Red-Line: The Shift (Volume One)

by J. T. Bishop

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Leroy. “And he’s convinced himself it’s his fault, no matter what I say.”

  Ramsey finally roused himself from his memories and expelled a deep lungful of air as if waking from a nightmarish sleep. He finally acknowledged Leroy’s presence. “When did you sneak in?”

  “During your surprising moment of revelation. When’s the last time you told that to anyone?”

  “I’ve never told anybody.”

  Leroy nodded and glanced at Declan. “I’m glad he finally told you. It’s about time you two acted like brothers.” He spoke to Ramsey. “Feel better?”

  Ramsey frowned at him. “Don’t get carried away, Leroy. He asked me about it, and I answered him. Enough said. We’re not achieving world peace here.”

  Leroy responded smartly, eager to pull Ramsey from the past. “No, but you’re helping pave the way.”

  Ramsey pushed away from the counter, eager to shake off the darkness of the memories. “You read too many philosophy books,” he said. He began to walk out of the kitchen, ready to change the subject.

  “Where are you going?” asked Declan, suddenly animated.

  Ramsey looked at him oddly, wondering why Declan cared. “To the master bedroom. Is that a problem?”

  “So what’s your reaction to the news? I’m surprised you haven’t said anything about it,” said Leroy, smiling and looking at Ramsey as if he expected something from him.

  Ramsey furrowed his brow. He was obviously missing something. “News?”

  Now Leroy looked confused. “Didn’t he tell you?” he asked, nodding his head toward Declan.

  “Tell me what?” asked Ramsey.

  Both Ramsey and Leroy turned their attention toward Declan, who had been watching as the two spoke. He shrugged his shoulders.

  “What news?” Ramsey asked again with more force.

  Declan finally answered. “Sarah came out of her Shift last night.”

  Ramsey’s eyes went wide. “She what?” They quickly narrowed again, though. “And you let me go on with that story the whole time while you had that bit of information in your pocket?”

  “But I wanted to hear the story,” Declan retorted.

  Ramsey didn’t know what to do first, race to the bedroom or strangle Declan. “You wanted to hear the story?” he sputtered.

  Leroy sat back against the counter and smiled as he listened to the brothers’ exchange.

  “Well, yes,” said Declan. “It was a tender moment.”

  “Tender what?” Ramsey couldn’t believe his ears. “You want a tender moment? How about when I cry after I beat you to death.”

  Declan hid his amusement. “Why don’t you go see her first, and then we can converse about my untimely demise.”

  Ramsey considered that, but he decided not to waste any more time on Declan. “And you, best friend,” he said, directing his angry attention toward Leroy, “wipe that smirk off your face.”

  Leroy raised his hands in mock self-defense as Ramsey defiantly turned and headed toward the bedroom.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  * * *

  WHEN RAMSEY APPROACHED the door, he slowed his pace, anxious about what he would see. His focus had been so completely engaged on getting Sarah through her Shift, that the thought of her coming out of it had not crossed his mind. He silently wondered about what to do next as he put his hand on the doorframe, preparing himself.

  Imagining he looked ridiculous standing there, he made himself walk into the room. He didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t what greeted him. Sarah lay sleeping under the bedcovers, and Hannah lay on the opposite side of the bed, uncovered and apparently dozing. It didn’t seem as if much had changed.

  He watched for a few minutes until Hannah stirred. She opened her eyes, saw him, and sat up, then made a ‘shh’ gesture with her index finger. She stood and moved into the hallway, and he followed her. She looked tired, and her eyes were puffy with sleep, or lack of it. He didn’t know which.

  “Good morning,” she whispered. “You’re looking better.”

  “Forget about me. How is she? What happened?”

  Hannah held up her hands. “Calm down, Kemosabe. Hold your horses.”

  “Hannah…”

  “She came out of her Shift last night, or at least I’m pretty sure she did.”

  “Pretty sure? What does that mean?”

  “It means she was lying in her tub, all bubbles, minding her own business, when I suddenly realized the bubbles had stopped. I had been trying to sleep, but I couldn’t hear them anymore. I got up to look in on her, and there she was.” Hannah made a face, as if Ramsey ought to know what she was referring to.

  “There she was what?” asked Ramsey, trying not to show his impatience.

  “She was sitting up in the tub, looking like she’d just got in. She said, ‘I’m ready to get out now.’ Just like that. It was the craziest thing.”

  “How was she?

  “She was fine. The redness was completely gone. I got her out of her tattered clothes and got her dressed, and she drank about three glasses of water. She’s been asleep ever since.”

  “She’s not hot anymore?” He thought about the question. “I mean temperature-wise.”

  Hannah was unfazed now by Ramsey’s comments. “Her temperature is completely normal.”

  “Amazing.”

  “It is. I can only assume she’s through the worst of it.”

  “I hope so.”

  “So how does it feel?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “To be the first Protector to see a Red-Line through their Shift. Pretty impressive skill to add to the resumé.”

  “I didn’t do it alone.” He caught her gaze. “I couldn’t have done it without you. I owe you, Hannah.”

  “You don’t owe me a thing, Ramsey. I’m just doing my job, like you.”

  “Yes, well, you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.”

  “As have we all.”

  “Let’s just make sure we keep her alive from here.”

  “I agree. That would be preferred.”

  She yawned, and he saw the lines of fatigue on her face. “Your turn,” he said. “Go get some rest.”

  She hesitated, but not for long. “I’ll take you up on that. You should be there when she wakes up anyway. Who knows how much she’ll remember from all of this.”

  Ramsey wondered about that. Shifters usually forgot experiences that had occurred, once they emerged from the process. Sometimes they would remember later and sometimes they wouldn’t. It depended on the individual. There had been occasional incidents where they remembered everything, but these were rare. Memory loss from a Shift was part of his very minimal knowledge concerning Red-Lines.

  “I guess we’ll know soon enough,” he stated.

  “Then she’s all yours. I’m gonna get some food and lay down.” Hannah turned and headed down the hallway and out of sight.

  He could hear Leroy and Declan greet her as he walked into the bedroom. He closed the bedroom door as best he could, hoping to keep their voices from traveling into the room and waking Sarah.

  With the door closed, he approached the bed. His stomach growled, reminding him that he had not eaten breakfast. He heard a low rumble from outside and realized it was thunder. He had paid no attention to the weather, but he guessed that they were about to get some rain.

  He watched Sarah sleep. Looking at her face, he could see no redness at all. She appeared comfortable, and even better, present. Every other time she’d lain in this bed, she’d felt to him as if she were elsewhere, as if her body was here but the rest of her was not. Now, she seemed complete, and it felt good to have her back.

  He sat on the bed, careful not to disturb her. Another rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. She did not stir. He lay down next to her, assuming Hannah’s previous position on the bed, and listened to her breathing. He continued to watch and wonder about what would happen when she awoke. What would she think?
How would she be different? Questions rattled through his mind. He put his arm over his eyes, and without planning to, fell asleep next to her.

  He awoke to the sound of rain on the roof, the dream he’d been having fading. It trickled through his mind and he tried to grasp it, but the harder he tried, the faster it disappeared. Something had been wrong, and he’d been racing to stop it, but he was too late. He shook his head to clear it and started to sit up.

  He heard a soft voice. “You awake?”

  He turned to see Sarah, still on her side under the covers, looking over at him. A flutter of nervous energy shot through his midsection, and he tamped it down. He didn’t know what to say.

  “Hi.” It was all that came to mind. She smiled back at him, and that thing in his stomach fired again. He pushed it away, though, and finally found his voice. “How are you feeling?”

  She made a face. “Pretty well, I think.” She paused. “A little foggy, though.”

  “Well, you look good.” He groaned mentally. Something about her made him tongue-tied.

  “Sure I do.” She flicked her eyes around the room. “How long have I been here?”

  He had to think about it. “Um, six days, I think.” The days had all rolled into one for him.

  Her eyes reflected her shock. “Six days?” She moved to sit up in the bed, but moaned as she lay back again. “Scratch that about feeing well. My body aches. What the hell have I been doing? Construction work?”

  Check on the memory loss, Ramsey thought to himself. “Not exactly,” he answered.

  “I can’t believe I’ve been sick this long.” She shifted to get comfortable but then shot a worried look at Ramsey. “Aunt Gerry! Has someone talked to her? And Rachel? What about work?” She tried to sit up again, and this time she managed to hold herself in an upright position.

  Ramsey sat up with her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all been taken care of. We’ve been in touch with all of them.” He began to wonder just how far back her memory loss went. Did she remember their discussion when they first brought her here? Did she remember how she got here? She obviously knew him, though, which pleased him. He decided to ask. No point in beating around the bush at this point.

  “Sarah, how much do you remember?”

  Visibly calmer after Ramsey told her that her people had been notified, she moved slowly in the bed. She met his gaze, but her energy shifted again and her calm demeanor evaporated.

  Ramsey noticed. “What, Sarah?”

  “Nothing.” She sat for a second before she sought a more comfortable position, sitting back on the bed and resting against the headboard. He could feel her tense up on him.

  “Don’t close up. What is it?”

  She shivered and covered herself with the blankets. “Where am I?” He moved to face her, and she shied away from him. “What’s happening to me?”

  “Take it easy.” He managed to get a little closer as she pulled the blanket up to her neck. “You’re safe. You’ve just been through a lot these past few days. You’ll need some time to adjust.”

  She stared off into space. “Who’s Hannah?”

  Now he understood that bits and pieces of the last six days were starting to return as the fog cleared. He didn’t want to hit her all at once with the information and send her back into sensory overload. He tried to go slowly. “Hannah is a nurse who came to help me out with you. She’s been here the whole time.”

  Sarah popped out a hand and held her head, squinting her eyes as if remembering was painful. “And Declan? Who’s he?”

  Ramsey considered a myriad of responses to that question, but ultimately, he played it safe. “He’s been making sure we’re all safe and sound. He’s in the other room, with Hannah.”

  She lifted her head from her hand. “I know.” She stated that flatly but then squinted harder, as if she had a headache. “I don’t know how I know, but I know.”

  Recognizing that her new abilities were beginning to reveal themselves, he was unsure how to discuss them with her, or whether she was ready for the information.

  “And Leroy, your friend, he’s here too, isn’t he?” She opened her eyes wider, looking at some invisible focal point. She tucked her hand back under the covers and sat bundled on the bed.

  “Yes, he’s here too.”

  She said nothing for several seconds, until she asked, “Is he okay?”

  “What?” Ramsey guessed she was referring to Leroy’s injuries, but he couldn’t be sure.

  “Is he all right? Was he injured?”

  Ramsey deduced that his assumption was accurate. “Yes, he was injured, but he’s fine now.” Uncertain of how much she knew of her involvement, he didn’t offer any information other than what she was asking about.

  “Good,” she said. “And you?”

  “Me?” Did she remember her connection with him, he wondered?

  “Yes, how are you??”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” She closed her eyes as if to shut off whatever it was that had turned on.

  “Sarah? How are you?” He reached out to touch her, but she turned from him and delicately resumed her previous horizontal position in the bed, the covers pulled up high.

  “Sleep,” she said. “I need some more sleep.” And with that proclamation, she went quiet.

  Ramsey watched her lay with her back to him. Her breathing became deeper, and he realized she had indeed fallen back to sleep. He replayed everything she’d said in his mind and made some basic conclusions. She remembered everyone, but how much she recalled regarding her involvement was still a mystery. He sensed she was aware that she was not sick. Something about her energy confirmed that for him, but he suspected she wasn’t ready to confront it just yet. He doubted she remembered anything about X and Z. He suspected he would have seen signs of that. He debated how much he should tell her. Should he let her remember on her own? If she asked him, should he answer? He didn’t want to undermine all her progress by overwhelming her. He knew the process would take time, and he would do his best to give her that time. He just hoped that Y wouldn’t interfere. If Y decided to show himself, Ramsey would have to catch her up to speed, and fast. For now, though, he let her rest. The answers would come soon enough.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  * * *

  LATER THAT NIGHT, Ramsey, Leroy, and Declan sat at the dining table. They munched on hamburgers that Leroy had grilled on the porch. It was the closest they’d come to having a normal dinner since they’d arrived at the house.

  A few minutes passed before Hannah, showered and clean, came out of the bathroom to join them.

  “Burger’s ready, Hannah. Help yourself.” Leroy pointed to the kitchen, where assorted condiments sat atop the counter.

  “It smells delicious.” Hannah headed into the kitchen, ready to eat. She’d slept several hours before Declan woke her. She put together her burger, grabbed a beer, and sat down. Nobody said a word while they all sat together and enjoyed their meal.

  Halfway into her burger, Hannah watched as the rest of them ate. “This is nice.”

  Ramsey looked up at her, chewing his food. “Yes. Eating is nice.”

  She gave him a look. “That’s not what I mean.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Declan, taking a bite.

  “I mean we’re all sitting together, enjoying dinner. It’s kind of nice, especially after the week we’ve had.”

  “We’re not exactly the Waltons,” said Ramsey through a mouthful.

  “No, but we’re close.” Hannah smiled. “More like the Brady Bunch.”

  “We’re definitely a bunch of something,” said Leroy.

  “So what else did Morgana have to say?” Declan asked Leroy.

  Leroy swallowed his bite before he answered. “Nothing really. Just that Emerson had slipped into a coma. He won’t be answering any questions right now.”

  “So much for getting some answers,” said Ramsey.

  “That’s assuming he has any answers,” s
aid Declan.

  “Something tells me he does,” Ramsey replied, taking another bite. “No matter what Morgana says.”

  They enjoyed a few more bites of food before Hannah addressed Ramsey. “How’s Sarah? Any change?”

  Ramsey swallowed his last bite and took a swig of his beer. “She woke up briefly but then fell back asleep. Been out ever since.”

  “How was she?”

  “She’s okay physically. She asked about all of you, so she has some memories of her past week, but emotionally…well, that may take some time. There’s a lot to assimilate.”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” replied Declan.

  “How much are you going to tell her?” asked Leroy, wiping his hands on a napkin.

  Ramsey swallowed another swig of beer. “I’ll figure that out when the time comes. Right now, I’m just going to play it by ear.”

  Hannah was starting to ask him a question when something behind him caught her eye. “Oh, my,” she said.

  Ramsey looked up at her, curious at her reply. “What? You think that’s a bad idea?”

  She stared off behind him.

  “Uh, John.” Now Declan was acting strangely.

  Leroy swiveled his head to see what they were looking at. “Sherlock,” he said as he stared.

  Ramsey wondered what was going on behind him and turned in his chair. Standing in the hallway, with a blanket wrapped around her, was Sarah. Her line of sight allowed her to see the four of them sitting at the dining table. Ramsey stood, almost knocking his chair backward. He turned toward her but did not advance. He didn’t want to scare her. “Sarah?”

  She looked uncertain, as if she didn’t know where she was, but once she realized that she’d been seen, she took a few tentative steps forward.

  Ramsey did the same. Once they were within a few feet of each other, they stopped.

  “Hey,” she said, a little apprehensive. “I woke up, and I was alone.” She pulled the blanket closer around her.

  He could feel her trepidation. “You’ve been sleeping for a while. You feel better?”

  “I could use something to drink. I’m pretty thirsty.”