Jade looked like she was gonna bawl again.
“It's okay.” I turned to the nurse, Jezebel, of all names. “You're an Organic, right?” She nodded at me, her hand never stopping. Finally, she halted her movement with a final sweep of her hand.
The Js were standing off in the corner and I motioned them over, only the vaguest tweak from the ribs. I looked at Jezebel. “So—what's going on?”
“What's going on is that you have some very brave friends that responded quickly.” She gave John steady eyes and he blushed a fine, true red.
“What? Did you save me, bro?” I asked.
“Apparently,” John said.
“No shit?”
“Caleb,” Mom warned.
Dad shook his head at her.
I guess I got some slack here in the Gonna Die Place.
“Yeah, you went into—” Jonesy's face scrunched up and Jade rolled her eyes.
“—respiratory arrest,” she finished.
He snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that!”
Mom said, “This was a very near thing, Caleb. And I, for one, am not going to make light of it.”
Jezebel glanced at my parents, nodding. “Your friends got you help in time, but you were greatly compromised: three fractured ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding, a concussion.” She looked at me.
“But ya fixed him, right?” Jonesy said, the finer details of The Incident completely lost on him.
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Yes, but there is some residual,” she looked up, hesitating for a second, “repair that will need to take place. His body will still need to recuperate. I just gave it a huge head start.”
Jezebel tucked the hospital linen right underneath my chin in a manner so similar to my mom's I looked at Mom, and she smiled back at me.
Tears stood in her eyes while Dad held her against him.
“Listen, guys,” Dad started, “I think we need a moment with our son.”
The Js and Jade nodded and left, Jade giving me a glance over her shoulder mouthing, I'll be here.
I winked. Wasn't going anywhere.
Jezebel said, “I'll be back in,” she looked at the pulse-clock on the wall, “twenty more minutes.”
She left in a blur of white.
Mom, who'd been brave that whole time, let the tears she'd been holding fall.
Dad turned her into him and said, “Shush, he's alright. He's okay, Hun...”
She pulled away, nailing him with her intense blue eyes. “He almost wasn't though, Kyle.”
Dad looked at me over her head. “Garcia paid us a visit right after you left. You just missed him.”
Mom turned. “He went over everything in great deal. And Caleb, he wasn't painting a pretty picture of you.”
Yeah, I'd been getting that from him.
“But, in view of what transpired today, I'd have to say that the burden of proof is on him. Those kids are obviously the problem. You don't go and gang beat one person and be taken seriously.”
“As a point of fact, I have a call in to each one of the parents and have filed a formal complaint, with Garcia,” Dad said.
Go Dad.
“There is a point which troubles me, besides the obvious,” Dad said, his finger up. “The Js said that Clyde made an appearance.”
Just talking about my favorite zombie coming to play!
Mom frowned. “What's so funny, Caleb?”
“I think there's some internal monologue going on...?” Dad asked, a quirky smile on his face.
Sometimes I dug Dad, he just got me. “Yeah,” I grinned.
“Huh,” Mom huffed.
“Anyway, I didn't actually raise anything. I didn't have time, they took me down from behind.”
“Cowards,” Dad said in an uncharacteristic growl.
Mom swung her face toward him.
“You don't nail someone from behind it's...” he tried to explain.
Jonesy walked in. “It's against Guy Code.”
Dad nodded his head. “Correct, Mr. Jones.”
Jonesy bowed, getting that twinkle in his eyes. “I have a plan for Righteous Retribution.”
“No,” we said in unison.
He appeared foiled but not beaten. I hoped he didn't get together with Gramps and cook up a Solution. Gramps was very talented in that area.
“Go on,” Dad said.
The Js and Jade came back in my room followed by the Weller duo and Alex. Christi was nowhere to be seen. Thank God for small favors.
“So, I was just trying to defend myself.” I shrugged my shoulders, while I was lying there, remembering. I took a shaky breath. “They were holding me...” I took a deeper breath, letting it out slowly.
I wasn't gonna cry in front of Jade.
“Clyde, he was just there. At first, I just saw something off in the distance, then, when the figure came closer, I saw it was him.”
They all looked at me.
“He gave them a chance. He really did. Except, when Carson kicked me again. Well, I guess he took it personal.”
“Personally,” Mom corrected absently, rubbing her arms like she was cold.
None of us were, but there was a good case of the creeps running around the room.
“So you didn't ʻcallʼ him?” Dad clarified.
I shook my head. “Not consciously.”
John said, “I think we should all be asking ourselves what happened to Clyde.”
Silence filled the room and my stomach fell into my feet, I'd never laid him to rest!
“Ah, does this mean we have an errant zombie running loose?” Mom asked to no one in particular.
“Directionless?” John said.
“Righteous!” Jonesy air-pumped a fist.
“Wonderful,” Dad said, scrubbing his face twice in a row.
Garcia poked his head in the door. “May I talk to Caleb now?”
Dad gave him a look I had a hard time identifying, then he nodded.
Mom and Jade came to the opposite side of my bed.
The notebook cleared his shirt pocket, and I was back to kinda hating him a little. I hadn't liked the way he'd given the gang equal treatment. I mean, I knew that I'd raised the Dead Team, but only when things got squirrelly with the Torch Team. Choices, choices...
“Let's get right to it, Caleb. The Organic said that you have about ten minutes,” Garcia said.
Let's. I gave him raw, accusing eyes. I was pissed, hurting still and felt like he hadn't taken stuff seriously enough when the thing happened at Jade's.
He pulled a regretful face. “Okay, I got it. I know I should have understood the danger level a little better.”
Mom humphed.
Garcia looked at her, and Dad watched Garcia watching Mom.
I don't think the Fam was too keen on Garcia right now. Gee, I wonder why? I was going to pull up a chair, let him just try to take on Mom, he couldn't back her into a verbal corner if his life depended on it.
After a minute long stare contest he broke it with, “Alright, let's recount what happened,” he said.
I told him and he listened, asking questions in key places.
“So, now, it's my understanding that you unconsciously raised,” he looked at his notepad, “Clyde,” tapping it.
I nodded confirmation.
“And he is...” he spread his arms wide.
“Somewhere?” Jonesy answered logically.
Garcia pointed his pen at Jonesy. “You—quiet.”
John covered his grin with a hand.
Jonesy looked hurt. I'm sure the Jonester thought he'd offered a solid explanation.
“Wait a sec,” Jade said. Everyone looked at her. “This is so-not important.”
Garcia raised his eyebrows like clearly, it was.
She shook her head. “No, Caleb got hurt. Wherever Clyde is, I don't know. But right now, Caleb needs protection. Those boys—they could have killed him,” she whispered.
“They almost did,” Bry said.
Tiff nodded, snappin
g a bubble like gunfire.
“Just wish we'd been a little earlier,” Alex mourned.
I shook my head. “No guys, it would've been a replay. They were all about making me suffer. It was individual. Personal.”
“I guess you've been taking self-defense,” Garcia quizzed.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Was he serious? “After last year, I just wanted to be more prepared. I can't always count on the undead to have my back.” Even though they did.
“I'm talking to all the parents involved. Some will be easier than others. This type of bullying...” Garcia began
“I think it's more than ʻbullyingʼ,” Mom said.
He nodded. “You're right. If they'd been over eighteen, they'd be in jail right now.”
“Yeah, what gives on that? Don't they have to take a vacation in juvie?” Bry asked.
He shook his head. “They'll have pulse monitors.”
“Nice,” John said.
Mom released a big breath.
That was awesome, if they came within fifty feet of me it would be auto-police pulse.
Garcia held his hand up. “Don't get excited yet. Both Carson Hamilton and Brett Mason are under sixteen.”
“No,” I said. “That bozo is driving.” I remembered the flip-off session at Gramps. “He got held back. He's sixteen.”
Garcia frowned. “He told me fifteen.”
“He's just smart enough to be evasive,” Bry said shrugging.
“And he's hanging out with older kids,” John said.
“Water seeks its own level,” Mom commented.
Garcia surveyed the room. “I need you other kids to clear out, except you, Miss Weller.”
They trooped out, Jonesy gave me the thumb signal for pulsing later, and I nodded.
“I want to address the case right now. The new developments.”
“I have a question first,” I said.
He waited.
“Why did the pulse give a proximity warning?”
“Who were you on pulse with when it gave the alert?” Garcia asked.
“Jade.”
“She's Empath, right?”
I nodded.
“From what I understand, an Empath would be linked to you on some level because of the viral nature of the pulse.”
Dad nodded, he was following. I was struggling.
“Which means that she was getting some residual danger impressions from thought processes in proximity to you physically,” Dad elaborated.
“You mean, that their intentions were transmitted to Jade and she somehow ʻtoldʼ the pulse there was danger. That I was in danger?” I asked.
“Essentially, yes,” Dad agreed.
So, Jade kinda tried to warn me without knowing it.
Cool. I didn't think that was gonna be covered in her Empath core class.
“Does that clear it up?” Garcia asked.
“Yeah.”
“That's a nice feature,” Dad said.
“Keeps crime down,” he agreed.
I just bet it would. Thinking of all the losers trying to lurk, sneak and creep. Made all the skulking around a little tougher. Nice.
“So, you two kids are aware that Nulls have been identified as the target group of the killings,” Garcia said, getting back on track.
We nodded.
“This is a critical break through. We're pulling all the missing kids reports and cross-referencing Nulls under eighteen, to identify possible victims.”
“Smith will be in touch. There will be more bodies, eventually. We're all hoping that we don't have fresh bodies turning up. Unfortunately, this type of killer will murder until stopped. We have to presume that he is still planning and executing this target group. You kids need to be vigilant. Smith reported that he visited the Terran house so they are aware that John is under watch.”
We nodded, they knew. I swallowed and heard a dry click. After my close call, I didn't like to talk about John and others who might get hurt. I felt like we were all sitting ducks.
“That's all for now. You have a two-week respite to not worry about that group,” he paused, looking at me significantly.
“Wait a minute. They have pulse-monitors for two weeks then they're scot free?” Mom ranted.
“It's the maximum we're allowed by law. They're minors, Mrs. Hart,” Garcia said.
“Kyle,” Mom implored.
Dad gave a hard look at Garcia. “I'm not happy with this as a resolution. What if,” he looked at me lying pale and recovering in the hospital bed, “those young men try to gang up on Caleb again? When there isn't an Organic on shift, at just the opportune moment, with a high enough level? This one happened to have surgical expertise.” Dad ran a hand through his hair, beginning to pace. “There's no way for this to end well. If they enter my home with intent to harm my son, I will not treat them like minors, Sergeant Garcia. They will cease to be children; they will be criminals. Period.”
Garcia's eyes narrowed into slits. “You're not circling vigilantism, Dr. Hart?”
Dad thought about it, eventually nodding. “I will not willingly let my family come to harm, Sergeant. It's not going to happen. I will defend them to the best of my ability. I'd be more than happy to reiterate this stance to whomever cares to hear it. I am American. This is my child. He will not be defenseless against this threat.”
“Fine, duly noted. You understand my hands are tied. This is the fullest I can maneuver or prosecute. I will also be speaking with the families, making them aware of the transgressions against Caleb and what the ramifications will be,” Garcia said.
They looked at each other and something shifted inside me for my dad just then, a physical reaction.
I always knew on some level that he loved me I just never realized how much.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Boy smelled strangely. The Dog sniffed him and sensed injury, an injury which was healing. The Dog sniffed more deeply; several injuries. He wagged his tail, he sensed something had cleansed the injuries; making them smell “old.” The Dog did not know what that may be but was deeply relieved when the Boy returned, that horrible feeling of doom slipping away at his arrival.
“Yes, yes, I'm glad to see you too.” As I was petting Onyx, I noticed he was acting weird, taking big lungfuls of my smell. Probably smelling that gross hospital. Eau de Sick.
“I have supper ready too,” Mom said.
Great, I was starving. I'd missed school, had to spend the night at Camp Sick and was finally home. Friday loomed large with a hang session at Gramp's place tomorrow.
The Organic said she'd worked me over but I still felt stiff and sore. Just think how I would've felt if she hadn't? Better not to dwell on that too long. “Okay, Mom. How much longer?”
She looked at me critically. “Do you need to do something?
Yeah, I was desperate for some time with my girl. Out loud I said, “Need to pulse the Js.”
“And Jade?”
I smiled. “Yeah, maybe I could find some time for her too.” Duh.
“We can hold off for another half-hour or so.”
Good. “Thanks, I'll be back down,” I said.
I walked up the stairs instead of taking them two at a time, with Onyx tripping into the back of me because the pacing was off. Taking out my pulse, I palmed the open the door and sat on my bed. I wasn't about to lay down, I was completely tired of that.
Activating: top-five contact: Jade LeClerc
Hi, how are you? -JLeC
I'm okay. But we never did get to talk.- CH
I can come over tonight. With everything that happened, Sophie's mom feels sorry for you so she told me I could.- JLeC
Seriously? -CH
Yeah! -JLeC
Cool. I doubt the Parental Unit will let me do anything tonight anyway.-CH
They shouldn't, Caleb. You need to give your body a chance. -JLeC
But the Organic.-CH
pulse interruption
Whatever! I k
now they're supposed to be able to ʻmanipulate all living tissue/organs/bloodʼ but that doesn't mean she erased the trauma. For once, would you not be a guy about it? -JLeC
I wasn't sure how not to be a guy, but...
I guess I'll take a night off fun.- CH
We can still have fun just hanging out. We don't always have to go somewhere.- JLeC
K, give me an hour. I need to de-scuz and eat, then we can watch a movie or something.- CH
Or something.-JLeC
Yeah smiles-CH
That,ʻor something,ʼ that's what I like.- JLeC
Me too. -CH
Cya.- JLeC
☺- CH
*
Hey! -JLeC
Yeah? -CH
What movie? -JLeC
Zombie Apocalypse 20 -CH
Are you kidding? -JLeC
Yeah. Some Empath you are.- CH
Nice! Ttys- JLeC
☺-CH
I swiped my thumb on the pad: hibernating.
I couldn't wait to see her. For once, everything should remain calm. I hadn't had a day that went smoothly since summer ended.
As it turned out, the night wasn't going to be calm and neither was Saturday at Gramps.
But a guy can dream.
****
Jade was playing nurse in my bedroom after some über-awkward wrangling with the Parents. The whole, “keep the doors open,” and all that other shit that parents raged about because we may kiss... or something.
We were doing a lot of the “or something.”
She lay like a warm line against my body, tight against me and I was amazed how perfect a fit she was. My hand was buried in her hair, clenching my fist in the silk of it and I used my hand to turn her head into my mouth. My other hand rode up and down her side, finally landing on her jaw, where I ran a finger up the softness of it.
Sitting up, I loomed over her and started brushing little kisses along her neck and she gazed up at me with a flushed face, heated by proximity and what we were doing. My hands were on either side of her head, holding my weight up and when I got down to that great place between her breasts with my mouth, she put her hands on my chest, where I held myself, suspended in a push-up position.
“What about your parents?” she asked a little breathlessly.
The Death Series, Books 1-3 (Dark Dystopian Paranormal Romance): Death Whispers, Death Speaks, and Death Inception Page 45