Chapter 2: Taken
Where… is this?
It was just the two of us in a white room by the next morning. I had stayed by her side the entire night.
"Susannah…" I murmured as I held her hand, my thumb briefly brushing the hospital tag fastened around her wrist. Various machines were beeping in the background, a steady rhythm that threatened to lull me asleep. Tubes and drips wove together; somehow aiding her while she remained in this unconscious state. It seemed so long ago that I too was studying modern day medicine to help people like this.
But I only saw her, my querida.
I was at a complete loss as to what had happened. After Susannah's phone had cut off, I rushed to her house. Her mother had answered the door, a little confused, but upon seeing my anxiety agreed to look in on her to see if something was wrong. When we reached her room, Susannah was lying on the floor unconscious, phone still in hand.
She simply would not wake up. No amount of noise or movement would rouse her. The doctors were completely baffled. There were no bruises to indicate trauma or signs of asphyxiation. To them, Susannah Simon had slipped into a coma for no reason at all.
But I knew better. Suze's last words were towards a ghost. A ghost with red eyes. In my 170 years on this earth, I had never seen such a spirit. When someone dies, they become the form they are most the comfortable and natural.
And red eyes are not natural.
Bringing her hand up to my lips, I silently promised to bring her back. Just as she had done for me twice already. The warmth of her skin signaled she was still alive, meaning there was still time to find out what had done this to her. Only several weeks ago I would have suspected the obvious: Paul Slater.
But things were different now.
He gave me his word that he would honor her choice, and I could do nothing but trust him.
As if on cue, there was a knock. In the open doorway was Paul, standing behind an old man in a wheelchair who had to be Dr. Slaski. The old man seemed barely conscious, as if he also needed hospital care, but according to both Susannah and Paul, this was just a ruse. For what reason, they never questioned.
"We heard from the principal," explained Paul as he wheeled his grandfather to Susannah's bedside. I had called Father Dominic as soon as she was taken to the hospital. Supernatural or not, he cared a great deal for her well-being.
Paul had not looked at me when he said it though. His eyes, sad and pained, were completely set on Susannah. Any lingering thoughts that Paul was involved were swept away.
"Any idea what happened?" he asked softly, still watching her.
I looked down at her hand again that I was still holding, "Not sure. I was talking to her on the phone when she mentioned another ghost had appeared in her room. One with red eyes."
Paul finally turned to me, eyes wide, "Red? That's -" He was interrupted by a coughing fit from Dr. Slaski, who seemed to be choking on his own words as he tried to say something. Paul patted him on the back, "Take it easy, gramps! What's wrong?"
Dr. Slaski seemed to suddenly snap into lucidity, crumpling the tissue Paul was using to wipe away the spittle that had come with the coughing spasm. "Take it easy! We can't take it easy! She's been taken, boy!"
"What do you mean 'taken'?" I asked sharply.
"Her soul!" urged the old man, "Don't you understand! The only other time shifters go limp like this is when they visit the shadow world. And if she didn't do it herself, she's been taken there!" He looked almost crazed as he threw the tissue back at his grandson.
Paul and I were at a loss for words. Dr. Slaski put his head in his wrinkled hands, rocking back and forth like a lost child. I needed answers. Finally, I asked quietly, "Can she be brought back?"
He stopped and looked up at me, "Yes, but…" He shook his head, "There's so much I can't even begin to tell you…"
"What do you mean, Gramps?" asked Paul.
Dr. Slaski was speaking so quietly, we had to lean in to hear him over the medical machines. "Shifters have the ability to take or replace a soul, but we're not the only ones who can."
My heart skipped a beat as I felt a terrible sense of foreboding. Paul pushed on, "Who? Someone with red eyes?"
Dr. Slaski nodded sadly, "Red eyes. The eyes of Death himself."
Silence.
I gripped Susannah's hand tighter, "Are you saying that a personification of Death took Susannah's soul?" It didn't make sense. When I died, I certainly hadn't seen any red-eyed beings check in on me. Nor had I seen any previous spirits taken away by one. Vortexes into shadowland, yes, but never a being of Death.
Paul echoed my thoughts, "But Suze isn't dead!"
"But she will be. Remember what I told you about shifting?"
Paul let out a frustrated sigh and said in monotone, "There are three parts to being just as there are to shifting. 'Here, there, and the border' become 'Mind, body, and soul.' Taking away one offsets the rest eventually." I suppose Dr. Slaski had drilled the lesson into his grandson many times before.
"I should know," Dr. Slaski muttered. He seemed to struggle with falling asleep, squinting frequently before finally managing to keep his gaze concentrated. He sighed and stared at me, as if suddenly realizing something, "You're that ghost boy, aren't you? The one she brought back."
"Yes," I introduced myself, "Jesse de Silva."
"So that's it then." He settled back in his wheelchair, looking defeated.
"What's it?" asked Paul.
"I was wondering why Death would pick up that girl personally. It must've been one giant feat she did to unbalance that lot. And there it is," he vaguely gestured in my direction, "She brought him back from the dead, so Death took her in return."
I couldn't speak. It was my fault. I wasn't dead so Susannah was my replacement. Dr. Slaski's tone hadn't been accusing, just stating the facts, but I knew it was my fault in essence. My fault. I was alive.
I could barely hear Dr. Slaski continue to talk to me, "Don't take it so hard, boy. She made the decision herself, didn't she?"
"We didn't know!" I burst out, getting out of my chair. The circumstances leading back to my sudden status of 'alive' were purely by luck and coincidence. "Susannah never set out to purposely find me a body!"
"What's done is done. There are higher powers at work here you can't even begin to imagine." I was about to yell at the old man for basically saying there was no hope until I noticed the bitter tone with which he said that latter statement. He was gripping the handles of his chair rather tightly.
Paul picked up on it too. He looked down at his grandfather and said lowly, "You know how to find her, don't you?" I perked up. If there was any chance of bringing back Susannah, I would take it.
Dr. Slaski was still for a moment before he remarked, "Your grandmother was a bit like this girl. Strong-willed, lovely. I couldn't let her go either." Before either of us could comment or question this, he turned to me and said, "Paul will have to take you. I'm too weak to do much traveling anymore."
"Where?" I asked.
"Beyond the door," he said simply, "Walk to the end of the hallway. Can't miss it." Dr. Slaski then slumped into his chair with a wheeze, sound asleep.
After a futile attempt to wake Dr. Slaski again, Paul and I wordlessly got ready. It was like a heavy weight on my heart, mulling over the price we had paid. I don't know what Paul was thinking, although I'm certain he blamed me as well.
We settled in chairs next to Susannah's bed as Paul put his hand on my shoulder to assure he would shift me as well. He asked quietly, "Ready?"
"One thing first." He looked at me, curious despite himself. I took in a deep shuddering breath and said, "If I don't make it back with you two, take care of Susannah." If it was a life Death wanted, he would have to take mine.
Paul stared at me like I was the stupidest thing he had ever seen, "What are you talking about? We're all coming back together." He was smirking, but in an encouraging way. "Then you guys can get back to saving puppies and kittens or whatever it is you do-gooders do."
I returned the smile, "Then I guess I'm ready."
"Here we go." There was a sudden lightness in me and I blinked. We were there.
Author's Notes: While on hiatus, I've actually been turning this story into an original one. Since I'll probably never actually publish that finished product, I figured whoever is still reading this might still want the rest of this fic. So, yeah, here it is. If you're lucky, I'll get bored/inspired enough to finish Querida Mia or Role Reversal 2 that people seem to like so much.
Huh, leave for a few months and all these new doo-dads and stats pop up.
Anyway, happy readings.