McCann's Manor (30 page)

"Yes,” Kim agreed, “he's a very smart little guy. Aren't you, Ghost?"

The dog curled his tail up over his back, wagged it briefly, then flopped it flat again onto the floor, heaving another heavy sigh. Joel watched him with interest a moment, a far-off look in his eyes. “He looks to be depressed to me. Do you think it is merely because Elizabeth is having problems?"

"Well, he has been known to react that way before, when either of us is under the weather. I do think he's worried about her, but I also think something else is upsetting him,” she ventured.

Joel fixed her with a cold stare, leaned forward in his seat. “Something like what, for instance?” he asked pointedly.

Kim held his gaze, took a deep breath before answering, “Isn't it obvious, Joel?"

He stood, began pacing again, his hands in fists at his side. “Is it?” he asked curtly.

"It must be,” she answered. “Something seems to have
you
pretty upset as well."

"Me?” he asked. “What makes you say that?"

"You are generally very perceptive, Joel; can't you really tell what's going on here?” she pressed.

He spun to face her, his eyes narrowed; cheeks distorted by a taut scowl, he stepped toward her and in an instant was inches from her face, his hands on her shoulders. He whispered, “You should use caution when you speak to me thus, woman!"

Kim gasped as the priest's hands pressed hard into her shoulders, but she remained calm. “So you
are
here. Did you push Joel out the way like you did Liz earlier?"

"I dislike your insolence. What makes you think you have the authority to question me?” he asked, his eyes growing fiery as he glared at her.

"I have the authority of the Light on my side,” she said as she leveled her cool gaze against his.

For a moment their eyes locked in symbolic combat. Tarrh tried to penetrate her mind, found it impossible from his position inside the priest who was also struggling against him to regain control of his own body. Kim remained composed, which frustrated Tarrh all the more.

She took a deep breath, but otherwise stayed stone still. She felt the tremendous surge of power radiating from him, mirrored it, then merely sent it back to its source.

Tarrh maintained the contact for only a moment before the force of his own energy repulsed him and he backed away. Kim watched as the obvious inner struggle between host and
parasite
ensued, eventually rendered Joel again the master of his own body and mind. The change was visible as she saw the shadow that had come over Joel's countenance separate itself from him and gradually fade into nothingness. Joel stood immobile a moment before the full impact of what had just taken place hit him; he threw himself to the floor in a near convulsion of emotion.

Kim knelt beside him, touched his back in an attempt to comfort and stabilize him. He groped for her as his tears flooded from him and he struggled to regain his breath. “That's all right, Joel,” Kim soothed, “just let it all out."

They sat in the floor holding onto one another for several minutes before he finally spoke. “What happened?"

"You had a
visitor
,” she said simply.

His eyes were wide as he looked at her as if for confirmation of what she had just said. “Inside
me
?” he asked.

She nodded.

"How did you get rid of him?"

"I learned a long time ago whenever I was under any kind of psychic attack simply to become a mirror and send all the energy right back to the one attacking me,” Kim explained.

"You mean that actually works? I always thought it was just something to pacify those who were
imagining
they were being attacked,” he said.

She laughed, patted him on the back. “In case I had any doubts, I just proved it works, didn't I?” she asked.

He took a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his face. “Well, that gives us at least one defense against him, if we can detect when he is trying to attack. But he was already inside me and in control before I even knew what was happening. I had no time to repel him,” he said.

Kim smiled reassuringly at him, though she felt no real comfort in her own heart. Had Tarrh attacked Joel when he was alone, there would have been no help for Joel until Tarrh got bored and decided to go elsewhere. By that time, it was no telling what all he might have done to Joel, or through Joel, to others. And yet he obviously had been assaulting Liz and had not been able to control her for long, though Kim could only fathom the reason why; maybe Liz's defenses were stronger than Joel's, in which case, they needed to help Joel strengthen himself against attack.

"There are things you can do to fend off a spirit once it is already inside, but they're harder to effect once an invading spirit has already established itself. I'll teach you, unless you've changed your mind about continuing to help us,” she said.

Joel scratched his head, looked at her from under pursed eyebrows. “I think I
have
to stay with this now. I am more convinced than ever, we have to control Tarrh and make sure the world is safe from his kind. Kim, I wasn't aware of anything at all. The last thing I remember was thinking maybe we should call Mark to see if Liz's deep sleep was anything to worry about."

"You
did
call Mark?” Kim asked in a troubled voice.

"Did I? I don't know. I
thought
about calling, but I blacked out before I had the chance to do anything,” Joel said.

"But you dialed the phone; I heard you talking to someone, and you said Mark said we should wake her if she didn't wake on her own within an hour. Please tell me you remember that. Joel?"

He looked at her, slowly shook his head. “I remember thinking about making the call, but I honestly don't know what happened next."

"Then for all we know, Tarrh might have just pretended to call. Right about that time, Ghost started acting funny. Liz may be in trouble!” Kim said.

"I'll call him now to make sure. You see if you can wake Liz while I phone Mark."

"Right,” Kim said and went to Liz's side while Joel walked again to the phone and dialed.

"What's going on here?” John asked as he entered the room, a large bag in one hand and a bouquet of cut flowers in the other.

Joel turned to face John, phone still in hand. “The office isn't open today. I
couldn't
have called Mark before, Kim; I didn't know the office was closed,” he said.

John put the flowers and bag on the counter, took the phone from Joel, “Let me. He's at home today."

Liz opened her eyes, saw four pairs of anxious eyes staring at her. She swallowed, whispered, “Is this the instant replay, or
déjà vu
?"

"Thank God!” Joel said.

"It's about time you had something to say, young lady!” John said.

She peered at the others who seemed so visibly relieved, asked, “What?"

Mark was taking her pulse. He smiled at her. “You've been a little out of it for most of the afternoon,” he said. “We were all starting to worry. I was getting ready to call for an ambulance to haul you to the hospital."

Liz grimaced, “Was I
comatose
?"

Mark chuckled, “Not exactly, but close. How does your neck feel now?"

She moved her head slightly, touched her neck. “It feels better."

Mark nodded. “That's good. The swelling is way down and your voice is returning. I think you'll be all right now."

"What happened?” she asked.

"I can only guess, really. You almost seem to have had some kind of reaction to the injection I gave you,” he said, “but reactions to that particular medication are almost nonexistent, so it's a bit of a mystery to me. I would never have given it to you had I suspected it might cause you any problems."

She yawned, stretched. “Well, I did get a very wonderful nap,” she said, “so it can't be all that bad, can it?"

"How are you feeling?” Kim asked.

"Better,
really
. My throat feels almost normal and I have most of my voice back, so that's good,” Liz said. “I think I might make it."

"Well, I don't know how to thank you, Dr. Adams,” Kim said.

"Call me Mark, please. Oh, and pay your bill on time; that's all the thanks I want,” he assured her.

She smiled, nodded, “You can be sure we
will
do that! I can't believe there are still any doctors in the world who make house calls."

"I've been making house calls out here ever since I started my practice, fifteen years ago,” he said.

"You're kidding! I thought you were barely out of medical school, you look so young,” Liz said.

He laughed heartily, sat down beside her, “Why, thanks, but I passed young a long time ago. It's just good clean living in a nice, wholesome community like Bastrop with amiable clients who don't demand too much of me."

"The good doctor is a vegetarian and an athlete,” John interjected.

"
I'm
impressed,” Kim said. “What made you decide to practice here in the Bastrop area?"

"Actually, I grew up here,” he said. “My father and grandfather both practiced here. I guess you might say I'm just following in the family tradition."

"So you're a third generation physician?” Liz asked.

"No, in fact, I'm a
fourth
generation physician, but my great-grandfather's practice was in Dallas. My grandfather moved out here because Bastrop's old Doc Rayburn passed away and left the town without a doctor. We've been here ever since, only now there are more than a dozen doctors in the area.

"I keep the competition at bay by continuing to be the old-fashioned family practitioner who makes house visits and calls all his clients by their first names, just like the rest of the Adams physicians,” Mark explained.

"Well, I, for one, am really glad you make house calls, even if this is your second to this house in the same day, because I have a bad allergy to hospitals and doctor's offices as a rule,” Liz said.

"I trust that means you're going to continue to be a client of mine,” he said.

"Yes, I think you can count on us, Mark,” Kim said. “Can I get you something to drink, or would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to stay,” he replied, “but I'm giving a lecture this evening at the University.” He looked at his watch, “and it looks like if I hurry, I'll just make it. I hope I can have a rain check."

"Oh, of course. We'll make it another time,” Kim said.

"And I'll still be by in the morning to make sure Miss Liz is still doing well, though I think she is pretty well out of the woods now,” he said, giving Liz's hand a pat.

John cleared his throat, “You have to watch him, ladies, Mark is quite the charmer and a heart breaker around these parts,” he said.

Mark stood, shook hands with John and Joel, smiled at Liz and Kim, “That's not really accurate, John. I don't think I've broken any hearts in at least a fortnight."

"What? Are you losing your touch, man?” Joel teased.

"Oh, I don't think so; I've just been busy of late,” he said with a shrug and a mischievous grin. “I hate to leave good company, but I do have to go now. See you in the morning around nine. Don't bother to see me to the door, I can find the way."

They watched him gather up his medical bag and leave the room before Joel looked at his watch and sighed, “Oh, my, looks like I had better be going as well. I hate to leave you in the lurch, but—"

"Oh, we understand, Joel; don't worry. You have matters you need to be attending,” Kim said.

"I'll call in the morning and see if Liz feels up to continuing with the work. If not, I'll just wait until you tell me to come back. I do have some catch up work to do,” he said.

"We should plan on taking tomorrow off, don't you think, Joel?” Kim asked.

"But
I am fine
—” Liz objected. They all looked at her askance. She shrugged. “Oh, yeah; well, maybe I could use the day off, too."

"All right, then. I'll see you next week,” he said. “If you
should
need me, don't hesitate to call."

"Don't worry. You take some time just to relax, yourself,” Kim suggested.

Joel nodded, smiled awkwardly, walked from the room, waving good bye as he went.

"This is silly; you don't really need to stay here tonight, John,” Liz protested.

John pulled a chair close to the bed, sat in it with all the deliberateness of a judge taking his place on the bench. “You're wasting your time trying to discourage me, you know. I've already made up my mind. Kim needs her rest and I'm sitting here with you until morning,” he said.

"Like you
don't
need
your
rest?"

"I can rest tomorrow, since we aren't translating. You scared me today. I am
not
leaving you alone tonight,” he told her.

"Kim and I already agreed we would room together until this thing is over,” she said.

John nodded, crossed his legs, folded his arms, looked sternly at her, said, “
I am staying here
; end of story. You and Kim can room together tomorrow night. Besides, weren't you rooming together
last
night, when Tarrh choked you?"

"See? That proves it will do no good for you to be here,” She said. John's expression remained unchanged. She shook her head, sank onto the bed on top of the covers. “All right; have it your way,” she said.

"You mean that's it? Aren't you even going to dress for bed?” he asked.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why dress for bed, when I might have another attack and have to be rushed off to the hospital? I don't want to be dressed for bed if I have to go to the hospital!” she said flatly.

He laughed and shook his head. “You know, they're used to people in all states of undress over there. In fact, if you have clothes on and they have to resuscitate you, they'll rip your clothes off anyway; so you might as well go to bed in your bedclothes and be comfy, for Pete's sake."

She rolled her eyes, pursed her lips. “What makes you so sure I could be comfortable in my nightgown with
you here
?"

He grinned at her wickedly, “I've seen lots of women wearing less than a nightgown."