“After I get your shunt cleaned out, I’ll need to get a couple more vials, and we’ll be done here ... for now.”
Why does he remind me of Sherlock Holmes?
Cedric filled the last two vials he’d placed on the bed and uncuffed my arm. “All right, missy. That is it for me for now. I will be back to check in on you in two hours and see how your iron levels are doing. Looks like your company is waking up, too. Would you like for me to open the blinds and let in some sunlight?”
I stared at him longer, trying to figure out where I had seen him before, and then nodded. It was if I had known him from a faraway dream.
Florida sunshine poured in the room and flooded me with warmth and hope for a good day. I closed my eyes, dreaming of another three hours of sleep.
I hope I get pudding today.
Roxas opened the door with a tray of breakfast and came over to my bedside. Cedric grabbed up his little tote of blood and Roxas turned to look at him. They stared at one another for a moment, and then Cedric turned and slid out the door.
I reached out my hand toward Roxas. “Hey.”
He smiled back. “Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?”
“Cedric is going to get a nurse to come check me. I want to sit up this morning.”
“You’re sounding much better today. Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nodded and tried to take in a deep lung full of air.
“Okay, let’s see what we can do to make you more comfortable.”
Roxas glanced over at my Dad still sleeping in the recliner and raised his hand against the morning glare. “Wow – the sun is bright today.” He set the tray on the countertop and walked over to me.
He stroked the hair out of my eyes. “Good morning, m’lady. Ready to run that zombie 5K you’ve been talking about?” He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. He pressed his temple to mine and gave me a gentle squeeze to my shoulder.
I loved the tender way his touch tingled on my skin. I grinned at him sideways. I wanted out of this bed, and he knew it. Never one to call in sick myself, I always teased the guys that unless they were bleeding from their eye sockets, they couldn’t miss work either.
My father woke up and waved on his way to the bathroom.
“I brought you a cup of Earl Grey, Kiernan,” Roxas said.
“Thanks – be right there.”
Roxas handed me a cup of water and then sat in the recliner he had positioned next to my bed. I remembered how he held on to my hand for most of the night after moving into this new room. Meeting him under these extraordinary circumstances, I prayed that what we had together was the right stuff that made relationships last a lifetime.
Tentatively, I swallowed a teeny sip and braced for the worst. It still hurt to swallow but nothing like yesterday. I took a deep breath and licked at my cracked lips. I took another tentative sip and savored the welcome coolness down my throat. Daddy stepped out of the bathroom, washed his hands, and pulled up a chair.
“With a touch of honey, right?” Roxas handed him the tea.
Daddy smiled and nodded. I gained my physiology from him. Brain functions and coordination didn’t work right until caffeine surged through our veins.
Gawd, what I would do for caffeine right now.
“Who’s feeding the chickens and watering my tomatoes on the roof?” I asked, trying to get my mind off of thinking about a nice brewed cup of java. Where was Padme when I needed her?
“You’ve got chickens and tomatoes? On the roof? Roof of what? Your penthouse?” my father asked.
I nodded noting the deep circles under his eyes.
“Isn’t that against some kind of city ordinance?” he pressed.
I shrugged. “Figured if my hen-house was two hundred feet above any neighbor’s yard, it would be okay.” I heaved a deep breath. It didn’t hurt as much to breathe today.
Roxas laughed and said, “Only you, Cheyenne, would build a chicken coop on your rooftop. Kiernan, wait until you see this hutch. It’s like the Ritz Carlton of hen houses. She’s got an air conditioning unit, flowing water, and natural green grass for them to roam. Never seen anything like it on top of a building.”
I smiled at them. “Store bought eggs suck. I give the hens my salad scraps and the organic layer mash.”
Roxas shook his head at me. “I checked on them yesterday, but they’re probably going to need their feeder refilled today. Those are some egg laying fools. I’ve been crating them up and putting them in the fridge.”
“Thank you.” I couldn’t believe how kind and considerate of my animals and wellbeing he had become in such a short amount of time.
Roxas excused himself to the bathroom.
“You feeling all right, Daddy?” I asked.
“I need to sleep in a bed for a couple nights, and I’ll be okay. Taking care of you - that’s the important thing.”
The door opened and a huge bouquet of pink and yellow roses, fragrant with bright red lilies floated toward me. Closer and closer - until out popped Harris from behind the blooms. He nodded at my dad. “Mr. O’Cuinn, good to see ya again. Hey, Cheyenne – how ya doin’, sweets? Man, you look like road kill.”
My father cleared his throat.
“What did I say on our teleconference call? I tried to tell ya. This is what you get for hanging out in haunted houses.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. The movement hurt to stretch my mouth and tongue, so I put them back where they belonged and reached for the ice.
“I got here as soon as I could after your dad and Roxas called and left voicemails. I’m terribly sorry, Chey, I didn’t get here sooner. We’d all turned off our cell phones while we were out in the woods.”
Always a bit nervous, Harris shifted from side to side. I could tell he had been pretty shaken up over not being here for us. Harris set the flowers on my bedside table and bent down to hug me. Before he stood up, he broke out into huge sobs after he looked at the bandages and machines hooked up to me and around the bed. My tears joined his as the ache in my heart over Sheridan and Dakota had every nerve raw and on edge.
“Oh, Cheyenne, I’m so sorry. I should’ve gone with you guys to Horror Nights. Maybe I could have …” Harris ran his hand through his thick mess of brown curls and rubbed his neck. “I can’t wrap my head around this whole ordeal. You, Dakota, Sher – you’re like family to me. You’re the sisters I never had. I don’t know what I’m gonna do if anything happens …”
Daddy reached out and put his hand on Harris’ shoulder.
“I feel terrible about this, but don’t worry – we’re gonna get it all under control,” Harris continued. He pulled up a chair, turned it around, and straddled it. “I’ve been in touch with Roxas, and he’s been taking care of the servers. Briggs, he’s wrapping up a few loose ends in New Orleans. He’s trying to see when he can come down.”
Roxas stepped out of the bathroom and washed his hands in the sink.
“You’ve met Roxas?” Daddy gestured to Harris.
Roxas walked over and offered his hand. “Live and in the flesh.”
Harris stood and took a deep breath as he stared at Roxas. “No, shit, I didn’t know you were here, bro.”
They stood looking at one another for a moment. Roxas pulled Harris in for the bro hug. “Dawg, it’s great to finally meet you.”
Harris thumbed his hand back toward me and lowered his voice. “Ya know, she never shuts up about you.”
I cleared my throat again and croaked out, “I didn’t lose my hearing.”
The door opened again. This time it was a nurse with a rolling cart. The room was getting smaller by the minute. “Good morning, Miss O’Cuinn. Ready for your sponge bath today? We are going to try and wash your hair if you’re up to it. It’ll help you feel a whole lot better.”
I perked up at the notion of getting cleaned up a bit. “Yes, thank you. I would love that.” I gave the guys a pointed look.
“All right, very well. My name is Ruthie Anne. Let me get set
up in here.” She waved her hands in the air. “Okay gentlemen, you heard the lady – shoo. She doesn’t need your sappy faces hanging around while she gets all cleaned up. You’ll have lots of time with her after I’m done. You can go outside on her balcony or wait somewhere else.”
I liked her already. She had a no-nonsense, not afraid to push the beefy guys around type of attitude.
“There’s a balcony?” Harris looked at the window.
Ruthie Anne laughed at him. “No silly, of course not. This is a hospital, and you need to go outside in the hallway, or sit in the waiting room. Shoo.”
“Yeah – let’s stand out here and give our Lady Caz some privacy.” Roxas winked at me.
Halfway relieved they were gone and yet not removed from my view, I’d become increasingly reluctant for anyone I loved to leave my sight.
My eyes followed them into the hallway. The room door didn’t completely close so I could overhear the guys talking while I watched them in the camera monitor toward the nurses’ station.
I couldn’t wait to get a sponge bath. I longed to soak in a deep, hot, bubbly tub. I smelled terrible, and could hardly stand myself. Everything itched under the bandages.
I ran my tongue gingerly across the front of my teeth and behind my lips. The damage to my mouth was still quite extensive, but I was dying for some mouthwash. “Can I brush my teeth?”
I’m glad there aren’t any mirrors in this room.
“Sure enough, I’ve got a toothbrush right here for you. What flavor toothpaste would you like?”
Outside, the guys continued talking. “How the hell are ya, man? Damn, I had no idea you were so hairy,” Roxas said.
“Hell, I had no idea you were so … old.” Roxas smacked Harris on the back. It was as if I were watching old friends reunited after years of separation.
“I’ve got bubble gum flavor, fresh mint flavor, and I might even have spearmint in here.” Ruthie Anne pulled the privacy curtain, but I was able to see through a six inch gap between the wall and curtain. Ruthie Anne hummed to herself as she dug around in her cart of goodies.
Harris leaned up against the wall. “So what’s going on with Dakota and Sheridan? What are the police saying? Any updates?”
I watched Daddy lean against the opposite wall in the hallway as he spoke to the guys. “No - the police have nothing. They can’t figure out what in the world attacked those people in that haunted house. There aren’t any traces of animals that were capable of doing the damage. They checked for cougars, bears, and even snakes and came up with nothing. Cheyenne keeps mumbling about the Red Man when she sleeps. She’s had a terrible childhood nightmare that has haunted her all her life. She said her dream finally came true and it was a man who attacked and killed all those people, but the detectives aren’t buying it. They said no one man could desecrate human bodies like that without tools of some sort.”
Roxas inhaled a deep breath and stretched. “Other than the crime scene, does the park have any video footage of what happened? Any camera phones from survivors?”
“No. Nothing.” Daddy shook his head. “It’s weird, it’s like it didn’t exist. All they have are the 911 calls that came in from that room Cheyenne was in.” Harris and Roxas looked at each other.
“Do you know when I can get this catheter out of me?” I jerked and winced at the pain when Ruthie Anne tried to move my leg to slip in a clean pad underneath me.
“You seem to still be in a lot of pain, Miss O’Cuinn.” Ruthie Anne grimaced. “Mmm… not sure, sweetie pie, we’ll need to ask the doctor on that one. Most likely not until you are walking up and down the hallways for day or so. I’m sure you don’t want any accidents with those big, handsome guys all around. Your doctor’s orders list PRN - pain killer as needed. We’re going to have to move you quite a bit and it has been over eight hours since your last dose. Do you feel as if you might need some happy juice?” Ruthie Anne patted my hand. “If not, we’ll just let you get some rest and try again tomorrow.”
“Ruthie Anne, you’re a kick. I think you’re right. I don’t want to feel uncomfortable. Thanks for helping me feel human again. I hate the way I smell. This is wonderful of you to help me like this.”
“All right then.” Ruthie Anne typed into her tablet, and it didn’t take long for the morphine vending machine to dispense my relief.
My father spoke again. “I’m really getting worried. Several more people have been treated and released from the hospital just to come up dead or missing a couple days later. The police are baffled.”
“What do you mean, coming up missing or dead?” Harris asked.
“It’s weird, it’s like that movie where the kids who missed the airplane that blew up and then death came after them anyway.”
In unison, Harris and Roxas chanted, “Final Destination.”
Daddy nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. I’m considering putting a guard here at Cheyenne’s door and then at her house after she gets home. I can’t have all my daughters missing.”
“No shit, Mr. O’Cuinn?”
“Call me Kiernan, Harris – you aren’t in college anymore. But yeah, no shite.” Daddy leaned against the wall. “Thank the heavens you guys are here. I don’t know what I would’ve done with the girls’ company. I guess it would have had to just shut down. I know they would have gone nutters if that happened. They’ve busted their humps to turn that into the global business it is today.”
Roxas touched his shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t worry, Kiernan – we’ve been handling it. Please don’t think another thing about it. What we need to do now is figure out a way to track down what the hell is actually going on. If the detectives are clueless, we can’t just give up. If Sheridan and Dakota are truly missing, then we’re running out of time.”
Ruthie Anne gingerly took hold of my arm. “That’s what I’m here for, sweetie. Now raise up your arm real careful like. I don’t want to pinch any of your bloodlines.”
Whatdya mean the detectives are clueless?
Harris dropped the volume of his voice, but I could still hear him as if he were standing right next to me. It seemed as if the attack had given me bionic hearing or something. I kept waiting for the Foley sound effects from the Six Million Dollar Man to come across the room every time my ears homed in on what they said. Their conversation had my stomach in knots.
“We should consider not leaving Cheyenne alone for the time being. Each of us taking shifts with her. She doesn’t need to know what’s going on.”
Roxas nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. We shouldn’t take any chances.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “There seems to be a bigger event going on, Kiernan. You’re wise to stay on top of it like you’ve been doing.”
Ruthie Anne hummed in a kind, grandmotherly way. Her calm sense of self helped me to relax a bit.
A long pause between words had me guessing the guys each were lost in trying to come up with any kind of explanation or lead.
Daddy stretched his arms over his head. “Okay, fellas, I genuinely appreciate your help. Keep your ears open and see if you can’t find something on those online channel networks – forums or whatever you call them. Maybe somebody somewhere knows where my girls are. I’m thinking it might be time to go to the public for assistance since we aren’t getting any leads from the police. I’m gonna go check on those tomatoes and chickens of Cheyenne’s. Can we reconvene this afternoon? I’m already in need of a nap and a shower and I just woke up. Terribly knackered.”
“You bet, Mr. O’Cuinn,” Harris said.
“Anything you need, just let us know,” Roxas said.
“Okay – I think I have your phone numbers in my phone.”
“Here, Mr. O’Cuinn – Kiernan, let me program our numbers in for you real quick.” Daddy handed his phone to Harris.
I tried to make out what the melody was as Ruthie Anne continued to hum. Claire de Lune? Frustrated at not being unable to go to the bathroom by myself, or even get up out of the bed, I remai
ned helpless to do anything productive to help find Sheridan and Dakota. Ruthie Anne’s peaceful energy eased the tense and painful moments of my sisters disappearance, for just a little while. My eyelids grew heavy once again.
Handing back Daddy’s phone, Harris said, “Okay – we’re both in there. We’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Later then.”
Daddy opened the door and called through the privacy curtain. “I’m gonna go check on your plants, sweetie. How do I get to the roof?”
I motioned to the nurse to let him in, so I didn’t have to raise my voice. He popped his head around the curtain. “Daddy, there’s a utility door from the kitchen pantry.”
“Okay. I’m gonna see what I can do to salvage your tomatoes and then maybe catch a little shut-eye before going to the police station this afternoon. There’s a meeting with the detectives. I hope they have found a lead. Love you, honey.”
“I wish I could be there to talk to the detectives.”
“I know you do, sweetie. I’ll record the conversation and let you listen to it when I get back, okay?”
I nodded and smiled at him. “Hey, if they have ripened, just pick them and stick them in the freezer okay?”
“The detectives? I dunno if they’ll appreciate much.” Daddy winked at me and gave me a half smile. He turned to walk away.
I grabbed his hand. I said to him in the kindest voice I could muster, “I love you, Daddy.”
He squeezed my hand. “Love you too, sweetie.”
I squeezed back. He scooted out past the curtain, and out the door. The guys resumed their conversation.
Ruthie Anne tried to run a comb through my hair, but it got caught on a thick tangle over my ear.
Roxas gestured wildly towards Harris’ body. “What the hell, Harris? You’re a bloody werewolf?” Harris scratched his back. “How the hell did you room with Cheyenne in college for three years and she didn’t know?”
What did he say? Werewolf? What? Didn’t know what?
“I kept it hidden just like you, Vampr.” Harris squared off his shoulders a bit and said, “What about you, Rox? Is that why you haven’t bothered to meet her before now – ‘cause she’d be a nice tasty snack?”
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