---Chapter 22---
Max left the hospital disturbed. "How can this be, Max? You just don't want to heal him!" Max recalled his sister Isabel's words in the IC unit where Jesse was.
That hadn't been the case at all. Max was astounded to find that he couldn't heal him. It was like a barrier of energy blocked him from doing so. Max couldn't break it. He couldn't heal Jesse for Isabel. Max felt like he'd let her down terribly. Isabel stayed behind with Jesse, when Max had left. She was distraught. And Max was worried. Why couldn't he heal him?
--
Max rang the doorbell of Michael's apartment. A few minutes later, Michael came to the door. Max noticed Maria in the background smoothing her shirt and running fingers through her hair.
Michael gave an exasperated sigh and almost closed the door on Max, when Max put his foot in and said, "I have bad news. It's about Isabel's boyfriend, Jesse."
"What about him?" Maria asked, hurrying over to the door.
"He was shot. It's critical." -Max.
"So what are you going to do - just go heal him?" -Michael.
"I tried . . . I couldn't." -Max.
"What do you mean you couldn't?" -Michael.
"Whoa. Wait. How did it happen?" -Maria.
Max explained that Jesse had been found, ironically, outside the hospital. He had apparently been shot. He was unconscious and hadn't so far responded the entire time he was in the.
"The strange thing is, Isabel heard from our dad that Jesse had been invited to the Winthrop Ball and had planned on going." -Max.
"I didn't see him there. Did anyone?" -Maria.
"Not that I know of. There were a lot of people, though." -Max.
"So let me guess, you think Adam Winthrop is behind this too?" -Michael.
"Michael, I'm not trying to fight with you. It's just too much adding up, it has to point to-" -Max.
Michael interrupted, "I know. Okay. You may be right. But wait until Jesse is able to tell us."
Max felt like he'd made a break through, getting Michael to get to this point, he didn't want to mess it up with arguing again, so he held his tongue.
-- .........
And the gang waited as the days passed on. Jesse didn't get worse, but he got no better. He had been declared comatose. Isabel spent many hours with him.
The rest of the group went to classes as usual and remained together as friends, but distantly. Everyone was on edge from one moment to the next, wondering what would happen next. Waiting.
And Michael had cut himself off emotionally from Victoria. Or he liked to think he did so, as he kept the distance. He acted as if they were strangers that never met.
Victoria was stunned at his distance, but she couldn't get through to him - to ask why he was treating her like a stranger. He wouldn't speak to her. If he did, it was a word or two.
What Victoria didn't realize, however, was how hard it was for Michael to do so..
===================
One day in late autumn, Adam requested Victoria's presence - rather an order disguised as a request. She came before him as always.
"I have a task for you to accomplish." Adam said, as she walked in, he swung his chair around to face her.
"Sit down." -Adam.
Victoria sat in front of the expanse of his great mahogany desk. She waited for him to get to it.
And he did.
"You will seduce young Mr. Guerin." Adam said bluntly, shocking Victoria out of her controlled composure.
Her face went pale. "Why?"
"You know not to question me, do you not?" Adam said. He continued, "He and his friends are suspicious. The fastest way to win favor with a man is to sleep with him. Michael Guerin can be no different. He will be in your grasp. He will take your defense against the others. It will tear the group apart. We will have them where I want them. Distrusting of each other. Vulnerable."
Adam saw the hesitation on her face. "I know you have feelings for him. It should not be a difficult task. Not a difficult task at all." +++++++++++++++++++++
---End of Chapter 22---
Max left the hospital disturbed. "How can this be, Max? You just don't want to heal him!" Max recalled his sister Isabel's words in the IC unit where Jesse was.
That hadn't been the case at all. Max was astounded to find that he couldn't heal him. It was like a barrier of energy blocked him from doing so. Max couldn't break it. He couldn't heal Jesse for Isabel. Max felt like he'd let her down terribly. Isabel stayed behind with Jesse, when Max had left. She was distraught. And Max was worried. Why couldn't he heal him?
--
Max rang the doorbell of Michael's apartment. A few minutes later, Michael came to the door. Max noticed Maria in the background smoothing her shirt and running fingers through her hair.
Michael gave an exasperated sigh and almost closed the door on Max, when Max put his foot in and said, "I have bad news. It's about Isabel's boyfriend, Jesse."
"What about him?" Maria asked, hurrying over to the door.
"He was shot. It's critical." -Max.
"So what are you going to do - just go heal him?" -Michael.
"I tried . . . I couldn't." -Max.
"What do you mean you couldn't?" -Michael.
"Whoa. Wait. How did it happen?" -Maria.
Max explained that Jesse had been found, ironically, outside the hospital. He had apparently been shot. He was unconscious and hadn't so far responded the entire time he was in the.
"The strange thing is, Isabel heard from our dad that Jesse had been invited to the Winthrop Ball and had planned on going." -Max.
"I didn't see him there. Did anyone?" -Maria.
"Not that I know of. There were a lot of people, though." -Max.
"So let me guess, you think Adam Winthrop is behind this too?" -Michael.
"Michael, I'm not trying to fight with you. It's just too much adding up, it has to point to-" -Max.
Michael interrupted, "I know. Okay. You may be right. But wait until Jesse is able to tell us."
Max felt like he'd made a break through, getting Michael to get to this point, he didn't want to mess it up with arguing again, so he held his tongue.
-- .........
And the gang waited as the days passed on. Jesse didn't get worse, but he got no better. He had been declared comatose. Isabel spent many hours with him.
The rest of the group went to classes as usual and remained together as friends, but distantly. Everyone was on edge from one moment to the next, wondering what would happen next. Waiting.
And Michael had cut himself off emotionally from Victoria. Or he liked to think he did so, as he kept the distance. He acted as if they were strangers that never met.
Victoria was stunned at his distance, but she couldn't get through to him - to ask why he was treating her like a stranger. He wouldn't speak to her. If he did, it was a word or two.
What Victoria didn't realize, however, was how hard it was for Michael to do so..
===================
One day in late autumn, Adam requested Victoria's presence - rather an order disguised as a request. She came before him as always.
"I have a task for you to accomplish." Adam said, as she walked in, he swung his chair around to face her.
"Sit down." -Adam.
Victoria sat in front of the expanse of his great mahogany desk. She waited for him to get to it.
And he did.
"You will seduce young Mr. Guerin." Adam said bluntly, shocking Victoria out of her controlled composure.
Her face went pale. "Why?"
"You know not to question me, do you not?" Adam said. He continued, "He and his friends are suspicious. The fastest way to win favor with a man is to sleep with him. Michael Guerin can be no different. He will be in your grasp. He will take your defense against the others. It will tear the group apart. We will have them where I want them. Distrusting of each other. Vulnerable."
Adam saw the hesitation on her face. "I know you have feelings for him. It should not be a difficult task. Not a difficult task at all." +++++++++++++++++++++
---End of Chapter 22---