Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 

The first thing Gwen remembered upon waking was feeling fairly comfortable. She was warm and drowsy, so she opted to sleep a little longer. After a while her brain started to come online and she realized she wasn’t nearly as cosy as she thought. The buzz of a busy nearby room bothered her ears, but worse than that was the overwhelming sterile scent.

“Hey,” said a soothing voice.

Her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was Zach sitting beside her.

“Hi,” she said weakly.

She attempted to get up, when she did pain shot through her body landing her flat on her back, cringing.

“Careful,” he said reaching for her bed controls. “Try not to move too much.”

He adjusted it so she was, for the most part, upright, allowing her to view the rest of the room.

“Hospital right, I thought I could smell industrial cleaner.” she sighed.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said brushing the hair from her face before taking her hand. “You were in such rough shape.”

“It’s okay,” she said calmly. “How bad was it?”

Zach grinned at her.

“Not very, that gash on your forehead needed a couple of stitches, but they’re the dissolvable kind,” he said stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. “The main thing you have to watch is your arm.”

Gwen looked down, Zach was holding her right hand, that arm was undamaged. However, her left was strapped in a sling.

“Huh, don’t remember that,” she said her gaze returning to him.

“Understandable, it’s from Laser’s last shot, whatever power you had left must have diverted it from your chest to your shoulder,” he explained, dragging his chair closer to the bed. “It’s not broken, just a bad bruise.”

“They gave me a sling for a bruise?” she asked perplexed.

“No, the sling is to keep your shoulder immobile because it’s such a deep bruise even a slight movement could seriously hurt,” he replied leaning on the bed guard. “Even the head physician said he’d never seen one like it, nearly goes right through to your back.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” she said sinking into her pillow.

They were in a private room, just her bed, a couple of unused machines and a window by the open door, both revealing the fairly calm hospital hallway. The upper half of the walls were a powder blue, the lower half white and a rubber covered hand rail was present in and outside the room.

Zach sighed and ruffled his hair tiredly.

“You really scared me tonight,” he said seriously.

The twinkles were dancing in her eyes, only they appeared to be much brighter than before.

“I’m sorry,” she said lowering her head a little. “You were right, I’d hate it if anyone got hurt because I lost my cool.”

“You’re allowed to be human Gwen,” he said gently. “I’m curious, why did you get so angry in the first place?”

She furrowed her brow thoughtfully, the night’s events were a bit fuzzy.

“You.”

“What?”

“My shield broke before you could get away, you hit that car,” she said turning her large eyes on him. “You’re hurt, show me.”

He blinked at her.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

“Then you won’t mind if I see,” she said smartly.

Zach smirked, she was a pro.

“Okay,” he said standing.

He spun and lifted his shirt halfway up his back. Gwen gasped. From the middle of his back down past his jeans was a patchwork of blotches, purple bruises mixed with red spots that hadn’t quite turned yet.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” he told her, almost able to hear the concern racing through her mind.

“The car was Julie’s, wasn’t it?” she said repressing the urge to touch him.

“You remember the ketchup, huh,” he said letting his shirt drop prior to retaking his seat.

“Yeah and I think I saw her there, but . . .”

Her head started to ache, she was about to rub her forehead when Zach caught her by the wrist.

“Stitches,” he said simply.

“Right,” she said lowering her hand.

“Don’t worry about what happened tonight, we can sort it out when you’re stronger,” he said protectively.

“That’s probably a good idea,” she agreed, though he could see something was gnawing at her and she wasn’t able to ignore it. “Just one issue, how did we get here? Did you take on Laser?”

“Didn’t have to, Steel took care of him,” he replied.

“What! What was Dustin doing there?” she exclaimed.

“Stuck with relatives while his parents are away on business,” said a male voice from the doorway.

She twisted to face the door and there was Dustin along with Julie and Kate.

“Katie,” Gwen said shocked.

“Sorry we’re late,” Dustin said as Kate rushed into the room. “We had to wait out front for the others.”

Gwen’s jaw fell, after Julie and Dustin entered they were followed by Pinky, Marco and Doug with Lesley on his hip.

“Gwen!” Lesley cried wriggling like a puppy, wearing only her pyjamas, sneakers and a coat.

“Easy pumpkin, remember she’s hurt,” Doug said lowering her onto the bed.

“Okay, okay, okay,” she said struggling until her dad finally let go.

“Come here, honey,” Gwen said holding out her good arm to direct Les to that side.

She took Gwen’s hand, walked up the edge of the bed, then snuggled in beside her.

“Now, isn’t it a bit late for you to be awake?” Gwen asked, her arm wrapped around Les.

“I had a bad dream,” she replied. “Pinky was talking to daddy when I came out.”

“She wasn’t about to go back to sleep after hearing the news,” Doug added, standing next to Marco at the foot of the bed.

“I see,” Gwen said kindly.

Julie stayed so close to the door she was practically behind it while Katie, Dustin and Pinky were on her left, all seemed quite composed.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?” Gwen asked thinking her small room was pretty full, that had to be against hospital policy.

“I borrowed your cell,” Zach confessed. “I figured they should hear what happened now rather than later when you come home with stitches and a sling.”

“Good point,” she said. “I’d offer you all a seat, but I don’t seem to have enough for everyone.”

“Gwen, relax,” Marco said commandingly. “You should be thinking about yourself, not us.”

“Old habits,” Gwen admitted guiltily.

A chuckle passed through the room, she eased further into her pillow, then went rigid. Everyone noticed.

“What?” Zach asked concerned. “What do you smell?”

Of course he recognized her body language if she wasn’t so nervous she would beam at him.

“Cranberries and coffee,” she whispered fretfully.

“Translation?” Dustin asked.

“Mom and Dad,” Zach said rising from his chair.

Gwen fidgeted slightly.

“I’m not sure if Lesley should be here for this,” she said uncomfortably.

“Let her stay, maybe they’ll behave if there’s a kid in the room,” Kate said broodingly.

Gwen started to reply when she realized they were close and her voice shut down. The room fell silent as footsteps approached, sounding angry to Gwen’s distressed ear. She glanced toward Zach, her eyes clearly relaying ‘they’re going to blame me’. Mr. Wallace stepped into the doorway first with his fists clenched, lips pursed and wife at his shoulder appearing more fearful than her spouse.

“How dare you disobey us,” Mr. Wallace said to his son, rage flying from every syllable.

“I thought we had an understanding,” Mrs. Wallace added.

“You did, I never signed your plan of action,” Zach said coolly with one hand in his pocket.

Gwen looked past them to where Julie was cowering, the scene before her was making her face very pale.

“Who told you we were here?” Gwen asked quietly.

Mr. Wallace turned toward her wild eyed.

“I don’t think that’s any of your concern,” he barked causing her to shrivel back.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Zach breathed, his free hand forming a tight fist.

Doug cracked his knuckles, Katie gripped the bed rail, Marco folded his arms, Pinky clicked her tongue irritably and Dustin muttered under his breath. Mr. Wallace gazed around at the people glaring at him.

“Or else they’ll teach me a lesson?” he laughed mockingly.

“Let it go,” Gwen said immediately, sensing the insult and fury rising among her friends.

“Oh no, please give me your best shot,” he said sounding more crazed by the second.

They exchanged glances before Doug said, “You’re not worth it.”

Gwen exhaled in relief, Mr. Wallace growled irately.

“Gwen, I don’t understand,” Lesley whispered.

“It’s a long story,” Gwen said softly. “I’ll explain later.”

However, how she could recount the occurrence to someone so young, even if Lesley was more mature than most, was beyond her.

“Go ahead,” Mr. Wallace told her icily. “We’re done here, Zachary you’re coming home with us.”

He grabbed Zach by the arm and dragged him toward the door. Mrs. Wallace started to protest her husband’s methods and Gwen’s whole body stiffened, painfully, but they needn’t have bothered. The moment his father’s fingers tightened around his arm shadows filled his soul and he changed to match them. His father had his back to him and didn’t notice until his hand went right through Zach’s arm. Mr. Wallace turned around gobsmacked to find a human shape of dark matter where his son had been moments earlier.

“I’m not leaving,” said the shadow before returning to his natural likeness.

Mr. Wallace’s expression was frightening and Gwen drew Les closer out of instinct.

“When did that happen?” Marco asked the others pointing at Zach.

“About two hours ago,” Dustin replied.

They seemed to believe if they changed the subject such details would just disappear, Gwen wasn’t as optimistic. His pupils were the size of a pin’s head, similar to a cartoon character, but it sent a very real chill down her spine.

“You,” he gasped twisting toward her like a possessed doll. “You did this.”

Over the next few seconds several things happened at once. Mr. Wallace lunged at Gwen, Marco was closest to him and grabbed him in a headlock. Doug ignited his hands in a rage, while loose metal objects floated into the air. Mrs. Wallace shrieked with shock, Kate cursed the situation, and Julie ducked behind the door. Meanwhile Gwen had seen more than enough.

“Stop!”

Marco was thrown from Mr. Wallace and two walls of light materialized creating a box around the three Wallaces’. The metal odds and ends returned to their places, Doug extinguished his fire and all was still. Exhausted, Gwen let the barriers break and collapsed against her pillow.

“What’s going on in here?”

A nurse walked into the room with a look of concern swiftly accompanied by surprise at the number of people there.

“Our apologies ma’am, a minor family issue,” Gwen said with her usual charming smile. “Didn’t mean to raise an alarm.”

“I . . . I see, we don’t normally allow this many visitors at once, but if it’s important,” the nurse said casting a wary eye over the different figures in front of her, no doubt thinking they were an odd looking family. “Well, if you need anything.”

“Actually,” Gwen chirped as she started to leave. “Would you be willing to do me a favour and give my little cousin a tour of your workspace?”

Gwen shifted her arm and brought Lesley to her feet, leaving shoe prints on the blanket that would no doubt annoy the cleaning staff.

The hesitant expression on the nurse’s face caused her to add, “I’m sorry, I realize it isn’t in your job description, but she really shouldn’t be here for this conversation. I completely understand if you can’t, I’m sure you’re busy.”

The nurse pushed her strawberry blond bangs out of the way, glanced at Gwen then Lesley, pondering. She finally nodded in a ‘why not’ fashion and stepped toward the bed.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” she asked, helping Les down from the bed.

“Lesley.”

“Okay Lesley, let’s go meet the other nurses.”

Gwen waited until their scents and footsteps faded, then she turned serious.

“All right, this has gone far enough,” she said firmly. “You’re supposed to be adults, now act like it and I’ll explain exactly why you’re so wrong.”

When they remained stubbornly stoic, Zach added, “Keeping in mind that she can easily allow them to tear you to shreds.”

Unlikely, but it seemed to alter their mind set none the less, though still a bit sour they gave her their attention. Gwen took a steadying breath and adjusted her stern face to add some softness.

“For starters I didn’t do anything to Zach, I couldn’t even if I wanted to it doesn’t work like that,” she said calmly. “We aren’t diseased, if we sneeze near someone they won’t suddenly develop powers, we’re born this way. The difference is we spark at different times. Steel for example, has been active for just over a year, right?”

“I think so,” Dustin said nodding.

“I’ve had mine since I was younger than Lesley,” Gwen divulged. “As for Zach’s abilities all I did was inadvertently help him discover them tonight. I’m sure from your position that’s nearly as bad.”

They said nothing, just continued to glare at her coldly. She shook her head and rolled her eyes simultaneously, she wasn’t going to let them intimidate her.

“I can only guess the lies Kelli told you, she’s accused me of quite a few to date,” Gwen said. “One of her most popular was that I forced Zach to like me by controlling his mind. Truthfully such a power does exist, but I don’t possess it and even if I did there are some restrictions that would make keeping a boyfriend long term impossible.”

“Is that so?” Mr. Wallace said sceptically.

“Do you have any idea how much mental stamina is needed to control someone, especially if they have a strong willpower?” Gwen said austerely. “Not to mention, they’d have to be within range which I assure you would not reach across town. The infatuation would have ended by the time he got home.”

“And it didn’t,” Zach added testily.

Gwen patted his arm gently, her patented ‘I got this’ touch.

“In case you were wondering multiple minds is completely impossible and attempting such a thing would basically be suicide.”

“You can’t possibly know that.”

Gwen chuckled, she didn’t want to be rude, but they were so oblivious she couldn’t help finding it funny.

“Not all of us are random like Zach, I’m the latest in a long line spanning generations and I’m far from the only one,” Gwen said. “Hexes are just as capable of being researchers as Normals, I have more information than you realize.”

“I don’t believe it,” Mr. Wallace said, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Big surprise,” Gwen said uncharacteristically sarcastic. “However, I’m not about to risk my heirloom leatherbacks by putting them in your hands.”

“No kidding,” Zach mumbled.

“Here’s another point you’ll never believe,” Dustin said growing tired of the bored look in Mr. Wallace’s eyes.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, she spends her nights doing your job,” Dustin jeered.

That certainly got his attention.

“You little . . .”

Mrs. Wallace grabbed him before he could jump on Dustin.

“Honestly, Steel,” Gwen reprimanded, still using his nickname so Mr. Wallace would remain out of the loop.

He turned to her with a mischievous grin.

“What?” he asked with mock innocence. “It’s not like I’m lying to him.”

She could see why Kate favoured him, they were birds of a feather.

“That’s not the point,” she said firmly.

“You might as well tell them,” Pinky said practically.

“Hush up, Pink,” Gwen said defensively.

Her night life was the one thing she really wasn’t comfortable discussing and this situation only made it worse. She felt the weight of Zach’s hand on top of her head, she faced him, feeling a twinge as her neck moved, his expression plainly saying ‘let me’.

“Remember when you told me Hex related damages had gone down over the last couple of years?” he asked, but didn’t wait for a reply. “Want to bet it’s been just under four.”

“What does that matter?” his mother asked still holding her husband.

“That’s how long Gwen’s been spending her nights on the streets taking on the Hexes that easily could’ve landed you in this bed,” Kate said doing her best to control her temper.

“If you were lucky,” Doug added flatly.

“Ringing any bells yet?” Marco asked.

“You said it would be a nice change,” Julie whispered, almost inaudibly, from her safe spot behind the door.

“It would be,” Mr. Wallace said straightening. “If it was true.”

The entire room groaned, how could one man be so stubborn?

“We can prove it,” Zach said triumphantly.

Gwen’s head spun toward him so fast it took two full seconds for the pain to register and when it did she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Zach noticed, but since he was staring down his parents he tried not to react.

“What?” Mr. Wallace asked suspiciously.

Zach smirked and glanced at his sister who stepped out with a small case under her arm. She transferred it to her hands as she moved forward and Gwen suddenly recognized what she was holding. Her mouth dropped open.

Reviews

[NinjaPi]

Nice deus ex machina. this dustin is more powerfull than I expected. I love the loser joke. that was good.

[Kanattas Atir Enomo]

yay! gwen better get better. at least they can probably be together. wow zach's a hex....that wasnt expected. gd job