The Misplaced Prince[COMPLETE]

Completion

"Where's my son?" Shrader demanded roughly.

"I don't know." Kasey cried, tears starting welling in her eyes, "Oh, Shrader, I'm so sorry." she dropped the book as if burnt, gasping in shock.

Joshua turned in place, horrified.Oh, God, Tony. He wanted to march to the book and rifle it for answers--his experiment earlier with Tony had proven that he could open it without working its magic--but one look at Shrader's pale face reminded him that they had other similarly pressing problems.

He rushed to the man, falling in front of him. Dick, in his shock, had left Shrader to stumble towards where Tony had stood, looking horrified. "Where is he?" he whispered.

"Oh, Dick, I'm so sorry!" Kasey whispered, her hands clapping to her mouth to stifle a cry. She had loved Tony too. Despair threatened to engulf them all, but Joshua held steady, his eyes narrowing purposefully.

"No, leave me." Shrader gritted out when Joshua reached for the arrow, "Find Tony. Go. There's got to be something in the damned book."

"We can save your life first." Joshua said grimly, snapping the arrow head before reaching behind Shrader's back and pulling the shaft free. A hiss escaped the man, and momentarily he seemed to collapse against Joshua, weakened from the blood loss. He tensed the next instant, his face pale but determined.

He started to rise unsteadily, "I'll go find my son myself. There has to be an explanation--"

"You're not going anywhere." Joshua glared at him, dragging him to the bed. Shrader's forehead was dotted with sweat, and he struggled against Joshua with impressive strength for a man who had just lost a dangerous amount of blood.

"No." he was growling, "No. No! I just got you back. I can't lose him now. Let me--let me--"

"Whatever happened to Tony--" Joshua pushed him in the bed, his words purposefully harsh, "was unmistakably magical. You possess no magic. You would be better served to not die before Tony can even be brought back."

Shrader looked at him hazily, his golden eyes pained and unfocused. Joshua efficiently bundled up a blanket, pressing it unceremoniously to his wound. Shrader recoiled, but Dick was suddenly there, his hands grasping his father's other side, his face set in grim lines. "Press harder." Dick said. He looked stark but determined, "He's lost a lot of blood."

"Damn it." Shrader hissed weakly, "Let me go...My son..."

"We'll find him, Father." Dick vowed, "We're not going to rest till we do."

Joshua pressed the wound with the rapidly saturating sheet, looking around as he did so. Kasey had disappeared as well. For a moment his heart lurched unpleasantly.

"She's gone to get a healer." Dick said softly. Joshua turned back to his task, masking his relief. Together, the two of them worked in silence, while the man mumbled incoherently on the bed.

"Not a good place for a wound, is it?" Dick asked Joshua worriedly.

"Nothing will happen to him." Joshua said, his voice hard, "He can't die. Not before Tony gets back. Not before..." I get to know him.

Tony's name set off another round of struggling from Shrader.

"God, he's strong." Dick grunted, as they two of them struggled to keep him steady, "Father, you're not setting off!" he yelled angrily, "I'm not going to have you die, do you hear me? Tony will kill me."

Shrader fell back, growling.

A few minutes later Kasey spilled back with a haggled looking healer that she had obviously dragged there in her haste to get to them. She was still pale and pinched looking in fear, but efficient as she guided the healer, taking hold of Shrader's legs to help in restraining him. Joshua moved to his shoulders to allow the healer to assess the wound, and the man seemed to blanch at the sight of the patient.