His arm fell from her waist when she stopped in her tracks. “Yeah, about that…” His voice barely registered with her.
“Is she…? Are they?” She was unable to finish the sentence, while Chad watched her with a troubled expression, as if not sure what to say.
At last, he mumbled, “Yes, they are.”
“What?!” Everyone around them jumped at her volume, and she dropped her voice. “How am I the last to know?”
“Well, you were in a coma, you know. And it’s only been a few days. Don’t tell me you’re surprised.”
“No, but why now?” Chad pulled her toward the elevator again, and this time, she followed. “What, they waited for me to be in a coma to do this?”
He chuckled. “Pretty sure it just happened, okay? We’ve all been… a little out of it. Give her some time. I’m sure she’ll tell you everything eventually.”
She frowned but silently agreed with him. Jane was nowhere in sight as they walked to Chad’s room. Once inside, she kicked off her sneakers and put her pills on the nightstand.
“You sure you’re not hungry?” she asked as Chad sat on the bed.
“I’m beat. It’s been a long day, night… week?” He took off his t-shirt and hooked an arm around her, pulling her down with him. “This is all I want.”
She smiled, rolling over to look him in the eyes. “I won’t be able to sleep so early.” Her thumb traced his cheekbone, sharper than it used to be.
He blinked, his every motion weary. His hand wrapped around hers, and he kissed her palm. “It all seems like a bad dream now,” he whispered. “I can’t believe I thought I’d lost you.”
“I know.” She pressed her forehead against his, her voice barely a whisper. “Sorry. I never wanted you to feel that.”
“Don’t apologize.” His lips pressed to hers, slow, careful, as if reacquainting himself with her.
“Love you,” she whispered against his lips.
“Love you more,” he said, tucking her head into his neck.
He fell asleep in a minute. She watched him for a while, his face strained even as he rested, before slipping out of his arms to undress. Her back itched, and she winced as she held herself from scratching it. At least her scarred head didn’t bother her.
With Chad’s old t-shirt on and the window cracked open, she returned to the bed and slid under the covers.
Already, there were rumors about her miraculous recovery and speculations on her healing superpowers. She would’ve swept them aside—if she had some kind of explanation for everything that had happened.
And so her own speculations kept going in circles in her head until she fell into restless, troubled sleep next to Chad.
* * *
She knew she was dreaming from the moment the darkness enveloped her.
Vast and silent, this darkness was familiar. She had this dream every time she came close to dying. And every time, it changed just a little.
She took a step in no particular direction, and a light flickered on in the distance. The darkness was a tunnel now, so Pain turned to the light and started walking. It didn’t do much good—her feet could barely move, as if the air had turned to syrup. But it didn’t matter. She knew what the light was.
“Patricia,” a voice called out.
“Mom?” she called back the same second.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the voice answered. The same words as before, same as every time.
Pain started moving again, stubbornly trying to get closer to the light—the voice. “But I am here.”
“You have to go back. To your sister.”
“I can’t.” Her feet refused to move through the thick air. She gave up, falling to her knees. “I can’t go back.”
“Of course, you can,” the voice softened but barely. “You don’t have a choice.”
“But I’m tired,” she breathed, suddenly too weak to even speak. The strange world around her began to fade in and out of focus. “I’m so tired.”
“It doesn’t matter. You have to go back now,” the voice said. The light began to dim.
“I can’t!” Pain lurched forward, back on her feet again. “I don’t have it in me.”
“It’s in your blood,” the voice grew distant with every word. “Go. Find your sister.”
“Mom, no!” She stumbled, although there was nothing to stumble on, and felt the ground slip from underneath her. “Don’t go!”
The light flickered—and died. And like every time before, a part of her died with it. But the darkness began to pulse now, pushing down on her, squeezing, as if trying to eject her from this plane. She kept hearing the words though, the ones that were new, that hadn’t been there before.
It’s in your blood.
Chapter 39
She awoke with a start, her breaths fast and shallow, her heart hammering in her chest. Light barely penetrated the curtains—the sun hadn’t even risen yet. It took her a long minute to get her thoughts in order.
Sleep evaporated as a realization dawned on her.
Chad’s arm slid off her when she slipped from under the covers. The t-shirt was long enough to cover her bottom, and she didn’t bother with clothes, tiptoeing out of the room. Only on the second floor did she notice her bare feet. But Doc’s room was only a few steps away, so she kept going.
She knocked on the door, once, twice, until she heard hurried footsteps and a muttered curse. The door flew open, revealing Doc’s alarmed face and soap-covered, tattooed chest.
“What?” he snapped. “Who’s dying?” His dark eyes searched the hall, before flashing back to her.
“No one’s dying, let
