Page 44 of Pocus
“Mon dieu!” Pocus gasps and rushes over to my side. He crouches in front of me and takes my hands gently in his. “What is the matter, ma petite?” he asks tenderly. “Why are you crying? Talk to me, chérie.”
“I…I need to go, Pocus,” I say, shaking my head from side to side. “You have to let me go. Please?”
He frowns into my face in concern, and his hands seem to tighten protectively on mine. “I don’t understand. Did someone bother you?”
“Not that,” I reply, sniffing loudly. “I…I got a call from the hospital, and it seems like Laura is in trouble because of me. I…I need to go.”
“Look at me, Abigail,” Pocus says firmly, tugging on my hands until I raise my eyes to his. “This could be a trap. It could be Anderson’s way of smoking you out.”
“It’s all the more reason I should go, don’t you think?” I snapped, irritated. “What if something happens to Laura? I have to go; I can’t…,” my voice trails off on a choked sob. “Please, let me go to my sister, Pocus.”
“Your sister will be fine, Abigail,” Pocus reassures. “I’ll make sure of that.”
“How are you going to do that?” I ask hesitantly.
Pocus’ hands tighten reassuringly on mine, and I feel like I can breathe a little. “I’ll have her moved to a safe facility so that Anderson will never bother her again. She’ll be well taken care of, too. I promise.”
I don’t know how and when it happened, but I realize that I trust him – maybe I have for a long time.
“Okay,” I say with a small nod.
He smiles up at me, and the tightening in my chest instantly loosens. My world feeling like it’s regained its balance once more.
* * *
Pocus
Iremove my helmet and run my fingers through my hair with a breathy sigh. The ride to Graceland hospital was longer than I expected. The huge white building looks oddly charming with its sprawling green lawn and colorful flowers. It doesn’t look anything like a mental hospital, but I can sense the intense dreariness that’s only associated with people who’ve gone too far inside their heads to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. This is reserved for people the world no longer has hope for. Despite its charms, it’s the most dreary place I’ve been to in a while. Several patients are moving around on the lawn in their hospital wear. Some of them are seated in groups over board games, while others are seated alone, staring into space with empty gazes. Nurses are scattered around the lawn, watching over their patients with eagle-eyed precision. It’s a whole different world, as scary as it is fascinating. Bones and I stand at strategic points where we can scan the entire grounds without being seen.
“Why the fuck am I in a mental institute, Prez?” Bones grumble from behind me.
“We’re here to move a patient,” I reply, quietly assessing the grounds.
Bones scoff quietly. “It’s about that woman, isn’t it? And don’t give me that crap about her being the only connection to Anderson.”
“What is your problem with the woman, Bones?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
“I don’t want to have anything to do with her,” Bones replies grudgingly. “She’s all shades of trouble. Why don’t you fucking see that?”
Bones isn’t one to hold grudges for long, so I’m surprised he still hasn’t come around. But now I realize that he doesn’t necessarily dislike Abigail as a person. He just can’t get over the fact that she outsmarted him.
“But you even called Graveyard when she was sick,” I say with a small snort. “That’s got to count for something.”
Bones huffs. “That? She was really sick, and I didn’t want to be bothered with disposing of her body if she died in the clubhouse.”
“Right,” I reply with a disbelieving scoff. “Can we get to the part where we get Laura out of here? You remember the plan?”
“You’ll distract the front desk while I sneak into Room 206. I’m permitted to knock out anything in my way, but I have to stick to the shadows. I sneak her out through the emergency exit where Graveyard is waiting in a van. He rides into the sunset with her, and they live happily ever after.”
I chuckle softly and shake my head in amusement. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the plan,” I reply with a scoff. “Remember, the nurses and doctors make their rounds every ten minutes, so we have less than that to get in and out.”
“Got it,” Bones replies with a curt nod.
I glance at my watch and signal at Bones. “It’s time.”
“Do I have to wear this ridiculous outfit?” Bones asks, frowning down at the white coat I’d borrowed from Graveyard’s stash with disdain.
I clear my throat loudly, resisting the urge to laugh. He does look ridiculous in a doctor’s coat. “You need a disguise if you don’t want to arouse suspicion. Being a doctor was the best I figure in a hospital.”