My arm is on fire.
Struggling to wake from this haze is hard enough. I'm groggy and disorientated. My limbs are numb, heavy with the weight of nothing. My eyelids are the worst of all, sealed shut; I doubt I'll be able to pry them open just yet.
And then there's my arm. It was numb at first, like the rest of my body, then suddenly it was being touched. Extended as far as it would go, my inner elbow exposed, that was where the fire began. Something pressed against it, hesitant at first. The flames began once the skin was rubbed in slow, circular motions, causing my heart to race faster. My lips parted, releasing a gasp at the pleasure that rose from this touch.
"Mel," a voice whispers and suddenly, I'm not groggy anymore. I'd recognize that voice anywhere.
My eyes open, then squint in pain a flashlight dances across them.
"Back off," the same voice hisses and the light is cut. "You already know-"
"I wasn't checking for Wanda. I was checking her pupils," another familiar voice says calmly.
The mention of Wanda completely clears away the haze and my eyes are open again, darting from face to face. The memories come back, the most recent making my stomach twist in horror. "Wanda?" I gasp.
Strong hands press against my shoulders, easing me back down. I look up and my stomach drops to the ground. "Easy there, stranger," Jared says with a grin.
"Wanda is safe and alive. She's with Ian," Doc tells me, coming into my line of vision. He flashes me a warm smile. "Welcome back. I suppose you know who I am, though I don't know who you are, entirely."
"You're Doc," I say and he nods. "And I'm Melanie. I'm Melanie," I repeat, amazed by my own voice. "I'm Melanie. I'm Melanie," I whisper over and over, the simple statement slipping out of my mouth when just a few hours ago, I couldn't do so much as make my eyes blink.
Doc's grin widens. "Well I see you have control over your vocals. How about the limbs?"
I look down at my arms, or more specifically, the one Jared was touching. My fingers curl into a fist and then uncurl into an open palm. The simple movement makes my heart constrict and a tear leaks out. "Help me up."
"Mel-" Jared begins, holding out a hand to stop me, but I shove it aside and place my feet on the floor. "Take it easy," he pleads, reaching out to support my weight.
He holds me steady as I wobble on my feet. My vision darkens and I sway, using him as leverage until it clears again. And then I walk. One small step forward, then another, until I'm shuffling past my cot to the other side of the room. "I can walk," I whisper to myself, my arms swinging solely for the sake of feeling them move. Or rather, knowing that I, Melanie, am in control. "I'm in control," I say quietly, then turn to Jared and yell, "I'm in control!"
He moves forward, face worried, as I slump against the wall, suddenly exhausted by this display of energy. "That's enough control for today. You need rest."
Jared and Doc help me up and I cling to their arms, shaking my head. "No. No, I have to see Wanda. I have to see if she's okay."
"I'll go get Ian," Doc nods, ducking out of the room.
Jared leads me back to my cot and helps me up. Now that we're alone, he allows himself to run his fingers through my hair, down my arm, following the curve of my hip. "You're alive," he says, almost in awe.
Despite my exhaustion, I grin. "What, did you think I'd give up and allow a body snatcher to lead them straight to you?"
He ponders that, then nods. "I suppose we should be thankful it was Wanda they put in your body. I doubt that all souls are like her."
"There isn't a soul out there like Wanda," I agree as Doc returns, followed by Ian and Jaime.
Seeing Jamie for the first time with eyes of my own makes them tear up once more and I reach for him. "Jaime," I breathe.
He grabs my hands and holds them tightly, leaning down to bury his face into my shoulder. "I missed you, Mel."
"I missed you too," I kiss his cheek and lean back, comfortable with holding Jared's hand with one of my own and Jamie's with the other. "Where is she?"
Ian comes into my vision then, cradling a cryotank. Within it is a brilliant glow, something that's neither silver nor white but somewhere in the middle. It's unlike anything of our color spectrum. It seems to float in the air, small hair-like antennae stroking the air. It's so peaceful, so beautiful.
The hand holding Jared's moves to my neck, almost unconsciously.
"I still can't believe that's her," I mutter. "To think that something so small could overpower us…"
"Or try to," Jared says and we share a smile, then it's back to business. I sit upright and study the man holding my sister. "We need to get her a body."
Doc clears his throat and my eyes flash to his face, giving him a hard glare. "I don't give a damn about your deal with her. She's not going to another planet and she sure as hell isn't dying."
"You'll have to kill me first," Ian says, though his voice is distant, as if he is only partially listening to the conversation. Though I can tell by the way he holds the cryotank to his chest that it won't leave his grip without a fight.
"She won't be happy when she wakes up," Doc begins.
"To hell with that! She'll be just fine," I snap, turning to glare at Jared next. "Enough talk. I want Wanda and I want her now."
"Baby, we gotta get her a body first," his grip on my shoulder tightens. "I love her but she's not going back into you."
"I know that. We need to start kidnapping souls and taking them out. The next female body that doesn't wake up will have to do," I say and we all nod.
"It's gotta be a body close to or in adulthood," Ian interjects. "That's what Wanda would want."
"We'll get her the best of the best. Young, beautiful, all that jazz," Jared agrees.
"I don't care about the appearance. As long as she's in it, I'm okay."
"Oh, you care. Trust me. But we aren't cruel enough to bring you someone unattractive."
I punch Jared in the chest and smile in satisfaction as he groans. "Missed you too, Mel," he chokes, making me grin.
"I know you did. And now that I'm back, it'll be just like old times, with the three of us." My gaze lands on the glowing object in Ian's hands and I breathe out, "Plus one."