by Trudi Jaye
Viktor nodded and waved him off, a funny expression on his face as he watched Sam go.
Sam shook his head. Viktor was a smart old bugger. If he said that Celestine was a fake, then she was a fake. He strode quickly through the Carnival into the camper and trailer area at the back. They were due to move on tomorrow, so people were starting to emerge from their homes, packing up what they could in advance. He nodded at a few of them but didn’t stop until he got to Celestine’s little trailer.
He knocked on her door and waited impatiently. There was movement inside but it was slow. He knocked again.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Celestine grumbled from inside. Her voice was low and croaky.
When the door eventually pulled open, Celestine looked down at him, her face showing her dismay.
“I’m here to apologize,” said Sam. “I shouldn’t have tried to kiss you. It was unprofessional, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
Celestine’s eyes widened slightly.
“Can I come in? I need to do an assessment. Viktor told me you had another seizure last night?” He kept his voice even and efficient.
Celestine made to shut the door, but Sam shoved a foot in the way. “You need to let me in. Jack will do whatever I say when it comes to sending you back to the Compound. If you want to stay here, I’m your best chance.”
“That’s blackmail!”
Sam shook his head. “No, that’s me trying to convince a hardheaded woman that I’m a doctor and I have her best interests at heart.”
“But you don’t know what’s best for me,” said Celestine. “You don’t even believe what I tell you.”
“Let me in, and I’ll do a quick check up. Otherwise you’re going straight home.”
There was a charged silence, and then Celestine opened the door wider, a sulky expression on her face. “It’s still blackmail.”
Sam shrugged. “Whatever works to keep everyone healthy.” Climbing the steps, he glanced around and saw Artemis sleeping on Celestine’s rumpled bed in the far end of the trailer. A few dishes were on the countertop, and yesterday’s clothes were draped over a chair. It was the messiest he’d ever seen her small home.
“Come, sit over here, and I’ll take a look at your ankle first.”
Celestine sat in front of him but didn’t say another word. She was clearly annoyed with him.
“Hold up your ankle, and I’ll try not to touch you,” said Sam.
She did as he asked. The ankle was showing colorful bruises, but the swelling had gone down and it was healing fast.
“I need to check your eyes. If you could sit under the light over here and open them wide for me.”
Her eyes were fine as well. She seemed in tip-top condition this morning—aside from her annoyance at him. “You hit your head when you fell in the mountains, correct?” he asked.
Celestine nodded. “But you said it wasn’t a big deal.”
“I thought that at the time. But now that you’ve been having these visions, I think we should get a second opinion.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Our next stop has slightly better medical facilities. I’m going to book you in for an MRI. ” He tried to indicate just by his tone of voice that he would accept no arguments from her.
“I can’t possibly afford anything like that,” said Celestine, her eyes wide.
“It’s all covered under the insurance Jack got at the beginning of the season. I’ll talk to him about it.”
“I won’t do it.” Celestine crossed her arms. “You can’t make me.”
Sam glared down at her. “I can, and I will. If you don’t go with me to get an MRI, I will tell Jack that he and Rilla need to send you back to the Compound. You shouldn’t be performing when you’ve got a potentially serious issue like this. You could get hurt.”
“I keep telling you, I’m perfectly fine. This is normal behaviour for someone who can see the future.”
“It’s an MRI or the Compound, Celestine. Your choice.”
“What happens if the MRI comes back with something bad?”
“Then we’ll get you the best medical treatment our insurance can buy.”
“You’ll send me back to the Compound anyway.”
“It’s not a death sentence. If that happened, it would be because we wanted you to get better again. You’d heal, and then you could come back on the circuit.”
Celestine heaved a big sigh, clearly torn. “Fine. I’ll go with you. But it’s because you’re forcing me.”
Chapter 16
“What I don’t understand is how you managed to get us an appointment for an MRI so quickly,” said Celestine. She was walking slowly across the hospital parking lot in Nampa, Idaho, trying to delay the inevitable.
“It was actually Rilla and Viktor working together to pull a few strings,” said Sam. “They come through this place every year, so they know a few of the locals. Just happened to know a few of the right ones.” He shrugged.
They’d left the rest of the Carnival folk setting up on the outskirts of the city, and Sam had borrowed a pickup truck to bring Celestine in to the hospital. She’d tried every argument she could think of to get out of the MRI, but Sam was adamant. There was no stopping him now that he was on a mission.
The hospital loomed over them, at least ten stories high with glass reflecting the morning sun. They pushed open the doors, and she could immediately feel the emotions of everyone around her, lots of fear and anxiety mixed with sadness. She bit her lip, trying to control the urge to turn and run. Her abilities were getting stronger, and she didn’t know why.
Celestine was shaking by the time they made it to the radiology department.
“Now, dear, it’s not going to hurt a bit,” said the nurse kindly as she handed Celestine a baggy hospital gown. “Put this on, and we can get started.”
As she changed behind the screen, Celestine tried to get her desperation to leave under control. As soon as she’d left the main corridors, the waves of other people’s emotions had calmed down. Thankfully the nurse was happy and uncomplicated, so she wasn’t leaking emotion like so many other people in the hospital.
She’d never reacted like this before. She’d always been able to control how much of other people’s emotions she absorbed in public.
She took a deep breath. All she had to do was lie down on the patient table; it wasn’t so difficult, right? She looked down at her gloved hands. The gloves were staying on. The last thing she needed was to accidentally touch the nurse and have a vision while she was in the MRI.
When Celestine emerged, the nurse and the doctor looked at her gloves, but Sam cleared his throat. “Celestine has a phobia about people touching her bare skin. It’s important to her that you keep that in mind.”
“Of course, darling,” said the nurse to Celestine. “We see all sorts in here.” The nurse moved forward and placed a sheet over Celestine’s body. “To keep you warm and cozy,” she said.
“You’ll need to keep as still as possible so we can take some clear pictures of your brain,” said the radiologist. “This will allow us to take better images, and also hold your head still while we do the scans,” she added as she clipped a round piece of equipment over Celestine’s head. It made it difficult to see around her, and Celestine could no longer move her head from side to side.
The radiologist nodded to Sam and gestured that he should precede her out.
Celestine glanced wildly at him, suddenly realizing she was going to be alone in the room. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached out her arm to him. “Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice coming out strange and husky.
Sam grasped her gloved hand and leaned over so he could see her through the gaps in the head shield. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll just be in the next room. You can do this.” His eyes seemed to bore right into her skull and somehow managed to steady her a little. She swallowed hard and nodded slightly inside the equipment holding her head still.
; He squeezed her hand and then left the room, the door banging heavily on the frame.
When the platform started moving backwards into the large cylinder, she twitched but managed to remain where she was. She shut her eyes, trying to block out her emotions, and stay calm.
The table stopped and she shuddered. She was encased in the metal tube down to her knees. Close all around her was the white circle of the MRI, pushing in at her. The cold metal soaked into her back, making her shiver.
“Can you hear me, Celestine?” said a tinny voice next to her head. It was the radiologist talking to her through a speaker.
She blinked open her eyes. “Yes.” Waves of emotion washed over her. Celestine swallowed, trying to push it all away.
“Just keep still, and we’ll have you out of there in no time. You’re not alone in being nervous. Most people who do this procedure feel the same way you do.”
Like a light coming on, Celestine realized what was happening. It wasn’t her own emotion—at least not totally—that was making her react this way. She was soaking up the emotional residue of people who’d had MRI procedures before her. They experienced such strong feelings while they were inside the MRI, it was like being dunked in a pile of ghostly emotional remains.
A red light went on to one side, and she was hit with a fear so terrible it made her gasp out loud and clench her hands.
“Celestine, I need you to hold still, please. The images we’re getting still aren’t clear enough yet.” The radiologist’s stern voice came through the speaker.
Celestine squeezed her eyes shut and tried to control her shaking. The emotions inside her were building up; layer upon layer of people had been lying here in precisely the same position, wondering what was wrong with them, wondering if they were going to die, wondering why it was them here and not someone else. Their emotions were wrapping themselves around her like a heavy cloak, suffocating her until she started gasping for breath. She could hear their voices, soft murmurs and cries as they suffered through the torture of an MRI.
Celestine couldn’t hold it in any longer. She was trapped inside this circular tube, soaking up the fear and anger of a million people before her. Her eyes were scrunched tight, and her nails dug into the palms of her hands.
If she could have moved, could have gotten out of that chamber, she would have. Almost on its own, her back lifted itself slightly off the table and then slammed back down. An angry crackling sound came from the speaker. Celestine heard a loud crash, and a sound like a small explosion. A bright light flashed outside of the tunnel and the smell of smoke filled the air.
Then the lights went off inside the MRI tunnel and Celestine screamed.
Chapter 17
Sam watched in horror as the MRI machine on the other side of the one-sided glass window came to a shuddering halt. It seemed to shake internally, and then everything went dark. He heard Celestine’s scream, and everything inside him clenched.
“What the hell just happened?” asked one of the technicians.
Not waiting to find out, Sam raced into the room, closely followed by the radiologist. “How do we get her out of there?” he asked urgently. Celestine was writhing on the platform, her legs kicking under the sheet. His stomach curled in on itself. It was his fault that she was here, in this machine.
“There’s a manual override button on the panel,” said the woman as she opened the side of the machine and pressed a button.
“It’s okay, Celestine, we’ll get you out of there. We’re coming.” Sam touched her leg over the sheet, and immediately her legs calmed. He could hear her small sobs from inside the machine.
He’d done that to her.
A screeching of metal sounded as the patient table moved back out. Celestine was pulling at the equipment still around her head, and Sam tried unsuccessfully to unlock it. The radiologist came to the other side and unclicked it, setting Celestine free.
Celestine almost leaped up off the bench and crushed herself into Sam’s arms. She was trembling uncontrollably and her face was pushed hard against his shoulder. Her arms were locked around his neck like she was never going to let go. He felt her skin against his but didn’t say anything, figuring she needed the comfort of his arms.
“I’m terribly sorry about that,” the radiologist was saying. “It’s never happened before. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Did you get any useful scans before it went up in smoke?” asked Sam.
“I think the machine was acting up before it exploded,” said the radiologist, shaking her head. “The results made no sense. All we got were rainbow colored lights all over the brain scan.”
Sam glanced down at Celestine. If he believed her about being able to see the future, then perhaps that would explain the scans. He shook his head. But he didn’t believe her. The MRI had broken. It was a complete coincidence. Still... “Can you send me the scans?”
“We’ll have to fix the MRI and get you back in for another set. The ones we took aren’t worth diddly-squat.”
“I’d like to have a copy of them for my records. It could be an interesting comparison.”
The radiologist shrugged. “Sure. I’ll send them to you. But they won’t make any sense.”
Sam nodded. “That’s fine.”
“We’ll need to book you back in for another scan.” She frowned at the big machine in front of them. “But we’ll have to get someone in to look at it first and tell us how long it’s going to take to get it fixed.”
He nodded absently. They would probably be long gone before they could get back in again. “Let us know how it goes. You’ve got my mobile number?”
The radiologist nodded. “I’m so sorry about this.” She waved her hand at the MRI.
“I think we’ll get her dressed and go now.” He picked up Celestine and carried her now limp body behind the screen. “Come on, Celestine, you’re going to have to help me here,” he said softly. Celestine murmured something and pulled back. She was dazed, like she was on drugs. He was going to have to get her dressed. He was a doctor; it wasn’t like she had anything he hadn’t seen before. But she did have an intense dislike of being touched and had run from him only two nights before after he’d kissed her. He had a feeling he was going to hear about it when she woke up properly.
But for now, he had no choice.
Luckily she’d left her bra and panties on under the gown, so he just had to get her into her top and skirt. He undid the hospital gown, and she managed to hold out her arms while he pulled her top on over her head. He drew the long floating skirt up her legs and managed to get it over her hips while she sat on the chair. He’d had to touch her bare skin a few times, and he waited for her to have some kind of reaction to it, but she stayed in the same limp position on the chair the whole time.
When she was dressed, he crouched in front of her, and put his fingertips under her chin, where it was drooped onto her chest. He pulled her head up until she was facing him again. Her eyes focused slowly on his face. “Celestine? I need you to wake up now. Come on. Snap out of it. It’s over. You’re out of the machine.”
Celestine blinked. “I can still feel it. I need to get out of here,” she whispered.
Sam nodded, leaning down to pick her up again. “Put your arms around my neck,” he said. At this moment, he would do whatever she asked; the memory of her terrified face was still etched into his mind.
She leaned in, like a trusting kitten, and curled up against his chest.
When he emerged from behind the screen, the room was empty. He managed to get the heavy door open and then strode off down the hallway, swearing to himself that he would never bring Celestine back to this place again.
He emerged into the early summer sunlight outside the hospital, and Celestine raised her head, holding her face to the warm light. She seemed to be gaining strength with every yard they moved away from the hospital and the MRI machine.
“I’m okay again now, Sam,” she said. “I can walk.”
“
I’ll carry you to the car, just to be sure.”
“It’s fine. I’d rather you put me down.” Her voice was already sounding stronger, and more annoyed.
Sam started breathing easier. “I’d prefer to carry you,” he said.
Celestine shook her head. “I need to walk,” she said firmly, her voice clear for the first time since she’d emerged from the MRI.
Sam stopped and gently put her legs first to the ground. She held him a moment, steadying herself, then nodded and stepped away. “Where are we parked again?” she said.
“That way,” he said pointing to the far corner. He lingered patiently beside her, waiting for her to move off in her own time.
She took a few small steps and then started walking a little faster, her skirt swishing against her legs. She was just getting her stride back, when she stopped, her gaze caught on a massive light pole with a brightly colored poster attached to it.
Celestine went pale and put one hand to her mouth for a moment and then crumpled toward the ground.
Sam leaped to her side, only just managing to grab her before her head hit the hard concrete.
Chapter 18
Celestine opened her eyes. The world was spinning. She closed them again and groaned. The seat was moving beneath her. She vaguely remembered Sam bundling her into the beat-up blue truck they’d borrowed for their trip to the hospital.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked from beside her.
She opened her eyes again, this time battling the nausea to stare at Sam. He was in the driver’s seat, both hands on the wheel. He flicked a quick glance in her direction. She was buckled into the passenger’s seat, and they were driving along the road that led to the Carnival’s new camp.
Nodding slowly, she put one hand to her head, trying to remember what had happened. She’d escaped from the MRI, Sam had been carrying her. She made him let her down. She’d been walking across the parking lot—
The poster.
She’d sensed it before she’d seen it. It had traces of her younger brother’s emotions all over it. He’d put it up, and he’d been resentful and angry as usual. He was part of the advance team for the Marber and Mayhew Circus. It was his job to go around putting up posters and signs letting everyone know about the circus that was coming to town. It had been so familiar and so fresh; he’d only been there a few days before. She’d seen the dates on the poster—they’d already started their shows—and her old fear and desperation had risen to the surface. He was here, in the same town as her. They probably both were. On top of everything else, it had been too much.