The Patient from Silvertree: Book One in the Silvertree Series

by Marian Dribus

  Lisa’s father was too shocked to reply.

  “I found out several months ago,” said Graham. “I didn’t want to believe it at first. You seemed like such an upstanding citizen. I kept quiet about it because I thought it might be useful later on—and because I didn’t want to cause trouble for you—but then at the wedding, everything changed.”

  Lisa’s father sat down with a groan.

  “You told Nora,” he said. “It wasn’t Lisa.”

  “Your daughter knows?” said Graham. “Wow, that’s bad. Worse than I imagined. It’s shocking. She’s probably going to have serious psychological issues for the rest of her life.”

  “I know,” said Lisa’s father. “You don’t have to lecture me. I have only one question for you. What could you possibly hope to gain by destroying my family?”

  “I didn’t want to do it,” said Graham. “It wasn’t my decision, but it was necessary. Please don’t be angry with me. Think about it like this: the ethical boundaries that direct our decisions are shaped by the expectations of the people we love. Removing those expectations opens up a world of possibilities. It’s actually very exciting. I know what I’m talking about, Andrew. In fact, you’re not the first person I’ve had this conversation with.”

  “Did you blow up my laboratory?” said Lisa’s father.

  “That’s an excellent question,” said Graham. “To make a long story short, yes—but I took all the necessary precautions to ensure it would look like an accident. It was more of a controlled demolition than a bombing, if the distinction makes you feel better. I was just trying to level the playing field. Please don’t take it personally.”

  “You almost killed me,” said Lisa’s father.

  “I would have regretted it,” said Graham. “I know this is hard for you to understand, but there’s a perfectly logical explanation. My boss doesn’t want anyone on the outside to be able to influence you—including you. That’s why we blabbed your secret and destroyed your research space. You belong to us now.”

  “Not really,” said Lisa’s father. “I told Richard about you.”

  Graham blinked at him.

  “That was extremely stupid,” he said. “I’ll have to inform my boss, of course, and it won’t be pretty. I can’t believe you betrayed my confidence. Oh well, back to business. I have the data you requested.”

  He removed an envelope from the pocket of his suit and held it out to Lisa’s father.

  “I don’t want it anymore,” said Lisa’s father.

  “Okay, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook,” said Graham. “What are you planning to do about Sabrina? It’s been four weeks—almost time for the second dose. I assume you lost your stash of the drug in the explosion. You’ll have to make some more. You’ll need another bone marrow sample. Hmm, that could be a problem. Without a laboratory to work in, you’re going to be at a real disadvantage. Maybe I can help. If you tell me what to do, my people will get the job done in no time. Richard will ever need to know.”

  “Nice try, Graham, but that won’t be necessary,” said Lisa’s father.

  “Really?” said Graham. “I see. You must have a stockpile of the drug at your house. Nice going, by the way, changing the locks and setting up the security cameras. You’re more stubborn than I thought. Tell me, Andrew, do you love your daughters?”

  The question infuriated Lisa’s father.

  “Of course I love them,” he said. “Don’t drag them into this mess. They deserve better than that. Poor Lisa. I can’t imagine how she must be feeling right now, and Veronica probably doesn’t even know why I disappeared.”

  “It’s tragic,” said Graham, “but I can protect them.”

  “From what?” said Lisa’s father.

  “To be honest, I don’t know,” said Graham. “The boss hasn’t mentioned anything about them, but it’s logical to assume they might eventually come up in the conversation if you neglect to honor your end of the bargain. We don’t have any established protocols for this type of situation. We’re basically making it up as we go along. The best thing you can do is cooperate with us.”

  “So you’re basically manipulating me by threatening my children?” said Lisa’s father.

  “Pretty much,” said Graham. “It’s despicable, but that’s how the game is played. Don’t even think about calling the police. I’d throw you under the bus so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you. You and Richard and Agnes would go straight to prison. Sabrina would be dumped at a crummy hospital to die. Her husband and your wife would be charged with complicity. The kids would be placed in foster homes, and who knows what would happen to them? I’ve heard dreadful stories.”

  “Stop,” said Lisa’s father. “Just tell me what you want.”

  “I want you to continue treating Sabrina,” said Graham. “I expect weekly reports on her condition, including physical assessments and lab results. Oh, one more thing: you need to stop confiding in Richard whenever something goes wrong. He’s not your friend. I am.”

  He finished his coffee.

  “What about my children?” said Lisa’s father.

  “Do what you’re told, and they’ll be fine,” said Graham. “I realize you don’t have much of a choice, but that’s how my boss conducts business, so I suggest you get used to it. Look on the bright side: coercion is a great excuse for just about anything.”

  Lisa’s father was too miserable to reply.

  “I’m sorry, Andrew,” said Graham. “Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. Here, let me show you something.”

  He took a photograph out of his wallet and handed it to Lisa’s father. It was a picture of a young boy, about ten years old, with bright eyes and a cheerful smile.

  “You have a son?” said Lisa’s father in disbelief.

  “So it would seem,” said Graham. “Actually, I’m more like his future stepfather, but let’s not argue about semantics. He means the world to me. If anything happened to him, I’d be ruined. It’s been months since I’ve seen him. I miss him terribly. He was inconsolable when I left.”

  “But what about you and Molly?” said Lisa’s father, who was so baffled that he had no choice but to resort to feeble protests.

  “It’s complicated,” said Graham.

  He returned the photograph to his wallet and got to his feet.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said. “Call me when you’re ready to meet, and we’ll go to the park like we did last time. I’m glad you’ve decided to be reasonable. The alternative is too terrible to contemplate. When I talk to my boss, I’ll put in a good word for you. I think you’ve already suffered quite enough.”

  He went out. Lisa’s father put his head in his hands. He wanted to talk to Richard, but he knew Graham would find out. Graham knew everything. The only thing that comforted him was the morbid realization that Sabrina was spiraling toward death’s door. The whole thing would be over soon enough. Until then, there was nothing he could do to extricate himself from Graham’s clutches. For the remainder of the day, he sat in his room and stared at the wall. Its dull emptiness reflected the state of his spirit.

  Chapter 12

  Lisa didn’t talk to anyone about her father’s departure. She carried on with her life as if nothing had happened, but when the initial shock wore off, she became aware of a growing emptiness in her heart into which everything else disappeared. She spent the nights crying herself to sleep, and when she tried to perform at her usual level in school, she found she had nothing to give.

  She eventually began to feel invincible in a miserable sort of way as she embraced the freedom that accompanied having nothing to lose. As she sunk into apathy, she found some measure of comfort. The only thing that bothered her was that no one seemed to notice she had disappeared—no one except Josh.

  It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to leave her in the dust, but he didn’t. He was nice to her in a variety of ways that she resolutely ignored. He prevented Shannon from being cruel to her, and he took
care of the younger children so she didn’t have to worry about them. He rarely spoke to her, but he was always there, and she knew he was watching out for her.

  His steady presence was a source of comfort, but she soon realized it had a downside: he wasn’t minding his own business anymore. That morning, as she stared at the history test she hadn’t studied for and tried to think of something to write, he walked up the aisle to turn in his test, which he had already finished. He paused on his way back and looked down. She tried to hide the empty page with her arm.

  Josh returned to his desk. A few minutes later, the bell rang. Lisa trudged up to her teacher and turned in her test. She had only written a few words for each question, and she knew she would get a failing grade, but she didn’t care. She went into the hall and found Josh waiting for her.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he said.

  “Nothing,” said Lisa. “Get out of my way.”

  “I saw your test,” said Josh. “Why aren’t you trying?”

  “It’s none of your business,” she said. “Just leave me alone.”

  “You’re being stupid,” he said. “I know you’re upset about your parents, but you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t throw it away.”

  Lisa finally felt an emotion other than indifference.

  “Shut up,” she said with a thrill of fury that made her feel as if she had returned from the dead. “I’m sick of your patronizing little remarks. I don’t need you to lecture me, so just stop it already. You’re not my father.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Josh. “You’re trying to get his attention.”

  Lisa felt her face turning red.

  “I hate you,” she said. “Why don’t you just die?”

  This unfortunate remark was overheard by a teacher, who promptly marched both of them to the principal’s office and left them sitting on the bench outside the door. Lisa had never been to the principal’s office before, except to be congratulated for her grades. She was terrified. The last thing she wanted was to cause more grief for her mother, and if it hadn’t been for Josh, she could have failed her classes with no consequences until the midterm report cards were issued.

  She crossed her arms and focused on despising him. Josh ignored her. Lisa considered suggesting that his mischief might damage the health of his mother, but she decided against it. The absence of her father had given her a glimpse into the misery Josh would have to endure if his mother died, and even though she wanted him to suffer, she didn’t feel comfortable exploiting him to such a cruel degree.

  Despite Josh’s apologies and Lisa’s tears, the principal sentenced them to spend the afternoon picking up trash in various spots around the campus. Lisa felt humiliated, but Josh didn’t seem to mind. Lisa decided he was the most obnoxious person she had ever met. He didn’t even have the decency to pretend to be unhappy. He was too perfect. It was intolerable.

  When the two hours ended, she went into the bathroom to wash her hands. When she emerged, she saw Richard standing in the office with Josh. Greatly alarmed, she looked around for her mother.

  “Shall we go?” said Richard.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” said Lisa.

  “That’s funny,” said Richard. “Josh said the same thing. However, your parents are either too preoccupied or too annoyed to deal with you right now. I offered to fill in for them, and they accepted. Now, let’s not have any more fuss. Come along.”

  Lisa knew there was no point in arguing. She picked up her backpack and followed them out to Richard’s truck. Josh climbed in, but Lisa hesitated. The interior of the truck was filthy, but that wasn’t what bothered her. She crossed her arms and pouted at Richard.

  “I’m not sitting next to him,” she said.

  “I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice,” said Richard. “There’s plenty of room. Now, stop complaining.”

  Lisa started crying.

  “There she goes again,” said Josh.

  “Josh, be quiet,” said Richard. “Lisa, calm down. It’s not the end of the world. I didn’t realize there was so much animosity between the two of you. I’ve made up my mind. We’re not going home until this situation is resolved.”

  “You can’t do that,” said Lisa through her tears.

  “Actually, I can,” said Richard. “It’s all for the best.”

  He stood back and waited for her to get into the truck. Lisa didn’t know what to do. Still crying, she sat down beside Josh. He moved as far away from her as he could, but she still huddled into the corner with her forehead resting against the window and tried to pretend he didn’t exist. They drove away from the school, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at a restaurant. Richard pulled into the parking lot.

  “Are either of you hungry?” he said.

  “No,” said Josh. “Look, I know you want me and Lisa to get along, but it’s not going to happen. I made an ignorant comment. It was a mistake. It won’t happen again. I’ll just avoid her from now on. Is that good enough for you?”

  Richard didn’t reply. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to Lisa. She wiped her face, but her eyes remained red.

  “I don’t want to go in there,” she said.

  “I’m not leaving you out here by yourself,” said Richard. “This activity is mandatory, so stop trying to talk your way out of it.”

  They went inside. The restaurant was packed. The hostess led them to a table, and they sat down. Lisa didn’t bother to look at the menu. She had no appetite. She rested her chin in her hands and stared across the aisle. A man was sitting alone at the table in front of the window. He looked about the same age as Lisa’s father. He was neatly dressed, but he kept fidgeting with his menu and glancing toward the door. Lisa was trying to figure out what was wrong with him when Richard’s voice dragged her back to reality.

  “Tell me what happened,” he said.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” said Josh.

  “Fine,” said Richard. “I can’t force you to testify against yourself. I’m sure Lisa would be delighted to give me her version of the story.”

  Lisa wanted to accuse Josh of terrible things, but she didn’t have much to say against him.

  “He was asking personal questions,” she said.

  “You’ve been acting weird ever since your dad left,” said Josh. “It’s none of my business, but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Of course I’m not okay,” said Lisa. “Are you stupid?”

  “Apparently, when it comes to you,” said Josh. “I should’ve known better than to mention your dad. It was insensitive of me, and I’m sorry. I was thinking out loud, but I apologize. If you want to fail your junior year, ruin your future, and sabotage your life, go ahead. I’m not going to stop you.”

  A shadow fell across the table.

  “What a surprise,” said Graham’s voice.

  Lisa looked up in disbelief. Sure enough, Graham was hovering over the table with a benign smile, wearing his typical suit. She wondered if he owned any other clothes. The only change since she had seen him last was the wedding ring gleaming on his finger. She looked around for Molly, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  “Please pardon the interruption,” said Graham. “When I saw the three of you sitting here, I had to come over and say hello.”

  “You’re too kind,” said Richard. “Are you here with Molly?”

  “Not this time,” said Graham. “Actually, I’m meeting an old friend.”

  He gestured at the man sitting at the table in front of the window. Lisa saw the color drain out of Josh’s face.

  “We won’t keep you,” said Richard. “Enjoy your meal.”

  “I will,” said Graham. “I’ve eaten here many times, and I’ve never been disappointed. You know, you’re sitting in a bad place. Very inconvenient. There’s a terrible draft. See that vent in the ceiling? Here, let me see if I can get the waiter’s attention. You’ll be much happier somewhere else, believe me.”

 
He flagged down the waiter and began lecturing him about the perils of catching cold. Lisa thought the whole thing was bizarre, but she didn’t want to sit next to Graham anyway, so she didn’t care. The waiter eventually moved them to a different table on the other side of the restaurant, and after Graham made sure they were comfortable, he rejoined his companion. Lisa watched them. They began to talk, and while Graham remained calm, the other man grew increasingly agitated.

  “I can’t believe it,” said Richard. “Graham rearranged us because he didn’t want us to hear their conversation. What I’d give to be at that table right now!”

  “I think it might be better this way,” said Josh, whose face was still the wrong color. “You know, maybe we should leave.”

  “Why are you so scared of Graham?” said Lisa.

  “Because he’s dangerous,” said Josh.

  “That’s ridiculous,” said Lisa. She looked beyond Josh to see what Graham was doing. The smile on his face was gone, and he was gesturing wildly. As Lisa watched, the other man suddenly deflated, burying his face in his hands. Graham jumped up and hurried away from the table. He disappeared through the swinging doors that led into the kitchen. A moment later, Lisa heard the squeal of tires and the roar of an engine.

  Lights appeared in the parking lot outside the window, morphing from two distinct points into a blinding glare in the blink of an eye. Lisa reacted before she consciously realized what was happening, scrambling to her feet and stumbling against the wall. She heard people screaming, and a moment later, a car crashed through the window, sending the man flying across the restaurant before skidding to a stop in a heap of rubble, so close to Lisa that she could have extended her hand and touched it.

  The door on the driver’s side opened. A woman climbed out and approached the man, who was lying in a mangled heap on the ground. She knelt down and laid her hand against his cheek, heedless of the blood rolling from his nose and mouth. In the chaos, Lisa heard the woman’s voice. It was triumphant.