Marker of Hope (22 page)

“Upstairs.” I paused for a second to look
over my shoulder, making sure we were alone. “Eros brought
her.”

“Eros and a Graeae Witch, together?” Galilea
shrieked. “Oh, crap balls.” Galilea breathed heavily. “What—were
they doing here?”

“So this is the part where you can’t get
angry at me, okay?” I winced at the snarling-animal look she was
giving me. “Galilea, please don’t be mad.”

“Yeah. Don’t count on it. Keep going.”

“So about a month ago, Eros appeared in
David’s room. He told me I could call on him if I needed anything.
I told him to bring David back to me, which I knew he couldn’t do.
Today, he showed up with this very scary-looking witch with no
eyes. He said he’d made a deal with her. Deino did something—a
spell—to make David wake from the coma. Eros told me to be patient,
and David would soon return to me. Then the witch told me about the
demon attacks. She also said there’ll be a war soon.”

“Okay, so… But during any of this, you didn’t
make a deal with either of them, did you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “God, no.”

“Thank Deus. I can breathe now.” She relaxed
her shoulders. “You know we have to tell the others, right?”

“Yes, but I was hoping we could omit certain
parts, like the ones involving Eros.”

“So basically everything.” She pursed her
lips. “Why would you want to do that?”

“If I tell them Eros has been coming around,
and, all this time, I’ve kept it a secret, what’s their first
thought going to be? That I’m fooling around with Eros while David
is fighting for his life on a damned hospital bed.”

“I see your point.” She tapped her finger on
her chin. “But on the other hand, we could explain what’s
happening.”

“Galilea, I don’t want them to know what Eros
feels for me. I’m not comfortable with it. Telling you and David
these things is fine, but far too personal for me to share with the
entire world.”

“So you’re afraid this could create problems
with David’s family for you?”

“Yes. As it is, they’ve just recently begun
to trust me again. I don’t want more problems.”

“Okay… Let me get this straight.” Galilea
scratched her head. “You want them to trust you, but you want to
lie to them in order to keep their trust?”

“Oh God.” I rubbed my face. “Why do you have
to make it sound so bad?”

“Because it is!”

“Well, what would you do? How would you
handle this?”

“I would tell them. I’d want them to know who
saved David’s life, even if it meant coming clean. Lies will catch
up to you sooner or later.”

I mulled over Galilea’s reasoning. Why did
she have to be right?

“When’s Eryx coming back?” I asked.

“I’m not sure.” She grabbed two bottled
waters from the fridge, and handed me one. “Why?”

“Because,” I handed the water bottle back to
her, “I need to call a family meeting.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Galilea said.
“I’ll tell Eryx to get his butt back here, stat. After that, I’ll
hide any sharp objects. As a precaution. You just never know.”

CHAPTER 25

Except for Dr. Gunn and Eileen, who were
upstairs checking David’s vitals, everyone, including Samuel, was
present at the dining room table. All eyes were on me as I’d just
delivered the news about the Graeae Witch and Eros to the
family.

“Before you assume the worst, I’m not
involved with Eros,” I said. “I swear.”

“No one’s saying you are,” Samuel said.

“Yeah. But no one’s saying I’m not, except
me.”

“And me,” Galilea said. “I believe you.”

“I think it’s safe to say, we all believe
you,” Alezzander said. “You wouldn’t be telling us what’s
transpired, otherwise.”

“I always thought of Eros as a coward,” Galen
said. “But to do this—to barter with a witch—it takes courage, and
lots of it. I still hate his guts, though.”

“Did they say how long it would take David to
wake?” Eryx asked me.

“No.”

“A Graeae Witch’s magic is extremely
powerful,” Galen said. “It won’t be long.”

“What did Eros negotiate with Deino?” Nyx
asked, worry displayed on her face. “Do you know?”

I shook my head.

“May Deus help him,” said Alezzander. “A deal
with a Graeae Witch is no joke.”

***

The room was dimmer than usual with the
absence of the sun’s ray pouring through the window. The autumn sky
was full of grayish-purple clouds, announcing a drop in
temperature. I settled into the rocking chair. My eyelids felt
heavy, having slept five hours between the previous two nights. I
felt myself dosing off, when, suddenly, I heard a loud beep coming
from one of the machines. It got louder as I stepped near the bed.
Dr. Gunn stormed through the door, Eileen and Samuel fast on his
heels.

“What’s happening?” I asked, the bleeping
faster and louder. “Dr. Gunn, what’s happening to him?”

“Come with me,” Samuel said, taking my
arm.

“No.” I pulled my arm from his grasp. “What’s
wrong with David?”

The bleep turned into a steady, high-pitched
beep. I turned to look at the monitor displaying a flat line.

“Why is it doing that?” I asked, a shaky
finger pointing at the monitor. “Is he…?”

“Doctors, this is a Code Blue,” Eileen said
in a voice too calm and focused to be normal. “All hands on
deck.”

Samuel grabbed my arms and pushed me back. He
pressed me down on the rocking chair.

“Sit here. Stay out of the way,” he told
me.

Samuel hurried to a corner of the room where
he grabbed the handle bar of a small, rolling cart and hauled it
next to the bed. I sat at the edge of the rocking chair, watching
as all three doctors gathered around David.

“Awaiting instruction,” Samuel said. “Who’s
heading?”

“This is Eileen’s area,” Dr. Gunn said.

“Assessing compressions.” Eileen pushed down
on David’s chest with both hands. “We need a bag.”

“Ambu bag.” Samuel tossed a football-shaped
bag across the bed to Dr. Gunn. “Preparing pads.”

Dr. Gunn placed the cone attached to the bag
over David’s mouth and squeezed it while Eileen continued to press
on David’s torso. Swiftly, Samuel stuck square patches over David’s
chest.

“Continue ventilations every ten,” Eileen
instructed. “Samuel, if you can assess one milligram
Epinephrine?”

“Is he dead?” I asked, hiccupping. But they
didn’t bother to look over at me.

“Make it three milligrams, Samuel,” Dr. Gunn
said.

“That’s too much,” Eileen argued. “One.”

“Administering five milligrams, now,” Samuel
said, pushing a Lutetium needle into David’s arm.

“Five?” Gunn’s eyes widened.

“It’s half what I’ve used on our kind,”
Samuel tossed the needle on the cart. “The dosage should be correct
for him.”

“You better be right.” Eileen glanced at the
monitors. “No numbers. Prepare to administer— Oh wait… Yes. There
he is.” The line on the monitor bounced up and down, ever so
slightly. “We have a shockable rhythm, Doctors. Hold Ambu,” she
told Dr. Gunn. “Samuel, switch out with me.”

Samuel took Eileen’s place pushing down
rhythmically on David’s chest.

“Charging defibrillator,” Eileen announced,
turning on a machine. It hummed to life loudly. A few seconds
later, she grabbed the metal-plated paddles. “Stand clear of the
patient, please.”

Dr. Gunn and Samuel stepped back. Eileen held
the paddles over David’s chest.

“Defibrillating,” Eileen announced.

The pedals made contact with David’s chest,
and his body jumped with the electrical shock. I trembled along
with him.

“David,” I whimpered, my face covered in a
waterfall of tears.

Eileen checked the monitor beside her. “One
more time.” She glanced at Gunn and Samuel. “Stand clear.” The
paddles were centimeters above David’s chest when I saw a hand wrap
around Eileen’s wrist. She stilled. Samuel reached behind her and
turned off the defibrillator.

“Hello, there. Do you know your name?” Dr.
Gunn asked.

Instead of answering the doctor’s question, I
heard David ask, “Where is she?”

Samuel motioned me to stay where I was.

“Can you be more specific?” Gunn asked.

“Isis,” said David. “Where is she? Is she
hurt?”

“She’s fine,” Eileen said. “But you haven’t
told us what your name is.”

“You already know my name, Eileen,” David
said. He turned his sight to Samuel. “Who are you?”

“This is Samuel,” Eileen said. “He’s a new
addition to our team.”

Dr. Gunn gave me the all clear to approach
the bed. My legs felt numb and heavy as I did.

“Hi,” I said to David.

“Hey,” he said in return. “I was worried
about you.”

“
You
were worried about
me
?” I
half laughed, half cried. “You’re the one lying on a hospital
bed.”

David studied his surroundings, and then
glanced at Dr. Gunn. “How long was I out?”

“A little over three months,” Gunn said. “Do
you remember what happened?”

“Yes.” David looked back at me, the emotions
of his face dominated by angst. “The baby?”

I took a few steps away from the bed so he
could see my belly. “Safe and sound.”

David raised his brows. “It’s grown.”

“Yes,” I said.

“Um… Isis, would you mind stepping outside
with the others?” Eileen asked me. “We need to make sure David’s
vitals are steady. Make sure his memory is intact.” She turned to
David. “Standard follow-up.”

“I’d like her to stay,” David said.

“We need your full attention for the
examination,” Gunn said. “You won’t focus with her in the
room.”

“He’s right. Besides, I’d feel more relieved
if they evaluate you to make sure you’re going to be okay. I’ll be
back.” I cupped David’s cheek, and he squeezed my hand. “Don’t go
anywhere.” He nodded. “Promise?”

“Promise,” he said.

As I walked to the door, I was surprised to
see David’s family and Galilea there.

“Out. Everyone.” Nyx wiped her tears as she
ushered everyone through the door and closed it. “Downstairs. We
can take turns visiting once the doctors are done with him.”

“I told you it wouldn’t be long,” Galen said
as we walked down the hall to the stairs.

I gave him a questionable stare.

“He’s talking about the spell Deino cast,”
Eryx clarified.

“You think this is part of the spell?” I
asked. Eryx nodded. “David almost died in the process of waking up.
What kind of sick, twisted magic is that?”

“Potent,” Galen replied halfway down the
stairs. “He’s awake, isn’t he?”

“Thank Deus,” Nyx said a few steps up behind
me. “And Eros.”

CHAPTER 26

A few days later, the Doctors Gunn and Samuel
agreed David’s recovery was going well enough to do away with the
wires and tubes attached to him. The twins removed the hospital bed
from David’s room, replacing it with our regular bed. Dr. Gunn and
Eileen explained that David would have to refine some of his motor
skills. At first, I wasn’t sure what they meant by it. But when
David couldn’t feed himself—he could hold a spoon, but had trouble
aiming for his mouth—I expressed my concerns to Dr. Gunn. He said
it was normal for a post-coma patient to exhibit difficulties.

“Don’t get discouraged,” Samuel told me. “His
progress is better than expected. The fifty-three percent of David
that’s not human will know how to repair itself.”

Samuel’s prediction came true. Within two
weeks, David was up and walking, gradually gaining control of his
muscles. Some days were good, and some days his balance was off and
made it hard for him to stand or walk. Eileen set up schedules for
David’s therapy, taking time to show everyone how to aid David with
his daily exercise routine. And although frustration and pain were
noticeable on his face, David never complained when his physical
therapy sessions pushed him to the limit.

The rest of the time, I spent talking to
David, telling him what had transpired while he slept—about Samuel
and Eros and the Graeae Witch. He wasn’t surprised to hear Samuel
had come looking for me. But when I mentioned Eros’s pact with the
witch, he grew silent. He never brought up the subject again and
avoided it all together.

***

David was awake, but still in bed when I
walked into the room. He sat up on the bed, his bare back against
the headboard. I plopped down next him.

“Morning,” he said.

“Open wide.” I held a spoonful of yogurt to
David’s mouth.

“You don’t have to do that anymore. I can
feed myself.”

“What if I want to?”

He took the container and spoon from me.
“Open,” he said. I took the spoonful of yogurt into my mouth. “Do
you know what I did last night while you slept?”

I shook my head as I swallowed another spoon
of yogurt.

“I walked down and up the stairs about twenty
times.”

“You did? That’s great! But you should’ve
asked for help.”

“I didn’t have any trouble. My body feels
more flexible now. Stronger. I bet I could run a marathon.”

“I bet you could also fall flat on your face
in the process.” I furrowed my brow. “There’ll be no running until
the doctors say it’s okay.” I inched away when he tried to feed me
a third time. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be eating.”

“I’m not hungry,” David said, dropping the
yogurt cup and spoon on the nightstand. He reached for my pregnant
belly—caressed the side of it with his fingers as if it were too
frail for the full weight of his hand. “Have I told you how
beautiful you look with this new addition?”

“A few times,” I said. “Only about seven in
the past twenty-four hours.”

“I do say it a lot, don’t I?”

“I’m not complaining. It’s nice to hear since
these days I feel like a fat cow.”

“You’re not fat.” He pulled me close to him
and pecked my lips. “You’re having my baby. Speaking of which, I’d
like to ask Gunn to set up an ultrasound to determine the sex.
Everyone seems anxious to know, including me.”