COMPASSION

by Jessica Rupe

~ a SND story ~

Part 1: The Doctor

She was frantic when I filled the needle. “What is that?”

“You won’t suffer, I promise.” I injected her with just enough of the sleeping draft I had compounded together earlier that day to keep her unconscious for about 24 hours. The nurse, Thien, and I had realized Gabriel had gone insane long ago. We both knew we had to do something for Ms Chandler that would make her appear to die without violating the Hippocratic Oath.

So Thien and I had worked together secretly to get Ms Chandler and her baby away from Gabriel. I had told Gabriel that the baby would need a car seat to get to Staten Island safely, and told him I would put the car seat just outside the top of the stairwell on the rooftop so it would be out of the gusts created by the helicopter rotors when we made our escape. Thien and I both knew Gabriel would kill us immediately when he found out what we had done. But Ms Chandler would ultimately survive, and so would her son.

We had seen the video of the beast man who was the baby’s father. It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out he might be looking for Ms Chandler. The beast man had not arrived at the warehouse until after we had seen Ms Chandler tapping Morse Code on that sink pipe with her high heeled shoe. It was easy to put two and two together.

When we realized Ms Chandler had gone into labor several hours ago, it was time to put our plan into action. Thien had left with the baby right behind Gabriel. I followed behind her. Gabriel had been so focused on getting into the helicopter he didn’t see us put the baby in the car seat and leave him there on the rooftop. We had just lifted off when I saw the most amazing sight…the beast man had followed us and was shouting as we flew away…

Part 2: Catherine

I wasn’t sure what it was the doctor had injected me with after I had seen my son for those few seconds. As he and the nurse had left with my baby in her arms, I had somehow been able to undo the arm straps that they had used to tie me to the chair. I thought I had heard growling as someone else ran up the stairwell after them, but due to the shot I couldn’t tell if I was hallucinating. I slowly crawled out of the birthing chair and somehow made it up those stairs. The helicopter had just lifted off and flown away when I saw Vincent standing there. I whispered his name…

Part 3: Vincent

I turned around and there she was. Catherine! I ran over to the stairs. Holding her, I was stunned as she told me we had loved and I was a father!

“Though lovers…be lost…”

“Love shall not…”

Her head fell back and her eyes closed. “And death shall have no dominion…” I held Catherine close and silently started crying.

Then I heard it. A baby crying! I looked around. There, over by the stairwell! Looking at Catherine, I saw the pulse still beating in her neck. She was alive! Gently laying Catherine down, I ran over by the stairwell and found our son.

Time was short, I had to get them Below as soon as possible. Father would know what to do…