Kimber (21 page)

“HELP
ME!”

“MOVE!”
Leo’s dominate voice commands. I look up to see where he requests I go. I see
nothing. There is no exit.

 “PLEASE
LEO!” I shriek.

I
feel the pressure of time as it passes. The sky grows darker and the
temperature of the lava rises beneath me. I feel hands around my head pushing
on both sides with even pressure. I feel them even though when I touch my own
head there isn’t anything there.

“Breathe.”
Leo instructs.“Feel me in your pulse.” My heart starts to beat wildly against
my chest.
“Now, look at me.” He whispers against my ear.

I
open my eyes to a bright light shining on me. Leo pushes the light away and
finally I see his face. His apprehension fades into a relieved smile. The
desperation in his icy blue eyes softens. He waits with baited breath, for what
I’m not sure.  

“Hi.”

 His
ridged body softens with an exhale of breath as his eyes close.  

I
glance around the room to see Tiffany and Amber standing in the back corner.
Their hands are entwined together and their faces are worn with concern and
anticipation.

Two
women and one man in scrubs stand around checking monitors and fiddling with my
IV. I’m in the hospital.

From
behind Leo, I see my Aunt Lena. How she made it possible, I don’t know, but
seeing her here for me means everything.

 “I
hear someone’s awake.” A tall older man says entering the room. His hair is
gray. He looks to be Middle Eastern from his dark complexion and facial
features. “Miss Knowl I’m Doctor Gilfred.” He states. I can see his name
embroidered over the left breast pocket of his white lab coat. “How are you
feeling?”

“Alive.”

“That’s
what we strive for.” He says smiling at me over an orange folder. “I’ll need
everyone to exit the room. I need to evaluate Miss Knowl.”

 Everyone
files out of the room except for one nurse and Leo who moves to the back
corner. The nurse asks Leo to please exit but he simply tells her he isn’t
leaving. The doctor looks to me and after I insist on Leo staying, he starts to
check my vitals.

Doctor
Gilfred starts to run through a laundry list of questions for me. The kind of
questions like what year I think it is, who’s the current president, what state
we’re in, how old I am, and my name even though he’s said it a few times
himself already.

The
examination continues. Doctor Gilfred lifts and bends first my legs then my
arms. He moves on to my torso where he pushes on random areas and asks if it
hurts. “No”, I answer to every spot his hands touch until he presses on my chest
cavity. I’m unprepared. As he pushes agony erupts from my chest. I shriek. In
that instant Leo is at my side, holding my hand and soothing my head.

“I
need to check the wound for signs of infection and make sure it’s healing
properly. I’m going to have to lower your gown Miss Knowl.”

 Doctor
Gilfred adjusts the bed into an upright position. Slowly and carefully, he
glides my hospital issued nightgown from my shoulders. I know Doctor Gilfred is
a trained and qualified professional but that doesn’t lessen my embarrassment.
To my relief Leo averts his eyes. It’s things like that, his chivalry, that compels
my heart to love him. 

The
fact that my breasts are exposed is far from important the second I see it. A
large white bandage covers the middle to lower part of my chest. Just seeing it
brings back every horrifying memory of how it all happened. I squeeze Leo’s
hand tight.

 Doctor
Gilfred slowly peels back the white tape and gauze to reveal a straight line
about four inches long covered in a shiny, glossy and clear substance. Around
my wound are deep black and purple bruises. It’s weird to look at. No stitches,
no staples, just a smooth red line. I feel like I should panic. I know the
knife isn’t there anymore but I can still see the handle sticking out of my
chest as though it’s there. I feel sick just looking down at myself and seeing
the mark of something that nearly killed me. It’s unnatural.

 “This
is a liquid tissue adhesive called Indermil. We closed the incision this way
because the risk of infection is significantly low and scarring is minimal.”
Doctor Gilfred takes one last look before covering me up and giving Leo the all
clear.

“You
were very lucky Miss Knowl. You lost quite a bit of blood. We had to give you a
transfusion. Thanks to Mr. Chambers, we had an ample amount of RH negative on
hand.” Doctor Gilfred explains with a satisfied look. “The damage was minimal.
The knife went straight in and ruptured none of the surrounding organs or major
arteries. You’ll have bruising in and around the area for about six to eight
weeks but once it heals, you should have no discomfort. No stretching, lifting,
or vigorous activity until the healing period has passed. If you don’t feel a
hundred percent by then or have any symptoms listed in the recovery pamphlet
I’ll leave with you, you’ll need to make an appointment with your family
Doctor.”

“Can
I go home?”

“Not
just yet. I want to keep you for observation. Even though the scans showed no
head trauma, I’d like an explanation for the coma.”

“Coma?”

“You
slipped into a mild coma for just under thirty six hours Miss Knowl.”

I
don’t have a medical degree but even so, I don’t believe it. I close my eyes
and try to recall the last thing I remember. Flowers, fear and heat but the one
most pressing memory is of Luke and his confession. A sick feeling rises in my
stomach just thinking of him.

“Is
it true?” I ask Leo.

“That
doesn’t matter now. Just rest.” He responds ignoring my question. “So you’ll
need a CT scan? How long before you get the results back from that?”

 “I’ll
order the test when I leave here. We should have the results back by tomorrow
morning.” Doctor Gilfred pats me on the shoulder. “The nurse will change your
bandage. Try to take it easy.”

“Ok.”
I say genuinely grateful to Doctor Gilfred for saving my life. Leo leaves the
room this time but returns after my bandage is changed.

 “What
happened to Luke?

“He
went off the deep end. Being on the good side isn’t natural for Nephilims. Luke
took the easy way out.” His jaw flexes and his brows twitch. “Now tell me,
before you woke, what was happening to you?

I
think back to that hot and stormy hell. “I don’t know. It was a nightmare. Hot
lava was all around me. The sky was dark and angry. I could feel you touching
me. I could hear your voice but when I looked around there was nothing. It was
like I was trapped in some horrid limbo.”

“It’s
happened then.” He says saddened, looking down at the floor.

“What’s
happened?”

“To
activate the magic in our blood, you have to be brought to the brink of death.
Normally it happens in water because it’s neutral ground. It’s like what the
Watchers experienced when they fell but in reverse.”

“An
Awakening?” 

Leo
nods. “It’s the final faze for Nephs like me. It’s an honor. For you…we’ll see
what happens.” He stops shy of what I know he wants to say. He’d rather warn me
or turn back time to prevent it.

“How’d
you pull me out?”

“I’ve
taken some classes in the art of trance meditation. It helps me clear my mind.
It helps me pin point where I need to be.” 

 “How?”

“When
I’m in a trance I can see things I normally wouldn’t. It’s a lot to explain.
You should rest.” 

“Leo.”

“Everyone
heard you scream. Lena did the best she could to distract them. I knew they
were all watching but it didn’t matter. I went into a meditated trance as fast
as I could.”

“How
do you find someone when they’re trapped in that…Hell?”

Leo
smiles at me. “It’s not Hell.”

 “Tell
me.” I say unable to resist smiling back at him.

“Trance
is a powerful thing. I didn’t believe it at first but once you study it and
practice all the levels anything is possible. Channeling. Energy manipulation.
Even remote viewing. My experience was different but I knew where to look.”

 “I
think you’ve been around Lena for too long. Trance sounds like something she’d
dabble in.” Leo considers it and agrees. “Leo, why didn’t you look when the
doctor examined me? It’s not like you haven’t seen me before.” I blush.

“You
know I love your body but when I look at it, I want it to be because it’s what
you want. That scar…I thought I lost you.” He pauses trying to push back his
frightening thoughts. “I held you. You felt lifeless. I can never go through
that again.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.  

I
get it now. Everything he’s been trying so desperately to hide from me. “I’ll
keep my promise if you’ll do the same.” I nod. Neither of us wish to see a day
the other doesn’t exist in.

 Just
then, Tiffany, Amber and Lena come back into the room. I wish they hadn’t. They
start asking me a million different questions. I have no idea how much they
already know so I decide it’s best not to answer and tell them I need to rest.

A
short time later I’m taken away for everything from a CT scan to neurological
testing. Once I’ve been poked and prodded to the max I’m brought back to my
room and left alone. Visiting hours have ended.

             I toss and
turn in my hospital bed ‘til two a.m. I can’t sleep. I call the nurse who
graciously gives me something to sleep.

            By the time
I awaken the following day Lena is in my room and delivers the news. My tests
have all came back normal and Doctor Gilfred has released me.

            “Where’s
Leo?” I’m a little disappointed he hadn’t shown up.

“He
didn’t think you’d want to stay at the condo so he’s setting up his family’s
beach house.”

 I
hadn’t thought of where I would go after the hospital but Leo is right. My
condo doesn’t sound appealing. “How did you get away?”

“I’m
not mandated to stay there. I choose to. It’s safer for me there. It’s the only
home I’ve known.” Lena replies pushing me in a wheel chair toward the elevator.
Stupid hospital regulations.

 “Thanks
for being here.”

“We’re
all we have left. No need to thank me.”

             The
hospital calls a taxi for us but before we head to Leo’s we stop by the drug
store to fill prescriptions. Vicodin to help with the pain and Penicillin to
prevent infection.

I
remember spending summer days at Leo’s family beach house. It’s located on
Indian Rocks Beach just north of Redington Beach where my condo is. It’s gray
on the outside with white shutters. A small flowerbed lines the front of the house.
Other than that the front yard consists mostly of sand and shells. The majority
of the house is long and extends backward where there’s a private walkway to
the beach.

            Leo is at
the door by the time Lena and I make it up the pathway. Gently he helps me
inside.

            “Are you
tired? Hungry? In pain?”

“None
of the above.” I say smiling up at him. This is what I had waited for. To feel
safe and ready to put the past week behind me.

            Upon
entering the house I find myself in the living room with a wooden floor below
me. The interior is different than I remember. The furniture is more modern
now. The west wall is bare which I think is odd. Two hunter green crush velvet
couches form an L shape around a wooden coffee table. The hung artwork behind
the sofas is black and white. A lonely tree standing in an empty field. A
lightning bolt breaking free from the sky. I wonder if Leo or his mother had
taken these pictures. I look up and see something hanging from the ceiling. I’m
not up to date with technology but it looks like a high tech projection
machine. I realize now that the windows that were once in the living room are
now gone. The wall where the TV once was is painted pure white. Talk about your
own home movie theater.

Leo
helps me get settled on the couch. As soon as I find myself able to relax
there’s a knock at the front door. Lena answers it and as she does, I see my
wish for putting things behind me isn’t going to start today. His eyes seek me
out.

“Hello
ma’am. I’m Detective Muller. Is Kimber Knowl available?”

“Yes.
I’m Lena Middleton, Kimber’s aunt.” Lena shakes Detective Muller’s hand as he
enters. 

I
dread seeing Detective Muller. I wish I could run and hide. I know what he’s
here for. I hate what seeing him does to me. How bad memories are associated
with his presence. Detective Muller takes a seat across from me.

“Detective
Muller, I didn’t know you were coming by today.” Leo says shaking the detective’s
hand.

“I
know we spoke about meeting tomorrow but when I called the hospital to check on
her they said she had been released.” Detective Muller answers before turning
his attention to me. “How are you holding up?”

“As
best as I can, considering.”