“What was that for?”
“I put a special mark on the necklace. I can locate it no matter where I am. As long as you’re wearing it, I know where you are.”
I stared at him. “…did you just Lo-Jack me?”
“Maybe. Now come on. We’ve got work to do, remember?”
Chapter 13
This is not good.
My fingers wrapped themselves into fists and clenched, digging my nails into my palm. Breath came in shaky gulps that I tried to hide by clenching my teeth. The vibrantly green grass looked awful soft and friendly between the frayed edges of my black Reeboks as I tried in vain to get control of myself. What, you may ask, spawned this particular panic attack? We followed Jacob through town until he found where he’d woken up.
In front of a psychiatric hospital.
Lovely.
Michael tugged me aside and blocked the view of the cheerful white sign indicating the name of the mental hospital. Not that it helped. “Jordan, look at me. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I told him with a high, false laugh. “Doesn’t everyone do their Lamaze breathing in front of an insane asylum?”
My joke didn’t seem to make him feel any better. He gripped my upper arms and made me look up at his face. “You don’t have to go in. You know that.”
I shook my head. “My ghost kid. My job. I’ll be fine, I swear.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I unclenched one hand and patted him on the arm. “That’s because you’re smart.”
Thankfully, the panic attack was only momentary. My breathing slowed. The cold sweat down my back evaporated. I felt the fear retreating into the depths of my mind.
Jacob had a worried look on his face, mirroring Michael’s. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, kiddo. We’re fine. Now that we’re at your site, are you remembering anything else?”
“Yes. There was a lady inside. She had dark hair and glasses. I remember seeing her.”
“There must be a children’s wing here, right? Do you think this woman is the reason you didn’t cross over?”
Jacob’s nose wrinkled in concentration as he tried to remember. “Maybe.”
“Was she a doctor? A nurse? A secretary?”
The boy shook his head. “She was in a suit, not scrubs. I don’t think she was a physician.”
“Hospital management, sounds like. Alright, I need you to concentrate and tell me if she had any outstanding features.”
Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remaining silent for a long moment before replying. “She was kinda pale…her hair was really long and curly…and she had a white name tag that said Dr. Vulcan on it.”
“Vulcan?” I said in disbelief. “Eh, maybe she’s a Trekkie. Good job, Jacob.” I scribbled the name down on my notepad and squared my shoulders, facing the sidewalk leading up to the white and somehow ominous building.
“Let’s find your doctor.”
The receptionist at the bottom floor front desk was young—maybe seventeen or eighteen. Probably some kind of intern. She looked up at us through red bangs as we approached.
“How can I help you?”
“We were hoping to see if Dr. Vulcan was available today.”
The girl turned to her computer and started typing away, blue eyes scanning the screen. “Do you have an appointment with her?”
“No. I was hoping you guys did walk-in appointments,” I said. Trust me, I wasn’t an expert on psychiatric hospitals, but if they were anything like clinics then we may have been in luck.
The redhead did some more reading before answering. “Actually, she’s just finishing up rounds. I can send you up to her office if you’d like.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, that would be fantastic.”
The receptionist took down information for both of us and pointed us to the left wing of the building. My shoulders wouldn’t relax as I walked through the pristine hallways with men and women in lab coats brushing past me. Michael wordlessly slipped his fingers between mine. Part of me wanted to protest because I usually didn’t like being touched, but I didn’t say anything because it actually helped calm me down. His hand was solid and warm and real. I needed that right now.
Dr. Vulcan had a nice corner office with a rear view of the estate. We sat in the plush leather chairs in front of her desk. I tried to keep my leg from bouncing up and down from nervous energy, but I couldn’t until Michael laid his hand on my knee for a brief moment. Jacob wandered around the room, staring at the towering bookshelves along the walls behind me. Even I had to admit they were impressive. How had she managed to cram so many medical books in there?
After a moment, a blonde woman appeared, catching our attention. “Excuse me, Dr. Vulcan has asked to meet you on the bottom floor. Exactly what kind of help are you looking for?”