THREE
Piper looked around the treatment center cautiously. It was
busier than it had been the last time they had been there. Obviously,
more people visited during the day, at least on this particular day.
No one was paying her any special attention, though.
She walked up to Pamela's room and looked around. No one seemed
to notice her. Quickly and quietly she slipped into the room.
Looking around, she noticed that the room didn't look substantially
different from her previous visit. Pamela still lay in bed hooked up
to an assortment of machines. Three or four books lay on the table
next to her bed; books that Piper assumed were ones her sisters read
to her.
As quietly as possible, she began to search the room. There was
a single chest of drawers, a closet, and a small nightstand next to
the bed. She found nothing of consequence in any of them. They all
contained exactly what she expected; clothes, personal and hygiene
items, and the like. Nothing to suggest why Phoebe had her
premonition or what connection Pamela had to the apparent plot to make
them think things were different. Or how their powers had been taken.
She thumbed through the books but found them to be normal,
ordinary books. She recognized the titles of a couple of them, but
had never read them herself. Fantasy books weren't the type she
usually gravitated toward. A normal bookmark was in the top book
about halfway through it.
She looked down at Pamela. The woman looked so peaceful. It
was hard to imagine that this woman had been in a coma for more than
half her life. All because of a stupid accident caused by a man who
had too much to drink. As she stood looking at Pamela, the door to
the room opened and Patrice walked in, startling Piper.
"Hello," said Patrice. "I don't recognize you. Are you new
here?"
"Uh, no," said Piper. "Remember me from the other day? My
sisters and I came in here by mistake. You were reading to your
sister at the time."
"I'm sorry," said Patrice, "I don't remember. Are you sure you
have the right room? I haven't' had a chance to visit Pamela for
about a week. Perhaps it was another room you stumbled into."
"Yes, yes, maybe you're right," said Piper. "All these rooms
look alike to me."
There was something different about Patrice. Her clothes the
other day, while clean and serviceable, were hardly recent. Nor had
they been unusually expensive. Now, she was wearing an elegant
pantsuit that was obviously not an off-the-rack suit. There was
another thing which Piper noticed almost immediately.
Around Patrice's neck was a necklace holding the symbol of the
triquetra; the symbol on the cover of the Book of Shadows.
That symbol was the symbol of the Charmed Ones. Three
interlocking ovals that overlapped forming a single form. A symbol of
the unity of the sisters and the source of their powers. Piper
couldn't believe that the loss of their powers and this woman suddenly
having a necklace with that symbol was mere coincidence.
"That's a beautiful necklace you have," said Piper. "I'm not
sure I've ever seen anything quite like it."
"Oh, this," said Patrice, inadvertently reaching for the
necklace, "it's sort of a family heirloom. It's been in my family for
generations."
"I see," said Piper. "My sisters and I used to have something
similar."
"Really?" said Patrice. "I'm sorry, you never told me your
name."
"Piper," said Piper, "Piper Halliwell."
"Patrice Stephens," said Patrice, shaking Piper's hand. "Do you
have family here?"
"No, not really," said Piper. "Just someone my sisters and I
recently came into contact with. Then when we accidentally stumbled
in here . . . I mean, the other room, the other day, I just thought
I'd stop in and see how that woman was doing. I guess I got the wrong
room again."
"Seems to happen to you a lot," said Patrice.
Just then the door opened and a man walked in. Piper's heart
nearly stopped when she looked over and saw Leo walk into the room.
Leo walked over and stood next to Patrice.
"Pat," said Leo, "Paula called me just now. She said she needs
us to come home right away. It's really important."
Leo didn't show any recognition of Piper. Her blood ran cold as
she suddenly realized that he was seeing her for the first time. That
he had no idea who she was.
"Leo," said Patrice, "this is Piper Halliwell. She stopped in
to see how Pamela was doing."
"Miss Halliwell," said Leo, "nice to meet you. I know Patrice
and her sisters appreciate it. Pamela doesn't get many visitors.
Speaking of sisters, we really need to get going, Pat. Paula said it
was an emergency."
"Oh, certainly," said Patrice. "I'm sorry, Miss Halliwell, I
really must be going. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."
"Perhaps," said Piper.
As Patrice and Leo left the room, Piper watched them move toward
the elevator. She recognized the tone in Leo's voice. He had used it
with her and her sisters before. It usually meant that there was
demonic activity they needed to get to right away. But with an
innocent around, he couldn't come right out and say it.
As she watched them, Patrice looked back at the room. Piper had
the door opened only a crack and was sure that she couldn't see her
from that distance. They entered the elevator and as the doors were
closing, Piper's heart skipped a beat. She saw just the beginnings of
Leo orbing out.
Piper waited several seconds, then left Pamela's room and headed
for the center parking lot. She would soon be home and had quite a
bit to tell Paige and Phoebe. She hoped they would have something to
tell her. And what she had to tell them was very disturbing to her.
Especially her conclusions about what was happening to them.
Piper looked around the treatment center cautiously. It was
busier than it had been the last time they had been there. Obviously,
more people visited during the day, at least on this particular day.
No one was paying her any special attention, though.
She walked up to Pamela's room and looked around. No one seemed
to notice her. Quickly and quietly she slipped into the room.
Looking around, she noticed that the room didn't look substantially
different from her previous visit. Pamela still lay in bed hooked up
to an assortment of machines. Three or four books lay on the table
next to her bed; books that Piper assumed were ones her sisters read
to her.
As quietly as possible, she began to search the room. There was
a single chest of drawers, a closet, and a small nightstand next to
the bed. She found nothing of consequence in any of them. They all
contained exactly what she expected; clothes, personal and hygiene
items, and the like. Nothing to suggest why Phoebe had her
premonition or what connection Pamela had to the apparent plot to make
them think things were different. Or how their powers had been taken.
She thumbed through the books but found them to be normal,
ordinary books. She recognized the titles of a couple of them, but
had never read them herself. Fantasy books weren't the type she
usually gravitated toward. A normal bookmark was in the top book
about halfway through it.
She looked down at Pamela. The woman looked so peaceful. It
was hard to imagine that this woman had been in a coma for more than
half her life. All because of a stupid accident caused by a man who
had too much to drink. As she stood looking at Pamela, the door to
the room opened and Patrice walked in, startling Piper.
"Hello," said Patrice. "I don't recognize you. Are you new
here?"
"Uh, no," said Piper. "Remember me from the other day? My
sisters and I came in here by mistake. You were reading to your
sister at the time."
"I'm sorry," said Patrice, "I don't remember. Are you sure you
have the right room? I haven't' had a chance to visit Pamela for
about a week. Perhaps it was another room you stumbled into."
"Yes, yes, maybe you're right," said Piper. "All these rooms
look alike to me."
There was something different about Patrice. Her clothes the
other day, while clean and serviceable, were hardly recent. Nor had
they been unusually expensive. Now, she was wearing an elegant
pantsuit that was obviously not an off-the-rack suit. There was
another thing which Piper noticed almost immediately.
Around Patrice's neck was a necklace holding the symbol of the
triquetra; the symbol on the cover of the Book of Shadows.
That symbol was the symbol of the Charmed Ones. Three
interlocking ovals that overlapped forming a single form. A symbol of
the unity of the sisters and the source of their powers. Piper
couldn't believe that the loss of their powers and this woman suddenly
having a necklace with that symbol was mere coincidence.
"That's a beautiful necklace you have," said Piper. "I'm not
sure I've ever seen anything quite like it."
"Oh, this," said Patrice, inadvertently reaching for the
necklace, "it's sort of a family heirloom. It's been in my family for
generations."
"I see," said Piper. "My sisters and I used to have something
similar."
"Really?" said Patrice. "I'm sorry, you never told me your
name."
"Piper," said Piper, "Piper Halliwell."
"Patrice Stephens," said Patrice, shaking Piper's hand. "Do you
have family here?"
"No, not really," said Piper. "Just someone my sisters and I
recently came into contact with. Then when we accidentally stumbled
in here . . . I mean, the other room, the other day, I just thought
I'd stop in and see how that woman was doing. I guess I got the wrong
room again."
"Seems to happen to you a lot," said Patrice.
Just then the door opened and a man walked in. Piper's heart
nearly stopped when she looked over and saw Leo walk into the room.
Leo walked over and stood next to Patrice.
"Pat," said Leo, "Paula called me just now. She said she needs
us to come home right away. It's really important."
Leo didn't show any recognition of Piper. Her blood ran cold as
she suddenly realized that he was seeing her for the first time. That
he had no idea who she was.
"Leo," said Patrice, "this is Piper Halliwell. She stopped in
to see how Pamela was doing."
"Miss Halliwell," said Leo, "nice to meet you. I know Patrice
and her sisters appreciate it. Pamela doesn't get many visitors.
Speaking of sisters, we really need to get going, Pat. Paula said it
was an emergency."
"Oh, certainly," said Patrice. "I'm sorry, Miss Halliwell, I
really must be going. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."
"Perhaps," said Piper.
As Patrice and Leo left the room, Piper watched them move toward
the elevator. She recognized the tone in Leo's voice. He had used it
with her and her sisters before. It usually meant that there was
demonic activity they needed to get to right away. But with an
innocent around, he couldn't come right out and say it.
As she watched them, Patrice looked back at the room. Piper had
the door opened only a crack and was sure that she couldn't see her
from that distance. They entered the elevator and as the doors were
closing, Piper's heart skipped a beat. She saw just the beginnings of
Leo orbing out.
Piper waited several seconds, then left Pamela's room and headed
for the center parking lot. She would soon be home and had quite a
bit to tell Paige and Phoebe. She hoped they would have something to
tell her. And what she had to tell them was very disturbing to her.
Especially her conclusions about what was happening to them.