“Where’s Spark?” I ask, putting my hand on her shoulder. It’s as tense as a rock.
She points toward the door that reads Medical Professionals Only.
“Tee, don’t worry. I’ll get him back. Just take some deep breaths and try to rest. Your body needs to recover.”
“I need my son…” Her voice is a hoarse whisper as her muscles relax into the bed. “Hey, who let you back here?” Spark whips his head around, small surgical knife in hand, walking toward us.
Bang. I open the door and find Spark with his back to me, Tee’s son squirming on the table. “You’ve been here for a long—”
The last word gets caught in my throat as Spark turns toward me, a scalpel in his hand. What was he doing? The question refuses to emerge from my lips. I don’t think I want to know.
My heart races as he steps toward me. “You know the rules around here, don’t you, Lin?”
I clenched my fists, hoping that I could somehow squeeze confidence out of me. “Yes,” I croak. Apparently, I only had enough confidence for one word.
Spark twirls the scalpel in his hand. “That’s why I was running tests. Every new person who comes into the Community needs to be checked. You were checked when you first got here, weren’t you?”
“You weren’t running tests. You were cutting him open. Why?” I inch forward as he takes a step back.
“Oh, Lin. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” He fluffs back his thick white hair and points behind his ear. “You wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would you?”
My mouth hangs open. He knows about Susan. I look away, hoping he doesn’t see my surprise.
Too late.
“So she told you too, huh? Well, we have these rules so that no one gets hurt. I’ll give Tee her baby back, but you won’t tell anyone about this. Understood?”
I grit my teeth. “You won’t get away with--”
“Understood?” He points to his ear again, this time with his scalpel.
“I understand,” I whisper loud enough for him to hear. “Just, please give Tee her son back.”
“Once you leave this room, I’ll bring him right out.”
My shoulders shrug downward as I open the door. Tee’s asleep on the bed, her arms hugging her abdomen.
She can’t know about this.
I walk over to her and put my hand on her head. She slowly stirs awake. “Did you talk to Spark?” she groans.
“He’s bringing him right out,” I say sweetly, hiding my fear and anger behind my caring smile.
As if on cue, the door clicks open, and my muscles tense again. Spark has Tee’s son swaddled in a towel. “Behold, your son. He passed all his tests. What a beautiful, healthy boy.”
Tee squeals in delight, the life flooding back into her face. She extends her arms, warmly embracing her little boy. “Thank you,” she whispers.
Spark casts a glance at me, and I instinctively shiver. He holds up his thumb with a smile. “Lin, I wanted to thank you for your help during the c-section. I believe she made it through because of you.”
I shrug. “That’s what friends are for.”
“Maybe your medical experience will come in handy around here one of these days.”
He opens the door before I get a chance to respond.
Nelle and June run into the room, Blair trailing angrily behind them. But the three of them melt as they see the baby. “Ooh, how precious,” June says, stepping next to me and peering down at him. “Congratulations, Tee. He’s beautiful.”
As Nelle and Blair come over to make their remarks, I mumble something about having to go.
There’s only one person I feel comfortable talking to about what happened.
Chapter Forty-Four
Thankfully, he’s still cleaning up after breakfast. By the time I reach him, I fall at his feet, breathless.
Ace jumps back, as if the sight of me is frightening to him. “Whoa, Lin! Are you okay?”
“No. Please. Don’t tell anyone. Spark knows—”
“Hey, hey, slow down.” He bends to look me in the eye. “What happened? What did Spark do to you?”
I start to speak, but the words are blocked by my sobs.
“Breathe, Lin.” He puts his hand on my back, and instantly, my muscles loosen. Instinctively, I reach into him for a hug, letting him hold me as the tears fall. “Shh. It’s all right. You’re safe here.”
A figure overshadows us, but I’m too weak to turn. “Good afternoon, Lin. Is everything okay?”
Susan.
“What does he know?” Ace asks hesitantly, rubbing my back. “What happened?”
“Here, Lin.” Susan takes my hand and pulls me away from Ace. “Let’s get you some warm tea and a comfortable place to sit.”
My body grows cold as Ace releases me from his grip and runs into the kitchen. Susan pulls me toward her, guiding me to my table.
I’d do anything for my “Peace” playlist right now.
Susan’s hand in mine doesn’t comfort me. It makes me feel more like an outsider, like a child in need of babysitting.
As my body finds its way into my seat, Susan hands me some napkins. “It’s okay, Lin. You can cry. Take your time.”
I press two of the napkins to my eyes, trying to figure out what I’m going to say. Is it safe to talk to Susan? Would she let me talk to Ace alone?
“Here, Lin. It’s chamomile with honey.”
Ace holds the tea up to my lips, and his tone is just as soothing as the sweet tea on my tongue. He sits down next to me. “What does Spark know?”
My eyes dart between him and Susan, Spark’s words ringing in my ears. You won’t tell anyone about this. Telling Susan would put her life at risk. Then again, so would telling Ace. Why did I think this was a good idea?
I take a deep breath and fight back the tears forming in my eyes. “I—I—”
Ace puts his hand on mine, and my cheeks instantly flushes. “Lin, you can trust me. Spark will not hurt you. But if there’s any suspicious activity, you have an obligation to—”
“Spark knows about…” I look over at Susan and lower my head. “Her kill switch.” My voice is less than a whisper, only loud enough for Ace and Susan to hear.
Ace furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head. “No. There’s no way.” His eyes avert toward Susan, whose lips are thin and trembling. “Susan, that has to be grounds for conducting an investigation.”
“You’re right.” Susan puts her hand on her chin and looks down at the table. “We’ve never had to do this before. How do we go about investigating without startling the others?”
“We’d have to find a way to monitor him in a casual setting, so he doesn’t suspect anything.”
“That’s not possible.” Ace leans back in his chair and my muscles tense.
No, there has to be a way.
“Spark is always at the clinic. He’s either tending to patients or working with Blair.”
“Why don’t I work with him?” The words come out of my mouth before I can really think about them. But once they’re out in the open, I decide to own them. “I helped him with Tee. He said my medical experience could come in handy someday.”
Susan leans forward. “I didn’t know you had medical experience.”
“You don’t know very much about my past life,” I say with a smile.
“That’s a good point. We just don’t know what Spark knows about you.” Ace folds his arms over his chest. “If he knew about Susan, he might be getting information from somewhere else. Or some-one else.”
“I think it’s worth the risk,” Susan says. “I can speak with Spark later today about you working in the clinic with him and Blair. After all, they really shouldn’t be alone together anyway.”
“We just haven’t noticed it because there’s always been another patient in there somehow,” Ace explains
I sip the rest of my tea and feel my muscles relax. My friends are on my side. They’re going to help me. Susan’s going to be all right.
But what’ll it be like to work with the man who performed surgery on Tee’s baby and threatened to kill Susan?
Chapter Forty-Five
“So, what’s next? Go back to the clinic?”
“Well, certainly,” Susan says. “After all, Tee’s still recovering from surgery.”
“We’re coming with you,” Ace says, rising to his feet, leaving his empty mug on the table. “Right, Susan?”
“Oh, of course,” Susan replies with a soft nod. As she moves, her hair stays perfectly in place. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a baby.”
“I think we can all say that,” Ace replies.
My muscles tense as I put my empty mug in the wash basin. The idea of working with the man who threatened to kill anyone, especially sweet Susan, ties my stomach into a knot.
What was he going to do with Tee’s son, anyway? Why would he want to kill an innocent child? To kill hope? To get rid of a potential threat? What was his motive?
“Lin, before we go and talk to Spark, I’d like to ask you to keep this a secret between us. We don’t want to worry the others.”
I look back at Susan and click my tongue. “Understood.”
When we arrive at the medical clinic, Ace slips his hand into mine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I’m getting used to this nonverbal communication thing. By taking my hand, he’s telling me that he’s here for me. I’m not dealing with Spark alone.
Once we open the door, Ace takes the lead, with me and Susan following behind him.
Blair’s standing in the lobby, her hands folded in front of her and a bright smile adorning her cunning face. “Oh, hey everyone. Are you all here to see the baby?”
My blood boils as I struggle to stay silent. She’s too nice. Not after the last time I was with her. Did Spark say something to her? Or is she hiding something?
We don’t want to worry the others.
If Ace and Susan really believe that hiding the fact that Spark could be traitor is the way to protect everyone, I’ll do it. For now.
“Good afternoon, Blair,” Ace says with more friendliness in his tone than I’d be able to muster right now. Blair had to have known about what Spark was doing to Tee’s son. Why didn’t she warn me? “How are Tee and the baby doing?”
Blair’s plastered smile is tempting me to grab hold of her face and throw her to the ground. But I don’t have the strength, emotionally or physically, to accomplish such a task.
“We had to run a few tests earlier, but Spark was able to confirm that he was okay after a risky delivery.”
“Risky?” I scoff. Before I can say something sarcastic, I recover. “I hope Tee’s all right.”
A door opens and Nelle and June emerge from the back room. “Oh, hey everyone,” Nelle says, throwing up her hand.
“We brought snacks,” Ace says, holding up a few apples, cookies, and bottles of water.
Blair’s smile fades into a grimace as her eyes lock on June. “Well, look who’s feeling better all of a sudden.”
“Nice to see you, too,” June says in the exact tone I wanted to use when speaking with Blair.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Susan asks, cutting the tension between us all as if she has a thin pair of scissors. “Let’s see them.”
Blair nods obediently. “Certainly, Susan. You may all come see the baby now.”
With his hand still in mine, Ace leads me to the examination room, where Tee is laying upright on the table with her new baby resting on her chest. My ears perk up as I scan my surroundings. Where’s Spark?
But the joyous coos of the others in my group put my mind at ease.
“Aw, how precious!” June says, her eyes glistening and her dimples popping out of her cheeks. “Have you named him yet?”
Tee smiles from ear to ear as she stares lovingly at her son, whose eyes are shut in a peaceful sleep. “Ben.”
“Ooh, I like it.” June rubs Tee’s arms.
“Are you hungry?” Ace asks.
“You can put those on the table,” Blair says in a forced professional tone. “We’re currently monitoring her diet until she’s recovered.”
“Lin, would you like to hold the baby?” Tee says.
I look around, as if there’s another Lin in the room. “Me?”
She chuckles. “Of course! You helped deliver him, after all.”
My heart pounds wildly inside my chest. I’ve never held a baby, not even any of Sage’s twins. This is my new life now.
Ace releases my hand from his and I walk tentatively toward Tee’s side of the bed. I read her eyes for any sign of distrust, any sign that she’s doing this out of guilt. But no. She wants me to be a part of her child’s life.
What an honor. A warmness fills my chest as my hands begin to shake.
“Make sure you hold him like I’m holding him now,” she explains. “You have to protect his head and neck.”
Tee holds her son like she’s carrying a football with two hands. One hand is on the neck, and the other is on the bottom.
With a smile, she slides her son’s little body into my hands, which are molded in the same position as Tee’s. He isn’t heavy, but the weight of his life is in my hands. His beautiful mouth forms a perfect oval as he yawns and clicks his tongue. Every motion is a miracle.
One day, he won’t fit in my arms. One day, he’ll be able to answer me when I speak to him. But I’ll get to watch him every step of the way until he gets there.
“Wow,” I exhale, tears forming in my eyes.
After what feels like eternity but is probably only a few seconds, the others crowd around me, desperate for a look at the child.
“He has your nose,” June says, poking his face.
“What a blessing,” Nelle says.
When I glance at Ace, his mouth is chiseled like a statue. Deep in thought. Did he lose a child, too?
I didn’t notice that Susan had left the room. My muscles tense, and the baby starts to squirm. As he makes a face, I hold him up to his mother, wondering what to do.
“I’ll take him.” June wraps her hands around mine and I slide the baby into her arms, just as Tee had done for me.
“Where’s Susan?” I ask Ace in a soft whisper, whipping my body away from the hospital bed.
“She said she needed some fresh air.”
The door, which is half ajar, creeks open, and Spark slides into the room. “Oh, I see you’re having a party without me,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Instinctively my hands turn into fists at the first sight of him. Ace stands slightly in front of me and I feel safe.
Tee speaks first. “Oh, Spark. Thank you for taking care of my baby. I know you said delivering him would be a risk. I’m happy that you were able to keep him alive.”
I fight back the urge to say what’s on my mind. To expose him for the fraud that he is. We don’t want to worry the others. I keep my mouth shut for Susan’s sake. She doesn’t deserve to die because I want revenge.
“Good news, Tee. We’re letting you go home today. Your vitals are healthy and your baby is safe.”
Nelle claps and cheers, putting her hand on Tee’s shoulder.
June wiggles her finger in Ben’s face. “Hear that, little guy? You get to go home!”
But Tee’s eyes well up with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m happy, but we’re not going home. Home is where this little guy’s daddy is. And his siblings.”
Nelle nods with her face scrunched to the side. “Aw, I know what you mean. I’m sorry they can’t be here with you. But we’re here, and we’re going to make the most of this. Let’s get you some dinner and help you get settled in your cabin.”
Susan sticks her head through the doorway, startling me. “I’ll bring dinner to your cabin, Tee, so you can rest. Lin, can you help me?”
I practically run past Spark, eager to get out of the same room as him. As I open the door, Susan pipes up. “Lin, I heard you helped comfort Tee during her c-section.”
&nbs
p; My cheeks flush. “What are you doing?” I mutter only loud enough for her to hear.
“It takes someone with a lot of sympathy, and even some medical experience, to be there for someone when they’re undergoing surgery.”
She winks at me, and I catch on. “Oh, yeah. It was nothing for me. I just love helping out my friends.”
Spark grunts unpleasantly. “Well, I do appreciate your help, Lin.” Every word sounds forced, ingenuine.
“And as you said, Spark. My medical experience could come in handy someday.”
“Oh, Lin. That’s a great idea. Maybe you can work here at the clinic. What do you think, Spark?”
A smirk forms on my lips as his mouth hangs open. The tables have turned. I’ve got him.
“That’s an excellent idea, Susan.” Now it’s his turn to smirk. “I’d love to take Lin under my wing and teach her everything I know.”
“Splendid. We’ll be in touch about that soon. What do you think, Lin?”
“Perfect.”
Chapter Forty-Six
I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. “Where did you go?”
Susan folds her hands behind her back as she walks. “I was looking around the clinic for some evidence that Spark’s reporting back to the Liberty party.”
“Did you find anything?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not sure what he could’ve wanted with Ben.”
“He had a scalpel in his hand. He was performing some kind of surgery.” I don’t realize my voice is rising until Susan stops and puts a finger to her lips.
“Lin, remember. We don’t want to worry the others.”
I nod, opening the door to the dining hall. I’ll keep it a secret to maintain order in the Community. To give Ben a beautiful life with his mother. But exposing Spark is the only way for that to happen.
“So, what happens if we find evidence that Spark’s a traitor?” I ask, my question echoing in the large, empty room.
“He dies,” she says matter-of-factly.
My mouth hangs open. “What?”
“The Community has only one way of dealing with traitors. We tie him to a pole and each take turns throwing stones at him. It’s a practice that’s centuries old, but it demonstrates the importance of everyone doing their part to correct the wrongs committed by their friends. It also serves as a warning to anyone else who tries to do the same.”
In Real Life Page 17
