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  "Hey, when you-" Josh started, but I gave him a look and he backed down with hands raised. "Ok, ok. All I was going to say was I wished I'd met you guys sooner." He went to stand over Miguel who still refused to get up. "Especially you, Aussie. You are a hoot and a half, my friend."

  "I'm so glad," Miguel said and got up, brushing off his jeans. "Tell that to the redhead with the biceps."

  "She'll come around. They all love that accent, man. You know it's true."

  "It hasn't helped me out so far," Miguel said quietly.

  "It'll happen man. I have a seventh sense about these things."

  "There's only five senses, Josh," Miguel spouted and spoke slow to goad him, "or don't they teach you biology in Missouri?"

  "Oh they taught me Biology alright. That's where my other two senses come in," he said and grinned. Then he winked at us, like we were all in on his joke, and followed the rest of them.

  I ran my hand through my hair, at a loss to explain anything further. Pastor Bob was just going to have to get used to it or take to fighting his own battles.

  Because in our group, the battle of jokes, wits, and wills never stopped.

  Botched

  Chapter 24 - Cain

  "Maybe we should take him to a hospital instead of home. It looks pretty bad," Jeff said low over my shoulder.

  "You don’t think Miguel can fix him up?"

  "Maybe, but we're already in town. It makes sense."

  "Maybe we can get Marissa checked out too. She hasn't been right for a while."

  "No," he said quickly. "They'll know she's a Muse if you run into Lighters."

  "Ok. Well…" I looked back at Billings. He was snow white and grimacing. I clicked my tongue. "Ok. It's probably not the smartest thing; stopping at a place like that with a van full of Keepers and Muses, but…"

  "Since when are we smart," he said and clapped my shoulder as he laughed. "Better safe than sorry. If that arm got infected or the bones misaligned when we set it, we'd have no way to fix him, you know?"

  "You're right."

  "A broken arm doesn't mean incompetent or deaf," Billings grumbled and sat up straighter, wincing. "I can make up my own mind whether I want to go to a hospital or not."

  "And?" I asked. "What's the big decision, Mister Competent?"

  "Hospital. Pronto."

  Jeff rolled his eyes with me and he leaned back in his seat as I took the next turn towards the Community General.

  "I'm not in love with this plan," Simon chimed.

  "I have no doubt about that, Simon, but it can't be helped. Billings is all botched up."

  I kept glancing back. Marissa still didn't look good. She'd been out of it for a while now. Right now she was sitting on Jeff's lap. She looked fragile and small against his chest, which wasn't like Marissa in the slightest. Her normally olive Asian skin looked even paler compared to his creamed coffee. His big dark hands moved on her arms, her neck, her face. He was trying his best to soothe her as she leaned on him and groaned every few minutes.

  I wondered what was up with her. Throwing up sucks, but this seemed like more than that.

  So I pulled in, parked the van. I got out and looked all over to see if anything looked out of the ordinary. It was pretty deserted. So I opened the door, took Billings' good arm and threw it over my shoulder as I said, "It's almost dark, let's get cracking."

  "Cain, be careful, please," Simon pleaded.

  "Simon, come on. You make me feel like I'm a soldier hell bent on a suicide mission. This is just simple facts. Broken arm equals hospital. Nothing else to do."

  "Just be careful," he repeated in exasperation.

  I nodded to him and half carried Billings' groaning butt inside. The nurse took one look at us and scrambled up. She looked concerned but also eager for something to cure her boredom. "Broken arm," I told her.

  "I'll get him in to see the doctor immediately."

  "And I have one more patient in the car." I slammed Billings into a chair and he glared at me. "Be right back."

  She nodded and I made my way back outside.

  "I cased the lobby," I told Jeff when I opened the sliding door. "It's clear and quiet. I can take her in."

  "No," he growled and gripped her tighter.

  "Dude, she looks terrible. And she's barely even able to hold up her head. After all that throwing up she's been doing and all… Let me take her. I'll stay with her the whole time."

  "I'll come," he conceded after a few moments of intense thought.

  "That's a no-go. I'll take her. They can't sense me and she is in no position to hurt them. They wouldn't risk exposing themselves for that, but for a Keeper, I'm sure they would. Besides, there's no Lighters in there." I held my arms out for her like a child. "Hand her over. I will not leave her side, I swear it, but she needs to see a doctor."

  He grabbed my shirt collar and said harshly, "I've never harmed a human before, but if you let her out of your sight, you will be my first."

  "I dig."

  "What? Speak English!" he barked and I understood that there would be no sarcasm for this situation.

  "I understand. I will stay with her. All they need to do is hydrate her and figure out what's wrong. It's probably the flu or something."

  "I think she used too much power when she helped Margo and Celeste. She hasn't been the same ever since," he said sadly and looked down at her like he was anguished about it.

  "Well, I'll leave that part out when I explain her symptoms," I said and went to take her. He let me. She clung to me which, like I said, surprised me because Marissa was hardheaded and strong and independent. She didn't lean on people. Her soft arms went around my neck and she hung on as I made my way inside the building with her.

  "Now what's wrong with this one?"

  "Sick for days. She's been throwing up and stuff," I told the nurse.

  "Is she pregnant?"

  I scoffed, "No. She's been…she's just been sick."

  She gave me a look. I had no way to explain anything further, so I just let her think what she wanted.

  "Well, bring her back here."

  She indicated for me to place her on the table. I thought about what Jeff said and even though I knew I could take him, I still wasn't in the mood to piss off the Keeper. He was so clearly whipped by the gal in my arms.

  I smiled as I said, "I'll just keep her if that's ok."

  "It's not actually. How are we supposed to help her if you won't put her down?"

  "It'll have to be ok, because I'm not putting her down 'til the Doc comes."

  "Whatever," she muttered and left without another word.

  I sat in the waiting chair and positioned her on my lap better. I looked down at Marissa and muttered, "That old lady thinks I'm whipped."

  "Yep, she does," Marissa said and smiled a ghost of a smile.

  "Hey, you," I said softly. "You still with us?"

  "Barely," she whispered sarcastically. "I feel like death."

  "No offense, but you look like death, too."

  "Funny," she muttered and barely peeked her eyes open. She put her hand on my cheek. "You're so funny, baby."

  "Sorry, I ain't your baby. He's outside in the van worrying like an insane person."

  "Mmfffppgmm," she mumbled and snuggled her face into my neck. "Ffrrpppmmm."

  "Sounds good to me," I told her and almost laughed.

  Then her face took on a sad expression, then pained, then terrified. She looked up at me, but she wasn't seeing me.

  "Jeff. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident."

  "What was? What's the matter?"

  "I didn't mean to. Please don't be angry," she begged and pulled me closer.

  "I'm not angry," I played along. "What's the matter?"

  "Kiss me. Just kiss me and it'll be ok," she said and though the girl was sick as a dog and barely awake, her strong arms pulled me down and planted one on me.

  I tried to extricate her, but she gripped me tightly. When I finally managed to
pull her away she cried. She burst into a million pieces and I was sorry right off.

  "I'm sorry," I told her and pulled her face close and hugged her. Anything to get her to stop crying like that, so devastated and heartbroken. "Hey, hey listen. I'm not angry, it's ok."

  "You hate me," she said and sniffled . "You hate me now."

  "I don't, I promise. It's ok," I soothed and ran my hand up and down her freezing arm. "I'm a-okay, Marissa. We're good. Please don't bawl like your dog died."

  "You won't even call me sweetie anymore!" she sobbed like that was evidence of something. Ah, man, what in the world was going on?

  "Sweetie, hey, please don’t cry. You know what it does to me. Come on, please?"

  "You still love me?" she sniffled again.

  "Of course I love you, sweetie. Everything's alright," I told her just as the doctor came in. "Doctor's here so you'll feel better soon."

  "Whoa," he said as he looked at her. "We have a seriously dehydrated woman. What happened?"

  "She's just been sick for days. Throwing up and stuff."

  He leaned his head out the door and told someone to come and start an IV. He came back and I was surprised he didn't try to take her from me. He moved his rolling stool over to us and started with her pulse, then her eyes and tongue.

  "She's very dehydrated," he said again then motioned me up as he stepped back. "Come and lay her on the table. You don't have to let go," he said quickly, "just lay her down so we can get some fluids in her. Then we'll see what's making her so sick."

  A different nurse came as I got up and smiled at me warmly. She hummed as she did the IV and it was a little unnerving, but oddly comforting. Marissa didn't let my arm go. I knew in her mind it was Jeff's arm. She needed it so I let her use me. Poor girl was sick out of her mind.

  "Uuuhg," Marissa groaned as the nurse worked her phlebotomy on her. "Baby, it hurts."

  "It's ok," I told her. "A few more minutes and you're gonna be good as new."

  She eased me down to her slowly and pressed her face into my neck again. I imagined she did this often with Jeff. I smiled at that sly dog. Taming Marissa had been a feat, I was certain, but if anyone could do it, it was Jeff. She kissed my jaw and murmured something into my skin.

  "What, babe?" I asked quietly.

  "Please don't hate me," she said and kissed my jaw again. "Please," she begged. "I need you. I love you..."

  I was beginning to wonder what she was going on about. She was genuinely worried. This wasn't just about her incoherent babble anymore. She was really scared that Jeff was going to find out something. Was she really sick, like with a disease or something and hadn't told him?

  "I could never hate you. What are you so worried about?"

  "I…I…" she tried, but stopped. I knew it was her own doing not the sleep she was pretending to be in. Hmmm.

  "There," the nurse chimed cheerily and thumped a couple bags hooked up to her IV line. "All done."

  "I'll check on you in few minutes," the doctor said as they both left. I nodded and looked back at Marissa.

  I rubbed her hair and was relieved when she sighed, the tightness in her body and shoulders releasing. Her grip lessoned too and I knew she was already feeling a little better.

  I stayed right there for a while and thought about how different she felt from Lillian. Lillian's hair was fluffy and soft with its curls. Marissa's was straight as it could be, a thick, black curtain. Her bangs were stuck to her forehead a little from sweat. A cold sweat.

  "Right as rain yet?" I asked.

  "Not yet, but better," she answered and rolled to her side. She glanced up at me and I knew that she knew who I was this time. She squeezed my arm and looked a little chagrinned. "Thanks, Cain." She cleared her throat a couple times. "That wasn't Jeff with me in here earlier, was it?"

  "Nope," I replied and grinned.

  "I'm sorry," she said and laughed sadly. "I was half out of my mind. I didn't mean to kiss you."

  "Not a problem."

  "I'm sorry, really. Just forget everything I said and did, ok?"

  "Not likely, but it'll be our secret," I whispered.

  "Thanks," she whispered back and closed her eyes. "I hate feeling like this."

  "Yeah…about that. What's going on with you?"

  "Nothing. I just hate being sick."

  "Yeah, but why are you sick? Jeff thinks it's because of what you did to Margo."

  "It's not," she insisted.

  "Well then what is it?"

  "Nothing. It's ok. Thank you for coming in with me. And staying with me."

  "Go on, say it," I told her in humor and moved my hand in a 'go ahead' motion.

  "Am I supposed to say that you're awesome or something?"

  "That'll do."

  She laughed and shook her head.

  "You are awesome. Thank you. Don’t tell Jeff I kissed you or he'll cut your head off in your sleep."

  "No problem there," I dragged out in agreement. "That Keeper has a mean streak as long as the Mississippi."

  "A protective streak," she corrected and smiled. "It's so strange. I always thought I wasn’t into the Alpha male type. I hated to be told what to do or…whatever, but with Jeff, it's different. He makes me feel safe and fragile even though I'm not really either of those things anymore."

  "No, you're not but, you should be. That's the whole point." I thought about Lillian. "You all should be safe and home and cozy." I smiled so that I wouldn't grimace at her with my thoughts. "But then you and old Jeffy wouldn’t be bungalow buddies, now would you?"

  "Nope, we sure wouldn't," she agreed and then laughed at something she was thinking about. "I would still be a skirt suit wearing school counselor and still hoping that idiot Football coach was going to ask me out one day." She giggled. "I was such a sap. And now I'm an even bigger sap about Jeff, I think. He's just my…whole world. That's crazy, right?"

  "Not crazy." I flexed my fingers that were still on her scalp. "Not crazy at all."

  We sat in companionable silence and waited for the Doctor to return. It didn't take long, and he was accompanied by the nurse. "And how are we feeling now?"

  "So much better. In fact, I think I'm ready to go," Marissa said and sat up slowly, but the nurse held her down as she readied to take her blood.

  "Whoa, hold it, hotshot. We haven't even looked you over yet."

  "I'm ok, really." She hissed and winced as the needle eased into her skin. "Just had a bad couple of days, that's all."

  "Still-"

  She pulled her arm away from the nurse who sputtered about having only half a tube, but Marissa was done. There'd be no getting it from her now.

  "I came in with free will and I'm going out with it too," she argued. I could have argued with her about that, but figured the situation didn't really call for it. Plus, she was kind of right. We needed to high-tail it. "I feel so much better. Thank you."

  "How's our friend?" I asked before he could start in on her.

  "He's fine. Arm was a clean break. Though I'm confused about how it could have happened. He said you were…fighting Lighters?"

  I choked and Marissa gasped. What the hell, Billings?

  "Did you give him something?" I asked.

  "Of course. He was groaning and complaining about the pain and wouldn't even let my nurse look at him hardly. When she went to take his blood he threw a fit, so I gave him a slight sedative-"

  "Ah," I said like I knew what I was talking about. "He gets really loopy. We were actually sparring is how it happened. We're both in the enforcers and he was hurt at an impromptu training session." I leaned forward and whispered loudly. "He runs off at the mouth a lot. He had it coming."

  "I see," he said and went to the door. "Well, his arm is set and he should be fine. As far as you, Marissa," he said looking at her chart, "I can't make you stay, but I really wish you would, for some tests."

  "I appreciate it, but I'm fine now. We really should go," she told him and took my hand, leaving me no choice but to he
lp her so we could go.

  "Ok, then. Drink lots of fluids when you get home and rest." Marissa nodded and as the doctor left he stopped in the hall. "Ah, here are some of your recruits I believe," he said to someone. I stiffened. This wouldn't be good, I knew it. Sure enough, a frigging Lighter came to stand by him in the hall. I squeezed Marissa's arm to remind her to be calm. His face hardened as he looked at Marissa, then at me. He smiled a fake congeniality as the doctor asked him about something they must've been discussing earlier.

  How stupid was I to think we'd actually get through this unscathed? Jeff was going to kill me.

  "So, I'll see you at the facility tomorrow for physicals. Goodnight," the doctor said and took his leave.

  "Goodnight, doctor," the Lighter said evenly, his eyes locked on us. "Well, well. What have we here?"

  "Just a little fever. She was dehydrated, but feeling much better now," I said and tried not to look any different. "And our friend broke his arm. It's been a long night," I said and helped Marissa across the room. The hall would be better than being cornered in a little room.

  "Not so fast. She doesn't look so good. I think she should stay here for tonight," he said slowly. Crap. He was trying to compel me. "Take her back to the bed and lay her down. I think you both should stay." He'd know I was immune if I didn’t obey him.

  Double crap.

  "Uh…" I looked at Marissa and hoped she'd forgive me for what I was about to do. "Sorry, chief, that's a no-go." I threw Marissa behind me to the bed and rammed the Lighter into the wall behind him. He put up a good fight, I'll tell you the God's honest truth. He kicked my feet out from under me and when I was flat on my back he tried to take my head off with his big booted foot. I moved just in time and glared at him.

  He kept at me, not giving me any time to regroup. I felt my eye pound and sting under his fist more than once, but I couldn't stop. I looked around for something to stake him with.

  Then an idea shot into my head like the lightning I wished would shoot from his chest.

  I swung open a door marked 'Stairwell' and ducked just as he swung. The Lighter was then in my spot in front of the stairwell, so I lifted my hands and let the power come to them. The sonic boom blasted from my palms to him and he toppled down, flipping and rolling all the way. I slammed the door shut and pushed a crash cart in front of it. I knew it wouldn’t stop him, I just wanted it to slow him down.