“Yes. May I see him?”
“Of course.” Little Bird led Sani and Ashwin down the hallway to the chief's bedroom, and Ashwin allowed her to approach the bed first with Sani right beside her. She gently shook the chief and murmured, “Pa pa, wake up. I have a surprise for you.”
The chief stirred and drowsily blinked at Little Bird, and his face lit up when he saw Sani standing there beside the bed. He threw the covers aside and slowly sat up, then picked Sani up and crushed the child against his chest in a bear hug as his body shook with the force of his sobs. “Sani! Sani!” the chief wailed as he finally eased his grip on the boy's body and gently framed his face with his hands as if to prove that he was actually there on his lap. Sani smiled and gently touched the side of the chief's face before he said, “Yes, Grampa?”
The chief wiped away tears of joy before he glanced up and noticed Ashwin standing at the foot of his bed, and his smile grew even wider as he said, “Ashwin, what a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?”
Little Bird spoke up. “Ashwin brought Sani back.”
“Is that so!”
“Yes, Grampa,” Sani clarified as he, too, smiled at Ashwin. “I like Mr. Ashwin a lot.”
The chief chuckled and said, “Mr. Ashwin is a very nice man, Sani.”
“I know, Grampa,” Sani said before he scrambled off the chief's bed and tugged on his mother's dress sleeve. “I'm hungry, mommy.”
Little Bird smiled down at her son and replied, “You go have a seat in the kitchen and we'll all be there in a few minutes.”
Sani went running up the hallway, and as Little Bird turned to leave the room she stood on tiptoe and whispered in Ashwin's ear, “Please help him. I don't know what's wrong with him, but we're all afraid he won't be around much longer.”
Ashwin nodded and fixed the chief with that penetrating gaze of his before he said, “I hear you haven't been doing so well, Chief.”
The chief sighed as he leaned back against the ornate headboard and replied, “And where did you hear that from?”
Ashwin shrugged. “A little Birdy told me. Not to mention my mother.”
“How IS your mother?”
Ashwin nodded. “She's fine. Worried about you, but otherwise fine.”
“Thank you for bringing Sani back. You really have no idea how much that means to his mother and I.”
Ashwin frowned. “What about the boy's father?”
The chief frowned. “He had to go back to Tennessee.”
“I see.” Ashwin casually walked over to the window and closed the curtains, then firmly shut the bedroom door before he came to stand beside the chief's bed. The chief was looking at him with an odd, almost frightened expression on his face as he nervously inquired, “What are you doing, Ashwin?”
Ashwin simply smiled and shook his head as he gently pushed the chief back against the pillows. “Just relax,” Ashwin murmured as he placed his hand firmly in the center of the chief's chest and closed his eyes. He frowned when he felt the distressed beat of the chief's weakened, ailing heart, and moments later he found himself in the same forest where he'd undergone his transformation from boy to man. He seemed to know just where to go as he walked along paths that had been long forgotten, but his strange journey soon proved to be worth it when he once again saw his spirit guide. Ashwin immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head in a gesture of reverence and respect for the creature that had shown him his life's path, and at the owl's urging he slowly got to his feet. “There is only one way to save your beloved chief,” the owl stated as Ashwin closed his eyes and focused solely on the owl's words. “Your chief has not suffered a grave attack on his heart, Strong Horse. Rather, his heart has been broken in a much worse and different way. The only way to heal your chief is to help him find love.”
The owl's words surprised Ashwin, for he had never heard the creature speak of things that involved emotion, only the physical aspects of a person's affliction. The owl took a step closer to Ashwin and advised, “There is one true love for your chief, and he does not have to look far to find it. You will be surprised by the outcome, but it is the only way to save your chief.”
Ashwin kept his head bowed and his eyes closed as he solemnly inquired, “How do I help the chief find what he needs?”
“It will soon become obvious to you, Strong Horse. Until then, you must return to your beloved Kasey. She needs you.”
At the mention of Kasey, Ashwin opened his eyes and blinked, but the owl was gone. He slowly turned and walked out of the forest, and moments later he found himself back in the chief's bedroom, his hand still pressed against the chief's chest. He smiled and nodded when he noticed that the chief's heartbeat had become stronger, and when he finally opened his eyes, his smile widened when he saw that the chief's color had returned to normal and his breathing was slow, deep, and even. He slowly removed his hand from the chief's chest and checked his pulse, and when he was finished he teased, “Chief, what you need is a good woman to look after you.”
The chief laughed at Ashwin's statement and said, “Who would have me?”
Ashwin simply smiled and shook his head as he folded his arms across his chest and inquired, “How are you feeling?”
The chief raised his eyebrows and replied, “Surprisingly better.”
“Good. Do you feel like having some breakfast? I know Sani would be thrilled to have breakfast with his Grampa.”
At the mention of his only grandson, the chief smiled and slowly got to his feet. “Breakfast sounds absolutely delightful.”
CHAPTER 11
Silver Moon cracked one eye open and squinted at the too-bright sunlight streaming into the living room, and for a few seconds she couldn't remember where she was as she slowly sat up on the sofa. She saw the baby asleep in the playpen, and only then did all of her memories return with a rush. She sighed as she slowly glanced around the somewhat cluttered living room, then frowned when she realized Sani was nowhere in sight. The apartment was eerily still and quiet, but when she tried to stand up, she pressed her hand against her forehead and moaned as a sickening wave of dizziness slammed into her. She slowly sank back down onto the sofa and rested her head against the plush cushions, then grimaced in irritation when the baby woke and began to cry. She leaned forward and rummaged through the diaper bag she'd set on the coffee table the night before, then found a half-empty can of formula and a dirty bottle that was in dire need of washing. She stood again and gingerly made her way into the kitchen, and her sense that something wasn't quite right intensified when she saw the dirty dishes that had been left in the now-cold dishwater. She sighed as she quickly rinsed the bottle out with hot water, and after preparing the formula she returned to the living room and changed the baby's diaper before she fed him the bottle. As she held the infant on her lap, she wondered if Ashwin had been called in to work as she remembered her plan to remove Kasey from Ashwin's life permanently. She wondered again where Sani was as the baby sucked greedily on the bottle, then decided that he'd show up sooner or later. After burping the baby, she returned him to the playpen, then tried to figure out how she was going to carry out her plan if Sani wasn't there to watch the baby. An idea suddenly occurred to her, and after picking up Ashwin's cordless phone, she dialed zero.
“Hi, Ashwin! How are you doing today? Is there anything I can do for you?”
Sylvie frowned at the overly-enthusiastic female voice and said, “This isn't Ashwin.”
On her end of the line, Holly frowned and said, “I'm sorry. What can I help you with today?”
“Do you offer any kind of babysitting services?”
“Actually, we do! Our child care facility is located in the lobby. Just come down and I'll be happy to help you!”
Sylvie nodded. “Okay, I'll do that. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
After leaving the baby in the hotel-sponsored day care center, Sylvie made a quick trip to the bathroom to change into the hospital scrubs she'd purchased the night
before. She double-checked her purse and smiled when she felt the small yet solid little black bottle, and after hailing a cab, she leaned back and closed her eyes as she mentally mapped out her plan. Fifteen minutes later the taxi stopped in front of the entrance to the hospital, and after tossing the cabbie a few dollars, Sylvie slipped into the lobby and covertly made her way to the bank of elevators that was just out of sight of the main desk. Moments later she was on the third floor, and with her head held high she walked straight to the glassed-in nurse's station. There was a different nurse on duty, and for that Sylvie was glad as she quickly flashed an ID badge and said, “I'm here for the dirty linens.”
The nurse simply nodded and pressed the button, granting Sylvie access onto the psychiatric ward. As soon as the huge double doors had closed behind her with a soft “whoosh”, she slowly walked along the hall until she found Kasey's room. The door was shut, and before she slowly pushed the door open, Sylvie looked both ways to make sure no one was watching. She quietly closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed, then stood staring down at the woman who had stolen her Ashwin's heart. She was a pathetic looking little thing, all pale and skinny, and not even her fine, silken blonde hair was enough to impress Sylvie. Instead Sylvie folded her arms across her chest and muttered, “A blonde! Why is Ashwin even interested in a woman who isn't Cherokee?” Sylvie shook her head as she tried to figure out just why Ashwin had been so enchanted with Kasey in the first place. A slow, wicked smile spread across Sylvie's face as she carefully retrieved the small black bottle from her pants pocket. She leaned over Kasey's pale yet peaceful face and hissed, “I hope you're having sweet dreams about Ashwin, you little bitch, because that's the last time you'll ever have the chance to see his face again!”
Despite the hateful words that had been flung at her, Kasey didn't so much as blink as Sylvie carefully twisted the cap off the bottle and shook all of the contents into her palm. She glanced down at the powder she was holding before she quickly blew it into Kasey's face. She felt intensely triumphant when the majority of the powder disappeared into Kasey's nostrils, just the way she'd intended. Sylvie slowly straightened and tucked the bottle back into her pocket, then washed the last remnants of powder from her hands before she quietly slipped out of the room and disappeared into the stairwell.
A scream, then a nerve-jangling clatter of something heavy and solid against the floor. Rapid footsteps and the irritating squeak of someone's rubber-soled shoes as they ran up the hallway, still screaming. More rapid footsteps running down the hall, getting closer, and the sense that several people were crowded around her. Try as she might, though, Kasey couldn't seem to open her eyes, even though she was tired of sleeping and was more than ready to be with her Ashwin again. Where was she? How had she gotten here? And why couldn't she open her eyes? All she heard were rapid, loud, various words shouted by different people, none of which made any sense to her. She heard someone yell, “Clear!”, and then what felt like ice cubes against her chest. What followed next was the most excruciating pain she'd ever felt, like someone had stuck an electrified razor against her nipples and was trying to cut them off. Despite the agonizing pain, she found herself unable to open her eyes, blink, cry, or scream, even when she felt an even more intense pain of the same nature a few seconds later. She had the sensation of flying up into the air, and then she landed hard on the none-too-comfortable mattress she'd occupied for the last three weeks. She prayed that whoever was causing her the unspeakable pain would stop, but her prayer went unanswered when she once again felt the same, agonizing pain directly against her chest. Even though she was trying with all of her might to force her eyelids open, they seemed to be weighted down with bricks, and she was forced to remain in the dark as she waited to see if there was going to be more pain. She suddenly felt the sensation of something being pulled from deep within her, and even though she wanted to gag and vomit, her body seemed to be paralyzed. Paralyzed! Why on earth would she be paralyzed? The thought terrified her, but before her mind could begin to sort out why she might be paralyzed, she felt someone push her knees apart and reach directly between her thighs before she felt their fingers close to where Ashwin's fingers had been. She wondered who was touching her like that down there, but she knew it wasn't Ashwin when she felt an intense sense of pressure and an almost-painful pulling sensation. Moments later the pressure and pain ceased, and relief flooded her when it seemed as if the person or people had finally left her alone. She felt a gentle breeze against her face before something soft suddenly drifted down over her face and body, and then all was silent as she waited to see if they were going to do anything else to her. When several minutes passed with no further contact from anyone, she found herself growing sleepy again. With nothing else to do, she gave in to the lure of more sleep and drifted off.
After a couple of hours' sleep in the same bed he'd occupied a mere month before, Ashwin felt rested enough to make the long drive back home. He had given the chief a thorough check-up and discovered that he was likely a Type II diabetic, but the EKG he'd performed had turned out normal. Now, as he got ready to leave, his mother walked into the room and said, “Thank you for helping the Chief.”
Ashwin shrugged and smiled as he embraced his mother in a gentle hug. “It was the least I could do, A-lu-li.”
Ashwin's mother smiled and hugged her son, then stepped back and inquired, “What are you going to do about Silver Moon?”
Ashwin sighed as he donned his windbreaker. “I'm not sure yet, but I'll think of something.”
“The Chief trusts you completely in this matter. You know that, right?”
Ashwin nodded. “Of course.”
“A lot of people here feel she should be in jail.”
“I'm aware of that.”
“Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you keep us informed.”
“I will.” He leaned down to kiss his mother's cheek before he straightened and added, “I've got to get back.”
“You be careful.”
“I will.” He walked out to his car and smiled when Sani came running up to him, and after giving the boy a high-five he said, “I'll see you soon. Take care of your mom and the Chief for me, okay?”
Sani nodded and suddenly threw his arms around Ashwin's legs, then said, “Thank you again, Mr. Ashwin.”
Ashwin gently ruffled the boy's hair and said, “You're more than welcome. Be good for your mom.”
Moments later he slid behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition, then headed back home.
Silver Moon sighed as she carefully placed the baby into the playpen before she sank onto Ashwin's plush, comfortable sofa. As she glanced at the clock, she still didn't know where Sani was, but she figured he was outside running around and playing. She was going to have to reprimand him good for this one, she thought as she stared up at the ceiling in irritation. She got off the sofa and decided to treat herself to a long, hot shower, and afterwards she dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a low-cut blouse that revealed just enough without making her look like she was begging for attention. She stuffed the balled-up scrubs into a bag and threw them into the dumpster behind the hotel, then returned to Ashwin's apartment and spent the next two hours channel-surfing on Ashwin's big-screen TV. She briefly wondered when or even if that creepy old woman from the novelty shop was going to show up, then decided she'd deal with that if it happened. She made a sound of frustration when the baby woke from his nap, then made a bottle of formula and fed him. She wondered when Ashwin would be home, but she was in no mood to go to the trouble of cooking for him if he wasn't going to appreciate it. She burped the baby and placed him back in his playpen, then got up and wandered outside to stare at the Atlantic. She couldn't blame Ashwin for moving here, but she wished she'd accepted his proposal ten years ago. Then she wouldn't have been forced to do what she'd done today. She sighed and walked back into the kitchen, then told herself it didn't really matter now as she rummaged in the fridge for something quick to eat. All
she could find was last night's pizza, and as she warmed a couple of slices in the microwave the phone began to ring. She decided to ignore it as she poured herself a Pepsi, and moments later she retrieved her pizza from the microwave and sat down at the table. The man she loved would be home soon, and now there was nothing stopping them from being together, just as there was no way anyone could prove that she'd played any part in Kasey's untimely and unfortunate demise. She couldn't help the small smile that played at the corners of her mouth as she took a large bite of the delicious pizza. Life would go on, she would marry Ashwin, and they would have children and live happily ever after. It was just like a fairy tale, just like it was meant to be. Silver Moon sighed and smiled before she finished off her Pepsi and wiped her mouth. Life was good.
Ashwin arrived at the hospital at three-thirty that afternoon, intent on seeing Kasey to make sure she was alright, as well as to see if there had been any positive change in her condition. With any luck she'd be awake and sitting up and talking and--
“Dr. Ross, Dr. Hall needs to see you immediately,” Nurse Wilkinson informed him as he stood just outside the psychiatric ward, impatient to see Kasey. He glanced up when Dr. Hall suddenly appeared beside him and said, “Let's go to my office, shall we?”
Ashwin frowned at everyone's odd behavior and inquired, “Is something wrong with Kasey?”
Dr. Hall remained silent until Ashwin had sat down across from his desk, and as he clasped his hands in front of him, Ashwin suddenly felt cold all over. Dr. Hall pressed the tips of his index fingers together before he said, “Dr. Ross, please rest assured that Kasey received the best possible care we could give her.”
Ashwin missed the past tense of speech that Dr. Hall had just used as he leaned forward and said, “I know that, Dr. Hall, and I appreciate everything you've done for Kasey. But why am I not being allowed to see her?”
The Medicine Man, Book 2 Page 7
