After waiting for over 10 minutes, I took matters into my own hands. I disconnected my tubes, wincing at the slight twinge of pain. I then walked gingerly across the room. When the room spun, I realized I was starving and looked over to table near my bedside. I noticed a large sub wrapped in white deli paper and knew immediately what it was. I sat back down and tore open the paper with gusto.
Gavin and I had a mutual liking of the little sub shop on campus, and I craved the fresh turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on a weekly basis—if not daily. I normally ordered a small, but I had a large one in front of me, and I was going to try my hardest to eat it all. There was also a bag of jalapeno kettle chips next to a bottle of Dr. Pepper. I opened both after shoving 5 bites of my sub in my mouth. I knew I looked ravenous, bordering on homeless, but I didn’t care. I was hungry!
I tried in vain to eat the whole sub, but I still had a half left when I finally threw in the towel. I burped when the carbonation of the pop hit me, and I giggled at myself. I would be appalled at my behavior and appearance if others were around.
Finally, I decided to get up and attempt to take a shower. I wasn’t dizzy any longer, and my stomach wasn’t gnawing on itself, but I felt extremely frail. I turned on the water and waited for it to warm up while I took in the inventory of the bathroom. I realized my bladder was going to burst, so I quickly sat down and sighed. I noticed the tiny white, thin towels folded neatly on the back of the toilet and a small pouch of tiny shampoo, conditioner, and liquid soap, along with a cheap tooth brush and a small tube of tooth paste. I wasn’t complaining. It was something. It wasn’t what I had grown accustomed to lately, but it was still a heck of a lot better than when I lived with my stepmom. I let out a sound of relief when I noticed clean gowns on the back of the door.
I hoped whoever brought me my duffel bag packed a clean pair of underwear in there.
I leaned against the handicap bar in the shower as I let the water run over me. I used the entire bottle of the shampoo and conditioner on my raven curly locks due to its length and thickness. I knew my hair wouldn’t feel soft, but at least it would be clean. I washed my body and didn’t linger too much longer. I wasn’t tired, but I knew I should lay back down.
As I was running a wide tooth comb through my hair, I contemplated downloading a movie or two on my iPhone. All thoughts of a movie were forgotten when I heard a commotion and a child’s cry out in the hallway. I stumbled to the door and gasped at the sight in front of me. Three pre-teens and a screaming boy with unkempt hair was being led by a group of Knights.
The Knights were a group of men and women, mostly men, who were one of the teams that actively worked for William Bell. The Knights’ primary mission was to recover any gifted individuals that may be in danger. They were usually children. The Knights were generally on the front lines, so to speak. Their jobs were the most dangerous in the organization due to the situations they had to extract individuals out of. Will had informed me they hadn’t been dispatched as frequently as they had recently. With Horatio ramping up his ‘hunts,’ Will’s mission had become to thwart him whenever possible.
“Noooooo! I want my mommy!” the youngest was screaming. His long dirty-blond hair was flying all over his face.
The woman who was trying to carry him winced in pain as he threw skinny sharp elbows, fist, and feet at her. I could tell she meant well, but the boy was clearly frightened and proved it seconds later.
Sharp metallic objects began to rush to the group of pre-teens and Knights. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was going to end badly.
“He’s a freaking nutcase,” a girl around the age of twelve stated cryptically before she morphed into cat. “I told you guys to watch him.”
I had to prevent myself from gaping at her. That was a first for me. I hadn’t personally met anyone with that gift yet.
I heard a grunt from the nearest Knight as a scalpel imbedded itself in his forearm despite his best efforts to conjure wind and fling the objects away.
I focused all my weakened energy on the young boy. “Stop!” I compelled him, silently. “Relax! They aren’t here to hurt you.”
His wild pale blue eyes found mine and I let my barriers down. Feeling his fear, his pain, his loneliness, the physical hunger. I winced as I felt all his emotions, and I knew it probably wasn’t one of my smartest ideas as I advanced down the hallway.
“Stop!” I heard one of the Knights yell at me.
I held my hand up, “No you stop,” I commanded him silently. When I saw the other’s advance towards me, I commanded them to stand down as well.
“Give him to me, please,” I requested to the female. She looked barely older than me and scared out of her mind. It wasn’t necessary for me to compel her. She was already scared out of her wits.
She didn’t hesitate to hand him over. I immediately took his small frame into my arms. Feeling his little body wracked with tremors.
“Hey buddy,” I said soothingly. “My name is Blake,” I explained to him as I slowly lowered myself onto the floor with him. “I know you’re scared,” I said softly. “I’m going to take the fear away, okay?”
He scrubbed a dirty arm across his dirt streaked face, smearing more snot across it. He was probably once a very handsome boy, but it was hard to tell with his dirty, lanky hair hanging around his face. He smelled of feet and urine, so he was clearly in need of a shower and food.
He nodded reluctantly. “My friend has a sister name Blake,” he said quietly. “I told her Blake’s a boy name!” he scoffed as only eight or nine-year-old boys can do.
I giggled. “That’s what my sister told me all the time too! What’s your name?” I gently grasped his hands. “I’m going to take your fear away so these nice people can help you. They don’t want to hurt you,” I said softly as I pushed feelings of warmth towards him, wincing as I felt his pain and fear.
“Chip and I want my mommy,” he said softly as he laid his head on my shoulder.
“What the hell is going on?” I heard a great booming voice enter the hall. I stiffened only slightly before I recognized the voice.
Chip stiffened in my arms as his eyes widened looking behind me. I could feel his anxiety rise once more. “You let my friend go!” he screeched, and I saw the metal objects begin to vibrate around us once more.
I heard cat girl curse and declare ‘not again,’ as she morphed once more. I would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire. I didn’t have time to think as I saw the metal objects rise ready to strike. I lifted my hands and created a field around us. The metal objects harmlessly clattered to the ground.
“Chip,” I implored him. “You’re safe,” I insisted to him as I turned and met Troy’s shocked eyes.
I don’t know who was more shocked, me or him. Him because he narrowly escaped being impaled, or me because hanging limply in his arms was my little sister, Ella.