the fangs buried themselves in his forearm, blackness overtook him before madness claimed him.

To be continued...