There were too many memories settling through Vivi's mind. Some of them resonated along broken neural pathways, connecting gaps that had been sitting empty for months. Others rattled around, finding no place to rest because they were not hers.
The first time I see Lewis, he and Squire are being herded down the hall to detention. He smiles at me. Nobody at that school even looks at me anymore, but I get a smile and a wink.
Hands prodded her. Guided her. Dressed and undressed her. Washed her. Changed the bandages on her arms. She paid them no mind, examining every memory-whether hers or Lewis'-and burning it into her mind.
Hold onto your name, and he'll never take you down. That's what she always says, the little foal in the paddock. She heals me and makes sure I remember who I am.
"I won't lose you," she mumbled as an attendant dried her hair. "If I can't keep these memories when you leave, fine. I'll remember looking at them. A picture of a picture."
Her hand came up to her cheek, cupping it. The aide sighed, removing Vivi's hand from her face and returning her to bed.
Purple and blue sweep the dance floor on grad night. Others mutter about some people being "showoffs." But they are just happy to have made it. Lewis has a record-breaking amount of detentions, suspensions, and near expulsions to his name. Vivi has been held back for two years and with a string of Fails and Incompletes. But they made it to graduation. And tonight, they celebrate all across the dance floor, heedless of anyone around them, laughing with every turn around the polished wood floor, "We made it!"
Night brought terrible visions. Burning flesh and Lewis, begging for mercy. But then it wasn't Lewis, it was Arthur, writhing as the Shiker burned him alive. She woke, her screams and refusal to leave the corner she cowered in earning her another round of sedatives.
"I'm sorry," her mouth slurred. Her chest had to be turning inside out. She couldn't handle two sets of grief. "I'm sorry, Arthur."
Of course Arthur wasn't the same as Harvey. Of course he hadn't been planted by the Shiker. Of course Kay had nothing to do with it. It was so clear.
Vivi no longer had the heart to berate him. She saw the train of thought he had sealed himself into. Now he had her perspective of events alongside his own, and he could see Arthur running himself ragged trying to piece together what had snatched Lewis from them while navigating mythologies he'd been thrust into with no forewarning. And with that, Lewis' accusations against Kay fell silent as well. He knew how much his sister wanted to be freely chosen. He had just been afraid of what could be; afraid to see his best friend dead and his sister shattered. But he should have trusted her. And he should never have blamed her.
Lewis thrashed himself in the depths of her mind, and Vivi wept for their collective shortcomings. Even with Lewis' rage, Arthur still might have had a chance if she hadn't rushed in without him. She would never be able to face Lance. He'd been there earlier, hadn't he? She recalled someone shaking her on the way to the institute. She'd have to pack and leave town. She couldn't tell him Arthur was dead, or worse.
"Visitors, miss?" broke through their floundering. An aide propped her up and stood nearby, hands crossed at his waist.
I used to turn them all away when they came to visit me. I knew Lew and Artie were there, but I couldn't have them see me like this.
For a fraction of a minute, Vivi hoped it was Arthur. It had been two days now, maybe he had outsmarted the Shiker. It was Squire, after all. He hadn't given up yet, maybe-
Lance Kingsmen marched through the door, shattering the dual hope. He was followed by Dulcie, and Vivi's heart stuttered on sight of her.
"She's so tiny, Mom. I can't hold her. Look, my hands are too big, I'll drop her!"
Dulcie hung back, trailing a foot or two behind Lance, her eyes on the ground.
"Of course I want to hold her but I don't want to hurt her! What kind of brother would I be if I dropped her first meeting? Maybe when she's like one or two-No, don't!"
Her eyes were puffy. There was one rainbow clip in her bed-mussed hair and her clothes were sleep-rumpled. She clutched a familiar purple alpaca under one arm-familiar to Lewis. After his birthday, Aji told him that Dulcie had saved for months.
"Wow… okay… I didn't drop her. Now… now what? Oh gods she's crying, whatdoIdo?"
"Sir, I'd like a private talk with Miss Vivi," Lance's voice was wire-tight.
"I'm sorry, sir. She's displayed erratic behavior since admittance. For your safety and hers, I have to stay. I also have to remind you that, given her current level of required care, you can only visit for fifteen minutes."
"Hey. She's not so bad. Look at that, oh, Mom, look, she smiled at me! Hey! Hey, what's her name? Dulcie? Hey Dulcie. I'm your big brother! She smiled again, Mom! I think she likes me!"
"Hogwash," Lance barked. "This is standard emergency 72-hour hold. Girlie told me how it goes. Tomorrow, whether she's fit or not, if she ain't signin' on fer more paid care, she's out the door. Not ta mention visiting hours are visiting hours."
The aide shifted. "Yes, but her personal doctor said-"
"Personal doctor can run off a cliff. Vivi." He approached the hospital bed, gripping the plastic railing. "Vivi, please. I ain't heard from Artie in two days. Last I heard, you two were headed off on a case. I found you out when they call me as emergency contact, an' you couldn't speak a lick of sense. First day I get to come in, an' we don't have much time 'cause news broke an hour ago. Please. Vivi. Where's Artie?"
Vivi covered her face with her hands, shame rising like bile at the back of her tongue. Her fingers split apart slightly to keep Dulcie in view.
"Don't do that look." Lance's voice cracked in synch with the plastic rail. "Don't… don't you dare. Where is he?"
Vivi shook her head.
"Girlie, I got a crazy woman few steps behind, another crazy escapee that's probably gone to find Artie, and I need my nephew with me so I can get him the hell outta whatever he's done got himself into. Now you ain't said the word 'dead' yet. Is he dead?"
"I don't know," she whispered.
"That's better'n dead. There's somethin' to be done about 'I don't know.' Whatever it is, we do it fast, 'cause Juvie Hall's down."
Vivi blinked, pulling her hands away from her face. "What do you mean 'down'?"
"I mean yellow caution tape, loads'a police, and big 'don't panic' announcements from the mayor. Nobody says what's happened. I got a guess or two myself, and it ain't good for Artie. I set off a dozen texts and calls to him. No answer."
Vivi clamped her mouth shut over Lewis' response. Pausing a moment to collect herself, she managed, "Lance. I don't know if he's still there. Or still alive."
"Where? Still where?"
"The cave. We went back."
Lance's eyes narrowed, his knuckles white on the bed rail. His lips twitched a few times before he finally settled on a response. "That was stupid." He dragged the back of his hand over his forehead. "Look, girlie, I need you out. Kid's Ma is…" He glanced at the aide, before looking back at Vivi, weighing his words. "Real worried. Worried my front door right down this mornin'. But Kid's pa sent her to me, so we took a quick walk out the back door 'cause somethin' ain't right."
Vivi's jaw tightened, a dozen questions from Lewis running through her head. She picked one. "Why did Mr. Pepper send Dulcie to you?"
Lance leaned in, whispering, "Word has it Mrs. Pepper's lost a few screws."
"That's not true!" Lewis burst past Vivi. "Who said that?"
Lance straightened slowly, his eyes narrowing to slits. Behind him, Dulcie's mouth dropped open.
"I'm sorry, sir," The aide interrupted. "I have to ask you to leave. You're aggravating her. She slips into an alternate personality in moments of stress. The voice change is a sign of it."
"Alternate personality my arse," Lance growled. "Heard enough 'a that voice in my shop through the years. Girlie, nod me once fer yes, but you got yerself a real possessive boyfriend, dontcha?"
Swallowing, Vivi nodded her head.
"Sir, visiting time is over. If you don't leave, I'll have to call the authorities." The aide reached for his pocket.
A Deadbeat divebombed the man, sending him sprawling to the floor.
"What are you doing?" Vivi demanded.
"Jailbreaking." Her body sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "Don't you hear it?"
"I don't hear anything over your stupid idea!" Vivi fought for control.
"'m sorry, Vivi. But if Dad sent Dulcie away from Mom, he had a good reason. Mr. Kingsmen is right, something's wrong because I hear Mom downstairs singing in public." Two more Deadbeats grabbed the stunned aide, dragging him into the bathroom and locking the door.
The door to her room flew open, admitting a haggard looking Dr. M. "Vivi, Lewis, we don't have much time. Mrs. Pepper-"
"I know." Lewis stretched out into Vivi's arms, lifting them up over her head. "Mr. Kingsmen, hold onto Dulcie and stay near me. We're leaving."
Lance turned, grabbing Dulcie's hand and yanking her closer.
"Under most circumstances I would stop you, but I did not count on Mrs. Pepper coming." Mystery scooted closer to Vivi, placing his hands on her shoulders. "On the condition that you draw from my energy, not Vivi's."
"Gladly." With that, her hands drew little circles in the air, flicking back and forth and sweeping wide one at a time. The white walls gave way to peeling purple wallpaper, the glistening tile to wood and a worn pink carpet runner. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she continued gesturing for another two minutes, before her arms dropped to her sides.
"We're well out of city limits, now. She won't know where we've gone." Lewis subsided, fading back to allow Vivi control again.
Someone tugged on her sleeve. Glancing down, she saw Dulcie at her side, one hand in her pocket, the other pulling on her sleeve. She knelt, careful to not move too fast. Dulcie pulled a long purple cloth from her pocket, looping it carefully around Vivi's neck and tying it at the collar.
"I'm… sorry… Lewis." Dulcie's words could barely be heard. "I didn't mean to kill you."