by Thomas Craig
Perhaps he thought it would be best if we took that initiative or thought we would know best when to bring it up. It’s not the easiest topic to broach and certainly not the most believable.
Arya caught up to me seconds later, “What do you think you are doing Lou?”
“I’m going to pull off some alternative healing and get this team back on track,” I replied without slowing down. I was already through the double doors and had entered the treatment area now when Arya pulled me to a stop.
“Wait a second. Let’ not be reckless if we don’t have to be.” Arya forced the words through her clinch teeth as her lips fought to form a smile.
She quickly moved to a nearby nurse’s station, presented her FBI credentials, and asked where she could find Lauren. A minute later we were in an examination bay where Lauren was being looked over by a doctor and nurse.
They had Lauren hooked up to monitors and the situation seemed under control. More importantly, Lauren was stable.
Arya asked if she could speak to them for a moment to draw them away. The doctor obliged, but the nurse seemed to be lingering for a moment.
With impeccable timing, Lauren opened her eyes. “Hi, Lou. You here to help a girl out?”
Holding back a laugh, I turned to the nurse, “You mind giving us a moment please?”
She nodded and closed the curtain behind her.
I wasted no time as I put my hands on Lauren’s shoulder and stomach.
As the heat started to flow through my arms and then hands, I could sense the healing taking place. “Stop Lou. Stop.” Lauren pleaded quietly.
I knew I was not done healing her, but I broke my connection with her and removed my hands. “What’s wrong? We need you healthy Lauren.”
“Yes, but just enough to get me out of here. Take a look,” she said as she lifted the covers away from her midsection. I could see where several bullets hit her vest and caused bruising, but the bruising didn’t look too bad. The bullet wound to her side almost looked superficial. I could see what looked like part of the disfigured bullet at the entrance of the wound.
As soon as I pulled the covers back over Lauren, the curtains flew open, and in walked the surgical consult to look at her soon to be patient.
I stepped back and gave the doctor room to walk the surgeon through Lauren’s injuries. It wasn’t long before the surgeon and doctor were at odds with each other. The surgeon mentioned something about the doctor wasting her time, and the doctor emphatically swore Ms. O’Quinn presented much more severe injuries earlier.
The surgeon used a sonogram on Lauren’s abdomen and rib area and then advised the doctor to remove the partially exposed bullet himself and consider the need for surgery unnecessary.
Acting like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, I couldn’t help myself, “So, a few stitches and she can go, right? We need her in Atlanta.”
The surgeon said something that sounded like agreement as she left the curtained area.
“Look, give me a minute. I’m not sure what just happened, but I’m not sending this young lady anywhere until I’m sure she is okay. Go take a seat in the waiting room while we reexamine her shoulder and side,” the ER doctor said to us as he returned to examining Lauren.
Arya escorted me back to where Holliday was asked to wait patiently for us. He was on the phone and when he saw us, he waved us over. Holliday wrapped up his call and used his cell phone to tilt up the front of his cowboy hat. We caught him up on Lauren’s conditions and the Doctor would assess the next steps after removing the bullet from her side.
“Well, while you two were getting in the doctor’s way, I was chatting with our colleagues in Raleigh. It seems our potential victim Mr. Emmitt Gaffney is also an Assistant District Attorney, and currently very distraught after hearing the news of the recent shootings. He says he has possible information about the Cartel behind the OMS. Yes, I said Cartel. He wants to immediately be placed in Witness Protection and have full immunity for any related circumstances that allowed him this information,” Holliday shared.
“Well, that kind of sounds like he is corrupt, right?” I stated more than asked.
“I would agree. Seeing how he is looking for Witness Protection, how about you and I travel over there and see what is what Lou?” Holliday said. Not waiting for my response, he turned to Arya and spoke with an exaggerated Southern drawl.
“Special Agent Shah, do you mind staying here and making sure Lauren is fine and that no one tries to accidentally amputate any good fingers or limbs? I promise to have Lou back shortly.” Holliday was half playing around, half-serious, as he was feeling extra protective of his beat-up partner. He has only known Lauren for a short time, but surviving the assault they were just in, undoubtedly brought them closer together.
Arya smiled and made a motion as if slightly tugging at the bill of an imaginary cowboy hat on her head, as a sign of confirmation, and excused herself back to the nurse’s station, but not before breaking protocol and kissing me goodbye.
Holliday could have cared less about our quick public display of affection, as he kept his eye on things that mattered. We didn’t do such things often, but today was high stress and a little show of love went a long way.
Arya looked back over her shoulder and said to me, “The drive should give you time to catch Holliday up on the team's special skills department.”
Oh great. I knew what that meant, and I could not believe she just dropped that in my lap. I guess I deserved that for storming off to help Lauren moments earlier. The car ride to Raleigh would be interesting. I hoped Holliday would resist the urge to kick me out somewhere between here and Raleigh.
Chapter 5
When I stepped outside with Holliday, the clouds split, and sunlight poured onto my face. I paused for a moment to soak it in. I could feel the heat run through my skin and goosebumps popping up on my arms. At this point in my life, it seemed that only a minute or two in the Sun was all it took to fully rejuvenate me.
Holliday did not notice that I had stopped walking. I wanted the walk to the car to last two to three minutes versus the 60 seconds it took me.
“Holliday, I have something I need to share with you,” I said. He now noticed I had stopped walking and turned around.
“That’s great. We have plenty of time to chat in the car. You want to take mine or yours?” He asked as he waved his keys in his right hand. We both stared at each other for a second. I wasn’t sure if he was holding up the keys to the car that had 100 bullet holes in it or if Arya had given him her keys. A big grin started to form on his face as did mine. Arya must have given him her keys from her rental.
“I had you going there for a second. I could see you working it out in your head,” he said to me as I laughed.
“Nice one. Hey look, before we get going, this will take a minute. I need to explain some background about Arya and myself.”
“Seriously, no needed. I was read in on it. At first, I was a little concerned and the natural questions came up, but I worked it out in my head, and I can see how this is good for the team,” he calmly explained.
I slightly tilted my head, “Really? No questions for us? No worries about how unnatural it may seem?”
“Well, I would agree that it is not the natural dynamics one might expect in a team, but if it works, don’t fix it. You two are adults and discretion is used. If anything, it’s kind of like a family. You and Arya the parents, Lauren the kid, and me the cool uncle.” He laughed at his explanation of a topic not remotely close to what I thought we were talking about it.
“You mean crazy uncle. Well good, I’m glad that is cleared up,” I said as I started walking towards Arya’s rental car. Don’t be a chicken shit, Lou, just tell him before you are locked in a moving car with him. The brief exchanged allowed me to finish soaking in the rays, and I decided to go for broke.
“There is also the fact that Arya is clairvoyant, and it has come in handy on cases.” There, I have broken the ice on the super
natural topic. Holliday clicked the key fob and the doors unlocked as the car gave off two mild beeps.
“Seriously?” Holliday asked as he stood by the driver's door looking over the hood of the car at me.
“Yes, and it is more common than you think. The FBI has relied on a few well-known clairvoyant consultants in the past with a high degree of success.” I felt I had to add this to give the news some credibility.
“Right. I know all about those consultants. It’s just…well, give me a minute to take this in,” he said as he took off his hat and played with the part in his hair.
“It’s all just stories and TV shows, making it kind of not real until you actually know someone. So, can she read my mind?” he asked as if almost indifferent about the answer. He started to open his door to get in the car.
“No, nothing like that. But there is more to tell you,” I reluctantly mentioned. Holliday aborted the entry and stood back up.
“You don’t give a guy time to process, do you?”
“Well, it just doesn’t feel right not having the whole team on the same page. These are things you need to know, and I guess the Director thought it best to have us tell you.”
Holliday made a facial expression showing agreement as he waited for the news.
“I uh, well you know that I am half Zuni, right?
“Yup.”
“Well, I discovered as a young teenager that I could heal others. I have been healing Zuni on the reservation since I was in my early teens.”
Holliday was just staring at me, no expression. Then he said, “Like a medicine man?”
“Sort of. If you promise to keep an open mind and not kick me out of the car, I will explain in more detail on the drive over.”
“Alright, Asclepius. Tell me more on the way. Let’s go,” Holliday stated as he got behind the wheel. He was hard to read at times. I couldn’t tell if he was brushing me off, thought I was joking, or if he was open-minded and willing to hear me out.
“You know your Greek religion and mythology. I’m impressed.” Asclepius was the son of Apollo and known as the God of Medicine and Healing. How apropos.
“Don’t be. I only remember that one because I wanted to impress this attractive doctor in Albuquerque I once knew,” Holliday admitted.
The car ride went better than I could have anticipated. Holliday listened as I told stories about healing on the reservation as a young man. He just nodded and took the information in.
I kept going and mentioned my car wreck in college and having to hide my quick healing, the nightmares about being someone’s science project, the crazy encounter with the Sky People, and the recent risks I have taken healing victims, including Lauren, twice including today. He hadn’t pulled over to kick me out yet and we had been driving for 30 minutes now.
“Shit, Lou. You have to admit, that all sounds pretty crazy,” Holliday announced, breaking his long streak of silence. I didn’t blame him one bit for this mild reaction. I was expecting some jeering and strong disbelief.
“I agree, and I have found myself explaining this craziness to you, Lauren, Director Cooley, Arya, and one other person, all in the last few months. No one outside the pueblo has known about this for 24 years and now I have told five people. It doesn’t get any easier and I feel more vulnerable with every confession,” I shared as I paused for a second before continuing.
“I have nightmares someone will find out and want to lock me away to run experiments on me.” I found myself almost lecturing him out of defense. I knew that would not help my position.
“Sorry, Holliday. It’s not easy sharing this with others, as I have little practice doing so.”
“Look Lou, I want to believe you. However, my brain is wired to believe there are 7 days in the week. You are suggesting there are eight days and I’m trying to believe you, but all the calendars still show 7 days.”
“No, I get it. The others are not here to confirm the events.” I would have to do something to prove this to him or we were not going to trust each other after this car ride.
It would have to wait. Anything done in this confined space could make him feel trapped. No need to escalate the issue. I was ready to change the topic.
It was quiet for a minute and then Holliday spoke up.
“I saw Lauren’s wounds in the ambulance. Did you do anything to ‘help’ her when you went back to see her in the E.R.?” he asked in an unsure way as if struggling to even articulate the question. He was trying to understand. I had to admire how Holliday challenged himself.
“She is one tough and smart gal. She told me to only heal her enough to avoid surgery and be able to leave without drawing suspicion. It was close, as this healing thing is not an exact science. I took care of the trauma from the impact wounds and pretty much healed the bullet wound on the shoulder. The bullet wound in her side may require only some stitches for now, but I took care of the related internal injuries. I can finish healing everything once she is out of the hospital,” I explained.
“I need to eat and then talk to Director Cooley about this,” Holliday said as he pulled off the highway into a fast-food drive-through. It wasn’t the response I was expecting, but it worked for me. The Director would confirm the information.
We ate our sandwiches in the parked car as we waited for the Director to call us back. When Holliday’s phone finally rang, he put it on speaker.
“Holliday here, with Lou,” Holliday answered.
“Hey, guys. I just got out of a meeting. What can I do for you?” the Director asked.
“Well, Lou shared some interesting stories about Arya’s ability and Lou’s…uh…healing.” Holliday tried to lay it out without sounding crazy to the Director. Director Cooley let him off the hook.
“Listen,” the Director used Holliday’s first name and continued, coming across very matter of fact.
“This may be hard to understand, but I figured if anyone could handle it and gel with this unique team, it would be you. Shit, I can’t explain how Lou heals, but I’m thankful he can. From what I just heard Lou is helping save Lauren’s field career for a second time.”
“Yes sir. I could think of worse things in a partner or team member,” Holliday said.
“Damn Skippy. So, are we all good?” The Director asked, almost rhetorically.
“Yes sir.” We both gave our acknowledgments before the Director hung up.
Holliday started the car and we got back on the road to Raleigh. After about 15 minutes, he couldn’t help but say what anyone else in his shoes would have thought.
“Look, nothing against you and Director Cooley, but I’m going to have to hear from Lauren on this one. I need to make sure this isn’t an elaborate prank on me,” Holliday proclaimed.
“Look, why don’t you just scratch or cut your hand and watch me heal it right now.” I threw down the gauntlet making it about his fortitude. Maybe that would help him get past this and just accept that I’m different, but not a danger.
“Uh, how about you do that to your hand, and I watch you heal?”
“Fair enough.”
I looked around for something readily available to scratch my hand. I was looking at my plastic straw in my drink thinking that would do just fine. As I started to remove the straw, Holliday was already presenting his pocketknife to me.
I chuckled, thinking, Funny he’s not willing to scratch himself, but just fine giving me a 4-inch blade to cut myself with.
I cut my palm and let him get a close look at the wound before putting some napkins on it to avoid getting blood on me or the car.
“This will take a few seconds if I focus. It used to take a minute or two. When I first discovered this ability, it took almost an hour,” I informed him.
I closed my eyes and focused thoughts and energy on my hand. Seconds later the warmness swarmed the areas where the cut was, and the burning sensation quickly peaked and then subsided. I removed the napkins and wiped away the blood to reveal a normal palm.
Holliday st
ared for a few seconds with a weird look on his face.
“How the hell is that possible?”
“I’m not sure. It’s like my body stores energy from the Sun. It allows me to focus it to heal myself or others.” I shrugged my shoulders as I described it the best I could.
Holliday looked like he was thinking about what I just said. As he put his pocketknife away, he turned back to me.
“Hey, I landed on my shoulder pretty hard earlier. How uh, you think you could do something? I mean, it doesn’t hurt too much, but I have a nice road rash.”
“You sure? It’s no problem for me. It would only take a few seconds,” I said to reassure him.
“Yeah. What should I expect?
“Nothing much. I will place my hand on your neck and arm, and you will feel warmness travel through you, and then the pain will be gone. You have the easy part,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, sometimes I can feel the type of pain leaving the victim. Like it travels into me before dissolving. One time I think I took someone’s cancer from them. That was a nasty one as I threw up a bunch of black crap immediately afterward. I’m always fine though. A little Sun and good to go,” I said. I hoped I hadn’t shared too much too earlier with him.
“And what happens to you after you heal and there is no Sun to help you get back to normal?” Holliday asked.
I thought about that for a moment. Had I ever been in a position where the Sun was not there for me that day or the next? I could not think of a time. I guess I would heal at a normal rate if the Sun were not around. There is no reason to think otherwise. Well, that’s not true. If I am a demigod, then who knows what normal is.
“That is an outstanding question. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Let’s do this.” I put my left hand on the back of Holliday’s neck and my right on his right forearm. A few seconds later, my stomach tightened up and the heat flowed through my arms into my hands. I could feel Holliday twitch and then relax as the warmth washed away what ailed him. Then, I released him.