When I opened my eyes, he was seated by my side. He smiled as I gazed up at him. His hand stroked my hair. I felt the tips of his fingers. Just beneath the surface, there was desire and fear that he could have lost me. Energy pulsated between us. It was strong, powerful, and alien.
“I needed to see you to make sure you were okay. When I left you to seek help, you were in so much pain. I could feel it ripping through the lower part of your body. I hated that I couldn’t do anything to help you. I’m a biochemist, unfortunately.”
Quentin grinned. He looked so tame, so fragile at that moment. It was like looking at another person. Lovely dark locks fell to one side of his head. The color of his eyes was dark, strange and unnatural, but filled with beauty.
He pushed back my hair and trailed a finger down my cheek. “I feel your pulse at balance again.” Quentin smiled and leaned forward.
“You’re shaking. Why are you scared? You know me, my love. There is nothing to be frightened of …”
He neared to kiss me, but I recoiled and turned my face away. He froze, glaring down.
“Quentin, I don’t belong with you … I don’t.” I shuddered.
“Shh, say no more. You’re delirious, my love. Their chemicals are running through your veins and making you say rubbish.”
“No, I mean it. You think I am this Pet-tricia, but I’m not. I’m not her.”
Quentin squeezed my cheeks hard. Once he had my attention, he eased his grip and stared into my eyes.
“You’re under their control. They’ve fed you lies. I see who you truly are. I know you can’t remember, but with time you will, and you will not deny me your love. I need you, Pet-tricia. You don’t know how lonely this existence has been without you.” He leaned forward. His lips grew closer. The way he held my head, there was no escape.
A sound from behind startled him and he released me. He turned his head towards the door.
I followed his lead and glanced towards the entrance as it opened. When I glanced back to the side of my bed, Quentin was gone.
The nurse entered. I wanted to tell her what had taken place, but she wouldn’t have believed me.
She came around and checked the IV. I lay very still. On the wall in front of me, a figure crawled onto the ceiling.
At first it was just a black spot, like a stain on the wall. Then, slowly, it began to resemble something of a person. I recognized the black suit and red tie. His arms stretched unnaturally up the ceiling above us.
The nurse didn’t see what was happening. His arms then dropped down to extend over the bed.
“You doing okay, darling?” the nurse asked cheerfully. “Did you want some water? What’s wrong?”
I looked up. She followed my gaze slowly. When she did see it and she jumped back, almost knocking over the small table behind her.
The shadowy tentacles lashed out and entered her mouth when she screamed. Its arms retracted and she stood very still. In her eyes, blackness swirled. Just as quick as it came, the darkness vanished, and I could once again see the pupils of her mocha-brown eyes.
Above, the shadow-thing vanished into the ceiling. The nurse stood over my bed, but it wasn’t her any longer. The man in the black suit and red tie had taken over the image of the kind elderly black nurse.
Hello, Miss Belle. I’ve come for you. I can be anyone, anywhere. I will do anything to possess you, darling.
Long dark tentacles emerged from out of his back and reached out to grab me. When they made contact with my arm, they reacted as if my skin had burned them. A look of panic distorted his features. He shrieked, pushed himself back against the wall by my bed, and disappeared.
I screamed as I struggled into a seated position. The pain shot through me. That was what awakened me. My eyes opened and I slowly became aware.
There was a nurse standing at my bedside. She pushed me back against the bed.
“It’s alright, relax.”
I stared at her, looking around for that thing. Had it only been a dream?
“Are you okay, honey?”
I settled down and took a breath.
“Did you have a bad dream?” she asked softly, smiling.
She checked the IV and took some notes on the clipboard. I looked at her, fearing I would see something else in those brown eyes but when there was nothing, I relaxed.
“Where am I?”
“Memorial Hospital. Don’t you remember, sweetheart? Your appendix ruptured.”
I thought about it. Flashes of pain in my stomach, Quentin’s words about being unable to help me … everything started to fall into place.
“My appendix?”
She keyed notes on her tablet and nodded. “Can I get you something? Unfortunately, you’ll be on a liquid diet for a bit; I can get you some nice hot broth for lunch. But, on the plus side, you can have ice cream.” She smiled kindly and winked.
“How’s the patient doing?”
A voice asked as the door opened. A young man with a full head of dark curls entered the room. His dark brown eyes smiled at me as he approached the side of the bed. “She’s awake. How are her vitals?” he asked the nurse.
She handed him the tablet. “All looks well, Dr. Spencer.”
“Good. How do you feel, Miss Slater?”
My nosed wrinkled at him. The name sounded strange when he said it out loud. I couldn’t figure out how he’d come to call me that. Obviously, John had given him that name; I was able to verify this fact from the thoughts in his head.
I wondered if John had heard me calling to him. His reply told me he had. Claudia? Are you okay?
Yes, I miss you.
I saw him smiling in my mind. I miss you too.
The nurse walked out and Dr. Spencer caught the expression in my eyes. “John’s your boyfriend, correct?”
Dr. Spencer’s words drew me back to where I was.
“I know Slater isn’t your last name. I told John to say he was your husband, so he could come into the room and help you before surgery. Things might be a little hazy. I know you were in a lot of pain.”
“Oh,” was all I said.
“So, what is it? Your last name, I mean,” Dr. Spencer asked.
I could see the questions in his mind. I had a feeling John had given his last name for a reason other than to be in the same room with me. And Dr. Spencer was catching on to that.
“Slater,” I answered.
He smiled. “Okay, then.”
“It’s on the form, isn’t it?” I asked boldly.
He gave me a look, wondering how I had known that. He avoided the question. “So, how do you feel?”
“Hungry.”
“Yeah, I believe Nurse Janice has you down for soup and yogurt.”
“How about a turkey burger and fries?”
Dr. Spencer chuckled. “I’m afraid not for a little while. Right now, you’ll have to be on a liquid diet.”
“Oh …will I be able to attend the prom? The dress might not fit anymore,” I muttered, suddenly realizing the implications of the surgery. “Does it look bad?” I asked in relation to the scar, pointing below.
Dr. Spencer understood what I was getting at. “It doesn’t look bad at all.”
I wrinkled my nose again, wanting to look at my stitches.
“Let’s play it by ear, though. When is the prom?”
“Next week.”
Dr. Spencer’s lips drew taut for a second or two. “Well, then, no. Unfortunately, you’ll need four weeks to recover.” He looked disappointed for me.
I dropped back and bit my lips until it hurt. Even dropping my head on the pillow made the pain in my lower body ache.
“I really am sorry.” His dark eyes smiled down at me. “I’ve asked the nurse to allow your family back here to see you.”
A second after he said that the door opened and Michael, John, and Joseph entered the room.
John was the first to come to the side of the bed and take his place by my side. He gripped my hand as he leaned forward to kiss me.
A breath escaped him as our lips touched. He pulled back with difficulty.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I was so worried.” I smiled and squeezed John’s hand. I was a little embarrassed when I caught Dr. Spencer staring at us.
He seems nice, I thought to John, who agreed. I like him, I decided. He said I can have ice cream.
John laughed softly as I shrugged. Dr. Spencer caught us smiling at each other. Our private conversation may have seemed a little odd.
Oh, you’re too grown-up for ice cream? John poked fun at me.
“I didn’t say that,” I said out loud and put a hand over my mouth.
Curious, Dr. Spencer looked at me.
I avoided his eyes.
I like him, too, he admitted to me.
He said I won’t be able to attend the prom. I’ll be recovering for four weeks. I pulled at John’s hand.
Ah, come on; cheer up, Miss Belle; we’ll figure out something.
“Claudia.” Michael came to stand by the bed on the opposite side of John. He reached down and gave me a gentle hug, kissing me on the cheek. Then, he pulled away to study me. “You’re looking well, my dear.”
I had frightened everyone, but it was more readable on Michael’s face.
“Dr. Spencer has been taking good care of me,” I said.
Catching the doctor by surprise, he looked up from his medical tablet. “You’re just a very good patient. I wish I had more like you,” he admitted with a wink.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” Michael stated.
I felt protected by all the attention I was getting.
“Thanks to John,” I said.
Michael agreed and patted John’s shoulder gently before moving back.
The doctor appeared on the other side of the bed and I looked at him curiously. His dark brown eyes were regarding me carefully. I caught a single image from his mind before it vanished and cringed. My expression must have pulled him away from whatever he was thinking about.
“You still feeling pain?” Dr. Spencer asked worriedly.
“Just a little.”
He moved a few dials on the machine beside my bed, reading my vitals. I didn’t know what all the switches or strange beeps meant. Some were easy to tell what they did, like the ones for blood pressure and heart rate. I felt a cold liquid rush up my arm and into the rest of my body. And the pain eased. He must have released medication into my IV … because whatever he had put in my IV was making me giddy.
I caught Joseph lingering in the back. “Joseph!” I happily called.
He looked over quizzically.
“What are you doing there? Come closer,” I encouraged him.
A grin spread over his face. “What has the doctor been putting in your IV? You sound fairly well. Are you sure you’re sick?”
I laughed.
“It’s nice to see you’re okay, honey. You gave my nephew a heart attack. I’ve never seen this guy cry before. It was quite frightening and embarrassing.”
Regardless of his words, Joseph seemed distant, like something else was occupying his mind.
“Shut up,” John muttered.
Joseph laughed.
“Are you okay?” I asked Joseph.
He looked surprised for a second. “Oh, yeah … you just gave us a scare there, Miss Belle. I’m glad you’re doing better.”
If it wasn’t for the watch, I would have peered into his thoughts to see what was bothering him. I didn’t have to read him to know something was on his mind, though.
I gripped John’s hand and he grinned. I knew it was true. John had sensed it too; something was on Joseph’s mind. I caught Dr. Spencer watching us.
He looked distracted by our warm display. I sensed he longed for something similar: friends and a family. He had none. He was very involved in his work, but he loved what he did. Which made him a great doctor. That made me sad. He seemed like a nice person. I could feel nothing menacing coming from him. His feelings were clear to discern. He seemed fragile with his emotions.
“You have a nice family,” Dr. Spencer said as he cleared his throat. There was warmth in his eyes.
A nurse arrived with a meal for me as the rest of my family took a seat on the chairs around my bed. There was a single sofa to my left, the same spot where I had witnessed the entity disappear.
John glanced over at me when the thought entered my mind again. I lowered my gaze. He knew. I merged my thoughts with him. It was a dream I said before he could question what he saw.
John gripped my hand tighter. I believe he’s trying to convince you of that. He’s more real than you think, Miss Belle. I wish you could stay with me, or the other way around. That way I could keep you safe. This is not working …
The nurse pushed a table close to my bed with the tray upon it. Pulling off the lid revealed a bowl of watery soup, a dish of lime Jell-O, a container of plain yogurt, and a hot tea. I stared at the food in utter disgust as I picked up a spoon and dipped it into the soup. Ugh. It tasted like barely-flavored water.
The nurse leaned over and smiled. “I’ll bring you some ice cream when you’re done with this.”
Did she honestly think she was doing me a favor?
Come on; cheer up, Miss Belle. John smiled at me from the chair.
I sucked in my bottom lip and dropped the spoon to the side of the bowl.
“I know it doesn’t look appetizing, but it’s only for a bit, until your able to eat solids,” Dr. Spencer said.
John took a spoonful of the soup. It was too runny for him to keep on the spoon. Instead, he picked up the bowl.
The nurse left and Joseph came to the other side of my bed. He was examining the instruments on the monitor with my vitals. Did he know what any of those things said or meant?
He does; you’d be surprised at what Joseph knows. He has to be able to give medical aid in case I need it.
Wow. What doesn’t he know? I guess I should ask that instead, then.
Lifting the bowl, he grabbed the spoon again, and brought both close to my mouth to avoid spillage.
I pressed my lips tightly together.
Come on, Miss Belle, open up, John coaxed, pushing the spoon toward me.
I narrowed my gaze. Very funny, Mr. Slater. I don’t think I can stomach that.
Doctor’s orders, Miss Belle, he joked.
I opened my mouth and I took a spoonful … and nearly spit it out. The soup was awful but, somehow, I managed to swallow it.
“It takes some getting used to,” Dr. Spencer said wryly, “let me know if you guys need anything.”
“Dr. Spencer.” Michael rose and walked over.
The two men stepped into the hallway.
I couldn’t quite hear their conversation but from what I could sense in their thoughts, Michael wanted to know when I would be able to leave.
“Don’t worry, squirt; you’ll be out by tomorrow,” Joseph said.
Squirt? I wrinkled my nose at Joseph as he took a seat on the sofa.
“I did my homework on our dear Dr. Spencer. He graduated at the top of his class. He’s legit, definitely on the up and up. By the looks of your doctor, he’s in the third year of his residency, so he’s still cautious. Usually, an extra day for an appendectomy is the norm.”
John was smiling at me when I looked at him. He winked at me. Joseph did know a lot.
“You’ll have a lot of bed recovery ahead of you though. I’m sure John will be happy to help with that.” He grinned.
John blushed and so did I.
“Squirt?” I said out loud.
“That just means Joseph’s comfortable with you, Miss Belle.”
Joseph gave me a grin and winked.
John started laughing as he finished cleaning off the spoon with a napkin, motioning to the yogurt and the Jell-O. I pointed to the yogurt first. I had never been much for Jell-O.
Michael re-entered the room with the news we already knew, thanks to Joseph. John fed me the rest of the soup, which I struggled to swallow. I had a little of the yogurt and, after a bit, the nurse returned with vanilla ice cream.