Catalyst (30 page)

             
Danny and Celeste were laughing too
,
but he turned his gaze to them without getting up. They followed Rylee, trying to keep the chuckles down.

             
"Looks like you got some competition, Aussie," Josh jested. "Hot compet
it
ion."

             
"Young man-" Pastor Bob started but I cut in.

             
"Josh, get going. Sorry, Pastor. He's just…that's just Josh. He didn't mean anything by it."

             
"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?"

             
"May
be, b
ut we're already in town. It m
akes sense."

             
"Maybe we can get Marissa checked out too. She hasn't bee
n 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
in
side
. 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 ri
sk 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, b
ut 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
, t
hen pained
, t
hen 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
m
anaged 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?"