Chapter Six
It was when the touring group reached the kendo training room Lector had made for Nesbitt than they suddenly realized something wasn't right.
"Hey, where is Mr. Nesbitt?" Evangeline frowned.
Lector stiffened. "He's not here?!" He looked around with a start. Nesbitt was often quiet in a group, so he hadn't thought anything of the silence. But now it was painfully clear that indeed, the antisocial brunet was simply not there.
"Maybe he went to bed?" Crump suggested.
"I doubt it." Lector pulled out his phone and immediately dialed Nesbitt's number, without luck. "He was so worried about Miss Nosaka. . . ."
"You think he'd sneak out and go back there alone to challenge that thing?!" Crump exclaimed in horror. "Not even Nesbitt would be that crazy, would he?!"
Lector was already shoving the phone back in his pocket and running upstairs to check Nesbitt's room. "Oh yes he would!" he moaned.
"I'm afraid I agree with Lector," Gansley said. "Nesbitt has always been the type to take matters into his own hands if he doesn't agree with everyone else's solutions."
The sight of Nesbitt's empty room was more than enough to convince all of them of the likely truth. The group turned, hurrying back downstairs and out to the car.
"Maybe we should call the Nosakas?" Evangeline breathlessly exclaimed as they climbed into the limousine. "He'd have to talk to them to do anything, wouldn't he?"
"Unless he planned on breaking in," Angelique frowned.
"Or standing in the yard and trying to draw it out?" Johnson suggested.
"Nesbitt knew the parents would probably refuse any help until after the exorcism," Lector said. "He wouldn't bother them if he could avoid it." He quietly clenched a fist at his side before turning the key in the ignition. He didn't want to wait to get the chauffeur from his quarters; they needed to go now.
"Perhaps I should drive," Gansley suggested. "You might be too upset right now, Lector."
Lector didn't protest. He vacated the driver's seat, allowing Gansley to take over. "I don't know whether to call the Nosakas or not," he fretted. "They could see if Nesbitt is lying hurt somewhere, but if he's currently fighting that thing, they might get hurt trying to help him."
"Maybe we should have looked all through the house before deciding he left," Angelique said.
"He's not answering his phone, his room is empty, and he wasn't happy to leave Miss Nosaka with that vengeful spirit overnight," Lector said. "That's good enough for me." He slumped back in the seat, staring blankly at the ceiling as Gansley skillfully and calmly drove towards Melody's house. "How did I not notice he wasn't with us?!"
"Sometimes we all forget that Nesbitt knows how to be a shadow," Gansley said. "It's easy for him to slip away from us."
"But I should have realized he might try that!" Lector insisted.
"Oh Démas . . ." Evangeline reached and laid a hand on his arm. "If Angelique and I hadn't agreed to stay with you, maybe it wouldn't have happened. . . ."
Lector started. "No." He firmly grasped his sister's hand. "If the two of you hadn't been here, Nesbitt would have still sneaked off. He just might have waited until later in the night, and then we might not have discovered him missing until morning."
". . . Well, if you can look at it that way," Evangeline said doubtfully.
"I can," Lector insisted. "The two of you being here is a good thing, for many reasons."
It was a relief for all of them when Gansley turned onto the right street and Nesbitt's dark blue car was visible. But the relief was only temporary; now they knew Nesbitt was there, but not in what condition. Lector was leaping out of the limousine almost before Gansley could pull up behind Nesbitt's car and park.
"Hey hey hey! Don't you go being reckless too!" Crump exclaimed.
Lector didn't listen, especially when he saw a body sprawled in the snow and covered with a thin dusting of more white powder. "Nesbitt!" He tore over and knelt next to his treasured friend. Gently he brushed the snow away from Nesbitt's pale face and pushed his hand under the scarf to feel for a pulse.
Nesbitt started and stirred at the movement. His eyes opened halfway, weakly focusing on Lector. "Lec- . . ." He groaned, turning away.
"Nesbitt, what on Earth did you do?!" Lector cried.
Nesbitt managed a weak smirk. "I . . . weakened him. . . ."
"And yourself! Do you realize you could have froze to death?!" Lector pulled Nesbitt close to him, hugging him firmly as he shivered in Lector's arms.
"I knew . . . you'd find me," Nesbitt mumbled into Lector's shoulder.
"Nesbitt!" Lector burst out in dismay.
By now the others were running up as well. "How is he?!" Crump demanded.
"He must have maxed out his ring's power, just as I did that time," Lector told him. "He says he weakened the evil spirit." He rubbed Nesbitt's back. "We have to get him inside. . . ."
The front door flew open and Melody stood there in shock. "What's happening?!" she gasped.
Lector stood with Nesbitt in his arms. "We'll explain, but please, we have to bring Nesbitt inside," he implored. "He's cold and weak and I don't know how long he was laying there!"
Melody's eyes widened and she stepped aside. "Of course!"
Lector hurried across the yard and into the warm house, the others trailing after him. In his panic to get Nesbitt to safety, it didn't occur to Lector to knock the excess snow off his shoes and pieces of white ice crystals were tracked across the entryway and through the living room. Lector laid Nesbitt tenderly on the nearest couch and bent over him, checking his vital signs again. By now Nesbitt had slipped back into unconsciousness—hopefully only from using up energy and not from the onset of hypothermia. Mr. Muffin, observing from the top of the couch, meowed in concern.
Melody also leaned over the top of the couch. "Why was he laying out there?!" she exclaimed.
"He was so worried about you, Miss Nosaka," Lector told her. "He risked everything to come back here and fight that evil spirit all alone to protect you and your family!"
Melody's eyes widened. "Oh!"
"He says he weakened it," Lector continued, "so you should all be very safe until the priest can come tomorrow."
"But what about Mr. Nesbitt?!" Melody exclaimed.
Gansley had also been checking Nesbitt's vitals, knowing Lector was so distressed and might not be able to do it with a clear head. He soon looked up with a gruff but comforting smile. "There's no indication of hypothermia," he said. "Most likely, he was only laying there for a few minutes. He's exhausted from overusing his ring, but otherwise, I believe he's alright."
"Are you sure?!" Lector turned to look at him.
"Remember, I also dealt with you being in such a state," Gansley said. He looked to Melody. "After we warm him up a few minutes, we won't trouble you longer. He should be fine if we take him home."
"Melody hopes so," Melody declared.
"That was such a reckless thing to do," Lector berated.
"Yeah, just like when you did it," Crump pointed out.
"When was this?!" Evangeline exclaimed.
"It was some time back," Gansley said. He wasn't surprised that Lector hadn't told her. "Perhaps we can get into it later."
Lector sighed and looked down at his friend, resting peacefully on the couch with snow melting in his hair. "He's a good man," he said. "And he's grown very protective of the innocent."
"Melody is grateful," Melody said softly.
Crump looked to her. "Hey, uh, I hope your parents won't be ticked off that he didn't wait for the priest to come do his thing first, like they wanted. . . ."
Melody smiled. "When he was trying to protect us, they'll understand."
"Good," Johnson said.
It wasn't long before Nesbitt began to look and feel warmer. The color returned to his face and he rolled onto his side, trying to loosen his scarf in his sleep. Lector smiled, reaching to undo it.
"Oh, thank goodness," Evangeline said in relief.
"Why isn't he waking up?" Melody demanded.
"Lector drifted in and out of consciousness for quite a few hours when he overtaxed his ring," Gansley said. "Nesbitt looks like he'll be fine. We won't impose on you any longer; we'll take him home to recover there."
"Well, okay," Melody said slowly, "but Melody wants to know when he's awake!"
"We'll let you know how he's doing tomorrow, Miss Nosaka," Lector said. "It would be awfully late to call you any more tonight. Your parents would probably get woke up." He bent down and lifted Nesbitt into his arms.
Melody made a face. "But Melody won't be able to sleep until she's sure he'll be okay!"
"He might not fully wake up until morning anyway," Gansley said. "We're certain he'll be alright. Take that comfort with you and get to bed for now."
"Melody will try," Melody sighed. "But please, thank him for Melody?"
Lector smiled. "Of course."
Even though he was still carrying Nesbitt, his burden felt far lighter than when they had come up to the house. The snow was still falling as they headed back down to the limousine, but Lector barely noticed. He laid Nesbitt gently on the seat and sat next to him.
"You foolish, reckless man," he said. "No one could ask for a more staunch protector."
"He's very sweet, although he'd be the first to deny it!" Evangeline exclaimed.
"That's true on both counts," Johnson smirked.
"You're sure he'll be alright?" Angelique asked in concern.
"Quite sure," Gansley said. He got into the driver's seat and carefully pulled away from the curb before heading down the street and turning the corner.
"Yeah, he doesn't look as bad as Lector did when he overtaxed his ring," Crump blurted. "Probably because he wasn't under a big emotional strain too."
Lector frowned a bit. "Crump . . . !"
The worry was definitely flashing in Evangeline's eyes now. "Oh Démas . . . there's probably a lot of awful things you haven't told me, aren't there?!"
Lector sighed. "Some," he admitted. "But only because I didn't want to burden you, Evangeline. Especially with things that were already over and done with."
"Well . . ." Evangeline managed a smile. "You're forgiven. But I'd want to know even after they've already resolved!"
"Maybe Lector wouldn't want to talk about them, though," Nesbitt mumbled as he opened his eyes.
Lector brightened. "Nesbitt . . . !" He bent down to embrace his friend.
Nesbitt weakly hugged back. He still looked groggy, but alright. "Sorry . . . for making you worry," he slurred.
"I have half a mind to yell, but I won't," Lector said. "Especially when I did the same thing, as Crump keeps reminding us."
Nesbitt settled into Lector's arms. "I'd . . . probably yell."
"I won't, though," Lector insisted. "How are you feeling?"
Nesbitt gave a weak shrug. "Not great."
"Yeah, you sure can't be," Crump said. "You never admit it!"
"You'll need a good rest," Gansley said, looking at them through the rear-view mirror. "But you should be fine, just as Lector was."
"Rest sounds good," Nesbitt mumbled. "Is the kid safe?"
"Yes," Lector said. "They should all be fine for the night, thanks to your reckless behavior."
Nesbitt looked satisfied. He slipped back to sleep before they reached the house.
"I'll stay with him for the night and make sure he's alright," Lector said, to no one's surprise.
"Good," Gansley nodded. "I'm sure he'll recover even faster in that case." He pulled into the driveway and the gates closed behind them.
"This has been too much excitement for us," Evangeline said. "Christmas should be peaceful! I hope nothing else will go wrong!"
"Nesbitt would say it probably would," Johnson said. "But I'm sure we all hope he's wrong."
"I most certainly do," Lector said. He eased himself out of the car once Gansley parked and reached to lift Nesbitt out as well. Nesbitt mumbled something indiscernible but didn't wake up.
"We should probably tell Yugi and the others what happened," Gansley remarked. "If Brutus has indeed been weakened, that would be comforting for all of them to know."
"Good point," Crump said. "I'll send out the text!"
They all headed inside, with Lector swiftly taking Nesbitt upstairs to Nesbitt's room. Although he tried not to, he couldn't help being haunted by the thought of what could have happened had they not discovered Nesbitt missing almost immediately. If Nesbitt had laid out in the cold for very long . . .
A shudder went up his spine as he laid Nesbitt on the large bed. He didn't want to finish that thought.
"You foolish man," he said quietly while he set about gently getting Nesbitt's coat, tie, and shoes off. When he briefly left to wash his hands and returned, Nesbitt had rolled onto his side and pulled the comforter with him.
Lector had to laugh. "Somehow I think this must be very different from when I overtaxed my ring," he remarked. Maybe the difference really was that Nesbitt wasn't carrying an emotional burden. He seemed quite at peace.
He stepped back, surveying his friend. He didn't like to have to disturb him, but Nesbitt's pants, at least, were wet from his time laying in the snow. Lector had little choice but to help him change out of them.
"You can't lay like this all night, my friend," he said as he carefully tugged on the quilt to pull it back. Nesbitt resisted, and it took Lector several moments to gently pry it away so he could continue.
Actually changing Nesbitt's clothes was an adventure as well. He rolled about and resisted and made it all around difficult. But Lector couldn't be too frustrated, not when he thought about the last time he had needed to do this. He had thought Nesbitt was dead then. The man had been so limp and cold and completely lifeless. It still haunted Lector's dreams sometimes. He would take any amount of Nesbitt being difficult over that. Nevertheless, he was exhausted when the task was finally completed. But he smiled when he finished by laying Nesbitt properly under the covers and his friend immediately grabbed the pillow.
"You probably will be fine, Nesbitt," Lector said as he loosened his tie. "But I'll stick around to make sure of that."
He changed clothes and swiftly returned. Settling down on the opposite side of the king-size bed, he watched Nesbitt until sleep overtook him.
xxxx
Melody was still awake long into the night. She sat on the couch in the living room, holding Mr. Muffin and staring into the distance, lost in thought. Nesbitt had lain there not that long ago, badly hurt from trying to protect Melody and her family.
"He really is something special, isn't he?" she said to her cat.
Mr. Muffin merowed and swished his fluffy tail on the sofa.
"Melody hopes he's going to be okay. We'll have to call tomorrow and ask, won't we?"
Mr. Muffin purred and jumped down, hurrying to the basement door.
Melody stared after him in horror. "What are you doing?! We can't go down there!"
Mr. Muffin started down the stairs anyway. From his determination, he clearly knew where he wanted to go.
"Ohhh!" Melody got up and ran over. "Melody can't just leave you to do something scary! But you better not spoil what Mr. Nesbitt did for us!" Swallowing hard, she forced her fear down and chased her beloved cat down the stairs.
Mr. Muffin was waiting for her at the bottom. He purred, stood, and walked to a room that had been ignored before. Surprised, Melody went over. "What's this?" She pushed the door open and switched on the light.
The room was incredible. Though mostly bare, there was a peaceful feeling of goodness that prevailed through the entire space. It was the complete opposite of the horrible hallway.
Melody gasped in amazement. "Was this what you were trying to show Melody when we found that awful ghost?" she asked.
Mr. Muffin purred, rubbing against the wall next to the door. Oddly enough, it seemed to be a counter with a window into the room. Melody leaned on it, examining the few stray G.I. Joe figures and accessories that had been left behind. "This is nice," she said, fingering a tiny hat. "It feels better in here than it does on the second floor! Even though Melody knows there's scary things out there, somehow they don't reach in here. This is safe."
She walked through the doorway and stood looking at the mostly empty room, Mr. Muffin purring at her side. There were some stray papers hanging on the wall by one corner each, and a few more scattered in drawers, but not much else save for the occasional G.I. Joe toy on the floor, usually by the woodwork or under the counter.
Melody sat down on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest. "Melody likes it here," she said. "If we stay on, maybe Melody would like this to be her new room."
Mr. Muffin rubbed her in approval. He was often scared of the second floor as well.
"Maybe we'll stay here tonight." Melody moved over to be under the overhanging counter and laid down on the floor. Mr. Muffin promptly curled up next to her and she giggled. "Melody will be warm with you here, Mr. Muffin. Although . . ." She sat up and sighed. "It is pretty cold down here. Melody might still catch cold laying on the floor. We'd probably better get the mattress, at least. . . ."
Carrying a mattress down two flights of stairs would not be an easy task. But, buoyed up by the thought of sleeping somewhere safe, Melody scampered out to give it her best try. Mr. Muffin padded after her, tail held high.
xxxx
Duke sighed, staring off at the wall in the darkened bedroom. His mind still hadn't quieted enough to allow him to sleep yet. He was exhausted, but he couldn't stop thinking of the memories of the past. Finally he sat up, brushing his hair away from his face with a scowl. He would have to give up for now.
As he shuffled into the living room, he immediately caught sight of David sitting up on the couch and carefully going through the pages of Duke's lone photo album. "Can't sleep either, huh?" Duke greeted.
David looked up. "I was just looking over some good memories," he said. "Maybe it would do you good to see them too, Duke."
Duke sighed and sat down next to him. "I only have that one album and it's not even completely filled," he remarked.
"Ah, the age of digital photos," David intoned. "Nowadays, everyone's phones and tablets are their photo albums."
Duke snorted. "True enough," he said. "That isn't my reason, though."
David sobered. "I know." Duke only had one photo album because he hadn't felt like he had many memories worth keeping until semi-recently. His father had drilled it into him about not being able to trust anyone, so he hadn't felt free to even have connections with people until after his father's death. And the scars of having lived with that twisted man still showed. David saw them now, reflected in Duke's eyes. Sometimes, such as during crises like this mess with Tristan, Duke seemed even more weighed down than he had during his childhood. Maybe it just seemed that way because Duke had worn down to the point that he let it show more, but it upset David regardless. It always felt to him like Tristan didn't really know or care what he was doing to always lash out at someone who had already suffered so much in his short life. But he didn't want to say that because it would sound like he was advocating coddling Duke. Duke wasn't a child and didn't need to be coddled. Still, it always roused the ire of the one who had always been Duke's protective friend and had recognized that most people didn't understand him.
Duke averted his gaze, letting his side bangs fall across his face as he leaned over the open book. "Hey, here's us and Serenity and Snakes the last time Snakes was with us," he noted, pointing to a picture of the group standing in front of Evangeline's and Angelique's home in New Orleans.
David nodded. "I remember the four of us made a pact to be the kind of friends that Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa are," he said.
"And we've stuck to that," Duke said. "I just wish Snakes would move up here." He sighed and leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. "He already had a life when I blew in on him. I couldn't ask him to give that up."
"He does what he can to divide his time," David said. "But I understand it not feeling like enough, especially for you, Duke. He was there for you when I couldn't be and you couldn't stay in Domino City with Serenity."
Duke nodded. "I'm glad I have you back, though," he said.
"I know," David said.
Duke sat up straight again, rubbing at the side of his face in frustration. "I keep feeling like I need to do something about the ghost in Melody's house," he said. "I know we figured me being around probably makes it worse, and normally I'd stick to being that logical. It's just hard to on this. I don't like feeling like an innocent person being tortured by a hateful ghost is my fault."
David sighed sadly. "It's not your fault if he chooses to be consumed by hate, Duke. But I understand you not feeling like you can accept that. I just hope you won't go back there anyway. I'm sure it wouldn't help."
"Have they sent any more messages?" Duke asked. He hadn't received any, but if anything else upsetting happened, they might leave him off the message list. David might receive the information in Duke's place.
"They said something about the parents wanting a priest to come do an exorcism tomorrow," David said. "Nesbitt ended up going back alone and fighting the ghost to protect the family. He weakened it, at least."
Duke jerked. "Is he hurt?!"
"He seems to be alright," David said, "but he overtaxed his ring."
Duke sighed. "That's Nesbitt for you. I wouldn't have believed it when we first met, but he's a very soft-hearted and protective person."
David thoughtfully nodded. "I wouldn't have believed it either. I hated him at first. He's too reckless, but there couldn't be a more loyal person to have looking out for you."
"Definitely." Duke frowned. "I hope the exorcism works. We deal with magic so much, it seems like we're always forgetting there's other ways of dealing with supernatural problems."
David looked thoughtful. "That's kind of sad, actually," he mused. "My parents would be horrified that I'm not focusing more on religious solutions. I would have in the past. That was actually part of why they objected to me getting close to you—your father being obsessed with magic objects like the Millennium Puzzle and the Devil's Boardgame."
"I know. But sometimes religious solutions don't seem to work," Duke grunted.
"Only you could say that the magic solutions might not work if God didn't let them," David remarked. "And for that matter, magic doesn't always work."
"Yeah," Duke sighed. "True, we ended up concluding that God was trying to tell us something like that when Snakes was revived after the tomb collapsed." He started to get up. "I'm going to make some hot chocolate. You want some?"
David set the photo album aside and stood as well. "Chocolate is one of the magic words," he smirked.
"What are the others, or do I want to know?" Duke asked.
"Money, family, and friends," David grandly answered.
Duke nodded in approval. "I can get behind that."
David was still smirking as he followed Duke into the kitchen. But behind the glare of the light off his glasses, his eyes flickered worriedly. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about this whole ghost problem. And since the last time he had had such a dark feeling had been during the infamous drug-smuggling catastrophe, he was inclined to listen. Hopefully he could keep Duke safe without forfeiting his life this time. They had both sadly learned that that was not a good or healthy outcome for either of them.
