Ravensong (48 page)

“
And you think he shouldn’t
be in the hospital?”

James leaned forward, careful not to
disturb his brother. “If I take him to a hospital that doesn’t know
him and he’s hallucinating, what do you think they’ll do to
him?”

“
Commit him?”

James nodded. “Tie him down, medicate
him to keep him still. I promised him I’d never let that happen
again.”

“
What happens when we get
him home?”

“
My dad takes
over.”

Dominic looked out the window. “All
right. I’m not sure I agree, but I’m here.”

James breathed a sigh of relief and
sank back in his seat. Please let him be right, let him be able to
control whatever was about to happen.

* * *

Joshua scratched at his arms
frantically. James reached over and covered his hands with his own.
“It’s all right, Josh.”

Joshua forced open his eyes, but they
wouldn’t focus. A headache pounded in his temples and the light
shining down on them burned. He felt as if insects were crawling
across his skin.

“
Please turn the light
out,” he said, shutting his eyes again. Someone reached over him
and flicked the switch. Joshua flinched at the sound; it echoed in
his ears. He rubbed at the insects again. “They’re crawling all
over me.”

James leaned close, his voice in
Joshua’s ears. “There’s nothing on you, Josh. You’re all
right.”

Joshua hunched his shoulders, trying
to remember what was happening to him. He kept trying to tell
himself it wasn’t real, but it felt real. The pain was real,
curling around his back, seating deep inside his body. And he was
hot, his skin felt dry and his lips were burning.

“
Where’s Elena?” he heard
himself ask.

“
I didn’t want her to see
you like this,” James answered. Joshua knew it wasn’t the first
time he’d said it, but he couldn’t remember asking
before.

He shifted restlessly in the seat and
rubbed at his arms. The insects were crawling over his chest and
down his spine. A spasm of pain made him roll to his side and curl
his arms around his middle. He peered at Dominic through narrowed
eyes. The huge man was watching him with a frown of worry, but as
Joshua stared at him, his face warped and flowed as if he was
looking at him beneath a pool of water. Joshua closed his
eyes.

James’ fingers curled around his
wrists. “Stop, Josh, please. You’re going to scratch yourself
bloody.”

Joshua tried to stop
himself, but the urge to brush the insects away was almost more
than he could stand. Then the tremors began and he didn’t have time
to worry about the insects anymore.

* * *

Kate tucked her arm in Elena’s as they
entered the hospital. Elena forced a smile for her friend, although
it was mostly show. She felt sick inside, sick and afraid.
Thankfully, Kate had agreed to accompany her without any complaint
or lecture. She’d seen the look on Elena’s face when she’d picked
her up at the airport in San Francisco and that had been enough.
They’d booked a flight into LAX for the next day.

Now Elena wanted to enter the ICU as
if she had every right to do so. She’d browbeat Dominic until he’d
told her where they’d taken Joshua. She’d browbeat Elliot until
he’d told her what was wrong. She’d tried to browbeat the nurse on
the phone into giving her an update on his condition, but that
hadn’t work, and now she was here, entering a place she knew she
wasn’t wanted.

She hoped Joshua’s family wasn’t here.
She hoped she’d be able to sneak in and see him before anyone
realized she wasn’t supposed to be there. If nothing else, she
hoped she’d be able to see him and assure herself that he was all
right.

Elliot had told her his kidneys
weren’t functioning properly. Apparently, there had been some tense
moments on the flight to California. He’d suffered a relapse and
had some mild hallucinations, but she couldn’t get any other
information. Elliot had given her James’ cell phone number, but
James wouldn’t speak with her.

She still couldn’t believe John was
behind the pranks against Joshua, and yet, she couldn’t deny it
either. Elena didn’t understand how that made her an accomplice,
but she was, at least in James’ eyes. He told her she wasn’t
welcome anywhere around his brother. Well, he could go to hell.
Elena wasn’t about to give up without a fight. She loved Joshua and
she intended to be here for him, even through the worst.

“
Wait here,” said Kate and
released her, going up to the grey-haired woman who worked the
information desk. Elena glanced around apprehensively, hoping she
wouldn’t see James anywhere.

Kate returned. “This way,” she said,
motioning toward the elevators. “Third floor.”

They walked to the mirrored doors and
compressed the button. An elevator arrived a moment later and they
entered. Kate pressed the button for the third floor. They stared
at the numbers without talking until the bell dinged and the doors
opened. Elena hesitated before leaving the small cell. She glanced
down the hallways, hoping she wouldn’t see Joshua’s family. The
only thing she could see was the nurses’ station in the middle of
the floor.

Elena followed Kate from the elevator.
They moved toward the nurses’ station, glancing around. No one was
behind the desk, but Elena craned her neck to see down both
corridors, then she leaned over the desk, hoping something would
indicate where Joshua might be.

A cough echoed from the left corridor.
Elena sank back on her heels and clasped her hands, waiting for the
nurse to scuttle down the hallway and back to her post. “Sorry,
we’re a little short handed right now.”

“
No problem,” she answered,
flashing her a smile. “I’m here to see Joshua
Ravensong.”

The nurse studied her for a moment,
then shook her head. “No one here by that name.”

“
I’ll bet he checked in
under a pseudonym,” offered Kate. “Protection from the
paparazzi.”

Elena’s face fell. “You’re
probably right. I just don’t know what that name might be.” She
looked down in frustration, then remembered James’ last name.
“Connor? Is there anyone here by the last name of
Connor?”

The nurse’s reaction told
her she’d found part of the answer

“
Joshua Connor?” she
suggested.

The nurse grimaced in understanding.
“I’m sorry. Only family is allowed to visit.”

Elena griped the counter. “Please. I
just want to see him for a moment. You can come with me and if he
says he doesn’t want to see me, I’ll leave immediately.”

The nurse hesitated, clearly moved by
Elena’s plea. “Why don’t you tell me your name and I’ll ask him if
he wants to see you?”

Elena opened her mouth to answer, but
James’ voice interrupted her. “No, this woman isn’t allowed to see
my brother.”

Elena closed her eyes in frustration,
then turned to face him. “Joshua doesn’t get to decide that for
himself?”

“
Not right now. Not when
he’s as sick as he is. After he’s well, then he can
decide.”

Elena fought back tears. “What do you
think I did?”

He didn’t answer her question. Instead
he went on the offensive. “Your fiancé lost his medical license. If
we can get Joshua to press charges, we’ll arrest him.”

“
What exactly did he do?
You wouldn’t tell me.”

“
We finally got a
judge to issue a subpoena on the pharmaceutical company and they
revealed who’d placed the order. It
was
placed in Joshua’s name, but a
physician had to approve it. Your fiancé was that physician. The
syringe we found in Joshua’s dressing room was filled with morphine
– again, something only a physician would have access to. When we
questioned your fiancé, he confessed.”

“
How did he do all of this
from Colorado?”

“
Apparently he sensed
something was wrong between you two long before you made your trip
to see him. He read all of the articles that pertained to
Avalanche
. In one, the
reporter talked to a roadie, who seemed a bit disgruntled about
hauling equipment. He contacted the roadie and paid him well to
plant the various items. Joshua didn’t even know who the roadie
was, apparently something that made the man more inclined to do
Joshua some harm.”

Elena shared a miserable look with
Kate. “I warned you about him,” she said in frustration. “I told
you I thought something was wrong with him. Alec,
right?”

“
You didn’t tell me fast
enough. By the time I got the guy’s last name, it was too
late.”

“
I can’t tell you how
horrible I feel about this, but why are you blaming me? I never
dreamed John was capable of such revenge.”

“
Really? You had no
inclination? Why did you wait so long to break it off?”

Elena closed her eyes. She wished
she’d never kept her relationship with Joshua a secret. It had
caused so much trouble. “I didn’t want to lose my job. I thought
Julian would fire me.”

James gave her his cop look. “So you
chose to expose my brother to dangerous pranks just to keep a
job?”

“
I didn’t know that’s what
I was doing,” she protested. “James, I love your
brother.”

“
Really? Yet you didn’t
want anyone to know you were together?”

“
Hey, that’s out of line,”
snapped Kate.

James glared at her, forcing Kate to
back up behind Elena. “Spare me the false outrage, Elena. My
brother doesn’t need someone who puts herself first.”

Elena moved closer to him. “You told
me that you wanted Joshua to make his own decisions. Don’t you
think this is his decision?”

James’ expression didn’t soften. “I
was the one who found him when he tried to kill himself. I was the
one, and I’ll never forget it. I can’t go through that again, so
until he’s well, I think I’ll make the decisions.” He rubbed his
eyes wearily. “Please just leave, Elena. I’m so tired, I don’t want
to fight with you anymore.”

“
I know you love your
brother, James, and I know you think you’re protecting him. I just
hope he doesn’t feel differently when he’s well. He might not thank
you for interfering here.” She pointed a finger at him. “And you’d
better make sure he knows I was here, James, because if he finds
out you kept me away from him and then lied to him about it, I
don’t think he’ll ever forgive you.”

With that she walked toward the
elevators. She was proud that she didn’t burst into tears until the
doors shut behind her and Kate.

* * *

Joshua zipped closed his bag, then
wandered to the window to look out. How many times would he wind up
in this facility, he wondered.

“
I’ve got your release
papers here. There are some instructions on what to watch out for
and your level of activity for the next few weeks.”

Joshua nodded. Dr. Staddler came up
beside him and held out the papers.

“
You sure you’re ready to
go home?”

He gave her a smile. “I want to see my
daughter and I don’t want her seeing me here.” He took the papers
and folded them in half. Once again he’d regained his
freedom.

“
If you need me, I’m just a
call away,” she said, touching his arm.

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“
They asked me to tell you
that you have a visitor. Someone named Elliot. Do you want to see
him?”

Joshua tossed the papers onto his bag.
“Not in here. I’ll see him in the waiting room.”

“
I understand,” she said,
stepping away from him. “I meant what I said, Joshua. I’m here if
you need me.” Then she led the way from the room.

Joshua felt the eyes of the nurses on
him as he wandered down the hall toward the waiting room. It was
dimly lit and a television blared from the wall. Elliot was sitting
in a chair, his hands clasped before him. He looked up as Joshua
entered.

“
Josh?”

“
Hey,” he said with a tight
smile. He walked over to the television set and turned it
off.

Elliot stood. “They said you were
getting out today.”

“
Yeah, going
home.”

“
To the city or your
parents?”

“
The city. I haven’t seen
Tiffany yet.”

Elliot nodded. “Saw David
yesterday.”

“
How is he?”

“
He’s doing real well –
thin, but…” His voice trailed off and his eyes lowered over
Joshua’s body.

Joshua knew he’d lost a lot
of weight himself. He looked away. He felt like he had so many
years ago, when he’d first stepped into
Avalanche’s
warehouse – uncertain and
strange. Completely unbalanced.

“
How are
you
?” asked
Elliot.

Joshua looked back and the strangeness
eased. “Better.”

“
Your kidneys?”