He nodded reluctantly. “My friend has a sister name Blake,” he said quietly. “I told her Blake’s a boy name!” he scoffed as only eight or nine-year-old boys can do.
I giggled. “That’s what my sister told me all the time too! What’s your name?” I gently grasped his hands. “I’m going to take your fear away so these nice people can help you. They don’t want to hurt you,” I said softly as I pushed feelings of warmth towards him, wincing as I felt his pain and fear.
“Chip and I want my mommy,” he said softly as he laid his head on my shoulder.
“What the hell is going on?” I heard a great booming voice enter the hall. I stiffened only slightly before I recognized the voice.
Chip stiffened in my arms as his eyes widened looking behind me. I could feel his anxiety rise once more. “You let my friend go!” he screeched, and I saw the metal objects begin to vibrate around us once more.
I heard cat girl curse and declare ‘not again,’ as she morphed once more. I would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire. I didn’t have time to think as I saw the metal objects rise ready to strike. I lifted my hands and created a field around us. The metal objects harmlessly clattered to the ground.
“Chip,” I implored him. “You’re safe,” I insisted to him as I turned and met Troy’s shocked eyes.
I don’t know who was more shocked, me or him. Him because he narrowly escaped being impaled, or me because hanging limply in his arms was my little sister, Ella.
Chapter 12
“We were incapable of moving,” the tallest and biggest Knight member exclaimed.
“She calmed him down,” one of the pre-teens exclaimed.
“She created a force field too,” said the woman I had taken Chip from and who was shooting distrustful looks my way as she backed away from us.
To my right, five leery Knights and three frightened teens. To my left, my limp sister and one of my connections.
“What’s wrong with her?” I could feel my limbs shaking as I stood from my weakened state. Being sick and then using my gifts probably wasn’t one of my best ideas.
To his credit Troy showed no fear, just interest.
Things got a little more interesting as Will, Jemmy, and Gavin came walking around the corner. Will looked like he had just been dragged from bed, but Jemmy and Gavin still had swimming clothes on.
Gavin was dressed in swim trunks and a sweatshirt. Jemmy was dressed in sweat pants and a hastily buttoned up linen top, her bikini top clearly showing.
I had forgotten about the big game today and the party afterwards.
Gavin rushed forward and grabbed Chip from me as he put his arms around my shoulders in concern. “What are you doing?” he asked anxiously. “You should be in bed.”
“What’s going on?!” I exclaimed. “That’s my sister!”
“Bronson, take the team,” Will said brusquely. “Go ahead and take the kids to recovery.”
No one made a move towards Chip, and I was thankful for that. I didn’t think the little guy would go willingly.
“Troy, in here,” Will said opening a door to my left. “All of you,” he said more gently as we all followed him into the room.
When we got into the room, I noticed that there were four separate hospital beds and a much larger ensuite bathroom to the right.
“What’s wrong with my sister?” I asked urgently once more.
“Dehydration, exhaustion, malnutrition,” Troy said with a small frown of worry.
“Fix her!” I exclaimed feeling close to panic.
Will placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I know this sounds callous, Blake, but you need to relax. You’re scaring him,” he nodded towards Chip. “And she’ll recover. We’ll have her feeling better in no time.”
“Her mommy sold her,” Chip said forlornly as I stumbled to the bed, more exhausted then I realized. He struggled against Gavin’s hold and scrambled onto the bed and into my arms. “She said you would come back for her. She missed you.” He absently traced his hands against my arms. “We didn’t eat much. That man and woman from the apartment put us in dog boxes while they went to work. If they remembered, they gave us water and bread before they left us. I shared my bread with her, but she wouldn’t eat it. David tried to break us out. They got him. He didn’t come back.”
“How long were you there?” I tried to sound encouraging, but inside I wanted to scream.
He thought for a moment. “They took me from my mommy 56 days ago. Ella came on day 32. My mommy loves me. She didn’t sell me. I want my mommy,” he began to sob once more, and the metal objects began to levitate.
“It’s okay,” I said soothingly as I rubbed his back. “It’ll be okay. We’ll find your mommy,” I said as I pushed calm thoughts to his troubled soul.
Noah and another healer came rushing into the room. I hadn’t realized Gavin and Jemmy had left the room until that moment. I saw the wonderment and surprise in Will and Troy’s eyes as they stepped back to let Noah and the healer set to work on Ella.
I wanted to rush to her and cradle her in my arms, but I knew it wouldn’t help her. She needed them more than she needed me. Troy had gently laid her on the bed beside me and stepped back as well.
I sat there feeling helpless and useless as I saw them hook her up to a heart rate monitor and an IV bag. I felt nauseous and felt tears running down my face as they stuck a feeding tube down her throat.
The room was eerily quiet as Noah and the other healer did their jobs. The female healer peeled the disgusting clothing off Ella, down to her underwear. I felt somewhat mollified at her gentle care of my sister. I could see the pain and disgust in her eyes. The pain of a seeing a child suffering to this degree, and disgust at the person that could inflict this kind of damage to a child.
Noah quietly placed his hand his on Ella and began healing any of her visible wounds. I had to bite my lip from crying out when I noticed the scars she hadn’t had on her before. I tasted the metallic taste of my blood on my tongue, but I didn’t care.
Gavin and Jemmy came back into the room carrying two trays of hospital food. I saw bananas, oatmeal, cereal, rice, carrot sticks, and other like items.
Chip went to eagerly reach for the food as Gavin gently pushed it back. “How about a shower first kiddo,” he suggested gently.
Chip bristled at him. “I’m hungry,” he said mutinously.
I gently ruffled his hair, not caring I was probably dirty now too. “Go on, Chip,” I told him gently. Thankful I didn’t have to use my gift once more. I was exhausted. “You don’t want to get sick. The sooner you shower, the sooner you can eat.”
He sighed but got up to follow Gavin into the bathroom.
“You should eat, too,” Gavin said firmly as he looked at me.
I shook my head and wiped my tears away. “I’m good. I just ate that sandwich you left me a little while ago.”
“All of it?” he lifted an eyebrow at me as if he already knew my answer.
It was my turn to sigh. “I’ll eat when my new friend comes back,” I conceded.
Chip turned and flashed me a smile. Even below all that dirt he was a handsome little boy when he smiled.