A Return to the Shadows Part 10
From: Kim D and Vicki Reed
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 19:40:14

Professor Elliot Stokes is Liam Neeson.

It was almost noon when Julia was relieved to finally hear the voice of Mrs. Johnson on the phone. She had a receptionist trying all morning and finally got through to Elizabeth. She came to the hospital immediately, along with Roger. She walked quickly down the hall toward Carolyn’s room, a look of desperation and anxiety on her face. A lifetime’s worth of grief seemed to have appeared on her face in only a few hours. Julia stood outside Carolyn’ s room, waiting Elizabeth’s arrival. “Julia, how is she?”

“I’m afraid it’s not good. She lost a lot of blood. But I’m doing the best I can for her. I’ve invited a professor from New York University to assist me. He’ll come as soon as he can.”

“Can I see her?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes.”

“How did this happen?” Roger asked after Elizabeth had gone inside Carolyn’s room.

“I don’t know,” she lied. “I found her on the estate very much like she is now.”

“This sounds like what happened to Daphne. Found somewhere with a lot of blood lost. I suppose she has the some wounds on her neck?”

“Yes she does,” Julia said reluctantly.

“Has Sheriff Patterson been called?”

“No. I wanted to wait for you to come first. I thought you may not want to call him.” Roger looked at her questioningly. “He wasn’t much help for Daphne. I believe Professor Elliot Stokes would be more help than George Patterson would.”

Roger seemed to consider this. “Alright Julia. I’ll trust you. I only care that Carolyn lives. But don’t let me down.”

Vicki waited anxiously for any news of Carolyn’s condition. Roger and Elizabeth had left for the hospital hours ago. She was concerned for both Carolyn and the affect this would have on whole family. They had already suffered so much. She hadn’t been told what had happened to Carolyn, only that her condition was serious. She was so lost in thoughts she was startled to hear someone else behind her. She turned to see Quentin. “I thought if you wanted to go the hospital I could offer you a ride,” he said.

She was reluctant to be around Quentin after last night’s events, but she had to find out what was going on. He seemed so calm on their way to the hospital, as if nothing had happened last night. Maybe that was best.

Vicki entered the hospital room and found Roger and Elizabeth sitting in silence by Carolyn’s bed side. She approached the bed. “Julia said she lost a lot of blood,” Roger said. She saw Carolyn lying on the bed pale and motionless. She saw the bandage on her neck and had no doubt what had happened. This was her one of her few glimpses of the suffering Barnabas could inflict. She looked up at the sad face of Elizabeth and Roger. She knew they were thinking of how they had lost Daphne. She couldn’t help thinking that there was something she could have done. After all she did know his secret.

Elliot Stokes walked down the corridors of the hospital. “Julia, hello,” he said as he found his old colleague.

“Elliot, it’s good to see you.” She was relieved that he was finally here.

“You sounded so urgent on the phone I dropped everything I was working on to come here. What’s the emergency?”

“It’s a girl’s life. Her name’s Carolyn Stodard. She’s in serious condition. I’m afraid that without help I won’t be able to save her.”

“I’ll help however I can. What happened to her?”

Dr. Hoffman took a deep breath. “A vampire...” Professor Stokes eyes widened.

Vampires! What a thought! For years the occult had fascinated him, and now his well-respected friend was telling him they were real! He felt like Dr. Van Helsing, and the young red head was Lucy and that dark haired girl speaking to Mrs. Stoddard, what a perfect Mina Murrary with her Jonathan Harker.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes...I really shouldn’t discuss this here with you. You and I are the only ones who know, and Willie Loomis,” She said, pointing to a young fellow quite beside himself. “I also believe that there is a witch involved.”

Professor Stokes couldn’t help but smile; this was what he had always hoped for.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.