by K J Carr
Before she finished, Kaitie came back with a hot cup of tea.
“Drink this, Nica. It is sweet, but you need the sugar. We don’t need you collapsing as well.”
I nodded and took a sip, grimacing. “Thanks, I think.”
I mumbled the words. Kaitie threw me a quick glance, before turning and accepting a blanket from the nurse who had been behind the desk. She tossed it around my shoulders as the woman started to speak.
“Ms. Maykis? I just was told that your brother was coming out of surgery. The doctor will take him to recovery, and then will come down to talk with you.” Her voice was gentle, as if she wasn’t sure how I would take this news.
I nodded, looking down at the cup.
“Thank you.” Kaitie smiled at her, putting an arm around my shoulders.
She rubbed them while all I could do was pray to gods I wasn’t sure existed. The ones that I knew were just aliens that couldn’t save a bug from being squished. One part of my mind was wondering why I wasn’t angry or crying, but just sitting here numbly. It was as if I knew I was in shock, but I could do nothing about it.
I had finished the awful drink just before the doctor came into the waiting room. Given only Kaitie and I were in the room, he came directly over to me, sitting on the other side of me.
“Ms. Maykis? I am Dr. Landrau.”
My eyes slowly rose to meet his blue ones, filled with sympathy. I nodded, twisting my mouth slightly in an attempt at a smile. I could tell it fell short by the look of dismay in his.
He put a hand on my arm, since I was still holding the empty cup up as if I would take another sip any moment.
“Your brother came through surgery fine. He is not out of the woods yet, though. He has one broken leg, a shatter collarbone, and we had to relieve some fluid that was gathering in his brain, as it was causing excessive pressure. We have decided to put him into a medically induced coma for twenty-four to forty-eight hours to give him a little time to heal so we can have a better picture of what the damage may be, if there is any.”
I am not sure what had happened. I became cognizant that someone was holding me. There felt like there were a number of people around me, as well.
I opened my eyes and saw Malak. When had he come here? I frowned.
“Kaitie.” He glanced at her before moving closer and kneeling down next to me.
“Hey, Nica, how are you doing?”
Kaitie was holding me, but must have been talking with someone else. She stopped talking and pushed my hair away from my face.
“Okay. When did you come?” I felt fuzzy. “Kaitie? What happened?”
The nurse that had talked to us earlier leaned closer. “You fainted, young lady. This is perfectly reasonable given this situation. We would like to move you to a bed to check you out, but your friend here didn’t think you would be happy about that.”
“No. No hospital bed.” I shook my head slightly, feeling dizzy. “Let me sit up.” Both Kaitie and Malak supported me as I sat up straight in the chair.
“I’m okay.” I looked up at Malak. “Weren’t you on a…” I stopped suddenly, remembering who was around us, “…a trip?”
Malak squatted down to look me in the eyes, his arms loosely around me. “Yep. I can’t stay long, but I had to come, Nica. I had to be here when you needed me. Don’t worry about my trip. Enoch is okay with me delaying things for a few hours.”
Looking into his eyes, I saw what he wasn’t saying. Malak liked me, way more than he should. More than perhaps I did him. I wasn’t sure what to do about this, but it would have to wait for now. Now was about Marcus.
I looked around for the doctor, who was over near the entrance to the waiting room, talking to another nurse.
“Dr. Landrau?” He stopped talking and turned around to face me. “Can I see my brother? Please, may I see Marcus?”
He hesitated slightly and then nodded. “He is asleep, but go in and see him. Talk to him even. Studies have shown that people in comas can hear it when loved ones talk to them. It helps to trigger their brain function and limit the time needed for healing. Just keep it to one visitor at a time, though.”
I exhaled in relief. “Thank you.”
His look softened slightly. “We are doing everything we can for your brother, Ms. Maykis.”
Before I could reply, he turned and left the room.
I slowly stood up, Kaitie hovering over me in case I fell. That must have been quite a sight – me fainting. I don’t think I have ever fainted before. I looked over towards the nurse.
“Do you know what room he is in?”
She nodded. “One at a time, though, like the doctor said.”
“Go first.” Kaitie urged me.
Ha! I would have fought her for the chance to be the first in line to see him. I shook my head sadly.
I took a few steps to follow the nurse, stopping and turning towards Malak. I gave him a big hug. “Thank you for coming, Malak. I really appreciate it. But you know and I know that Enoch will not be happy you are here and not on your trip.”
He hugged me back, putting his nose into my neck and breathing in deeply. “I know.” His voice rumbled against my skin before he pulled back.
“I need to go, but I will be back soon, Nica.” He turned and walked past the nurse, nodding towards her.
“Okay, let’s go see Marcus.” I followed the nurse to the room they had put him in, since they had finally moved him out of recovery and into a room here in ICU.
Chapter 10
I was holding Marcus’s hand, talking to him about inconsequential things. Kaitie and I had traded off and on, talking to him through the night. She had taken only a couple of breaks to leave the hospital to take care of Vern.
This last time, she had told me that Torry was staying at her house, watching the puppy, so that she could remain here at the hospital. She had also stopped by Luther’s and had given them an update. Millie and Teresa promised to keep things going and sent their best wishes to Marcus, tears in their eyes.
I must have only been in his room about thirty minutes when Kaitie stuck her head into the room.
“Nica!” She whispered.
I patted his hand. “I have to go talk with Kaitie, Marcus, but I will be back. Hang in there, bro. I love you.”
I quickly wiped a hand under my eyes. Most of my tears had already dried, but there was still one sliding down my cheek. He looked…terrible. Like he had been hit by a truck. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure what exactly had happened yet. I stood and moved to the door.
“The police are here and want to speak with you.” Kaitie’s voice was worried. I wondered what she knew that I didn’t.
“About?” I leaned against the door jam, shoving my hands into my back pocket.
“The accident.” Her eyes shifted, going towards the bed and then the floor, not meeting my own. O-kay. “They say they need to talk to you sooner rather than later.” Her eyes finally darted up to connect with my own, which were probably red and swollen.
“Did you talk to them?” I rubbed my eyes, the tiredness creeping over me.
She nodded briskly, her movements sharp and to the point.
“And?”
She just shrugged. Her mouth twisted for a moment, as if she wanted to say something and then she exhaled. “I will sit with him while you are talking with them, Nica. I need some more time with him.”
I nodded, realizing that she wasn’t going to say anything more. Which told me a lot about what they may want to talk about.
Standing, I hugged her tight. “Sorry, Kaitie. Take your time. Let me deal with the police for now.”
She nodded once, a sob escaping. I continued to hold her, rocking her slightly, for another couple of minutes. Letting go, I looked in her face. “Talk to him. I truly believe he can hear our voices and wants us here.”
She nodded and moved into the room, taking the chair I had vacated.
Moving into the hall, I noticed the two suited men standing in the waitin
g room. One turned and glanced towards me, poking at the other. He turned his head, catching my eye momentarily before turning all the way around to wait for me.
Walking up to them, I put out my hand. “Hello.”
Both men studied me intently. I felt a shiver travel over my skin, wondering what these two really wanted to know about the accident. I had a feeling I might not enjoy this discussion.
“Miss Maykis.”
The man who had seen me first was tall and lean. Not quite skinny, but not bulky either. He stood easily on his feet, reminding me a bit like a big cat, waiting to pounce. His blond-brown hair was very short and his eyes were a pale grey. Just by how they stood, I pegged him as the senior officer.
“I am Detective Harrow and this is my partner Detective Lane.”
The other man was shorter than his partner by about four inches. I guessed that he probably was around five foot, ten inches. He was bulkier, stretching his suit jacket across his shoulders. A bit of a shadow touched his chin, matching his dark brown hair that tended to flop into his face. His eyes were a hazel green, which he highlighted by the green button-down shirt he was wearing. He was a bit younger than the other man, and appeared….eager. Enough so, I wondered how long he had been a detective.
I shook both men’s hands and then wrapped my arms around my sides. I waited, shuffling my weight back and forth over my feet. This was their meeting. All I wanted was to go back to my brother.
They looked at each other, their glance quick and filled with meaning I couldn’t even guess at if I wanted to.
Detective Harrow decided to start. “Do you want to sit?” He turned slightly, gesturing at the chairs.
I shook my head, feeling my hair tickle my cheeks. Reaching up, I ran a hand through it, my fingers getting caught in the snarls. Darn. I looked at the floor as I did a quick check of my pockets. No hair tie. Crap. I grimaced.
Looking back up, I noticed the men watching me, curious. I shrugged. “Just looking for a hair tie. I was getting ready for bed when I had to come to the hospital, and my hair…” I trailed off and gestured towards it, my face resigned.
Detective Lane spoke this time, his voice a deep tenor. “No worries, Ms. Maykis. Perfectly understandable, given what has happened.”
“Nica.” I absently said, wrapping my arms back around my middle.
“What?” He looked startled.
“Please. Call me Nica.” I shuffled my feet. “What is it you came to say?” I was tired, which meant I was blunt. I really didn’t have the energy for small talk.
“Your brother’s accident.” Harrow started, paused and then continued. “We cannot figure out what caused it. There are no skid marks, no cars were seen in the area, and the weather was fine. We have no idea why he went off the road.”
My eyes widened in dismay. “What are you saying? Do you think this was a suicide?” My mind flashed to Achilah. He had done this. He must have. Marcus would not have committed suicide, not with the puppy in the car.
Lane picked up the conversation, looking at a small notepad in his hand. “His employees at the diner say that he has been depressed and quiet lately.”
I had to interrupt. “Not since he got Vern. And he had Vern with him.”
“Vern?” Lane interjected.
“His puppy.”
Both men glanced at each other and then Lane flipped a couple of pages, searching for something.
“You are correct, Nica.” He said slowly. “They did indicate that the puppy seemed to turn his mood around.”
Harrow rubbed his chin in thought. “Do you have any idea what might have happened? The car is with our mechanic to check to see if there was any damage there that might have caused the accident, but it is not looking like that was the reason for it.”
I had definite ideas as to what might have happened, but no way to prove any of them. Besides, they wouldn’t believe me if I started talking about daemons. Glancing between the two men, I could see that Harrow was open to other options, but Lane had already decided that my brother had wanted to kill himself.
“No idea. We have had some issues lately with Kaitie’s illness and some things going on in my life, but I don’t think Marcus would want to kill himself.” I turned slightly to face Harrow, ignoring Lane.
That didn’t stop the man, though. “Sometimes, those closest to us know us the least.” I just wanted to hit the pompous ass because of that comment. I decided to just cut the conversation short instead.
“Sorry, gentlemen. I don’t know. I can let you know more once Marcus wakes up. He currently is in a medically induced coma and you know more than I do at this point.” I abruptly turned away from them to head back to his room.
“Nica. Ms. Maykis.” Harrow’s voice was soft and apologetic. I looked at him over my shoulder. “I am sorry this happened to your brother. I have eaten at Luther’s and I must say that if he had died, we would have lost an excellent chef and man. I truly hope he recovers okay.”
His sincerity caused my breath to stop in my throat. I couldn’t speak so I just nodded and walked back to Marcus’s room, my eyes down on the floor.
Please Marcus, get better. Don’t leave me. The thought circled in my head.
Chapter 11
Exiting the hospital, I moved around the entrance towards the west side to watch the sun set. I needed the fresh air, crisp and cold, and yet I wanted to be away from people right now. The light from the entrance still touched me, making sure I wasn’t completely unseen by others, just not as much as if I had stayed right at the door. The many thoughts swirling in my head were exhausting.
I watched until the sky changed from the bright red and orange into that deep, deep blue of twilight and the lights of the surrounding buildings blinked on. My breath puffed out in little clouds, and there were a few holiday lights already twinkling in the distance, despite it not even being Thanksgiving yet. Winter was coming.
I watched the night to slow the thoughts swirling in my brain, but they refused to stop. The main one being the fact that I was sure that Achilah was responsible for my brother’s accident.
I shoved my hands into my back pockets and hunched down into my jacket, leaning against the cement wall. I was dead on my feet emotionally, and all of the thoughts that had circled in my brain earlier just died away. Finally, my mind blanked.
I felt a light touch on my thigh and looked down. “TK.” A slight smile touched my mouth, barely lifting the corners, but not quite reaching my eyes.
Nica. I am so sorry. T’Koran looked up at me, his eyes wide. He was in the shadows between the wall and me, hiding in plain sight.
I glanced around, making sure no one could see him. I wondered how he had gotten to me, given that the area was still pretty exposed, even if it was out of the way of most foot traffic. This hospital obviously didn’t like many shadows around the entrance. There were lights everywhere, making most of that area easy to see.
Too bad they didn’t take the same care with the parking lot. It wasn’t as bad as some could get, but it was bad enough that Achilah had kidnapped me from it years ago.
“Thanks, hon. That means a lot right now.” I exhaled and looked back up, watching the moon move higher in the night sky. It was almost full tonight, so the light from it was bright. Stars poked through the dark fabric, still hard to see with all the ambient light around.
“I can’t believe he tried to kill himself.”
There was a pause and then TK touched me again. I don’t think he did so, Nica. I looked, but nothing was found. That in itself is confusing. His voice was soft in my mind, pensive.
I considered that, crossing my arms over my chest and tucking them against my side so they wouldn’t get cold. I slid down the wall to squat next to him.
“Do you think it was our…friend?” There were definite quotes around the word.
Yes. I think that he was involved somehow. T’Koran rubbed my arm. I appreciated the warmth of his hand.
“Bastard.” My voice was low,
more of an exhale of breath than a word.
TK started to reply, but then turned his head to stare out into the dark parking lot. Tennin. He rubbed my arm again and then disappeared into the shadows.
I peered up, spotting Ridwan making his way towards me. He was a large, dark shadow, the moonlight gleaming off his dark hair. I realized that with little effort, he could melt into the shadows and no one would see him coming.
He stopped in front of me, looking down at me. His eyes were dark and hard to read for once, no hint of his usual cockiness.
“Nica.”
I cocked my head, looking up at him. I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure if there was anything to say, even though a small part of me wondered what he was doing here. And if Inias was close by, since they generally traveled in pairs.
I put out a hand and he grabbed it, pulling me easily to my feet. He didn’t stop there, though, as he carried through to pull me into his arms. I was enveloped in his warmth, as he wrapped himself around me.
“Sweetheart, we are so sorry to hear about your brother.” His voice was a low rumble against my cheek. He always smelled like sunshine and fun to me, even though I am not sure what fun really smells like. Whatever that would be, it would be Ridwan.
For some reason, even though I had been stoic up until now, being in his accepting – and safe –arms, allowed me to let go. The tears started first, tracking down my face. He pulled me closer and put his head on top of mine, rocking me slightly. Suddenly, I was sobbing, gripping him tightly.
This was not a nice easy cry with few tears and little whimpers. It was ugly; the feelings that came up from one’s soul and had to escape as tears, snot and gasps.
Ridwan rubbed my back briefly and then I felt another set of arms around me, sandwiching me between them. I smelled ocean and sage. Inias.
Instead of easing, the sobs came harder as I pushed my face into Ridwan’s T-shirt. These two were creating a safe place for me to let go. And I did, with Inias holding me just as tight as his partner, one hand stroking my hair.
