Second Chances
Page 8
Jessie hoped there was enough light for him to see her smile. “That’s because the cold affects the elderly faster than the young.”
“Ouch. You haven’t seen your sister around, have you?”
The last time Jessie looked, the windows had been steamed up pretty good. “Um….”
Abbs?
– – –
Hey Abba-dabba!
Geeze. What?
Dad’s looking for you.
– – – Be right there.
“I think I saw her with Paul Lister. Maybe over by the barrel?”
“Still Paul Lister, huh? Okay. Well, I’ll…yeah.” Jessie watched him push back his left sleeve. A faint bluish-green illuminated the watch face. It was only a little after nine, but the high country got dark fast.
“It’s Saturday, Dad,” she said before he got a chance.
“And tomorrow’s Sunday, daughter, and we have to be up and out by seven. Besides, if we don’t leave soon, we’ll have to use ice tongs to move you.”
“Ho, ho.”
Jessie handed her father the cup, stood and wobble-walked across the narrow patch of snow to the edge of the frozen reservoir. The skates were a little large – a local Nederland U.C.U.A. member had graciously opened his winter sports shop and outfitted them all – and she hadn’t been on the ice once that year, but the moment the blades hit the ice muscle memory took over and she was gone.
“Hey! What did I just say?”
“I thought you wanted me to move. Just a few minutes, okay? Carly, wait up!”
Jessie knew her father must have said something, she saw the words floating around his face, but the sound was lost when she literally hit the ice running. She wasn’t as good as Carly when it came to doing all the fancy Ice Capades stuff – who was? – and no way near as graceful, but if there weren’t too many turns involved, she could move at a reasonably good clip and stay on her feet.
Most of the time.
“Hi!” Carly’s breath clouded the air between them. Jessie breathed it in.
“I needed to warm up a little,” she said and began rubbing her arms through her parka. A little too vigorously as she discovered when her left foot twisted out from under her and she started to go down. Jessie tensed, already feeling the solid impact against her ass, when a hand caught her and pulled her back from the edge.
“Whoa, girl!” Carly held Jessie’s arm until she got the skate back under her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m a klutz. Thanks.”
“No problem. I think the ice is getting frosty or something, I almost took a header a little while ago.”
“Yeah. Frosty.”
Jessie probably would have stood there, mentally and physically tongue-tied, if Abbie’s voice hadn’t suddenly broken the spell.
Dad wants to go. Come on.
Jessie looked back over her shoulder. Backlit by the headlights her father and sister were silhouettes standing a few yards from shore. Only her father and sister; Paul Lister was nowhere in sight. Her father waved. Jessie waved back then grabbed Carly’s hand and even though she knew it was impossible since they were both wearing gloves, her hand felt warmer than it had all night.
“One more spin,” Jessie shouted at the same time she kicked off against the ice. “Hurry up, before they send out the bloodhounds!”
“You’re on!” Carly said, pulling her hand away and swatting Jessie’s arm. “And you’re it!”
Ice tag! Yes! When Carly took off, blending into the shadows along the left edge of the reservoir, Jessie followed without hesitation and came within a few inches of tagging her back when her friend changed leads and shot off toward the rocky outcrop that dotted the shoreline.
Jessie! Come on! I’m cold!
Go find Paul.
I mean it – let’s go! Abbie’s voice thundered inside her head and she flinched.
And down she went.
Her legs went one way, her upper body the other and her left side took most of the impact as she skidded across the ice toward a dark shape the size of a Smart car.
This was going to hurt.
A lot.
Jessie braced for impact when Carly came to her rescue again…more or less. They slid across the ice together before going face-deep into a drift of crusted snow. It wasn’t as hard as a rock, but it was close.
“Jessie!”
Jessie pushed herself out of the snow and opened one eye, the one that wasn’t filled with ice crystals.
“Carly? Is that you?”
“Oh my God! Jessie, are you okay? Can you see me?”
Jessie managed to get her other eye open. “It’s so blurry. Come closer.”
Carly leaned in close enough for Jessie to feel her warmth against her face and Jessie kissed her. It wasn’t planned, it just happened.
“Carly, I’m—”
Somewhere in the distance a car horn honked twice, the echoes chasing down the canyon walls.
Jessie, what’s going on? Where are you?
“Jessica? Carly? Come on, girls. Time to go!”
“Carly?” Jessie reached up just to brush the snow off her friend’s cheek but she pulled back and swatted Jessie’s hand away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Carly, I didn’t mean…. It’s not like that.”
For a moment Carly was nothing but a silhouette against the darkness.
“Oh, my God.”
“Carly, listen….”
“That’s why you wanted us to go to the Winter Fest together, isn’t it? Oh, God, that’s why, isn’t it?”
“It’s not like that. You’re my friend.” Jessie reached for her. “I love you.”
The starlight glinted off Carly’s skates as she stood up. “Stay away from me. Don’t ever talk to me again. I hate you.”
The car horn honked again.
Come on, Jessie!
Jessie looked back toward the shore. A line of cars was making its way toward the access road, but her father was still there, backlit in the glow of headlights from the few cars that still remained. He waved as Jessie sank her blades into the ice and stood up.
“Come on, girls! Time to go!”
His voice sounded so close in the frigid air it was almost as if he was standing on the ice next to them. If she could hear him so clear, had he heard them?
Jessie wasn’t thinking of anything but catching her friend and trying to explain that it would never happen again. That was all she wanted to do, but Carly saw her, switched leads and began skating so quickly Jessie would have sworn she’d seen blue sparks come off the blades each time they hit the ice.
“Don’t come near me!” Carly was moving away; she was a much better skater than Jessie. “Don’t touch me! I hate you. I never want to see you again. I’m going to tell everyone about you. Freak!”
“Carly! Wait!”
“Freak!”
If she’d stayed near the rocks the way they’d come, it might have been okay, the ice was thicker there, but Carly turned and skated straight across the manmade watershed, aiming for a narrow spit of land. Jessie tucked in her shoulders and skated faster.
They were only a yard apart when the ice broke beneath them.
The thundering snap and roar that followed was almost loud enough to cover the sound of Carly’s scream as the frigid water covered them.
JESSIE!
Chapter Seven
Jessie!
* * *
– – –
* * *
Boulder, Colorado
“Come on, Jessica. Stay with me. Push another of EPI. Anything?”
“We’re losing her.”
* * *
– – –
* * *
“Charge to three hundred. Clear.”
* * *
– – –
* * *
“Come on, Jessica. Come on.”
* * *
– – –
* * *
“Charge to three hundred and fifty. Clear!”
“Anything?”
* * *
– – –
* * *
“We lost her.”
* * *
“Dammit. Time of death….”
What? Where am I?
* * *
“Wait!”
“We have a heartbeat.”
“Attagirl, Jessica.”
“Come on, honey, you can do it.”
“Come back.”
What?
* * *
“We got her.”
* * *
I died?
* * *
“She’s back.”
Oh God NO!
* * *
“Jessica?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you open your eyes for me?”
Jessie tried but it felt like someone had glued her eyelids shut.
“That’s good, you’re doing great. Come on, keep trying.”
Come on, Jessie, open your eyes.
Abbs?
Yeah. I’m here, it’s okay. Open your eyes.
It took almost all the strength Jessie had, which didn’t feel like much, but she finally managed to pry open her right eyelid just enough to see a bright white flash. Jessie jerked back.
Ow. Whazzat?
“It’s just the doctor looking in your eye,” Abbie said out loud. “It’s okay. Really.”
“Yeah, it’s just me. Hi,” another voice said, “and you’re doing great, Jessica. Okay, now can you open your other eye for me? That’s right, nice and big. Good.”
The light flashed in one eye and then the other and left behind a dull yellowy-mauve afterimage that bobbed and weaved across the face of a smiling man Jessie had never seen before.
“Hi Jessica, I’m Dr. Hayes.”
Jessie grunted.
“Can you tell me your name?”
“Jess…aaa.”
“Throat sore?”
Jessie nodded and even that hurt.
“I’m sorry. We had to intubate you and the tube can cause some irritation. Okay, open your mouth and the nurse will spray your throat with a numbing agent. It doesn’t taste very good, sorry again, but afterward you should feel a lot better. Okay?”
The doctor stepped back to give the middle-aged nurse room. Jessie opened her mouth and only twitched a little when the cold spray hit the back of her throat. The doctor was right. It tasted horrible.
“Yuck.”
“Warned you,” the doctor laughed. “But now we know you can talk. Can you tell me your name?”
Jessie swallowed. “Jessica Pathway.”
The doctor reached down and gently squeezed her upper arm. “You gave us one heck of a scare, Miss Jessica Pathway, but it looks like you’re going to be okay. Welcome back.”
Jessie’s body went cold and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. It was like being under the ice again, suffocating as the cold water poured into her lungs.
Welcome back. That was what they said when a Traveler arrived. She’d seen it enough times on the confiscated videos U.C.U.A. sent her father.
Oh God. She was one of them. She died and her soul had entered another body.
She was one of them, an Imp.
OhGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodohGodoh
Jessie, it’s okay. Calm down.
Jessie grabbed the front of the doctor’s lab coat. Her skin was pale, much paler than it should have been, and the knuckles of her hand were bluish. But it wasn’t her hand. It wasn’t her arm.
“Please, I don’t want to be like this!”
Jessie, listen. It’s okay.
“Like what?”
“Please – No!”
The doctor pried her hand free of his coat but held it tight between his own. “Jessica, it’s okay. You’re okay. You’ve had a terrible shock, but you’re fine. We’re going to give you a sedative—”
“No!”
“Just a slight one to help you sleep. Your body needs to recover. Just rest and when you wake up your father and sister will be here.”
“No, no, please! Don’t let them see me like this! Please, don’t…don’t let them…don’t let them see….”
Jessie….
* * *
It was a dream.
It would have been nice if it had been a dream, but when Jessie opened her eyes again and saw their faces she knew it was a nightmare. Their father was trying so hard to smile it looked like he was wearing a mask and Abbie wouldn’t even look at her, she was standing at the end of the bed staring at the blanket covering Jessie’s feet.
Oh God.
Their father’s fake smile widened. “Hey, baby. How do you feel?”
Jessie ignored the question.
I know what happened, Abbie. Why are you both here?
Her sister shook her head but didn’t look up as their father took her hand.
She pulled away.
“Jessica, what is it? Are you in pain? What’s going on?”
Get him out of here, Abbie.
Abbie’s eyes were shining when she finally looked up. What?
I died and came back. I’m one of them.
Abbie burst out laughing and crying at the same time. Their father let go of Jessie’s hand and reached for Abbie.
“Abigail! What’s wrong with you?”
“She thinks….” Her sister took a deep breath. “She must have heard the doctors talking about something else. I bet she thinks she’s a…you know.”
The smile finally left their father’s face as he scooped Jessie off the mattress and pulled her into a hug. “Oh, God, baby, no. No, you’re fine, you’re still you. Your soul and body are still one.”
Jessie took a deep breath, pulling his scent into her. “I am? Really?”
“Here, goofus.”
Jessie looked over her father’s shoulder. Abbie had taken the small compact out of her purse and was holding it out to her. Their father saw it and shook his head.
“No, not yet. Your face is a little…bruised from the accident.”
“Dad, it’s cool.” Coming around the opposite side of the bed, Abbie handed Jessie the mirror. Knock yourself out.
Jessie waited for her father to move out of the way and took a deep breath. The fingers of the body opened the compact and the arm raised it until Jessie could see the face – bruised and battered with enough stitches above the left eyebrow and holding the swollen bottom lip together to make Frankenstein’s monster jealous.
Jessie burst out laughing.
Her face was a mess, but it was still her face.
Happy now? Abbie took back her compact and snapped it shut.
You could have told me.
Would you have believed me?
“Thanks, Abigail.” Bitch.
“Anytime, Jessica.” Wimp.
Their father looked a little puzzled when they both laughed. “It never dawned on me that you’d think….” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry, you must have been terrified. Can you ever forgive me?”
There were tears in his eyes and Jessie was afraid if he started crying she’d start and never be able to stop.
“Dad, you didn’t do anything, I just….” Jessie touched her throat. “Can I have some water, please?”
“Sure, baby, I’ll get it.” Her father wiped his eyes as he turned toward the water pitcher on the bedside table.
How’s Carly?
Abbie put the compact back into her purse and began studying the blanket again.
&nbs
p; Abbs, tell me.
Her sister shook her head.
“Dad, how’s Carly?”
“Here,” her father said, holding the cup and flexible straw close to her lips, “drink some.”
Jessie finished the cup and nodded for him to take it away. “Is Carly okay? Can I see her?”
“Not yet, baby.”
“Why?”
Their father held the empty cup in his hands, rolling it back and forth. “Carly’s still unconscious. She was trapped under the ice longer than you were so it’ll just take a bit more time for her to wake up.”
Jessica looked at her sister. Is she dead?
Abbie shook her head.
Their father was still rolling the cup in his hands when Jessie looked back. “When will she wake up?”
“I don’t know, hon. I’ve talked with Richard and Laura and all I know is that Carly is in a medically induced coma but the doctors are hopeful she’ll wake up soon.”
“It’s my fault.”
Their dad set the cup back on the rolling bed tray and took her hands. “No, it’s not, baby. Both of you were just skating, no one knew about the thin ice. It was an accident, that’s all, just an accident. It wasn’t your fault.”
It was almost the same thing he’d said about their mother’s accident. It hadn’t been her fault then either.
Except it was.
Just like now.
Abbie.
Abbie shook her head. It was an accident.
But you heard what she said, didn’t you?
She didn’t answer.
Jessie pulled her hands in, bringing their father’s with her. “Dad, I was chasing her.”
“You were having fun, Jessica, enjoying yourselves.”
“But she said—”
He closed the gap between them and kissed her forehead. “It was an accident, that’s all it was.”
Jessie nodded.
He knew.
* * *
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Curtis’s face was smooth and calm, the way it always looked when she crept into his room at night to make sure he was still breathing, and the tube in his mouth and the IV in his arm and the pump that was breathing for him didn’t make any difference.
He was just asleep and he’d wake up when he wanted to.
She’d told that to the doctors and nurses but could tell they didn’t believe her. That was because none of them knew Curtis the way she did. He was her son, after all.