Julia was rattled. Her exchange with Vicki earlier at the old house had been a mistake, a dreadful mistake. She had worn her heart on her sleeve, speaking harshly, and had treated Vicki like the child she was. `I should have bitten my tongue. Vicki tells everything, to everyone. She WILL tell him, instantly' she spoke, and her jaw trembled with anxiety. As she drove back up the lonely drive to Collinwood, she saw the sun set beneath the autumn tinged leaves, daylight giving way to the deepness of night. `He will be there..' she thought, sure in knowing that as soon as Barnabas arose, he would hasten to Vicki's side. She was terribly confused- the emotions she felt were illogical. After all, she had witnessed Barnabas murder, yes, murder, her comrade Dave Woodard. Dave had not deserved to die...he was merely caught up in the drama unfolding. `As am I...' she thought, and sent up a silent prayer for forgiveness, help, and guidance to whatever lonely angels had pity on her plight. Her grandmother had always told her angels were watching over her, guiding her 'fate'; but she felt utterly alone, lost and forgotten in a world without hope. The scene played out as anticipated. Vicki was in the midst of the story of her outburst, when she arrived, bearing flowers. When Vicki strayed to find a vase, Barnabas was filled with the usual threats on her life, but seemed to have a new mocking contempt to his tone. Yet her heart was still crying out for him, `Love me, Barnabas; not her, ME!' The evening was ruined- and besides, it was time for his treatment. They salvaged as much as could be of a forgiving harmonious tone, and excused themselves. To her chagrin, Barnabas asked Vicki to take a stroll with him later, since it was such a lovely cloudless night. Julia stared sourly, arms crossed, and rolled her eyes at the idea. They had barely gotten out of earshot when Barnabas lit into her, "You behaved unspeakably Julia! Offering Vicki flowers as a perverse peace offering, when you bought them on the clearance rack." "That's not true!" "How else do you explain their withering so suddenly? Julia smirked, and took silent delight that they HAD been a 99 cent clearance bouquet. That's how much she thought of the lovely, demurring, MISS Winters. "Yes, smile, Doctor. Vicki forgives, being good and gentle. But I am neither good nor gentle. I DO NOT forgive". Julia trembled, and felt any small fire of hope in her chest dwindle to only an ember. She was nothing to him.
Later, in the lab, Julia was still heartbroken, and all she really wanted was to be alone, and cry. "How much longer will your preparations take, Doctor?" "It...is...just about ready...now...oh!" The hypodermic needle slipped in her grasp, spilling its contents. "I..I- haven't done that since medical school. I- don't know what's come over me- it will just take a moment to refill it." Barnabas approached. What was going on in her mind! He had never seen Julia act so..unsteady. Had Woodard's death driven her over the edge? Could he trust her? "Don't stare at me..it..makes me nervous." Barnabas did not avert his eyes. Julia burst forth, "I said YOU'RE MAKING ME NERVOUS! I'm- I'm sorry. I've...been working too hard." "You keep telling that to everyone and you'll begin to believe it." he answered sharply. "I don't care what you say, I HAVE been working too hard!" "On the contrary Doctor, you haven't been working hard enough." "What does that mean?" "I want you to expedite the experiment. I want it finished and done with as soon as possible." "I can't do that- I've timed them to the maximum efficiency, at the maximum safety level. Why do you feel compelled to rush like this?" His answer mocked her, "What a naive question, Doctor. The reason is Vicki. Lovely, vulnerable Vicki. And she WILL come to me, if we make haste." Julia's tone was enraged, "Well I am ready with your injection. I don't want to `waste' too much of your time." She approached, and Barnabas, sensing her angst, was filled with distrust. He grabbed her wrist, in a grip of iron. "Don't do that..you're hurting ME!", Julia wailed, but his grip only intensified as he rattled on about factors, and jealousy. The pain was blinding. He muttered something of her `efficiency lacking'. "..I am a physician...let GO Barnabas!" "And a humanitarian too, I suppose, just as you were with Dave Woodard..." he squeezed harder. The combination of pain, and the mention of Woodard were too much. Julia dropped the syringe and lashed out...throwing her elbow squarely into the nose of one Barnabas Collins.
Julia held the ice pack to his nose. Feeling a mix of sorrow, and yet, a glimmer of satisfaction. She removed the pack, and gasped. Barnabas had always had a large nose, but attractive...suiting his dignified and handsome face. The result of the blow was temporary, but remarkable. His nose had swollen to twice its original size, and was very, very red. She stifled a cry, and turned, biting her knuckle to hold back her emotional overload of mirth and pity for him. "What...what have you done to me.." he groaned, and clutched his nose. "Is it noticeable?" "No...no...not really, it's just a bit...um...inflamed." "I have a date with Vicki in precisely 15 minutes. Julia..will she notice?" Julia wanted to tell him the truth...that, for now, what was once a handsome nose- was now a hideous, red, bulging atrocity, but the thought of Vicki's reaction occurred to her...this might be interesting. "No, no, you are good to go." she smiled, looking a bit like the cat who ate the canary. "This is one of the drawbacks of my condition. With no reflection, I am forced to trust you. I am off now, Doctor. I am tempted to destroy you for this, but the experiment MUST continue." Julia smiled, watching him depart, and sat, crossing her legs. She took a small file from her pocket and began to manicure her nails. No sense going anywhere, because, if her instincts were sound, this would not take long.
Barnabas arrived at Collinwood, rapping politely three times on the door. After a moment Vicki appeared. "Hello Barnabas, I am so glad you came, I.....Oh Barnabas, what on earth?" she laughed aloud. "You look so silly? Is this a joke?" "Um...err...to what do you refer?" he replied, suddenly shaken. "Your nose! Surely something happened? It looks just awful!" "Yes, yes..um...allergies, my dear...perhaps another night...I must be going, sorry to have bothered you." "Oh it's no bother. But you really should let Julia do something. An older man of your age cannot take chances with his health." She closed the door, smiling. `Silly? Awful? An older man of your age?' The words flew around in his mind like a squirrel in a cage. His first instinct was to find Julia Hoffman and kill her brutally. Too angry to walk, he transformed into a bat, and flew toward the old house. But on his flight there, he realized the comments made by Vicki were honest; the honesty of youth. Perhaps too much youth was not what he needed. Maybe Julia's insistence that he was not...amusing in his plight, suggested a loving blindness, that was born of maturity and compassion.
He walked into the old house, and found Julia sitting at his desk, perusing the family album with a smile. He looked over her shoulder to see she was looking at his portrait as a young man. She spoke without turning, "Back so soon?" "Yes. I am back..." He laid his hands on her shoulders, softly. "I really must apologize, for laying hands on you earlier..that was wrong of me...can you forgive me...Julia?" "Yes. I think I can, Barnabas. But not as your doctor, as your friend." His nose would heal, of that she was sure. The rest, was up to her angels; and the hands of 'fate'. ~the end~
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