Inferno

By Divamercury

And nowChapter 6! I think I forgot to say last chapter that I don't own any of this, but you all know that, right? :)

Chapter 6

When I woke up the next morning, I was feeling a little under the weather. My right arm was incredibly sore, but I figured that I had just slept on it wrong or I had worked it too hard when I was lifting weights the previous afternoon.

"Spectacular. I've already been having problems with my left arm and now my right is acting up. Forget about shitty days, like December 4th was. Now I'm having a shitty month." I got ready for work and left, noticing that for once I was early.

"Hey, Pez. How was your day off?" Jake asked me.

"Okay, but I was bored out of my mind. I even resorted to doing paperwork to keep me from going crazy," I said.

"Ouch. That must have been ugly. Listen, Pez, I've got to pick up something from Dante. Will you get the coffee this morning?" he asked.

"No, damn it, I've done it for the past three days," was on the tip of my tongue, and I frowned, but for some reason I said, "Sure," aloud.

"Thanks, Pez. See you later," he said, turning around and leaving.

What the hell?' I thought. I just said yes but I really meant no. I must have hit my head on the headboard when I woke up this morning and it addled my brain.' I went off to the coffee machine, retrieving the promised, caffeine loaded beverages and headed back to my office.

"Thanks, Pez. I appreciate it," he said, for once avoiding the candy jokes.

"No problem," I said.

What the hell is going on? I'm not saying what I'm thinking! I must have hit my head on something.' Thankfully for the next few hours I got immersed in paperwork, occasionally grunting affirmative or negative to what Jake was saying. Finally he stopped trying and left me alone.

I made a special point of staying away from Dante that day (even though I tried to do that every day) because in my present, strange state I didn't want to be commanded to do something that I wouldn't want to do but would still automatically say yes to. 5:00 couldn't possibly come fast enough.

* * *

I watched Sara as she went about her business in the 11th Precinct building. Occasionally through my Witchblade connection I could catch pieces of her conversation, and I noticed two contradictory actions: Sara's frown when her lazy partner asked her to get coffee and her obvious scorn of doing it, and her unusually congenial "Sure." I was surprised. Sara was acting out of character, and I intended to find out why for her own sake.

* * *

When I got off work, I was certain it was a sign from God saying that he was done with me for the day. I reached my home in what had to have been record time; I had been waiting to collapse on my bed ever since I had emerged from it that morning. I was thoroughly exhausted and I couldn't pinpoint the reason why, because I hadn't been doing anything that would have required me to truly exert myself. I had already been feeling under the weather that morning and now it was continuing, gathering intensity as it went along. My head was being crushed between two rocks, my right arm was on fire with the pain, and I felt like dying would be easier than dealing with all the aches and pains that I was stuck with. I got ready for bed and fell asleep at 7:00, something that I almost never did. I was convinced that if I got plenty of sleep that night that I would feel better in the morning.

"This is probably one of those annoying 24-hour bugs. I'll be fine tomorrow," I said to myself.

Yeah. Right.

Going to sleep that night was one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted to do. My head wouldn't stop throbbing even after I had taken aspirin, and I was unable to find a position that would allow me to keep my arm from hurting when I moved. I noticed some stiffness in my legs, but oddly enough my left arm was normal. I was really confused about what was going on, and if things weren't weird enough already, Danny popped up. I was too tired to get mad at him right now, so I started the conversation.

"So, any ideas what's going on? Any helpful words of wisdom for me, O Wise One?"

" Sorry, Pez. I can't help you, but this stuff will probably wear off within a few days. I wouldn't worry," he said, obviously trying to make me feel better. He was succeeding pretty well.

"You're right, of course, Danny. You're always right." I smiled weakly. "I need a shower."

"Bye, Pez. Talk to you later," he said, and I had time to flash him a stronger smile before he vanished. With some difficulty I got out of bed and made my way through the apartment to the shower. I undressed and started the water running from the showerhead. When it was hot enough, almost scalding, I stepped into my shower and immersed myself in the steaming sprays. My muscles rejoiced at the heat and I stretched. If there had to be one good thing about the world, then a long hot shower would be it. Period. And that was what I intended to do.

After a blissful half-hour in the shower, I got dressed for bed. I felt like if I slept I would never wake up. That was a favorable proposition. As soon as my head touched the pillow, I was fast asleep.

* * *

I was beginning to get worried about Sara. She was acting out of character and she seemed to be in great pain when she was entering her apartment that evening. I was watching from my usual position in the parking deck across the street from Sara's building, and I watched her all afternoon. I knew that something was amiss when she went to bed at 8:00. She never (ever) turned in before 10:00. I scolded myself for being so paranoid. But somehow in the back of my mind I could hear what unmistakably was Sara's voice, softer than it usually was, calling me.

Ian. Ian, please help me.

I had to make sure that my lady was safe, so I left the parking deck and crossed the street. I climbed Sara's fire escape to get a closer look and peering through the window into the darkened apartment, barely able to make out Sara's form on her bed without the assistance of the moon which I normally had. I stood there for what seemed like an interminable time until motion in Sara's apartment caught my attention.