“You know what? I think we’re gonna wait on getting the collar off.”
He smiled; a quick twitch that didn’t reach his haunted eyes. “Sorry,” he rasped softly.
“Don’t worry about it.” I kept my voice gentle. “Just relax as much as possible. We’ll be there soon.” I glanced up at the paramedic who was looking wide-eyed at Jason.
“Did he just… what just happened?” he asked. I saw the driver glance into his rear-view mirror, obviously interested in hearing the answer.
Jason looked at me, his eyes widening as he realized he’d just used his power pretty openly. He started shaking as he stared at me; afraid he’d be treated how Mason had treated him if he was found out. His reaction told me it would be best to play dumb. “I’d guess it was an earthquake,” I said calmly, keeping my eyes on Jason.
“We don’t—” The younger one began to protest, but the driver cut him off.
“They have been happening in places around the country that don’t normally have them,” he said. His tone told me he didn’t buy my explanation for a minute, but he was willing to go along with it for the sake of his patient.
His young partner was about to argue, but he glanced down at Jason and noticed the wild-eyed fearful look on his bruised face, and his argument died. “Right. I guess I heard that too,” he agreed slowly.
“Can he have a little more water?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Just a couple swallows,” he said, handing me a bottle.
Jason looked grateful as he accepted the water. It was awkward with him lying on his side, but with my help, we managed it. His wrists, which had been freed from the cuffs, were bandaged heavily and the cuts from his nails digging into his palms were also bandaged, making it difficult for him to use his hands for anything.
“We’re in town, so I’m going to turn on the sirens,” the driver warned a couple minutes later.
I was happy he’d given the warning as the sirens screamed to life. I leaned back in my seat as the young paramedic prepared Jason for the short transport from ambulance to hospital. The ambulance screeched to a halt at the emergency entrance, and the medics waited while I made sure Jason would be okay to go with them.
“I can’t go with you into your exam,” I told Jason. “But I’ll be right here when you get out, and so will your kids and Hannah. I’m going to call them in a minute. Try to stay calm. The doctors are here to take care of you, so don’t fight them.”
I waited for his nod of agreement before I allowed the two men to take him. It wouldn’t be good for him to suddenly flip out and knock down a wing of the hospital. I watched as they rushed him through the sliding doors, then I climbed out of the ambulance. There was a bench near the door, and I sat down so I could call Jason’s family.
FORTY-FOUR
Jason
The next couple hours passed in a blur as doctors examined and treated my wounds. They’d finally decided I had no concussion or internal bleeding, so they gave me some pain relief. I floated on a happy, pain-free cloud, hardly noticing the pulling and pinching as they cleaned and stitched the cuts. It must have been during that hazy period when the collar was finally removed.
Unfortunately, my feeling of freedom was lost as they covered the burn with some cream, and the sores from chafing with some antibiotic cream then wrapped a loose gauze bandage around my neck. I had been given a clean pair of scrub pants to wear, but they didn’t want me to wear a shirt until all the wounds were covered. The hospital air was cool, and I shivered. I was thankful that none of their actions had led to another flashback, and even more thankful when they were finally done. A nurse helped me put on a loose-fitting scrub top and wheeled me to a room where I could finally get some sleep. It was dawn, so I had the nurse close the blinds, and I quickly fell into a deep exhausted sleep.
The first thing I saw when I woke was Hannah, sitting in the chair next to my bed, her head bent over folded hands. Her long hair was down and covered her face in gentle waves.
The next thing I noticed was that my pain meds had worn off. I shifted with a groan and Hannah jumped a bit, startled by the sudden sound.
“Try not to move Jason,” she said, her voice a strange mix of joy and worry. “The nurse said she’d come back soon to do your bandage change and give you another dose of your pain medication.
I glanced around my room, my gaze landing on the tray near my bed that held a cup of water, a sandwich, and a small cup of soup. She saw me looking and said, “They said you should try to eat something. It’s been a while since you were able to eat.”
My stomach rumbled in agreement so I attempted to sit up. I fell back with a groan and tensed even more when the motion caused me to land on the torn up skin of my back. Hannah stayed silent as I breathed through the pain. Once my breathing had evened out, she handed me the control for the bed and I raised the back to a sitting position. I winced even at that movement, and her face mirrored mine as she watched. She clearly wanted to do something more to help, but had no idea what.
My IV pulled slightly as I shifted, but it remained in place. “Could you push the tray over here?” I whispered. My throat was so dry and sore that I had no desire to try speaking yet.
“Sure,” she agreed, hurrying to push it to me. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, but she made no comment. I could see her eying the bandages around my wrists, and the ones showing from under the scrub top I’d been given. I took a breath, putting my arms down self-consciously trying to hide the bandages.
“Hannah, I’ll be okay,” I whispered, looking intently at her. “All of this will heal.”
She nodded rapidly, “I know. I just… I wish you’d never had to go through it.” Her eyes shone, but no tears fell.
“Just remember, if you ever need to talk…” Her voice trailed off, leaving an open invitation; an invitation I would have to refuse. She did not need to hear about what Mason had done to me. If I needed to talk, it would probably be to Alice or even Dan; they saw stuff like this every day in their job. They would be able to handle what I’d have to say, and understand where it was coming from. Hannah was an innocent college kid. I couldn’t burden her with how messed up I was really feeling.
I didn’t respond to her, choosing instead to get a drink of water. It felt like heaven on my burning throat. I drank slowly, not wanting to make myself sick. She stayed silent, attempting to read my expression.
Alice and Dan came in while I was eating the soup. Dan looked hesitant, possibly afraid of my response to his appearance.
“You’re looking better,” Alice said as she looked me over. I stared at her skeptically, and she laughed. “Okay, not a lot, I’ll admit. But compared to when we found you, you look better.”
“How are you feeling?” Dan asked gently.
I considered for a moment then shrugged one shoulder, hiding the wince that came as I moved the sore muscle. “Better,” I whispered. “Where’s Sam?”
“In the waiting room with Paul, Jeff, and Ginny,” Alice answered. “He’s fine. He got roughed up a bit, but Jones was able to get him out alive.”
I frowned, remembering suddenly that I had shown my abilities to an unknown agent. “Relax,” Alice ordered. “Jones had found out about your abilities long before he went to find you. He’d been undercover with Mason’s gang for six months, and heard about you working with us.” She paused thoughtfully for a moment. “He was a bit surprised when you started ‘talking’ to him when he first found you, but he’s not a danger to you.”
I nodded in acceptance, not having the energy to doubt Alice. I barely managed to finish my soup before a nurse came in.
“Time to change your bandages,” she said cheerfully. She was an older woman, slightly heavy-set with curly gray hair. She was about to begin, but I held up my hand to stop her. I turned to the others.
“I need some privacy,” I whispered. Dan and Alice had seen my injuries before they’d been cleaned. Hannah hadn’t. And if I had my way, she wouldn’t
.
I kept a steady gaze on Alice, hoping she’d understand. She wavered for a moment, but then nodded. “Let’s go guys. We’ll send Sam in when the nurse is done,” she promised as she closed the door behind her.
Dan lagged behind for a moment after Alice left. “When you get out of here, I have something I’d like to ask you. And when I have the chance to talk to you, I hope you don’t take anything I have to say in the wrong way. I have nothing but respect for you, Jason. Please don’t forget that. You’re a better man than most.” Before I could respond, he gave a little wave and walked out.
“You know they are aware of how bad your injuries are, right?” the nurse said kindly. “You don’t need to be alone through this. Those people obviously care about you, and they are definitely not hiding that.”
I glared at her. She’d noticed a private moment where Dan expressed what he thought of me, and was using it in attempt to make me open up. She had no right. In response to what I felt was a suitably withering glare she shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just remember, they care about you. Try not to push them away. With all you’ve been through the last thing you need is to be alone.”
FORTY-FIVE
Alice
“Sam, it’s time to go get Jason,” I called. Sam came running from where he’d been sitting.
“Jason’s coming home!” he exclaimed, a grin brightening the little boy’s face. His injuries had healed well, and there were only a few scars and a cast on his arm to remind him of his captivity.
It had been a week since we’d rescued Jason, and he’d been withdrawn and silent for most of it. The only time he’d opened up was with Sam. His face had lit up and he seemed happy, if only briefly. The other kids had brought a flicker of a smile, but it almost seemed to make him more upset to see them.
We all hoped he’d snap out of it once he came home, and today was the day we’d find out. He had continued his habit of kicking everyone out during his bandage changes, either afraid or ashamed to share his injuries with anyone. The kids, Dan, and I took it fine, but Hannah looked hurt every time he pushed her away. She knew what he’d been through, but she wanted more than he could give. She wanted his trust. The kind of trust that would prevent him from hiding himself or how he was feeling; a trust I wasn’t sure Jason was capable of right now.
“Let’s go, Officer Alice!” Sam said, pulling on my arm eagerly. I smiled at his enthusiasm and allowed him to pull me out to the car. He bounced in his seat the entire way to the hospital and practically sprinted the familiar route to Jason’s hospital room.
“Hey, Jason,” I said with a slight knock at the door as I entered. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah,” he said, getting up from the bed stiffly. He’d already gotten dressed in baggy jeans and a loose fitting long sleeved T-shirt that hid most of the bandages. It also hid the scars on his forearms that I’d noticed a while ago.
“Hey, kiddo,” he greeted as Sam rushed into the room. Sam hugged him carefully, aware that his brother was hurt, even if Jason never told him how bad it was.
I noticed the sharp intake of breath that indicated the pain caused by even the gentle hug, but didn’t mention it. Instead, I watched him carefully, determined to take care of him in whatever way he’d allow. “We just need to wait for the nurse to come with your discharge papers, and then we’ll go.”
“Sure,” Jason said, not meeting my eyes. There was something he wasn’t telling me, but I couldn’t push him. If he needed some time to think, that’s what I’d give him. Thankfully it didn’t take long for the nurse to come with his discharge folder, including the prescription for his pain meds and antibiotics, and instructions for changing his bandages. He looked away from me while the nurse talked about changing his bandages, and I knew I would be the one to do it. It would be hard enough for him to let me see his injuries; he would never let Hannah view them.
To be fair, he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. Dan and I had found out some of Mason’s plans for later in Jason’s so-called training. We had found a coffin near a freshly dug grave near the shed at the farm. When we’d questioned one of Mason’s men, he’d told us the plan. Once Mason got Jason to do what he wanted in the shed, Mason was going to test his control by burying Jason. He was going to tell Jason that he would stay underground until the air in the canister had run out, and then he would be unburied. But if Jason had used his abilities to attempt escape, he’d use the collar on him and leave him buried until he was completely out of oxygen.
Dan’s eyes had burned with anger when he’d heard the plans. And when he’d heard that Mason was trying to make Jason into a slave for his own personal gain, he’d slammed his fist on the table and left the room. When I confronted him later, he’d told me if he hadn’t left, he would have pounded Mason’s man bloody for being a part of what was done to Jason.
Jason didn’t need to know what had been planned. He had enough of a problem when he’d given his statement and had to tell us that he’d begun to give in to Mason’s demands after only a day. His face had reddened in shame, and he hadn’t been able to meet our eyes. It was worse when I’d tried talking to him about what he’d said in the woods. The anger had flashed through his eyes again, and I was the one who backed off.
We signed him out and Sam led the way eagerly, wanting badly to be with his brother regularly again. None of the kids had seemed comfortable without Jason at the house. Jason had been withdrawn from them as well, but they would still feel better with him home. I had hopes that being away from the hospital would make Jason reconnect with the kids—and maybe Hannah and me—again.
Jason was silent during the ride home, but Sam kept up a steady stream of excited chatter. Jason had a slight smile on his face as Sam told him about the ‘homework’ I’d given the kids to do. Even Paul had seemed interested when I’d handed out worksheets of varying difficulty and subject matter. Hannah had brought them home from school a few days earlier. She had made copies from several workbooks in the library in order to give the kids something educational to do. I knew she had also brought home some books on different subjects for Jason to study if he so chose.
My phone rang as we pulled into my driveway. It was Dan.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked.
He and I had been working hard to find Jason’s father and the man who’d helped him in the attempt to grab Jason. So far we’d found nothing. Even knowing his name we’d only managed to find places he’d been, not the place he currently was.
“I knew you were getting Jason today, can I come over to talk to him?” he asked. “I told him I’d try when he got out of the hospital, and as long as we haven’t gotten a lead on his father, now’s as good a time as any.”
“Let me ask,” I glanced at Jason, who was studiously pretending disinterest by staring out the window. Either that or he really had no awareness of the phone call. “Jason, would you be okay with Dan coming over today?”
He turned to me. “It’s your house,” he said before turning back to the window and continuing in a softer voice. “I don’t care. He can come if he wants.”
“Come, Dan, but maybe give him a few minutes to get settled before you bring it up, okay?” Jason turned his head slightly in my direction, his eyebrow raised slightly. “Yeah, I know what he’s coming to talk to you about. And honestly, I think it’s a good idea. But it’s not my place to tell you or to have you or the others do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
“Why? What’s going on?” he asked warily.
“Nothing bad,” I assured him. “Dan will be over soon, and then you’ll know. Just relax, okay?”
He gave a small huff. “Yeah, right,” he muttered. I chose to ignore his reaction and concentrated on getting us home.
Jason entered the house awkwardly, as if he’d forgotten how to act around people in a normal setting. “I’ll be downstairs,” he informed us before abruptly turning and heading down the steps.
“I’ll let you know when Dan gets here,” I call
ed after him with a sigh. He’d completely ignored Hannah and the kids in favor of solitude. It only proved that Dan’s idea was for the best. He needed time to get himself together, and if he was worried about the kids, he wouldn’t be able to take care of himself.
“He’ll be okay.” I tried to portray confidence to the others, but I wasn’t feeling completely sure. “We just need to give him some time.”
The others went back to the worksheets Hannah had given them, but Sam refused to leave his brother alone, and went to the basement. Apparently Jason didn’t object, since the little boy stayed down there until Dan showed up about an hour later.
“He’s downstairs,” I said, gesturing for him to feel free to go down. “Sam’s with him.”
When my partner went downstairs, I joined the kids in the living room. “Is Dan going to talk to him?” Paul asked. “Is he going to ask him about us living with Dan and Judy?”
I nodded. “Are you still okay with that idea? It’s not up to Jason, at least not fully.”
Paul looked down then shared a look with Ginny and Jeffrey. “It would give us the chance to go to school. To learn and grow, and have a normal life. But I don’t want to lose Jason. If he needs us, we’re here.”
“You aren’t going far anyway. No matter what, you’ll be able to spend time with him.”
“It’s a good idea,” Ginny said nervously. “I don’t wanna leave Jase either, but Dan and Judy are nice. They’d protect us the way Jason does.”
Jeffrey only nodded, his eyes tearing.
“Okay. As long as Jason doesn’t freak out, you should be good to go pretty soon. The only question is whether Sam will be going with you or not.” Based on his refusal to leave Jason now, I’d guess even if Jason wanted him to leave, Sam would be staying with us for the foreseeable future.
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