"In that case, I forgive you, and I apologize for not hearing you. There is nothing more important to me than you. I would have responded if I had known you called."
"I know you would, Vin."
"Caeli, do you have any idea what caused this?" Their conversation in the van had been interrupted before she could tell him about the problem.
"Salma said she couldn't find anything. She drew blood to test for a virus or toxin. Maybe it really was bad fish."
"Food poisoning? No, definitely not. That wouldn't be nearly this bad. Besides, you hardly ate any of that fish. Are you sure there isn't anything else you can think of, anything else you want to tell me? Honestly, Caeli, I was certain something else was weighing on your mind earlier," Vin prompted her and tried to ease into the topic so Caeli would tell him whatever it was that she had been trying to tell him earlier.
"Yes, there is, but there is still a small chance that I'm wrong," Caeli answered. She did not want to get his hopes up only to find out later that it wasn't true.
"If you are wrong, then you are wrong. Go ahead and tell me."
"I would prefer to tell you in person," Caeli was having trouble bringing herself to tell him in this manner, but she desperately wanted to get it out in the open.
"Shall I sneak into your room and risk getting caught by your warden?" Vin added with a little humor.
"I would very much like that," Caeli replied with a touch of amusement, which Vin appreciated.
"Alas, the gates are barred on this side as well. Ben seems to have fallen asleep in a chair right outside your door. Your aunt is one crafty lady. Perhaps we better wait to have this chat until later."
"That's an excellent idea. Vin, will you wrap this up so that Caeli can rest, please?" Salma had placed her hand on Caeli's arm shortly after Caeli stopped talking to her. She assumed that Caeli was talking to Vin again and gave them a minute before intruding. When Salma caught Vin's last comment, it was time to intervene.
"Sorry Salma. Good night, Caeli."
"Do you want some more water, Caeli?" Salma noticed the empty bottle in Caeli's hand again. When Caeli nodded, Salma took the bottle and refilled it a second time from the sink in the kitchenette. Caeli had one final question for Vin while Salma was away.
"Vin, I was wondering," Caeli began as if she wanted to ask an important question.
"Yes?"
"How would you feel about…well, I know how you would feel, but the timing…would you be ready…?" Caeli could not believe the difficulty she had approaching Vin about the subject. She knew he already suspected. He had offered her every opportunity to mention it. Vin was the easiest person in the world to talk to about everything else. They had talked about this very possibility many times. So why was it so difficult for her to tell him now? Perhaps the circumstances were getting the best of her.
"Caeli, it's ok. Whatever you are trying to ask me, just ask," Vin encouraged her, but she still couldn't do it.
"I want to, but I can't. Not like this. It will have to wait until I can see you. Promise me that you will go to the levee tomorrow." Caeli replied. She really did need to say this face to face. She could not talk about it without seeing Vin's handsome face in front of her.
Vin did not respond right away. He remained silent for several moments. He could not help wondering what Caeli's question was going to be. At this point, there were multiple possibilities.
"Vin?"
"Ok, I will go. When I get back, we are going to have a long talk, even if I have to lock Salma out of the room. I will only be away for the morning, and I will probably be gone before you get up."
"I seriously doubt that, Eyvindr Harding. The day when you are more of an early bird than I am is when you can truly start to worry about me. I will see you off in the morning. Good night, Vin. I love you." Caeli could not remember the last of the rare times that Vin woke up before her or that she slept in late. She yawned as Vin broke their connection and Salma returned with the freshly refilled water bottle.
CHAPTER 20
The next morning, Vin looked through tired eyes at the large, sun-shaped clock hanging on the wall by the exterior lounge door. Six forty five Monday morning, and the sun was beginning to lighten the horizon. It had been almost two in the morning when he last spoke with Caeli. After their conversation, he overhead Salma offering to help Caeli get a bath. An hour later, Caeli was back in bed, in less pain, and sleeping at last.
Salma conversed privately with Vin, explaining what she believed was happening to Caeli. Since the hospital could do nothing different than she was doing for Caeli, Salma wanted to keep her at the hotel unless her condition worsened or until the test results provided an answer that required the move. Vin agreed that it would be better for everyone to stay at the hotel unless Caeli's condition took another turn for the worse.
After that, Vin barely slept at all. He was too worried about Caeli to rest soundly and surprised himself by falling asleep for even a brief nap. It was difficult for Vin to accept that Caeli's health had changed so drastically in the last twenty four hours.
Caeli still slept as Vin sat up on the couch and did a quick mental check on her, careful not to disturb her. She had hardly moved all night, probably because of the medicine Salma gave her. He concluded that all the water she drank earlier yesterday must have masked the medicine's early effects, but then it eventually took hold and forced her into a deep sleep. Once it did, Caeli hardly even twitched, which was completely unlike her. Caeli had a tendency to toss and turn in her sleep. They never could figure out why her sleep was so routinely disturbed, though they had tried many times over the years. Eventually, they gave up, deciding it was her body's way of unwinding.
Vin anticipated being away at the levee all morning. Even though Caeli seemed to improve considerably overnight, he knew from her previous episode that her condition could change on a dime; and it probably would when the medicine Salma gave her wore off. He was not deceived by the temporary reduction of her symptoms. Vin wanted to stay with her.
Yet, he did promise to help with the levee. Vin gave his word. Besides, he reminded himself, he would only be gone for a few hours. Perhaps Caeli would, indeed, sleep most of that time. She certainly needed the rest. Maybe she would be feeling better when she woke. If this was a bad case of food poisoning, which Vin seriously doubted, Salma would take care of it. If it was a nasty, twenty four hour bug, then Caeli might even be fine by the time he returned. Still, no matter how he tried to justify it to himself, Vin could not shake the feeling that he was deserting Caeli when she needed him most.
Moreover, their conversation about the events of the day before was still pending. Vin could not set aside that fact that there was a lot he did not yet know and something specific that Caeli needed to tell him. It played on his mind, as did the memory of the tingling sensation he encountered each time he ran his fingers across her stomach. His desire to have an immediate answer reminded Vin of his most obvious shortcoming. In fact, if it had been anyone other than Caeli, Vin might already have that answer. But, he could never be that way with her. Vin reminded himself to be patient. Caeli had been in no condition for a lengthy or serious conversation last night.
Vin finally got up and found his clean clothes and toiletries in a pile at the end of the couch with a note. He looked over and saw Ben sitting at a counter drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. Vin read the note in Salma's script, which told him to use the shower in their room so that he would not disturb Caeli. After a few words with Ben, Vin grabbed his clothes and went into the other bathroom. He brushed his teeth, shaved, and went through his morning routine as quickly and quietly as he could, omitting the workout he usually did each morning. He finished up thirty minutes later and dressed in lightweight jeans and a pale blue, polo shirt. The material of both pieces would not only help keep him cool while working in the tropical climate, but also protect his skin from excessive sun exposure, if the sun should happen to venture out from behind the storm clou
ds today.
Vin returned to the lounge and sat down in a chair to wait. He wanted to look in on Caeli before he left, but he knew that Salma would not permit it while she slept. Instead, Vin used a trick the angels had taught him. He closed his eyes and focused on his connection to Caeli. He pulled on that connection and moved his mind into their room. He could see Caeli as if he were standing at the foot of the bed. To look at her, Caeli seemed fine. There was no obvious sign of the suffering she endured yesterday. The only clue Caeli gave that something was wrong was the fact that she slept still. Most days, Caeli happily brought Vin a cup of coffee and a kiss when he woke. She always woke before Vin no matter how early he got up. He was accustomed to waking up to her smile. He missed that smile today.
Vin tore himself away and returned his mind to the lounge. He got up and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the counter near Ben. Apela joined them as Vin sat on the stool next to Ben, and Salma slipped out of Vin's room a few minutes later to update them on Caeli's condition. She relayed Caeli's continued improvement.
"I will keep an eye on her, Vin. The final tests should be nearly finished. I expect to have some definitive answers within a half hour or so," Salma stated.
"Thanks, Salma. I know she's still sleeping. I won't wake her. I'm sorry if I was a bit overbearing last night. You know that I am grateful for everything you do. Thank you for taking care of her. You're a peach." Vin kissed Salma on the forehead, in gratitude, as Ben looked over the top of the newspaper.
"Hey, what's this? Are you trying to hone in on my territory?" Ben joked.
"Never; I'm merely offering a token of appreciation," Vin answered with a wink to Salma. Salma grabbed a cup of coffee, kissed Ben good morning, and returned to her post at Caeli's side.
"Well, then I suppose I owe your wife one as well. Salma came out for a while last night while Caeli was sleeping and finally got me stitched up; but, after so much time had gone by, she said the handiwork Caeli performed on me made it almost unnecessary," Ben explained.
"How are you doing this morning?" Vin inquired.
"I may be moving a bit slow, but I could be a lot worse for having had a hunk of metal pierce my lower back less than twenty four hours ago," Ben replied earnestly.
"I'm glad you're all right, Ben. I wish I could say the same for Caeli." Vin's gaze drifted toward the closed door of his room.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ben asked.
"If you two want to wait here, I will get us some breakfast before we leave," Apela offered them a few minutes of privacy in which to talk.
"Yes, let's do that," Ben accepted for himself and Vin. Apela walked off down the opposite hall. Vin got up from his stool and carried his coffee mug over to look out through one of the screened windows at the ocean tides not far away.
"You look tired, Vin. Didn't get any sleep?"
"Not much. As silly as it sounds, I felt as if closing my eyes would allow the pain to set in on Caeli again."
"How is she really doing? I know you can check on her differently than Salma can."
"I think Salma is correct. I believe Caeli is doing better, for the time being." Vin qualified his statement.
"How are you doing, Vin?"
Vin stopped to consider the question. How did he feel? He worried for Caeli and harbored an unknown anger. For reasons he couldn't pinpoint, Vin's gut was telling him that someone was responsible for doing this to Caeli. Of course, that couldn't be right. He did not even know what was wrong with her yet. What could cause her such intense pain? Did it have anything to do with using her gift? Is this what Urim warned him about or was it something from the plane crash? Had Vin misunderstood the angel's warning? Why hadn't Caeli come to him sooner? Did she even know what was really wrong or was she as scared as him? What more could he do to help her? After struggling with a dozen questions he could not answer, Vin finally responded.
"I'm confused. I have too many questions."
"And there are no answers to be had, not yet anyway. You want to know what Caeli needs, so you can get it for her," Ben noted.
"Exactly! I have never been so useless. I want to help her, but there is nothing I can do until she can tell me what's wrong."
"Be patient. She cannot give you answers that she doesn't have," Ben counseled.
"There you go again with the patience. I have about used up what little I could muster. Ben, you have to tell me. Is this what Caeli wanted to talk to me about, her illness?"
"I can't answer that, Vin, because I don't know any more than you do what is causing her symptoms at the moment."
Vin was quick to catch the implication in Ben's statement. If Ben knew the current diagnosis, he would know if it was the same problem or not. That meant that there had been something wrong with Caeli before all of this started; something Ben had figured out.
"Then tell me about the original problem. What was wrong with Caeli before she got so sick? Did she talk to you about it?"
"Vin, please don't get bogged down on this. I made a few simple observations. I can assure you that you don't want to discuss this with me. If it's related to what is happening now, then you will know soon enough. If not, then wait for Caeli to tell you. It's not my place."
"If it is that simple, then why didn't I see it? Why can't I see it now? I just want her to be all right, Ben."
"Of course you do, Lad. Let Salma help Caeli find the answer to this mystery, and you will know it, too. In the meantime, occupy your mind with something else. Going to the levee this morning will do you good. It will let you be helpful instead of sitting around here feeling useless."
Vin turned to look at Ben, grateful for his insight. He was constantly amazed by Ben's ability to see the full scope of a situation. It was one of the traits that made him such a good cop and a good friend.
About that time, Apela walked into the lounge carrying a tray full of fruit and bagels, and a pitcher of orange juice. At his heels, Max followed quietly. When Max saw Vin, he moved to the other side of his father, where he kept himself hidden from Vin's direct line of sight. Max stayed that way throughout most of the meal, reaching around his father to grab a bite of fruit and then duck quickly back into hiding.
"We won't bite you, Max," Ben laughed lightly at the boy's antics.
"Mr. Vin will be mad at me. He won't let me play with pretty Caeli again," Max was genuinely upset.
Vin looked over at the boy with a puzzled look on his face, and then turned to Apela for an explanation.
Apela sat a half-eaten bagel down in front of him and tugged Max out from behind his chair. He sat Max on his lap and made the boy sit still. Max tucked himself up as tightly against his father, and as far away from Vin, as he could. Vin was horrified to think that the kid was afraid of him. He couldn't remember doing anything that might have frightened Max, unless it had been when he was pacing outside the room last night. But, Max should have been asleep in his room at the time.
"I'm sorry, Vin. I must clear the air between us before we leave or I will feel even worse than I do now," Apela began.
"What do you mean?"
"Has Caeli told you anything about what happened on the plane?"
"Very little; we haven't had a chance to talk about that yet. There has been so much going on…"
"Well, then I must tell you part of it, but I will keep it brief. You see, I tend to fall asleep when I travel and Max wanders off to make new friends. He took quite a liking to your wife, and she to him. To hear them chatting, you would think they had been friends since the day Max was born."
"Caeli is good with kids," Vin commented flatly.
"Well, on the first plane, Max asked to color a picture of her. He has a shoebox of crayons that he takes everywhere. He even has a special crayon that Maku made for him to draw in the sand on the beach."
"Ok, but what has that got to do with Caeli?"
"I'm sorry. I am getting to that. As the second plane was going down, I thought my hold on Max was secure. At the last minute
, a moment before we hit the water, he wiggled free. Max was terrified and ran over to your wife. Rather than risk sending him back to me, she used her own body to shelter him. On impact, Caeli was thrown from her seat and landed up against the dash of the plane. I think she might have been knocked out for a few minutes. Thankfully, I was not; though, I did have some trouble getting out of my seatbelt. As soon as I was able, I rushed to help her and Max. I found him cradled across her midsection, not a scratch on him. He did, however, have some blood on his clothes. I could not determine where it came from at first. It turned out not to be his."
"You think it was Caeli's blood?"
"Well, she was not as fortunate as Max. She had a knot on her head and some difficulty standing. While I did not actually see any blood on her, I'm afraid Caeli may have suffered more than I first realized to save my son," Apela reached the point of his story.
"How so?" Vin asked, eager to hear more.
"After Caeli walked away, Max found this on the floor where she had been." Apela reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal rod the approximate size and shape of a crayon. As proof of what had happened on the plane, Apela had kept it rolled up in a paper towel, not yet cleaned in case there a need should arise to test the material now dried upon its surface.
Max immediately began to cry quietly. Vin inspected the rod closely as he accepted it from Apela's outstretched hand. It was covered in a substance that looked like mud.
"What is this?"
"That is Max's special crayon that he uses on the beach. Maku made it out of some scrap metal so that Max would not have to use twigs. When Max retrieved it from the floor of the plane, it was freshly covered in blood. I'm not sure what type of injury she sustained, but I am fairly certain that is your wife's blood, Vin."
"I didn't mean to hurt her. I'm sorry, Mr. Vin," Max cried.
Vin swallowed the lump in his throat. The metal rod was the exact same size as the white ring on Caeli's stomach. This must be what she was referring to when she mentioned her injury. Could this be the source of her problem? Is this what she was going to tell him? Maybe, but it did not account for everything. Vin's thoughts were interrupted as Apela continued.
Wrath of the Sea Queen Page 27
