Curiouser and curiouser! So distraught and confused Hope is, that she didn't bother gathering anything from the bowling alley. Just ran out, hopped into her pastel pink Ford Aspire, and started driving. It is inconceivable that Tripp is alive (undead?), and that he's hunted them down. The most logical explanation is that she's not been sleeping and is simply losing her mind. The tears will not stop. The pain will not stop. The Tyler twin is being punished for some reason, or tempted by the Devil himself, as vampires are Satan's creatures. There is no sound in the vehicle other than a few choked sobs, there is no direction of the driving other than 'getting the Hell away from the bowling alley'.
As she races through Oak Cliff, she comes to an area that looks fairly deserted. A pharmacy not far off. A park. She spins the steering wheel, and the vehicle skids along a patch of water, spinning out of control until the front end of the vehicle comes to a screeching halt as it crashes into a lamp post. Crushed metal and broken glass. The sound of a horn blaring as though a great deal of pressure is being applied to it. The silent night has been disturbed.
Other than the trip to Medieval Times and the outing to obtain a new suit, life around the church has been fairly silent. With the weekend services already completed it will still be a few days before the numbers within the confines of the building grow. This leaves few around the area with numbers even lower during the evening hours. A church would be a wonderful location to hide out if one is afraid of vampires, he would think, but he is not one to judge. So inside sits a lone man, a thick book in hand as he passes the time. The beginnings of the crash go unregistered as he has become immersed within his readings, but loud crash is something that cannot be ignored. The book falls to the floor as he stands hurriedly, not even pausing to consider his options. The sight of the pink vehicle immediately alarms him. Elliott is not an EMT. He has not studied first aid. Instead of calling 911 the soon to be priest rushes to the driver side door and opens it, looking to assess the damage.
As the door opens, he'll find a young, blonde woman, cushioned on the white pillow of an airbag. The front of the car is totaled, but Hope Tyler appears to be alright, if not a little disoriented and with a small cut to her forehead. She's just laying on the airbag though, breathing and conscious. Just not making any attempt to move herself or unbuckle her seatbelt.
The wise thing to do would be to call for an ambulance especially as there is no telling if anyone else is even going to report the crash. So Elliott does reach for his cell phone to make the emergency call, reporting what he experienced and what he is seeing. "Her name is Hope Tyler," he reports before getting the license number for the operator. While she has him on hold, Elliott dares to reach into the car, his hand aimed at Hope's shoulder. "Miss Tyler, are you alright? Please say something." He's calm even still despite the fact that his heart is racing. "I've got help on the way."
"No." For once, she's not alright. Not even fake alright. Hope is a mess. She turns to look at him, eyes red and puffy as though she's been crying. "Did I hurt anyone?" She could probably get up and walk away, but she'll need to explain the accident. "I don't think I'm broken…"
If she were to claim otherwise he'd actually have to argue. "Just sit still. Don't move if you don't have to." More words are exchanged with the operator before he hangs up the phone. At this point the damage is the least of his worries and he's already assessed it well enough. "No, no. No one else was involved. Please, just don't push yourself." Leave it to Elliott to be so concerned. He crouches down beside the open door to remain close to her. He has questions but they are currently at the bottom half of his priority list.
"Mr. Hartigan?" Hope blinks a few times, trying to draw his image into focus. Finally, she lifts her head from the airbag, and takes a deep breath. "It's… late… late. You should be inside." Priests are targets for vampires, this much she knows. "My head… ungh… I think it cracked the steering wheel…" Concussion? Likely.
The very moment that she continues to move despite being warned against it he is there, a gentle touch to her back to attempt to force her to remain as she is. "It is late, yes. This is likely the safest place you can be." He's never been accosted by a vampire, after all. "I also will most certainly not leave you in this condition." Enough said. Elliott looks past her, down the street, listening for any signs of the emergency squad. "Here, let me look." Unless she pushes him away, he'll attempt to get a closer view of the gash on her forehead. "You're going to need to be taken to the hospital. Is there anyone that I should call?"
The hand on her back does not stop her from moving. Hope wiggles her fingers, and moves to unbuckle the seatbelt. "No… no. There is no safe place anymore." The tears come again, whether from stress of the accident or something entirely different. "He's back. He's supposed to be dead, but he's /back/. You don't understand." Hope doesn't push him away, though she does have a decidedly panicked look in her eyes. "The hospital isn't safe. It's a public building. He can get in."
"Miss Tyler, please. Stop pushing yourself. The EMTs will help you." It's difficult dealing with someone who refuses to listen to sage advice. The way she begins speak catches Elliott's attention. Insanity is not something that is considered, but she could be speaking of something of a rather large scale. When she clarifies, however, he's quick to catch on. "There are safe places and safe people. I can offer to keep you at the church but you require medical attention." He is not going to do anything other than ensure that she gets treatment. "I can follow you to the hospital if you would like, at least until your family arrives?"
"No! Don't call my family." Hope is a little panicked at this point. "She's going to go off and be with him, and I'm not going to be able to stop her. I failed." The tears start up again, her fingers brushing over her bleeding brow. "I'll be fine, but please don't call her. The hospital is a /public/ building. He's a /vampire/. He'll get in and… this shouldn't be happening. I saw his throat get torn out! It's unnatural. It's… it's… he's /dead/. We buried him. We…" At least her stress and crying can likely be attributed to what caused the crash.
Now he's done it. She's simply not of the mental capacity to be reasoned with. "Miss Tyler, please calm down. Until we can assess your injuries you're liable to harm yourself." Elliott continues to reach for her, to try and hold her still with a gentle touch. "If you prefer for me not to call anyone, then I will do as you ask. But please do not turn down medical treatment. You're injured and I'm not skilled enough to help you." The talk of this vampire is unsettling for him but what is he to say exactly? "I don't know who he is, Miss Tyler. But I can keep him away from you."
"I just hit my head, I'm not dying." EMTs and paramedic assessment aside, Hope feels physically fine. A cracked skull, and a potentially broken toe? No big deal compared to the utter heartbreak and semi-broken mind at the fact that Tripp, /her/ Tripp should be dead. Yet he was walking and talking. "He is… I mean was… my best friend. He's supposed to be dead! I watched him die." Her entire life of the last two years was in fact, solidified at the moment of his death. To find out that's a lie is enough to start chinking away at her faith.
This is honestly good practice, minus the blood and the annoying sound that her now dead vehicle is making. "Perhaps not, but head injuries can be serious. You should at least allow someone to look you over. If they recommend a night in the hospital, they are the professionals. I can ensure your safety." It isn't as if he has any other plans for the evening. Elliott actually does sigh, wondering if this is yet another test put before him. "I would suggest that you hear out this individual to learn the truth, but not in this case. If you would like for me to, then I have no issues doing so. Right now you should not worry yourself with him. You're bleeding, Miss Tyler."
"I'm not going to listen to anything that demonic spawn of Satan wants to say to me!" Hope's panic comes to the forefront now, her hand drawing away from her brow. "I surmised that, yes. I also think I have a broken foot from a bowling accident." She gulps, straining to hear if the EMTs are actually coming or not. "Goodness, no. I… I wouldn't want to put you in harm's way. I'd feel guilty forever."
At least she's isn't frantic, or physical. This to him is a good sign. "Then you most certainly should not be moving. I'll help you if they decide that you should not go to the hospital, but if you do have a broken bone as well they will want you there for an examination. Mobile X-rays aren't exactly reliable or all that possible." Elliott sighs but is relieved to hear the faint sound of sirens. "They'll be here soon." He shakes his head finally offers the faintest of smiles. "I am not in harm's way. What I am is in the presence of an injured woman who deserves someone to sit with her for a while, even at the hospital."
Frantic, perhaps a little. Hope is very mentally unstable, but she's still trying to put on a brave face. Her breakdown can come later. "I'd appreciate the company, but you don't have to go out of your way for me, Mr. Hartigan. I'll be alright." Stubborn streaking brave front. "I am not one of your parishioners and I'm not a person you know all that well. Why are you offering me all this assistance?"
"But I do, Miss Tyler." He doesn't miss the opportunity to explain himself. Elliott remains as calm and collected on the exterior as he can even though he is far from that mentally. His uncomfortably can wait. "You are essentially a stranger, I agree, but should that matter? Should you need to be a fond friend or a parishioner before I am willing to lend a hand?" Again he shakes his head as his mind is already made up. "It may cause me to sound less a man but I would wish for the help of a stranger before waiting to possibly find the assistance of a loved one."
"It is rare for anyone to be so kind these days." Hope can hear the sirens getting louder, and for that she is glad. They can tell her she's an idiot for breaking her toe, get a tow truck for her beloved vehicle, and then send her to get a stitch or two on her skull. "You are a good soul."
The sirens are a good sign, if only for Hope. She needs medication and medical attention. She needs company. "I choose to believe that many would do the same. Ignorant, perhaps, but it gets me through the day." Elliott chuckles softly at her compliment. "I am merely a man looking for a purpose in life. They're almost here. Once they take you I'll be immediately behind the ambulance. Are you certain that there's nothing else I can do for you?" If he had a way to contact her sister he'd do it anyway.
"Even the most well intentioned person is generally selfish." That aimed more directly at herself than him. "Nodontleave," Hope squeaks, a hand stretching out to grab his arm. "/Please/? I know you're not /yet/ a priest, but I /trust/ you and I really don't want to be left alone in an ambulance with people that can drug me up and mistreat me."
His every effort is being put into not being selfish, to not allow temptation to cause him to stray. "One can be selfish and a concerned citizen at the same time. You won't be shunned for having a big heart and yet a desire to protect it." Elliott is about to gather a few things when that hand reaches out for him. It brings pause to the stoic man and he can simply look at Hope's crumpled form. "As you wish." At least he currently has his wallet so he will be able to take a cab from the hospital. "I won't leave, Miss Tyler. I'll make sure that you're safe."
"Truer words," she says, weakly. Just as the EMTs pull up, Hope throws her arms around Elliott's neck and she tries to give him a hug. "I appreaciate that, Mr. Hartigan. I really, really do. I'll pay for you to get back here, or wherever you need to go. I just don't want to be alone." A police vehicle is not far behind, pulling up to assess the situation and take statements and the like.
This is almost awkward, or it would be under different circumstances. As it stands Elliott lowers himself to ensure that she's able to hug him without actually harming herself. Some of her blood transfers onto his clothing but it doesn't appear to bother him. "My dear, do not worry about it. The best way that you can repay me is to simply allow yourself to be cared for." When it is all said and done, he will be there as long as he needs to be. Perhaps there is a reason he was alone this evening after all.
