Maddy's Floor (30 page)

"Right. I'll run a few more names, then come over."

She would get to see him again. She smiled "I think I know what caused the bruising," she said abruptly. "At least I might know. I had to think about whether this was possible or not." With a grimace, Maddy forged ahead. "I believe the bruises represent energy entering or exiting the body with extreme force. Normal energy movement wouldn't cause any damage."

A long silence filled the phone line. His voice, harsh and curt stepped in. "What kind of training does someone need to do this?"

"There's no formal training. However, several spiritual groups work with this energy. Some people can stumble on their own power without realizing it. There are people who hop out of their body on a daily basis and never realize it's an unusual skill."

"Can 
you
 access this energy?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't without the person's permission."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. I've got to go."

Her voice dropped to an intimate whisper. "See you later then."

After closing her phone, Maddy got to her feet. She grabbed her tablet and the large stack of paperwork on the side of her desk, strode down to the nurses' station and gratefully dumped the paperwork on the counter.

She greeted the two nurses who were busy working and continued down the hall to check on her patients. Belle slept, something she did most of the day now. Maddy gave her energy a cursory glance, checking for anything out of the ordinary. Everything appeared fine.

Feeling reassured, Maddy moved on from one to another, stopping to talk with those awake and to smile at those sleeping peacefully. With every patient, she searched their energy for any abnormalities, noting changes in blockages of their meridians and updating their files on her tablet.

As she moved toward Felicia, she was aware the energy of the space had changed – was becoming edgy, irritated.

Maddy frowned and picked up the pace.

A shriek split the air.

Maddy ran to Felicia's side.

Alexis sat on the other side of her daughter's bed. "Felicia, take it easy. It was just a nightmare. It's over now."

Felicia opened her eyes and gasped several times. A heavy sweat drenched her skin and sheets as she shuddered. "That wasn't much fun."

Maddy patted her hand as she noted the rapid vibration of the child's energy. Something had scared her badly. "Bad dreams can be like that."

Alexis thanked her. "I'm sure it was bad, baby. But it's all over. You're awake and the dream can't hurt you."

Felicia groaned. "I know, but I'm still scared."

Maddy checked her pulse, noting her heightened color and rapid breathing. Normal signs after a bad shock. "Do you want to tell me about it? The dream?"

Like a frightened rabbit, Felicia retreated deeper into the bedding, shaking her head rapidly. "No, I really don't."

Alexis patted her hand. "It's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to share if you don't want to."

"I don't want to," she whispered, wiping her eyes and face with the sheet.

Maddy settled on the edge of the bedside. Felicia might not want to tell her, yet it would help her a lot if she did. It would also give Maddy a good idea whether she had been affected by the aberrant energy, or something else.

From the box of tissues on the small side table, Alexis handed one to her daughter. "Use this, honey. Dry your tears then get some rest."

"I don't want to go back to sleep." Felicia struggled to shift herself upwards.

Maddy leaned over and gently helped the child sit up against the headboard. She gave a comical groan. "I'm not going to be able to do this much longer, you've gotten so big." She sat back down again. "You know, I think you've gained weight in the short time you've been here." And that was big news.

The two adults glanced at each other in pleased surprise. The fight, as always, was to stop the rapid weight decline. Weight gain was a dream rarely achieved with terminal patients.

Felicia grinned, hope a bright beacon shining on her face.

"Wow. What a smile, young lady." Maddy beamed back at her.

The blankets rippled as Felicia wiggled. "Thanks, I'm feeling lots better."

"That's what I want to hear. Now if we could only do something about those nightmares, huh?"

The smile slipped away from Felicia's face. She twisted the sheets around her fingers.

Reaching over, Maddy held Felicia's hand gently. "I know it's tough, but it would help me to stop them if I knew what they were about. Have you had these often?" Maddy watched the emotions cross her young charge's face. She loved working with children for that reason. They were so open so innocent so trusting. That's why they healed so beautifully.

Felicia shook her head. "No, I'm sleeping really well. It's just today when I had a nap. That's when it happened."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I went to sleep while Mom read 
Harry Potter
 to me. The dream started fine, then it turned nasty."

That's the part Maddy needed to hear. Keeping her voice soft and gentle, she asked, "Nasty, how?"

When Felicia didn't answer and wouldn't raise her head, Maddy squeezed her hand gently, comforting her. "It's going to be okay, Felicia. Sometimes the medication we give people can make the mind do funny things."

In a faltering voice, Felicia tried to explain about the meadow and the black cloud that had started like rain and ended up chasing her. She'd fallen down and that's when the blackness tried to smother her. She'd sat up screaming, only to realize she was inside a bubble with the blackness clawing at the outside trying to get in.

Nice.
 Maddy gave her a bright smile. "Then it was a good dream, Felicia. You were protected inside this bubble. The darkness wasn't able to get you."

Felicia frowned, thinking hard, then her face cleared and she a huge grin split her face. "That's right. I was screaming because I was afraid it would get me, only I was safe inside. It didn't get me."

"And now you don't have to be scared anymore." Maddy's heart warmed. Felicia's spirit understood she was safe here. Not only safe, she was thriving. Since moving to The Haven, Felicia had shown steady improvement, and it was early. She slept better, mostly, and her arms and legs had strengthened a lot, giving her better mobility. Then there was her appetite. Maddy didn't have her prior record to go by, except the nurses had reported that Felicia was eating often and well. The food was probably better here, too. Maddy would strengthen the bubble around her even more. Felicia would stay safe. Now if only she could figure out how to keep John and Adam safe.

Grinning, Felicia reached her arms up. Maddy gave the child a big hug while her mother watched, tears in her eyes. Walking away, Maddy increased her pace as she moved toward John. Acid bubbled in her stomach. Worry chewed on her consciousness. Maddy needed to find the person doing this and fast. She skidded to a stop at the sound of voices.

Drew's.

"Maddy?"

Startled, Maddy found Drew standing beside his uncle's bed, eye to eye – concern all over his face.

She flushed. "Sorry. Lost in thought." She turned toward John, who lay on the bed. She noted a healthier tone to his skin. Odd to think that he might actually experience a miracle cure and walk out of here – if they could stop the person who was trying to kill him. Grinning at the two men, she said, "So what are you doing, shooting the breeze like two old women?"

John grunted. "Old women. Speak for yourself, young lady. You'll get old yourself one day."

The disgruntled look on his face matched the disgruntled tone of his voice. Maddy chuckled.

"You're perfect the way you are." Drew leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

John whistled.

Maddy walked over to John, doing her best to ignore the heat washing over her cheeks and the even stronger heat pooling inside. John smiled at her.

"You dating my nephew?"

"Why?" Maddy kept her tone professional, her smile polite. Her doctor face.

John blustered. "What do you mean, why? Drew's family. What's his business is my business."

Maddy grinned. "Oh, good. So of course, you've given him a full list of all your lovers, haters and wannabes. Because what's your business is his business."

Drew laughed. "She's got you there, Uncle John."

John grumped. "That's private."

"Not anymore." Maddy kept her voice cheerful. She walked over and picked up John's wrist, automatically checking his pulse rate. She frowned. His rate was up.

John jerked his hand free. "I gave him the names already, damn it."

"Good." Maddy made a notation on the screen of her tablet. "This has to stop, Drew. I need to know my patients are safe."

"I'm working on it."

Maddy tapped her foot impatiently. "Not good enough."

John rose to Drew's defense. "Leave the detecting to him and focus on treating people. God knows I'm not cured yet."

Maddy gave him a hard gaze, her hands on her hips. He was right but still… "That's fine. I can transfer you back to your old ward, or Drew can help you to find another place you'd like more."

"Now wait." John struggled to sit up, his thin frame almost quivering with shock. "I'm sorry. I'm not wanting to get transferred."

"Well, maybe I'm wanting to transfer you. Especially after finding out you bribed your way in here."

John blustered, "So what if I did? Gerard needed some equipment and I needed a bed. It's called a trade." His face turned an indignant red.

Maddy glared at him.

John glared back. "You don't understand. They said I was dying and no one could give any answers as to why. I knew you were my only chance. Hell, I've been to every other damn doctor. Nothing. Being here has worked. I feel much better today. I don't know what you did, but it felt wonderful." Hope crossed his face. "I don't suppose I can get that every day?"

"Nope. So any method is fine as long as it works?" Maddy raised one eyebrow as she studied him. "And this from our old chief of police?"

He had the grace to look ashamed. His glance going one to the other and back again. "I admit to using underhanded methods to jump the list. I was desperate."

"Yeah, I got that. But what methods?"

"It's not pertinent." Spit formed at the corner of John's mouth. His gaze circled the room, avoiding hers.

Only it could be pertinent. Maddy's neck tingled. Whatever John was hiding had to come out. "Tell me. No more lies."

Drew held up a hand, except it had no effect.

"All right!" he yelled. "I did blackmail him into it. Okay?"

Maddy sniffed. "I figured that much out already. I want to know over what."

Drew walked over and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "I understand that you're pissed about this." He turned to his uncle. "Now what did you blackmail Gerard about?"

"It's complicated." John glared at Drew. "And private."

"Too bad. Most things in life are. Give." Drew refused to back down.

"These are family secrets. Ours, too."

Drew reared back. "Ours? What are you talking about?"

"Gerard's sister."

Maddy scrunched up her face, confused. "What about her? I don't think I knew Gerard had a sister. He never mentions her." She shrugged. Her relationship with Gerard hadn't extended to personal conversations. She presumed he had a family like everyone else in the world.

"Well, he does, sort of… At least he's kept up the façade that she's his sister. Only she's not. She's his mother and she's on the second floor of The Haven. Has been for a while. She wants to transfer to your floor, but Gerard won't let her. She scared the hell out of him years ago." John grumped at her, distaste in his voice.

John glared at the two of them, before his shoulders sagged. The wrinkles on his face deepened with pain. "There's decades of family secrets here and I'm not going to tell you all of them. So don't ask. That's Gerard's personal hell – not for public knowledge. But his mother and I were close for a time, way back then. For all I know, Gerard is my son. And that relationship with his mother is not something I'm proud of and I'd just as soon not make it public knowledge."

He groaned and flopped backwards. "And just in case you didn't put two and two together, Gerard's mother is my stepsister, your Aunt Doris."

"You're talking about Aunt Doris?" Shock sharpened Drew's voice. "That means you're saying Gerard is my cousin? Why didn't I know?" He straightened and stared at Maddy. She raised one eyebrow and stared back. They both turned to frown at John.

He frowned back. "Yes, Doris. Damn it, don't look so shocked. It wasn't incest; she's not really your aunt and never was. There's no blood between us. I've told you that before. Why do you think her transfer to Maddy's floor was never approved? Mental stability is one of the criteria to get here." His face puffed with outrage, the color darkening even more. "When things fell apart for him, Gerard and I worked to keep their relationship hidden."