The Significant (26 page)

      
“You’re a fool,” Remus whispered. “Isa is
the Golden Elite of Tiao, and you are a non-citizen Trid with forged papers
working as a Significant. Even if we keep this information from Gihron, the
others in the Alliance will see this as a weak point in the Syndicate. They will
think that Venus is no longer capable of running Tiao, and the other planets in
the system will destroy us.”

      
“Isa is strong enough to handle the other
planets,” Kailynn snapped. “You’ve all said that she is the best Elite the
planet has seen, and you
know
she is
damn good at her job. If the other planets doubt Venus, that’s one thing, but I
don’t think anyone would doubt Isa. In fact, if it was discovered that Isa was
rebelling against Venus, but was still able to maintain perfect control over
Tiao and the Syndicate, then the people will rally behind her as a strong
leader.”

      
“That is not the way this works!” Remus
said, exasperated. “You have absolutely no concept of politics, so do not
pretend that you know how this will play out.” The Silver Elite took a deep
breath. “Go back to Companion. Keep quiet about what has happened, and do not
seek out Isa again. You will only bring harm to her.”

      
Kailynn crossed her arms over her chest.

      
“Tell me something, Elite Remus,” she
said, her voice dark and cold. “How much of this is about your jealousy?”

      
Rayal and Tarah’s eyes went wide.

      
“Jealousy?” Remus barked a laugh. “You
may have helped Isa feel better, and you may even share her bed on occasion,”
he started, stalking forward and looming over Kailynn, “but you will
never
understand her.”

      
Kailynn continued staring defiantly at
Remus

      
“Then this
is
about jealousy.” She glanced at Isa. “I don’t claim to know
anything about her. It’s true, you know her better. But when she needed
someone,
I
was the one she turned to,
not you. And that makes your blood boil, doesn’t it?”

      
Remus’ jaw clenched. Rayal started
forward, though he was not sure he should get between the two. He knew that
this confrontation would have to happen eventually.

      
“I don’t know everything that has
happened to her,” Kailynn continued. “And that is why I don’t treat her like
she’s fragile. You said it yourself, she has survived worse things than this
one attempt on her life. You know what she went through when she was in the
hospital for all that time, and I’m sure you can see how strong she is now,
even after all that. So why do you treat her like she’ll break if the wind
blows?”

      
Remus’ eyes changed and the look confused
Kailynn.

      
“Until you have seen the strongest person
you ever knew waste away in front of you, and you are forced to realize that
you
were the reason, do not judge my
actions regarding Isa.”

      
Rayal walked over to Kailynn and put a
hand on her shoulder, slowly pulling her away from Remus.

      
“That’s enough,” he whispered. “This not
the time or place.”

      
“What happened to her?” Kailynn asked.
“What happened to her that put her in the hospital five years ago?”

      
Remus’ expression hardened.

      
“Gihron happened,” he said darkly.

      
Kailynn looked at the various faces in
the room, understanding that everyone was not entirely worried about Kailynn’s
proximity to Isa. They remembered what happened to Isa when Gihron was last
active, and they did not want to see Isa go through the same hell she had
endured before.

      
“Kailynn,” Rayal said, standing between
her and Remus, “Isa will be in the hospital for a while so the doctors can be
sure she follows her treatment. During that time, she is going to need to stay
quiet.” He squeezed her shoulder. “When she is out of the hospital, I’m sure
she’ll call you and let you know that she’s alright. Until then, it would be
best for you to go back to Companion and let the rumors about a Significant in
the Golden Elite’s home die.”

      
Kailynn did not want to leave Isa’s side,
but she understood that it really was for the best. It would save both of them,
as well as the rest of the Syndicate, stress.

      
“Alright,” she agreed quietly.

      
“Thank you,” Rayal said, relaxing. “I will
call you if anything changes, alright? Do you have a phone?”

      
“No.”

      
“I’ll reach you at Companion, then,”
Rayal said. “I’ll take you there now, okay?”

      
Kailynn spared another glance at the
faces in the room, her eyes finally settling on Isa. Her eyes still locked on
the Elite, she nodded.

Chapter
Eighteen

      
When Isa started to wake, she felt
several sets of eyes on her. She could also feel the horrendous strain on her
ribs as her breathing became heavier, fighting the pain of her body as she was
brought back to consciousness.

      
Her eyes blinked open weakly. She saw a
blurry finger move in front of her.

      
“Isa, focus on my finger,” Dr. Busen
said, standing over the Golden Elite.

      
“I…I should pay you…for every time you
have…had to say that,” Isa chuckled breathlessly.

      
“Or maybe I should pay you for all the
months I
don’t
have to say it,” Dr.
Busen chuckled, moving his finger away. “Maybe that will give you some
incentive to stay out of the hospital.”

      
“But it’s my second home…” Isa teased with
a weak smile.

      
“How are you feeling, Isa?” Remus asked
on her other side.

      
“I’ve felt worse.”

      
Remus let out a sigh, picking up Isa’s
hand.

      
“You can’t keep doing this to me,” he
said with a wary chuckle. “One of these days I will have a heart attack and end
up here in the room next to you.”

      
“Do you remember what happened?” Rayal
asked.

      
Isa sighed, cringing as she tried to
move. She tried to straighten, but her body protested the movement.

      
“Just stay quiet,” Dr. Busen murmured,
placing a gentle hand on Isa’s shoulder and pushing her back to the bed. The
Golden Elite gave a defeated sigh.

      
“I can’t remember…”

      
“That’s alright,” Rayal assured.

      
Isa’s eyes traveled to the quiet young
woman standing near the corner of the bed, one arm crossed in front of her
chest and her other hand to her mouth as she bit her nails, trying to remain
composed.

      
“Tarah,” Isa whispered, reaching out a
hand. Tarah walked to the Elite, trying to keep her tears at bay. “I’m
alright.”

      
Tarah nodded tightly, swallowing hard.
Isa smiled gently and took her hand from Remus to reach out for the caretaker.
Tarah took the hand.

      
“I’m sorry I scared you,” Isa murmured.

      
“Isa,” Dr. Busen started, “we’re going to
keep you here for a few days to continue proper treatment.”

      
“I was afraid you were going to say
that,” Isa breathed. “I can’t, Dr. Busen.” She shook her head. “This is no time
to have me silent in the Syndicate.”

      
“This is the best time to have you
silent,” Remus contradicted. “Rumors will happen no matter what, but this was
an attempt on your life, and we do not need anyone else trying to kill you
while you’re weak.”

      
“I won’t work in the NCB,” Isa assured.
“I’ll keep all contact through—”

      
“That won’t stop anyone if they truly
want to kill you,” Rayal interjected. “There have been plenty of attempts on
your life from people you’ve met in person.”

      
“There is less of a chance of them
succeeding in person.”

      
“Isa,” Dr. Busen called her attention, “I
agree that we don’t need to put you in any further danger of assassination. The
hospital is a protected site. Any attack will result in immediate punishment.
They won’t risk it. We’ll have guards here and we’ll keep you safe. If there is
a pressing matter, we can bring a terminal to the room and you can use that.”
Dr. Busen lifted his finger to keep the Golden Elite from speaking. “And,” he
continued, “this is to be sure you actually stick to treatment. I know you,
Isa. And everyone else here may be willing to let you talk them out of
enforcing your treatment, but not me.”

      
Isa chuckled brokenly.

      
“I’d rather go home.”

      
“I know,” Dr. Busen said. “But this is
very important.” He sighed heavily. “You’re not as strong as before, Isa. We
must keep a very close eye on you.”

      
Isa nodded slowly.

      
“I understand.”

      
“There is something else that I would
like to discuss with you,” he said, his gaze purposeful. “It’s a private
matter.”

      
Rayal turned to Tarah, who was still
holding Isa’s hand tightly.

      
“I’ll take you home.”

      
“I want to stay…” she protested tiredly.

      
“Tarah,” Isa said with a smile and a
gentle squeeze of the younger woman’s hand, “I’m alright, really. Once Dr.
Busen’s finished speaking with me, I’m going to get some sleep. You should go
home and rest. I know I frightened you, but I am alright. You can come see me
at any time. I don’t think I’m going anywhere.”

      
Tarah wanted to protest, however, Rayal
pulled her shoulders carefully, causing her to step back and her hand to leave
Isa’s. She managed to utter a choked, “yes, Miss” as she left the room, Rayal
bowing his head to the Elites as he walked out. Remus began to leave, but Dr.
Busen shook his head, telling the Silver Elite to stay.

      
When the door closed behind the two
caretakers, Dr. Busen sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest.

      
“I was afraid this would happen when Venus
approved for you to have a Significant,” he mused.

      
Isa hesitated before speaking.

      
“I have it under control,” she murmured.

      
“You may have,” Dr. Busen agreed.
“However, she was identified while in the EMU. It’s been leaked that you had a
Significant in your home.”

      
“Where is she now?” Isa asked worriedly,
starting to sit upright.

      
“She’s fine. She’s safe,” Dr. Busen
assured as Remus gently pushed Isa back to the bed. “We sent her back to
Companion. Tarah took the initiative and played like she was the one who called
for a Significant. We’re trying to make sure that that is the only rumor that spreads.”

      
“Unfortunately, as we have already heard,
that is causing some to believe that the Significant is the one who made an
attempt on your life,” Remus added. “Some believe that she responded to Tarah’s
call to get close enough to you to kill you.”

      
“She has a name,” Isa said sharply. “Call
her Kailynn.”

      
“We can’t even call her that,” Remus said
darkly. “Since she has been using a fake name as a non-citizen.”

      
“Isa, this is a very delicate situation,”
Dr. Busen agreed, his tone even.

      
“Are you telling me to push her away?”
Isa asked, her voice cold.

      
“I know that, even if I did, you would
not listen,” Dr. Busen said. “So, no, I am not telling you not to see her.”

      
“Michael—” Remus started, surprised.

      
“There was a reason we all agreed time
with a Significant was the best course of action,” Dr. Busen said, interrupting
the Silver Elite. “Granted, we did not expect this to take a sexual turn.”

      
“What makes you think it has?” she
challenged.

      
“Past experience,” Dr. Busen said,
looking between the two Elites in the room. “My point is, if you do plan to
continue seeing her, security measures will have to be taken.”

      
“Such as?”

      
“Such as getting her a PIM chip,” the
doctor said. “And preferably one similar to yours.”

      
“An emitter?” Isa said. “You’ll need her
consent, which I doubt she’ll give.”

      
“The reason the emitter chip was invented
was because of what happened five years ago. After what happened to Remus and
Rayal and the Bronze Elites, Venus ordered that everyone close to you have an
emitter chip. With Gihron involved, we cannot be sure that the same thing will
not happen again with Kailynn.”

      
“He’s right, Isa,” Remus seconded. “If
you insist on having Kailynn near you, this is necessary to protect her life.”

      
Isa closed her eyes and took several deep
breaths.

      
“It’s not my decision to make. It is
hers.”

      
“It is actually yours,” Dr. Busen
corrected. “If you want to keep her close, if you insist on this relationship,
then it is mandated by Venus that she have an emitter.”

      
“Venus does not know about her.”

      
“How can you be opposed to this?” Dr.
Busen hissed. “After everything Colonel Amori did to Remus and Rayal? After all
the pain he put you through? And all the pain
we
had to endure watching you fall apart?”

      
“Michael, you
promised
…” Isa said, her eyes closing again as her voice broke in
pain. “You promised me you would never bring that up again.”

      
“You know this is a real threat,” Remus
pressed.

      
“Do you really want to put Kailynn
through what Remus went through?” Dr. Busen said. “Measures have to be taken
for her safety, and for yours.”

      
Isa’s face creased in pain and her arms
wrapped around her abdomen as she turned on her side.

      
“Isa, breathe…” Remus said, crouching by
her side and taking her hands, pulling them away from her body. “Count your
breathing.”

      
“Don’t patronize me!” she snapped,
pulling her hands sharply from his grasp. She did not open her eyes. “Do you
really believe that the thought hasn’t crossed my mind every damn day since I
met her? Why do you think I’m…” Isa trailed off, swallowing hard. She shook her
head.

      
“What, Isa?” Dr. Busen pressed. “Why are
you shaking your head?”

      
Isa shook her head again, clenching her
jaw tight.

      
Dr. Busen shared a worried look with
Remus and sighed heavily. He grabbed Isa’s shoulder, pulling her onto her back.

      
“Okay, I apologize,” Dr. Busen murmured.
“I should not have pushed you.”

      
“Stop treating me like I’m made of
glass!” she barked.

      
“Alright, I’m sorry,” Dr. Busen said,
raising his hands peacefully. “You’ve just survived an assassination attempt.
You need to rest. That was all I meant.” He took a deep breath. “But I’m going
to call Paul.”

      
Isa groaned and let her head fall back on
the pillow.

      
“No, don’t bother him.”

      
“Bother him?” Remus said, surprised.
“Isa, his job is to watch out for you. It’s not a bother.”

      
“It’s too early in the morning,” Isa
said, nodding to the clock on the other side of the room. Dr. Busen glanced at
it as well.

      
“He’s already awake,” he said. “He wakes
up earlier than this.”

      
Isa’s eyes remained closed.

      
“I want to sleep,” she murmured. “I’m
tired.”

      
Both Dr. Busen and Remus shared an
exasperated and frustrated look before nodding. Remus squeezed her hand.

      
“I’ll be right here,” he said.

      
The two men waited in the room until Isa
was sleep. Dr. Busen continued to watch the monitors and screens, making a few
minor adjustments when needed.

      
When Remus leaned back in the chair he
occupied, his hand slowly leaving Isa’s, Dr. Busen nodded to the door and they
both stepped outside, waiting for the door to Isa’s room to close before they
spoke.

      
“It’s good to know her stubbornness is
still intact,” Dr. Busen tried to joke. Remus barked a laugh.

      
“She’s been stubborn her entire life.
Nothing will ever change that.”

      
Dr. Busen nodded, his eyes dropping to
the floor briefly.

      
“This is a very dangerous situation,” he
whispered. “And I never thought I’d say this, but Venus is the least of their
concerns.”