SAVANTS
The Chapture 40

The next day passed quietly. I was reading a novel, not leaving my room. My nurse is a motherly woman from California who has a lot to say about the Colorado winter. 

Around five o'clock, right before she left for the shift, she knocked on the door.

"You have a visitor, baby. Should I let them in?" said.

I close my book, my heart beats faster. ''Who's up?"

He checked the list. ''Tina Monterey, Zoe Stuart and Nelson Hoffman.''

''Oh.'' I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. "Sure, let them in."

Tina showed her head around the door first. ''Hi!"

It's been a long time since I've seen it. I didn't realize how much I missed her ginger-brown dreadlocks and her amazing nails.

"Come in. Not much space but you can sit on the bed." I remained in the chair by the window, knees pulled to the chest. My smile felt fragile so I didn't push it too far.

Zoe and Nelson followed her, everything seemed a bit awkward.

Tina placed the pink cyclamen pot on the bedside table. "For you," he said.

''Thank you.''

''So …''

''So how are you doing, friends at school too?'' I asked in a hurry. The last thing I want is to explain my completely messed up brain. ''How's school?''

''Good. Everyone is worried about you—we are really surprised. Things like this have never happened in Wrickenridge before.''

My eyes drifted to the window. "I don't think so."

"I remember joking with you about that when you first came— I felt bad because you had to know that I was wrong. I was wrong"

I laughed empty. ''Look around you, Tina: I'm here, right?''

Nelson woke up suddenly. ''Sky, if I can get the people who did this to you, I will kill them!''

"I think they might be dead. At least, that's what the police said.''

Tina pulled Nelson back to bed. ''No, Nelson. Remember, we promise not to make him anxious or stressed.''

'"Sorry, Sky." Nelson wrapped his arms around Tina and kissed the top of her head. ''Thank you.''

Eh?

Whatisthis? Want to not want me to smile—my first sincere smile after so long. ''Hey, are you two. ''Yes, they have become lovers. Both of them, they drive me crazy. Sky's." Thank God because Zoe made fun of this madness—it made me feel much more normal.

''When, how?'' I imitated one of Tina—'s favorite movements a pale imitation of his long fingernail gesture, "Give me the details, sister."

Tina looked down, a little embarrassed. ''When you were, you know, kidnapped, Nelson was really great. Stopped me from doing crazy things. I thought what happened to you was my fault—what happened to my car and everything.''

Nelson rubbed his arm. ''Yes, Tina just saw my good side.'' he said with a chuckle.

"I'm so happy—for you two. You deserve each other, I said.

Tina laughs. ''Is that, like, the curse of Love?''

''No, my God, I threw my pillow at him, ''that's a compliment.''

They stayed for about an hour. As long as they kept the subject of my abduction away, I felt fine.

I have no problem remembering things about school, no pain, no confusion. I'm starting to feel like the old me.

Tina checked her watch and gave a nod to the others. ''We'd better go. Your next guest will come at six o'clock.''

I hugged each of them. "Thank you for coming to see this poor crazy girl."

''There's nothing wrong with you, a little time will make you recover, Sky. We'll be back the day after tomorrow. Your mother said she thought you'd be here at least until the end of the week.''

I shrugged my shoulders. Time doesn't seem to mean much to me. I've been out of my normal routine. ''I hope so. Bye then.''

They left, exchanging greetings with someone in the hallway. I sat back to the window to watch them leave but I couldn't see the car park from my room.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

I turned around, hoping to see Sally. ''Include.''

The door opened and Zed stepped through the doorway. He stopped, unsure of his welcome.

''Hi.''

He pulled out a large golden box tied with a red satin ribbon from behind his back. "I'm coming with chocolate."

"Then you better sit down." I sounded calm but within me my emotions were swaying like a palm tree in the storm. The waves of feeling came back.

He's not sitting. He placed the box on the bed and stood beside me, sitting by the window.

''Good look.''

I clenched my teeth, keeping the door in my head tightly shut against the waves. ''Yes. We crazy people can get out early. I'm told there's a snowman in the garden who looks like the head nurse.'' My fingers trembled as I placed my hand on the window sill.

A warm hand moved to cover my hand, calming my trembling. "You're not crazy."

I tried to laugh but the result was wrong. I immediately wiped my tears. ''It's what everyone always said to me, but my brain feels like a cold scrambled egg.''

"You're still in shock."

I shook my head. ''No, Zed, more than that. I see things that I don't think happened. I got all these horrible images in my head—things about you and Xav. But you're not like that—part of me knows. And I think I shot you both. I woke up in a cold sweat and dreamed there was a gun in my hand. I haven't even touched a gun in my entire life, so how do I know what it's like to shoot?''

"Come.'' He pulled me towards him but I held him back.

''No, Zed, you don't want to touch me. I .. I'm devastated.''

'I don't want him to be ruined' Oh my God, who said that?

He refused to listen to me and pulled me firmly into his arms.

"You're not ruined, Sky. Even if you are broken, I still want you, but you are not broken. I don't know why you see those things, but if you see them, there's a reason for that. Maybe the dead guy, somehow messed up your mind? Whatever it takes, I'll find out and we'll help you.'' He sighed. ''But Xav and I, we weren't anywhere near you until we found you in the barn. Do you believe that?''

I nodded at his chest.

He moved his hands up and down my back, relaxing my stiff muscles. ''I thought I was going to lose you. I can't tell you what it means for me to hug you like this.

"You came for me even though you knew they might shoot you." I remember so much, thanks to Simon for telling me about the incident.

"I'm wearing a bulletproof vest."

''You can still be killed. They could have shot you in the head.''

He cupped my face in his hands, rubbing his thumb on my cheek. ''The price worth paying. Without you, I would be the coldest and cynical person on the planet, even worse than the people who brought you.''

"I don't believe that."

''That's correct. You are my anchor, keeping me on the right side from falling into the wrong left side. I was already drifting until you came to make me so much better."

Guilt enveloped me. "Victor told me."

Zed frowned. "I told him to leave you alone."

"He's worried about you."

''I'm sorry I didn't let you visit. I am so ashamed of myself.

"You don't have to be ashamed."

"I let you suffer."

"I've grown—I can take it."

"You fought."

"I'm stupid too."

I smiled, rubbed my nose on his shirt. ''You are not stupid, you are hurt.''

''It is still foolish to vent anger at some of Frat's boys for looking at me in such a strange way.'' Zed sighed at his own behavior, then let go of the topic. ''I know you're confused about a lot of things right now, Sky, but I want you to know one thing for sure, I really love you and will give my life for you if it means I can save you.''

Tears that were always near the surface at this moment, flooded my eyes. ''I-i know. I'm sensing. I can read your emotions. That's what tells me that my thoughts lie to me.''

He kissed my forehead.

''And I thought, ''' I continued, ''that under all this, when I find myself again, I also find that I love you too.''

''It's nice to hear it.''

So we stood hugging each other and kissing, Zed so gently kissed me and I kissed him back.

After kissing we watched the stars from the window, and also we prayed that the explanation for why I was so chaotic was quickly revealed.