See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy #1)(66)



After a while we both started to yawn and we made our way to our beds. The room was set up like a hotel with two full sized beds. I went and laid down on the one she was not using and stared blankly at the ceiling. I felt a sense of panic wash over me. I had thought that once I left the lab things would be fine. But I had just had another dream. What if for the rest of my life, every time I closed my eyes I would be tortured.

I fell into a dreamless sleep with the prayer of peace on my lips.





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TWENTY EIGHT





The next few weeks passed in a flurry. Kennan was healing rapidly and I knew that the doctors must have been using some of their special healer juju on him. I went and saw him everyday, spending as much time as they would allow. We talked about everything that was going on outside of his recovery room. Every time I would leave him for the evening, he would get a look of concern in his eyes.

I knew it was written all over my face that I was not doing well. I had tried to hide it the first few days. After a week of no sleep, there was no disguising the bluish purple tint that had taken up residence under my eyes. I had dropped ten pounds and felt like I was losing myself. All I could think was that I needed to be strong for Kennan. So I never told him that I was still being tortured every time I closed my eyes.

Molly had tried to convince me to block myself from the dreaming, but I refused to cower. I did not want to cut myself off from such a huge part of who I was. Instead I went to sleep every night, and battled whatever demons were thrown my way. I was not sure if I was doing it to myself or if it was still the Corporation pulling the strings. I was more afraid that it was someone here at the Council.

I took to sifting through people’s memories when they weren’t expecting it. It got to the point that everyone but Ian, Molly, and Kennan avoided me. They all thought I was completely insane. I supposed that was not as far from the truth as I would have liked it to be. In retrospect, the forced therapy should not have come as such a shock. I was resentful nonetheless.

“So, you have to go talk to the shrink today, huh?" Kennan asked. His voice had mended mostly, but there was still a slight rattle that had not been there before.

“Yep, I have to go and get my head shrunk. They keep spouting terms like PTSD and survivor’s guilt. I just want them to stop wasting their time. I am not sure I am even fixable," I sighed. In the last month I felt like the darkness had completely enveloped me.

“I have some good news," Kennan said as he looked down at me with a gleam in his eyes.

“Yeah?" I asked hopefully. I was in need of something good.

“I get sprung today and I instructed them to move your stuff into my room," he said with a hint of heat in his eyes.

“Aren’t they worried I will shank you in your sleep or something," I said skeptically.

“I didn’t really give them another option, Izzy. I need you near me. I need to help you fix this. I see you slipping away and I have not been able to do a damned thing sitting in this hospital bed. I can’t stand being away from you for another second. In fact, I am coming with you to the therapy session," Kennan said as he stood, pulling me up beside him.

“I don’t know if they will let you in. Dr. McQuack is kind of a pretentious asshat. I think he would complain that you were ruining his feng shui or some other nonsense," I sighed.

“Well, he can just suck it. I am coming. You are my Seer and I am finally able to perform as a Guardian again. So now I am doing my job. I am getting you back. I told you, I would come for you always. Even if that means saving you from yourself, Red," Kennan said, pulling me up for a quick kiss.

There in that kiss, I felt the last shred of goodness that had been keeping me afloat. He was all that kept me from drowning. I sincerely hoped that he would be able to save me from myself. I gathered up my sweater and followed Kennan from the room.

The doctors gave Kennan curious looks to which he responded with a dark glower. I swallowed. I knew that he had no idea about the way people looked at me. He was probably going to get a whole lot angrier. It did not bother me anymore. I was numb to everything it seemed. Or perhaps I was just too tired to notice.

As we made our way to the shrink’s office, I felt Kennan growing more and more irritated. With every wayward glance in my direction, I was pulled in closer. There was no discernible space left between our bodies by the time we made it to the office.

We arrived to find the head shrinker closing up shop.

“Oh, my dear, did no one tell you?" he asked confused.

“Well obviously not, I am standing here. What was I not told?" I asked.

“There is a Council meeting, dear thing. We are to start reviewing the information found at the lab now that everyone is recovered," he said, sparing a look at Kennan.

“So?" I asked, still unsure of what was coming.

“So, we must hurry or we will be late. Someone really should have passed on this information," he mumbled as he motioned for us to follow him.

We ended up in an out building that was large enough to seat at least two hundred people. Along the front there was a long row of chairs. The setup reminded me of the Supreme Court. As soon as we entered, Kennan and I were ushered to two seats down in the front. We took our seats and I found a disgruntled Molly sitting next to me.

“When we are allowed to leave I am so losing him. He is driving me insane," she stage whispered with a heated look in Ian’s direction.

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