wrath of the Sea Queen (119 page)

C
a
eli detoured into the
bathr
oom before Salma could resume her lecture
. 
Ben gave Salma a l
ook that forestalled the verbal
inquisition that she
was
about to unleash on C
a
eli.  In her current state of mind, Ben did not think it would be wise to agitate C
a
eli further.

"What was that all about?"  Salma asked Ben with a perplexed look on her face.

"I have no idea.  She did not want to come inside
until
I made her feel guilty about it, but I don't think that is what's bothering her," Ben replied as he rubbed his chin.

While they waited for C
a
eli to
come out of the bathroom
, Ben
told Salma
that
he
did not
observe any new injuries on
her
.  He thought there might be some
scratches caused by Max's fingernails
the way he
clung so tightly to
her
. 

"
Tell me again w
hat you
two
were
talking about before she went outside
,
" Ben
prompted
.

"Mainly, she wanted to talk to Vin.  I attempt
ed
to explain to her why she could not
. 
That's when she noticed that the
storm knocked the
power out and started behaving odd
ly
," Salma answered.

"Could you tell if she was talking to Vin in that way you
do
?"  Ben queried.

"I did not get that impression.  But, now that you mention it,
C
a
eli
did seem to be listening.  I
have no idea what she
might have
heard
."

"Speaking of which, do you hear that?"  Ben moved closer and put his ear to the bathroom door.  Without warning he threw the door open and rushed inside.

"
C
a
eli
!  Get down from there.  What in the world are you doing?"

Ben hurried over to the window opposite the sink and tugged
C
a
eli
down off the chair where she had been attempting to climb out the
open
window.

"Please, Ben!  Let me go.  I have to help Vin
!
"

"You aren't going anywhere in this weather.  Vin would rake me over the coals if I even considered letting you take such a risk.  Besides, he is fine.  He's at the hospital.  What's gotten into you?"

"He is not fine.  You don't understand
,
"
C
a
eli
insisted.

"Ok.  Prove it.  If Vin really is in trouble, convince me, and I promise we will help him," Ben did not relent.  He was not at all certain that
C
a
eli
was in her rational mind at the moment.

"
She is hurting Vin
," C
a
eli
repl
ied as she stepped out of the
bath
room
,
having changed into a
dry
pair of denim shorts and a
pale yellow and blue
t-shirt that she found on the chair beside the sink
before she formulated an escape plan
.  She had not put them there and assumed that Salma must have laid them out at some point.  As usual,
C
a
eli
wore no
shoes or socks.

C
a
eli walked over and sat down on the sofa beneath the room's only window.  She pulled both of her feet beneath her and sat sideways so that she could see out the window.  Salma and Ben followed her across the room.  Salma took a seat beside C
a
eli on the couch, and Ben pulled a chair over beside Salma's end of the couch.

"C
a
eli, who is
hurting Vin
?
"
Salma asked.

"I don't
really
know who she is.
  All I know is the pain
she causes
.  She is hurting
Vin
because of me.  Now I can't reach him.  I need to go there so I can help him.
"

"Wh
y were you climbing out the window
?"  Ben asked.

"I knew you would try to stop me.  Yo
u must think I've lost my mind, but I assure you I haven't."

"Let's assume that what you're saying is true.  How is she hurting him?"  Salma asked.

"She is causing pain in his head."

"Is it very bad?"

"Yes, severe."

"Then, he probably won't be able to stand it for very long without passing out.  Assuming that is why you can no longer reach him, then the
doctors at the hospital
are probably
already
treating him.  And I would imagine that she must have stopped once he passed out.  There would be no point in continuing
once
Vin
was unconscious.  Wouldn't you agree?"  Salma appealed to
C
a
eli
's logic.

"It doesn't mat
ter
. 
Vin
needs me, and there is nothing I can do
to help him
from here
."  C
a
eli
's agitation lined her face and shook her fidgety hands
. 

"I'm sorry, Lass.  I understand that you're upset, but I can't let you go out in this weather.  I have to agree with Salma's assessment.  It makes sense.  I'm sure Vin will be fine when he wakes up.  He would
certainly
not want you to put yourself at risk just to find him asleep when you got there."

"I would still rather be there with him
than sitting around here
,
"
C
a
eli
conceded the possibility that they were right.

"Of course you would
;
Vin knows that.
  And you know what he would say, don't you?
"
  Ben gently forced her to admit the truth.

"Yes.  I won't do it again."

"Good."

A
knock
sounded
at the door
. 
Ben went to answer it
, confident now that
C
a
eli
would not try to pull another crazy stunt
.  While he was out of earshot, Salma
leaned
close to C
a
eli
and whispered.

"Dear, how are you feeling?"

"I'm upset."

"Clearly, but I meant physically.  How are you feeling physically?"

"Better than I was
,
though
I'm
still incredibly tired."

"You're not hurt?"

"No.  Why are you asking like that?"  C
a
eli detected a hint of caution in Salma's voice.

"I think you better step back into the bathroom and check your upper leg.  I see that Max and his father have come to visit.  I will distract them for a few minutes.  Go on.  We'll talk in a bit."

Salma walked across the room to intercept Max and Apela as they headed further into the room.  She suggested that they all go out into the lounge to wait on C
a
eli.  Ben raised an eyebrow in silent question, but Salma merely shook her head.  It was obviously not
a matter
she wanted to discuss in
present
company.

C
a
eli quickly examined her leg in the privacy of the bathroom and
discovered
what raised Salma's concern.  Her left inner thigh had a fresh smear of blood runn
ing halfway t
o her knee.  C
a
eli checked to see if s
he might have overlooked a cut, but found nothing.  She had not noticed any blood when she changed
clothes
. 
There
had only
been
a slight twinge in her stomach at the time.

"It is about that time of the month, but if my condition
i
s true, then this
sh
ouldn't be happening. 
Maybe
I
'm wrong.  Maybe I'm not pregnant after all
. 
I'm glad I bought that second test while
I was
in the hotel lobby.  I think I'm going to need it. 
It must have been this illness that misled me
to think that I was pregnant
.  Yet, it seemed
so
real
..," C
a
eli ran through the possibility and finally put it to rest.  There was no arguing with the facts in front of her.  She cleaned herself up, changed into another pair of denim shorts, and joined her friends in the lounge.

"
Everything ok?
"  Salma asked
nonverbally.

"
Yes. 
It seems like
Mother Nature tagged along for the trip. 
Obviously,
I wasn't expecting her
.  Guess I don't need that favor after all
.
"