Chapter 4

2244

It was a Tuesday today.

She knew that and that was good. It was good to keep track of the days. It meant she cared about it.

She dug herself deeper into the thick pillows; a glance out of the windows told her that it must be past midday. It didn't matter. She was alone in the house, the others had left for school and work, she was happy they were gone. Then she could stay here in bed all day, sleeping away numbness.

A doze had finally attempted to claim her again as a persistent buzz kept it from taking her. With a groan she opened her eyes.

"Yes?" she growled barely audible.

"Incoming call." The overly friendly computer told her.

She sat up on the bed, and attempted to gather herself. She knew it was her husband, it was always him, for the umpteenth time, 'just calling to see how she was doing'. He loved her and he worried about her, she understood that. She just hated that he worried about her incessantly

She wanted to sleep.

But she knew he mustn't see her like that so she quickly tidied her hair and attempted to flatten the worst creases on her blouse with a few quick strokes.

"On screen."

She donned a happy face but her smile faltered, startled that it wasn't who she'd expected.

"Justin?" She recovered quickly and for the first time today a genuine beam crossed her face as she recognised her old friend.

"Justin – that's a surprise!"

Justin smiled back at her.

"Hello, Sophie. It's good to see you! Sorry I haven't called in ages. But you know – the hospital and everything…" Justin shrugged as if it explained all. "How have you been? How's the family?"

"I'm fine – they're fine." She eyed him amusedly. "Justin, that's a lot of small talk for you. You must want something really bad."

He squirmed in his chair a little flustered at being forced to bring up the real issue so soon, but then again, he was also relieved, she sounded almost like the friend he once had known.

Suddenly he wondered if his impulse to call her had really been a wise decision. She had never told anyone why she had gone on sick leave but everybody knew anyway. She looked fragile and ghostly and even though he'd known her for over twenty years, he wasn't sure he would have recognised her, if he'd seen her on the street. Maybe it wasn't right to ask something like this from her, but then again, there was no one else for him to ask.

"You're right. I do need your help. I need your professional input on something. I-I can't tell you about it here over the com, but maybe you could come over for some coffee?"

She sighed. "Justin, I don't work anymore."

"Yeah, I know, Sophie, but I desperately need someone with psychology skills here and frankly you're the only one I trust enough to do this," he pleaded.

"I can give you the name of some great psychologists, good colleagues, that are trustworthy and can help you with any-"

"It's not for me. It's … for a friend. It's for a friend I'm trying to reach and I can't."

"I can't…"

"Please, Sophie, I really, really need your help right now. My old friend's help. I wouldn't be asking you for nothing. Please come over. I'm at home all day."

She jumped as she suddenly heard the front door slam downstairs.

"Justin, I'll have to go. I'll think about it. I'll come back to you, is that ok?"

"Please don't wait too long," he said trying to sound insistent and not desperate.

Sophie exited the com-terminal and sighed. He had seemed very distressed. Well, distressed enough to call someone he hadn't seen in years.

But I can't. I'm not the one he needs, not anymore.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and knew it must be one of the children coming home early. It was her son, and he banged the door to his room, excluding the whole world in a way only a teenager could. She was relieved she didn't have to talk to him and returned to bed.

As soon as she had closed her eyes her mind travelled back to the strange conversation with her old friend.

Most days, she refused to keep a train of thoughts for long, it didn't matter anyway, it was like water on nylon, but his anxious appearance persistently hooked itself on her consciousness. All of a sudden she surprised herself by getting up again, taking her keycard and leaving the house without a word or second thought.

Sophie was surprised she remembered the way to Justin's apartment. It had been years since she had visited him last. She took the public transporter to the centre of the city, although she hated the centre, too many people, and a few minutes later she rang the buzzer on his door.

"Who is it?" he asked suspiciously, peeking out through the spy.

"It's me."

The door opened, and she entered. Justin let her walk past him, through to the living room, eying her for a moment, as if deciding whether letting her in really had been a good idea.

"So, I'm here," she stated simply but with a soft note.

"Good. Thank you."

She saw his tense, nervous expression and suddenly she started feeling a little anxious herself.

"You needed help?" she encouraged him and herself, deciding attack was best defence.

"Yes." He sighed. "I need help. I definitely need help. Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffe? Water? Wine?"

"No, I'm fine. What's wrong, Justin?"

"Maybe something to eat?"

"Justin."

He sighed.

"I- I don't know where to start. Well, ok. So… I went to the forest yesterday, you know, that, whatsitcalled, just north of here. A patient had tipped me off, it's a long and very strange story but I…I found something." He looked at his hands, fiddling furiously with a piece of scrap paper that he'd found on the coffee table.

"In the forest? Like a treasure? Or more like a body?" She asked, almost a little amused.

"Like a person."

She looked at him incomprehensively and he stood up.

"Come. I'll show you."

She warily rose from his couch, looking at him a little mystified and followed him towards the bedroom. He opened the door soundlessly and she curiously peeked inside. In the dimly lit room she saw a man sleeping on a pile of cushions on the bed. At first she found nothing spectacular about him. Nonetheless, silently, she moved closer and as she stood right in front of him, he suddenly started to stir. There was something odd with this man. Ignoring his movement, she bent forward, examining him closely from above. Now she saw it. He was bald, save for a beard, even without eyebrows, and what she had thought to be a retracting hairline turned out to be an ornate head bone. Below she noted a pair of miniscule ears. She had never seen anything like it in her life.

With a start the man's eyes snapped open, and startled, Sophie jumped back. In the fragment of a second he was standing up, facing her in a defensive position, fixing his intent gaze on her.

Suddenly she was hit with the reality of the situation – the man standing opposite to her, looking alarmed, was not Human or Centauri or Narn or like any other type of creature she had ever encountered and a surge of anger crossed her when she considered what her old friend had done.

Somehow, Justin had found something new, something strange and had just like that brought him to his bedroom and put him to rest. Now that being stood in front of her, obviously awake, probably dangerous and definitely terrified. And she had absolutely no clue what to do next.

I just checked my stats and to my suprise I saw that so many people have taken the time to click on this story (well, don't know if anybody read it), which is fun. I'd very much appreciate any feedback, even if it is just a word or two, as one reason I'm posting this is to improve my writing (the other one being, that I want people to have as much (or at least some of the) joy as I've had over the years reading fanfics by others, so I guess finding out if you like it, hate it or just don't care, would be great in that respect, too). Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it and that you'll like this chapter and chapter 5 which I hope will be up soon!