Bridge of Mist and Fog (23 page)

And then Fehin sat up, his unfocused gaze finding her. He put his fingers to his lips in a shush gesture before crawling toward her.

“Get out of here,” he said, making a feeble attempt to push her away.

“Fehin, what’s going on?”

“I’m doing research,” he whispered.

“Please come with me,” she said, grabbing hold of his shirt. But he pulled away and shook his head.

“Go home, Airy.”

At that point Wolf opened his eyes and pushed himself up to his knees. And then he lunged through the tent opening and threw her onto the ground. “Such a pretty little thing,” he said, his mouth working as he straddled her.

When Airy screamed Wolf pressed his hand over her mouth. With his other hand he worked at the zipper of her pants. Frantic, Airy pressed both hands against his chest but he didn’t budge. He was so heavy she couldn’t breathe. Behind him Fehin suddenly came alive.

“Get the fuck off her!” he shouted. He jumped on his brother’s back, his nails raking across the larger man’s neck and bringing blood to the surface.

When Airy saw the gun in Fehin’s hand she let out a shriek. But it was too late, the blast deafening her. Wolf slumped sideways and she rolled out from under him. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely re-zip her jeans. And then she noticed the blood on her hands, on her shirt, on her jeans and retched violently into the dirt.

The other woman and man had now risen to their knees, their expressions passive as they gathered the tubes and needles and other equipment while Fehin knelt beside Wolf feeling for a pulse.

“Is he dead?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Go,” he said. “The cops will be all over this in a couple of minutes.”

Airy stared at the gun still in Fehin’s hand. “Where did you get that?”

Fehin looked down as though he’d never seen it before and then hurled it across the asphalt. “I mean it Airy, you have to get out of here.”

“I’m not going without you.”

When sirens sounded in the distance the man and woman quickly exited and took off running.

“Airy, you have to go. NOW!”

Airy folded her trembling hands across her blood-soaked shirt and stared at him. The sirens were closer now and Fehin looked around wildly. “Okay,” he finally said, pulling her to her feet. He grabbed hold of her hand and took off in the direction the others had gone. He stopped when they reached the container. “I’m staying here,” he announced, watching her.

“Well, then I’m staying here too.”

“Goddamn it, Airy.”

When Fehin stared at her she stared back.

“I’m messed up. You don’t want me around.”

“I don’t care,” Airy said stubbornly. “If you don’t want to go to jail I suggest you come with me.”

From their hiding place they could see several cops combing the area. “And if we don’t go now I’m going to be implicated in this too,” she added.

Fehin shook his head and then crept around the side of the container. “Follow me,” he hissed, slinking away.

***

When Airy came into the kitchen the following morning Carla was waiting for her. “How is he?”

“He’s still asleep. He had a really bad night.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s strung out.

“I agree he’s a major mess. He spent most of the night throwing up.”

“That stuff is poison.”

“Do you think it was heroin?”

“From your description of what was lying around I’d say yes. And how are you?” she asked, placing her hand on Airy’s shoulder. “That was a very bad scene, Airy. I should never have let you go.”

Airy tried to smile. “I’m better than I was yesterday. But I’m worried about Fehin. If the police find him he’ll be in jail for the rest of his life.”

“We talked about all this last night. He’s not in the system. Best thing to do is get him into one of those facilities. You should never have gone down there by yourself. Did you know I’m the one who called the cops? After you left I panicked. My god, Airy you could have been raped or even killed! “ Carla placed a hand on either side of Airy’s face. “I have to go to work. Will you be all right on your own?”

“As long as he doesn’t decide to run away.”

“Make him some soup and try and talk to him. If you have a problem call me immediately. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’m not afraid of him, Carla. I know he loves me.”

“People hooked on drugs do strange things. Promise me you’ll call.”

Airy nodded and then handed Carla the bag of bloody clothing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get rid of these,” Carla assured her before heading to the door.

Airy watched her leave and then searched through the cupboards until she found a can of consommé. She used the electric can opener to open it and then poured the jellied liquid into a saucepan. While she was stirring she heard the bedroom door open and when she turned Fehin was dressed and coming toward her. He looked ragged around the edges with wild hair, his eyes shadowed and dark.

“I’m fixing you some soup,” she said.

“I won’t be here long enough to eat it,” he said, heading toward the door.

The spoon clattered to the floor. “Oh no you don’t,” she yelled, running toward him. She caught up with him at the door and wrestled with him for a couple of minutes until he started laughing.

“You’re stronger than I thought you were.”

“Get your ass back in bed.”

“Airy, language!”

“Shut up and go!” she yelled, pointing. “Or I can’t be responsible for my actions.”

Airy was shaking all over as she poured the warmed soup into a cup and walked toward the bedroom. When she opened the door Fehin was face down on the bed sound asleep. She placed the soup on the bedside table and then smoothed his hair back. He was sweaty and felt feverish.

The afternoon and night before had been a blur. Once they reached the main road she’d hailed a taxi and somehow managed to get both of them inside it before calling Carla on her cell phone. The driver had stolen glances at them in the rear view mirror obviously terrified by the copious amounts of blood all over the two of them. Carla was waiting for them when they arrived and it was Carla who paid the driver, adding a big tip to the bill, and then helped haul a nearly unconscious Fehin up the stairs and into the townhouse. Between the two of them they got him undressed and into bed. After that Airy ripped off her blood-soaked clothes and stood under the shower for a good half hour.

“Airy?”

“Yes, Fehin, I’m here.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, lifting his head. A second later he was snoring again.

Airy leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes, waking when she heard his voice.

“Is that soup still around here somewhere?” he asked, sitting up.

“It’s right there.” Airy pointed to the cup and watched him drain it.

He placed it on the table and then turned to her. “We can’t be together. I can’t trust myself not to do this again. I thought I’d kicked it.”

“Carla is checking into rehab places. Without me you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now.”

Fehin’s eyes were sunken and dull. “Wolf is finally dead,” he muttered.

“Yes, he is, and I’m glad of it. Did he get you hooked again?”

“I can’t blame it on him. I didn’t have to go along with it. That’s the thing about addicts.” He looked over at her, bleak.

“That’s crap,” Airy said. “He was instrumental in this and I know he was doing something to your mind. I don’t know how, but I’m sure of it. That day when you told me to fuck off? That’s when I knew.”

Fehin let out a long sigh. “I remember how I felt, as though I was about to explode. The heroin calmed all that down.”

“I wonder how long Wolf was screwing with your mind. You said he was around you the last time it happened, right?”

Fehin raised his listless gaze to hers. “I didn’t know it at the time.”

“He was about to rape me.”

Fehin blinked once and then balled his hands into fists. “I know that. Why do you think I shot him?”

***

By the time Carla got home Fehin was sleeping again. Airy had been waiting for her. “Fan’s doing her homework,” she told Carla once she’d hung up her coat. “If you want us out of here I would understand.”

Carla kicked her shoes off and headed to the refrigerator. She took out an opened bottle of white wine, poured herself a glass, took a sip and then moved to the couch in the living room, sitting down with her legs curled under her. “I’ve gone through some bad times in my life. I think I can handle this.” She looked at Airy who hadn’t moved from her place by the door. “Why don’t you come sit down,” she said patting the seat next to her. “I talked to my friend and found a place for Fehin. It’s a two-month program. They’ve had great results. But Fehin has to want this, Airy. Without his complete participation it won’t do any good at all.”

“Can I have a glass of wine?”

“I thought you said you didn’t drink.”

“Well, I’ve never had a drink but it looks kind of good,” she replied, eyeing the frosted glass.

“Help yourself.”

Airy got a glass out of the cupboard and then poured in the perfume- like liquid and took a long swallow. “It’s good,” she said, carrying it over to the couch.

“This is an Italian wine that I like. It’s called Soave.” Carla placed her glass on the coffee table and turned toward Airy. “We take him tomorrow. In the meantime you need to have a long talk with him. Find out if he really wants to quit.”

“He’s miserable right now. I know he feels terrible about what he did. And he seems sick.” Airy took another sip of wine, savoring it in her mouth before swallowing. It was making her feel slightly light-headed but in a good way.

“He’s in withdrawal. They’ll help him with that.”

“Will I get addicted to this?” she asked, holding out the glass.

Carla laughed. “I don’t think so. Wine isn’t like heroin. But if you start drinking an entire bottle every night it could be cause for alarm.”

Airy finished off her glass and then took it into the kitchen and washed it out. “I’m going to check on him,” she said, heading toward the bedroom.

“I’m making pasta for dinner. He might feel up to eating some.”

Airy nodded and then opened the bedroom door and closed it behind her.

Fehin was awake and sitting up. “I heard your plan for me,” he said.

Airy was on her way to the bed but stopped when she heard his tone. “Then I guess you heard Carla say that you have to be into this for it to work. Do you want to quit?”

Fehin lifted his shoulders and let out a long sigh. “Of course I want to quit.”

“Well then, what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

Airy moved the rest of the distance to the bed and sat down next to him. “That’s the whole point, Fehin. You need support and help to quit. You may have to do some kind of outpatient program, like AA or something.”

“Right now I feel like shit.”

Airy reached for his hand. “You went through this once before. You can do it again. I’m telling you, without Wolf around I know you’re going to get through this way easier.”

“I hope you’re right.” Fehin pulled his hand away and curled up on his side.

Airy watched him for a while and then went to take a shower. With water sluicing down her back she let the tears flow. No one would hear her sobs over the sound of the water.

42

Fehin turned on his side and reached for his phone. It was close to eight a.m., the time he was supposed to be in therapy. He jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans and then ran his fingers through his hair. While buttoning his shirt he glanced toward the other bed where his roommate slept. It was empty and still made up. Maybe he’d been released. The two of them hadn’t spoken much. The guy, whose name escaped him, was younger than he was and seemed to have a death wish. He’d managed to nearly blow off his hand while heating up some concoction he planned to shoot up. Fehin felt sorry for him.

He’d been here for over a month now. His days consisted of eating, therapy sessions and taking drugs that were supposed to help with the withdrawal. Despite that he felt more clear-headed than he had in a long time. Airy had not come to visit and he missed her. He didn’t hold out much hope for their relationship.

He was late to group therapy and slipped in, trying to be invisible. “Glad you could join us,” the counselor said.

These sessions consisted of each person baring his or her soul to the others. Sometimes there was crying, sometimes anger and sometimes it was just plain boring. Fehin hadn’t said much so far since he didn’t think it would be prudent to reveal that he came from 2468 to fulfill a destiny and that he killed his sorcerer brother for nearly raping his girlfriend who was able to talk to trees. He chuckled to himself as these thoughts went through his head.

“Will you share this morning, Fehin?”

Fehin’s cheeks grew hot. “Um…I have nothing to say.”

“Can you tell us what led you to use?”

Fehin looked around at all the eyes trained on him. “I guess the first time it was because I needed to learn about life on the street.”

“And how did that go for you?”

“I got off the stuff without any help from you,” Fehin said defiantly.

The counselor blinked but other than that there was no visible reaction to what Fehin had said.

“And this time?”

Fehin looked down noticing that his shoelaces weren’t tied. He bent over to tie them. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“You don’t know why you started again?”

“That’s right. I think it had to do…” Fehin trailed off, realizing he had nearly revealed that he had a brother. Not a good idea.

“Had to do with what?”

“Pressure from my girlfriend, from work, you know the drill,” he lied.

The counselor watched him for a while without speaking and then turned to someone else.

At the end of the hour Fehin practically sprinted from the room.

Later when the attendant came with his pills he waved his hands, trying to distract him. When nothing happened he took the pills the man held out and swallowed them obediently.
Shit,
he thought to himself. Is my magic ever coming back? That was the real reason he got into drugs to begin with. Those months after he left Airy in Colorado were the worst of his life. If his magic didn’t come back he couldn’t be with her. It was too humiliating. Why was he part of a destiny when he couldn’t do a damn thing to help?