by Zoey Derrick
My eyes fly open and I gasp. “Vivienne.”
“Don’t stop,” she says breathily, and I gently slide my hands along the pure white feathers of her wings.
Looking down at her, reality becomes clear. This is the future. Our future.
“She will be our banphrionsa.” The voice that comes now is not Vivienne’s but a different female voice that comes with some sense of recognition, but yet not familiar.
“Princess?” How is this even...
I let the thought trail away and close my eyes. When I open them again, Vivienne has vanished. I turn quickly, looking for her, and realize that my wings have also gone.
I spin back around. In the spot where Vivienne stood just a moment ago is another woman. A familiar woman.
I stumble backwards.
“Mom?”
“Yes, baby.” Her voice radiates with emotion.
I can’t speak as I steady myself, looking again at the beautiful woman standing before me. She looks amazing. Her gorgeous blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and soft features are warm and inviting. She looks years younger than the pictures I have, almost like a teenager.
“How?” I finally manage to breathe.
In answer, she spreads her wings. “I am like you, my son. I too am an angel. Which is how you have become one.”
“But...” I have no words, and I crumple to the floor on my knees and sit back on my feet, my hands balling into fists against my thighs.
“There is much to learn, A leanbh, but your love is in danger, and you are the only one who can save her. The child she caries is the key to restoring the natural order bestowed upon us as aingeal. There is an imbalance among our kind, made worse by the foinse olc, the source of evil, as Satan too will breed with one that will stand by his side no matter what.
“Your need for her is strong, your hope for her burns bright and hot. She needs you to help her, to guide her. She is pure. Despite the life she’s led, she is pure of heart. Never doubt that.”
The breath moving in and out of my lungs is thick. “She gives me hope.”
“As she should, my son. She should give you reason to be whole and pure yourself. You, too, know hardship. Your father did all he could for you and our family, but raising children was not his strength in life. You were forced to do it alone. Without me.”
I snort a laugh. This is all too much to handle.
“There is much more to learn, but know that we are here, we will help you, and when you return home, I will see to it that you have our histories at your disposal. It will help you understand your purpose. And ours...”
Her voice trails off at the end and I look up.
She’s gone once again.
Thirty-Two
I put my head in my hands. This is too much. All this angel stuff is too much to understand all at once. I don’t know how I’m going to handle all of this without going crazy. It’s surreal.
Cool fingers on my cheek bring a zing of pleasure. Once again I put my hand over hers, only this time it’s not the soft, warm touch of before. Her fingers are almost cold, and there is something hard and rough pressing into my cheek.
I let out a rushed breath and pull back, my eyes flying open. Bright, ice-blue eyes and a mess of beautiful red hair.
I stand up, stumble and fall back into the chair.
Her lips turn upwards in a smile behind the ventilator hose.
“Is that funny to you?” I laugh and smile at her.
She nods. Then tries to pull on the hose.
“Don’t.” I reach for her hands to pull them back. She doesn’t flinch at my quick movements, and my heart swells once again. I take her hands in one of mine and pull the chair up close to her bed.
A hum of hope and life and undeniable pleasure radiates through me. “I missed you.” The words are out before I can stop them.
A faint trace of a blush kisses her cheeks.
I notice that the natural light in the room has faded significantly. It’s later than I would have thought possible.
“Are you in pain?”
She shakes her head slightly.
“I’m going to push the button for Amanda to come, okay?”
Her eyes widen in recognition.
“Yes, Dr. Alston and Amanda have been taking care of you.”
She nods again, and I reach for the call button. As soon as I touch the button, there’s a commotion outside the room and the door clicks open.
Dr. Alston comes in first, followed by Amanda.
“Hello, Vivienne. Pleasure to see you again. Are you in any pain?”
I watch Vivienne shake her head. I can’t take my eyes off of her. An overwhelming sense of joy is taking control of my body at the fact that she’s awake.
She is looking at me, too.
Dr. Alston has gone to the fetal monitor again, looking over the last foot or so of tape. “How long has she been up?”
“I don’t know, I was sleeping against her bed. She woke me up.”
Vivienne pulls her hand from mine and holds up five fingers.
“Five minutes?” Dr. Alston asks. Vivienne nods, and Dr. Alston goes back to reviewing the tape.
I look up at the baby’s monitor; the heart rate is around one-fifty. Curious, I look at Vivienne’s monitor. Sure enough, captured about five minutes ago, there is the now-familiar pattern of Vivienne’s heartbeat when I’m around. I can’t help but smile.
Vivienne’s head moves in the same direction. I look at her and watch her roll her eyes. I laugh and she squeezes my hand. Her other hand goes back to the tube in her mouth.
“Not just yet,” Dr. Alston says. “How do your ribs feel? Do they hurt?”
She wiggles in the bed just a little bit, then she shakes her head.
“What about your wrist, does it hurt?”
She flexes her fingers, rotates her wrist and shakes her head again.
“Is it really possible that she is healed already?”
“Yes.” This time the voice is in my head. Seraphina again.
You know, you could make yourself known before answering my questions.
She laughs. “I was here when you went to sleep, remember? Not my fault if you forgot.”
Fair enough.
“Viv, how does your neck feel? Does it hurt?”
She scowls at the question then she shakes her head. I’d forgotten all about the bruises around her neck. Had I remembered those, then I’d have seen, like I do now, that the marks are much fainter than they were yesterday.
“Is she still on pain meds?” I ask, and Vivienne’s eyes meet mine again.
“She’s on a light dose of pain meds. But I’d be able to tell if she was giving me the runaround so I’d take out the tubes. She didn’t even flinch.” She turns to Vivienne. “Alright, Vivienne, we will take out the tubes. On one condition?”
She nods at Dr. Alston but is still looking in my direction.
“You don’t go running a marathon at least for a few days.”
I laugh out loud and see Vivienne’s eyes scrunch up and her shoulders shake with laughter, though she doesn’t make a sound.
“Mikah, I need you to move so Amanda can get in over there.”
I watch Vivienne scowl at Dr. Alston, and I laugh again at her expression.
Dr. Alston laughs in return. “He’s not going anywhere. We just need the room, okay?”
She nods reluctantly.
I stand up and sidestep Amanda’s approach, taking a seat at the end of the bed near Vivienne’s calves.
Amanda has gone to work pulling back some of the tape holding the tubes in place.
“Alright, Vivienne. Go ahead and breathe through your nose.”
Amanda reaches over and turns off the machine.
“Now I need you to take a big, deep breath through your nose and hold it, and then on the count of three, I want you to exhale as hard and fast as you can. Are you ready?”
Vivienne nods.
“Okay, breathe in.”
With
the machine off the room is silent, and I hear the air enter though her nose, past the pipe. She scowls a little at the fullness of her lungs.
“One, two, three.”
Thirty-Three
On three I hear Vivienne’s rushed exhale. At the same time, Amanda holds down Viv’s shoulders and Dr. Alston pulls on the tube.
Then Vivienne starts coughing and wincing slightly. The coughing lasts for a few moments.
“Water?” Vivienne says in a raspy voice when she’s recovered.
Amanda is quick to grab the cup she brought in a few moments ago.
“Ice chips,” she says as I take the cup from her, and then she presses the button on the side of the bed to raise Vivienne to a sitting position.
“Hi, there,” I say, handing Vivienne the ice chips.
“Hi,” she says, still raspy.
“How you doing?”
She nods and puts a couple of pieces of ice into her mouth. “I’m okay.”
“Vivienne, how are you feeling? Any pain?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I’m really hungry.”
I smile.
So does Dr. Alston. “We can work on that.”
“How long...?” She trails off, clears her throat.
“It’s Saturday.” Dr. Alston pauses to look at her watch. “Seven twenty in the evening. You’ve been out since you came in yesterday morning.”
Both Dr. Alston and I are watching for any reaction from Vivienne, who lets out a long breath.
“Is everything...” Her free hand reaches for her stomach, and relief washes over her face.
I can feel the emotion wrap around me, engulfing me.
“Everything looks good. You both are doing good.”
Vivienne nods slowly, and then her eyes glass up.
“Can you guys leave us for a little while?” I ask Dr. Alston.
“Of course. Hit the button if you need anything, and we will get some dinner up here.”
“No need. I’ll take care of it. She deserves something better than hospital food.”
Dr. Alston laughs. “This is true. Okay, but keep it light, like soup or broth.” I nod. “I’ll be back in shortly.”
When the door clicks shut behind the doctor and nurse, I turn back to Vivienne, and she mouths, “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
I don’t say anything more. I’m not going to force her to talk. I get up to get my phone.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
I turn back to her and smile. “Getting you some dinner.”
“Oh.”
I smile a little wider and call Red.
“Hello, sir.”
“Hi. She’s awake and she’s hungry. Can you bring us both something, but keep it light and soft, like soup?”
“Of course. Celeste’s already got some stuff going, in anticipation of her waking up. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Thanks, Red. If you could, leave it with the staff and have them bring it in.”
“Absolutely. Call if you need anything else.”
“Actually, can you bring me one of my t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants?”
“For you, sir?”
“No, for Vivienne. I think she’d be more comfortable.” I look to her and she nods.
“We have clothes for her here if you’d like.”
I hadn’t realized they’d gotten that far already. “Pants. But bring one of my t-shirts.”
“On it. See you soon.”
“Yup.” I hit the end button.
I turn back to Vivienne. “Red will be here soon with some food.”
“Thanks.”
“Anything, anytime.” I pause. “How are you doing?”
She just shakes her head.
“I won’t pry, but if you need to talk about something, I’m here. I’ll listen.”
“It’s not that, really. It’s more that...I’m trying to figure out how I ended up here,” she says softly.
“Are you sure you want to talk about that?”
“No, but I know it’s something I will need to know eventually.” As she speaks, her eyes begin to droop.
“You’re tired?” I ask.
She nods. “I am, but I’m confused.”
“Is my being here making you uncomfortable?” Please, no. I don’t want to leave.
She shakes her head. “I’m glad you’re here.” I walk toward the chair, but before I can sit down, she says, “I really need to go to the bathroom.”
“You have a catheter.” I try to not look at her, but I see the blush of embarrassment that spreads across her cheeks regardless. “I can call for Amanda.”
“Nurse Fang,” she says, and I laugh. “Go ahead.” She smiles a little bit.
I reach for the button and a beep sounds over our heads.
“Yes, Vivienne?” Dr. Alston’s voice.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she says, looking up toward the ceiling.
“I’ll send Amanda in.”
“Thanks.”
A few moments later, Amanda comes into the room.
“How we doing, Viv?” she asks.
“Okay. I need to go to the bathroom and I don’t want to use the catheter.”
“Is it because he’s in here?” She hitches her thumb in my direction and I nearly blush, embarrassed myself.
“I can step out,” I say to Vivienne.
“No, I just want to go to the bathroom. Can’t I just go?”
“Alright, but you can’t get mad at me if we have to put it back in. Fair enough?” Vivienne just shrugs. “Mikah, can you give us some privacy?”
“Uh, sure.” I turn on my heel and head toward the door.
“Don’t go far,” I hear Vivienne say.
“Right outside the door.”
Thirty-Four
I wander aimlessly into the empty waiting room a couple of doors down from Vivienne’s room.
A warm tingling sensation spreads and then quickly subsides before giving way to the tingling I’m most familiar with: icy stabbing sensations. I try in vain to not arch my back and curl in on the feeling, but it’s hard; it hurts like hell.
I hear the chime of the elevator followed by footsteps. I reach into my pocket and press a button on my phone.
Scuff. Thud. Scuff, click. The door closes.
Someone is walking across the floor behind me. The icy stabbing continues as I realize the person behind me is a threat. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I spin around, preparing to defend against whatever is coming after me.
“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here.”
My heart pumps faster and bright red rage fills my vision as I take in the man before me. The icy stabbing flares momentarily then settles. My veins almost feel frozen, but the feeling brings about an unusual sense of strength and I flex involuntarily as I grit my teeth. “What the hell are you doing here, Elton?” I spat at him.
“I heard your girlfriend was in the hospital and that you were hiding out here.”
“Why are you looking for me?” I ask him. I know from his voicemail that he knew about Vivienne, in some fashion. Though I’m not sure if he knew, at the time, that she was alive. Has he put two and two together? Does he know that his son is responsible for the state of my ‘girlfriend’ as he puts it?
“We have something in common.” He straightens his stance and his tie, a gesture that strikes me as ridiculous here in this context.
“And that is what, exactly?”
“Your little girlfriend is causing quite a problem for my family.”
Rage flares hotter, brighter. “How do you suppose that is?”
“Well she broke up with my son. They were supposed to be married soon.”
“Ha!” I bark at him. “That is the biggest line of bullshit I’ve ever heard. Though I’m curious, is your coming here your idea, or is it Riley’s?” He doesn’t respond. But I’m going to see where this goes. Elton could be the key to finding out where Riley is. “
Your son seems to think he can control you too. So let me put it to you this way. My ‘girlfriend,’ as you call her, almost died because of the damage your son inflicted on her.”
His eyes widen marginally. “How dare you accuse my son of beating a woman! That’s preposterous!” His face begins to turn red. “He was in the process of getting her back, bringing her back to him.”
“Wow Elton, you really are dense on so many levels. Did you not just bail your son out of jail for domestic violence?”
“It was a misunderstanding.”
“Jesus, you make me sick. First, you post bail for your son who was arrested following the brutal beating of the woman you say he was trying to get back. The woman he beat to near death again Thursday night that fought for her life, and the life of your unborn grandchild.”
“That’s preposterous! She was never in the hospital. It was a misunderstanding.”
“Jesus H-Christ Elton, wake the fuck up. Here’s a thought for you. Why don’t you go grab your son and walk into the downtown office of the MPD. See how they react to your son’s arrival on their territory. If you’re so inclined to find out the truth, that just might be the quickest, most efficient way to know for sure.”
His face turns redder by the second. A career businessman hoping for a career in politics doesn’t want to have this kind of negative publicity looming over his head.
“Did you know that your son is wanted for questioning in the murder of a twenty-three year old girl named Rebecca Black?” Deeper red. “Not to mention the brutal beating of a twenty-two year old woman who went through hell and back to save her life.”
Purple to blue, then back to red. He shakes his head. “I don’t believe you,” he spats at me.
“I don’t care if you believe me or not, Elton. The point is, it always comes out in the end. So you can decide here and now what side you’re going to take in this matter. If you choose Riley’s, then I suggest you get the hell out of here and get to work. You have one hell of a conspiracy to try and cover up.” I turn my back on him.
“She is a Goddamn liability,” I hear him say.
Bright red rage twists me around and launches me back in his direction. He doesn’t flinch or back away. As my fist connects with his jaw and nose, I hear the crunch of breaking bones. See the blood spray across the floor as he grabs his face.
