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“She was freaked out because you used to be dead, babe,” Hex says with a laugh. “I don’t think the braiding had anything to do with that.”
“She’s experienced a lot of trauma. You have to imagine, it’s not easy to envision people’s deaths when you touch them. She’s learning how to create bonds with people. How to need them.”
Hex nods slowly, taking this in. “It’s probably a lot like seeing ghosts.” His voice is distant. “Those fuckers love telling you how they died.”
“That might be a good way for you two to bond,” I suggest. “It’s not a traditional method, but it could be effective. She feels alone with her gift. The more people who share their experiences with her, the easier it will be for her to accept who she is.”
“Is it too much for her to take in, though?” Juliana wonders aloud. “She’s only ten. Should we try to focus our attention on making her life as normal as possible?”
“I think it would be good to give her as much normalcy as you can. But she also needs space to express her concerns about her gifts. She’s so terrified she’ll hurt someone, but I think it’s probably deeper than that. I think she probably did hurt someone by accident, or she witnessed something horrible. I think her biggest fear is abandonment.”
“Damn, Tory.” Hex chuckles. “You should have been a therapist.”
“It’s never too late.” I stick my tongue out at him.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
It’s strange being back at work. I laid in that hospital bed for two weeks while my body healed. Then I had to wait another two weeks to be cleared by my doctor to go back to work. In that time, I didn’t see Meredith once. I’ve half convinced myself that night in my room was a dream. A really good dream.
Pocus confirmed everything she told me, though. She’s been cleared on all charges. He told me exactly what he did to get Damien to confess. Meredith was right to not ask. He and Seer were fucking brutal.
That doesn’t explain why she disappeared. She told me that she wanted me, and then she vanished into thin air. I try not to think about her as I do my rounds and check on my patients. I hardly feel any physical pain from my gunshot wounds. I feel pain from her absence. I secretly hope to see her every time I walk into a new patient’s room.
It hasn’t happened yet, though.
Tonight, I walk into a room and meet a small, malnourished boy with severe frostbite. I can’t help it, I’m immediately on guard. For one thing, it’s the end of the summer. He didn’t get these wounds naturally. He was either severely abused or…
“Does this patient have parents?” I whisper to the nurse. “I’d like to speak with them immediately.”
She shakes her head. “He’s a state case,” she tells me, her face dark with disdain. “They brought him in off the street. He’s homeless. How the hell did he get frostbite out there? It’s more likely he’d have heat stroke.”
I nod, pretending to listen as she prattles on about the awful state of our foster care system. I can barely hear her over the sound of the beating of my heart. This boy follows a pattern of behavior. She has to be here.
Someone knocks on the door. I look up, my heart leaping. I see the wild, curly hair before anything else. Then her bright, blue eyes meet mine, and she smiles warmly.
“Meredith De La Croix,” she says, holding her hand out to me. “I’m the social worker on this case.”
I look down and see the shiny, new badge around her neck. She’s official and everything. Looks like she got her old job back, and she did it without any help. For the first time since she left, I acknowledge the fear that’s been plaguing me for weeks. I never thought I’d see her again.
As I stand there with Meredith, my mind races with a million questions. I want to know where the hell she’s been, what she’s been doing, and why she disappeared after Charlie was settled. But the nurse mills around, taking samples for the tests we’ll have to run.
Finally, she leaves, and I almost deflate in anticipation. “Is he gifted?” I ask Meredith, looking at the sleeping boy.
She shakes her head. “No. He’s unfortunately one of the hundreds of abused children. The cops picked up the parents a few hours ago. They’d been using dry ice to punish him. I’m here to get him processed in the system, but he’ll probably be here a while for treatment.”
“I hate this,” I say earnestly. “Who the hell could do that to a child?”
“People who deserve to know exactly when they’re going to die,” she says flippantly. “How is Charlie, by the way?”
“She misses you. But she’s really happy. Since Hex and Juliana adopted her, she’s become a different kid. And she’s grown so much in the last few weeks. It’s amazing what a healthy diet will do for a kid.”
She looks down, and I realize what I’ve said.
“Fuck, no, Meredith you know what I mean. I know you tried to take care of her as well as you could.”
“Diner food isn’t exactly sufficient for a ten-year-old,” she answers. “It’s not great for a twenty-six-year-old either, to be fair.”
“You know, I’m an excellent cook,” I tell her. “You’re welcome to come over for a home-cooked meal. Or I could take you out to a nice restaurant sometime.”
