'Be careful, Sam. Please.' His voice thickened with desperation.
I shook and jumped at every perceived noise, but at least I walked around freely. Must follow the plan. Be proactive. These assholes had Drake chained up like a dog. What would that do to someone like him? Someone so strong?
I used Susie's keys to open the closet, and found the IV bags. Drake's drugs, which looked just like the saline, were labeled with his name. I switched the labels with the saline bags and then switched the bags, disposing of his meds so no one would grab one by mistake. Now he should just get saline, and his system would be cleansed of whatever concoction they'd run through him.
I headed back toward my room, trying to avoid anyone else, and did a mental check on the doctor, Nurse Susie, and the guard. All were still in place, just as planned.
'Sam, you okay? Did it work?' Drake's voice quivered.
"Yeah, no problems. Just staying focused until I get back to my room."
I rounded the corner to my room, and—
Crap! He must have just left his office.
***
"What are you doing out of your room, Sam?" The doctor tried to stay in control, but the edge in his voice and his bright red face betrayed him.
Bile rose in my throat, but I swallowed and tried to cover my fear with concern. "Nurse Susie is sick in my bathroom. I don't know what's wrong with her, so I came looking for you."
Years of role-playing had made me a convincing liar, but that wouldn't help if he used my powers against me. I filled my mind with the reality of a sick nurse.
When his slimy mental fingers crawled over me, he heard what I wanted him to hear.
With the keys and badge hidden in my jeans pocket, I led him to my room. I linked with Susie on the way, amending my orders so she would remember being sick after all, but would not remember leaving her keys and badge. I would have to find a way of getting them back to her.
She still occupied the bathroom when we walked into my room.
I gave the doctor a knowing look. "Let me check on her first. She might not be decent." I headed for the bathroom before he could object, and mentally told her to unlock the door.
Once in the bathroom, I put her keys and badge in her pocket, and "told" her to forget that I did, and that she was feeling better and should explain to the doctor.
We walked out of the bathroom together. The doctor stood with his arms folded, a frown on his face.
"I'm sorry, doctor. I think it was something I ate for lunch. I'm feeling much better now."
And she looked better, though still a bit pale.
"You can never leave the patients unattended like this." He looked at me with renewed suspicion, and turned back to her. "It puts everyone at risk."
"Where is your IV?" he asked me.
I'd forgotten all about it. "I had to take it off to get help. I tried ringing the bell, but no one came, and I was worried."
I sat on my bed as Susie reattached the IV.
"Everything is fine, Doctor," she said. "I'm sorry she bothered you with this. It was just a bad food reaction."
I'd probably gotten her in trouble, but I had a hard time feeling too bad about it. To avoid suspicion, I linked to the guard, told him to get back to his station and get the cameras up.
Mind control had become second nature to me. So much for ethics. No wonder Susie hated me so much. I might hate me too, one day.
***
The doctor and Susie left the room. I sighed and fell back on the bed. Not my bed. Once upon a time, Rent-A-Kid had been home to me—dysfunctional as hell, but still home. Dreams of New York had gotten me through the rough patches. Now I had only myself, someone who'd let everyone take advantage of her for eighteen years. What good was I to my baby?
'You have me,' the comforting voice in my head whispered.
Yes, Drake and I were in this together. We hadn't met in person, yet I felt as if we'd been friends since childhood, just waiting to see each other again after a short time apart. When you're linked to someone in such an intimate way, it's impossible not to develop that strong bond. Or kill each other! Add to that a baby and... we couldn't turn back.
'Nurse Susie is here to change my IV.'
We both stopped breathing, waiting to see if she noticed the switch—the make-or-break moment in our plan. At least, the first such hurdle we'd have to clear.
How would we get out? Where were we? Where would we go? Who would help us? Who would believe us? Too many questions. No matter. I wasn't going to die here, unless it was while fighting for our freedom.
'She's done. She didn't seem to notice anything different.'
"Do you notice anything different?" Was it too early to hope?
'Not in my powers, but this doesn't burn me inside like the drugs did. It feels cooling and cleansing. My mouth doesn't feel stuffed with cotton balls anymore.'
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds before releasing it in a slow sigh.
"So now we wait."
Chapter 21 – Sam