by S S Bazinet
He glanced back at them as they caught up, but he didn’t slow his pace. “I feel like a damned candy striper. People are grabbing me from every direction. Everyone wants me to visit them. And you two are horrible. You’re never there when I need you!”
He slammed open the doors to the garage and hurried into its darkness.
“Slow down,” Abrigail called out. “This is a busy place.”
Ignoring her, he sprinted for the Mustang. He was inhaling forcefully, trying to get the hospital smell out of his nasal passages. Car fumes were far superior to the clean stuff he’d just been subjected to.
Following him into the garage, Abrigail made a comment to Michael that he overheard. “Arel looks like he’s feeling stronger.”
Her words were like a match on dry tinder, making him come to a full stop in the middle of the lane. “Stronger? Is that what you call—?”
His question was cut short by a fast moving car swinging around the corner of the garage. Brakes squealed as the driver tried to avoid hitting him.
Bloody hell!
His legs were welded to the spot. Any ability to leap out of harm’s way failed him. His traumatized mind overrode his reflexes. Still, the car stopped before it collided into him. It was a small miracle since it was going too fast to brake in time to avoid him.
“I’m sorry!” the woman shouted from inside the car.
Practically riding the hood of the vehicle and grabbing his heart, he saw his life flash in front of him. He despised every minute. What a pathetic recall. Something had to change.
Engaging the woman’s eyes with his own, he held up a hand, trying to find his legs, trying to move out of the car’s path. His face was still frozen, but he was livid with indignation, cursing silently with expletives that would have burned the driver’s ears if he’d been able to give them voice.
Abrigail joined him, taking his arm as he staggered to safety. “Are you alright?”
“I’m done with you, with this Peggy person and all the rest,” he replied. “Not heaven or hell is getting me out of my house again.”
“Even if you don’t think so, we’re watching out for you,” Michael said calmly.
Arel glanced at the angel and understood. Michael had stopped the car that almost hit him. Now Michael’s kind eyes reminded Arel of those of the old lady in the elevator. The truth came through in a rush of clarity. Michael wasn’t his enemy.
But I can’t seem to stop putting him and everybody else in that role.
By the time that he got to the car, his anger was replaced by weariness. He leaned on the side of the Mustang for support. “I’m sorry for blaming you all the time. That car almost hit me because of my own stupidity.”
“You’ve had a difficult day.”
Arel shook his head. “I’m so tired of hearing myself complain, and I don’t know why I keep reacting like I do.” As he spoke, he put his hand to his heart again, trying to rub away the heaviness sitting on his chest. “Peggy was sweet, but to be around her . . . I can’t.” He looked up at Michael. “It’s all too much. I don’t understand any of it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. “Here, you drive. I’m too tired.”
* * * * *
Michael pulled into the garage and turned off the engine. It had been a quiet ride back from the hospital. Arel fell asleep shortly after they were on their way. He was still slumbering in the passenger seat, still clutching at his chest. His brows were drawn together as his breath rose and fell in a shallow, uneven rhythm.
“He does look like a poor thing,” Abrigail whispered from the back seat.
Michael sighed, agreeing with her. Physically, Arel was worn down and exhausted. His battered heart was hanging in there, but the emotional trauma that it was being dealt was overwhelming it’s already unstable function. Michael was reluctant to discuss the fact with Arel. The man already had too much on his mind.
Another serious concern was Arel’s energy field. Ideally, it should have been an illumined, sparkling sphere of light. Instead, it was dense and heavy with large patches of muddied darkness. An aura of tragedy and persecution followed him from one lifetime to another. Now, everything he experienced was filtered through its veil of suffering. He’d become humanity’s victim. Peggy wasn’t someone who could be a source of love. She was a bundle of misery, a bundle of misery that wanted relief.
Abrigail’s bright eyes were scanning Arel too. “He shields himself from us, yet he doesn’t know how to protect himself from the negative energies of the people that he’s around.”
“Yes, I know.”
“He’s also becoming very powerful in some ways. He was only open to Peggy’s pain for a moment, yet look how much of it he’s absorbed.”
“Arel has imagined himself as everyone’s whipping boy for a long time. He plays that role very effectively.”
“What’s going to happen to him? I know that your blood is supposed to help him, but he doesn’t know how to use it. Its power is amplifying his experiences.”
“He’ll learn, with our help. You saw how quickly he can recuperate when he’s happy.”
“You sound encouraged.”
“I know him. I know what he’s capable of.”
Abrigail smiled. “He did look confidant when he was driving to his supposed doom. And he showed a lot of fervor when he thought he was in heaven. He has a way of always surprising me.”
Michael smiled too. He wasn’t surprised that Arel could show such resilience. He’d been waiting for it, knew it was there if only Arel could get past his self-imposed judgments and one of his biggest hurtles, his fear of betrayal.
He put his hand on Arel’s heart, drawing off the new pain, Peggy’s pain. As he cleansed the vessel of the newly acquired energies, Arel stirred slightly, letting out a soft groan in his sleep. After a few moments, his face relaxed a little, his brows slowly leveled out.
Michael also attempted to draw off the old, impacted energies in the surrounding areas, but as usual, the barriers that Arel had in place were too strong. Michael’s golden light bounced off thick walls of resistance.
“Do you think that he’s out of the woods, so to speak?” Abrigail asked.
“Not exactly.”
“What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”
“It means that I think the worst is yet to come.”
“I was afraid that you were going to say that, but I have a thought that might help a little. Arel definitely doesn’t like our version of humor, but perhaps you can strengthen his own idea of playfulness while he’s sleeping.”
“I can try, but he might not let me.”
Arel carried around his grim attitude like a badge. His laughter was rare, cynical. Still, he was funny. Michael almost laughed again when he thought about their return trip to Chicago and Arel’s comebacks, how he refused to let Michael turn to a life of negativity because Michael’s ‘cronies’ would end up blaming Arel.
Sorry, but I only said those things to shake you out of your mood. Just remember, I can never change who I am. And in truth, you can never change who you are. It’s all about perception.
“Let’s get him to bed so he can rest,” Abrigail suggested.
“Yes, I agree.” Michael turned to wake up his exhausted passenger, and paused. Arel’s slightly grasping fist had fallen unto the center console. It was a skin and bones testament to Arel’s staying power. He’d held on through a mother’s bitterness, a father’s hatred, and his best friend’s curse. Now Michael knew that Arel was facing a final trial of fire. “Hold on a little longer. Hold on tight.”
Thirty-Two
KEVIN FIDGETED RESTLESSLY in the cramped hospital chair, trying to make his two hundred pound plus, heavy boned frame fit a seat designed for someone much smaller. But hospital seating was the least of his concerns. A soft whimper coming from the bed a few feet away reminded him of why his body was tight with tension and worn from worry. His sister, Peggy, was in trouble, and he didn’t know how to help.
What
the hell is going on with her?
The question repeated over and over in his mind.
He got up, went to the bed, and grabbed hold of the steel bed rail. His grip tightened as he stared at his sister. He wanted to do what he always did, protect her. But from what? What made her eyes fill with tears when she was awake? Why didn’t she talk to him and tell him what was wrong?
The doctors claimed that Peggy didn’t appear to be seriously injured, but he knew better. When had his brassy, full-of-advice sister ever refused an opportunity to mouth off with him? When had she ever acted like some weak, pitiful child? She didn’t talk or respond to Tim either. That was unusual.
My sister and I don’t always communicate well, but Tim has always been able to connect with her.
There was only one person Peggy seemed interested in, some damnable guy named Arel. He already hated the name.
If this guy, Arel, did something to my sister—
He knew he might be wrong in jumping to conclusions, but who else could have made Peggy look like she visited hell and got stuck there? Clenching his jaw, he felt a bristling energy take hold. He needed to put things right, but for now, he had to wait.
He let go of the railing and went back to his seat. Trying to get comfortable again, he looked at his watch and then at the door. At least he wasn’t alone in his miserable vigil. Tim had gone on a coffee run, but he’d be back soon. They’d been there for each other since they were kids. Now, Kevin was grateful that they were watching over Peggy together.
* * * * *
Tim walked quickly down the hospital corridor. He’d traveled the halls numerous times since Peggy’s accident. Now as he headed back to her room again, he tried to steady his nerves. The doctors were keeping Peggy another day for some additional tests. In the meantime, he had to stay the course, to stay calm for her sake.
But his fiancé wasn’t the only one he had to worry about. Kevin was barely holding it together. Tim recognized his best friend’s mood from when they were boys, when Kevin used his fists to help his sister with bullies. Now, that brotherly and volatile part of Kevin’s personality was active again. It didn’t come out very often, but when it did, look out.
So it’s up to me to be the mature one. Dammit!
He didn’t feel like being mature. He was worried as hell too. What could have made Peggy go from being her confident self to being totally lost? She’d been in another accident several years before and handled that one like a champ. But this time, she acted like she’d suffered some kind of breakdown. “Just come back to me, sweetie,” he whispered almost like a prayer.
When he got back to her room, he could be grateful for one thing. Peggy was sleeping. The meds that she’d finally agreed to take were working. On the other hand, Kevin looked edgy as hell. He sat in a chair by the window. His brows couldn’t furrow any deeper, and his fists were clenched tight. Fortunately, he smiled when he saw Tim.
“Great, more coffee,” Kevin said in a hushed tone. “Hope it’s stronger than the last brew.”
Tim walked over and handed him a cup. “I think we’ve had more of this stuff than we should, but we need something to stay awake.”
Kevin started to remove the lid. “Dammit!” he yelped when he spilled some of the scalding liquid on his hand.
“Shh! You’ll wake Peggy!” Tim whispered as he quickly retrieved some tissues and handed them to Kevin.
Kevin put the cup down and wiped his hand. “My nerves are shot.”
“You have to hold it together. We both do, for Peggy’s sake.”
Kevin’s red rimmed eyes filled with fresh anger. “We need to do more than that. We need to find that guy she was asking for. The damn bastard came and went in the ten minutes I left the room. Can you believe that?”
“Don’t blame yourself. You—”
“I’m not! I’m blaming him. How could he be so inconsiderate? He should have stuck around.”
Peggy stirred in her sleep, moaning out a protest.
“You have to keep it down,” Tim insisted.
Kevin stood up and stared at the bed. “I’m trying, but I’m going nuts wondering what’s going on.”
“And you think that I’m not?” Tim’s tone was curt. He could feel himself losing the maturity battle.
Kevin crossed his arms over his chest. “So what do we do now? I can’t keep sitting here doing nothing.”
Tim let out a snort of agreement. “We’ll come up with something.”
Thirty-Three
CAROL WALKED INTO Peggy’s room and hesitated. She was reminded of one of those movies where soldiers were waiting to go into battle. Both Tim and Kevin were crouched over in their chairs, clenching their hands, rigid and ready for action. When they glanced up at her, their faces were masks, hard but alert. But this wasn’t a scene from a war movie. It was supposed to be a hospital where her friend was recuperating after an accident.
I thought she was going to be fine . . . what’s going on?
Carol held on to a large bouquet of flowers as she walked over to Peggy’s bed. Her friend’s usually bright face was pale and drawn. Even in her sleep, Peggy grimaced and let out little cries of pain. Carol’s hand tightened on the flowers as she turned back to the men. “What’s wrong with Peggy?”
Tim responded by jumping up, putting a finger to his lips. “Please, we don’t want to wake her.”
Carol moved away from the bed. As she did, Kevin was also getting to his feet, but this wasn’t her Kevin. Like Peggy, he’d changed too. She’d always liked his broad shouldered presence. Now, as he came towards her, his bulk was intimidating.
“We need to talk,” he growled as he took her flowers and tossed them on a side table. “Come with me.” He grabbed her arm and half pulled her out of the room.
Carol instinctively tried to free herself. “What’s going on?”
Kevin let her go when they were in the corridor. His grey eyes had always been warm. But they’d turned stormy and cold.
“That’s what I want to know. Tell me what happened to my sister?” he demanded.
Before she could reply, Tim joined them. His eyes weren’t as hostile, but it was obvious that he wanted answers too.
Carol backed up, putting some distance between herself and the men. “I thought that you said that Peggy wasn’t in any danger.”
“The doctor told us that she should be okay, but I’m not sure that’s true,” Tim said.
Kevin moved closer. “Yeah, we want to know what the hell this guy, Arel, did to her.”
Carol couldn’t believe that she was being grilled by two men who had always been so nice in the past. “Arel? What does this have to do with him?”
Tim remained stiff. “Kevin and I both feel that she’s disturbed about something that happened before the accident. She’s insisted on talking to this friend of yours, Arel.”
“Yeah, and we want to know why.” Kevin’s eyes were getting even harder.
Carol shrugged. “I don’t know why, but I’m sorry about not being able to take your call earlier. I was in a special workshop all day. I was the presenter. I didn’t think this was an emergency.”
“You thought wrong,” Kevin barked back.
Tim put a hand on his shoulder. “Kevin, it’s okay.”
Kevin retreated, but he didn’t take his eyes off of Carol. She felt like they were an extension of his hands, grabbing hold of her again.
“I don’t know what to say. I did send Arel an email asking him to visit Peggy. Did he come by?”
“Yes, but we both missed him,” Kevin said.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t talk to him,” Tim added.
“How could Arel have anything to do with this? Peggy met him last night for a few minutes. That was the extent of their contact. When she dropped me off afterwards, she seemed a little bothered about Arel’s shy attitude, but we both felt that way.”
Tim and Kevin looked at each other, then at her.
“No, he’s mixed up in this,” Kevin insisted
. “You didn’t see how crazy Peggy was when we tried to get her mind off of him.” He crossed his arms. “Why did you and Peggy go to meet this guy? Didn’t you know that it could be dangerous?”
“I didn’t think so, but Peggy told me the same thing. That’s why she insisted that I take her. But I thought that it would be okay, and it was. Arel was nice.”
“Nice?” Kevin exploded. “You saw Peggy. She’s a wreck! He must have done something to her.”
Kevin’s harsh insinuations felt like blows to Carol’s already delicate state. She’d come to the hospital trying to be a friend in need, but underneath she was worried about Peggy too. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any answers. I thought everything was fine.”
As she spoke, she knew that nothing was fine, that Peggy wasn’t the only one who was hurting. She hoped she could hold it together, but her world was crumbling. The man she thought she could love had turned into an ogre. She looked up at him with a rising sense of outrage. “Why are you talking to me this way? Why are you acting like I did something wrong?”
Kevin continued to hold her in his sights. “Don’t you know that you were both stupid?”
His words triggered a part of Carol that was used to blame. What had her father said to her after he found her on the streets? He’d asked her a question. “How could you do this to your mother and me? Your thoughtless actions nearly drove us insane with worry.”
Carol swallowed the lump in her throat. “I love Peggy too. She’s my best friend!”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re such a good friend, tell this Arel that we want to see him.”
Carol tried to hold back her tears, but they came anyway. “Yes, I will.” She felt small and foolish as she moved away from Kevin, trying to distance herself from his anger and blame. “I’m leaving now, but I’ll talk to Arel, I promise.”
As she walked down the hall, she heard the men’s final remarks.
“We need answers. I hope that she can contact him again,” Tim said.
Kevin replied in a loud, forceful tone. “She better. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
