Hi There,

I hope you are enjoying the excerpts and, again, thank you so much to Carol for reviewing Hindsight. I’m delighted that Frei’s story was welcomed and enjoyed. She is quite the icy lady.

Anyway, here is chapter 8, scene 1 for you to enjoy.

Big Smiles,

Jody

My thoughts: This is a scene I enjoyed writing because of the way Aeron moves into being active from her unconscious state. As always that usually means there’s a wonderful lady with bobbing white hair who shimmers around her. It was great to see how she starts to show Renee and Frei’s tutorage has paid off… yes, she might be back in Serenity but she has a whole new level of strength alongside new skills and the confidence that love has given her… and it was a pleasure to show an inkling in this scene of how, in spite of her physical problems, Frei and Renee have definitely rubbed off on her.     

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Copyright © 2018 Jody Klaire.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any means, electronic or mechanical without permission in writing from the author and publisher.

Please note: all scenes are the intellectual property of the author and that online exclusive scenes may differ from the published version.

Chapter 8

Scene 1

I swear I heard Renee yelling to me and energy charged through my body enough I jolted then I heard Val barking orders in the distance and managed to open my eyes. Sam and the strange dream had disappeared but I could still feel his presence prickling at me. Maybe it was the sickness.

I focused on the image of Renee standing outside Nan’s cabin sending some kind of warm light and energy and I felt more solid than I had in a while.  

“How is she?” the male doctor was at my side again. “Is there any improvement, any at all?”

“No, doctor. I’m sorry, it doesn’t look like she is going to wake.” The nurse sighed. “Perhaps it would be better to remove the breathing tube now.”

Now that was why I was panicking. I couldn’t speak to them because of the tube in my throat… but I needed to speak to them. “Nan!”

“Shorty?” Nan appeared as clear as if she was physically standing there. Her eyes twinkled with hope but her hand was warm which meant I was way closer to Etherspace than I should be. 

“Nan, I got to tell them I’m still here.” I glanced in the direction of the doctor. “I got to get up.”

Nan sighed. “Shorty, you ain’t got the juice left.”

I met her eyes. “Nan, Sam wants me to give in. I am not giving in.”

Nan scowled.

“Help me, please.”

She nodded and knocked over something to the left of me. Something cold and wet soaked my face and energy shot to my fingers.

“What the——?” The doctor appeared over me. Kind eyes, glasses, and a bald head. “She’s awake!”

The nurse tutted. “Doctor that’s impossible——”

“Who else tipped the water if she didn’t?” He turned over his shoulder then peered down at me again. “Can you hear me?”

I blinked my eyes hoping he could see. Nan was holding my hand, urgently nodding.

“I’m going to remove the tube… okay? It’s so I can talk to you.” He muttered something and a stern looking nurse pursed her lips at me. Anybody would think the woman didn’t want me to wake up.

Nan held on as the doctor removed the tube and I coughed, spluttered and gasped for air.

“That’s it, breathe. Good… can you understand me?” He asked flashing his light in my eyes.

I went to open my mouth but I felt woozy——way too woozy like I’d been sedated——I managed a nod.

“Nan, I need to talk to the guy. You got any clue why I can’t?” I squeezed Nan’s hand but she was glaring at the nurse. More water splashed over me and I spluttered.

“I say it got something to do with that nurse and your drip, Shorty.” Nan swooshed over to the woman and iced her in the ribcage. The nurse dropped the wire and shrieked.

The doctor glared at her, then noticed the drip and pulled it from my hand. “What were you giving her?” He was kind to me but he was kinda scary rounding on her. “Security!”

The nurse backed up.

The doctor narrowed his eyes at the nurse. “Security!”

The nurse pulled something from her pocket.

Nan splashed me with more water and energy shot into my arms. I grabbed the doc and yanked him over the bed away from the nurse as she lunged.

She grinned at me, a glint in her eyes and lifted her knife—

Nan knocked more water on me. I gripped the nurse’s hand and squeezed. She yelped and tried to pull her hand free but I ripped the knife from her and shoved her off.  

Then guards appeared over me with tasers.

Uh oh.

“It’s not the patient,” the doctor barked. “It’s that nurse. She had a knife.”

The guards stared at each other then at the nurse running off.

“Go after her!” the doctor snapped.

The guards sprinted off.

The doctor took the knife from me and smiled then helped me sit up. “No wonder you’ve been unresponsive.” He shone a light into my eyes again. “I’m going to give you something but I promise it is to offset what she was giving you.”

I nodded. Couldn’t speak. Felt woozy.

He jabbed me in the arm and whatever it was stung as it headed into my veins. My heart jumped into a sprint and Nan, once more, threw water over me.

“You’ll feel better now but I’m moving you to secure observation. I have my own nurses there and they don’t harm patients.” He stared at the jug like it would bite him. “After all that young doctor did blowing the whistle, it seems we still have vermin.”

I beamed at him. He must have meant Doctor Susan Gossett, the whistleblower. I knew her. I’d liked her. I trusted her. If he liked her then he had to be good.

He went to walk away but I reached out and squeezed his hand in thanks. He smiled back at me and nodded before barking orders at the staff.

I turned to Nan. “Water helped?”

Nan beamed at me. “Water.”

I smiled and hunched over as she rubbed my back. “Guess that woman knew exactly who I was… must have been why I felt Sam.”

Nan kissed me on the forehead. “Well done, Shorty. I was kinda worried. I didn’t know if you still had the energy.”

“I didn’t come this far just to give up now.” I smiled then tried to focus on the corridor the nurse must have run down. Sam was behind her attack, I could feel it. It had to have been Sam and I had plenty of pickle juice to throw at him alright.