chapter FORTY-FIVE
“Oh my god!” I exclaimed the next morning when I went to the hotel bathroom to change the bandage on my arms.
Vittorio leapt from the bed. “What? Are you alright?”
I showed him my arm. The burns were almost completely healed, and the stitches itched in the fresh scar that had once been a deep laceration.
“This is truly amazing, mio amore. I have seen people heal quickly, but never overnight like this. Your power is very strong indeed. We are going to have to get those stitches out. Let me see your other arm, then I will call Julian.”
I unwrapped the gauze from my other arm to find it was healed just as completely. I sat on the bathroom sink.
“Mio amore?”
“I’m fine, just kind of shocked. This should have taken weeks to heal. I’m still not used to all this power stuff.”
He put an arm around my shoulder. “Let me help you to the bed.” I was pretty sure I could make it myself, but if he wanted to be chivalrous, I wouldn’t deny him.
A knock resounded on the door between the two rooms. Vittorio unlocked the door, and Kevin sat gingerly on the bed next to me.
“How are you?” I asked. A rainbow of colors covered his face. I guessed the rest of his body didn’t look much better under his clothes.
“Sore. You?” He looked at my arms and jumped back. “Holy shit. How the hell…?”
“It’s part of my power, it seems. I can heal myself.”
“I see that. Why didn’t you just do it yesterday?”
“I didn’t know I could. I woke up this morning, and my arms were healed.”
“Can you heal me?”
The possibility hadn’t crossed my mind. I looked at Vittorio.
“It is possible, but only time will tell,” he said.
“Can’t you at least try?” Kevin asked me.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin. This just happened.”
“That hardly seems fair.” Kevin turned away from me, arms crossed over his chest.
I couldn’t blame him. This was all my fault, and he was right; I should at least try.
“Vittorio, could you teach me how to heal Kevin?”
“Mio amore, I wish I could, but it is too dangerous right now. You are weak, and it is very possible you would do him more harm than good.”
“Fine, whatever,” Kevin said.
“Why don’t I order some room service?” Vittorio said.
“Good idea. I’m starving. I can’t believe how hungry I am. I usually don’t eat breakfast at all, and as much as I ate last night, I should still be full.”
“You healed a great deal of damage. It is only natural that you would be unusually hungry.”
Vittorio called Julian as we waited for our food to arrive. “Is there another doctor you would trust to send over here? I do not want Samuel and his people to follow you in case they are watching your office. Samuel knows I have not spoken to you in over ten years, but they will also know we were in dire need of medical help.” Vittorio nodded, and I assumed that meant Julian would send someone else to remove my stitches.
We ate in silence, then Kevin said he was going to check out the pool and sit in the hot tub to relax his muscles.
A half hour later there was a knock on our door. Vittorio looked through the peephole, then opened it. A young man who looked fresh out of medical school stood in the doorway. “I’m Dr. Robertson. Jim. You can call me Jim.” He smoothed his white lab coat and fidgeted with his tie.
“Please come in, Jim,” Vittorio said, closing the door behind him. “Try to relax. I realize this must be a bit out of the ordinary for you.”
“Yes, well.” Jim cleared his throat. “Let me see your arm.”
Vittorio chuckled. “Oh, it is not me who needs the stitches removed. Elena, show Dr. Robertson your arm.”
I held my arms out and Jim gasped. I wondered if we could trust him. “Did you come straight from Julian’s office?”
“No, he called me at home. Why?”
“Just curious,” I said. The chance he had been followed was very slim.
It definitely hurt as he snipped the stitches and pulled them from my healed arms. I was relieved when he finished and left.
“Vittorio, will you tell me what Samuel did to you now?”
He sighed, sat on the bed, and pulled me to him, holding me tight. “Yes. I will tell you.”