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Chapter Seventeen
I only have to wait a few minutes on the steps of the library until Jaeger shows up-- alone. He immediately takes my bag from me without a greeting.
“Where are the others?” I don’t bother greeting him either, I only want to get back to the dorms and get into my bathroom behind two closed doors so that I can call Debbie back.
“They got food and went on ahead, I volunteered to come get you.” He pauses for a moment as we continue walking. “Cora, we still can’t tell you anything. By the time we got to the office to see… um, anyway it was too late. I’m sorry, we’ll try again tomorrow.” He deliberately leaves out the name of the person they went to and I’m guessing he means his uncle.
“It’s okay, I’m pretty tired after everything today and just want to go to bed.” The excuse is flimsy, but he lets it slide with only a brief questioning glance. Thankfully, we’re already back to the dorm and I can escape in just a couple minutes.
When we enter the living room the rest of the guys are piled on the couch, food laid on in to-go containers on the coffee table. Ash starts to get up, to greet me or let me have his seat, I’m not sure which, but I wave him back down.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m beat and would like to take my dinner to my room if you all don’t mind.” I’m being polite, but it’s not really a request. "I have physical therapy tomorrow if you guys want to work out who has room in their schedule to go with me. Let me know in the morning please." Avoiding their concerned stares, I pick up a box Ash points out and go to my room.
Jaeger is waiting on me, having taken my bag to my room for me. "You sure you're okay?" At my nod he makes to leave, then pauses with his back to me. "I'll take you tomorrow, but it'll postpone us getting a meeting for another day." He doesn't turn so I have to verbally answer him.
"It's fine, Jag. I do want to make a visit at the facility above the PT department tomorrow, so if you have something to do in the city, I'll be a couple of hours."
Softly, he answers, "That's fine," and opens the door. He pauses again, partially turning this time, with his mouth turned down. "You know you can't say anything, right?" He seems almost ashamed to have to bring it up.
"I know, no worries, Jaeger. No one would believe me anyway." I shrug at the pity he directs at me. "Is what it is, goodnight, Jag." He leaves but he drags his feet doing it.
It isn't a secret that Damien's family, and mine, had tried to say I was making things up when Damien wouldn't leave me alone. Then after the wreck his attorneys had tried to use my PTSD against me. Admittedly I've had several bad days, but who wouldn't in my shoes?
When Jaeger finally closes my door, I snatch my phone out of my bag and lock myself in the bathroom, dialing the number as I sit on the closed toilet lid. It rings twice before a woman answers it.
"Centennial Care Center, how may I direct your call?"
"This is Cordelia Shultz and I'm returning a call to Debbie Higgins, she left a message about my husband."
"Just one moment, please." Jazzy elevator music pipes through the line as I'm out on hold and I will Debbie to hurry and pick up.
It's probably less than a minute, but thoughts of every worst-case scenario runs through my head until the line is picked back up.
"Cordelia?" comes the familiar tones of Debbie's voice.
"Yes, it is. You called about, Kael? Is he okay?" I suck my bottom lip in, worrying at it with my teeth until she answers.
"He is now, yes. He gave us a scare earlier this afternoon, his blood pressure bottomed out and he had a mild seizure. The doctor on-call couldn't find any reason for it and has sent for tests to be completed." Tears well in my eyes that I hadn't been there, and that I'm still stuck here now. "Neither symptom lasted long and we're taking his vitals continuously, and will continue to do so over the next few days. Do you want me to clear you with the security guard downstairs?"
Voice raspy with emotion, I have to decline, and it kills me. "I'm too far out to make it tonight, but I'll be there tomorrow, early. Will you call me if anything else happens? No matter the time."
"Yes, of course dear. Like I said in the message there was a mix up. We have several new day staff and they must have updated your number in the computer by accident. I had to get it out of his physical chart when I got in tonight."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. And it's all fixed now?" It's not her fault and I'm trying hard not to take it out on her, but still want to make sure they have the correct information on hand.
"I did it myself and have personally spoken with the staff who were on shift about charting accurately. We'll take good care of him until you get here." She doesn't sound impatient, but I'm sure I'm not her only priority— and I definitely don't want to take her away from checking on Kael.
"Thanks again, Debbie." I hang up after she says goodbye, feeling like the worst wife in history that I won't attempt to leave tonight. I know if I do, I risk the chance of being followed.
***
Unable to sleep after eating, I pull out the book the man in the stacks wanted me to read. The brown leather cover looks to be a good quality to my inexperienced eye, but there's not a title on it and it's too thin for much more than a notebook's worth of pages. Flipping it open I find a "Property of" stamp and realize it's a fancy composition book. And it belongs, or belonged, to a woman named Sophia.
Curious about the contents, I flip to the next page, but it's blank. I try a couple more, and they're also empty. Why did that guy want me to take a blank notebook? Annoyed, I fan through the pages just to be sure. Nada. But the front one had said Sophia. Maybe he'd just been some weird fuck who likes to mess with new students. It's not like I went and checked that the wall was solid.
Leaving it open on my lap, I absentmindedly run my index finger over the edge of the paper as I go over what Debbie had said earlier, yet again. I’m really hoping today’s events aren’t from anything serious, but know with my luck that my wish won’t be granted. My depressing thoughts are interrupted by a sting on the pad of my finger. My smart self should know better than to tempt fate. I stick the papercut digit into my mouth to soothe it-- and watch the notebook page absorb the drop of blood that fell before I could stop it. Now I’ve gone and ruined school property.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Wide-eyed, I continue to watch as the drop begins to disappear. “I’ve released a vampire book and now it’s going to eat me. Please, don’t eat me.” I don’t think I can take any more freaky shit today. But then something really fucking cool happens… the pages start to fill in. Flipping back to the first page, I find it’s just as full as the others now.
Not wanting to question the ‘how’ part, I start to read before it decides to disappear again.
If you’re reading this, then then you’ve been found to be pure of heart and blood. I’m not positive how long it will be before the new Axiom Host will be born, but I’ve made sure this history and guide will stay hidden until the next arises.
The Axiom thing is what Damien Sr. had been talking about the other night. Quicky, I skip through a few pages. The entries are marked with dates and it appears to be more of a journal or diary than anything formal. Still curious, but oddly tired after the book’s magic trick, I decide to wait to read it until I can comprehend it properly. It really has been a long day. This afternoon with Riggs and the Kael, and-- Motherfucker. Riggs. I’ll bet just about anything that Riggs getting hurt has something to do with Kael’s issues with them being right around the same time.
I try to concentrate on what they’d said ‘pulling’, but the urge to sleep is desperate and I suddenly can no longer find it. My last thought is that someone whammied me again and this time I’m blaming a diary.
