Chapter Three:
Six Weeks Later:
Hope:
Living in Haven wasn't bad. It was fairly quiet most of the time. Delia and I were helping out in the medical examiner's office so Vicky could go back to teaching art, and ultimately so Gloria could go back into retirement. Since things were slow there, we helped out in the hospital as needed, and in my free time, I helped Duke fix up the Gull. I continued practicing my magick, finding access to new things in Haven that I'd never felt back home. In some ways it made me feel stronger.
Nathan seemed happier than when Delia and I first showed up. Even though everyone said his girlfriend Audrey would never come back, apparently she found a loophole… A parallel life named Paige, with a baby named James, a reincarnation of the son a different aspect of Audrey had with Nathan. She had been staying at one of the inns in town for the last two weeks. Now, Nathan was showing her around town to help her find something more permanent for her and James. With Nathan being distracted for the last two weeks, there was less time for him to constantly check up on me, Duke, and Delia, who I swear he believed were a trick of smoke and mirrors at times.
"Duke! Come on!" I called below decks to my brother. "We had a deal!"
Duke lazily came up to the deck of the Cape Rouge with a cup of coffee in his hands.
"And what, dear Baby Sister, are we talking about today? I do make a lot of deals. Refresh my memory," he said with a smirk.
I swatted him with a newspaper and he started laughing as he tried to get away from me while still holding his coffee cup.
"You promised to help me move into the apartment above the Gull today, before you re-open the Gull on Friday."
"Why are you in such a rush to leave? We're having so much fun here," he said as I swatted at him and just barely missed him.
"Really, Duke? Are you telling me you never want to have a sex life again? That you want it to be just you and me forever on the Rouge? I love you. Really, I do. But it's not like we don't spend a ton of time together on dry land anyway. Why are you so determined to keep me here on the Rouge with you?"
"You're right. If you stay, I will never get laid again. We're moving you out," he said with a straight face before cracking up again. "You don't have to worry about that, Hope. I like having you around. I never had a sibling around that was actually fun to be around. But you're right. We spend a lot of time together here and off the Rouge. You don't need to live here for me to know you're really here. So what if you move above the Gull? You've been helping me there anyway. I guess sometimes it was easier to hide out here with you than do anything else because the only expectation you ever had for me was to be me. You just wanted to know who your brother is, no expectations."
"Duke, you're a great man. You were willing to die to save everyone you care about. There is nothing more I need to know about you. No matter what you did in the past, or will do in the future, you are my brother. You are the man who, when push comes to shove, will do everything to protect the people who are important to you. That's not gonna change. The rest is just filler in your life story."
"Do you mean that, Hope? You're not gonna judge me for my mistakes?"
"You're a human being. We all are. We all make mistakes. So, you don't have to worry about me judging you."
"Come on, Sis. Time for you to have your own place," Duke said to me.
Dwight:
Delia and I had been getting along great since she was home. Lizzie loved finally meeting her. She loved playing with her. But I had a nagging feeling something was bothering Lia. She was hiding something from me. I wasn't sure how long she'd been hiding it, but whatever it was, it was on her mind more, enough that she wasn't sleeping right at night. I heard the front door open and close, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Lia?" I called out.
"Yeah, Dwight, it's just me."
She came into the kitchen, where I was starting to cook dinner.
"Just like old times, huh, Bro?" she asked as she stood on her toes to give me a kiss on my check. "Listen, I need to tell you something."
"What's going on?"
"Nothing bad, Dwight, relax," she replied, and I knew she wasn't going to tell me what was bothering her. "I've been helping Nathan with Paige. You know, helping her to find a place of her own?"
"Yeah, and?"
"Well, I've decided to get a place of my own."
"Lia, you don't have to do that. I feel like I just got you back…"
"Dwight, I'm not leaving town. I just think it would be better if I got a place of my own. Between helping Paige and watching Duke and Hope make plans for her to move off the Cape Rouge, I just feel like I should stand on my own two feet. You have Lizzie to take care of. You don't need a neurotic twin as a chaser."
"Lia…" I started, but I didn't know what to say. "You know I love you, right?"
She hugged me. The top of her head barely reached my shoulders. I held her tight in return.
"Of course I know you love me, Dwight. I also know you would do anything for me. But I don't ever want to put you and Lizzie in a bad position because I'm neurotic."
"I don't believe you ever would."
"Never intentionally."
"Then why leave?"
"We've both grown up, Dwight. We've learned to live without each other, regardless of how much it tore both of us apart. I think being able to live apart, separate our lives might be better right now. I'm only going to be a short distance away. It's not like we'll be cut off from each other."
"You better come over at least twice a week for dinner and to play with your niece, Lia."
"I promise."
"How soon are you planning on leaving?"
"If everything works out? I'll be moving in a few weeks."
"Then we'll make the most of the time we have under the same roof."
Duke:
It didn't really take too long to move Hope into the apartment over the Gull. Nathan had moved all of Audrey's stuff, furniture included, a few weeks before. A few days before Hope was going to move in, she had furniture delivered into the apartment, picked up the basics she would need. Moving day essentially involved moving her personal possessions and clothes from the Cape Rouge. She didn't have a ton of those in Haven, so we were able to pack it all in her SUV. After she was settled, she promised to come to the Rouge at least three days a week to do morning yoga with me, and I gave her the keys to her place. I went to take care of what I needed to, and she ran an errand for me, making sure the liquor license for the Gull was in order before opening.
Friday night brought the re-opening of The Grey Gull. I was nervous as hell. The bar hadn't been opened since before the Trouble bomb Mara set inside of me went off, Troubling almost the entire town. I was in the front of the house, making sure everything was right. Hope said she'd check the back of the house, citing my nerves as a reason to keep me from all the breakables. I let her do it. Suddenly, I wasn't alone.
"We're not open yet," I said automatically.
"I didn't think you'd mind if I popped in," Delia said from behind me.
"What are you doing here?"
"I figured, taking back part of your life from before it fell apart, might leave you a little nervous… overwhelmed."
"What would you know about it?"
"I know it's part of the reason why I told Dwight I'm moving out. He just doesn't know why."
"What are you talking about?"
"Bad shit happens to people, Duke. Not always to bad people. Nobody knows why. But when you're away from something that was part of or reminds you of the bad things that happened, it's a relief. Coming back… it can be claustrophobic."
"How did you know?"
"I feel it being back in Haven. But I refuse to run again. I'm not gonna leave my twin brother again. I'm not gonna leave my beautiful niece. I have a family, and whether they know what's going on in my head or not, they are my motivation for not running away again," She said to me. "Think about it, Duke, I'm guessing whatever happened was related to the Troubles. They're not coming back, but you have a sister who loves you, who would do anything for you. Even if she doesn't know what your issues are, she's still someone to ground to. Though, if I'm gonna be honest with you, Hope is an excellent shoulder to lean on."
"Duke we're about to open! Is everything out there ready?" Hope called from the back.
"Yeah, Hope! Everything's great! I'm gonna open the doors!" I called back to her.
"Can I buy you a drink, Duke?" Delia asked as I opened the bar.
Hope:
The relaunch of The Grey Gull went really well in my opinion. At some point in the night, Duke and Delia came over to me. Duke seemed very relaxed, kinda the way I'd heard people around town describe him before the Crocker Curse got him. Carefree. It was nice to see him that way. I didn't want him acting different because he had a sister. Delia seemed drunk, which I didn't think was a good thing. Delia didn't always act rationally when she was drunk. Duke told me once the Gull was closed I could go, he'd cover cleaning up, and Delia asked me to cover her emergency room rotation at the hospital in the morning. I didn't think having a hung over doctor in the emergency room was a good idea so I agreed. After closing up I was walking upstairs to my apartment when I heard my name.
"Hope?" Dwight called to me.
I turned around.
"Hey Dwight. McHugh still with Lizzie?"
"Yeah. I was wondering if you've seen my sister?"
"Come upstairs, Dwight. I'll make you some coffee. It's getting kinda chilly out."
Dwight followed me upstairs and when it was ready he accepted the coffee.
"I saw Delia with Duke a few hours ago, Dwight."
"I feel like something is off with her."
"She's drunk," I said. "I think Duke may have been too, it's harder to tell with him. But they came over to ask me to cover her morning shift at the hospital and Duke said I could leave as soon as the Gull was closed to customers. Last I saw either of them, they were hanging out on the deck outside."
"If Crocker takes advantage of her…" Dwight started.
"Hey! Watch it. That's my older brother you're threatening there," I reminded him. "I don't know what your issues with him are, but I don't think Duke trusts himself right now, so I don't see him initiating anything right now. I think it's why he was trying to keep me on the Cape Rouge with him. I was a built in barricade to the outside world. But Dwight… Delia isn't really good with making decisions when she's drunk. It's like she's a different person."
"What do you mean, Hope?"
"I don't really know how to explain it. I've only seen it once because after this incident I tried to keep her from drinking too often. But a few years ago she talked me into going out drinking with her and a few of the older doctors from the hospital. She was smashed, Dwight, and I was worried that any one of the guys would have been able to take advantage of her, that she was so acting so… suggestively, that she'd just get them going and go with it. After that I tried to steer her away from the bars, introduced her to my family, and brought her to the shore to relax when there was time. Anything to keep her from acting like that again. I wasn't just trying to protect her from what could happen to her while she was drunk, but with so many peers around, I was trying to protect her professional reputation."
"You've really looked out for her almost as long as you've known her, haven't you?"
"I guess so," I said, shrugging.
"Thank you, Hope. Thank you for doing what you've done that ultimately brought Lia back home to me. I never thought I'd see her again."
"You don't have to thank me, Dwight."
Dwight's hand was on mine at this point. He was looking into my eyes with such an intensity, I wasn't sure how to feel, it was like he was seeing into my soul. There was something between us, but I pulled away. He was Delia's twin.
"I should probably let you get home to Lizzie before McHugh burns down the house. And I have to be at the hospital at six now that I'm covering Delia's E.R. shift. I should get to bed," I said, still feeling his touch on my hand, even though he wasn't touching me.
"Yeah, I shouldn't leave McHugh with Lizzie for too long," Dwight said, heading to the door. "Hope, how about I take you for coffee next time?"
"Coffee sounds great, Dwight. You know where to find me."
With that, I let Dwight Hendrickson walk out of my apartment, leaving me wondering what the hell was going on.
Duke:
I woke with someone in my arms. I was naked and not completely sure what happened. It took a minute to remember the relaunch of The Grey Gull and leaving with Delia. We were both drinking a lot. I remembered her asking Hope to cover her morning shift and me telling her I'd clean up The Gull. I looked at my phone. It was almost noon. I had a few hours to get The Gull ready for tonight. As I shifted, Delia woke up, and tried to quietly get out of bed, obviously not realizing I was already up.
"You weren't going to sneak out on me, were you?" I asked.
"I don't want to, but do you realize your sister has been at work for me for almost six hours because of this? She worked the bar with you last night and then I had her go in to the hospital early for me. I can't be late, Duke," she explained.
I thought about what she said. Then I let it go, because there was nothing we could do to change what we had already done.
"She said she wanted to be able to have a life again," I said with a laugh. "Look, we can't change last night. It's over. But I know how to treat a lady. If you want to leave, that's your choice, but you should at least let me make you breakfast after all of that alcohol and fun we had all night."
She looked at me with a wicked smile. I knew she was my sister's best friend, but she was my kind of casual girl. And she definitely knew what she was doing in the sack. I nodded at her.
"Alright, I'll stay for breakfast, but then I have to go home to get ready for work. I can't leave Hope stranded."
"That's good. Because I'm pretty sure I told her I'd clean up the Gull last night and instead I brought you back here and took you every way imaginable," I said coming up behind her and pulling her towards my naked body.
Feeling her pressed against me the way she was, I almost gave in to the urge to get back into bed with her. Part of me wanted her to call in sick to the hospital and stay in bed, in my arms, with me in her. Another part of me said I couldn't just risk a double shift being dropped on Hope. So even though I had started kissing her neck, Delia finally stopped me somehow.
"Duke, I can't. I have to get to work later. And you have to clean up the Gull before Hope gets back and realizes it isn't done before it's supposed to open tonight."
I could tell she was struggling to stick to this decision as much as I was, so I got up and started making breakfast. While I did, she got dressed, probably to deter any more attempted distractions.
Dwight:
It was almost two in the afternoon when Lia came home. She took a shower, spent an hour with Lizzie, and then asked if we could drop her at the hospital for her shift. Lizzie and I were hanging out when Hope got out.
"Hey there, Stranger," Hope said, coming over to me. "Did Delia ever make it home?"
"Yeah, at almost two this afternoon."
"Relax, Dwight. All of us are adults. I know her coming back to Haven is the first time since you guys were teenagers, but we're all still adults. You can't try to put her on a curfew."
"Daddy, who's this?" Lizzie asked coming over to us.
"Lizzie, this is my friend, . She's one of your Aunt Lia's friends who moved to Haven when Aunt Lia came home. Hope is Mr. Crocker's little sister," I told her.
"Hi, Dr. Corey. Nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Lizzie. But please, call me Hope. It's okay, I don't mind."
Lizzie looked to me to see if it was okay if she called Hope by her first name. I nodded, mostly because I knew that for whatever reason, Hope really did prefer being referred to by her first name, and Lizzie relaxed at the request. My little girl had really good manners, even if she was very outgoing and hyper.
"Do you wanna come by my place for dinner tonight? You, me, and Lizzie could watch a movie after," I asked.
"What happened to coffee?" Hope asked.
"Isn't it kinda late for that?"
"I appreciate the offer, Dwight, but I only got about two hours of sleep before I had to get up for work this morning. Plus, I promised to help Duke get the Gull going before leaving him on his own tonight."
"Why are you doing triple duty between the medical examiner's office, the hospital, and the Gull, again?" I asked, worried Duke was taking advantage of his little sister.
"Duke needed help getting back into the swing of things with the Gull. I told him I'd help him out until he did. Besides, I used to tend bar back home from my senior year of college through medical school. When he's a little calmer, I'll slowly back out of the Gull."
"What do you mean, calmer?"
"Duke hadn't been there since before Mara made him…" Hope made an explosion motion with her hands and I understood.
Crocker hadn't been in the Gull since before he tried to leave Haven, to throw himself into the void for the protection of anyone that might be hit by one of the Troubles Mara was trying to force him to unleash. He'd been controlled by Mara, Croatoan, died, and was now back. He'd been through a lot. He was overwhelmed. Like a soldier with PTSD. I understood why she was pushing herself so much to help her brother.
"You're doing a good thing for him, Hope."
"Raincheck on coffee and dinner?"
"Definitely. Go home and get some rest. Maybe I can get McHugh to stay with Lizzie after I put her to bed and stop by to see you for a bit later."
"That wouldn't be a bad thing," she said with a smile.
I liked to see her smile. My heart still hurt over Charlotte, but Lizzie eased a lot of that hurt, opening my heart back up to any kind of love. Hope was different from anyone else I'd ever known. I didn't know what I was thinking. She said goodbye to me and Lizzie before turning around, getting into her car, and driving away.
Duke:
It was after six. The Gull was going to open at eight. I was supposed to have cleaned it last night, but I didn't. I didn't want to let Hope down, not so soon into having a sister who looked at me the way she did, but I knew she would be home from the hospital soon. Half of the Gull was still a mess. Suddenly I heard a car door.
"Duke?" Hope called to me as I heard her move closer to the door.
She walked in and she didn't even look shocked.
"Let's get this place ready for tonight."
"You knew this would happen?"
"When Dwight came to me last night saying he couldn't find Delia, yeah, I did. Delia is… wild when she's drunk. I don't think you should let yourself get drunk if she's drunk around you. She acts weird when she's drunk, Duke. It worries me. I trust you with her, but I'm worried if you turn your back on her, someone else will take advantage of how different she acts when she's drunk," Hope said, looking really worried. "But I talked to Dwight when I got out of work. He says Delia didn't come home until about two. I'm guessing you two had a very nice night."
"You really teasing on me about my sex life now, Baby Sister?" I said in mock shock, realizing she didn't want to talk about her worries anymore at the moment. "At least I have a sex life to discuss, Little One."
"And if I tried to have a sex life you'd flip out, wouldn't you?"
I stopped for a second. Thinking about it, I didn't want anyone touching my sister.
"You are absolutely right. You are not allowed to have a sex life. Ever. Because I said so," I said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Sure, Big Brother. Whatever you say," she replied sarcastically.
"Does it bother you that me and Delia…"
"I don't need the details Duke. As long as we're clear on that and the fact that any drama that comes up between you two needs to stay out of my business, I'm fine. I'm not going to be put between the person I've known the longest in this town and my brother. If you can respect that, you're consenting adults, do what makes you happy. Just seriously, leave me out of it, please?"
I laughed.
"I guess that's fair."
"Now I'm gonna be unfair. I got the dishes. Wipe down all the tables and counters, then sweep and mop the floors. When I'm done with the dishes, I'll prep the bar for drinks."
"That, Baby Sister, is very unfair."
"I could leave you to do all of it like you were supposed to while I go take a nap."
I pulled Hope into a hug.
"Fine. It's fair enough," I said as I kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Hope."
"I love you too, Duke. I'm just gonna run upstairs, drop my stuff and change out of these clothes. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Go. I'm a big boy. I can start wiping down tables."
Dwight:
"So you want me to stay while Lizzie's asleep?" McHugh asked.
"Yeah. She's out cold. Do you mind?"
"Not if you tell me what's going on."
"I want to go see Hope."
"The Crocker girl?"
"Yes," I said, even though that wasn't her name. "I was in her apartment for coffee last night after the Gull closed and it seemed like there was something there. And there's something about her smile… I don't know what it is about her."
"How does Lia feel about this?"
"I haven't told her. And considering it seems as though Lia spent the night on the Cape Rouge last night, she wouldn't really have a right to say anything if there was something between me and Hope."
"Lia and Duke?"
"Yeah. Two days after she tells me she's planning on moving out, as soon as a few weeks from now."
"Damn, Dwight. Only you can find woman drama like this. I'll stay with Lizzie. Go see Hope."
"Thanks, man."
A little later I was pulling into the Grey Gull. When I got there Duke was at the bar. He looked nervous when he noticed I was walking towards the bar. I wanted to laugh at him… he would sleep with my sister, but he was scared to face me.
"What can I do for you, Sasquatch?"
"I'm looking for your sister. Where is she?"
"She's in her apartment. She only worked here a couple of hours tonight, had a long day."
"So she told me," I said as I turned away from him.
"Where are you going?" Duke called to me.
I just waved as I walked out of the Gull. Once outside, I started walking up the steps to her apartment. She was sitting on her couch with an ice pack on her head and a blanket wrapped around her. Both sets of doors were open. I knocked on the doorframe and waited for her to acknowledge me. When she did, I noticed the thermometer. It beeped when I got to her so I took it out of her mouth. It read nearly 104 degrees.
"Hope, you're burning up," I said to her.
"And freezing. My body can't decide if it's hot or cold."
"Let me take you to the hospital."
"No, Dwight. Please?"
"Hope, you're a doctor. You know a fever this high can be dangerous."
"I worked a twelve hour shift in the emergency room today. If you bring me in there with a temperature like this, all my work for the last two to three days will be put under review and I will not be allowed to go back to work until they give me a clear bill of health."
"Hope, you're sick."
"I'm overworking myself, I need some rest and herbs," she said, sounding really worn out. "Put me in my bed, please?"
Seeing her in the shape she was, I couldn't tell her no. I took her to her bed and put her under her blankets. She fell asleep almost instantly. Still worried, I went back down to the Gull to find Duke.
"Hey, Crocker. Do you know Hope's grandparents' number?"
"No, but I know it's in her cell phone. She calls them four or five times a week. Why?"
"She's upstairs with a fever of almost 104, but she won't let me take her to the hospital. She said she needs rest and herbs. I put her in her bed and she fell asleep, but I don't know what to do about the herbs. I figured they might."
"I should go check on her."
"I got her Crocker. She doesn't seem to like anyone putting their lives on hold for her, even if she'll do it for others. I'll stay upstairs with her, find her cell and call her grandparents, see what they say. Do what you have to down here. Come up after. I'll take care of her in the meantime."
Duke looked torn. In that moment, it was clear, his sister meant more to him than anything.
"Fine, but if anything happens to her, Sasquatch…"
"I'll let you know."
He nodded at me and I went back upstairs to find her cell phone. When I did, I dialed her grandparents. After a few rings a woman answered the phone.
"Hope, honey? Are you okay?"
"Mrs. Corey, my name is Dwight Hendrickson. I'm a friend of Hope's here in Haven and I need your help to help Hope…"
An hour later, Hope was sweating out her fever and coming around. I was relieved when she got my attention.
"Dwight? What's going on? How did you…"
"I called your grandmother because I didn't know how to do the herbs you were talking about. She told me how to make the one for your head, to help bring the fever down," I said as I went over to her, taking the herb-soaked cloth off of her head and feeling her for fever. "She also told me how to make a blend to make you tea when you woke up."
I put the cloth back on her head and carried her over to the couch. I put the tea kettle on and sat down with her as I waited for the water to boil.
"I hope you're not mad at me, Hope, but you didn't want to go to the hospital and your temperature was at nearly 104. You mentioned herbs before you blacked out on me and your grandparents seemed like the logical people to call."
Hope put her hand on mine. It stopped me from rambling excuses for calling her grandparents so late, going through her apartment to find what I needed to do this stuff.
"Thank you, Dwight."
I was shocked that she thanked me.
"What?"
"Thank you for helping me. I needed to blend the herbs, but the fever spiked too fast. I got too weak too fast because of it. Your quick thinking helped me. Thank you."
"Hope, I…" I started, but the tea kettle went off.
I got up and made her tea. I brought it to her. She drank it and curled up on me, where she fell asleep. I texted McHugh to let him know that Hope was sick and I was looking after her, that if she woke after Duke closed the Gull, I'd let him switch places with me, but if not, I wasn't gonna wake her so there was a good chance I wasn't gonna get home.
A few hours later, Duke came upstairs. His footsteps on the stairs woke me up, but Hope stayed asleep. When he walked in the door, I motioned for him to stay quiet. He came right over to the couch and checked Hope.
"What going on, Dwight?"
"Her fever started breaking with the cloth on her head that her grandmother walked me through making. She woke up for a little bit and I gave her some tea that her grandmother told me how to mix. Not long after she curled up on me and just went right back to sleep. She's been like that since."
"So this herb stuff broke this ridiculously high fever?"
"Seems that way."
"Are you gonna stay here until she wakes up?"
"I don't want to risk waking her."
"I'm not gonna leave my sister. I haven't known her long, but I've only heard about her blacking out like that once Dwight, and it made Delia really worried."
He peaked my interest.
"When has she blacked out before?"
"When she brought me back, Dwight. Delia said she drained so much of her own energy she even started to drain Delia's energy. As soon as I regained consciousness, she hit the floor. She barely stayed conscious when she woke up, and as soon as she went out, she stayed down until the following morning."
"But that day she was resurrecting you. I would guess that takes a lot out of a person. Tonight she said she's tired, overworking herself. What's she doing that's causing her to drain her energy like that?"
"I don't know. But I think we need to find out."
"You haven't asked her to do anything for you, have you?"
"No! We do yoga, play practical jokes on each other. That's about it. She helps me with the Gull. Nothing else. What about you? Have you asked her for anything?"
"No. I don't know what happens to her when she does what she did for you and Lia. I wouldn't risk it."
I looked at Duke as a lightbulb seemed to go off in both our heads.
"You don't think…" he started.
"She's using her energy to help patients at the hospital?" I finished.
