TEN
"So, he didn't have you fooled?" asked Piper.
"He almost did at first," said Prue. "But not for very long. I just wasn't sure what he was after until just before you got there."
"What made you suspicious?" asked Phoebe.
"Mostly a bunch of little things that didn't add up," said Prue. "First, my hospital room had no windows in it. And it didn't have a television. I've never seen a hospital room without windows or a television."
"That's not much to go on," said Leo.
"There were other things," said Prue. "They knew who Leo was. Martin said they had identified his body. But if they had done that, they would have also known he died in World War II. Martin didn't even mention that part. I found it a bit odd.
"He also said Leo had a crossbow bolt in his chest. He didn't call it an arrow as most people do. I've had that happen a dozen times working at Bucklands. It just seemed strange that a medical doctor would know the difference."
"Is that all?" asked Piper.
"No," said Prue, rubbing the middle finger on her right hand. "I do a lot of writing at work. Like most people, there's a small callous on this finger from all that writing. If I had been in a coma for more than a year, it would have disappeared. There were also my earrings. I put them in with no trouble."
"That is suspicious," said Phoebe.
"Why is that suspicious?" asked Leo. "They are your earrings."
"Yes," said Piper, "but she has pierced ears like all of us. If you don't keep something in the piercing every day, the holes close up within a few days. It should have been necessary for her to get her ears pierced again after a year."
"I wouldn't have noticed something like that," said Leo.
"You're a man," said Prue. "Without pierced ears. But the most suspicious thing was the apparent loss of my powers. Those are my powers as a witch. Even without the Power of Three, I should still have had my powers. Only magic could have taken them away."
"Or a drug that temporarily suppressed them," said Leo. "That's what one of those pills did. It suppressed a part of you brain that gives you access to your powers."
"Too many things just didn't add up," said Prue. "So I stopped taking the pills they were giving me and within a day or so, my powers came back. That's when I was convinced something was going on."
"You always were the most suspicious of us," said Piper.
"I'm just glad the Elders detected the magic use," said Prue. "I didn't know what I was going to do against their deflection power."
"That's where Martin made his mistake," said Leo. "The enchantment prevented us from sensing your or your powers. But it didn't mask his power. If he hadn't used it, we wouldn't have known where you were."
"I guess he made more mistakes than he thought," said Phoebe.
"Yes, but all things considered," said Prue, "they were small mistakes. He very nearly succeeded in getting the Book of Shadows."
"Well, he didn't," said Piper. "And we were able to vanquish not only a warlock, but several demons in the process. I'd say we came out way ahead. I'm just glad we were able to get you back okay. That's the most important thing."
"I just hope I still have a job," said Prue. "I've been away for four days without even a word."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," said Phoebe. "It seems your doctor called your boss and explained you were laid up with a very severe allergic reaction."
"My doctor?" asked Prue.
"Well, I was almost a doctor once," said Leo. "Under the circumstances, I don't think this little white lie was too far out of line. By the way, if your boss should ask, you're allergic to peanuts."
"Oh, great," said Prue. "There goes my favorite candy bar."
Piper and Phoebe just laughed and hugged their big sister, grateful to have her home safe and sound.
"So, he didn't have you fooled?" asked Piper.
"He almost did at first," said Prue. "But not for very long. I just wasn't sure what he was after until just before you got there."
"What made you suspicious?" asked Phoebe.
"Mostly a bunch of little things that didn't add up," said Prue. "First, my hospital room had no windows in it. And it didn't have a television. I've never seen a hospital room without windows or a television."
"That's not much to go on," said Leo.
"There were other things," said Prue. "They knew who Leo was. Martin said they had identified his body. But if they had done that, they would have also known he died in World War II. Martin didn't even mention that part. I found it a bit odd.
"He also said Leo had a crossbow bolt in his chest. He didn't call it an arrow as most people do. I've had that happen a dozen times working at Bucklands. It just seemed strange that a medical doctor would know the difference."
"Is that all?" asked Piper.
"No," said Prue, rubbing the middle finger on her right hand. "I do a lot of writing at work. Like most people, there's a small callous on this finger from all that writing. If I had been in a coma for more than a year, it would have disappeared. There were also my earrings. I put them in with no trouble."
"That is suspicious," said Phoebe.
"Why is that suspicious?" asked Leo. "They are your earrings."
"Yes," said Piper, "but she has pierced ears like all of us. If you don't keep something in the piercing every day, the holes close up within a few days. It should have been necessary for her to get her ears pierced again after a year."
"I wouldn't have noticed something like that," said Leo.
"You're a man," said Prue. "Without pierced ears. But the most suspicious thing was the apparent loss of my powers. Those are my powers as a witch. Even without the Power of Three, I should still have had my powers. Only magic could have taken them away."
"Or a drug that temporarily suppressed them," said Leo. "That's what one of those pills did. It suppressed a part of you brain that gives you access to your powers."
"Too many things just didn't add up," said Prue. "So I stopped taking the pills they were giving me and within a day or so, my powers came back. That's when I was convinced something was going on."
"You always were the most suspicious of us," said Piper.
"I'm just glad the Elders detected the magic use," said Prue. "I didn't know what I was going to do against their deflection power."
"That's where Martin made his mistake," said Leo. "The enchantment prevented us from sensing your or your powers. But it didn't mask his power. If he hadn't used it, we wouldn't have known where you were."
"I guess he made more mistakes than he thought," said Phoebe.
"Yes, but all things considered," said Prue, "they were small mistakes. He very nearly succeeded in getting the Book of Shadows."
"Well, he didn't," said Piper. "And we were able to vanquish not only a warlock, but several demons in the process. I'd say we came out way ahead. I'm just glad we were able to get you back okay. That's the most important thing."
"I just hope I still have a job," said Prue. "I've been away for four days without even a word."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," said Phoebe. "It seems your doctor called your boss and explained you were laid up with a very severe allergic reaction."
"My doctor?" asked Prue.
"Well, I was almost a doctor once," said Leo. "Under the circumstances, I don't think this little white lie was too far out of line. By the way, if your boss should ask, you're allergic to peanuts."
"Oh, great," said Prue. "There goes my favorite candy bar."
Piper and Phoebe just laughed and hugged their big sister, grateful to have her home safe and sound.