by Dale Mayer
Great.
Just what she needed. Was there an equivalent to cancer on the physical system? ’Cause it would be so typical of her to be the first one. Damn.
The doctor studied her with a narrow gaze that made her wonder if he could see right through her. But there was no intrusiveness. Just a practitioner’s assessment. Stefan looked at her with an unfocused gaze and she realized he was studying her from an energy level.
Deciding she’d had enough of being stared at, she shifted to a sitting position. Then, using the armrest for support, she stood up – a little shaky but at least she was vertical. She studied the room. As far as she could tell she was still in Dean’s house, but everything was foggy. As if she was looking through a light rain.
“Where’s Dean?”
“Right in front of you.” Dean’s voice came through a weird cloud.
She rubbed her eyes but she still couldn’t see him clearly. “I can’t see you very well,” she muttered.
Instead of a shocked exclamation, a warm hand landed on her shoulder, grounding her. Instantly, her vision cleared. He stood in front of her, a worried look on his face.
She smiled. “Thanks, now I can see you.”
“I didn’t do anything, but you’re welcome.” His smile gentled, but his gaze narrowed as he studied her features. She could feel the power of his concern. It was…disconcerting.
Feeling stronger, she took a step forward. With a mental shake, she reached up and rubbed her temple. “I wish I woke feeling like I’d had some rest. Instead, every time I wake up I feel frazzled, frayed at the edges. Terrible feeling,” she muttered. She should go to the washroom, wash her face, maybe it would wake her up, but she didn’t want to move.
Dean stepped back, letting his hand fall away and as if a connection had broken she suddenly felt worse. Weird. She felt better touching him. Still, she could hardly hold his hand all the time. Besides, she was better than before she’d collapsed. She excused herself and went to the washroom. She didn’t want to look into the mirror, but she knew she had to. She felt so disconnected from everyone, everything. She hadn’t even asked for an update on Simone. God, what was wrong with her?
She used the facilities, gave her face a good scrub, tried to run her fingers through her hair. Thankfully there was mouthwash in a cupboard. Stefan had brought her meager belongings from the hospital, but apparently toiletries had not been among them. Still, she was grateful to have her purse back.
Finally, she pushed open the door and walked out to the living room and to the men who waited for her. She heard Dean say something to her but where he stood was only a blur of energy. Turning toward the sound of Stefan’s voice, she realized he was no longer as clear as he’d been either.
She whispered, hating the fear snaking through her, “There’s something wrong with me.”
Then she fell to her knees.
The men rushed to her side.
But not in time.
She toppled face forward to the floor.
*
“Damn it. What’s wrong with her?” Dean asked after moving her to the couch. Stefan and Dr. Manson checked her over while he watched.
“We don’t know,” Stefan said. “I wish she’d given us some of her symptoms before collapsing.”
“There’s something going on between Dean and her,” the doctor said quietly.
Stefan nodded. “I saw that.”
“Saw what?” Dean cried out in frustration. “What are you talking about?”
“When you placed your hand on her shoulder, her energy strengthened as if you were stabilizing whatever was off with her system.”
“I didn’t do anything but try to offer my support,” Dean said. “Who’d have thought something like this was possible?”
“We didn’t. And we’ve seen some crazy things.” The doctor turned to Stefan. “Your call.”
He nodded. “We need to take her in.”
“She doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Dean protested. He didn’t know how he felt about any of this, but he knew she didn’t want to go to a hospital. And given her delicate condition, he couldn’t imagine a hospital helping her.
“She can’t stay here,” Stefan said gently.
“If we move her, she’ll feel betrayed.” And damn if it didn’t feel like he was the one doing the betraying.
“She is hurt, sick. She needs help and before we can do that we have to know what’s wrong,” the doctor said. “Therefore I have to run some tests.”
“Do them here.” Dean hated that he was starting to sound belligerent but, damn it, someone needed to speak up for her. She couldn’t so it was up to him. And that made him feel like a fool. Again. She’d made him feel that way from the first meeting, but now he was doing it all by himself.
“We can’t. I’m afraid first and foremost that during her attack she was given something that is disrupting her energy. Because her system is so chaotic I can’t search effectively. I need equipment to look for such a thing.”
“She won’t survive the standard tests like an MRI,” Stefan said quietly. “Her energy is too far off the grid. It’s likely to send her completely off the wall. Maybe even cause a heart attack.”
“Then she’s not going. Done.” Dean sat down on the floor beside the couch. He reached out and stroked her arm. Her body had taken on a cool tinge as if she was chilled. It was a hot summer day so he didn’t get it, but she obviously wasn’t like anyone else. More… Alien. At his own stupid joke he had to wonder if that wasn’t part of the reason someone was after her. “She’s cold.”
“Yes, her body is going to respond to this stressor in many ways.”
“So we need to find out how to stop it.” Unable to help himself, Dean reached out and gently massaged her shoulder. He couldn’t keep her here – not with his son around. He needed to protect his family too.
But neither did he feel like he could abandon her.
“Solutions?”
Stefan grinned. “Maybe.” He pulled out his phone. “Maddy, how is the bed situation at your place? I could use a spot for someone for a few days. Not to mention your help.”
Dean frowned. “What is he doing?”
“Trying to help Tia in the best possible way.”
The doctor listened intently to the conversation, but it didn’t make any sense to Dean. “If she needs a place to stay, she can stay here. She doesn’t need to go to Maddy’s place, whoever that is,” he muttered. “That’s hardly a step forward.” He wasn’t sure his place was a good option either, but he couldn’t stop himself from offering to help her. He had to think of his son, but there was just something about her… Maybe he could help keep both Tia and Jeremy safe.
“Yes, it is.” Stefan put away his phone. “Maddy has a bed free at one this afternoon for two days only, then it’s full and she can’t change that. So we have two days to make a miracle happen.”
Dean stood up. “Two days? Is that all? Maybe I should be asking what kind of a place this is and if Tia’s going to be okay there.”
“Hopefully she’ll be much better, but if not we’ll have to find another place for her.” Stefan’s gaze turned inward. “I do have a few other places to check. But Maddy’s Floor is definitely the best option.”
“It’s also a gift that would be impossible for most other people as it’s very hard to get in there.” The doctor nodded at Tia. “She’s a lucky girl.”
“I’m going to have to do some work on her as we head over,” Stefan said. “Then stay and see if I can get her energy to integrate with that of Maddy’s Floor. If not, and her energy starts to short out the system in place at Maddy’s, then I’ll have to isolate her. I need to help Tia but not at the expense of those already on the Floor.”
None of this made any sense to Dean. “If she wakes up and wants to leave, she can come back here.”
“It could be dangerous,” Stefan reminded him. “She’s being hunted.”
Just the term hunted made his anger flare. “In that case,
she really needs us.”
“Yes, she does.” Stefan’s voice lowered and he motioned toward Tia. “In more ways than one.”
Dean glanced down to realize his hand was back stroking her arm and shoulder. She was fully visible at the moment and there was a peaceful repose to her features. “She looks much better.”
“She does.” Stefan’s gaze went from Dean’s face to Tia’s face several times. “What are you doing for the next few days?”
“I was going to pick my son up in a little bit.” There was a heavy pause. He looked up. “Why?”
The doctor answered, “Because she needs you. You are helping to stabilize her energy.”
“What?” How did any of this make sense? “I’m just letting her know she’s not alone. Comforting her like I would my son.” Okay, it was a little more than he’d do with his son, at least mentally. “She’s been alone a long time. It’s hard to live like that. I’m just letting her know – where ever the hell she is – that she’s not alone anymore.”
Stefan’s phone rang. He spoke for a few moments then hung up. Dean waited for him to speak. “That was Maddy. We’re to bring her over right now.”
“I thought not until this afternoon?” Dean frowned down at the young women on his couch. Torn. He didn’t want to leave. How had life gotten so complicated?
“Dean, any chance you could stay with her for today at least?”
Dean looked up. “Why?”
His own phone rang then. “Hi, Mom.”
His mother chattered quickly, “I know you want to come and get Jeremy, but I somehow promised him a trip to the zoo. I know you said you’d be by to get him anytime now but really, I don’t get to see him very often, and I’d love to have him longer. He wants to stay too.”
In the background Jeremy yelled and cheered, “Dad, say yes. Dad, we’re going to go and see penguins.”
Dean rolled his eyes, his son was obsessed with penguins – anything animal related but penguins topped the list this week.
“Mom–”
“No, I know. You need to spend time with him too, but after realizing how precious life is…we need a little time together.”
“How much time? And you saw him last weekend, remember?” he said humorously. “And you’ll see him next weekend.”
“But those are short visits. He stayed overnight last night, but you dropped him off late so he went to bed right away. We didn’t get time together. Now, if you left him overnight again, we could stay up and watch movies and eat popcorn,” she said in a wheedling tone.
In the background his son chanted, “Popcorn. Popcorn. Popcorn.”
“You did that on purpose,” he said with a laugh.
“Of course. You’re busy or you’d have been here by now. Go find yourself a nice girl.” And damn if she didn’t hang up on him.
He stared down at his phone.
The other two men laughed. Stefan said, “I’m not sure what just happened, but I gather you’re free now.”
“Apparently. My mother has stolen my son for the rest of today through tomorrow. Lord only knows what she’ll try tomorrow in order to keep him.”
“Is she always like this?” asked Dr. Manson.
Dean looked over at the doctor. “She lived back East until a few weeks ago. After getting a clean diagnosis from breast cancer, she decided that being in remission meant being given a second chance at life. There’s just the two of us so she moved closer.”
“Sounds like it was the best decision for both of you.”
“It was. Jeremy adores her.”
“And she’s a great babysitter,” the doctor added with a grin.
“True enough.” Dean stared down at his hand still resting on Tia’s shoulder. What had his mother said? Something about finding a nice girlfriend? He hadn’t been trying for a long time. Not since his son moved back in with him eight months ago. As his ex-wife was going to the Middle East for her career, she decided Jeremy needed his father more at this time. The change had been heart wrenching for all of them, but the Internet made keeping in touch easier.
Still, being a single father definitely changed his dating habits.
As in – he didn’t anymore.
Now, as he stared down at the strange and wonderful person in front of him, he was tempted for the first time to change that.
Chapter 13
If she’d stuck her finger in an electrical socket, she couldn’t have been more shocked and frazzled. She hurt. Inside and out. Her bones ached and her mind just wanted to cringe and not see or talk or think of anything.
But someone kept poking at her.
She’d kicked out once or twice, but they’d been feeble. Ineffective. In fact, she’d begun to doubt her kick had her body moving at all. It was like little bursts of energy being shot off to the side but the leg hadn’t actually moved.
“Stop it,” she muttered. “Leave me alone.”
“No.” But the voice was kind, caring. Female.
That made her suspicious. There was no one in her world that was kind. People were either dead or callous. She was a nice person, but hadn’t ever been able to make much in the way of friends. Except Simone.
Tears burned her eyes. Simone was in trouble. And it was all Tia’s fault.
This sucked. She should be the one dead. Dead would be so much better.
“No, it wouldn’t,” said the same voice. “You’re alive and we’re going to keep you that way.”
That’s when she realized she’d been speaking aloud. She tried to roll over but something was restraining her. She wasn’t strong enough to resist.
“Am I a prisoner?” she whispered.
“No, you aren’t,” the voice rushed to assure her. Then the tone changed, became more confident, assured but also filled with relief. “There you are, Dr. Maddy.”
“How is she?”
Tia listened to the new voice. A gentle voice filled with caring and light. She sighed happily.
“Confused, scared, fighting.”
“All normal,” the one called Dr. Maddy said calmly.
Dr Maddy – and what kind of name was that? – stepped into view. Except Tia couldn’t see all of her. And what she did see didn’t make any sense. “Why did you remove your head,” she asked in shock. “How can you function without one?”
“Is that what you see? My body stopping at my neck?” Dr. Maddy asked curiously.
“Just weird colors where your head should be. My head is hurting. Damn headaches.”
“How long have you had these headaches?”
“Weeks, maybe years.” She wanted to roll over, and not being able to became the one thing she couldn’t stop thinking about or trying to do. “Can you remove the restraints please? I really need to roll over.”
A cool hand came down to land on her forehead. “You aren’t restrained. Try to roll over now.”
Tia tried hard but nothing moved. “I can’t,” she cried out in panic. Then hands lifted and turned her body in the direction she’d been trying to roll and she sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Dr. Maddy said. “Tia, I’m going to run some tests and see what’s going on here.”
“No,” she said, starting to shake. “No more tests.”
“Tia,” Dr. Maddy said firmly, “I won’t hurt you.” A smoothing hand stroked down her shoulder and arm. “You aren’t seeing properly and you can’t move normally, so unless you want to return to the hospital you were at before, I need to check you over.”
“Okay,” Tia whispered. “But no one else. I can’t trust anyone.”
“Got it.”
Tia waited, tense. But there was only a gentle stroking on her shoulder and arms. When the soothing motion shifted down her back she relaxed. Maybe the tests were going to be done later today. Tomorrow. Sure, that made sense. Had to take time to book the machines for her. She relaxed, enjoying the soothing feel on her frazzled nerves.
With her eyes closed she let herself slip into a light pea
ceful state.
“Is she awake?”
Tia heard Dean’s voice from the doorway but didn’t want to move. She had never felt so peaceful. So easy in her body.
“Yes, she’s just resting.”
“She looks better already,” Dean said.
Tia wanted to smile. He sounded so worried. That was nice. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone cared. She’d been alone so long. Simone had been her best friend. The only one who’d known her history. The only one she could relax around. Talk to. Be normal with. Be herself.
It wasn’t even a friendship, given their crazy different backgrounds and the distance between them, but a reconnecting with her past. As if by remembering her past she’d be able to keep a better eye on her future.
It hadn’t happened that way. Instead, she’d lost Simone.
“Easy.” The hands on her back stopped for a brief moment. “What are you thinking about?”
“Simone,” she whimpered, tears flowing down her face. “She’s in trouble.”
“We’re looking for her,” Dean said from somewhere.
“Too late,” Tia said. “I can’t sense her anymore. I think she’s dead.”
The hand on her back increased the pace slightly, but Tia was barely noticing the beautiful mantle of care as it had been replaced with painful memories of the friend she felt sure she’d lost.
“You can’t trust your senses right now,” Dr. Maddy said. “Your energetic system is constantly being disrupted. It’s not connecting in a flowing stream like it should, so it’s always spluttering out of juice.”
“Why?” Dean asked.
“Not sure yet. I can’t see anything on the surface to account for this. I’m trying to stabilize her, so I can run a few different tests and hopefully get more answers. A lot of things could be interrupting the synapses.”
“Such as?” Dean asked, his voice insistent. Tia liked that about him – especially when it wasn’t turned her way. She wanted to twist slightly so she could hear the answer better, but she couldn’t move.
She wasn’t paralyzed, but there was a disconnect between the orders given and the actions followed. An interruption.