by Wendy Wang
At some point, while she was sleeping, they must have moved her, because she was in a different bed, surrounded by more medical equipment.
“Tom?” Charlie managed to squeak. She cleared her throat. “Tom?”
His eyes flew open, and he sat up straight.
“Hi.” He took her hand in both of his. A weary smile stretched across his lips. “Are you in pain?”
Charlie swallowed. “Some. But I need to talk to Joy before they give me more meds.”
“She’s here. So is Jen, and Ben. Tomeka and Darius are here, too. Lisa, Daphne, and Evangeline are coming today, and Scott’s called every day. I’ve even talked to Evan a couple of times.”
“Every day? How long have I been here?”
“Nearly three days. Most of that in a coma.” Pain darkened Tom’s golden brown eyes. “Oh, Charlie, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should never have let you go into that house without talking to the reaper in that territory first.”
“Do you honestly think you could’ve stopped me?” She chuckled, and a fresh stab of pain traveled from her chest to her belly. She sucked in a sharp breath.
“I’ll get the nurse.” Tom stood up and Charlie tightened her grip on his hand.
“No. Don’t. Not yet. I need to talk to you.” Tears blurred her vision for a second. She hated feeling so all over the place. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I think I died.”
“What?” Tom sat down and scooted closer to her.
“I saw Joy. I talked to her. Or maybe it was just a dream. It was so strange. So surreal. That’s why I need to talk to her. I need to know what we talked about.”
“You don’t remember?”
“It’s… hazy. I remember something about the book.” Charlie laid her head back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Why couldn’t she remember it?
“What book?” Tom leaned in closer. So close she thought he might as well be in bed with her. She tried to remember the conversation she’d had with Joy but all she remembered was the warmth of the light and how much it wanted her.
“Joy didn’t tell you any of this?” Charlie asked.
“No, she didn’t,” Tom said.
“We found a reaper’s book. Or at least we think that’s what it is.”
Tom looked at her with horror in his eyes. “When did you find this book?”
“What day is it today?”
“Friday.”
“Tuesday, I think.”
Charlie rested her head against her pillow and closed her eyes. “We found it in a bus locker. Someone had hidden it. But we aren’t sure who. I’m hoping Joy will be able to confirm that.”
“You saw Joy? When you think you were… ” The pained look twisted his features again. “Dead?”
“Yes. Why? Is that important?”
Tom smiled, but it seemed forced. He shook his head and kissed the back of her hand. “No. It’s not important.”
“Will you go find her, please?”
“Of course. Of course, I will.” He rose to his feet and bent over her bed before he kissed her forehead. His lips tickled her skin when he whispered, “I love you, Charlie Payne.”
“I love you, too,” she said. “I was afraid before. To say it. But I’m not anymore.”
“I’m glad.” He pulled away from her, leaving the skin above her eyebrow cold. His eyes glistened with tears that didn’t fall.
“Don’t cry,” she whispered.
“Reaper’s can’t cry,” he said dully.
“Then why are your eyes wet?”
Tom touched his fingers to his eyelashes. A look of shock filled his face when he rubbed his fingertips together and he chuckled. “Maybe I’m getting my wish after all.”
“What wish?” she whispered.
“To be a real boy, Geppetto.” He sniffled and stood up straight. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Where would I go wearing this get up?” She plucked at the pale purple hospital gown.
“Right.” He smiled and stepped out into the hall. Charlie could still see him. He paced in a circle and his arms moved about in an animated fashion as if he was talking to someone, but he didn’t have his phone with him. She wasn’t even sure if his mouth was moving. He stopped pacing and put one hand on his hip. A moment later he returned.
“I talked to Joy. She’s having trouble dropping her glamour in this building, so she’s going to have to take the stairs. She’ll be here in a jiffy.”
“She can hear you?” Charlie asked.
“Yes. We have a mental connection. Much like you and I do.”
“Oh. Right. That makes sense.” Charlie nodded. A fresh wave of pain washed through her. She laid her head back and closed her eyes.
“You’re hurting,” Tom said. “Please, let me get the nurse.”
“Not until I talk to Joy.”
“Hi, Charlie,” Joy said from the door. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to be seen.” Charlie managed a weak smile. “Do you remember what we talked about?”
“Yes, I do,” Joy said. “Do you?”
“Sort of. It’s all hazy.”
“I’m not surprised. I have some good news and some bad news for you. Which would you like first?”
“Good news,” Charlie said.
“All right.” Joy nodded and moved into the room. “I’ve done some research and I think I know how to cure you.”
“Are you serious?” Tom snapped. “Have you known this whole time that she’s been lying here in horrendous pain?”
“Calm down, brother. I did not want to say anything until I could confirm it.”
“Confirm what exactly?”
“That she can be healed using the restoration spell from the book belonging to the reaper who cut her.”
“Restoration spell? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a spell,” Tom said. Frustration edged into his tone and he fidgeted with his hands.
“According to William, it’s only given to reapers who have a tendency to take a human life.”
“Who purposefully takes a life?”
“Not necessarily on purpose. It is given to those who accidently take a life as well.”
“Why is there no punishment?” Tom said, his eyes darkening with concern.
“There is… but only if the reaper intentionally kills.”
“The reaper who swiped at Charlie meant to kill her,” Tom said. “She should pay for such a thing.”
“And if Charlie dies, she will face the consequences. But this spell should save Charlie and will stop the need for such consequences from happening.”
“We must go to her. Make her come here and heal Charlie.”
“I agree, but that may be more difficult than I anticipated.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s not responding to my summons. But there have also been some communiques throughout the community that her book has been stolen. She may be out searching for it.”
Tom rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. “She was also very angry at me.”
Joy gave her brother a questioning look.
He sighed. “I protected a spirit from her.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Joy asked.
“He did it for me. So, I could talk to the spirit. For my case,” Charlie said.
Joy walked to the end of the bed. “Charlie, when you and I met in the tunnel,” Joy gave her brother a furtive glance, “you mentioned you had found a book and that you thought it belonged to a reaper.”
“I did? Yes, I did. We have it! It’s upstairs in a clean room, I think. Ben will know where it is.”
“Good. That’s very good. I’m hoping it’s Gabrielle’s book. Which will give us some leverage in getting her to assist us in healing you.” Joy smiled but it never touched her dark eyes. Charlie shivered. Joy took a seat on the bed next to her. “Now, I need to tell you something difficult.”
“All right,” Charlie said.
<
br /> “You don’t have much time until your body fails.”
“We don’t know that,” Tom said.
“Yes, brother, we do.” Joy gave him a pointed look. ”Charlie, I’m going to suggest that your doctors place you in a hypothermic state, to stave off death.”
Tom stood up straight, and the muscles in his jaw tightened. “Are you sure? The book is just across the street in the other building.”
Joy's expression shifted from solemn to determined. "Of course I'm sure. Charlie's best chance is suspended animation. The doctors here can do that by putting her in a hypothermic state. You know I'm right. And getting the book isn’t enough. We need Gabrielle’s cooperation. The spell can only be performed by the reaper who inflicted the wound. You said yourself that she was angry. I’ve gone to her territory looking for her and so far, I have not been able to find her.”
"Wait a minute." Charlie sat up in her bed. "Just wait a damn minute. Hypothermia. That's..." Her heart thudded in her throat, and the pain in her arm and chest squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe.
Joy moved to the side of the bed. "Charlie, you need to calm down. The more panicked you are, the quicker the effects of the blade will spread. If it gets to your heart, nothing we do can save you. Tell her, Tom. Tell her she needs to calm down."
"Darius," Charlie managed to choke out. "Is Darius here?"
"I think so, but I'll have to go see. Take some deep breaths." Tom picked up her hand and kissed the back of it before he disappeared into the hallway.
Charlie closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth trying to still the panic seizing her body. Something warm and soft wrapped around her hand, and she opened her eyes to find Joy standing next her.
"Keep breathing, Charlie. Keep breathing."
Charlie met Joy's gaze, nodded, then closed her eyes again, and continued to calm herself.
A few moments later, Tom returned with Ben and Darius, her cousin Jen, and the doctor in charge of her care.
Joy took a step back from the bed. Charlie reached her hand out for Darius, and he took it.
"You're gonna be all right, Charlie Payne." Darius gave her an easy smile. "Close your eyes, and just listen to the sound of my voice." A sense of calm drifted through her with Darius's touch.
"Thank you," Charlie whispered.
"Miss Payne, we are glad to see you," the doctor said. He pushed his way through the crowd around Charlie's bed. Charlie opened her eyes and gave the doctor a smile.
"I’m Dr. Penrose. I just need to check a couple of things." He took a small penlight from his pocket and flashed it in Charlie's eyes. Then, he pressed his fingers against the pulse point on her wrist. "I take it you're still in pain."
Charlie nodded. "Yes. About an eight on your scale."
"Your friends here seem to think they know how to stop this. They have a better word for it than infection. Although, it's not really an infection. You know that."
"I do," Charlie said. Her eyes met Tom's. "And you know what caused this and what they are?"
The doctor glanced at Tom and scowled. "I do. Which is the only reason I'm entertaining this suggestion of theirs. But I'm not about to put you into a hypothermic state without discussing it with you first."
"I appreciate that," Charlie whispered.
"There are risks. Big risks," the doctor said.
"What would you do? If it were you?"
"I don't know. I can't really give you that kind of advice."
Charlie searched the faces around her, finally landing on Jen. Her cousin stood at the end of the bed with one hand on the top of Charlie's foot and one hand balled into a fist as if she held tight to something. Jen's large blue eyes were glassy, and the smile on her lips looked forced.
"What should I do, Jen?" Charlie asked.
Jen's gaze flitted to Ben and then to Charlie. "I can't tell you what to do. But I can ask you to fight. And if this gives you the best chance of fighting, I say do it." Jen blinked several times and sniffled.
"Okay," Charlie said. The steady rhythm of her heart sped up, and the monitor beside her bed beeped louder and faster. "Jen. I need you to promise me something."
Jen drew up next to Charlie. "Anything."
"Promise me that if I don't wake up, you won't let Evan forget what he is. Even if Scott tries to bully you."
"You're gonna wake up. If it's the last thing I do, you are going to wake up."
"Just promise."
"Fine. I promise. But you're going to be fine. I know it."
"All right," the doctor said. "This is enough. We need to prep her. And I need to talk to you two." The doctor first pointed to Joy and then to Tom. The two of them followed him out of the room, and Ben moved up next to the bed, opposite Jen.
"These guys, they know exactly what they're doing here. You're in good hands. And Jen is right. We’re going to take good care of you. I've got a casting circle all set up and ready to go. We’re just waiting for Evangeline and Lisa to get here," Ben said.
"Is Jason coming?"
"Yes," Jen piped up. "He's called about you every day. He really misses working cases with you."
"Me, too," Charlie whispered.
A moment later, two orderlies came to collect her. They disconnected her from the monitors and took her IV bags and hung them on the short pole near the head of her bed. Charlie grabbed Jen's hand when they began to roll her away and gave it a squeeze.
"Don't forget your promise." Charlie let go.
"I won't," Jen answered, her voice shaky with tears.
They took Charlie into a cold room with a wall full of monitors. The nurse stuck the needle into one of the ports of her IV bag and a few minutes later, Charlie's whole body relaxed. The worst of the pain drifted away, and she was barely aware of it. Charlie fought to keep her eyes open.
"What are you doing?" she heard her voice say, but it sounded distant, almost as if it belonged to someone else.
"We’re going to insert two cannulas into your nose, Charlie. And then we’re going to pump cool air into those cannulas. Once we cool down your brain, your brain will cool down the rest of your body. While you're sleeping, we’ll be working to maintain your body temperature with cold water blankets. And we may need to insert a catheter into your leg to keep you cool." The doctor's voice floated above her.
"Okay."
"And hopefully your friends will get what they need to perform a ritual that will stop the spread of this… " He sighed. "Infection."
"It's okay. You can call it what it is. Death," Charlie said in a dreamy voice.
"I'm gonna stick with infection for now, and you’re going to sleep. You understand?"
"Yes, sir," Charlie whispered. "Just don't leave me there."
"I will do my best. You just don't walk into any bright lights. Okay?" the doctor said.
"Deal," Charlie said.
Chapter 13
Ben held out his arms, and Jen threw herself against him. He held her tight for a moment, unsure what to say. There were no promises he could make that Charlie would live through any of this. Nothing about this week had gone as he'd thought it would. The needling fear at the back of his throat, threatening to choke him, wouldn't let him quite grab onto the hope of Tom and Joy's crazy scheme.
“I feel so petty.” Jen sniffled against his chest. “I pushed her so hard about helping out with Yule. She kept trying to tell me how stressed she was, how she didn’t have time, but I didn’t want to hear it.”
“Babe, Charlie’s going to be fine,” Ben said.
“I know. I just thought if she was decorating the tree with us and helping out with the solstice feast, it would make her feel a part of things.”
“She’s a part of things,” Ben reassured her.
“I know it’s stupid, but it felt a little like this job is taking her away from us. Like Scott took her away from us. I just didn’t want to lose her and now… and now…” Jen’s voice squeaked and she wept, unable to finish her sentence.<
br />
Ben stroked her back and whispered against the top of her head. “She’s going to be fine. We’re not going to lose her.”
"Ben?" Tom touched Ben's arm. "I'm sorry to pull you away, but if you're going to go with us, then we should go now."
"Of course." Ben hugged Jen tighter, kissed her on the top of her head, then whispered into her dark hair. "You know what to do?"
"Yes." Jen sniffled and swiped at her cheek. "As soon as Lisa, Evangeline, and Daphne get here, Athena will take us up to your casting room."
Jen opened her hand and revealed a small, clear quartz crystal and a black obsidian crystal nestled next to an opaque, green crystal with flecks of red in it. "I've got more of these in my bag if we need them."
Ben picked up the green stone and rubbed his thumb across its smooth surface. He smiled and placed it back in Jen's palm. "Bloodstone. It's a good choice."
"I know." Jen closed her hand again.
"We've got plenty of crystals here. Just let Athena know what you need, and she'll get it."
"Okay. Thank you." Jen stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his and held the kiss for a long second. When she pulled away, she whispered, "Be careful."
"I will be."
A moment later, the tall, redheaded witch, Athena, rounded the corner and waved. "Hi, your family just arrived."
"Great," Jen said.
"You're in good hands," Ben said motioning to Athena.
"Yes, you are. You have the full resources of the DOL at your disposal."
Athena wrapped her arm around Jen's shoulders, guiding her back toward the elevators that led to the suspended walkway between the DOL's main building and the medical building. Athena didn't look back, and for that Ben was grateful. If this plan didn't work, if Charlie died, he wasn't sure Jen would ever forgive him for involving her cousin in his work.
Tom and Joy sidled up on either side of Ben. "You ready to show us the book?" Tom asked.
"Yeah," Ben said, his lips twisting with disgust. "Come with me."
The brightness of the light woke Charlie, and she knew exactly where she was this time. She turned her back on it, trying to ignore the whispers in her head beckoning her to come forward. To join them in the light. Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to stay in the dark of the tunnel around her.