The Curse Conduit
Chapter 30

Bethie dried her eyes and went to answer the door. Standing in front of her with cap in hand was the colonel. He gave her a little smile. “Afternoon Beth. I know these past weeks have been tough on you and I know we, I should have believed you when you told us you knew that Danny and Ian were still alive but.”

Bethie had only heard half of the colonel’s words and she was beginning to fear the worst. “What is it Colonel?”

He gave a big sigh and she steeled herself to hear of Urian and Derek’s death. “Maybe this will explain better.”

The Colonel stepped aside and Urian took his place. It took Bethie a couple of seconds to realise who he was. Although they had been cleaned up at the Base Urian had kept the beard he had grown as they recuperated. Bethie squealed and jumped into his arms. “You’re okay!!” Hugging him hard before releasing her grip. “We were so worried. We had no idea what had happened to you.” Her mood changed and a frown crept across her face.” Where’s D..”

Urian did not let her finish as the Colonel was under the impression that Derek was Danny. “Danny is fine just a little battle sore.”

With his words Derek stepped forward. Aunt Helga had done a wonderful job of healing him but he was walking with the aid of a cane. Bethie gasped when she saw it. “How? I don’t understand? I mean?”

The Colonel made his presence known. “I’m sure Urian can fill in all the blank spaces for you Beth.” He patted Derek on the back gently. “Danny here has gone a little shy. Hasn’t said much.”

Bethie’s eyes grew wide as the Colonel tried to explain as best he could that Danny had not talked in a while. She understood that it was Derek standing in front of her but she still bit her lip to squash the cry in her throat as she took his hand and guided him inside.

Urian said their goodbyes to the Colonel and followed them down the hall to the kitchen to the stunned looks of his companions.

Uriah was amazed at how much Urian looked like Uri and rubbed his own face subconsciously. Although it had only been moments in time for them, it had been a lot longer for Urian and Derek. As amazed as he was at the sight of Urian he was shocked when he saw Derek. He was limping, holding himself up with a cane. Uriah could not put his finger on it but something had changed.

Elizabeth ran around the table and hugged Derek. “Something happened to you. What? I don’t get it. You only just left.”

Derek shot a look to Urian who looked to Uriah for an answer but it was Danny who did the talking. “She’s right. How long do you think you have been gone Urian?”

“Almost two months.”

Bethie and Elizabeth gasped and Uriah picked up the conversation. “We have only just had time to discuss what we thought may have happened? We moved through time but stayed in the same place. Looks like you two moved through time and space. Where have you been?”

Derek had placed his arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders and Bethie had gone back to stand with Danny. Urian looked to Derek who shook his head remaining silent. Uriah thought he had the look of a defeated man. He was about to ask him when Urian relayed their story to them.

By the time he had finished both the woman where crying again. Danny threw a cheeky smile at Derek. “We’ll make a fighter pilot out of you yet cousin.”

Derek gave Danny a horrified look as the memories of the plane crash invaded his thoughts.

Urian’s voice was tinged with sadness. “The Colonel told Bethie that Derek hasn’t talked for a while.” The others all looked to Derek. “That is true. He has not spoken a word since we got to Switzerland. Except when he dreams.”

Elizabeth looked into the eyes of the man she loved. The pain and sadness she saw in them made her heart ache. Kissing him on the cheek she whispered in his ear. “It will be okay. You just take your time. We don’t need words.”

Bethie came over and kissed him on the other cheek. “I am so sorry Derek. It must have been horrible. Are you okay? Would you like to rest for a while?”

Derek nodded. His leg ached a little but he was not really tired. Meeting back up with his friends had been harder than he thought. He’d been hoping that if he got back to some kind of familiar ground he would get his voice back. But it just seemed harder to talk now than it had before. He felt so lost, all he wanted to do was go home where his biggest gripe had been how many public appearances they had to do.

Danny’s voice broke through his thought. “I’m sure that Urian would not mind if you borrowed his room for a while. “

Urian smiled a little. “I think it would be a good idea Derek. It has been along few days since we got back.”

Derek nodded his head, turning to walk to the stairs. Elizabeth let her hand drop from his when he stopped and took hold of it again. They made their way to the bedroom in silence.

Once there Derek placed his cane in the corner of the room and lay on the bed with his back to Elizabeth. She stood watching him for a while before lying down behind him. When she draped her hand over his side he took hold of it and squeezed. She did not see his tears.

Back in the kitchen the others sat at the table trying to digest all that had happened as they drank the tea Bethie had made for them. Danny shook his head. “I can’t believe you have been through so much yet no time at all has passed for us. Where do we go from here?”

Uriah looked to Danny. “Don’t you mean when.”

Urian could see that the conversation was not going to get them anywhere. “I have had a long time to think about all this. Try and make sense of it all.” He could see the protests coming so held up his hand.” I know. None of it makes sense. I know, but amongst all this chaos we need to replace something that we can hold onto.”

Uriah voice was peppered with scepticism. “And you think you found it?”

Urian heard the indignation in Uriah’s voice and normally would have retaliated but he understood he was worried about Derek and in his own way trying to come up with explanations for their situation. “Maybe. Uriah just hear me out please.”

Uriah gave Urian a crooked smile back. “On one condition.”

Knowing full well what the smile meant Urian played along while Bethie and Danny just watched the little game. “Oh and what would that be cousin?”

“Lose the beard cousin. You look to damn much like Uri. It’s just spooky.”

That brought laughs and smiles all around the table.

Urian got down to the task of explaining his theory to them. He had been mulling it over in his head for weeks but never actually spoke of it. Only briefly mentioned it to Derek. But now, trying to explain what he meant was so much harder. He wished he could just plug each one of them into his head. By the time he had finished he wasn’t entirely sure he had not confused himself even more.

The room was quiet for a while when Uriah spoke. “So what you are saying is that we came here first because to save Declan the plan needs all of us, not just Derek and I?”

Urian nodded.

“Uriah continued.” And you think that the physical touching of the hands has a lot to do with it?’

Again Urian nodded.

“And the only reason that you and Derek travelled was because you were the only ones needed to solve this part of the puzzle?”

Danny chipped in. “Hang on a minute. Why Derek, why not me and Urian. We are the pilots.”

Urian as about the try and explain but Uriah picked up for him. “Because the first time round you died. This time they must have done something different. If you had gone back what is to say that the same thing wouldn’t have happened again.” Uriah looked at Urian. “You did something different didn’t you?”

Again Urian Nodded. “As soon as I realised where we were and who was with me I started back for base.”

“And if Danny had been with you?”

“We probably would have gone to the fight.”

Again the room fell silent.

Bethie had not spoken the whole time just trying to absorb it all. “So what happens now?”

The three men could see the anxiety and apprehension in her eyes. Danny took hold of her hand over the table. “If Urian is right maybe we should try and get to Uri.”

Uriah shuffled in his seat uneasily. “Maybe we should give Derek time to heal.”

Bethie squeezed Danny’s hand. “What if he doesn’t? I mean you guys are singers aren’t you from what Lizzie said. It must have been horrendous for him.”

Uriah had been thinking the same thing since replaceing out that Derek had lost his voice. Singing was his life, was all he ever wanted to do, much the same as Uriah. Uriah was hoping it would be Derek’s passion for his singing that would help him heal and regain his voice. He also knew if Derek did not regain his voice and he could no longer sing it would send him into such a downward spiral of depression he may never recover. This was something that Uriah never wanted to see.

Uriah picked up on Danny’s conversation part way through. “Even so we need to make plans. The fact that you are all still here tells me that things are not finished.”