Saving Elizabeth... part 6
The cage did not drop from around David. He watched as the woman's body was completely consumed in flames. He looked over at Elizabeth. She seemed to be shooting flames out of her palms with no effort. This was a gift he did Not know she possessed. David wondered what other surprises he might be in for. He was waiting for Elizabeth to somehow drop the cage in front of him. He could feel a pull on his body. Mark was trying to bring him back but his form was not fading. He knew that he only had a small window to get back before his body, laying lifeless on the table, would expire.
"Elizabeth, you need to make this cage go away. Your father is trying to bring my body back to life. He can't as long as I am inside this electric cage. I don't have much time to spare before I will die for good."
Elizabeth dropped her arms to her side. She did not stumble nor appear to be weakened in any way this time. Her strength was firm and she seemed ready to do it all again. She stared at the doorway of the tent, as if expecting someone else to come through it. She now turned her attention towards David.
"I am not sure what I can do, David. I haven't had to do anything like this. I don't want to hurt you or cause it to be impossible for you to return to your body. We still need to get Sarah's body. Stand to one side and I will try to free you."
As David stepped back from the sides, the tent suddenly flew open again. A thunderbolt ripped the sides of the tent and struck Elizabeth in the side of her leg. David watched, half expecting her body to begin to burn, just as the woman's had done. Instead, he saw Elizabeth reach out and push the thunderbolt in to her leg. She absorbed the power from it until it was completely inside of her. She turned towards David and pushed her hands into the cage. Sparks flew out of her hand and the cage. She held her hand there, the electricity shooting sparks of flame all across the tent.
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Mark hit David with another jolt from the paddles. David's body was lifted off of the table. His eyes fluttered and then went shut again. Mark didn't know how many more times he could shock David's body before the electricity alone killed him. Time was running out for David and if he didn't return to his body soon, there would be no hope of saving him at all.
"David, you need to let go of where-ever it is that you are. I can not promise you I can revive your body if we take too much more time. I know you can hear me or at least feel me trying to bring you back! You are no good to any of us if you die!"
Mark heard the door to the room being pounded on. He knew the police were going to get through the door soon. He looked down and saw David's eyes open wide. David's arm lifted from the table and his hand wrapped tightly around Mark's arm.
"Listen to me, Mark, listen good as I don't have much time! I am trapped in an electrical cage. Elizabeth is trying to free me! You must turn the power up and shock me! Do not worry about me. I need the power to help Elizabeth. Do it before the police get inside and stop you!"
This time, Mark did not hesitate. He did exactly what David asked him to do. Turning the knob up so the machine was at full power, he pressed the paddles tightly to David's chest. "I hope you know what you just asked me to do, David. I think you just asked me to Kill you for the last time."
Tears and sweat covered the Doctors face. He held tight to the paddles as the power surged through them into David's body. The hair on Mark's arms began to smoke and he could feel the hair on his neck standing straight out. The door to the room burst open and police rushed to where Mark was standing.
"Cut the power to that machine, now," an officer yelled. "I want it shut down this instant!"
Mark tried to hold the men off as long as he could. "David, it is all up to you now. I can do no more from this side! I am so sorry, my friend. I tried my best." He felt David's hand squeeze his arm. It was not a squeeze because of the pain. Mark knew David was telling him he understood. The E.R. was suddenly still. Later, in reports that would never go public, police officers and nurses alike would swear they had seen a man's image, hovering over David Copeland's body. They would tell their superiors that the image spoke to the doctor. Each of them, in separate, private settings would testify that the image said... "It's alright, Mark. I will save Elizabeth and send her home to you, I promise you that. Don't let them do anything to my body until you see her again."
And then, the image was gone. All that was left was the body of David Copeland, lying on the table, his chest with burn patterns shaped exactly like the paddles, embedded in his skin. Mark was handcuffed and sat in a chair just outside the E.R. Nurses gathered around David's body, looking from Mark to the body and back at Mark again.
"You have no idea what you have just done."
"Then why don't you tell me, Doc. Why don't you explain to me why you were killing a man when we busted in on you? I am all ears."
"I wasn't killing him, officer. I was trying to save my daughter's life. Your actions might have just killed 3 people for ever."
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"We are on our own here, Elizabeth. The police have your father and he can not do anything more for me. I do not know how long I can stay like this with out re-entering my body. We will have to do what we can as long as I last."
"David!!!!" Elizabeth was yelling over the sounds of the electricity flowing from her body now. "I absorbed the bolt they sent inside. As long as you stay near me, I can sustain you for a long time."
"How do you know that?"
"Sarah and I used to experiment sometimes. I will explain it to you another time. You have to do what you told me to do. You must trust me. For now, let me free you and then we can get Sarah."
As the cage began to fall from around David, a new voice rang out. This voice was calmer, more controlled. The tent door opened and two women walked through it. In their arms was the body of Sarah. Her limp body hung over their arms. David and Elizabeth could see a glow coming from her body. David raced forward to try and touch her lifeless form. One of the women spoke out.
"Do not come any closer. If you try to take her, she will be lost to you forever."
David stopped and stood only a few feet from Sarah. He wanted to reach out and take her from these evil people. He fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands. He wished for just a moment he were truly dead. He could not bare to see his daughter this way.
As suddenly as he had stopped, the women raised their arms high in the air, raising Sarah's body with them. A bolt of electricity erupted from her body, crossing the tent and hitting Elizabeth. She raised her palms and sent back a bolt that began pushing the women's surge backwards towards them.
"I am stronger than all of you here. I am going to kill you all if I must to save that girl!"
"If you kill us, you destroy her body too, Elizabeth. Give up and we will spare her life. Continue, and the only way to stop us is to kill her too. It's your call now, Elizabeth."
David watched as Elizabeth began lowering her arms. He could see the surge moving closer to her now. He could see her moving her arms to the side of her body a little. Then he saw Elizabeth look his way. She smiled a small smile at him and then winked. David had no idea what she was planning. He was doing exactly what she had said to do.
"I trust you, Elizabeth... I trust you."