"Do you know what she was thinking when you hugged her like that?" asked Lisa. I didn't, but I was suddenly worried Lisa was going to tell me.
"Don't pick on me! I'm not a telepath yet!" I replied.
Lisa looked at me very oddly. Then she said, "Promise me you won't let me get shoved aside! I want to stay here, with you... around you folks... Oh hell! You know what I mean!"
"I get the idea," I said. "You're one of us now!"
"Fine," she said. After a few seconds, she continued, saying, "Don't be mad at me when you can read minds! It's been a long time since Bill died! I've become... attached to you!"
It slowly dawned on me what she was saying. I stood there feeling slightly confused. I had the distinct feeling a lot of confusion was about to occur. I quietly said, "You know I've always been your good friend!"
"I know," she said. She just stood there with an odd smirk on her face. After a few more seconds, she quietly said, "The more I look into your thoughts, the more I'm drawn to you!"
I stopped her dead, saying, "I'm still married, and I'll love Nancy till the day I die!"
"I know," she replied warmly. "You're the best, Mike! You'll know exactly how I feel soon!"
I wondered about that, but only time would tell.
I left Lisa tending Koda, and went back out with the rest of the group. Bugs passed by me in the hallway, and told me he would need a blood sample from me within the hour. I found that the group had now migrated into the kitchen. I stepped in as Kathy was telling Harold and Shooter how it felt to read another person's thoughts. She had a huge smile on her face, and I realized she was feeling a lot better.
At that moment, I felt a warm sensation run the length of my body. I don't know if it was the first sign of fever, or all in my imagination. I just know that within two hours, I was definitely having chills, and running a low grade fever. Every four hours I had to give blood, and the blood draws quickly came to feel like torture sessions. My messed up heart caused issues every time I needed to have blood taken. This was a vampire's nightmare!
I should note that I make a terrible patient. Nancy was always very patient with me, but I know I'm a Heller to live with. I went back, crawled into my bed, and laid there shivering. About ten hours in. I woke up, drenched in sweat, and realized Kathy was in bed asleep behind me. I needed to go give blood, so I force myself to get up, staggered into the bathroom, and took a shower.
I finished the shower, and went down to give blood. Lisa was there talking to Bugs, and I realized Koda was still secured to the gurney. She looked at me, and said, "I promise I'll be good, if you just let me up off this damn bed!"
I undid the straps, and told her that I wasn't feeling well, and I might not have much patience with her big mouth. Things went downhill from there. She got up, staggered around a moment, then ran into the bathroom, and got sick. We could clearly hear her wrenching. A full minute went by, and then she staggered out. Looking white as a sheet, she stumbled off, mumbling, "I'm going to bed!" She lurched and grumbled all the way down the hall, and then disappeared out of sight.
After she was gone, Lisa looked at me and said, "I don't think she means us any harm, but she's not what she appears to be! Keep that in mind Mike when you're dealing with her. I get the feeling she's had a rough life! Don't be too quick to judge her!"
"I'm not in the judgement business," I observed. "I've always been more in the execution business!"
Lisa nodded slowly, and then said, "I never understood who you were before! I can finally see who you really are! You need to lay down some of that guilt! You can't save the world!"
"It's just in my nature to keep trying," I mused aloud.
Lisa smiled pleasantly, and said, "Better get back before Kathy wakes up!"
I stood looking at her for several seconds before I asked, "Are we having a problem?"
"I'm not," she replied promptly. She had this very odd smile on her face, and after a second or two more, she said, "I'm doing just peachy!"
I'm in so much trouble! I don't need to be a telepath to see trouble coming!
I just nodded, and walked out. I was almost staggering as I headed back to my room. Stepping into the dark room, I could make out Kathy's sleeping form on the bed. I debated about waking her up and making her go to her own room. Perhaps letting her stay might give her a false impression. I cared for her, but I knew her feelings for me ran deep.
In the end, I just laid down in the bed behind her, and pulled her close. I dozed off, spooned up behind her. When I woke up three hours later, she was gone.
I felt horrible. I got up, and staggered into the bathroom. I took a long, hot shower, and tried to clear my head. The feeling reminded me of being intoxicated, without any of the pleasant parts. I knew I had to go give blood, but I already felt weak. I made my way to the Medical Bay. As I stepped in, Lisa and Bugs were in a deep discussion about the implications of telepathy, and its use by the human race.
Lisa smiled as I walked in, and asked how I was doing. I promptly ran into the bathroom, and got sick. I was there for several minutes. When I came out, Bugs looked at me, and said, "Well, that gives me something to look forward to!" I felt exhausted, despite the fact that I had slept for almost twelve hours. Lisa took two ampules of blood from me, and I went back to my room, and my nice soft bed.
I managed to sleep for another three hours, and woke up feeling a little better. I was drenched in sweat, but the air in the room felt cool. I went in, and took another shower. By the time I walked out of the bathroom, I was feeling almost normal. I thought about the time, and realized I was due to talk to Deputy Carter in about an hour."
Still feeling tired, I decided to go out, and wait for the officer to show up. As I walked through the house, Kathy stepped out of her room, and said, "I'd like to join you if you don't mind."
We stepped out the side door, walked out of the parking area, and into the open. The sunlight hit me, and I felt a lot better right away. After a few seconds, Kathy said, "There she is, over there!" Far in the distance, I could see the patrol cruiser coming down the main road toward us.
The Sheriff's car turned up the drive, and we walked over. The Officer climbed out of her car, and put her hat in place. She stepped up to us, looked at me, and said, "I'm glad you decided to join us!"
"Since I may get sick at any moment, please forgive me if I'm not as excited as you are," I observed.
Dona smiled widely at the comment. "You'll get over it soon!" she observed. "It usually takes about four days for the fever to burn off the Madness. Then you'll start to notice the other effects."
"Like the voices," noted Kathy.
"Yes! Like the voices," agreed Dona. "At the end of a week, you should be able to start to self-heal. As time goes by, your abilities will intensify. At the end of a month, you’ll be able to fold space, and teleport from spot to spot."
"You'll be able to self-heal!" Kathy said directly to me. "You're not going to die Mike!"
It really hadn't crossed my mind how this would affect me personally. My heart started acting up right after Nan died. The doctors all felt it was stress related. I just didn't care. I just wanted to die, and get it over with. My dreams died with my future, and I was just waiting for my body to catch up, so I could be properly disposed of.
Now all that had changed. I just stood there for several seconds, as grins spread across Kathy and Dona's face. They knew what I was thinking. I wasn't going to die.
I was going to live!
Dona said, "I feel like I should go home. I suspect you've had enough for one day!"
I was just standing there in shock. Dona and Kathy stepped over to the vehicle. I heard Dona say, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mike!" and she drove off.
Kathy walked over, and basically led me into the house. I was weak, sick, and having a major epiphany. I wasn't going to die in a month or two. I was going to live for a long time. Barring some accident, I might live forever.
I made it into the house, and then I thought
of Nancy. Why now? Why not two years ago? She would probably be alive if this had happened two years ago.
Kathy was standing next to me. She looked up at me, and said, "Don't you get depressed! Nancy wouldn't want you to feel that way! Be happy! Be grateful!"
I didn't say anything. I couldn't think clearly. I stumbled back to bed, and crawled under the covers fully dressed. My entire body hurt, and I felt horrible. I had been in pain for so long, I couldn't remember a time without the ache of damaged muscles. Over the years I had broken countless bones. Even damaged my spine, crushing three vertebra.
I was thrown from a horse once. That broke my left arm in four places. I have ball shot in my right hand. I've been shot so many times, that when asked by an x-ray technician about how the ball got in my hand, I had a hard time remembering. The same x-ray person said, "You studied, and used martial arts for many years! I can tell by the fine series of fractures that you’ve used your hands as weapons." The guy read me my life's story, just by looking at my x-rays.
That's just the way it is. You live a harsh and brutal life, and you die in pain. It's the price you pay, for living to be old.
Except it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't going to happen!
I got up, staggered to the bathroom, and got sick. Maybe I wasn't going to die, but I sure felt like crap. Noting that it was time for another blood donation, I went back to the med bay, and let the vampires bleed me again. I was told I should eat and drink. I needed to rehydrate. The thought of food made me sick. I went back to my room, and had a problem with dry heaves.
I hate being an immortal! This sucks!
I took another shower. Between sweating, and getting sick, I figure I must smell like a dead animal. I went out, and crawled into bed. For the first time in two days, I really slept.
When I woke up, Kathy was asleep in the bed, spooned up behind me. She sleeps heavy. I managed to get out of bed without waking her up. She doesn't snore, but she does this little "Poof" thing as she breaths, when she sleeps. I could tell she was out cold when I left.
I got to the Medical Bay, and resisted the temptation to get sick as I saw the bathroom. Just seeing the door, seems to get me started. Lisa laughed at me for a second, and then said, "It'll get better soon Mike."
Koda staggered in the door, looking like death warmed over. She headed straight for the bathroom, and I could hear her getting sick. Lisa drew the blood from me, and basically shoved me out the door, saying, "There's only one bathroom in here! You can't both stay!"
For the first time in two days, the smell of food hit me, and I didn't feel sick. I went into the kitchen, and found Shooter eating scrambled eggs with cheese. I found my appetite returning, and fixed, and ate, four eggs. My stomach full, I went back to bed, spooned up behind Kathy, and fell asleep again.
I had a dream. I don't usually remember my dreams, but I remember this one distinctly. I was making love to Kathy. It was like a flashback to a night almost thirty years ago. We were in the middle of a passionate moment.
Then I woke up! I was in bed with Kathy, but we were both dressed. She was awake, and staring at me. She had a slight smile on her face, and she softly said, "You woke up!"
I laid there looking at her, and realized she had been in my mind. She seemed to stretch like a cat, and then she said, "It's time for me to go eat breakfast. I'll be back soon." She crawled out of bed, and disappeared down the hall.
It took a while for me to doze back off. I awoke in bed alone, and realized I had slept for another six hours. I seldom sleep more than six hours a night. I was sure getting plenty of sleep now! I had a slight headache, but otherwise, I was starting to feel a little better. I went to the Medical Bay, and found both Lisa and Bugs working on blood sample comparisons on the computer. They drew blood, and both of them remarked how much better I looked.
Turning to leave, I heard Lisa behind me clearly say, "I love you!"
I glanced back, and asked, "What did you say?"
I distinctly heard her say, "You can hear me!" but her mouth didn't move. I had known it was coming, but I still felt shocked. I don't know what I expected, but this was overwhelming. It's like a blind person, who can suddenly see, or a deaf person that can hear. I stepped back into the room, and sat down. Lisa was smiling. "The whole team is doing well!" she observed. "It's all going fine!"
Looking up at her, I said, "If I could go one day without getting sick, I’d be more likely to believe you!"
Stepping right up to me, she hugged me gently, and kissed me on the top of my head. Slowly moving back, she said, "You'll be fine in a couple of days. Then we'll talk about it."
Standing up again, I moved down the hall, and returned to my room. I got a shower again, and got ready for my third meeting with Dona. As I dressed, Kathy showed up to go with me. We walked out, and stood talking for a minute as we waited for Dona to show up. I noticed Kathy seemed pretty quiet.
As I stood there reflecting on that thought, Kathy looked at me, and said, "I'm learning a lot by seeing your thoughts Mike. I'm realizing I've always been pretty selfish. I never thought about your feelings." she paused, thinking, and said, "I'm sorry you lost Nancy! I can see now how much she meant to you!"
"She was my world," I admitted bluntly. "I always thought I’d be the first to go. It never occurred to me she might die first." I couldn't go on. I just stood there. In the distance, I could see Dona's car moving up the main road. She was just turning onto the private road that ran down to the driveway.
"It's going to be okay, Mike," Kathy noted softly. "We're going to be fine!"
Dona pulled up, and climbed out of her car. We did a casual greeting, and then Dona said, "Lisa and Kathy both tell me you're making good progress! Are you starting to feel a little better?"
"I feel like crud!" I observed. "Is it too late to change my decision?"
Kathy and Dona both snickered. They stood talking to each other for a moment. Dona turned back to me, and said, "I've had my people keeping an eye on Mr. Hetrus. He's calling in his hired muscle. I don't know what he's up to yet, but it's possible you and your friends may be the target. Be alert!"
I thanked her for the heads up, and we continued talking for a few minutes more. The conversation seem to slow, and finally, Dona said, "I have plans for tomorrow! I'll be back in two days! By then, you should be starting to feel better!"
We stepped closer to the car. Dona prepared to get in the vehicle. She looked at me, and said, "If Hetrus shows up out here, please let us know at once. I'd be delighted to catch his grey suited killers out on the street." She shut the car door, and drove off, waving slightly as she pulled away.
"I like her," Kathy announced.
"I'm sure she's a great person," I agreed. "I'm just not used to hanging out with a cop."
Kathy looked at me for a moment. Then she said, "By the time she gets back, you'll be able to see her as I do! It will make it easier for you!" She turned, and started walking toward the house. I fell in behind her, and we went inside.
Chapter 11
Under Attack
As we walked through the door to the kitchen, Koda stepped out and told me, "I'd like to talk to you privately!"
Kathy just smiled, and said, "Take her across the street, and show her the toy room. That will give you two a chance to talk for a few minutes."
Motioning Koda to follow me. We soon were crossing the road, and walking along the driveway across the street. As we approached the front door, Koda said, "There's something I want to tell you, before you become a mind reader!"
I palmed the lock, and the door snapped open. We stepped in, walked through the front room. I led her back to the weapons closet, and showed her what Kathy had described as the toy room. Koda was speechless. We stood there for a moment, and then I led her back out. As I keyed the door closed to the closet, I turned, and said, "Okay! Let's hear it!"
She turned, and started to walk back through the house slowly. As we got to the front room, she motioned me to sit down in a chair, an
d she sat down next to me. She was looking at the floor, refusing to look me in the eyes. She started with, "The people you thought were my parents, were really my trainers. I was in training to do the same job you do. My real parents were killed over seven years ago!"
"That's it?" I asked. "That's your big secret?"
She seemed stunned. "I thought you'd be angry!"
Just starting to laugh, I noted, "Everyone here has used a fake past at one time or another. It's part of the life we lead."
"You're really not angry at me?" she asked, still unsure. I could see her finally starting to relax a little. It was sinking in that I wasn't going to yell at her.
"No, I'm not angry," I said. "I'm glad you told me. How far did you get in your training?"
"I was just starting my third year," she responded.
"Two years left to go," I noted under my breath.
"The agency thinks I'm dead," she quietly observed. "I want to stay here and learn from you!"
"I don't teach anymore," I said. "My advice would be, to drop your training. What we do, is wrong!"
"It won't be wrong to shoot Mr. Robert Hetrus as many time as possible!" she corrected.
"If you believe Dona, he has a disease," I noted. "You don't shoot people with the mumps!"
"I do if they come at me with a gun," she reaffirmed.
I stood, and started toward the front door. As Koda stepped close, I said, "I'll teach you as much as I can, but I'm serious. My advice is to get into a new line of work. This one's a killer!"
An impish grin crossed Koda's face, and she said, "You couldn't get rid of me now if you tried! I want to see what happens once you can read people’s minds. I get the feeling, a lot of people are in for a shock!"
It was really just sinking in how much my life would change if even half of what was being said was true. "I'll help you as much as I can!" I told her. "What we're seeing is going to change the world. I just don't know any more what the future may bring us."
Still smiling, Koda was almost laughing as she said, "I still say, a lot of people are in for a shock!"
The Koda Files Boxed Set - Books 1 & 2 Page 9