by Dima Zales
“Michael. I like that name. Were you named after anyone in particular?” She asked as she pushed aside a few suit jackets.
He brushed his fingertips against the sizeable bump on the back of his head.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Well, there’s your problem right there. How can you know where you’re going when you don’t know where you’ve been?”
Her question stopped him in his tracks. “What do you mean?”
“I’d have trouble trying to pick out a wardrobe too if I didn’t know who I was already. I mean, think about it. The stuff that happens to our parents and to us when we’re young are what make us what we are. Now, most people don’t think there’s much to a name, but I think it sets a sort of precedent.” She tossed a couple of jackets over his arm. He watched her, enraptured as she continued to explain.
“There are some names that have a destiny like…Butch. With a name like that, you have to grow up to be a bodyguard or an athlete. Guys like Calvin and Theodore have to be those well-groomed guys in those sweater vests you see all the time. The Georges and Marks of the world have to be engineers and scientists or bankers and lawyers.” Four dress shirts: two light blue, one black, one light green. She pressed three white into his hands before smiling that nuclear smile again.
“But you got lucky. Michael is one of those names that can mold to meet any need.”
“How so?”
She shrugged, beckoning him to follow her to the pants section. “Think about all the Michaels in the world. You’ve got Michael Jordan, famous basketball player. Michael Jackson, King of Pop music. Michael Buble, fantastic crooner. Michael Phelps, Olympic bad ass. And if you want to forget about all the pop culture, there’s what the name itself means.”
“What’s that?”
Diana handed him a pair of shoes, dropping her voice as if she were telling him a secret.
“God-like.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch for me, don’t you think?”
She shrugged, grabbing two felt boxes with cufflinks in them and a silver necklace with a tiny padlock around it. “I don’t know. If you’re anything like God, then I certainly don’t mind going to Heaven.”
He laughed. “I think you’re giving me way too much credit.”
“Maybe so,” she chirped. “Take these jeans and shirts and try it all on. See how everything fits and let me know when you’re ready for check out.” She gave him an encouraging push towards the changing room. A peculiar girl, to say the least.
Thirty minutes later, he had a respectable pile of clothes that fit and started counting out all the bills to pay for the stuff. Diana rang up the items with smooth, practiced movements, humming under her breath as she went. He didn’t know the tune, but he knew it would probably stick with him for the rest of the day.
“Your total is $440.50.”
He glanced back down at the money his hands. “I’m a little shy of that. Do you think you can take a couple things off?”
“Sure. What do you want to put back?”
“Maybe one of the cufflinks. The necklace too.”
She pouted. “Oh, keep the necklace. I think it would look good on you. Besides, I think you need it.”
“What makes you say that?”
She leaned in, running a fingernail across the shimmering silver. “Well, my mom told me people who don’t know themselves can have their hearts stolen easily. This necklace has a padlock on it so it’ll protect you. You’ll always have a little reminder to keep your heart safe.”
He smiled. “That’s very corny, you know.”
“I know.”
“Alright, keep the necklace and ditch the cufflinks.”
Pleased, she removed the items from the list and he handed her the money. She bagged everything for him and left the necklace out, surprising him by taking it out of its little velvet case and slipping it around his neck. She looked at the finished product with a satisfied grin.
“There. You’re all set.”
“Before I go, tell me something.”
“Sure.”
“What does your name mean?”
Her grey eyes widened, seeming luminous in the bright lights overhead. “I…don’t actually know. I’ve never looked it up before.”
“Oh? Alright, how about I come by tomorrow and I’ll tell you what your name means? No cheating and checking online tonight.”
She studied him for a good long while until he felt worried she would blow him off but she finally nodded. “Okay. My shift is over at six. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t be. Thank you, Diana.”
She winked at him before turning back around. “Have a nice day, sir.”
I watched as Michael pulled away from me and closed the small, transparent box holding my First Aid supplies. “And? What happened when you came back the next day?”
Michael stood up and placed the kit back underneath my sink. “She wasn’t there.”
I frowned. “Why? You two seemed to have hit it off pretty well.”
“She was killed in a hit-and-run the night before.” His voice was so quiet I barely heard it over the sound of the water rushing from the faucet as he washed his hands.
I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Michael shook his head, leaning forward to put the finishing touches on my bandages. “It’s alright. I’m glad to have met someone like her at all, even if our time was short. Before then, I had no clue where I was going or what I was going to do. She helped me take the first step. That’s why I don’t judge humans as harshly as I once did.”
“Although…” His eyes wandered down towards my back. “Sometimes it’s hard to resist the urge.”
“I can’t imagine anything tempting you, Michael.”
When he met my eyes this time, it felt different. I couldn’t have explained it if someone asked me to but it just…was. For a couple of seconds, my view of Michael trickled from angel to human being all from one slight crinkle above his brow, a faint tilting of his lips downward, the quick bob of his Adam’s apple in his throat, and an emotion in his sea-green eyes that had no business being there. Worse still, my fuzzy mind worried my own eyes reflected the same thing.
“You’d be surprised,” he murmured, before straightening up so fast that I swayed a little in my seat. The trance shattered around us, and the tension crumbled with it. For now, anyway.
“You didn’t tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“What does Diana mean?”
He paused in the doorway, his shoulders tensing. I thought about apologizing for prying, but as my lips parted so did his.
“Divine. It means divine.”
He didn’t give me a chance to reply, just cleared his throat and raised his voice to a more normal tone. “You need to eat. I can take Jacob around town today.”
“I’m going with you.”
He sighed, flashing me a weary look. “I thought we agreed you were going to take it a little easier since the hospital fight.”
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but I’m healed to the point where I can walk around without pain or stiffness. Besides, you’re going to need my insight on this one.”
“I can handle this one. You’ve already done enough. I’m supposed to protect you and you almost got your head smashed in by a demon. You need to stay home and get better.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, Michael. I’m a big girl. I can’t just hide here all day. I have a life. I have sins to atone for, even if your boss says my soul is freed. I have to hold myself accountable for what I’ve done.”
Michael narrowed his eyes at me. “And what if Belial is standing on the other side of that door?”
At the mention of the demon’s name, a cold shock went up my spine. The skin on the back of my neck tightened as if he were behind me, laughing that dry laugh in my ear. I steadied my breath and stood, stepping closer to Michael and giving him a challenging smile. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing
that you’ll be there to protect me.”
Michael studied me for a long moment, seeming to realize the aggravating truth of my words. He reached up and unclipped the necklace from his neck, thoroughly confusing me. “I was right, you know. You are stubborn.”
I merely shrugged. This time, it didn’t hurt. Hurray. “It’s one of my best—what the hell are you doing?”
He gripped my left arm and wrapped the necklace around it until the chain stretched tight across the skin of my wrist, leaving the padlock to hang down near my palm. He then lifted it up and kissed it. The combination of his warm lips and the cold metal made goosebumps pop up across my skin before I could yank my hand away.
“What was that for?”
“I put a special mark on the necklace. I can locate it no matter where I am. As long as you’re wearing it, I know where you are.”
I stared at him. “…did you just Lo-Jack me?”
“Maybe. Now come on. We’ve got work to do, remember?”
13
This is not good.
My fingers wrapped themselves into fists and clenched, digging my nails into my palm. Breath came in shaky gulps that I tried to hide by clenching my teeth. The vibrantly green grass looked awful soft and friendly between the frayed edges of my black Reeboks as I tried in vain to get control of myself. What, you may ask, spawned this particular panic attack? We followed Jacob through town until he found where he’d woken up.
In front of a psychiatric hospital.
Lovely.
Michael tugged me aside and blocked the view of the cheerful white sign indicating the name of the mental hospital. Not that it helped. “Jordan, look at me. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I told him with a high, false laugh. “Doesn’t everyone do their Lamaze breathing in front of an insane asylum?”
My joke didn’t seem to make him feel any better. He gripped my upper arms and made me look up at his face. “You don’t have to go in. You know that.”
I shook my head. “My ghost kid. My job. I’ll be fine, I swear.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I unclenched one hand and patted him on the arm. “That’s because you’re smart.”
Thankfully, the panic attack was only momentary. My breathing slowed. The cold sweat down my back evaporated. I felt the fear retreating into the depths of my mind.
Jacob had a worried look on his face, mirroring Michael’s. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, kiddo. We’re fine. Now that we’re at your site, are you remembering anything else?”
“Yes. There was a lady inside. She had dark hair and glasses. I remember seeing her.”
“There must be a children’s wing here, right? Do you think this woman is the reason you didn’t cross over?”
Jacob’s nose wrinkled in concentration as he tried to remember. “Maybe.”
“Was she a doctor? A nurse? A secretary?”
The boy shook his head. “She was in a suit, not scrubs. I don’t think she was a physician.”
“Hospital management, sounds like. Alright, I need you to concentrate and tell me if she had any outstanding features.”
Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remaining silent for a long moment before replying. “She was kinda pale…her hair was really long and curly…and she had a white name tag that said Dr. Vulcan on it.”
“Vulcan?” I said in disbelief. “Eh, maybe she’s a Trekkie. Good job, Jacob.” I scribbled the name down on my notepad and squared my shoulders, facing the sidewalk leading up to the white and somehow ominous building.
“Let’s find your doctor.”
The receptionist at the bottom floor front desk was young—maybe seventeen or eighteen. Probably some kind of intern. She looked up at us through red bangs as we approached.
“How can I help you?”
“We were hoping to see if Dr. Vulcan was available today.”
The girl turned to her computer and started typing away, blue eyes scanning the screen. “Do you have an appointment with her?”
“No. I was hoping you guys did walk-in appointments,” I said. Trust me, I wasn’t an expert on psychiatric hospitals, but if they were anything like clinics then we may have been in luck.
The redhead did some more reading before answering. “Actually, she’s just finishing up rounds. I can send you up to her office if you’d like.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, that would be fantastic.”
The receptionist took down information for both of us and pointed us to the left wing of the building. My shoulders wouldn’t relax as I walked through the pristine hallways with men and women in lab coats brushing past me. Michael wordlessly slipped his fingers between mine. Part of me wanted to protest because I usually didn’t like being touched, but I didn’t say anything because it actually helped calm me down. His hand was solid and warm and real. I needed that right now.
Dr. Vulcan had a nice corner office with a rear view of the estate. We sat in the plush leather chairs in front of her desk. I tried to keep my leg from bouncing up and down from nervous energy, but I couldn’t until Michael laid his hand on my knee for a brief moment. Jacob wandered around the room, staring at the towering bookshelves along the walls behind me. Even I had to admit they were impressive. How had she managed to cram so many medical books in there?
After a moment, a blonde woman appeared, catching our attention. “Excuse me, Dr. Vulcan has asked to meet you on the bottom floor. Exactly what kind of help are you looking for?”
Michael glanced at me and I nodded, indicating that I’d answer. “I have someone who might have been through here before—a little boy named Jacob.”
The woman nodded. “Well, she might remember who that is. Her files of past patients are in that file cabinet right there. I can send someone to open them for you, but he will need your information to gain access.”
I turned to Michael, murmuring. “You take the kid to see her. I’ll stay here and stall in case she’s not the right one for his final wish.”
He stood. “Be careful.”
I saluted him. Michael and Jacob went out into the hallway and the blonde lady promised that someone would come by to help me in a minute. After sitting back down, I closed my eyes and took slow breaths, reminding myself that this was a completely different hospital and nothing horrible would happen to me here. Michael would help the kid cross over and then we could go home—the light at the end of my panic-ridden tunnel.
“Miss Amador?”
I whirled around to see a tall man in an expensive black suit standing in the doorway. Even more impressive than his height was the long ebony hair he’d pulled back into a ponytail going down his back. Thick-rimmed glasses obscured the color of his eyes from me as he smiled.
“You need access to the files, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” I said, walking over to the cabinet and preparing to lie through my teeth.
He reached into his pockets, searching for the keys. “Would you mind answering a question for me?”
“Sure.”
“Does this smell like chloroform?”
Before I could move, he withdrew a white cloth and pressed it over my face. A muffled scream escaped me, but I knew it wasn’t loud enough to attract anyone from the hall. The tall man calmly wrapped his arms around me to keep me still as the drug took effect. My body went weak and rubbery as I slipped into unconsciousness. For the second time in my life, a psychiatric hospital would be the death of me.
How poetic.
My head throbbed. It felt like my brain was trying to hammer its way through my skull and into the outside world. A pained groan crawled out of my throat and escaped my dry lips. As I regained consciousness, I realized I was lying on a bed of some kind. The mattress had way too many springs in it so they poked my spine like needles. My eyelids fluttered for a second and a wave of nausea hit. I pressed my palm to my forehead as if it would help. That was when I realized the necklace around my wrist was gone.
&nbs
p; “Sleep well?”
I heard a purring baritone voice from the corner of the white room. My eyes shot open. Ignoring the nausea and dizziness, I frantically pushed myself up to a sitting position. There stood the long-haired man who came to unlock Jacob’s files. He leaned his lanky frame against the far wall, smoking a cigarette. The black suit stood out stark against the pristine paint behind him.
I swallowed hard and tried to get a bearing on where I was. No windows. The door didn’t have a knob, either. From what I could tell, this was either an operating room or somewhere they put the patients who were a threat to themselves or the hospital staff. It was also rather small—no more than an eight by eight foot room, not much bigger than the bathroom in my apartment.
The man continued to watch me with a cool expression. The eerie patience on his face made me realize I hadn’t replied to his comment. As if I really knew what to say to the man who had just kidnapped me. I went for the casual approach.
“You’re not allowed to smoke in hospitals.”
He chuckled deeply enough to shake his broad shoulders. I took a moment to analyze his weight and strength. Could I take him? Most likely, no. Would I try it anyway? Hell yeah.
“You’re right, I suppose. Still, I can’t help loving these things.” He flicked the cancer stick to the linoleum floor and stomped it out.
“Humans come up with the most wonderful things to destroy themselves with.”
A red flag popped up in my mind. Please God, no. “Pardon?”
The man walked towards me and fear wormed its way up my stomach, settling in my chest. He had a heavy presence about him that confirmed my suspicion.
“I’m hurt, Jordan. You don’t recognize me?”
My whole body tensed. He leaned over the bed until our faces were level, placing his arms on either side of me. I had to ball my hands into fists to keep them from trembling. I looked into his eyes. They were a chillingly blue hue with reptilian pupils. I’d seen them before.