Richie jolted awake, nearly falling out of the chair he had collapsed in the night before. Looking across the room, he saw the girl was awake. She was struggling to get out of the bed. She turned as he stumbled to his feet, tripping over the blanket that pooled around his feet. "Whoa! Where are you going?"
"The…restroom?" She looked at him, embarrassed.
"Oh, over here." Richie went over and took her arm to help her up. She must have felt the electrical current this time for she gasped and looked at his hand as if amazed. Richie ignored it, unsure of what to say to her, for he certainly didn't understand it. Instead he just helped her hobble to the bathroom. After several minutes, he helped her back into bed.
"Richie? Did you really have a sword?" Her blue eyes were clear as she studied him this time.
"Yes, I did." He told her the truth. Assuming that if he could feel her emotions, then she might be able to feel his and know if he lied.
"And you attacked those…men?" She looked up at him hopefully.
"Yeah, but I just screamed and waved it around. I just scared them off."
"Oh. You didn't kill them?" She sighed, disappointed.
"No, but, I would have if they would have stuck around." Richie told her, shocked as he did, for he realized he spoke the truth.
"Thanks." She studied him again. "Why'd you do it? They could have killed you, they had guns."
"I doubt that." Richie said, hoping she would stop questioning him. "I was taught to help those in trouble. I only wish I had found you sooner."
"You must have amazing parents." She sighed again, this time wistful as she looked at him. "You're lucky."
"No, never knew my parents. Mac, the guy who fixed your head, he taught me to be the way I am. When he found me, I was a street rat. In fact, he caught me breaking into his store. Sort of took me in to raise, instead of putting me in prison which was where I was heading."
"So you go around saving other street rats?" She frowned, not believing him. "That's weird."
"No, we help when we can. Lately, it seems when trouble brews, we are in the middle of it." Richie shrugged, this did not sound odd to him. He had spent the last seven years living it without really thinking about it. After a quiet knock, Duncan entered carrying a tray of food and some knew bandages. "This is Mac. He fixed you up last night."
"T-thank you." She eyed the newcomer nervously, he was big. The look on his face was not friendly as he placed the tray on the table and the bandages on the bed.
"Thank Richie. It was because of him that I did it. I don't know what kind of trouble your in, and I really don't want to know. Just keep it from my house."
"Mac?" Richie looked at his friend questioningly, a little hurt by his cruel words to the girl. Duncan didn't say another thing as he changed the bandage and left the room. Richie stared after him until the girl spoke up.
"He's right. I should leave." She sat up, wincing in pain, but determined. "I have no right to get everyone involved with my problems."
"I'm involved already. Ever since we first touched, we became connected." Richie insisted but she gave him a look that told him that she didn't believe him. "Feel this?" He reached over and touched her, she gasped as electricity surged between them again. "I feel something. I felt your fear and pain last night. I feel your confusion right now. And I don't even know your name."
"Melissa Martin." She stared at her arm, where he still touched, the current had lessoned a little but the electricity was still there. "I felt it last night, at the club. You touched me then and it frightened me."
"And you ran off. I looked for you. When I couldn't find you, my friends helped me." Richie sighed. "I'm sorry about Mac. He's really a great guy. I don't know what's wrong with him today." He was about to say something else but was interrupted by the presence of another.
"Richie? Is something the matter?" Melissa called as he got up. He pulled the sword from under the bed and left the room. "This is creepy." She murmured to herself. A few minutes later Richie returned with another man. He placed the sword back under the bed and introduced the older man.
"Sorry about that Melissa. This is another friend of mine, Adam Pierson. I promise he'll be nicer than Mac was." Richie pulled his chair up close to the bed again as Adam circled to the other side. "Adam, this is Melissa Martin."
"Hello." Adam took her hand as Duncan entered the room. She gasped and pulled her hand away from Adam after a slight current passed between them. "You're like him! Just not as strong." She looked at Adam and Richie, confused.
Duncan frowned. "Have you told her yet?"
"No, I didn't know if I should." Richie looked sheepishly at the others. "I know you didn't tell me right away." He accused Duncan. "You didn't tell me till after it happened."
"Tell me what? Am I dying?" Melissa looked at the men around her. They were talking about her as if she was not there.
"No, you don't have to worry about that." Adam smiled at her. "What we are talking about is that you are soon to be one of us."
"What?" She looked to Richie, seeking out the one she trusted to explain things to her. Richie looked at his friends and they slowly left the room, leaving him to tell her alone. "What the hell is going on here? Don't try to freak me out by telling me we're aliens. I don't believe in that shit."
"We are not aliens…I think. It is something as weird and unbelievable. We are Immortal. And you are too. Or will be someday." Richie avoided looking at her as he said this.
"And how do you know this?" She asked, clearly not believing him.
"I actually died four years ago." Richie frowned, realizing she would be hard to convince. Although, without witnessing his battle and quickening of Slan Quince, Duncan would have had trouble convincing him. "I'm not joking. I can not die as normal people do. I was shot in the chest twice at point blank range and got up and walked away. I've died several times…motorcycle accident….I jumped off a five story building. I was shot again in the chest. The only way my life will end is if someone cuts off my head."
"Look, you are starting to freak me out now. The joke is over." Melissa admitted, irritated that he thought her so stupid as to believe this.
"It's no joke, I am Immortal." Richie reached across the bed to the tray left from earlier and handed the knife to her. "Use this on me!"
"Get away from me! This joke has gone on long enough!" Melissa threw the knife across the room. She was struggling to get out of the bed as Richie retrieved it. She had made it to the end as the bed as Richie jerked his shirt open and plunged the knife into his chest.