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“You can. I’m going to help you.”
“Everyone knows what happened. They all know.”
Sobs filled the room, and it was as if her tears extinguished my sanity. For someone who hated leaving his space, I was ready to tear through these walls and everything in-between to make it to her side. To reassure her that she had me. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt or bother her again. I’d take care of her. I’d make sure she was safe.
“No more tears. Feel me. Know I’m there.”
I turned on her television watching as Kody’s head lifted. She glanced around the room, coming back to face me.
“See,” I whispered,” you’re not alone.”
Laughter from the game show filled her space. Long hair fell over her shoulder as she glanced down to the remote, but she brought her gaze back to me. Hesitation. Kody looked down again, hitting the power button to turn off the television. When she wiped her tears and took a deep breath, the stubbornness she held reflected as she came back to me. Kody suspected, but her confusion was evident as she took in the blank screen. It went back and forth. Flowers. Door. TV. Flowers. Door. TV.
“God?” She paused. “I shouldn’t call you that. If you are there, thank you. I didn’t say that before when you called. Maybe I’ll never get to say it because maybe I’m overthinking this and I’m talking to myself. I just…”
Again, she got quiet as I waited.
“I don’t understand why this happened. Did I do something? Did I not do something? Why? How? I have so many questions and no answers. You said David was…” Her hand lifted as she stopped herself. “I hope he is. I hope that was real. My head…it’s so fuzzy. Listen to me, I’m talking out loud, in a fucking whisper, praying someone is hearing me. How crazy do I seem?”
“Not crazy at all, love. Let’s just get that out of your mind right now.”
A sniffle filled the space as her head once again dropped so she could stare down at her lap. I triggered the television again, turning it on as Kody let out something between a sob and a laugh.
“So, you are here…or this is a ghost. Great. A haunted hospital suite. I should have known this nice room was too good to be true.”
I clicked through the guide, stopping on a show about ghosts. Kody wiped the tears, leaning back to stare towards me.
“A ghost with a sense of humor. I like that. I think I like this show. I’ve seen it once before.”
“Have you, now? What else do you like, Kody?”
She didn’t answer my silent question. She didn’t say another word as she lost herself in the investigation of the dark rooms of the Miller Estate. While she did, I let myself go over what I knew. The moment she felt my presence, Kody relaxed. She surrendered from the fear she seemed to constantly dwell in. That spoke volumes. That told me I’d done more than help her out of the dungeon. My very existence held weight not only in the physical, but the mental as well. I meant something, and it wasn’t just me who needed her. Kody needed me too.
Chapter 8
Kody
Maybe it was the view of the city from my luxurious sitting area. Or the sun, high in the clear, blue sky. Maybe it was the guard standing not twenty feet away, erasing every single question that wanted to keep me on my toes. Or just maybe…it was the illusion of it all.
I couldn’t pretend when I left this place things weren’t going to change. I’d have no guard. I’d have no real view. I’d have no gourmet meals or bakery goodies at my beck and call. I’d go back to frozen pizza, freezer meals, and a pop tart for dessert. I was okay with that. Truthfully, all I did was yearn for my boring routine. I missed solitude. I missed silence. Most of all, I missed the ease of sleep.
Although the nurses kept me up; the dreams were worse. Some nights were better than others. Some nights, the terror kept me staring at either my walls or my television screen until dawn. I spoke to myself a lot. No…I spoke to him. Most of the time my savior didn’t reply, but there were moments that told me he had to be there. The power to the television, for one. It was the most obvious. Sometimes my lights would even flicker. Maybe it was all a dream. A delusion I was creating to cope with what had happened to me. I’d been hospitalized seven days, and although I was getting stronger, I wasn’t adjusting as well as I had hoped.
My broken hand stayed at my chest as I used my other to curl around my stomach. The stitches, the wounds, every pull against them with every breath was a constant reminder of what I’d undergone. Every look from the guests on the floor: pity, maybe even a tinge of fear. I couldn’t escape who I was now. I’d walked these halls at my nurse’s request a million times in the last few days. There was always someone not able to look away from the train wreck I had become. If it was a guest on the floor, they’d whisper to whoever they were with, they’d glance my way and not be able to hide the shock. It was too much. Luckily, I didn’t see them often, but their expressions were enough to stay with me. I wanted to leave here. I didn’t want to think about having to stay another three to five days like my doctor had mentioned only hours ago. Tests. Infections. Monitoring. The list was endless. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to disappear. I was safe, but I couldn’t breathe.
“Ms. Marshall?”
At the male tone, I couldn’t help but jump. It’d been closer than I’d liked, and I hadn’t been prepared. My caregivers were all female, as were the doctors. The only men I was exposed to were guards, and they kept their distance. Even the one posted at my door was very cautious on how close to get to me, which I didn’t mind.
“You. I know you. You helped with the flowers. You’re from the church. I saw the card that was left.” I took in the curly, brown hair of the teenager who was only a foot from the lounger I was resting on. He was lean and of average height. The white hoodie he sported rested over dark denim jeans, and his worn sneakers said they’d gotten lots of use. He smiled, but he looked nervous as he peered over at me.
“I’m sorry to bother you. I left a few books in your room. One of the nurses mentioned you liked to read. I hope you don’t mind.”
“That was kind of you. Thank you.”
He shrugged. “My grandma’s a big reader. I was with her the night we helped bring up the flowers. We were just hoping—”
Ringing came from his pocket causing him to look down.
