Instinctual 2 (24 page)

“Good-a morning, Kate!” Maria said. a little too cheery for being early morning as she pushed a wheelchair into the room.

“I need to see Jake!”

Maria stopped at Kate’s rudeness and scowled, “I don’t-a know what-a you say.”

Frustrated, Kate spoke louder, “A man named Jake is here. I need to see him.”

Maria strode over to the bed, trying to push Kate back down onto the bed. “Miss Kate! You-a need to-a settle down. I don’t-a know Jake. I have-a some good news, though. This morning we get-a you up into chair to go-a to bathroom.”

Kate exhaled, only slightly appeased. Maybe if she was allowed out of bed she could go and see Jake. No one had told her he was here but she knew. She could feel him close.

“How-a is your pain?”

“It’s not too bad at the moment. I was given pain relief last night and haven’t needed any more.”

“Good. Breakfast will be-a here soon. You eat and I come-a back then.”

“Fine!” Kate huffed. She knew this woman wouldn’t help her find Jake so she would wait for her parents to arrive.

Still only eating light food, some mushy oats with a drizzle of honey were brought in with a cup of white coffee. Maria had agreed that coffee should be okay seeing as though it was liquid and the mushy oats would be easier to digest than a full on cooked breakfast.

Kate was hungry, and even though the oats hadn’t looked particularly appetizing, once she took the first bite she dug into it like it would be her last meal. The coffee, as weak as it was, seemed to be just what she needed in order to start feeling half human again. With her stomach having shrunk and only being fed through a drip, she was full to the brim when she’d finished, satisfied and looking forward to the visit from her parents.

Her dreams had been all about Jake earlier that morning. They’d both been standing in a long tunnel. Kate was running as fast as she could towards him but she didn’t appear to be gaining any ground. He was standing far away with his arm outstretched towards her and that riveting smile engulfing his handsome face. She desperately needed to reach him but something was holding her back.

Jake called out, “Hurry, Kate. We don’t have much time.”

“I’m trying. I can’t seem to get any closer.”

“You can do it, baby. I know you can. Keep trying.”

She did keep trying with all the force she could muster but it was no use. She was stuck. And then she noticed Jake getting smaller and smaller as she screamed out his name. “Jake! Don’t go! Wait! Don’t leave me! I need you!”

With that she’d woken up, disoriented and with sweat on her brow, as if she had physically been trying to run through the tunnel. Her breathing was labored and it had taken her a minute to get her bearings and realize it had been a dream. More of a nightmare, really.

Now as she lay in bed waiting for her breakfast tray to be taken away, she hoped it wasn’t some crazy omen letting her know that Jake hadn’t made it.

No. Don’t think that. He’s going to be fine. I still feel him. Unless…

What if she could feel him even if he was dead? What if she would always feel him? A new urgent fear consumed her. She wasn’t going to rest until she either saw him or was told that he was okay.

She took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. The oats in her stomach now felt like a rock had settled there.

She had to try and think about something else to stop herself losing it. She was getting up and out of bed soon. That would need all her attention. Just to get blood moving to her extremities would be a blessing.

Maria returned. She removed the breakfast tray from the bed to a spare space of wall to await collection. She pushed the wheelchair brought in earlier over to the bed.

She lifted away Kate’s blankets and proceeded to explain what she wanted Kate to do.

“Sit up. Put-a your legs over the bed.”

Kate slowly did as she was told, feeling a little light-headed as the blood moved south.

“There! Now-a we get-a you up.” Maria moved around to position the wheelchair at such an angle that would make it easier for Kate to slide across onto the seat. She put the brake on with her foot to keep the chair stable as she moved over to help.

“How-a do-a you feel?”

“A little woozy, actually.”

“Yes. That’s-a normal. Just sit for a minute and wait-a for blood to move-a down from your head.”

Kate closed her eyes against the dizziness until she felt the vertigo ease. She could literally feel the blood drain from her head. After a minute it disappeared.

“Okay. Let’s do this. I’m good.”

She couldn’t put any weight on the bandaged leg with the broken femur and so used her good one to momentarily stand as Maria helped move Kate across to the chair. It took more effort than she imagined and her head was thumping but that was a small price to pay for freedom.

She’d done it. It was glorious to be sitting and out of bed so soon after her accident. She knew she still had a mountain to climb before she was even close to feeling normal again but each baby step brought her closer to that.

“Do-a you need to use-a the bathroom?”

“Actually, no I’m good but is there a mirror I could use?” She had no idea what she looked like and was hopeful now that she was up, she’d be able to use the commode chair to take a shower. She guessed that may not happen though until the bandage was removed from her head and they could organize her plastered leg to be covered in something waterproof.

“Yes. I-a take you into the bathroom. It-a has a mirror.”

The shower bay was huge with a curtain hanging to one side and a removable shower head on a long flexible hose.

The mirror was large enough that she could see her reflection while sitting in the chair. Kate nearly cried. Her eyebrows had been pushed down by the bandage that wound around her head like a turban, a few tendrils of hair peeking out from underneath. Her skin was bright red and peeling. She really did look like a mess. She had to look away, unable to see herself like that anymore.

“Can you take me back into my room so I can sit and look out the window?”

“Yes. I’ll ask-a the doctor if we-a can remove your bandages, okay?” It was almost like Maria had known what Kate was thinking when she looked in the mirror. Maybe the nurse did have a kind heart after all.

“I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”

Maria left Kate alone facing the window as she wheeled the trolley out to go and find the doctor.

There wasn’t much to see, staring out, but it was nice anyway. There still was a world outside the confines of the hospital. The sky was blue and the sun still shone. She longed to get out and feel the warmth on her skin and the breeze embrace her. To smell the flowers and feel fresh rain soak her through. Things she’d taken for granted but that now meant so much more.

A voice startled her. “Well, well, well! Look at you up and about!” She turned to the familiar voice, smiling broadly.

Her father walked in, followed by her mother. They were both beaming.

“That’s fantastic, Kate! You’re doing amazing! I can’t believe you’re up already.”

“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.” She held out her arms for an embrace from each of them, which they gave her without hesitation.

“How long have you been up, sweetie pie?” asked Rob.

“Not long before you got here. Maria’s hoping we can get the head bandage removed today.”

“That’s great, darling,” cooed Jenny. “I’m so happy to see you up and about. How did you sleep?”

Kate gave Robert a look that held unasked questions before she answered. “I tossed and turned a bit, couldn’t get comfortable, but I guess that’s to be expected in this place.”

Rob returned a look that said, ‘we need to talk,’ making Kate nervous and wanting to stop with the small talk and get down to business, but she wasn’t sure how much her mother now knew.

“Honey, why don’t you go and grab us a coffee and then we can take Kate for a walk around the hospital?”

Jenny took the cue. “I’ll be back soon.”

Rob sat on the armchair in the corner so he could face his daughter. “Your mother knows everything, don’t worry.”

“Why did you send her away?”

“She’s trying to be strong with everything going on and I just don’t want to burden her talking about it.” Rob paused and then went on, “I guess you’re wondering how the search for Jake went?”

“OMG! I’ve been so worried about him, Dad. What’s happened?”

“We found him.”

Kate sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for what her father may say next.

“He’s alive. We brought him here to the hospital. He’s getting tests done.”

“So he’s okay?”

“Well, we’re not sure yet just how okay he is. He’s pretty doped out on medication. He’d taken a bullet to the chest, which was operated on by The Organization, so we need to make sure that’s all okay.”

A tear leaked from Kate’s eye. “Poor Jake! I want to see him. Can you take me to him?”

“I’ll see if that’s possible after the tests have been completed. There’s more though, honey.”

“More?”

“Yes. Carlos has been arrested and Gary’s taken him to the military base in Rome where he’ll be questioned and charged.”

Kate swallowed heavily, not sure how to deal with the fact that her ex-boyfriend was a criminal and going to prison for a very long time. They’d last said goodbye on good terms. She’d actually missed him. Felt sorry for him at having to travel so much and be away from her so often
.

“Why? Why did he get involved in crime?” It was a question for which she may never know the answer.

“He had a hard life. His old man was involved in crime when Carlos was just a kid. His mother was a drunk, a gambler. The kid never stood a chance.”

“He still had a choice, though. Everyone has a choice, Dad.”

“I know, but in his case I don’t think he had many choices growing up. His old man had him helping him on the streets before the kid was even finished high school.”

Kate’s mind screamed at her to hate him but after hearing about how he grew up, she knew that under different circumstances he would have turned out differently and that it must have been dreadful to be brought up in that type of environment. She couldn’t imagine what that had been like. He’d warned her many times about the dark side to Italy and all along he’d been a part of that darkness.

It was the lies that had hurt the most, though. He knew that Kate would leave him if she’d found out the truth.

Jenny arrived back with two coffees, an eyebrow raised at the obvious tension in the room. “You two look like you’ve just been told the world is ending. Everything all right?”

“Yeah, Mom. I’m just tired.”

“Well, how about we take our coffees and get you outside for a bit?”

Kate’s face relaxed somewhat. The fresh air would help clear her head.

“That sounds great, Mom.”

Rob handled the wheelchair while Jenny held both coffees and together they all made their way out the back to the gardens.

As soon as the chair was out the door, Kate inhaled fully, letting her lungs expand, relishing in the smells that came with it. Newly cut grass and a hint of geranium had her nearly delirious. And the warmth of the sun kissed her as they exited the shadows of the building to a park bench. As she approached, she remembered what had happened on that bench as if the sight of it dragged the memory up from the depths of her subconscious. She couldn’t help but blush at the image of herself straddled on Jake’s lap, devouring him, desperately.

“Katie? Did you hear me?”

“Hmm?”

“How does it feel being outside again?”

“It’s heaven, Dad. I’ll never take it for granted again. The air is so much better and I love the smell of the flowers.” With her skin blistered from her time on the ledge in Vernazza, she sat under the shade of a large tree beside the bench.

“Can I ask you a question, Katie?” Rob grabbed Kate’s hand.

“Sure, Dad. Anything.”

“How were you able to see Jake when he was out of his body?”

Kate blanched. Her parents didn’t know about her gift. Was this how they were going to find out? She let her breath out. Maybe this was as good a time as any, considering they’d both experienced something out of the ordinary.

“I…um…I’ve had certain feelings about things most of my life. Like I can sense things and people.”

She had both her parents’ attention as they stiffened.

“What sort of things? asked her mom hesitantly as she fiddled with the fabric on her skirt.

“Well, certain things. Not all things. Like, I knew Jake was in Vernazza. I heard him talking to me. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to actually see spirits, though. I don’t know how or why. It’s not as if any of you have the ability.” Her hands swept towards her parents.

She waited for them to laugh or tell her it was all in her head but instead her dad said, “Huh. Well, that explains a lot. Don’t know where you got that gift from. May be a throw back from a great-grand parent or something.”