Chapter Sixty-Four: Member Tyrian's Daughter, Part 2
“He’ll live, but his shoulder is in bad shape,” The doctor told T’tam as she examined a now-unconscious Tyrian. “He’ll have to stay here a while. What happened?”
T’tam cursed. “His daughter was murdered, turned into a monster, and bit him, and then I had to kill her. In that order.”
The doctor gaped. “You’re the Members, right? Are you going to report this to the Guard?”
“Yes,” the Member nodded. “Although I doubt they can do anything?”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
The doctor pursed his lips. “Fair enough. So his daughter, who you say turned into a monster, did this to him.”
“Yes,” T’tam said. “It was a very traumatic experience.”
“You don’t look so traumatized,”
“I’m still processing it. Don’t be surprised if he starts screaming when he comes to.”
“Don’t worry, Member, we’re used to that kind of thing around here. You can leave us to it. We’ll summon you if he wakes up.”
“You know where my office is?”
“The parliamentary hall is hard to miss,” The doctor said drily. “Yes, I think we can find you easily.”
“Take good care of him.”
“Is he a close friend of yours?”
“Not at all,” T’tam said as he left the hospital, the doctor looking stupefacted.
Only when he left the hospital did the shock of all that happened hit T’tam. Rose had been murdered, at only five years old! Then she had been transformed into that…monster, and he had had to kill it. He’d never killed anyone in his life. He hadn’t even had to kill any of the beasts in the battle, but now…
A girl was dead because of him.
He knew that wasn’t completely true, but it definitely felt like it.
Sadness haunted him as he returned to his office, ambling this time. The creature jumped him in his mind, scaring him every time. Sometimes, he was sure he saw it watching him, reaching for him, trying to kill him in the street. He was never one to get hallucinations, but he assumed this was one.
Eventually, finally, thankfully, he reached the Parliament Hall and breathed a sigh of relief as he smelled the familiar wooden fumes of the hall. The walk to his office was much better, and he hoped the day could at least continue in a somewhat normal way.
That was when he got the second surprise of the day, and it wouldn’t be the last.
— — —
Walking inside his office, he closed the door and relaxed, removing his jacket and setting it on the hangar. Maddy was nowhere but he assumes she was in one of the mini-offices inside his office. She wasn’t in the reception area, but maybe she was dropping something in his mini-office—his office inside his office. Reaching his mini-office, a strangled cry went through him.
There was blood on the stained glass plating on the upper half of the door.
No, it can’t be!
Faster than he thought possible, T’tam opened the door and rushed in, scanning the floor until he found the reason for his distress.
At least Maddy was conscious, but she looked to be in worse shape than tyrian. Her right arm was twisted in a horrible angle, and blood pooled off a stab in her stomach. She stared at him and breathed raggedly, holding a bloody piece of paper in her hand.
“What the hell have you gotten yourself into?” She sputtered, blood erupting from her mouth, holding out the paper to him. He grabbed it silently and read its contents, the third of the day.
You know the deal. No telling anyone about Tyrian’s deal, or else your family and friends go bye-bye. You’re lucky we spared Madeleine, but next time you won’t be so lucky. Leave us alone. You know we’re not bluffing.
The bloody letter was signed at the end, and the signature made T’tam want to vomit.
Your loving family.
At that moment, T’tam hated himself for involving himself in Tyrian’s problems. He should’ve just said no! Why the hell would Tyrian come to him? But now, more than ever, he knew he could not tell anyone about this: not Maddy, not Lysander, not Rosie. They would die if he told them, he was sure of that.
“You’re coming with me,” T’tam told Mady, raising her and preparing to lug her to the hospital.
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“I can walk fine,” Maddy whined, blood splattering on T’tam’s face.
“No, you can’t,” T’tam affirmed, carrying her out of the office.
“You owe me an explanation. What’s Tyrian’s condition? I almost died for this,” Maddy hissed.
“I can’t, but at least you believe this isn’t about cheating, right?”
“I guess so,” Maddy said glaring at him. “But I still deserve answers.”
“You do, but I can’t give them,” T’tam replied. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s going on?” Lysander asked as she left her office, gasping as she saw Maddy’s condition. “What happened?”
“Someone tried to kill me and gave me this letter to give T’tam, but T’tam won’t explain anything about what happened, and what he’s involved in, but it’s dangerous.”
Lysander walked with them and crossed her arms.
“Explain yourself,” She told him.
“No one tried to kill Maddy, or else she would be dead,” T’tam began.
“What a relief!” Maddy said sarcastically.
“And I can’t explain because that would put you in danger. I’m sorry, but this is the burden I must bear. You cannot be involved, for the sake of your lives.”
“Try me,” Lysander said.
“No.”
Lysander huffed. “Can you at least tell me where you were this morning?”
T’tam bit his lip, unsure of what he was allowed to say. In the end, he didn’t lie, but said only the basics.
“Tyrian’s kid is dead, and I had to kill her as a monster.”
Lysander and Maddy gaped at him.
“And how did this come about?”
“I can’t explain,” T’tam responded. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”
“Trust me, I do,” Lysander glared at him.
“Well, you’ll just have to keep your curiosity, because I won’t say anything. I’m so sorry, Maddy, for what happened to you.”
— — —
The second trip to the hospital—this time by carriage—consisted of two annoying women—one injured—badgering T’tam about what had happened that day. T’tam did not cave in, but they were giving him a headache and he didn’t know how long he could last.
The same doctor that took in Tyrian met him at the entrance.
“He’s not awake, if you’re wondering.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” T’tam told him.
“Then why…oh!” The doctor turned white. “What is it this time?”
“Someone stabbed her and ran away.”
The doctor looked at him in suspicion. “You know, I can’t help but feel…”
“It wasn’t him,” Maddy reassured him. “He just found me like this.”
“That’s twice today!” The doctor said, “Another time, and I’ll have no choice but to have you arrested!”
“Not if I’m the one hurt,” T’tam joked. The doctor just glared.
“Well, I can take it from here. You are…”
“Madeleine Navens.”
The man began to look through his files and finally emerged with a grunt of satisfaction. “Here you are. Not many visits to the hospital previously, that is good, although I see you suffered a slight head injury during the battle.”
T’tam stared at Maddy, who shrugged.
“I didn’t have to tell you that. You don’t tell me what’s going on,” She said.
“I’m your boss.”
“So?”
T’tam let her win the argument. After all, he was keeping secrets from her, and they were bigger than hers.
Eventually, the doctor led Maddy away, and T’tam waved at her, but she ignored him.
Lysander was waiting for him in the carriage, When they left, she turned on him.
“When Maddy was here, you had your excuse, but now you don’t. What the hell is going on here? Either you tell me, or I swear to you, I will not let you out!”
“You can’t stop me,” T’tam darkened. “You know I trust you completely, right?”
“Yes, and now you’re scaring me,” Lysander admitted.
“You should be scared, but I can’t tell you. If you knew, you would be killed, and I’m saying too much already.”
“Why don’t you say a little more too much?” Lysander grinned.
“This is not a time for jokes! Tyrian’s daughter is dead because of this, and Maddy almost died. I won’t have you being a casualty.”
“That’s sweet, but I can handle myself,” Lysander said.
“I know you can, but I should be able to handle myself too, and I can’t with this. I’m lucky they haven’t tried to kill me.”
“They?”
T’tam cringed. “I shouldn’t have said that.” He crossed his arms and refused to say anymore the rest of the way to the parliament hall.
When they arrived, Lysander blocked the door.
“You’re not getting out,” She said. “Not until you tell me.”
“Stop doing this,” T’tam told her. “I could wait all day here.”
“So could I.”
“You don’t understand this situation!”
“You’re right. So help me understand!”
“I can’t.”
Lysander looked betrayed and tears came into her eyes. “You’re scaring me, and I don’t think you trust me anymore.” She sniffled then exited the carriage.
“Lysander, I’m sorry!” T’tam screamed, but it was too late. Lysander was already gone, inside the Parliamentary hall.
I hate you, Dautha!
— — —
T’tam felt tired as he walked into his clean office, having spent the last couple of hours cleaning it.
That was when he got his last surprise of the day. There was a bald, middle-aged man looking at him and smiling, sitting in his chair.
“Welcome T’tam!”
“Are you welcoming me to my own office?” T’tam asked. “Seems a little strange.”
“Sit down, man.”
“Why are you here”? T’tam asked, not budging. “And who are you?”
“Who I am does not matter. We are all insignificant in the eyes of Dautha.”
T’tam growled. “Cultist.”
“Just so. As for why I am here, by now, you know what happened to Rose and Maddy.”
“You monsters,” T’tam growled.
“We aren’t the monsters, Rose was,” The man chuckled. “Did you have a fun time with her?”
T’tam barely controlled himself. “You still have not answered me.”
“You’re right,” The man said. “Then let me explain. I am here to warn you.”
“You already did that with Maddy and the letter.”
“True,” The man admitted, “But we wanted to show you why you should be afraid.” The man snapped his fingers, and then T’tam’s body became rigid, his hand hanging down. His eyes swung wildly around, but he couldn’t move. He tried to talk, and thankfully, it worked.
“What are you doing?”
“Showing you just a taste of our power,” The man smiled and suddenly pain erupted through T’tam’s body, a thousand knives stabbing him. He screamed, unashamed of showing his pain, and, as he stumbled to the ground, the man laughed.
“Do you understand now? We are in control!”
T’tam nodded, the pain blinding him to anything else. By now, his nose and mouth were already bleeding, staining his office once again.
“May this be a lesson to you,” The man continued. “Never, NEVER! Try to come after us again. Do you hear me?” T’tam didn’t move. “DO YOU HEAR ME?” The man said as he kicked T’tam, eliciting a grunt and spattered blood, but, finally, T’tam nodded.
“Ugh,” The man finished. “You got blood on my shoes. Disgusting.”
The cultist left the room, the sound of the clicking door telling T’tam he was gone. Tears spread through T’tam’s cheek, and he cried to himself.
He’d caved in after barely any pain. He hadn’t even been tortured for too long, and he’d just agreed with what the Cultist had said. Still, the pain tormented him and he still felt it even now. He could feel himself slipping, his awareness getting drained every passing second.
What irony, T’tam thought before he lost consciousness, I really am returning to the hospital. The doctor will love this.