More Than Eyes Alone Can See
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While Tess slept the sleep of the righteously drugged, Sands
spent the night sitting in an armchair in his room, feet propped up on a
dresser or something, a cigarette lit more often than not.
past week in unconsciousness to sleep comfortably now.
interesting tidbits about his doctor cum hostess.
again review what he abo about the woman; to fit in the new pieces of
information that he had about her and see how that changed what he’d already
pieced together.
cigarette. Her name is Teresa Adame. Last
name unknown. She was raised within the
cartel’s main compound from the time she was five.
second in her class in 1996, then returned to
disorder that requires her to take boosters shots.
latest in torture and organ extraction, most likely.
business. The last of his cigarette
burned his fingers. Sands discarded the
butt, hoping he wasn’t going to set anything on fire.
after running away, she stayed in
somehow not only managed to find a contact within the cartel that was unwilling
to sell her out, but some shady business partners as well.
files. Sands sighed.
territory.
La chiquita, Tess, likes to stay in the shadows.
the authorities, and the cartel alike, but will venture back into her old world
when the occasion calls for it. She
knows how to use and care for guns, but doesn’t care to use them.
Sands reached for
another cigarette and found that it was his last one.
woman seems to have a hard time focusing her thoughts, yet she has massive
amounts of literature stored away in that head of hers apparently always
accessible for instant recall. He
lit his last cigarette.
them. She likes classical music,
possibly from a classical education – Barillo seemed to be the kind of guy that
would value that. For it’s
prestige, not for the education itself.
Tess, however, seems to value what she learned and tries to ignore the
prestige. Which is
interesting. Not a lot of doctors
do that.
likes having a clean house. She
also do it when she’s uneasy. For the
most part, she’s gentle, soft-spoken, patient, caring, minds her own business,
and is confident. There was only one
thing wrong with that assessment, and that was him.
differently around him. Around everyone
else, she displayed the cool and collected Tess, but somehow he managed to
unnerve her. Not that he minded – it was
good for his ego.
don’t have nearly enough information to be doing anything, Sheldon.
point, but you need to learn more. You
may be in the States, but the danger isn’t past.
answers from her. With that, Sands
finished his cigarette and went to bed, taking his glasses off for the first
time in days and making sure to lie on his back.
Young Sheldon Jeffery
Sands never missed an opportunity to watch one of the summer meteor
showers. They were relatively clear
outside
city’s ambient light didn’t extend this far, granting clearer
views of the skies, which was just what the boy wanted.
his father had hired people to build at the summerhouse.
night, Jeffery (anything was better than ‘Sheldon’) wouldn’t even be out
here. When he’d asked his father for a
tree house years ago, he’d been so excited when his dad had said yes.
fathers. His had hired contractors.
represented another crushed dream.
hit by a meteor. Not that he was trying
to get killed by space debris, but it was an
interesting question nonetheless. Would
death be immediate? Or would you linger
on as part of you burned? His mother
would scold him for such grisly thoughts, but they were normal for a boy of
thirteen.
that wasn’t taken up with the dream, remembered that night.
the meteor shower and how he’d woken up the next morning healthy and
whole. Which was what
made the next part of his dream such a shock.
grew brighter and brighter until the light hit him with a physical sensation,
like being punched in the gut. The pain
spread through his body, settling in legs, and arm, and head.
he’d accidentally gotten into one of the maid’s container of pepper spray.
anything to ease the burn, but all his hands encountered was blood pouring down
his face. In shock, he screamed and
flailed in his bed. Which
was in a tree. Fifty feet above
the ground. He fell, and when he hit the
ground, even his mind turned black and there was nothing but silence and the
knowledge that he was alone and broken.
The phone rang the next morning.
realized that there was a phone ringing somewhere.
not the light of morning however, and so she sighed.
night.
don’t quite remember that happening.
of complaining. After all, it’s not
up. Or an answering machine will pick
up. -Ri
her bed still, too unmotivated to move.
This was the real reason she didn’t like taking sleeping aids, not even
Tylenol PM. Yes, she got a night of
uninterrupted sleep, but she was lethargic for hours after she finally woke
up. The door to her room opened, and
Tessa’s voice urged her to find out who it was, but she couldn’t work up the
interest. Whoever it was would say what
they wanted, or they’d go away. Tess
sincerely hoped they’d choose the latter option.
hours of sleep.
“Hey, Doc, are you
awake?”
It had to be Sands.
night?
he overheard part or all of your conversation with
questions he wants to ask you all morning.
And possibly all afternoon.
awful quiet in here. Sounds to me like
you killed her.” She could hear mockery
in the man’s voice. He was
Or both. That was likely.
getting your ass out of bed anytime soon?
Like today? Your partner in crime
wants to talk to you.”
Damn.
“Pardon me?”
usually a bit more coherent than that.
Perhaps she really had gotten an overdose.
“Which one?”
pan>pan>“I’ve never helped
you break the law.”
“Well, the
mumblings on the other side would lead me to believe that he wants to talk to
you, although I can’t imagine why.”
“Can I have the phone?”
“Have you forgotten
one little, minor detail, niña?
“That’s a load of
crap. If you can identify someone by
their footsteps, then you can find my bed.”
Sands was surprised
by the fact that his little chiquita was showing the sharp side of her
tongue. He hadn’t been aware that she
had a temper. Sure, she got irritated
with him, but at the moment her mood could only be described as ‘bad’.
want her to be human.
rather have her be perfect?
I’d rather have her be predictable.
she’s human you’ll figure it out sooner or later.
your touch.
Tess heard feet
approaching the bed. When they stopped,
she reached out one arm, searching for the phone.
a bit farther . . .”
Giving up, Tess opened her eyes, moaning when the light hit
them. Too familiar.
familiar. She squinted against the
light.
feet above her head. “You’re such a
jerk,” she muttered.
Sands heard a body
shifting on the bed. Briefly he wondered
what Tess would do if he took a seat on the bed next to her, but he got
distracted as he felt the phone be pulled from his hand.
As soon as she had the
phone in her hand, Tessa closed her eyes again.
“
Pierce.” That’s all she had to say
before
apologizing. Tess let him go on for some
time before interrupting. “What time is
it,
“
“And why are you
calling me before two? I seem to
remember strict instructions against that.”
“Well . . . when
you didn’t call, I got worried. I
thought that you’d surely call as soon as you figured out what I’d done.
“Yes, I know.
I wouldn’t sleep, you didn’t want me pacing the floors all night, and, as my
physician, you decided to act in my best interest.”
The line was silent
for several seconds before
asked, “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“It means you’re
lucky my paranoiac nature didn’t take offense and decide that you needed to be
eliminated.” Tess felt the bed move, as
if someone had sat down on the edge. And
the kids weren’t here. Her eyes popped
open to find Sands sitting on the bed, facing her with an expectant look.
crap. “But all joking aside, where
are my kids?”
“Tina took them
shopping, and then to Knott’s Berry Farm.”
“
–”
“Don’t worry about
it. How’s your patient?”
“Ever so much more
aware than I am. It’s a dangerous
situation.”
“How so?”
“Don’t want to talk
about it right now.”
/spa/span>“He’s in the room?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
her muscles fight against her. She
really needed to start stretching again.
She collapsed back into the bed.
“Listen, now that I’m semi-awake, I need to run some errands.
“No, not unless you
wanted me to.”
“No, that’s alright.
this evening. Sleeping pills have a
notorious history of staying in my system longer than they’re supposed to.
need to call a cab?”
“There’s a sedan out
front for you to use. A few of the
interns dropped it off this morning.
Compliments of the firm, of course.”
“Of course.
tomorrow? What time do you have us
scheduled for?”
“Three.
“I don’t see why it
wouldn’t be. We haven’t been arolonglong
enough to have any previous engagements.”
Although I should get the kids in
to see a pediatrician and a dentist.
“Listen, I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”
“Sounds good,
Trouble. Catch you then.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Tess
watching Sands. He was still sitting on
the edge of the bed, still facing her.
Despite the fact that he had no eyes, she had to fight to keep from
squirming under his non-existent gaze.
She could tell he suspected something about her, but didn’t know what,
and didn’t really want to know. The
silence was too much. “Did you need
something, or did your legs just become unable to support you any longer?”
“What makes you
think I didn’t just miss the sound of your delightfully hoarse voice?”
If a little torment
was all he had in mind at the moment, then Tess had things to do until he was
ready to get serious. Like grocery
shopping. “Do you mind?”
“Mind what?
I thought I’d already said that I –”
“You know I wanted
you to leave the room. I’d like to get
ready for the day.”
“Be my guest.”
something.”
“I also wanted you to leave.” He
didn’t move, and Tess was getting the impression that he wasn’t going to
move. Tess sighed.
irritation.Unfortunately, it would give
him one more thing to wonder about her.
But she thought she could live with that.
You, my dearest Teresa, are much too trusting and more naïve than your
age deserves.
I thank thee, night! for thou has chased away these horrid bodements
which, amidst the throng, I could not dissipate; and with the blessing of thy
benign and quiet influence now will I to my couch, although to rest is almost
wronging such a night as this.”
“What?”
“Be obscure clearly.”
“If you’re trying to get rid of me, it’s not going to work, niña.”
“Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz.
It was clear that Tess was going to be difficult about this.
intimidated. Sands would have to try
again when he would have the upper hand in the conversation.
without intelligence.”
“Are you saying that you don’t trust me, señor?”
“Do you trust
Tess was silent. Sands held back
a cynical laugh. “I think we trust each
other only too well, chiquita. We’ll both
be better off if you keep that in mind.”
Sands left.
He has a point.
Tess got out of her bed. She knew
he had a point, but some part of her was shouting denials at the truth of the
statement. I know he has a point, but without trust there’s no healing.
saying. Otherwise he wouldn’t be here.
you
voice was expressing disapproval.
Teresa? What do you think he’d do
then? What do you think finding
who he’s come to
not just raised by and in the cartel, but is the illegitimate child of the man
who took his eyes. Think that trust will
stand? Or will he kill you?
what the answer was. That wasn’t a rhetorical
question, Teresa.
This wasn’t one of her normal nervous habits.
you forcing the issue?
I want to make sure that you won’t do anything stupid.
see you dead than alive. Help him so
we’ll be free, but don’t lose your head.
Answer the question.
question. It hurt too much.
kill me. But he’s not going to find out.
whose wisdom is consumed in confidence?
Anything is possible. Help him
then get away from him. He’d only
destroy you even if he didn’t kill you eventually.
You don’t want any competition, is that it?
mine until I decide I want to share you.
I’m not yours. If anything,
you’re mine. I’m the one who’s in control.
why am I still here?
Tess didn’t have an answer for that.
The next day came sooner than Tess
expected it to. Sometime after a short
afternoon of shopping, reading, napping, and generally trying to evade Sands,
the kids had come home and dinner had been served.
that had been Tessa’s biggest ally in keeping Sands at an arms length.
perhaps because of them, he’d been . . . .
Well, watching was the wrong word, and lurking implied that he’d been
trying to stay inconspicuous. Which he wasn’t;
he’d been openly invading her privacy.
But again, privacy wasn’t the word she was looking for.
since coming back from getting groceries.
She would have gone into her bedroom but was afraid that she’d fall too
deeply asleep if she was anywhere near a bed, so she’d settled for the
overstuffed armchair from the night before.
Not that it helped her stay awake, but it did keep her periods of
unconsciousness to brief catnaps.
Sands, when he wasn’t lounging on the couch across from her, was outside
standing in the sun, smoking. He spent a
lot of time doing that – although part of it was while standing in the doorway,
his profile turned to her. For an hour
or so, Tess had found it hard to concentrate, worried that he was going to try
something, but when he didn’t, she relaxed enough to actually read her
book. Books.
time focusing.
She’d managed to get through National Geographic, People, and Newsweek
before Sands asked her something. “Did
you really think you’d get it past me?”
“Get what past you?” She hoped
Sands was talking about something relatively innocent.
Sands didn’t let his reaction to the blandness in her voice get to
him. She was up to something.
tone was the day they’d met; the only time that bland voice came out anymore
was when she was nervous or trying to avoid answering something.
“Oh.” Again, Sands hid his
reaction; she sounded relieved that he hadn’t asked something else.
at all. I’m afraid buying those was an
impulse. A compromise between two
evils.”
addicted to anything.
“What are the two evils?”
“The first would be you and the second would be buying cigarettes in the
first place.” Sands tilted his head in
acknowledgement, but otherwise declined to comment.
picked up. It was about vampires.
“You’re quiet.”
“What?” He’d managed to startle
her. Again.
he was lounging on the couch, arms behind his head, and she hadn’t even noticed
him come back into the room. Her book
was getting really interesting, although the writing style was a bit . . .
eclectic. It was really requiring all
her attention to make heads or tales of it.
“You’re not humming, or tapping, or moving around, or playing
anything. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen .
. . heard you so quiet.”
How much attention had he been paying her if he’d managed to pick on
some of her more subtle distractions? Or
were they not as subtle as she thought?
Or had they grown less subtle?
“I’m just . . . really interested in this book,” she got up.
Sands simply shrugged. “I
wouldn’t want to impose, niña.”
Since when?
changing the channel to CNN. “Is news
alright with you? I thought perhaps –
off. Don’t
say anything unless you can improve the silence.
“Like I said, whatever.”
news.
Time passed. Tess read her book
and blocked out the noise of the TV.
Sands listened to a bunch of old coots argue about the war.
“What?”
“That cowboy hat. It’s not
exactly sunny in here.” It was going on
be back soon. Her book was
fascinating. Only fifty pages in and
already the heroine was faced with saving the life of a vampire (a very big
‘no’) or leaving him to die in the hands of the other vampires.
shouldn’t do, something that would endanger her life
from humans and vampires alike, and that would change her life forever.
her companion, and it was looking at him that made her realize he was wearing a
cowboy hat of all things. It really
didn’t go with the t-shirt that said ‘Lord of the Onion Rings.’
Sands shrugged, hiding his sudden tenseness when he heard the man who
sounded like his father being addressed as senator.
shit. “I’ve got a lot of fond
memories of that hat.”
“I’ve got a lot of fond memories of that dog. That’s the line.
Jones and the Last Crusade.”
“Watch a lot of movies, do you?”
If he could keep her talking until the show was over, maybe she wouldn’t
ce wce what he was suspecting.
“I did. In college.
night movie parties. Our senior year, we
actually rented a house off-campus together.”
“You were all close?”
“Yeah, we were. Or close
enough. We all liked each other, which
is more than can be said of some relationships.”
Tess fell quiet and Sands heard a page turn.
“A book.” Sands flipped her
off. “It’s a book, it’s called
humans and ‘Others’ live together, but ‘Others’ and those with Other blood are
. . . considered unhealthy for one’s health.
It takes place in a post third-world-war type setting.
decimated, but Others seem to outrank the humans.
cinnamon rolls, has been kidnapped by vampires and thrown to one like a lamb to
the wolves.”
“Mmm . . . going to have his wicked way with her, is he?”
“No. He hasn’t laid a hand on
her, even though he had the opportunity.
She’s decided to help him escape with her, even though it’s daylight
outside.”
“That would give you sucker ashes.”
“No. She’s got
some latent magic-handler blood, and she can hold the sunlight off him.
her own. She needs his help and he needs
hers. And neither of them like the
alliance.” Sounds familiar.
“What’s wrong?
peculiarity out elsewhere?”
“You’re welcome to believe that the world is a nice, logical, rational,
safe place . . . You’d be wrong, but that hasn’t stopped anyone else who thinks
the same way. Perhaps I read this
because I can sympathize. Maybe the
stories that talk about women going to charity events and finding mystery lovers
who eventually commit to them body and soul are the stories that are too
foreign for me to believe.” Tess
stopped, wondering if she’d gone too far and if Sands would answer.
and sometimes he didn’t.
She never got the opportunity to find out.
youthful enthusiasm rushed in the door.
Tessa rose to answer the raucous clamor and to take
from Tina. She thanked the woman and
ushered the kids upstairs to clean up.
Then she threw dinner on the stove and started to cook.
himself from the group again.
I’ll have to make sure he eats
later. He’s skipped too many meals from
pain and painkillers to skimp on food now.
Sands was back outside on the porch, smoking another cigarette.
skin of his arms and face, bronzing him where the moon had turned him silver
the night before. Part of Tess
understood the . . . the cleanliness that sunlight could bring.
the mind. But some shadows hid things
that should never be revealed. An echo
ran through her mind, the remnants of a giggle that didn’t belong to her.
that should never be forgotten.
The children were
ushered to bed along with a bedtime story.
“And some things
thatuld uld not have been forgotten were lost.
History became legend, legend became myth, and for two and half thousand
years the Ring passed out of all knowledge.
Until when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer.
took it deep into the tunnels of the
life. For five hundred years it poisoned
his mind. And in the gloom of Gollum's
cave, it waited. Darkness crept back
into the forest of the world. Rumoew
ew
of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power
perceived. Its time had now come.”
The sun had set, dusk was a memory, the children were asleep and Sands
back in his room. She was grateful that
Sands had never really had the opportunity to interrogate her as he’d
thread.
question about the hat.
Sands hoped she hadn’t caught his father’s name on TV.
“So what you’re saying is you’re
going to pump me full of drugs for three weeks – drugs that will have the side
effects of causing extreme pain as they help ‘regenerate’ injured tendons and nerves,
that will most likely make me irritable and make me want to give in to moderate
to extreme depression, not to mention mild nausea and possible periodic memory
loss. And then after that, you’ll
operate on me for eight hours, making sure to rebuild my eye-lids while you’re
at it, including eyelashes. And lastly,
I can expect a five to seven month recovery period – which will also be painful
– if the surgery works at all. If it
does work, there’s only a thirty percent chance that I’ll get complete eyesight
back, a sixty percent chance that I’ll need corrective lenses of some degree,
and a ten percent chance I’ll only be able to solorolors and shapes.”
“Yes.”
Sands sat in his chair quietly while his mind ran over his options.
could risk it that this would work.
Something had to better than nothing.
The dark . . . as gas going to corrode who he was until there was
nothing left but a shell.
“Certainty of
death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?”
Damn.
again. And even worse, she had somehow
known what direction his thoughts were going in.
better. No, that wasn’t right.
the br.
he needed to get away from Tess before he got used to having her around.
“Ok, Doc. Let’s try this.”
“Well, Mr. Sands, if you’re sure about this, then let’s get you
started.”
pushed the intercom button on his phone.
A moment later the door opened and a dark-haired young woman entered the
office. She was dressed in the standard
nurse’s uniform, but there was a bright smile on her face and a spring to her
step. Tess just looked at her with
raised eyebrows. This . . .
be working in a medical office.
“Hi, I’m Merrie. It’s a pleasure
to meet you, Dr. Adame.” The woman held
out a hand to shake. Tess gingerly took
it, awed by the amount of enthusiasm radiating from the young nurse.
he hasn’t been able to stop talking about you.”
“Please, call me Teresa.”
“Nice to meet you, Teresa.”
Merrie turned her attention to Tessa’s patient.
“It’s just Sands.” With even more
reluctance than Tess had shown, Sands extended his hand.
given Tess. He could tell this girl was
peppy – he didn’t like pep. A lack of pep
was perhaps the one thing he liked . . . tolerated . . . about Tess.
be better off swooning over some movie star at some dollar theater somewhere.
that the kid had some handshake.
“Okay, Sands it is. Would you
mind coming with me, Sands? We’re going
to get your height, weight, blood pressure, and that sort of stuff.”
seat, displaying his latest tacky t-shirt in all it’s
tasteless glory. Tess saw the young
nurse eye the print (665 – Neighbor of the Beast) with an amused eye and
noticed that this was one thing even the energetic woman refused to mention.
As the two left the room, Tess heard Merrie saw, “Has anyone ever told
you that you have a strong resemblance to Johnny Depp?”n
sn
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then the door shut, blocking Sands’
response.
Probably no more than a grunt –
that’s what I got. “It there a
reason yo let letting your nurses handle this?”
“They’re just handling the preliminary stuff.
you.”
“About?”
“Well . . . first of all, I’m really sorry about –”
“Don’t sweat it,
seeing how I was getting sleep deprived.
I just wished that you’d talked to me about it first.
it’s presented correctly. As in, bought
to my attention at all.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“I know. Look, let’s just drop it
as long as you understand that you’re not to do that without my consent again.”
“Loud and clear.”
“Good. What else did you want to
talk to me about?”
“Mmm . . . why don’t we talk a walk?”
“O-kay.”
Tess got up from her chair and walked across the room with her
friend. They walked down the corridor
and
outside a door. Tess peeked in the
window and saw Sands with a bevy of nurses attending him.
Two women does not a bevy make, Teresa.
Tess ignored that comment. She
watched as the two women chattered and laughed and worked.
they were being efficient.
the way her eyes dismissed the two nurses and focused on Sands.
watching for something. Any sign of
discomfort. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Any reason to go in the room herself and take
over. That wasn’t Tessa’s style.
“About what?” Tess turned enough
that she could watch her friend but still keep an eye on the man she’d taken
under her charge. This was the first
time she could observe him around other people without her presence and she was
. . . unduly interested.
“Sands. And you.”
Tess sighed. “I understand why
you would be worried about Sands, what with all the lovely side effects of your
oh-so-helpful medications, but why are you worried about me?
an
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> More
years than you can imagine.
“I know you can take care of yourself, T.
I know that, and I understand that, and I accept that.
and your patient that concern me.”
saw that Tess was about to protest this, so he quickly continued before she
could say anything. “And if it were
worried. I know that you don’t generally
take on more than you can handle, but –”
“But you’re afraid that Sands is going to become more than I can
handle.” Tess looked in the window
again.
“You are planning to look
after him yourself, aren’t you?” Tess
nodded, still not looking at her friend.
distraction and sighed. “What’s the
fascination, T? There’s more going on
here than a doctor wanting the best care for her patient.”