Chapter 241: Visit
We went home. Nowhere else to go, really. I checked for messages, hoping maybe Quaid was over his hissy fit, but no luck. Well, that was just fine, Mr. Jealous. Be that way. I had more important things to fret over than his sensitive ego.
Angry, I almost snapped at the voice on the other end of the phone when I answered the insistent ringing.
"Did I get you at a bad time?" Angela's voice quavered.
"No, not at all." I instantly dialed back my annoyance and focused on her. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, of course." Her nervous laugh told me she felt guilty for letting amusement out in any form. "I was just hoping... Alison is awake, and I was thinking it would be nice..."
"I'm on my way now." Like I wasn't tired enough. But when I hung up to her very grateful goodbye, I knew I made the right choice.
I turned to go and found Meira watching me.
"I want to come with you." Her amber eyes faded slowly to blue, skin tinting to human tone. "Can I?"
Um. What would Mom do? Expose her ten-year-old daughter to a barely recovering alcoholic who just tried to kill herself? Or leave her home?
I sighed. "Sure, Meems. Al will love that."
I left Galleytrot and Sassy at the house with orders to figure something out to which the black dog just snorted at me. If only it could be that easy. I touched Erica's mind, but she blocked me out with a quick apology so I let it go. Not like her knowing was going to matter.
Not when the Gate opened and the Sidhe came through. Nothing would matter then.
Meira paused outside the door to pluck some flowers from Mom's favorite bed, cradling them in her arms the whole way to the hospital. I held her hand as we got out of the car, even more depressed than before. I had to force myself to walk, thankful my sister was there to pull me along.
I had to snap out of it. The last thing Alison needed was me going all black pit of despair on her when she had her own gaping dark place eating her alive. That would be just swell. I'm sure Angela would be thrilled she called me.
Not only that, Meira was feeling it all, looking up at me with growing grief.
I forced myself to fake a smile, to shove my troubles behind a veneer of positive magic, if only to protect Alison. I'm glad I did. We had just entered the ward when I spotted Beth. She had that same red look to her eyes, the same pinched sorrow, but she smiled at Meira and hugged us both.
"I just thought I'd pop in," she said, hands wringing in front of her. Her lips smiled while the rest of her vibrated with distress.
"I'm sure she appreciated it." I reached out and squeezed Beth's hand. She sobbed softly once before nodding and pulling free, fleeing from us with a little wave farewell.
Okay then. That bad? I looked down at Meira who'd adopted a grimly resolute look. Hand in hand, we knocked gently on Alison's door.
Angela looked up immediately, smiling back at me, the strain of the last day or so still on her face. "Alison, sweetie. Look who's here."
Alison had already seen me. No smile, just a quavering lower lip and tons of tears. I went right to her, the artificial mask I wore suddenly unnecessary as I hugged my friend and let her sob on my shoulder.
Angela quietly left us there, dabbing at her own eyes with a tissue as she slipped out the door, but with a smile for Meira. I gestured for Meems to take Angela's seat and she did, watching us, the flowers still in her hands.
Alison finally let me go, gaze going to my little sister.
"Hi, Meems," she said in a quavering voice. "Thanks for coming."
Meira jumped up on the bed and handed Alison the flowers. "Mom wanted to come," she said ever so gently, "but she's away." She reached out and stroked Alison's forehead, her cheek, before leaning in and hugging her, head on Alison's shoulder. "I hope we'll do."
Alison hugged her, rocked her, cried some more. But the desperate horror I'd first seen had faded, replaced by a dull kind of sadness. "Thanks, Meems," Alison whispered into her hair. "You're exactly what I needed."
Angela slipped back inside with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," she said. "They are coming to move Al to her new home away from home." She said it lightly, but we all knew what it meant. Another hospital, probably rehab. "I didn't know they were moving her tonight or I wouldn't have called."
"It's okay." I looked down at Alison who held my hand, cheek still pressed to Meira's hair. "We were happy to come and make sure you were okay."
I knew Alison wanted to say she was sorry. I shook my head before she could speak a word, squeezed her fingers. "You get better," I said. "We have a shopping date with Beth."
"Come visit me at the funny farm?" Alison laughed at last, even though I remembered how much she hated it last time.
"Naturally," I said. "Save some of your meds for me, okay?"
"Promise." She let Meira go, but not before my sister kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Love you, Al," Meira said before sliding from the bed.
"Me too," I said. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
I turned to go, but Alison's hand was faster, snaking out to grasp my wrist. She pulled me toward her, down until my ear was next to her lips.
"I wouldn't have done it," she whispered. "Killed myself. I wouldn't, Syd."
Only she had and would be dead if my demon hadn't saved her. But I nodded as she went on.
"It's just, when I'm drinking... it's like I'm another person. A crazy person." She choked out a laugh as I pulled away.
"It's okay, Al," I said. "You're going to be okay."
She nodded, quick, jerking movements of her head, fingers now gathering large clumps of sheet and gripping them tight, a way to hang on.
Meira took my hand as we left, waving to Alison who bravely waved back.
***
