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Sunday. Darby
“Darby, wake up.” Holly was shaking me. “I don’t know if I can rouse her.”
I forced my eyes open. Holly stood above me. Behind her was Lieutenant Douglass, Celia, and Simon. Everyone had creased brows.
“What’s up guys?” I blinked, trying to figure out where I was and why I was there. Holly’s office? Oh yeah. I needed to resuscitate Mark.
“We couldn’t get you to wake up,” Celia said.
I inhaled deeply. “Sorry. Guess I needed to sleep. What time is it?”
“Almost five A.M.,” Douglass said.
“Oh, gosh.” I sat up and put my feet on the floor.
And then I got dizzy.
I put my head down between my knees and focused on breathing.
“Get her some water,” Holly said. “And an electrolyte drink.”
Someone left. I cradled my head in my hands, trying not to throw up. “Prairie? Rick?”
“Recovering,” Holly said. “Both came out of surgery a couple hours ago. They’re in ICU, but their loved ones are with them.”
I nodded.
“Thanks to you,” Lieutenant Douglass added.
A moment later, Simon returned and pushed an electrolyte drink into my hand. “Sip this, pumpkin.”
I didn’t sip; I guzzled. Probably not the best idea, but I was desperate to alleviate the weird feeling. “Did anyone else get some rest?”
“Don’t you worry about us,” Celia said. “We’ve all been more worried about you. You slept like the dead.”
“Doesn’t happen often,” I said. “Mark?”
“We’re ready when you are,” Holly said.
I pushed my hair out of my face, then realized what day it was. “Simon. Your sermon?”
He shook his head. “This is more important. I’ve got someone covering.”
I mouthed thank you. He squeezed my hand.
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but Melinda wants to have a word with you before you attempt Mark’s resuscitation,” Lieutenant Douglass drawled.
“Is she here still?”
She was. I drank some more water and electrolytes and then asked to see her in the privacy of Holly’s office.
Melinda looked like hell, though she suggested I looked worse.
“What do you want to know?” I asked.
“Are you going to be able to do it? Today?” she said, sitting on the coffee table in front of me, our knees brushing.
“I hope so. Three is a stretch of my limits. I’ve done two, but never three before.” I blew out a breath. “I could, in theory, wait a few days, get my strength back. But never having done three, I don’t want to wait. And...I have personal reasons for not wanting to wait.”
Melinda nodded. “Because he’s your partner.”
I looked down at my hands. “Melinda, I love your brother. I can’t wait around not knowing.”
She sat back. “This is new.”
“I only just figured it out yesterday.”
“Did he know before...?”
“Maybe? I’m not sure.”
Melinda blew out a breath. “Okay, then. What about whatever’s different in him? Could it affect him? Or you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Linda. I wish I did.”
“Has he been examined to figure out what’s different?”
I shook again. “No, it’s too dangerous, what with how the DSHA treated me two years ago, I don’t want to risk it with him.”
“Then how do you know he’s different?” She raised her eyebrow.
So I told her. We’d shared some the other day, but I gave her the full scope. She paled a bit as I finished. “Whoa.”
I nodded. “Yep.”
“You mean the whole time you’ve known Mark, you’ve had an electric connection? Like literally electric?”
“Yes. I knew the moment he died last night. It just stopped.”
“Wow.” She sat back.
“I can heal him, too. And he can heal me.”
Her hand went to her head. “But no one else?”
“Not that I’ve come across.” My mind briefly jumped to Amanda, but I wanted to confirm anything with her before I announced there were others. “Just murder victims, to some degree.”
Her eyes tracked back and forth, absorbing. “What will reviving him do to him, though?”
“I don’t know. I’ve revived a couple of supers in the past, including Richard Pierce earlier. But your brother’s different. The only way to know is to do it, honestly.”
She pushed her curls away from her face, letting them cascade through her fingers. “Okay then.”
We both got up. My knees quaked a bit. I was still really weak. But I needed to get this done. To see if I’d be able to do it.
Outside, I told Holly I needed to run to the bathroom, but to assemble the troops. Most had found places to bed down, and now that I was up, everyone wanted to be present. But I did want a few moments alone to square myself away.
This might not work. Or it could work beautifully. Or it could work, and cause problems for both of us. I paused, alone for a moment, and closed my eyes and bowed my head, quietly praying for the best outcome.
Back out in the hall, I avoided looking at anybody. We’d already agreed Simon and Celia would give what help I needed for the third time, so little needed to be said. It was best to focus on the job and talk to them later.
I noticed enough to realize someone had called in my doctor. Victor Jacoby looked sharper than any of the others. He’d probably had a full night’s rest, in a bed. Something I’m sure all of us were wishing for, though none of us would admit to it with Mark rapidly cooling.
In the vestibule outside the morgue, I did some of the same preparation as I’d done last night before bringing back Prairie, including another prayer. I didn’t know if getting my blood pumping helped, but it sure did help me feel ready. And it helped me wake up.
Celia pressed a coffee into my hand before I went into the morgue. “Thought you could use this.”
“Oh, you don’t know how much I love you right now.” I sipped, and inhaling the earthy scent did as much for me now as the caffeine would in under a half-hour to wake me up.
“You ready now?”
I took a deep breath. I didn’t feel ready, but then, I rarely did. “Yeah.”
Simon took my hand before I could get much further. “Darby, if you can’t do it now, there’s nothing saying you can’t try again in a few hours.”
“I know. Thanks, Pops.” I leaned over and hugged him.
He patted my back. I was glad he was here. If something happened, or, rather, if something didn’t happen, I was going to need his support.
I took another bracing gulp of hot coffee. It burned on the way down, but I didn’t mind the sensation right now. It let me know I was alive.
It took me aback to see Mark’s body on the gurney. I’d been prepared, I thought, to see him there, still and lifeless. But his coloring had changed since last night. More grey. I knew the fluid would have settled to his back, as it did with any body, but the last time I’d seen him, he at least still resembled the man I worked with. Today, he was a shadow.
Okay, you’re going to fix this. You’re going to bring him back.
I’d brought my childhood best friend, Priscilla Cameron, back from the dead nearly two years ago. So, reviving someone I loved wasn’t exactly foreign. But this was such a different situation from Priscilla’s death.
And I was stalling. I didn’t know why.
Maybe I was afraid this wouldn’t work.
But it had to work.
I wasn’t going to say goodbye when I’d just figured out how I really felt about him.
Celia took my coffee.
Simon gave me a final hug.
I looked over at the line of nurses and doctors who were waiting to work on Mark. I’d seen some before for my other resuscitations. A few were strangers.
My chair had been exchanged for a wheelchair. I looked back at Celia.
She shrugged. “Douglass thought either we’d need to wheel you somewhere for medical assistance when you’re done, or we’d have to wheel you to stay with Mark.”
I looked toward the observation room where everyone had finished assembling. I met Douglass’s eyes and mouthed thank you. She nodded.
“I don’t know if this is going to work,” I said loud enough the mics would pick it up and tell the onlookers. “If it doesn’t, I’ll keep trying indefinitely. I’ll be here every few hours for a week if I have to.”
I really hoped it wouldn’t come down to that.
I sat down finally and nodded to Celia and Simon. Time to back off.
Mark’s hand was cold when I touched him. Oh, God, this was too real. Up until now, it had felt surreal.
But he was dead. No electricity.
Winifred was to my left. I swallowed hard, bowed my head, and closed my eyes, then put my hand on her warmish arm.
Nothing happened.
Panic welled up from deep within.
This isn’t going to work.
I’ve done too much already.
Winifred isn’t capable of reviving a third victim.
Something’s wrong with my powers.
Mark’s too damaged to be brought back.
Whatever’s different in him is blocking me from bringing him back.
I gave it another minute, then two more.
Still nothing.
At five minutes, I pulled my hands down and put them in my lap. I hadn’t felt a damn thing but warm on my left and cold on my right.
Even through the glass, I could hear the murmur from those in observation. Though I couldn’t hear their words, I could feel the meaning behind them. She can’t do it.
“Doc Jacoby? I need to talk to you,” I said. I pushed up and strode into the hall. A moment later, he joined me.
“What is it, my dear?”
“I don’t think this is going to work. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what, but something feels off.”
He frowned. “With you?”
I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I’m not sure.”
“I don’t know if I can help if I don’t know what the problem is.”
I glanced up and down the hall. No one was there. Of course they weren’t. It was a Sunday morning. “Do you remember those DNA samples I gave you a couple years ago?”
He nodded.
“They belong to Mark.”
He blinked hard.
“Could whatever is different about him be stopping me?”
“I honestly couldn’t say.” He looked at a spot over my shoulder, then regained his composure. “Why haven’t you said anything to me about him until now?”
“It’s...complicated. I wanted to protect him from scrutiny.”
“Because of what you went through?”
I nodded. “But was it the wrong move? If I’d been frank with you and him, maybe we’d have some answers that could help me figure out why it’s not working to bring him back.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “He was killed by a superhuman. He’s not exactly normal. It’s possible it could be a contributing factor. Or it could be you’re too tired.”
“I’m not great on the rested part, but I rarely am. Insomnia, remember?”
“I do.” He took a deep breath. “Let me think about this for a bit. Take one of your friends, go take a walk in the gardens. Get some fresh air. Twenty minutes at least.”
“Okay, I can manage that.”
“You will be able to bring him back, Darby. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
I gave him a tight smile. I wished I had his confidence.
I told Celia and Simon what the doctor had prescribed, and they went with me to the gardens outside of the hospital. It was still chilly, but I could smell it was going to be a warm day. Birds twittered about, bees buzzed. Outside, the world was as it should be.
I fought the feeling I should rush through this. But perhaps some of my anxiety was at play down in the morgue. My companions didn’t force me to talk. Midway through, we were joined by Captain Moustakas.
As I was getting ready to tell my colleagues and father I was ready to go back in, Genova joined us. “They said you were out here.”
I nodded. “How’s Rick?”
“Recovering, thanks to you. Amanda won’t leave his side.”
I smiled wistfully. “I’m glad. Are they keeping him sedated?”
She nodded. “For now. Give him a chance to rest.” She looked away and traced her hand over a fuschia canna every bit as tall as I was. “I’ve been on the comm with SHS and DSHA this morning. DSHA and NHI have facilities which can contain supers like Winifred. When Mark’s revived, Bendex has already agreed to transfer conditional custody to them.”
“What are they planning to do with her? Anything?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. But Bendex can’t hold her. They don’t have the cells required. The National Health Institute can overcome at least her invisibility.”
“I guess that’s understandable.”
“I don’t think your bosses are happy about it, but given the circumstances...”
“Yeah, I get it.” I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it away from my face. “I need to get back to the morgue. Try again.”
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Just coffee.”
Genova frowned. You need to eat.
I know, Genny.
Then why haven’t you?
“I’m trying to resuscitate my partner. Kinda busy.”
“Get a fracking granola bar or something. You don’t have the energy to do this if you don’t eat. Your powers use a lot of energy. Especially the shielding.”
She had a point there. I felt okay, a bit floaty, but overall okay. Food could help. “Who told you about the shielding?”
“You did. Last night.”
I didn’t remember and told her so.
“It’s okay, your mind was pretty open and it kind of fell out and landed at my feet. Any other empaths would have picked it up, even not knowing you.”
“I guess that’s one more thing I’ll have to register with them.”
“You have a grace period. Three months. Gives you a chance to learn some control. I know a guy who can help you.”
“Of course you do.”
She laughed. “Go get a bite to eat. I’ll meet you in the morgue.”
* * *
WHEN I WALKED INTO the morgue, Doc Jacoby was waiting for me. “I’m going to hook you up to the monitors. Mark and Winifred too. It’s the only thing I can think of right now. We need more data on you anyway.”
I snorted. Data, of course. It was tough being someone’s research project. But that’s what happened when you were different than the norm.
I allowed the monitors to be hooked up—two on the sides of my head, three more on my chest under my shirt. Winifred and Mark had them in identical spots as well. The patches operated wirelessly, so other than the discomfort from the actual discs, I wasn’t restrained.
I reversed the wheelchair so I could see Mark’s face. I needed to be able to see him, not his feet. Somehow, that seemed important, even though it didn’t usually matter.
I took a deep breath after everyone moved away. Last time, I’d connected with Mark first. While I wasn’t superstitious, and it didn’t really matter, I tried Winifred first this time. Warm arm.
No electricity.
I turned my face toward Mark and clutched his hand, interlacing our fingers. So, so cold.
I waited again, clicking the time off in my head. It was absolutely silent in the room, making this even harder.
I felt a little buzz in my right hand, kinda like those joke buzzers people did on April Fool’s Day when they shook your hand. It was a quick flash, then it stopped.
Had I imagined it?
I looked to my hand on Winifred’s arm, curious.
Another buzz, a little longer, but with about the same intensity.
The energy didn’t move past my elbow, but this time, at least it moved.
Was any of it getting to Mark?
I shifted my view back to Mark’s face. So handsome, even in death.
At least Winifred hadn’t messed up that.
About ten seconds after the second one, another flash of energy happened. It ran midway up my arm, nearly to the shoulder.
I flicked a glance at the monitors. It was registering something in me and Winifred, nothing in Mark. A sharp spike on the screens, then it dropped to normal.
I pulled my hands down for a moment, took a deep breath, and resettled myself. Something was going on. What it was, I wasn’t sure. But I needed to be ready for whatever was about to come.
Then I reconnected.
Buzz. Calm. Buzz. Calm. Buzz. Calm.
With every buzz of energy, the jolt ran further across my body until it flashed down my arm.
I gave an involuntary scream as the connection was wholly made, more painfully than any other time before now.
My eyes had locked away from Mark’s face. I could see him, but not in detail, only in the periphery. But I could also see his monitor. It started spiking. But the energy from Winifred spiked, too. Every surge, painful. I grunted with the pain, trying to keep the screaming to a minimum.
Wave after wave hit until the point I was nauseous from trying to manage the pain of it all.
And all of it was a static in my ears. The roar deafened everything outside of my body.
This was working. I was bringing him back.
He arched.
Even with the roar in my ears, I heard him take his first gasp of air.
I.
He arched again.
Love.
I hung on. Whatever was happening was bringing him back. It was working. There wasn’t much I could do to stop it as it was going to run its course, no matter what I did. I couldn’t let go even if I wanted to.
Another, incredibly strong surge of energy hit. Oh, crap. I can’t do this. I nearly puked, probably would have if the powers hadn’t held me immobile.
Another, even stronger wave hit, then another, and another, each more powerful than the last. What the hell was happening?
You.
When I thought I wasn’t going to be able to hold on any longer, a final, intense surge hit, then faded. I gasped, finally able to close my eyes as the energy receded to a steady stream, then stopped altogether.
Too.
My hand dropped from Winifred’s arm.
But some amount of energy was keeping me hooked to Mark.
Our connection. It was back.
I squeezed his hand as the doctors cautiously approached, then I pulled away.
They rushed in and pulled him out of the morgue.
I pressed my lips together, my breath coming in ragged, shallow shudders. Was I crying?
Sure enough, I reached up and found tears falling freely.
Simon crossed to me while another team of doctors surrounded Winifred and worked with her. Apparently, she wasn’t doing so hot now.
Simon put his hand on my shoulder and circled until he was alongside me, where Mark had been until twenty seconds earlier. “You okay, Pumpkin?”
I nodded vigorously. “It worked. I can’t believe it. I was sure it wasn’t going to.”
He grinned. “I never lost faith in you.”
I leaned over and put my head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Pops.”
He nodded and held me close. “Always. Now, do you want to be down at the OR with him?”
“Absolutely.”