Eventide (Her Father, My Master) (22 page)

He grinned lopsidedly. “I learned from the best.”

I flushed. “I'm not the best. I'm just me.”

“But you are good.”

I avoided the compliment, instead gathering my things up. “I think I want to cut this a little short

today,” I finally said. “I have some things I need to think about.”

Derrick's face dropped. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No!” I replied, full of fire. In fact, he'd done everything right. And that was what scared me.

“Absolutely not. I just need to think about things.”

“Okay.”

“I'll see you next week?”

That seemed to lift his spirits. “All right. Have a safe trip home.”

I nodded, and left. I didn't go anywhere in particular – I just drove around town in my car. My new

car, given to me by my master. Why had Mr. Hendricks given me this thing? Was it his way of keeping

me with him? So I would feel obligated to stay with him for as long as possible? Or was he just being

nice? Or... was he helping me to prepare to go out on my own?

I just couldn't decide. My head felt a complete mess at the moment. I didn't know what I wanted.

Well, I did. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be able to hold someone in my arms and tell them that I

loved them, and feel that love back. Real love, not that stupid high school posturing. And I knew, I

already knew in my heart that this wasn't something I could do with Mr. Hendricks.

But I could do it with Derrick.

I had other things that I wanted, though. I wanted to continue my relationship with Mr. Hendricks. I

wanted to keep things the way they were, even as they changed around me. I didn't like change. It scared

me. But it seemed that was the way things had to be. Something had to change.

I was lying to myself before. I couldn't have it all. While I was with my master, every other

relationship I would find would be meaningless, shallow, because I couldn't dedicate even a tenth of the

amount of time with them that I dedicated to Mr. Hendricks.

This off the leash time was really coming to be more of a burden than a pleasure, because of that. I

wondered whether that was why he'd given to me. To give me a taste, to tempt me, to test me. I

wondered if I failed his test.

I didn't know what to do, but that decision was taken out of my hands, just a few weeks later.

Spring Break came and went. I spent most of my time with Derrick, and that time together cemented

my decision. For better or for worse, I wanted to take the risk of having something more with him. Even

if it meant that I would have to sacrifice my relationship as it was with my master.

After the break, I went back to him. I resolved to tell him that evening what I wanted.

This semester with him would be my last. I would go to a normal college, after this year. I would

live a normal life, or at least, as normal a life as my twisted self would allow.

I didn't get a chance to tell him, though.

It happened quickly, so quickly I could barely comprehend it.

One moment, he was walking through the door, home for the evening, and the next he was doubled

over on the floor, clutching his chest, rasping with pain. All pretenses fell away from me. I ran up to his side, grabbing him, trying to pull him back to his feet.

“What is it?” I asked, frantic. Something was wrong, I was certain of that much.

“Aspirin,” he gasped. “Ambulance.”

Aspirin. My blood ran cold in my veins as I let go of him and stood. He was having a heart attack.

I dashed into the kitchen, pulling open a cabinet and grabbing a bottle of aspirin. As I made my way

back towards the garage door, I snagged the phone as well. What should I do first? I didn't know. I

couldn't decide which was more important. I was frozen in fear.

“Aspirin!” Mr. Hendricks yelled, jolting me back into motion. With shaking hands, I popped the bottle

open and poured the pills into my hand. I dropped many, and they clattered and rolled along the floor. I

shoved the rest in Mr. Hendricks' hand, and he dry swallowed some. How many, I had no idea.

As he did that, I dialed 911. When the operator picked up and asked me what the emergency was, I

was frozen, yet again. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was going to blow my cover.

But he could die.

Finally, I said, “My neighbor is having a heart attack, I need an ambulance.” I fed her the street

information, and she gave me instructions, things to do and things to watch. More than anything, she kept

me calm and focused during the crisis.

My master was lying on the floor now, his eyes closed, but he was still breathing. His heart, which

had failed him, hadn't failed him completely. He had a chance.

And I realized I had to get dressed. I dashed away from him for a few minutes, hastily pulling on any

clothes I could find in my room. I looked like a wreck, but I didn't care.

I didn't know how long it took, but I after what felt like hours I heard sirens wailing in the distance.

As they loomed closer and closer, I felt panic rise in my gut, once again. They couldn't find me here. I

didn't belong here. There was a huge part of me that just wanted to bolt, to run out of the house and out of this disaster as fast as I could.

But Mr. Hendricks needed me. So I stood there and watched him, relaying information to the operator

as the sirens grew closer and closer.

When they arrived and loaded him on the gurney, stripping his shirt away and hooking him up to all

sorts of medical devices, I realized how human he was. My indomitable master was just as fragile as any

of us. And that wall he had up around him could be broken down, by a simple heart attack. His own body

had failed him.

I numbly stood by as they left me alone in the house. They didn't even question why I was there. All

my worrying was unwarranted.

Or perhaps it wasn't. I knew Maddie would be called home for this. I had to pack. I had to leave.

But first, I walked about the silent home. I didn't mean for it to happen like this. The house was so

quiet, and I felt so alone. For the first time in my life, the only person I could rely on was myself.

It was a scary feeling.

I sat down in a chair – my master's chair – and leaned back. My mind was frantic, and I needed to

calm down. Now. I rested my head against the cold leather of the recliner, and closed my eyes, thinking

those calming thoughts that never failed to soothe me.

I don't know how long I sat there, but as soon as I calmed myself down, as soon as I felt myself

slipping into a light doze, I pulled myself out of it. I felt better now.

There were things that needed to be done though, and I didn't think I had a whole lot of time to do

them.

*****

I packed. In the past two hours, I packed up everything I owned, and then piled it all into my car.

There wasn't much – my clothing, my computer, some books and other various school supplies, and a few

other things. I didn't know what else to do. All I knew was that Maddie was going to be coming home

within a day, and Mr. Hendricks was in the hospital.

The only place I could think of to go was Derrick's.

As I looked around the house one last time, feeling numb as I erased every bit of evidence of my

presence, my phone rang. I felt a little jump in my heart. Who was it?

“Krystal,” a voice said as soon as I picked up the call. It was my master.

“Yes, sir?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“I need you to go into my room, and find an envelope with your name on in. Top left drawer of my

dresser. Then I need you to come here.”

“Where are you?”

“Blue Ridge Hospital.”

“Yes, sir.”

There was a click, and then a dial tone. I knew what I had to do. I had to go to him. He commanded

it.

But first, I had to find that envelope. Racing up the stairs, I stopped at the top, facing the door to his

room. The room I'd never been allowed to enter on my own. This was a little much for me. My hand

shook as I took and turned the knob, and I was afraid some proxy punishment or trap would fly down on

me the second I stepped inside. But there was nothing. No alarms, no flying spear or poisoned darts.

I was truly alone in this house.

I crept through the darkened room and quickly found his dresser. It took a little digging, but I soon

found the envelope with my name on it, buried underneath clothing and undergarments. After I neatly

folded everything and placed it back in the drawer with exaggerated care, I picked the envelope up and

looked at it.

It was a regular white envelope, sealed, and packed with paper. I wondered what was inside it, but I

wasn't so stupid as to open it now. That wasn't part of my directions and I knew, even hospitalized, my

master could and would still punish me for what I'd done, if I opened it.

I tucked it away in my back pocket for now, and made my way back down the stairs.

Outside, it was a beautiful, crisp spring evening. The sun had set a little under an hour ago, but it was

still fairly light. I was nervous. Shivers rolled up and down my body. This was out of my comfort zone,

way out of my comfort zone. If my comfort zone was here on Earth, I was in the stratosphere at the

moment.

For just a moment, I felt a pang of bitter selfishness. Why did he have to go and have a heart attack

now?

But I shook my head, chasing the stupid thought away. Of course my master hadn't decided to just keel

over. Of course he didn't want that. Neither of us wanted it.

For now, I had to get going. He was expecting me.

I slid into my car, belongings and all, and made my way for the hospital. Thankfully, rush hour traffic

had all but died down by now, and getting to the other side of town was easy enough. I streaked through

light after light, cursing whenever I got a red. Now that I was going, I wanted to be there as quickly as

possible.

Once I arrived at the hospital however, I felt my body freeze up once again. How would I find him? I

would have to ask someone. The idea of that made my nerves rise again. Here I was, socially stunted

and awkward, and afraid to ask another human being a simple question.

I managed to screw up my courage enough to do it, though. I had to do it. For him.

I walked through the parking lot with quick scuttling steps, taking a path that would avoid anyone else

until I got to the building. When I stepped inside through the automatic double doors though, I was blown

away by the business. The noise, the sick people coughing, the nurse and doctors talking and even yelling

at each other... it was too much for me.

This was the emergency room, though. It was to be expected.

I scurried over to what I thought was the reception desk, and a nurse barked at me. “What's your

emergency?”

I wanted to shy away like a frightened horse and just run straight out the door, but I instead steeled my

emotions with the thought of Mr. Hendricks. “No emergency. I'm here to see someone,” I said tersely and

quickly, spitting the words out as fast as I could.

“Who is that?” The nurse was just as terse as I was.

“My- Mr. Hendricks.”

“First name?”

For a moment, I blanked. I knew his first name. I'd heard before, I was certain.

“First name?” The nurse glared at me. She looked tired and haggard, and like the last thing she

wanted to deal with was a stupid girl who couldn't remember a name.

“He came in with a heart attack. Today,” I finally said, hoping the information would appease her.

She sighed heavily, her graying curls falling in her round face as she tapped at the computer. “Clifford

Hendricks?” she said, peering at the monitor.

“I guess so,” I shrugged.

“You must be Krystal Waverly? The neighbor who found him? He said we should expect you.”

“Yes, that's me!” I perked up immediately. My nerves were starting to get the better of me again, but

knowing I was on the right track helped immensely.

“Room 314,” she said shortly and then turned away from me, apparently finished with me. I felt panic

began to rise again. I didn't want to have to navigate the expansive complex on my own.

“Excuse me?” I said, the twinge of panic showing through in my voice. “Where is that? Can you take

me there?”

The nurse turned back and focused all her fury and frustration on me. “Look sweetie,” she grated.

“You see all these sick people out here? I need to take care of them. If you need help finding a room in a building, go get your mom.”

I pulled away, cringing. “Okay,” I said quietly. It looked like I was on my own.

Turning around, away from that horrible nurse, I first glanced about in confusion. But a directory

caught me eye. And it gave me the answer I needed. Mr. Hendricks was on the third floor, it seemed. A

right turn, a left turn, the second right. I memorized the little map of the building in my head. If I got lost, I would be in trouble.

Of course, I ended up getting lost. I found the elevator to the third floor just fine, but as soon as I

stepped out and back into the crowd, I was overwhelmed, once again. I hated this. I hated not being able

to function in public. I stood there, frozen in fear and indecision until a young doctor approached my side.

“Do you need help with anything?” he asked. He was holding a clip board and in green scrubs, with

dark olive skin and black hair, and equally dark eyes. And he was currently throwing me a winning