“Why would there be no mention or record of him in the original investigation? Any ideas?” I can’t write fast enough to get down all my thoughts.
“Oh, Agent Scholl, buckle up, reopening this case is going to be career suicide if you try and go after Michael. His father is a New York Senator, and you may know his mother… it’s rumored she’s climbed the ranks of the FBI.” I would have spat the tea out if I’d been drinking any. Instead, I feel a pit the size of the Grand Canyon open in my stomach as pieces start to fall into place. I set down the notepad and wipe my hands down my pants.
“What’s his mom’s name?” Although, I know before she even responds. Hutton’s instincts to keep his mouth closed were right. I have to get him out of this protection detail.
I’m half in a daze as Mrs. Lassiter walks me out. “Why did you take the statues down?”
“They were hideous, morbid, and a reminder of the failure I was as a mother. I didn’t protect my girls the way I should have.”
20. EDEN
Anxiety is starting to wear at my mind. The counting, humming, and rubber band snapping annoy me, but that’s what I have. It’s bothering me that I can’t remember what happened in my room. How I was shot. No, bothering is too kind a word. It's taken over. Every morning when I wake up, I do a mental exercise of walking back through what I do remember. A predictable progression then takes place in my gut, a clamping down type feeling, followed by tension in my whole body, a tightness and then a feeling of not being able to get a breath. Each time. But I keep trying, like torture.
I don’t care what excuses Blaine throws my way today, I’m going to the hospital to check in on Keir. I miss him. The heartache over his situation grows daily. I’ve been reading about head injuries and with each passing day I’m losing more hope that he’ll wake up. I can’t think about losing him. It reduces me to tears every time.
Blaine went to grab coffee for us, so I plan to sneak out the door before he’s back. I’ve been walking so much since I was discharged that I don’t even have a limp anymore. I check my phone and the Uber should be pulling up soon. I double check that my hair hasn’t frizzed out. It’s down and in a beachy wave cascading down my back. I put on Keir’s favorite dress of mine, a royal blue that he says looks like the color of my eyes. Thankfully, Blaine had some of my clothing accidentally packed away in his luggage when he left the study, mixed in with his own things. I tuck a book into my purse. I’ll read to him. There’s a lot of studies that suggest that people who are unconscious can sometimes hear people. I leave a note for Blaine, so he doesn’t worry.
The hospital has become as familiar to me as the Center, with the time I’ve spent here. I greet a few nurses and make my way to the floor Keir is on. I won’t let myself get my hopes up. Just seeing him, touching him. That has to be enough for now.
I almost trip over my feet when I recognize Jolie coming down the hospital corridor from the direction of Keir’s room. Why would she be here? She smiles at me. “You’re getting around really well.” Why is she talking to me as if we like each other? It makes my skin crawl.
“What are you doing here?” By here I mean not only in this hospital and in my face, but in existence.
“Aggressive.” She laughs like she made a joke. “Dr. Hart asked me to get some forms for him that the hospital had for behavioral health holds.” She waves the papers in my face.
Maybe our past just has me on defense with her. I wasn’t very nice when she checked on me while I was a patient. I could try to be less hostile. I guess. “Gotcha.” I can’t make myself smile, I try, and it may have looked like I was seizing.
“Let’s go get caffeine.” She loops her arm around mine and if Satan popped up in front of me, I would be less surprised by her sudden jovial and kind attitude towards me. Did she have an exorcism?
“I was going to look in on Keir.” I pull away from her. “Thanks anyway.” I force myself to be gracious back. After years of ugly comments and outrageous acts that’s hard for me.
“Oh. The doctors and nurses won’t let anyone in right now. Look.” There is a sign on the door stating ‘Restricted-approved staff only’. What the hell happened? “Come and have coffee with me. Let’s catch up.” That’s it. She’s officially been body snatched. I look around like it’s possible I’m in the middle of a delirious dream.
“Wha... what?” I’m rendered speechless as she hooks my arm again and starts to pull me with her down the hallway. Chattering away about French press or something else completely mundane. Before I can yank myself back from her and her overpowering perfume, Blaine comes racing out of the elevator towards me.
“Ed? Jesus…” He bends over to take a breath like he ran a marathon. Yeah, I must be having a post pizza at midnight dream.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on? You...” I point at Jolie. “Don’t talk to me… much less nicely.” I turn towards Blaine. “and why are you here?” Blaine glares at Jolie. Still no love lost there.
“Eden, hon, can’t you just accept that I’ve changed my mind about you?” Jolie smiles at me and lifts her arms like ‘oh gosh, shucks.’ It’s the antithesis of the Jolie Reynolds I’ve gotten a load of over the last six years. It’s semi-revolting.
“What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull now?” Blaine asks her. “If you’re trying to ingratiate yourself because of the study, I think that ship sailed day one.” Blaine folds his arms over his chest and sneers at her. “If you’re hanging around to get close to Keir, well, that might be even more pathetic than I thought you were.”
“Do the two of you really think I’m that horrible?” Her eyes fill with tears and her shoulders slump. “I was running an errand. That’s all. When I saw Eden, I thought… I just want to let the past go. Can’t we just start over?” Maybe I’m a sucker, but she seems like she’s being genuine. I don’t have it in me right now to hold grudges against her.
“Okay…” Blaine tries to cut me off, but I put my hand around his waist and pinch him. “I made some assumptions. We both did…”
Blaine interjects, “I mean mine.”
“…he’ll think about it. I’m good with trying to be…” I almost choke on the word, “…friendlier. Maybe we could grab coffee another time?” Flashing the words then pasting on a smile, I hope this awkward exchange is over.
Jolie smiles at us and turns to leave, Blaine calls out to her back, “I will not be thinking about a damn thing, demon.”
I pinch him again. “What? She is.” He’s not going to give her any kind of chance.
“When someone offers an olive branch, you’re not supposed to beat them with it,” I reprimand him, but I’m not going to change his fierce and unmoving judgements. He’s stubborn to the max.
“I need to find someone to ask about the sign on Keir’s door.” I start to walk towards the nurses’ station when Blaine pulls me to a stop.
