Reborn

by Thomas A. Watson

  “Look who is the spy girl,” Besseta sang out.

  Laughing, “I’ll admit it, between Kenneth and the movies, I’m really starting to get paranoid,” Tiffany said.

  “Shit, you don’t need the movies, Kenneth can do that to anyone in minutes,” Besseta huffed. “I’m almost scared to use anything with electricity.”

  Tiffany looked up. “It looks like the ones after us, were after Kenneth. The Strong Hands know it’s from Kenneth’s information, how Maliki has been hurting them. But Boston wasn’t a setup for us,” Tiffany explained, shocking Besseta.

  “Then, what the hell were that many of them doing there? Having a convention?”

  Picking up the papers, “No, Maliki put out the league was going to meet in Boston. Maliki was setting a trap that Kenneth had suggested,” Tiffany said shaking her head. “Kenneth suggested Maliki set up a fake meeting in a city, and some of the Strong Hands could be taken out. Maliki just happened to choose Boston.”

  Rage filled her face as Besseta jumped up. “I’m going to pull Maliki’s lungs out of his ass!”

  Impressed as her mind provided the visualization to that threat, Tiffany smiled. “As neat as that would be to watch, Maliki didn’t know we were going to Boston. He chose it because it has so many escape points.”

  “You mean, this was just bad luck? We fell into a trap set up by Maliki to hit the Strong Hands?” Besseta groaned. “A trap he set up on Kenneth’s advice?”

  Nodding, “Afraid so,” Tiffany said.

  “Let’s go over what Maliki sent, so we can reply,” Besseta sighed. “I’m still going to punch him.”

  ***

  Slowly, Kenneth felt his mind lift up through a dark tunnel and heard voices he knew, way off in the distance. Then, he felt the pain in his body and curled up into a ball. The pain intensified, filling every cell of his body.

  With the sun coming up, Tiffany and Besseta were sitting at the table beside the bed, talking over the letter they were going to send to Maliki. And Besseta suddenly froze in mid-sentence. Getting nervous about Besseta seeing dinosaurs again, Tiffany scooted her chair back and away from Besseta, then glanced toward the door.

  Closing her eyes, Besseta heard Kenneth’s thoughts; faint at first, but getting stronger. ‘Pain’, she heard, when the thoughts returned to what she remembered as the kaleidoscope of colors. Opening her eyes, Besseta looked over at Kenneth as he curled up in a ball tighter, groaning.

  Besseta was suddenly in the bed beside him. “I’m here, baby. Always,” she whispered and kissed his cheek, and Kenneth relaxed. ‘Always’, he thought, and a smile crossed his face for a second.

  Tiffany walked over. “Can you hear his thoughts?”

  Excitedly, Besseta looked back at Tiffany. “You couldn’t?”

  Shaking her head, “No,” Tiffany grinned, climbing up on the bed. “What’s he thinking?”

  “Well, he was thinking about pain, comparing it to hot coals in his gut and ground-up glass in every joint of his body and running through his veins,” Besseta frowned.

  “From what I remember, that’s a nice assessment,” Tiffany agreed.

  A wave of euphoria washed over her and Besseta smiled and closed her eyes. “He’s thinking of me.”

  “He never stops doing that,” Tiffany laughed. Jumping back from Kenneth and off the bed, Besseta’s eyes popped open. “What?” Tiffany asked, getting worried.

  Staring at Kenneth in shock, “He wants to punch us in the face,” Besseta gasped.

  Nodding again, “Can’t say I blame him for that, either,” Tiffany admitted.

  ‘Baby, can you hear me?’ Besseta thought and Kenneth didn’t answer. She could hear dozens of thoughts racing through his mind, but he wasn’t acknowledging her. Taking a deep breath, Besseta leaned over, putting her cheek on his and wrapping her arms around him.

  The thoughts in Kenneth’s mind stopped racing and she felt him calm down. ‘Always, my love.’

  ‘Always’, his thought answered.

  With a content smile, Besseta snuggled tighter. ‘Baby, are you okay?’

  ‘What happened? It’s dark.’

  ‘Do you remember what happened?’ she asked and heard the thoughts slowly picking up speed, playing out the fight they’d had.

  ‘Are you okay?’ his thought shouted in her mind.

  She could feel his fear for her, stronger than ever. ‘Baby, I’m fine. You were the one hurt. Do you remember anything else?’

  Dark images flew through Kenneth’s mind, then his mind went clear. ‘I felt fire in my veins.’

  ‘I’m sorry, baby,’ Besseta cringed with the thought.

  A cheerful laugh sounded in her mind. ‘My love, this just means you’re stuck with me. I was willing to get out of your hair but now, sorry, I’m here with you forever.’

  ‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted’ Besseta shouted out in her mind, squeezing him tight.

  ‘Let’s see if you say that in a few hundred years’, Kenneth’s mind echoed.

  ‘I’m here for you, always’ Besseta replied. ‘So, you’re really not mad? Even a little bit?’

  ‘Never,’ sounded in her mind.

  ‘What about your family?’

  She felt warmth wash over her. ‘I saw them’ she heard. ‘They told me my family was here.’ Besseta’s mind went blank and her eyes popped open. ‘You’re shocked that I talked to them, I feel it. Just like my mom told me, we are energy and energy never dies. It can only change forms.’

  ‘Can you wake up?’ Besseta asked in her mind.

  ‘I’m trying, my love, but I can’t yet. It’s like something is holding me down.’

  ‘Well, you’re making progress. You’ve been out for almost a week,’ Besseta told him, closing her eyes again.

  ‘I heard you beside me, and Tiffany close,’ he said in his mind. ‘Is this pain normal?’

  Cringing with her body and mind, ‘I’m sorry, more than anything, I wish I could take it from you,’ Besseta begged.

  ‘I’m not doubting you, but I heard you talking with Tiffany about picking something up in my dream,’ he said, almost a growl in her mind.

  ‘Ah, I’m sorry about that, but I wish you wouldn’t have done that,’ Besseta shot through her mind fast.

  ‘So, was that pain close to what you felt during your change?’

  ‘Only briefly because you took it away, but yes, that pain was close,’ she admitted with sorrow.

  ‘Ask Tiffany what it means, if the pain is worse?’

  Stunned, ‘Baby, just how bad is it?’ Besseta asked.

  ‘Almost more than I can bear,’ Kenneth admitted.

  ‘Is there a way you could show me?’

  She could actually feel Kenneth’s mind fill with panic. ‘No!’ resonated in a shout in her mind.

  ‘Baby, just show me, so I can explain it to Tiffany. That way, you can get better faster.’

  She felt his hesitation. ‘Get ready and brace yourself’ he warned.

  Pain erupted in her very being and Besseta threw her head back, screaming and arching her back, and floated up to the ceiling still screaming. As blood wept from her eyes, Besseta crashed against the ceiling and the scream abruptly stopped. Besseta’s body fell from the ceiling and Tiffany threw out her hand, stopping Besseta from crashing through the bed.

  Easing Besseta down, Tiffany moved over and found her passed out, with bloody tears coming out of her eyes and blood streaming from her nose and ears.

  Chapter Four

  Not knowing what was going on, Tiffany tended both of her patients. It was almost a full day before Besseta sat up in bed, feeling like a bulldozer had run over her.

  “Besseta,” Tiffany gasped, jumping up from the table and darting to her side. “What happened?”

  Shaking her head slowly, Besseta looked over at Kenneth and once again, couldn’t hear his thoughts. “Something is really wrong.”

  “If you don’t tell me, I can’t help,” Tiffany said frustrated.

  Leaning ov
er and kissing Kenneth’s cheek, “He’s in way too much pain,” she said, looking around and seeing the sun going down. “How long was I out?”

  “Almost twenty-four hours.”

  “I talked to Kenneth. He said something was holding him back from waking up, and the pain is almost more than he can bear,” Besseta said, getting out of the bed.

  “He let you feel his pain?” Tiffany asked, shocked on many levels.

  “Yeah, after I bitched,” Besseta huffed, then her eyes got wide. “Tiffany, it wasn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before or want to feel again. It was like every cell in my body was burning, then ice cold, then back to burning.”

  Tiffany looked down at Kenneth. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t woken, his mind is shielding itself from the pain of his body,” she offered.

  “How can we help him? Can we give him drugs?”

  Shaking her head, “I haven’t studied many modern drugs on our bodies. If I had my stuff from my cave, I might,” she stressed, “could give him something,” Tiffany said, somewhat skeptical.

  “Where in your cave?” Besseta asked, moving toward the door.

  “The far back wall, there’s a wooden chest and a wood carrying case that holds my medicines,” Tiffany told her.

  “Watch him. I’ll be back soon,” Besseta told her, walking out the door. Stopping at the fridge, Besseta saw they still had one and half shelves of blood pouches. Grabbing two, she stepped outside as dusk was falling. A loud boom sounded over the lake as she took off over the water.

  Tiffany was standing on the balcony and saw the water shoot high up in the air as it parted several feet deep when Besseta took off across the lake. “Be safe, little Besseta,” she mumbled and walked back inside.

  Grabbing some water, Tiffany held Kenneth up and slowly poured some water into his mouth. Most poured out, but Kenneth swallowed a sip. Trying it again, Kenneth swallowed weakly, so Tiffany only poured small amounts in his mouth. When the glass was empty, she laid him back down. “That’s enough for now,” she smiled, setting the glass on the nightstand.

  Standing up and looking back as Kenneth floated up in the air, “We are going to watch TV until Besseta gets back,” Tiffany said, walking out with Kenneth floating behind her.

  ***

  It was almost dawn when Besseta used her foot to open the front door and carry the chest inside. As she walked in, she heard Tiffany yelling, “Buffy, I swear, if you sleep with Spike, I’ll hunt you down and stab you with your own stake!”

  Besseta froze, not sure how she should process that statement. “I can’t believe you, Buffy! You’re a slut!” Tiffany yelled. “I’m going to find you, rip your tits off and pull your hair out!”

  Taking a breath, Besseta walked into the living room to find Tiffany standing on the couch, holding a bowl of popcorn and pointing at the TV. Jack and Jill were on the couch beside her, yapping at the TV with Tiffany. “She got the puppies hooked on Buffy while I was gone,” Besseta groaned.

  Looking over, she saw Kenneth laid out on the couch, covered up with blankets and pillows under his back and head. Bonnie and Clyde were laying at his side, looking at Tiffany and the puppies. “Why don’t you sleep with Xander?! Hell, you fucked everyone else in Sunnydale, at least he loves you!” Tiffany screamed, throwing popcorn at the monster screen.

  Jack and Jill jumped off the couch to eat the popcorn on the floor. Setting down the chest and taking the strap to the case off her shoulder, Besseta moved to Kenneth. “How’s he been?”

  “Buffy just shagged Spike!” Tiffany shouted.

  “No, how’s Kenneth been?” Besseta asked, really considering turning all the on-demand providers off.

  Jumping down, Tiffany picked up the remote and paused the TV. “He’s been doing good. I got him to drink five glasses of water and he’s only curled up in pain twice. I tried whispering like you did, but it doesn’t work. I tried to get him to drink some blood, but it made him cough really bad.” Tiffany said.

  Reaching up, Besseta took a piece of popcorn out of Tiffany’s hair. “I take it you carried him down?” she asked.

  “Pfft,” Tiffany scoffed, waving her hand. “Yeah, right. You two don’t like for anyone to carry you but the other. I levitated him down here.”

  Besseta laughed. “No, I meant, did he walk down?”

  “Oh,” Tiffany said.

  Turning around, Besseta leaned over kissing Kenneth. As she stood up, she noticed paper sticking out from under him. Moving the blanket, she swiped around. “You put puppy pads under him?”

  “He peed once on that side of the couch,” Tiffany said, pointing at towels spread out on the other side of the sectional. “This way, I only have to change him and pads. Not scrub the couch out and rub it dry.”

  Shaking her head, Besseta looked down. “Can you make him something to help him feel better?”

  “Yes,” Tiffany smiled. “Can you really believe Buffy slept with Spike?”

  Shrugging her shoulders, “Well, Spike is kind of cool,” Besseta offered.

  Narrowing her eyes in shock, Tiffany dropped the bowl of popcorn to the floor, spilling it everywhere. With a look of disgust on her face, Tiffany turned away and stormed off to the kitchen. Grabbing the chest and case, Tiffany carried them into the kitchen. “I can’t believe you said that!” Tiffany snapped.

  Sighing, Besseta sat down next to Kenneth, rubbing his face. “I thought that answer would make her happy.”

  ‘Fat chance’ sounded in her mind, making her grin. Hearing Kenneth’s thoughts, Besseta started laughing.

  “Oh, you think it’s funny that bitch is sleeping with Spike?!” Tiffany yelled out.

  “No!” Besseta shouted and kissed Kenneth. “I was laughing at Kenneth.”

  Tiffany darted in. “He’s talking?” she asked, smiling.

  “No, I was laughing at his thoughts,” Besseta corrected.

  Hearing that, Tiffany slumped her shoulders. “All I got in my mind from him were scattered words.”

  “Like what?”

  “Change channel, oh man, popcorn’s burning, and he was right on that one,” Tiffany said, heading back to the kitchen.

  “You are a TV addict,” Besseta accused, following her into the kitchen.

  Tiffany didn’t answer as she opened the chest and began pulling out jars, vials, and small bags. Pulling out a copper bowl, Tiffany started putting small bits into it. The bottom of the bowl was covered with dried leaves, twigs, dried animal parts, and some stuff Besseta had no idea what it was.

  Opening the case, Tiffany pulled out a pestle and holding the bowl in the crook of her arm, she started grinding up the stuff in the bowl. “I really wasn’t expecting you back till tonight.”

  “No, I ran as fast as I could,” Besseta said, watching the stuff in the bowl turn to powder.

  “You do know, if you hit something, you’re going to die going that fast.”

  Besseta grinned. “Well, it’ll be fast.”

  Tiffany looked up from the bowl, not smiling. “That’s not funny.”

  “You’re right, it wasn’t,” Besseta nodded, dropping the grin. “I just want him better.”

  “Get one of his coffee cups,” Tiffany said, taking a pot of boiling water off the stove. Putting a strainer over the cup she poured the powder into the boiling water. Stirring the water for several minutes, Tiffany carefully poured it into the cup, with the strainer catching anything big.

  “What will this do?” Besseta asked.

  “Knock him on his ass,” Tiffany snorted, setting the strainer on the counter, and stirred the coffee cup as a pungent odor filled the air.

  “Ah, he’s already knocked on his ass,” Besseta said, waving her hand in front of her nose.

  “No, he’s feeling pain. This will solve that,” Tiffany corrected, putting the spoon down and slid the cup over to Besseta. “He needs to drink all of it.”

  “You’ve made him drink, why do I have to do it? I went and got it,” Besseta protested.
/>
  “Ah, he’s your husband,” Tiffany replied, walking away. “Besides, it tastes like crap and I don’t want him hitting me. I know he won’t hit you.”

  Picking the cup up, Besseta blew on it, trying to cool it off and keep from gagging on the smell. “Hey, yesterday, he was thinking about punching both of us,” she said, following Tiffany back to the living room.

  Spinning around and facing Besseta, “If it’s because I helped in his change, I’ll let him punch me. It will be well worth it. You have always been a good friend, but when all of us are together, it feels like a family,” she said, crossing her arms.

  Thinking as she blew on the septic fluid in the coffee cup, Besseta slowly nodded. “You have a point, I’ll let him punch me as well.”

  “Yeah, like that would happen,” Tiffany scoffed, throwing her hands up and heading back to the couch. “He has to drink it before it cools.”

  Besseta eased over and sat next to Kenneth. Lifting him up, Besseta put the cup to his lips. Kenneth opened his mouth slightly and she tilted the cup. She filled his mouth with the toxic concoction and Kenneth swallowed, just to get the stuff away from his tongue.

  Seeing Kenneth start to gag, Besseta moved the cup out of the way. “Oh, you can’t throw it up after you swallow it,” Tiffany said with a grin.

  Cautiously, Besseta sat back down and Kenneth’s thoughts flooded her mind. “Hey, don’t talk to me like that,” Besseta snapped at him.

  “He didn’t say anything,” Tiffany said, picking up the remote.

  “Maybe not with his mouth he didn’t, but he sure did in his mind,” Besseta corrected, lifting Kenneth back up. “You need to stop that, or I’ll get a garden hose and shove it down your throat and pour this crap down it.”

  “Ah, marital bliss,” Tiffany giggled.

  “Tiffany, you’re not helping,” Besseta growled.

  Lifting the remote, “Why don’t you see if Spike will come over and help since he’s cool,” she mocked.

  “I swear, I’m breaking the TV,” Besseta grumbled, putting the cup to Kenneth’s lips.

  “I don’t care,” Tiffany huffed, pushing play. “I watched Kenneth set this one up and I’ll just get another one.”