CHAPTER 93
Beth awoke with a jerk. Her heart was racing and the sensation of pain in her side was still very
vivid.
"It happened again." She panicked as she sat up from the cot in Cassie's room and reached to
feel the child's warmth in the early morning light. Beth needed to reassure herself as much as
she did the baby that everything was all right.
Cassie's condition had improved and the doctor allowed her to be placed in a private room the
night before. She'd insisted Duncan, Amanda and the others go home to Rosa's. Everyone was
due a good night's sleep.
Beth realized after this last connection that she should have discussed it with Adam. She'd
actually been surprised when he never mentioned it, but maybe it was something only she would
feel. After all, he would be in an actual Quickening and might not realize how it is affecting her.
She'd worried he would think her crazy, and with all the tension, hadn't wanted to risk making
things worse. Now she regretted that decision.
Most of the more than 2 dozen times she'd felt the connection, she'd been concerned and a little
afraid, but not like she was when the effects made her heart stop … literally. It had happened
once before, the night Garrett thought she was having a heart attack, and again just now.
"I've got to find a way to tell him what this could mean." Beth whispered to the sleeping child as
she peered over the rails of the crib and stroked her gently as she tried to recover from the shock
of it all. "He needs to know the risk he is taking with our lives."
She knew she had to find a way, but didn't know how since he'd vanished. At least she knew he
still cared enough to call and find out about Cassie's condition. She'd hoped that by cutting off
his means of checking, he might not be able to stay away and she'd have one more time to try
and convince him to stay, but after 3 days he had not come.
Richie knocked softly on the door and she called for him to come in.
"You look terrible." He commented, noting how her skin seemed devoid of color and her
breathing labored.
"I guess it's all hitting me." She replied, not wanting to tell him why.
"I brought breakfast." He told her as he set a cup of coffee and a plate of Rosa's pastries on the
table beside the cot.
Beth smiled and reached for a pastry. Eating might make her feel a little better. She was still a
little woozie from the brief death experience.
"One of the night nurses said Adam called again for information about Cassie. She was just
going off shift and wondered if you still wanted them to be silent about her condition over the
phone." Richie told her.
Beth looked at the phone in the room and then had an idea. "Will you stay with Cassie a
minute?"
She didn't wait for him to answer. She walked to the nurse's station and made a request. The
nurse's were more than willing to oblige. They hadn't felt comfortable with the situation.
Beth came back into the room. If Adam was true to form, he wouldn't go more than 12 hours
without calling. He'd called around 4 that morning and might call earlier if he thought he could get
information from someone who had just come on shift. She hoped he wouldn't give up until he
knew if the baby was all right.
"Everything all right?" Richie asked.
"Yeah … I just … look Richie, if the phone rings I need to answer it, and will want to be left alone
to take the call." She told him. "If the others come by can you make sure that happens?"
Richie nodded. He could do that.
Duncan and Amanda were going to wait until afternoon to stop by, but Joe and Ellen came an
hour or so after Richie.
"She's looking so much better." Ellen commented.
"Yes, now that the fever has broken we only need to wait for the rash to heal and her strength to
return. She actually drank a full bottle this morning." Beth beamed as she held the infant.
The phone rang and Joe started to reach for it.
"No!" Beth and Richie said together.
"We need to leave Beth alone." Richie said as he handed Joe his canes and nodded to Ellen.
"What's going on?" Joe asked. He received his answer when Beth picked up the phone.
"Adam … don't hang up." She said quickly. The nurse at the desk had told him to hold for
information and then patched his call through. "It's important."
That was all they heard because Richie closed the door behind them.
"How is Cassie?" Adam asked, his throat constricting at the sound of Beth's voice.
"If I tell you, will you please stay on the line for 2 minutes? I need to tell you something else and
then you can go … I promise." Beth replied.
"I'll listen." He promised, wishing she wouldn't torture them both like this.
"Cassie is better. She's in a private room and the fever is gone." She told him. "She will be able
to leave the hospital in a few days."
Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good. I knew she was a survivor. You'll be taking her
home then?"
"Yes. We'll stay with Rosa a few days and then when we know it's safe we will fly back home …
to Seacouver." She added.
Adam didn't like the way that sounded. "You should be with your family."
"I will, but I'm not ready to face them … or their questions. I've talked to them of course every
day about Cassie's condition, but they don't know about … us … and I need some time." Beth
replied, trying to keep a check on her emotions.
Adam didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Is that what you wanted to tell me? Were you
wanting to make sure I knew where to find you if I changed my mind?"
"No, that's not what I needed to tell you, and you've been clear that you won't change your mind.
As much as I wish things could be different … I can't make you stay …"
"I'm sorry." He replied simply.
"Well if that is true, and if you really do love me like you said you did … yesterday …" she began.
"then I have one request."
Adam closed his eyes and groaned inwardly when he realized she'd heard his declaration. He
thought she'd been asleep. "I can't come back if that is the request."
Beth wiped her eyes, her voice shaking. "I'm not asking that … I'm going to try and do what you
want and build a life for Cassie and I … without you."
Adam could hear her emotions beginning to rise and wished he hadn't promised to let her finish.
At least she sounded as though she was accepting how things had to be.
"If I'm going to try and move on … without you, then I can't have reminders popping up a week
from now or a month from now … or three years from now." She continued. "It wouldn't be fair."
"I agree. You need to make a clean break." He replied, trying not to hate the idea of her moving
on.
"Then you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything I can." Adam replied.
"You can't take any more heads." Beth stated flatly.
"What?" Adam couldn't believe what she was asking and thought it was just another way to make
him feel guilty for leaving. "Don't be ridiculous Beth. It's what I am. It's what I must do to
survive."
"Then don't try to fool yourself into believing I can move on." She replied. "Every time you take a
Quickening, you'll just be reminding me again of what I can't have."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the connection I feel every time you take a Quickening Adam. I'm talking about
the young man with the spanish accent behind the cantina. I'm talking about the woman on the
rooftop, the cop in the desert, the man on the beach … and each of the more than 2 dozen
Quickenings you've taken since the night Garrett took me from you. I know about them all Adam
… I know about them all."
"Then Joe or MacLeod need to learn to not tell you what they hear from the Watchers." Adam
retorted.
"They didn't tell me. They don't even know I know." Beth argued. "I know because you tell me.
Every time you take a head I feel your presence. I see what you see and feel what you feel. I've
seen them all Adam … I've held your hand ..."
Adam's mind reeled with what she was saying. This can't be happening. He knew he felt her
presence but thought it was in his mind … he never considered … "When did you feel it last?" he
asked impatiently.
"About six hours ago. Large man on a hillside. You were wounded in your side and…"
Adam hung up the phone. He couldn't talk to her about this right now. He had to think.
Beth held the phone in her hand for a few seconds. He hadn't let her tell him the most important
part. She wondered if he would call back or if he would guess … "God please let him
understand."
Beth awoke with a jerk. Her heart was racing and the sensation of pain in her side was still very
vivid.
"It happened again." She panicked as she sat up from the cot in Cassie's room and reached to
feel the child's warmth in the early morning light. Beth needed to reassure herself as much as
she did the baby that everything was all right.
Cassie's condition had improved and the doctor allowed her to be placed in a private room the
night before. She'd insisted Duncan, Amanda and the others go home to Rosa's. Everyone was
due a good night's sleep.
Beth realized after this last connection that she should have discussed it with Adam. She'd
actually been surprised when he never mentioned it, but maybe it was something only she would
feel. After all, he would be in an actual Quickening and might not realize how it is affecting her.
She'd worried he would think her crazy, and with all the tension, hadn't wanted to risk making
things worse. Now she regretted that decision.
Most of the more than 2 dozen times she'd felt the connection, she'd been concerned and a little
afraid, but not like she was when the effects made her heart stop … literally. It had happened
once before, the night Garrett thought she was having a heart attack, and again just now.
"I've got to find a way to tell him what this could mean." Beth whispered to the sleeping child as
she peered over the rails of the crib and stroked her gently as she tried to recover from the shock
of it all. "He needs to know the risk he is taking with our lives."
She knew she had to find a way, but didn't know how since he'd vanished. At least she knew he
still cared enough to call and find out about Cassie's condition. She'd hoped that by cutting off
his means of checking, he might not be able to stay away and she'd have one more time to try
and convince him to stay, but after 3 days he had not come.
Richie knocked softly on the door and she called for him to come in.
"You look terrible." He commented, noting how her skin seemed devoid of color and her
breathing labored.
"I guess it's all hitting me." She replied, not wanting to tell him why.
"I brought breakfast." He told her as he set a cup of coffee and a plate of Rosa's pastries on the
table beside the cot.
Beth smiled and reached for a pastry. Eating might make her feel a little better. She was still a
little woozie from the brief death experience.
"One of the night nurses said Adam called again for information about Cassie. She was just
going off shift and wondered if you still wanted them to be silent about her condition over the
phone." Richie told her.
Beth looked at the phone in the room and then had an idea. "Will you stay with Cassie a
minute?"
She didn't wait for him to answer. She walked to the nurse's station and made a request. The
nurse's were more than willing to oblige. They hadn't felt comfortable with the situation.
Beth came back into the room. If Adam was true to form, he wouldn't go more than 12 hours
without calling. He'd called around 4 that morning and might call earlier if he thought he could get
information from someone who had just come on shift. She hoped he wouldn't give up until he
knew if the baby was all right.
"Everything all right?" Richie asked.
"Yeah … I just … look Richie, if the phone rings I need to answer it, and will want to be left alone
to take the call." She told him. "If the others come by can you make sure that happens?"
Richie nodded. He could do that.
Duncan and Amanda were going to wait until afternoon to stop by, but Joe and Ellen came an
hour or so after Richie.
"She's looking so much better." Ellen commented.
"Yes, now that the fever has broken we only need to wait for the rash to heal and her strength to
return. She actually drank a full bottle this morning." Beth beamed as she held the infant.
The phone rang and Joe started to reach for it.
"No!" Beth and Richie said together.
"We need to leave Beth alone." Richie said as he handed Joe his canes and nodded to Ellen.
"What's going on?" Joe asked. He received his answer when Beth picked up the phone.
"Adam … don't hang up." She said quickly. The nurse at the desk had told him to hold for
information and then patched his call through. "It's important."
That was all they heard because Richie closed the door behind them.
"How is Cassie?" Adam asked, his throat constricting at the sound of Beth's voice.
"If I tell you, will you please stay on the line for 2 minutes? I need to tell you something else and
then you can go … I promise." Beth replied.
"I'll listen." He promised, wishing she wouldn't torture them both like this.
"Cassie is better. She's in a private room and the fever is gone." She told him. "She will be able
to leave the hospital in a few days."
Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good. I knew she was a survivor. You'll be taking her
home then?"
"Yes. We'll stay with Rosa a few days and then when we know it's safe we will fly back home …
to Seacouver." She added.
Adam didn't like the way that sounded. "You should be with your family."
"I will, but I'm not ready to face them … or their questions. I've talked to them of course every
day about Cassie's condition, but they don't know about … us … and I need some time." Beth
replied, trying to keep a check on her emotions.
Adam didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Is that what you wanted to tell me? Were you
wanting to make sure I knew where to find you if I changed my mind?"
"No, that's not what I needed to tell you, and you've been clear that you won't change your mind.
As much as I wish things could be different … I can't make you stay …"
"I'm sorry." He replied simply.
"Well if that is true, and if you really do love me like you said you did … yesterday …" she began.
"then I have one request."
Adam closed his eyes and groaned inwardly when he realized she'd heard his declaration. He
thought she'd been asleep. "I can't come back if that is the request."
Beth wiped her eyes, her voice shaking. "I'm not asking that … I'm going to try and do what you
want and build a life for Cassie and I … without you."
Adam could hear her emotions beginning to rise and wished he hadn't promised to let her finish.
At least she sounded as though she was accepting how things had to be.
"If I'm going to try and move on … without you, then I can't have reminders popping up a week
from now or a month from now … or three years from now." She continued. "It wouldn't be fair."
"I agree. You need to make a clean break." He replied, trying not to hate the idea of her moving
on.
"Then you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything I can." Adam replied.
"You can't take any more heads." Beth stated flatly.
"What?" Adam couldn't believe what she was asking and thought it was just another way to make
him feel guilty for leaving. "Don't be ridiculous Beth. It's what I am. It's what I must do to
survive."
"Then don't try to fool yourself into believing I can move on." She replied. "Every time you take a
Quickening, you'll just be reminding me again of what I can't have."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the connection I feel every time you take a Quickening Adam. I'm talking about
the young man with the spanish accent behind the cantina. I'm talking about the woman on the
rooftop, the cop in the desert, the man on the beach … and each of the more than 2 dozen
Quickenings you've taken since the night Garrett took me from you. I know about them all Adam
… I know about them all."
"Then Joe or MacLeod need to learn to not tell you what they hear from the Watchers." Adam
retorted.
"They didn't tell me. They don't even know I know." Beth argued. "I know because you tell me.
Every time you take a head I feel your presence. I see what you see and feel what you feel. I've
seen them all Adam … I've held your hand ..."
Adam's mind reeled with what she was saying. This can't be happening. He knew he felt her
presence but thought it was in his mind … he never considered … "When did you feel it last?" he
asked impatiently.
"About six hours ago. Large man on a hillside. You were wounded in your side and…"
Adam hung up the phone. He couldn't talk to her about this right now. He had to think.
Beth held the phone in her hand for a few seconds. He hadn't let her tell him the most important
part. She wondered if he would call back or if he would guess … "God please let him
understand."