Chapter Twenty One

Scotty sat in a chair next to Angel's bed watching her chest rise and fall as she slept. Running a hand over his eyes he yawned feeling the strain of the last few days settling on his shoulders. Glancing across the room he saw O'Haire sitting at Mike's bedside watching him with concern. "What did the doctor's say about his surgeries?" Sean lifted his eyes and sighed wearily. "He'll be fine. He has to stay here for several weeks. They will have to do another surgery on his face once he is healthy enough, but they say that he will be fine. I can't believe I let Kevin do this to him."

Scotty shook his head knowing how Sean felt, but knowing also it was futile. "It is not our fault Sean. I feel the same guilt that you do. I knew Kevin was not stable. I have known him much longer than you have, but I never dreamed he was capable of this and I have medical training. He stopped taking his medication. HE did this to them. Not you not me not anyone else. He did it and he ultimately paid for it."

Sean snarled. "He should have rotted in jail." Scott nodded then looked at the cross that hung on the wall between Angel and Mike's beds. "You are correct Sean he should have, but… You didn't see that room." Sean lifted his eyes frowning at Scott. "There was not a thing out of place. The sheets on the bed were not even blown off. The pictures still hung straight on the walls. The trinkets were still on the dressers. The only sign that there had been a storm outside was the broken glass of the patio door and the windows. The only thing inside the room that had been harmed was Kevin. The glass from the patio ripped apart his body and removed his head. I have not ever been an overly religious man, but if that is not a sign from God… or whomever controls all of this then…" Scott trailed off and Sean nodded looking up at the cross crossing himself before turning his eyes to Angel. "How could He not protect one of the creatures from his own heavens?"

Scott was about to reply when Shawn burst in with Paul in tow, a serious look on his face. "Glen's house burnt down last night. He and Sean barely survived." Scott frowned looking at Angel knowing she would be worried about her friends. "Are they ok?" Paul nodded biting his lip. "I talked to Sean. Physically they are fine. Glen told him about me an' Hunter after the fire. They are on their way here. He says that Glen is acting weird.

Just then Angel yawned and all eyes in the room turned to her as she opened her own and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Shawny, Paul," she murmured happily and the two came forward with Shawn putting a vase of flowers on her bedside table. "Darlin'," Shawn whispered and kissed her forehead then looking up crossed himself and whispered a small prayer of thanks. Paul meanwhile hugged her as he sniffled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered over and over and Angel rubbed his back smiling softly. "Paul listen to me." Scott helped Paul into a seated position then stepped back so the two could talk. "There is no one to blame for all of this except Kevin himself. I knew him as well or better than anyone. I should have known he had gone off his meds when he started acting so weird, but with all the things going on and with my own fear and pain clogging my mind I didn't think about it. It is over and done with now and all I want to do is get on with my life however, if you really want to help me then come to work with me."

Paul's jaw dropped open as the men stared at her with the exception of Sean who chuckled wondering what had taken her so long to make the offer once she had found out the truth. "I'm not… I can't… it isn't…" Angel waved a hand in the air. "You are your own person Paul. You have a mind of your own and abilities and a talent for this business that FAR surpasses your brother's. Not to mention that if you show up and reveal what he has been doing all these years the power that he THINKS he as will dwindle RAPIDLY."

Paul shook his head fast. "Hunter would kill me and Vince would never let it happen. When he finds out we've been deceiving him he'll fire us both immediately!" Angel wrinkled her nose and scoffed. "Please. He was a little upset, but once I explained the circumstances and what Hunter had done to you over the years he understood completely! In fact once he learned that it had been YOU doing the storylines and all that over the years HE was the first one to suggest that I have you officially come to work as my assistant. Once you prove you can be trusted then you will get a promotion and we will be equals."

Once again Paul was rendered speechless as his mouth opened and closed while Shawn danced around happily. Sean and Scott just looked at each other and grinned.

"Looks more like a dance hall in here than a hospital room," Sean Waltman pointed out as he stood in the doorway with Glen watching the commotion. Angel immediately squealed loudly waking Mike who groaned softly then blinked at the people in his room as Sean assisted him into a sitting position. Angel held out her arms as Waltman rushed to her sniffling. "Angel," he cried and once again she found herself comforting one of her friend. Her eye though settled on Glen watching him move to one of the darkened corners looking around as if he was searching for someone watching him. Quickly though her attention got pulled back to Seany and found herself repeating her earlier words to Paul as she tried to settle down her friend.

Once she had him calmed down and settled on the bed underneath her arm she looked from her Devil Man to her bunny chewing on her lip. O'Haire smiled at her knowing what was on her mind. "Angelface, everyone but you just usually calls be O'Haire anyway well 'cept Dave and he just calls me Bastard. So it isn't gonna be a problem. If it makes you feel better we can just call him Seany if he doesn't mind like you always do. That way it will be clearer." Seany shrugged and tilted his head back to look at Angel. "Seany's better'n Kid." Angel smiled and nodded then sighing looked around the room at her friends wondering how long before the next disaster hit.

Read chapter Twenty Two of ?? of Monster in the Shadows