See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy #1)(61)

Well, there it was. The thing that had been nagging at my brain since we left the lab was now staring me right in the face. Cheese on a cracker, would this never end? I sighed and looped my arm through Molly’s.

“There are more good than bad here. At least I hope so. And if not, well we will just escape again. Deal?" I asked. I tried to sound convincing, but all of my senses seemed to be dulled.

“Deal," Molly nodded and I saw the stubborn gleam return to her eye.

We were escorted into the main lobby of what looked like an old Southern plantation. Ian approached us hesitantly.

“Izzy, I need you to come with me. I need you to get evaluated to make sure you are okay. If you would like to come with her you can. You will need an evaluation as well. I am sorry, what is your name?" Ian asked.

“Molly. My name is Molly. For the love of God what are you wearing, man?" Molly exclaimed, appalled at Ian’s outfit.

I had not even noticed until now that he was wearing what amounted to a ninja suit. I just shook my head. Nothing after the Richard Simmon’s outfit would ever shock me again.

“You get used to it. This is practically tame," I sighed. “Where do we go? Because I can tell you right now I am in no mood to be poked and prodded. I need to see Kennan." I looked at Ian trying to convey the importance of my words.

“We have to make sure you are okay first. We don’t know what he did to you and we need to make sure you aren’t in any danger," Ian said, trying to calm me before my temper was triggered.

“I was tortured in the dreaming. That is what he did. So can we get this over with so that I can be with Kennan? Standing here yapping is not accomplishing anything," I said, suddenly exhausted.

“Tortured, Izzy, what did he do?" Ian asked as rage filled his voice.

Molly stepped toward Ian and placed her tiny hand on his chest.

“Not now. She needs to see him to know that he is okay," Molly said with a pointed look.

Ian looked down at her hand on his chest and sighed. He nodded before moving off down a hallway. When we got to the second door, he knocked and someone yelled enter from the other side.

We walked into a room that was set up like a doctor’s office would be. Sitting at the desk was a woman in her mid-fifties with slightly graying hair. She looked up at me with kind eyes and then looked over to Molly.

“Well then, shall we get you two checked out? I hear you both have been through quite the ordeal," she said calmly approaching me. She looked me over and I felt the need to say something.

“It isn’t mine," I said.

“What isn’t yours dear?" she asked with an air of confusion.

“The blood, none of it is mine. So if we could just do the basic exam so that I can get cleaned up and see to Kennan, I would really appreciate it," I sighed.

The doctor eyed me steadily and seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. She headed over to a cabinet and pulled out a generic set of gray sweats and brought them back to where I stood.

“There is a bathroom just through there with everything you will need. Go get cleaned up and then we will get you out of here as quickly as possible. But you will have to come back. You know that right?" she asked sternly. I nodded before heading into the bathroom with my borrowed clothes. As I shut the door, I heard her turn toward Molly and tell her to hop up on the table.

I stepped into the shower and watched the water run red around my feet. I stood there motionless as all of the horror washed itself from my hair and skin. When the water finally cleared, I ran soap all over my body, trying to scrub the memories from my skin’s surface and failing. I knelt on the floor of the shower, suddenly overcome by everything that had happened in the last few days. The memories of the dreaming haunted me. The look on Xavier’s face as I took his life was burned into my retinas. It was as though I could not escape what had happened.

I shook myself and stood up. I had to be strong. Kennan would be strong for me. I didn't know what had happened to put him on that floor in the first place, but I intended to find out. I had to keep my junk together. I could fall apart later. As I got out of the shower and got dressed, I sent up a quick plea that God would protect Kennan and help him through this. I would get this exam over with, and then I would go and find my guy and not leave his side until he woke up again.

I headed back out into the exam room and found the doctor finishing up Molly’s exam.

“You can communicate through thought? That is remarkable. We have only seen two other Seers with that capability in the last hundred years," she marveled.

“Yeah, and it was her ability that saved my butt," I said, realizing Molly was never in the dreaming, but had jacked into my head to communicate with me back at the lab.

“Whatever, you would have figured it out. I just gave you a little nudge," Molly said. “So, am I all done now doc? Because I am starving."

“Yes, you are all finished. It is your turn, Izzy," the doc said, patting the table after Molly had evacuated it.

Might as well get it over with, I thought. I hopped up keeping a wary eye on the table of instruments. I had had enough of being a lab rat. I had no idea who this woman really was. For all I knew she could be one of the bad guys. I had been burned by Mike, and I refused to be that na?ve again.

“Alright, but make it quick. I have somewhere to be," I said as I looked around the room and realized Ian had left with Molly.