Love Gone Viral

by Meg Napier

  Chapter Two

  The second thing Susie did that evening when she got home from work was to call her youngest sister, Erin. The first was to take a super-long, hot shower as she always did as soon as she walked in the door. Now, more than ever, she needed both the relaxation of the hot water and the cleanliness.

  Susie peered at her reflection in the mirror and rubbed at the lines indelibly imprinted onto her face from her mask. Maybe she was wearing it too tight. On the other hand, she didn’t want to risk anything. No, she’d rather deal with grooves on her face than catching and spreading the virus.

  Once she was dressed in her PJs, she picked up her cell and gave Erin a call.

  “Hey, Suze! What’s up?” Erin greeted her.

  “A few things, but first tell me how you are. We haven’t spoken since…”

  “Last weekend,” Erin laughed.

  “Oh, right! Geez, my days are so full it feels like three weeks instead of four days since we were all on that Zoom call together,” Susie said with a laugh. How could she have forgotten about her weekly family call? Honestly! It just proved how tired she was.

  Their mother was insisting they have a family call every week since they weren’t able to just pop around to each other’s homes with the stay-at-home order in place—not that they did that all that often anyway. Actually, since the lockdown, the Freyns were seeing a lot more of each other than they usually did—and it was not easy having so many people on one call.

  Susie was number two of seven children. Her older brother was married with two kids. Her sister, who was a year younger, and Erin, the youngest, were both married. One of the twins was living with his girlfriend, her youngest brother, with his boyfriend. That made for fourteen people, including her parents, on their weekly family call! In other words—Freyn chaos.

  “Is everything going all right at the hospital?” Erin asked.

  “Yes…” Susie hedged. She really didn’t want to get into the troubles she’d had with the head nurse.

  “Tell me,” Erin said.

  “Oh, no, it’s just… a guy came in today,” Susie started.

  “Oh?” Erin asked when she paused. “Cute? Interesting? Interested? And, hopefully, not too sick?”

  Susie laughed. “You can read minds, can’t you?”

  “Not over the phone,” her sister admitted. “I just know you.”

  Susie sobered. “Well, actually, it’s about reading minds that I needed to call.”

  “Okay, now you’ve really got me intrigued!”

  “This guy who came in… I think he’s Vallen.”

  “Oh, wow! That’s great!” Erin paused. “Er, that is great, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know that it is. He can hear my thoughts—and I can hear some of his too!”

  “Ahhh, I see. You need to know how to stop him from hearing you,” Erin said, getting it immediately.

  “I knew you’d understand!”

  “I’m the Seventh, Suze, and the high priestess, for what that’s worth,” her little sister pointed out.

  “Well, it’s worth quite a lot because it means that you’re the most powerful Vallen there is,” Susie said.

  “True. Okay, so here’s what you do… you need a wall. A mental wall. It will keep unwanted voices out and yours in,” her sister explained.

  “How do I get… make a wall?” Susie asked.

  “Easy. Just imagine it,” Erin said. “Close your eyes.”

  Susie did as she was told.

  “Good, now picture a pile of bricks on the ground in a huge heap. Take the bricks one by one and build a wall with them. You’re on one side, the world is on the other.”

  Susie built her wall while her sister waited patiently on the other end of the phone. “Okay,” she said when she was done.

  “Great! That’s it.”

  “Wait, seriously?” Susie asked. She couldn’t believe it was that simple.

  “Yep. Now your new boyfriend shouldn’t be able to hear your thoughts unless you directly speak them to him, and he shouldn’t be able to send his to you unless you want him to. If you want, you can put in a window so that his thoughts can get to you or yours to him, and you can close it when you don’t want him inside your head.”

  “Wow! Thanks, Erin,” Susie said.

  “Sure! Now tell me about this guy,” her sister said.

  Susie did because she was just dying to share, and Erin, despite being nine years younger, was the sibling with whom Susie was closest.

  Michael woke up feeling like he was suffocating. He couldn’t get enough oxygen. A beeping noise started—possibly the most annoying sound in the universe. It was loud and high pitched. Make it stop! He wanted to shout. But he couldn’t; he couldn’t breathe.

  “It’s okay, Michael,” a voice said from next to him. A moment later, something was removed from his nose, and an oxygen mask was placed over his face. “Just take slow, deep breaths. You’re going to be fine.”

  He looked up into the pretty, round face of the nurse caring for him—well, what he could see that wasn’t covered by a mask and a plastic shield. She was shifting her attention from him to a machine by his side. He did as she said.

  “That’s good. Well done!” Her eyes crinkled a little, and he imagined that she was smiling at him. “I was afraid I’d have to put you on a ventilator, but you seem to be doing better.”

  “Don’t want a ventilator,” he croaked. Damn, his voice was rough, and his throat sore.

  “Well then, let's make sure you don’t need one, huh?” she said, crinkling her eyes again.

  “Want to see Ms…” he searched his memory for her name. Fine? No, that wasn’t it. “Freyn.” That was it. That’s what the nurse had called her in the ER. “In the ER. Yesterday, she stayed with me a bit and signed me in,” he told the nurse.

  “Ms. Freyn? Is she a nurse?” the woman asked.

  “I don’t know. But she helped me. Please? I want to thank her. And I really… really want to see her.”

  “All right. I’ll see what I can do.” She adjusted a few things here and there and then said, “You just rest. I’ll see if I can’t find this Ms. Freyn for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Susie was just two hours into her shift the following day when the phone next to her rang. She couldn’t remember that phone ever ringing, she thought as she picked it up. “Susanna Freyn,” she said as she answered.

  “Ms. Freyn, this is Jayla Swanson on four. I have a patient here who you admitted yesterday, Michael Werloga?” the woman on the other end of the phone said.

  “Yes?”

  “He’s asking for you. Would you mind coming up when you next have a break?” Ms. Swanson asked.

  “Really? Oh, uh, sure! Did he say why? Did I put in his insurance information wrong or something?” Susie asked, trying to keep this as professional as possible and desperately trying to ignore her heart, doing a happy little dance inside her chest.

  “He said he wanted to thank you?” Ms. Swanson said, sounding as confused as Susie.

  “Oh! All right. I’ll be up in… uh, I can take a break… at lunch. Would that be all right?”

  “Makes no difference to me, and I don’t think the patient’s goin’ anywhere,” Ms. Swanson said with a little laugh.

  Susie smiled. “I’ll see you later, then. Thanks so much for calling.” Susie hung up, but she just couldn’t get rid of the smile on her face even as she returned to taking patient information.

  A little before noon, she inhaled the sandwich she’d brought with her from home and then went up to the fourth floor. Michael Werloga had changed from his street clothes to a hospital gown. The wires and tubes coming from him seemed to have multiplied, but he no longer had the large oxygen mask on his face.

  His eyes were closed when Susie slipped into the room. She hated to disturb his rest. Maybe if she lowered her wall he might… His eyes fluttered open.

  “Hey,” he croaked. His voice sounded thick.

  “Hey, you,
” Susie said, pulling forward the chair from the side of the room so that she could sit close to his bed.

  “Thanks for coming,” he said, giving her a little smile. He seemed to be having some problems breathing.

  “Sure. Is there something I can do for you?” Susie asked.

  Two things, actually, if you don’t mind. His voice entered her mind just as it had the day before.

  Susie must have jumped or something because his voice came quickly. Sorry, but it hurts to talk out loud. Do you mind?

  “Oh, uh, no. Go ahead,” she said.

  He gave a little nod. You put up a wall, his voice said. Was it possible that it had some humor in it?

  Susie nodded. “I thought that would be a bit safer. But you can still speak to me.”

  Yeah, though your window. Cute. He paused and seemed to collect his thoughts. At least he was still sort of smiling. Yesterday you made it so I could breathe, his voice said. That was you, right?

  Susie’s mouth dropped open a little. “I… I don’t know.”

  “You don’t?” he said out loud, his eyes widening.

  “No. I mean… you weren’t breathing and so I… I wished for you to do so, but I don’t know that I…” she stuttered to a halt as his eyes narrowed at her.

  I know you’re Vallen, his voice said in her mind.

  “Yes, but I’m not… I mean, I don’t know what I can do or what my magic is. I’ve never…”

  Are you kidding me? His voice sounded so incredibly shocked and possibly a little angry, she couldn’t help but retreat from him, physically.

  “No. Why?”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. I wanted to ask if you could do that again. I’m having trouble breathing, but I don’t want to be put on a ventilator. The oxygen they’re giving me isn’t quite enough. I can feel it.

  “Hasn’t the nurse noticed? Should I call her?” Susie started to get up, but he lifted his hand and stopped her.

  Wait!

  Susie sat back down.

  I’ve put a suggestion into the nurse’s mind not to check on me again. She’s already done so once this morning, and I imagine she’ll have to do so again soon, but I was hoping to see you first.

  Well, that would explain why the nurse hadn’t been around when Susie had come onto the floor. “But why don’t you want oxygen?” Susie asked.

  I don’t mind oxygen, but I won’t be put on a ventilator! I heard about how long it takes for someone to rehab from that, he told her. Please, can’t you… can you try?

  “Of course!” Susie said. She stood up and put her hands on his chest. “Sorry. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No,” he croaked.

  Susie cleared her mind and then imagined the air going in and out of his lungs. She knew what clear lungs looked like, and she’d seen pictures of what this disease did to a person’s lungs. She imagined his lungs diseased and then imagined them clear all the while seeing the air go in and out. His chest rose and fell with her imaginings. She didn’t think she could actually clear his lungs, but at least she could make it easier to breathe in the short run.

  When she opened her eyes a minute later, she looked at him. His eyes were closed again. When she lifted her hands, they opened.

  “Thank you,” he said, his voice sounding much better. “I can breathe.”

  “Oh, good!” She abruptly sat down, or rather, fell down into the chair behind her.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I, er,” she gave an embarrassed little laugh. “I’ve been working really hard.”

  He gave a little nod. “And magic like that takes something out of you.”

  She leaned forward a bit. “It does?”

  He just frowned at her. “Yes, it zaps your energy. I can’t believe you don’t know anything about being Vallen or using your powers.”

  Susie shrugged and gave him a little smile. “I’ve never experimented with my magic before.”

  “Didn’t your parents or anyone teach you? Work with you?”

  Susie shook her head. “My parents never even told me I was Vallen until my sister, Erin, discovered what we were. She’s the Seventh.”

  Michael almost bolted up from his bed, but Susie grabbed onto his shoulders and pushed him back down again.

  “She’s what?” he gasped.

  “She’s the Seventh. The high priestess,” Susie said again.

  “Your sister is the most powerful Vallen in the world, and you don’t even know what powers you have?” he asked in a loud whisper.

  Susie just gave him another little smile. “As I say, my parents never even told us we were Vallen. After she became the Seventh, Erin offered to touch me and enhance my magic, but I asked her not to. I didn’t know what would happen since I don’t even know what my powers are,” Susie admitted.

  “Oh, shit…” He sounded completely dumbfounded. He put a hand to his forehead and just shook his head. “I just can’t believe… That’s incredible! Why don’t you want to find out what you can do?”

  “I guess I’m just not that interested. I’ve lived just about my whole life without using any powers. Why should I start now?”

  “Because you were able to save my life with them?” he said, still completely dumbfounded.

  That was a good point, Susie had to admit, and it did make her think. She nodded. “Well, I now know that I can help people breathe. That’s good, right?”

  “That’s damn good!” he said with a little laugh. He just shook his head. “I just can’t believe…” He sighed. “You know, I’ve known so many Vallen women. Usually, the more power they have, the more obnoxious they are, but you… you’re different. I mean, I don’t know how powerful you are—and clearly, you don’t either, but I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  “How so?”

  “You just don’t care about your magic. That confounds me,” he admitted.

  “Oh. Yeah, I don’t.” She said with a one-shoulder shrug. “Are you powerful?”

  “I am. I mean, I could probably be a lot more powerful if your sister were to touch me, but I’m pretty happy with the way I am now.”

  “What can you do?” Susie asked. “I hope you don’t mind me asking. I don’t know anything about Vallen etiquette.”

  He gave her a smile. “I’m associated with Earth. I can help plants grow, but mainly I work with herbs.”

  “Really? In what way?”

  “I’m a chemist. I study herbal medicines—whether they do all they’re hyped up to do.”

  “Oh! That sounds really cool!”

  “Yeah, it is. I mean, I like it.” He shrugged. The movement must have triggered something inside of him because he started coughing and then couldn’t seem to stop. Susie was afraid he was going to vomit he was coughing so hard.

  She closed her eyes and imagined his airways opening up to let more oxygen in.

  He wheezed for a moment and then finally took in a clear breath. “Thanks,” he said, his voice sounding horse again.

  He looked worn out. Susie wasn’t surprised. And maybe he was right, all this using of magic was making her tired too.

  “I should get going. I’ve got to get back to work.”

  He just nodded. Thanks for coming and spending some time with me, he thought to her. I really enjoyed it.

  “Even if you can’t figure out why I’m not interested in magic?” she asked, laughing.

  He just smiled at her as his eyes drifted closed.

  She left him sleeping.

  Chapter Three

  The following day when Susie took her lunch break, she figured she’d just pop in to see how Michael was doing. He hadn’t requested her to come, but hopefully, he wouldn’t mind seeing her.

  Sticking just her head through the door, she peered into the room. Michael was lying in his bed with his arm over his head. His chest was rising and falling very quickly, which didn’t look good.

  “Michael, are you awake?” she whispered both normally and with her mind.

 
He removed his arm and looked over at her. Help, his voice whispered in her mind. I can’t breathe again.

  She rushed to his bed and laid her hands on his chest, willing the air to come into his lungs. Immediately his breathing eased.

  “I don’t know why, but your fix seems to last about twenty-four hours,” he said after taking in a slow, deep breath.

  “I wish I knew why. I suppose it’s the disease trying to reassert itself,” she said as she took the chair that was still sitting by his bed. “I wish you would call the nurse when you can’t breathe.”

  He just shook his head. No ventilator!

  “I get that, but…”

  He frowned at her.

  “Okay, okay.” She held up her hands in surrender. “Are you feeling any better otherwise?”

  He nodded and gave her a little smile. “Yes, thank goodness. If it weren’t for the breathing… I’m hoping they’ll let me out of here soon—not that I don’t want to see you. I do, but…”

  “Of course! You’d much rather be home in your own bed,” she said quickly.

  “Yes. Although I have to admit, there’s no one at home to take care of me. No one to bring me food like they do here—not that I’ve got much of an appetite, but still, I haven’t had to get up except to go to the bathroom for two days now,” he said with a little smile.

  Susie gave a little laugh, but it might have been more one of relief to hear that he didn’t have anyone else in his life. Just to be sure, she said, “Sooo… no girlfriend?”

  His smile broadened. “Nope. You?”

  “No, I don’t have a girlfriend either,” she said with a little giggle.

  “A boyfriend?” he asked, clarifying himself even though they both knew what he’d meant.

  “Nope, not one of those either. It’s too dangerous right now, honestly.”

  “Oh, with you working here at the hospital,” he said, understanding.

  “Yeah.”

  “What is it you do here? Are you a nurse?”

  She gave a little snort. “I wish! Sadly, science has never been my strong suit. But I like helping people, so I do what I can. I just graduated with a master’s degree in hospital administration.”