Storm Front

Storm Front 29: The Darkest Night

_STORM FRONT
_By SF Writer
Copyright 2004  Stormnation.com, All rights reserved.

**SF29: The Darkest Night
**Season 4Part II of the III part Crossroads series.

* * * * * * *

Marcel stood in the kitchen preparing a hot drink for June and himself having just rushed back from his house to grab some gear. They hadn't really had a chance to sit down and talk since he came back. June sat at the dining table watching the young man work away. She marveled at how just yesterday he was a ten year old boy who bounded into her life. Now he was almost a man. A man who seemed to have lost his smile.

"Honey, is everything going well at the academy?"

Marcel didn't answer the question immediately. He finished making the hot drinks and handed one to June who took it with a smile of thanks. She still awaited his response and could sense that something was still wrong.

"I'm thinking about finishing at the academy." Marcel said finally.

"You don't like it there?"

"I did." Marcel said somewhat anxiously, his voice quivering. "But not anymore."

"Did something happen?"

Marcel held his head in his hands. June rubbed his back reassuringly, knowing that something was wrong.

"I tried to deal with it myself. Tried to carry on. But when Sarah called me and I knew I had to come back. Now I'm back, I don't know how to carry on without telling someone...without telling you what happened. It was easy for me to not say anything if I wasn't here. But I'm here now and I just..."

"I understand, Sweetheart." June said soothingly as she continued to rub Marcel's back. "You know you can tell me anything. I'll always be here for you."

"I have to show you something." Marcel said pulling up his left leg short pants to his upper thigh. "I don't really have a strain."

June could see a large scar on Marcel's upper thigh muscle. Being a doctor, she worked out immediately what it was. A stab wound.

"Oh, Baby, who did this to you? What happened?"

"I was doing really well at the academy. My times were good. My studies were good. There were a group of guys there who were jealous of me. They didn't like me from the start but...when they found out I liked other guys...they...they made life difficult for me."

"What did they do, Honey?"

"One week we were on break and I was walking back to campus from the movies. It was dark and there weren't many people about. I heard some shouting going on and saw that it was those guys from the academy who didn't like me. They were drunk and carrying on. I just ignored them and carried on my way. I thought they were gone but then I got jumped from behind. They held me down and kept calling me a fag boy. That I liked what they were going to do."

"No." June said shaking her head in anger. "Don't tell me they..."

"They…they hurt me." Marcel said as controlled as he could manage. "They took turns on me, I tried to fight back but they beat me down every time I struggled. When I finally thought they were done with me. One of them pulled out a knife and stabbed me here. He told me that fags can't be champions and I'd never be as good again."

"When did this happen?"

"Over a month ago."

"I wish you had of told me, Baby." June said sobbing as she held Marcel.

"It's ok, Mom. I'm ok."

"Did you report it?"

Marcel just shook his head in shame as if to say no. June's anger simmered to the surface and she looked like she was about to snap.

"I didn't dob them in. I had a friend who patched me up. I couldn't stand the humiliation of everyone knowing that had happened to me. I just wanted to forget about it. I wanted it to be over. They were kicked out of the academy for other reasons so I just wanted to forget about it."

"Sweetheart, I understand all too well how you feel and what you went through so I know why you didn't want anyone to know but I'm so glad you told me."

"What do you mean, Mom? This happened to you?" Marcel said in shock. "WHEN!? By who!?"

"It happened a long time ago. A lifetime ago."

"How long ago?"

"Sixteen years."

"Did they catch him?"

"Yes. It's over with. But what happened to you, Baby, you can't let them just get away with it. I want their names. I'm going to make sure they pay for what they did to you. Nobody hurts my babies." June said staunchly.

"Oh, Mom." Marcel said letting himself collapse in June's embrace as he broke down for the first real time since his ordeal began. "I knew you'd be there for me."

"This should never have happened to you. Not you. They took your smile away, damn them if they've taken your dreams as well. I won't let them get away with this. I'm going to fly up there with you myself and we're going to make sure they pay for what they did."

"I don't think I can handle anyone else knowing yet, Mom. Don't say anything to Storm or Dade please?"

"I won't. That's your choice. Just know that I'll always be here for you."

"Mom...I don't think I want to go back. I want to come back to Merlow for good. Do you think I could please stay here for a while? Just till I get my head sorted out."

"Of course, Baby. I want you here. I'll ask Mike if you can share his room. I'm sure he won't mind. I'm so sorry this happened to you, Baby. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Mom. I'm the one who wanted to go there. It's not your fault. I'm just glad to be home now. And this time I don't think I'm ever going to leave again. I'm here to stay."

* * * * * * *

"Strange weather we're having." Marty Lee said somewhat intrigued as he looked out his large glass windows while pouring Dade another drink. "She's whipping up quite a storm out there."

"Heh." Dade muttered. "What else do you have in store for me this week? You beat me up. You train me up. You feel me up and now you drink me up. What's next?"

"Every thing has a purpose." Marty Lee said as if he were trying to hide something. "You have a lot of baggage, Dade. I don't suppose you'd like to tell me what it is that fills your head so much these days? Why are you so angry?"

"I bet you'd like to know." Dade said with a burp. "But no thanks. I don't need this shit. You'll have to do more than just get me drunk to learn any of my secrets."

"Believe it or not, Dade. I just want to help you. There's something eating at you and I've seen it get worse and worse since I met you. It might help you to talk to someone."

"Yeah...whatever." Dade said as he quickly downed the Black Russian he had been given. "Don’t trust you. Don’t like you. You keep me drunk though and I might just end up liking you."

"I think that's enough for you." Marty Lee said to Dade’s surprise. "You should get some sleep. Help yourself to the couch."

"No. I'm going home." Dade said as he almost fell off his stool as trying to stand up. "You're right, I need to talk but not to you."

"I'll call you a taxi."

"No. I'll walk." Dade said as he made his way to the door, his cheeks flushed and red and obviously intoxicated.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Goodbye, Marty Lee." Dade said shutting the door behind himself.

* * * * * * *

"So I'm going to be the first Mrs. Mike Mitchell." Sarah smiled as she lay on Mike's chest.

They lay watching the stars next to Marcel's pool, enjoying having the entire house to themselves. Sarah sighed as she felt the rhythmic pulse of Mike's heart beating.

"What do you mean, the first?" Mike asked as he brushed his fingers through Sarah's hair. "The only."

"I don't expect you to be alone after I'm gone, Mike."

"Don't talk like that, Sarah."

"I guess it's just been on my mind a lot lately. I don't mean to be negative. I'm just trying to be realistic."

"You're my whole world, Sarah. I don't want to think about life without you. I never have. We've beaten this before, we can beat it again. You just have to have faith."

"I love you, Baby." Sarah said with a smile as she moved up and placed a kiss on Mike's lips. "Thank you for being you."

"You're welcome." Mike grinned.

"I'm glad Marcel's home. I have a feeling things are going to get back to the way they used to be real soon. All of us together. I don't know how long he's back for but I hope it's a while."

"Me too, Babe. It's about time the pack came back."

"I agree." Sarah said standing up. "We're family. We've always been family. It's time we realize tha..."

"Sarah!" Mike yelled in shock and surprise as Sarah fell limp right in front of him.

He grabbed her before she hit the ground and immediately checked her breathing, which was slow and laboured. But Mike held on to the fact that her chest to continued to rise and fall.

"Mike, what happened!?" Marcel yelled as he ran to Mike's side, arriving just in time to see Mike holding a limp Sara.

"I don't know. She just passed out. Marcel, can you drive us to the hospital?"

"Of course. Let's go."

Mike carried Sarah, following behind a swiftly moving Marcel as they headed to his garage. They jumped in the closest vehicle, which happened to be his fathers new Z4. Perhaps not the best choice, but definitely one of the quickest.

Mike jumped in quickly and Marcel clicked the garage doors to open before he sped out. Sarah had still not awoken. Mike wasn't sure if she fainted because he asked her to marry him but he doubted it. Whatever it was he wasn't taking any chances.

"Hold on, Baby. We're almost there."

* * * * * * *

Lucas and I both lay spent and exhausted on my bed. I felt like just going to sleep right now, but the guy was still keen.

"You're terrible, Lucas." I mumbled as my eyes began feeling heavy.

"You know you..." Lucas began to say before he was interrupted by the sound of loud heavy knocking downstairs.

"I'll get it." I said jumping out of bed, pausing to throw on some tracks and a tee.

I bounded downstairs as the knocking intensified. I hurriedly opened the door to see Marcel standing there looking worried and anxious.

Whatever problem I thought I had with Marcel seemed to disappear as I recognized the urgent look on his face. Something was really wrong.

"What? What is it?" I asked anxiously.

"Where's Mom?"

"She's not here. She took Dad to the airport. Why? What's wrong?"

"Storm? Who is it?" Lucas asked as he made his way down. "Oh, hey Marcel."

Lucas soon picked up on the tense vibes and seemed to begin sharing in them straight away. He looked at me and then Marcel.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked just as anxiously as I did.

"It's Sarah. She's in hospital now. She passed out at my place and we rushed her in. She had a blood clot in her head and a hemorrhage in her cervix. It's not looking good. She's in worse shape than she let on to us. You guys should come with me now. Doctors can't guarantee she'll make it through the night."

Lucas and I both stood there just dumbfounded. Our eyes wide and our mouths agape. I couldn't speak. I was just numb.

"Oh man..." Lucas said as his eyes began to water. "This can't be happening."

"I'm afraid it is." Marcel said somberly. "I'll be waiting for you in the car."

"Lucas, you go. I'm going to find Mom. I'll meet you there."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked as he looked at me, his eyes not even attempting to mask their tears.

"One of us should be there. I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't worry, Sarah's not going anywhere."

"Ok, Baby." Lucas said giving me a quick kiss goodbye. "See you soon."

"Bye, Storm."

I nodded and watched the two rush off. My mind was still reeling from the news Marcel just brought us. I knew Sarah was sick but I had no idea she was deteriorating this fast.

As soon as they left, I rushed to the phone and tried Mom's cellphone. There was no answer. I left a message on it and hung up. She couldn't be too far away surely, so I left a note for her by the phone and decided I'd head straight into the hospital anyway. I had to be there for Sarah.

"I'm outta here." I said as I hopped into my newly replaced jeep
and made like dust.

* * * * * * *

June pulled up on her driveway and wondered why it was empty. She pulled her groceries from the back seat and headed inside. Even the house looked empty. She went straight to the answer machine and checked her messages.

The first three were standard. Nothing important. Just people catching up or confirming something or other. The last one though was strikingly more urgent.

"Dr. Marcus, we couldn't reach you on your cellphone. You need to come in. Your patient, Sarah Leo is in emergency now. Dr. Haslen requested your presence as soon as possible."

It was then that she saw the note from her son informing her that everyone was at the hospital and for her to come in as soon as she saw it. June pulled out her cellphone to see she had accidentally switched it off. She cursed herself and was about to head out the door when a drunken Dade stumbled in.

"Dade? What the hell have you been doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm glad you're here. We needed to talk."

"I don't have time right now."

"You never do."

"Save it, Dade. I'm not in the mood. Sarah's in hospital, I've got to go in there."

"What?" Dade said in disbelief. "I'm coming with you."

"No you're not. You stink of alcohol. Sleep it off. Have a shower and then come in."

"Fine." Dade said as he began stumbling upstairs.

"I'll call you from the hospital."

"You know...you should...you should have told me." Dade managed to stutter out, pausing to look downstairs at his mother.

"Told you what?"

"The real reason you wanted to abort me. I would have understood. I know why Dad doesn't love me. He's not my Dad."

"You...you can't know."

"That you were raped? That that's the real reason you wanted to abort me? Because I was conceived out of a rape? You should have told me."

"How? How long?"

"A long time now. While Storm was in hospital I was cleaning up your room. I didn't mean to read it. Your old diary just fell open. I couldn't help but read it. That's when I found out. I found out that you’d been raped. That you got pregnant with me because of it. That Dad isn’t my real father. That I’m some kind of demon child. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? I’m sorry you went through that, Mom. I can understand now why you favor Storm but I wish you had of told me. I just wanted to die when I found out."

"That long ago...I should have seen it. You changed ever since then."

"Just tell me something...should I leave now? Now that you know that I know. Yeah sure, I'm your son but I wasn't planned or wanted. I'm angry that you didn't tell me but you're the one who suffered the most. If I ever find out who that person...my real father is, I'll kill him. I just wish you had told me."

"Dade..." June wept profusely. "I never wanted you to know. I can't imagine how you must feel."

"Being the spawn of evil? Not something I aspired to but...oh well. Hopefully I take more after you. Funny thing is, I feel a bit better now having told you. It's been eating me too long. Storm was right you know, I thought about killing myself when I found out. But he saved me. They all saved me. I'm sorry, Mom. I completely forgot about Sarah. You go."

"Dade...please understand, you were my miracle. I never regret having you. You have to believe me. You're my son and I love you more than I love myself. Even your father and yes I mean Daniel Marcus because he IS your real father no matter who fathered you biologically. He loves you and wants you to love him too. Don't think we don't love you. Don't pull away because of this. I'm still your mother and we're still family. I need you to understand that."

Dade's eyes were filled with tears now, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For the first time in forever, he felt free. The anger within him seemed to dissipate. He sighed with happiness. Smiling through tears at his mother.

"Thank you." Dade said genuinely. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Son." June said weeping openly as she looked up the stairs at her son. "Please don't ever forget that."

"I won't. Now go. Sarah needs you."

They look at each other for a moment, filled with both a sense of regret and sadness. June felt like she'd just been hit by a locomotive. Dade tried to feign a smile at her but her eyes were already filled with the tears of shame and longing. She turned away and left before she broke down right there and then. As much as she felt for her son right now, she knew Sarah needed her more.

She hopped back into her car and fumbled with the keys, her nerves shot to hell. Finally she started the car up and sped out of the drive.

Her mind was filled with guilt and shame. The more she drove, the more she broke down. Her open sobbing doing nothing to offer release. She could barely see through her own tears. Her face racked with tears and her cries strained and relentless.

"I'm so sorry, Baby." June cried.

She struggled to compose herself and focus on the road ahead. Her thoughts were filled with thoughts of her son. Shame for what he had gone through. Tears streaked down her face as her mind replayed their conversation over and over. With the persistence of her tears combined with the heavy rain, she didn't even see the oncoming headlights that crossed over the center line. Too late to react, the oncoming car hit her at full speed. It was over in an instant.

* * * * * * *

I stood anxiously in the waiting room as Sarah was being tended to by an equally anxious and urgent group of nurses and two doctors. Mom should have been here by now. I don't know if she could have done anything more than the doctors in there but I know everyone would have felt a bit more secure knowing she was in there.

_"She should have been here by now."
_
Suddenly a wave of panic came over me from seemingly nowhere. A pang in my heart that I could not shake. Like a connection had been lost.

"No..." I said shaking my head. "I'm just panicking."

"We all are, Storm. We all are." Lucas said reassuringly. "But it'll be ok."

"No, it's not that. It's not Sarah...it's Mom. There's something wrong. I feel...empty. I know it sounds crazy but..."

My eyes began to water as I felt an increasing amount of emptiness fill me. It was hard to explain but I've always been able to feel when something's wrong with my family. Like with Dade.

"I know better than to question you when you have these feelings. You've always been empathic. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I'm going to try calling home. I know something's wrong. She should have been here by now."

So I called. My fingers fumbling with the keypad of my cellphone. I could hear the phone begin ringing. No one was answering. I was just about to hang up when Dade answered the phone.

"Dade, is Mom there?"

"No. She left to go to the hospital. Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital now. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, I'll be there soon. I'm just getting ready and a taxi is already on
its way."

"See you soon."

"Bye, Storm."

I felt a little more relief as I pushed the end call button. It was short lived as a serious looking Dr. Haslen approached me. The look on his face was somber and filled with dread. He looked as if he were having a hard time trying to speak. So was I. But soon the sheer power of needing to know came over me and I spoke first.

"Sarah?"

He shook his head at me. His own eyes watering as he placed his hand on my arm.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, Son. I've just been informed of some terrible news. Your mother was just involved in a car crash."

"Is she ok?" I asked anxiously, dread filling me with the fear of what I think I already knew.

"Paramedics tried to revive her...but I'm sorry, your mother died at the scene a little over five minutes ago. I'm sorry, Daniel."

I don't know how to describe it. I was just numb. I couldn't speak. I shook uncontrollably. My face tense, my eyes filled with angry tears. It took everything inside not to break at that moment.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Where is she now?"

"They're bringing her body in now. I don't think she'd want you to see her like this. I'll take care of the identifying until she's ready for burial."

My face was still tense, my heart broken and my spirit empty. The overload of thoughts in my mind was shattering. My mother's dead. I have to bury my own mother. I have to organize her funeral. I have to tell my family that our mother is dead. There's so much to do, I can't focus on my own grief now. I can't break. Not yet.

Still though, as I stood there, my eyes glazed over and my body tense and rigid. I felt the creeping in of the greatest pain I have ever felt in my life. I had to keep it away. I had to push it aside. People would need me. People would be counting on me. Mom would want me to be strong for her.

That was the wrong thought to have. The thought of her caused my resolve to break an inch and tears began streaming down my face. Focusing on the anger inside me, I cut them short. I would use my anger to fuel me. To keep me sharp.

"Thank you, Dr. Haslan." I said finally.

He gave me a hug and for a moment I wanted to break. He had been a colleague of my mother for over ten years now. He too had lost a friend.

"You're mother was a great person. I'm sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do. Please let me know."

"Thank you." I said breaking away. "If you'll excuse me, I need to call my sister."

I stood there by myself for a moment. The sudden shock of what he had told me having passed only because I forced it to. The impact was still there but I kept it at bay. I pulled my phone out again and dialed in Abby's number.

For some reason, I felt relief when nobody answered the phone. I didn't know what to say to her.

"Storm, what's wrong?" Lucas asked as he approached me.

"Not now, Lucas. Just keep an eye on Sarah for me. I have some things I need to do."

"Now?" Lucas asked perplexed. "At a time like this you have things to do?"

"Yes. I do have things to do. I need to meet Dade and tell him that our mother is dead. Then I need to call Abby and my father and tell them that she's dead. Then I need to call a funeral director and arrange my mother's funeral. Is that ok with you?" I said angrily.

"Storm..." Lucas said looking at me wide eyed.

His face was already drained and tired from the nights ordeal with Sarah, which still wasn't over. The evidence of him crying was still obvious on his face. But now a look of disbelief passed over him and he looked at me as if to say no that she couldn't be dead.

"She's dead." I said matter of factly. "Killed in a car accident on her way here."

I couldn't be feeling right now. I couldn't try to comfort him right now. The only thing keeping me together was pain and anger. I'd need to ride it for a while yet.

"I...I can't believe it." Lucas said in utter disbelief until he realized by my face that I was completely serious and his began watering up heavily. "Storm, I'm so sorry, Baby. What can I do?"

"You can keep this to yourself for now. Mike has enough on his mind. When Sarah's out of the woods I'll tell him myself. I need to organize everything."

"Storm, you've just lost your mother. Nobody expects you to do all of this now. We'll sort it out but right now I need to be here for you. You haven't even had time to grieve."

"That's the last thing I need to do right now. You have no idea what I'm going through right now. I can't afford to grieve yet. I need to keep it together. People need me to keep it together. Mom needs me to be strong."

"Storm...please. I'll take care of everything you need me to. Let me help. Please."

"Listen..." I said managing a smile as I put my hand to Lucas' cheek. "I know you loved her too. I know you're worried about me. The best thing you can do for me right now is look after Mike. When Sarah is out of the woods, let me know. And can you ask Marcel to come here."

"Ok." Lucas said trying to still absorb what I had just told him.

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead before he whispered in my ear.

"Just remember. I love you and I'm here for you. Anything you need. Anytime you need it. I'm yours. Don't shut me out. Please."

"I won't, Baby. Just try to understand where I'm coming from and why I need to stay strong."

"Ok. I will. When this is all over though and you finally have time to breathe and this all hits you, I'm going to be here."

"Thank you." I said with my eyes watering once again. "I'm going to need you then."

With that he left, though not willingly. And soon Marcel was slowly approaching me. I hadn't seen him smile once since he got here. His face was deadpan and serious and he was still uneasy about talking to me for some reason.

"Marcel, I don't know what happened to us but right now we have to forget about all of it."

"I know, Storm. Sarah needs us."

"How is she?" I asked, feeling it better to ask now before I hit Marcel with the bombshell news.

"She's not good, Storm. I don't like to be pessimistic but...I'm scared. I don't have a good feeling about this."

"She can't leave us, Marcel. She really can't. That's too much for us to bear. Not tonight. Especially not tonight." I said as my eyes began welling up with tears again.

"What do you mean, especially not tonight?" Marcel asked looking at me confused.

"Marcel, Mom's dead."

Suddenly his eyes went wide and he looked at me in utter disbelief. One thing I knew about Marcel or had learnt, is that he is very similar to me. He would try to be strong like me. He wouldn't let anything hit him until after everything was taken care of. That's why he was the one I was going to ask to help me.

After the initial shock of it all had sunk in, he looked at me. Tears fell from his eyes but he remained intent in his stare. A moment of understanding flashed between us and I knew I had been right about Marcel. Sure enough he proved it when he spoke the next line.

"But...I just spoke to her not even an hour ago." He said shaking his head in disbelief. "How?"

"Car accident. She died at the scene about ten minutes ago. Only you and Lucas know right now. I don't want to tell Mike yet. Are you ok?"

"Are you ok?" Marcel said back to me.

"I don't think it's hit yet. I don't think it's going to hit me until I actually see her. I'm sorry, Marcel. I know how much you loved her."

"Only mother I've ever known. It still hasn't hit me either. I can't believe it." Marcel said shaking his head before he focused again and looked at me. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you please help me organize everything? You're the only one I could think of apart from Sarah, who would be strong at a time like this. There are things we need to take care of."

"Done. I owe it to her. And to you."

"You don't owe me anything, Marcel. But I'd appreciate any help you can give me. There's so much to do. I have to see her body when they bring her in just so I know this isn't some nightmare. Then there's the funeral. Funeral directors. The wake."

"I'll organize accommodation for some of your family and friends. And I'll call the paper for her obituary. Just let me know what else I can do."

"Thank you, Marcel. I knew I could count on you."

"Whatever you need, Storm. Don't hesitate. Just tell me. I'm going to take initiative here and organize some other things myself. But whatever it is, money, support, you name it. I just, I can't believe this is happening. Just an hour ago we made plans for the future, now I'm helping you plan her funeral. It's just not right." Marcel cried as he held his head in his hands and I pulled him into my arms.

"We'll get through this." I said as I held him, both of us crying into the others shoulder. "She'd want us to be strong. I can't let her down."

"Storm, what will we do? What will we do without her? What happens now?"

"I don't know, Marcel. I feel as though my whole world just imploded in on itself. She was the anchor of our family. I don't know what happens now. But I can't think that far ahead. All I can think about is making sure that she is buried with the dignity and farewell she deserves. Everything else is secondary."

I broke then as slowly it hit me more and more. My mother was gone. I wouldn't be able to go home anymore and see her smile at me. Wouldn't be able to talk to her. Wouldn't be able to worry about her overworking herself. Wouldn't be able to be with her. I don't think I can live in that house again.

She didn't deserve this. She still had so much to live for. She was such a beautiful person and was always there for me. Never once letting me down. So many people loved and respected her. This is wrong. This is wrong.

Marcel held me as finally I fell apart and the reality of it all had set in. I was limp in his arms. Sobbing and wailing. Not caring that I was probably drooling. I didn't give a fuck about anything. All I could do was cry. The most important woman in my life was gone.

The more I cried and let it out, the more Marcel held me. I wasn't even standing. I was just limp. I must have been creating a scene because Lucas was soon behind me and he helped Marcel to hold me up. I just wanted to fall to my knees. They both held me, though their tears were silent ones unlike mine.

"Storm!"

"Oh no." I said as I recognized Dade's voice and he rushed up to me anxiously.

"What's wrong, Bro? Is it Sarah?"

"Oh, Dade." I said struggling to compose myself.

I couldn't find the strength to tell him. I just looked at him with my face red and raw from crying. Still sniffling away. I couldn't tell him. I wasn't strong enough right now. God please give me the strength I need. I can't do this.

"Storm?" Dade asked again, this time more insistently. "Is it Sarah?"

"No!" I heard Mike yell from outside the operating theatre Sarah was in. "Sarah!"

"Shit!" I yelled as all of us filled with adrenaline managed to snap into focus and rush through the huge doors to the hall that Mike was standing in.

I arrived just in time to see a team of nurses wheel in an emergency restart unit. Mike had his head against the window, his tears flowing endlessly as he mouthed his soundless cries for Sarah. We all cringed and froze in our
tracks as we heard the unmistakable sound of a flatline.

"Please, Mom." I whispered to myself. "I know you only just got up there but if you have any pull, don't let them take Sarah. Not yet. Not like this. Please."

Time seemed to slip into slow motion. The pack all standing united outside Sarah's room. Our thoughts united in worry and praying to whoever or whatever each of us believed in to let Sarah pull through. This was a defining moment. Even though Sarah was in there fighting for her life, I knew she was here with us. I knew in this moment, that what we had, this pack, was special. Every one of us here loved each other and would be there for one another when it mattered most. No matter what issues we thought we had or what life threw at us, after all this time we were still the pack.

The seconds seemed like hours. My heart beating through my chest. Our eyes staring intently into that room. Numb with fear. I didn't think this night could get any worse than it already had. But as the lights flickered and the ominous flatline sound refused to stop, hope seemed to ebb away. Our heads fell in unison with morbid dread and disbelief. This is indeed the darkest night we have ever known.

* * * * * * *

To be concluded in

SF30: The Rise of Angels

This is the second part of the three part Crossroad series.  A build up and lead in to the conclusion which is the next chapter.  The reason for it being called Crossroads series as well as The Darkest Day for the title should be obvious by now.  Things have changed in Merlow and from this point on, the SF you're used to will probably never be the same again.   But that's life.  Things change, people change, people die, people leave.  

The matriarch of Merlow has gone.  June's death is going to have a huge impact on Merlow.  Probably more than people realize.  So many of the pack depend and count on her and she has played such a huge role in the development of many of our friends in Merlow.  The void her death will leave behind is going to take a while to fill.  How this will affect Dade and Storm's relationship or even their living arrangements remains to be seen.  Storm is no doubt going to have to grow up a lot faster than he expected.

Sarah's illness is already having a big impact on the pack.  So how they deal with June's death on top of that remains to be seen.  So far, Storm seems to be taking control pretty well but we all know he has to crash sometime.  He believes Sarah will be fine and one thing for sure is she has the support of the entire pack behind her.  Their willingness to support each other no matter what really shined with Sarah's condition and shows their true bonds and loyalties.

Stay Tuned for SF30: The Rise of Angels and send me a note to let me know what you thought of Chapter 29: The Darkest Night
Or add your comments to the SN Forums.

Copyright 1998 - 2004  www.StormNation.com, All rights reserved.