“I think she is a lovely girl. If perhaps a trifle too talkative.”
“Yeah, about that. She can be a bit of a gossip so you need to be careful what you say to her.”
“I shall do as you wish. May I ask what has she said that is a concern?”
If only he knew. “Nothing major. Just try and avoid her if you can.”
He nods. “Understood.”
More cheers blast through the speakers. Kirk has scored another goal. The announcer is getting ready to update the score when a female newscaster cuts in. “Newsflash. There’s been a twenty-car pile up on the sixty-five freeway. I’m sorry to report there are multiple injuries. Let’s hear from our reporter on the scene, Grant Taylor.”
The camera zooms in on a guy with too much hairspray and a fake tan. “Thank you, Rachael. According to the State Troopers, it seems at approximately 5:45 a truck lost control and crossed the center divider and plowed in to an oncoming car. This caused a chain reaction on both sides of the freeway. Emergency vehicles are at the scene as there are multiple injuries. Some of them quite serious.”
Jin sits next to me. “What, pray tell, is going on?”
“Looks like a big accident. Happens this time of day with so many cars on the road. Everyone is trying to get home for dinner.”
“Yes. The number of motorized vehicles on the roads today are quite astonishing.”
The camera pans down the long line of smashed up cars. People are rubbing their necks and talking to the police. Paramedics are taking a few people away on gurneys. Then the camera zooms in on the truck that caused the accident.
I jump off the sofa. “O.M.G! That’s Dad’s GTO pinned under the eighteen-wheeler!”
Chapter 2
Life Can’t Be That Cruel Can It?
Jin’s brows stitch together. “What is an eighteen-wheeler?”
He wants me to be a dictionary now? I fight back tears as I point to the screen. “It’s that huge truck over there that crushed my dad’s car!”
“No, that is not possible. I spoke with him and he clearly stated he shall be home for tonight’s meal.”
Jin’s stilted way of talking isn't comforting at all. Yet I want to believe him, but who else has a GTO painted day-glow orange? Panic rises in my voice. “It’s past dinnertime and he’s not here!”
Jin takes my quivering hand. “Tis not that late an hour. I am certain he will return forthwith.”
I jump up off the sofa when the doorbell rings. I almost run to the door. “Dad?”
A tall man in a scruffy police uniform greets me. “I’m Officer Smith, are you related to Mr. Warren?”
A lump forms in my throat. I flash on every movie I’ve seen. Cops at the door only bring bad news.
“Miss, are you all right?”
I swallow hard. “I saw the accident on TV. Is my father okay?”
“I’m sorry I can not release that information until I confirm your identity.”
“Tell me, tell me now! I want to know what happened to my dad!”
“I’m sorry but we have no record of anyone else living here except Mr. Warren. You need to prove you’re his daughter.” He holds out his hand. “Can I see your ID?”
Jin jumps between us. “What is your business at this residence?”
The officer puffs out his chest. “Who are you?”
“I am this young woman’s fiancé.”
Officer Smith’s husky partner chimes in. “What’s with the phony accent?”
Smith ignores him and looks only at me. “I can inform you that your father is alive for now. But I can’t tell you the details until you show me your ID. You have one, don’t you?”
Panic runs through me. Dad’s alive for now? “Yes, of course.” I grab Jin’s hand and pull him into the bedroom. The last thing I need is them asking for his ID, too. “Stay here. I can handle this.”
“Esme, I am only trying to assist you. To protect you as a genie should.”
My nerves bristle. How many times does he have to say that line? I dig through my purse trying to keep it together. The officer said Dad isn’t dead. But is he crippled? No. He has to be okay. I hand the detective my driver’s license. He looks at the card, then back at me. “Do you have anything that shows you two together?”
My mind races. Then I remember the picture in my dad’s bedroom. We were at Griffith Park watching the horses on the equestrian path when I was eight. I pull the photo off the dresser and head for the front door. I shove the frame in the detective’s face. “See, this is me and my dad. I still have the freckles on my nose.”
He squints at the photo then back at me. “I guess I can see the resemblance. And you do still have those freckles.”
“Good. Now, tell me what’s happened to my dad.”
“He’s in critical condition at Trinity Hospital. We came here to see if we could find an address book to contact his next of kin.”
My heart pounds in my chest. “You found her. Is he going to be alright?”
“Can’t say. We need someone to grant permission for the brain surgery.”
All the blood drains from my hands. “Get me to the hospital. I’ll sign anything.”
We pile into the blue and white police car. Normally I’d be totally stoked. I’ve never ridden in a cop car before. But I wish it could be for another reason. I’d rather be arrested. Jin’s fidgeting in his seat but I can see the advantages of the police taking me to the hospital. The cops race through intersections with their lights and siren blaring. We get to the hospital in no time running all the red lights. As soon as the car stops, I fly out the door and race right into the hospital. I feel like I‘m in a bad movie when the doctor stops to talk to the officers at the elevator. “So did you find any living relatives?”
Officer Smith nods. He points in my direction. “Dr. Emery, that’s his daughter, right there.”
The doctor fiddles with his phone. “I would prefer an adult sign the consent form for such a serious operation. Not some child.”
I want to punch the doctor in the face. “I need to see my dad!”
Jin holds my shoulders tight. “Patience, Esme. They will soon find the wisdom in letting you comfort your father.”
“Why am I just standing around? All this time I could have wished the accident never happened.”
Jin hangs his head. “I am afraid it is not that easily accomplished. Fate has too much of a hold on your father.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember the rules, Esme. You cannot reverse what has already happened. The accident was part of your father’s fate.”
All the air feels like it’s been sucked out of the room. “But… I have to do something. I can’t lose him too. I was saving my wishes for something important like this.”
Jin looks deep into my eyes. “There is a chance you can save him.”
Dr. Emery marches up to us. “The detective has spoken with a woman named Ms. Crandy. She confirmed you’re Mr. Warren’s daughter. She is coming over to assist you with the paperwork.”
They act like I’m a ten-year-old. I’m seventeen—almost an adult. Ms. Crandy coming to my aid is the last thing I need right now. I look frantically at Jin as the doctor and the officer lead me down the hall. What is Jin’s plan to save my dad? I will use up all of the wishes I have left if I have to.
Dr. Emery strolls toward my dad’s room in ICU like he’s just suffering from a cold. I want to race past him but I hang back and take a long last look at Jin. They won’t allow him past the waiting room. He gives me a weak smile before I turn the corner. As soon as I finish seeing my dad I have to get back to Jin. Because of stupid rule number five, I can’t make a wish without him. The way the doctor is talking, Jin is my father’s only hope.
The doctor stops in front of room B206. “Your father will not be able to speak with you. He’s in a medically induced coma due to brain trauma. Once you finish your visit, I need you to sign the surgical consent form. Mr. Warren is scheduled for surgery at seven o’clock.”
“But that’s fifteen minutes from now.”
Dr. Emery turns his back to me not even bothering to answer. Being the bearer of bad news is just an ordinary part of his day. I tentatively step into my dad’s room. At least I think it’s him. Tubes and beeping monitors are everywhere. His head is wrapped up like a mummy. I move next to him and burst out crying. How could this happen? We barely got a chance to know each other. If he dies, where will I go next? I don’t even know if my mother is alive. Holding back sobs, I gently take my father’s bruised hand. “Dad, you have to hold on. You need to be strong. They are going to operate and then you’ll be fine in no time. I’m here, I’m going to take good care of you.”
Dad’s breathing becomes erratic. Did he hear me? I stroke his hand. “Everything is going to be okay. You’ll be back eating Sardi’s pizza in no time.”
His breathing becomes normal. OMG, he can hear me! For the first time I let a glimmer of hope fill my heart. I race out of the room and head straight for Jin in the waiting room. “Dad heard me.”
Jin smiles. “How wonderful Esme. Perhaps we do not need to take extreme measures after all. Modern medicine will heal your father instead.”
My heart sinks. “Extreme measures? What’re you talking about?”
“Polartopia. It is an ancient practice not employed for many centuries. Using the incantation would be at great risk to your health. I am glad it will not be necessary.”
A flurry of activity breaks out as an alarm rings down the hall. I try to get the attention of one of the orderlies. “What’s going on?”
A nurse runs past and screams out, “Code blue in room B206. Need a crash cart STAT!”
Jin’s brow furrows. “What is the commotion about? Sounds decidedly serious.”
“It means Dad’s heart stopped! I have to go to him.”
I turn to run toward Dad’s room but Jin grabs my arm. “Mistress, we must act quickly.”
I yank my arm away. “Jin, let me go.”
“If you want your father to live, you must come with me.”
Something I want more than anything. I follow him blindly onto the terrace. He searches the sky looking up at the stars. He leads me to the far corner of the terrace. “Stand here, Mistress. You must be perfectly lined up with Polaris.”
“Jin, stop fooling around. I need to save my dad. I wish that my father… ”
He puts a finger to my lips. “No, Mistress, not yet. This is an extraordinary wish you are about to request—to heal someone close to death. You need more power than I can provide alone. That is why we must seek the energy from Polaris.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Mistress, if your father has any chance of remaining in this world, you must look toward the star and repeat after me. It is of the utmost importance that we speak the words precisely at the same moment to maximize the star’s power.”
A feeling of total helplessness washes over me. Am I strong enough to hold my father’s life in my hands? I watch Jin as he holds up his fingers and counts to three. A strange prickly feeling surges through my body. My mind is somehow linked to Jin’s. It’s just like the mind melds I used to see Spock do on Star Trek reruns. In unison we say, “I wish that Mr. Warren will survive the surgery and be the exact same person he was before the accident took place.”
A stream of light shoots out of the sky and hits the roof of the hospital, sending sparks high into the air like a giant firework. I stand in awe. It’s just like the way lighting revives Frankenstein in the movies. “Jin, it worked. We saved Dad!”
“It is my greatest hope, Mistress. The powers of Polaris are great.”
A strange pain shoots up my neck as a second bolt of light hits me. Sparks fly all around my body. Something has gone terribly wrong. My vision grows blurry. I’m having a hard time standing.
Jin rushes to my side. “Esme, listen to my voice. You must remain with me. We have only begun our journey together.”
His words echo in my ears. Didn’t he say something about my health? A risk? My body tingles all over and I feel like I’m floating. Jin is no longer sitting next to me; somehow I’m hovering above him. Strange. How did that happen? The night sky spreads out before me. Polaris glows brighter and brighter until I see nothing else. The energy drains from my body and I flash on the old saying, a life for a life.
I never realized its true meaning—until now.
Chapter 3
I’m Back!
The familiar smell of antiseptic fills the air. I must be in the hospital. A thousand elephants are dancing across my forehead. My vision is blurry at first, and then I realize something familiar is hovering over me. A smile of someone I know—Jin. “Esme, I am so pleased you have awakened. I must say you had me quite vexed.”
I slowly push myself up on the pillow. “My dad is he…alive?
A smile spreads across his face. “Yes. He is doing exceptionally well. I will not lie to you, Esme. It was very dire at first. But the power of Polaris is great.”
“Where is he? Can I see him?”
“Not yet, but soon. You have been in a coma. You need to rest.”
“What? For how long?”
“Two days. The doctor placed you in a coma because you were electrocuted.”
I sit up straight in bed. My head is swimming but I don’t care. “Electrocuted? What the H?”
“I am truly sorry, Esme. Polaris can be incredibly unpredictable. I did a special healing ritual to revive you.”
“I’ll say!” My vision begins to clear. I recognize Jin’s face nothing else. The man before me is wearing a baseball cap pulled down over his eyebrows and a belted pair of jeans way too big for him. The plaid shirt looks like it belongs on a lumberjack. I smile back. “Seems the powers of my genie are great too. Except where is he?”
Jin laughs. “I have had to don various disguises in order to visit you. The authorities persist in asking me for something called a green card. I told them I misplaced the document. They were not terribly pleased with my answer. Without the aid of Ms. Crandy, I would not be able to visit you at all.”
How ironic. It’s Crandy’s loud mouthed daughter that has caused all the problems for Jin. “How’s my dad doing? Is he going to be all right?”
“Yes, your father will regain his health after an extensive course of physical therapy.”
I swallow hard. “Will he be able to go back to work?”
“Of course he shall. Just not immediately.” He squeezes my hand. “My dear Esme, I am happy to announce you will be released presently. I am certain Ms. Crandy will take quite good care of you.”
This has to be a nightmare. “What? I’m going to live with Crandy?”
“Esme, it has all been arranged. You can not be alone.”
“But I have you.”
He gives me a weak smile. “According to the authorities, as we are not married, I cannot be responsible for you. In addition, there is the incommodious problem of my legal status in the United States of America.”
A pang shoots up my neck. “Incomodi what?”
He laughs. “Do I need to purchase a copy of the Oxford English dictionary for you?”
Jin’s enjoying the fact that the tables have turned. “Just tell me what it means.”
“I believe you would say I am in one heck of a bad situation.”
“That’s both of us if we have to stay with Crandy.”
“Esme, it is so nice to hear you joke again. But it would not be proper for me to reside in a home filled with unattached women. I have taken up residence in your father’s home.”
Hopefully he won’t burn the house down again. My arms prickle. Jin’s thought of everything. He truly cares about me. I’m not just another Master. My feelings for him have grown stronger too. I honestly can’t imagine what I would do without him. Maybe I don’t have to use up all my wishes. Then he can stay with me forever.
The nurse enters the room with a food tray. “So glad to see you sitting up. Maybe you can try to eat some
of your lunch.”
Normally, lousy hospital food would be the last thing on my mind, but my growling stomach has other plans. Jin turns to leave. I ask him, “Stay and watch me eat.”
“Only for a moment.” He sits back down. “The doctor desires that you rest.”
“I will, after I stuff down whatever this on my tray.”
He smiles. “I do hope it is something edible.”
I hold up my fork. “Let’s find out.” He watches as I inhale the instant mashed potatoes and a piece of turkey that’s so tough to cut I bend my knife. Still, it’s solid food and it tastes wonderful. I clean the plate and push the tray aside. “Jin, do you think I can borrow the monocle? I want to be able to check up on my dad. See how he’s doing”
He pulls the monocle out of his pocket. “Of course, Esme. But fear not, you will be able to visit him soon.”
I turn the monocle over in my hand knowing I need it for another reason too. “Promise you won’t go exploring Dad’s house again. And no playing with matches. I need a place to live.”
His shoulders slump. “That is not humorous, Esme. I will be a good steward for your father’s home.”
What a terrible Mistress. Jin saved my life and I scold him like a kid. “Sorry, I know you will. And I’m sorry I never thanked you for saving my life.”
“It was nothing, Mistress.” He stands up. “I must rendezvous with Ms. Crandy. She will be so pleased you shall be leaving the hospital in the morning. You room is prepared.”
The reality of his words hit me. How am I going to live under the same roof as Courtney?
I am surrounded by a Shabby Chic nightmare. Ms. Crandy’s living room is every shade of off-white you can imagine, broken up by a smattering of rose cushions and drapes. I’ve traded in my dad’s 70’s obsession for Ms. Crandy’s 90’s one. How am I going to get better in this Laura Ashley showroom?
A flash of long blonde hair reminds me I have a much bigger problem than Ms. Crandy’s decorating choices. Courtney’s in the house. In fact, she’s standing right in front of me.
Jin In Time Boxed Set 1-3: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance (The Time is Forever Series) Page 9
