Page 20 of Death and Divination
That was my story, and I was going with it. There was no sense in having everyone wonder about why Sylvie had been basically dead and survived, no sense in having my family connect my soon-to-be-death with Sylvie’s resurrection. It was better to just say she’d been lucky. And of course shehadbeen lucky. It was her gift.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Like I was electrocuted.” Her smile wavered and fell. “I think I was dead, Ophelia. I don’t want to say anything to Cassie or the others. I don’t want to freak them out, but I think I was dead. You’re my twin. We’ve always had this thing between us. What happened when I was laying there on the kitchen floor? What really happened?”
I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Your heart stopped. You weren’t breathing. We called 911 and I did CPR, then Bronwyn took over for a little bit. By the time the paramedics got there, you were back with us. You were lucky.”
“I was dead,” she insisted.
“Lots of people have had near-death experiences, Sylvie. That’s what happened.”
She frowned, considering my words. “This felt different. This felt dead-dead. But maybe you’re right. I’ve never had this happen before, so I don’t know what a near-death experience feels like.”
“Hovering above your body? A long tunnel with light at the end?” I suggested. “I think that’s what other people have said they experienced.”
She nodded. “Someone was there, and it was like they were there to cut the cord or something, but they hesitated. I waited and waited and began to wonder what was going on, thenwhoosh. I was gasping for air and everything felt like I’d been run over by a truck.”
I skated my hand down her arm to hold her non-burned hand. “I’m glad he didn’t cut the cord. I’m glad you came back to us.”
Her eyes searched mine. “What did you do, Ophelia? You’re not telling me something. What did you do?”
Before I could open my mouth to lie, Cassie came back in the room carrying a little dish of soft-serve vanilla. By her side was Glenda, andshewas carrying a thermos.
I knew what was in that thermos. Glenda was the only one of us that healed, and she performed her magic by creating the most horrible-tasting organic smoothies in the world. How such an amazing chef couldn’t manage to make her magical elixirs more palatable was beyond me. Honestly, I think that having the flu or a broken leg would be preferable to downing that heinous concoction.
“Here’s your ice cream,” Cassie announced.
“And here’s your medicine.” Glenda unscrewed the cap and picked up a plastic cup from a bedside table, pouring a disgusting thick green substance into the cup. It smelled like herrings and seaweed.
“I don’t think I need that,” Sylvie announced, wrinkling her nose.
“Nonsense. Of course you need this. Muscle, nerve, and tissue damage are frequently long-term effects of electrocution.”
Sylvie looked up at me and I nodded. “She’s right. Drink the fishy seaweed smoothie, then wash it down with your ice cream.”
My twin took a deep breath, picked up the cup, and threw down the drink with the speed of a werewolf shooting cheap whisky in a bar. Then she slammed the cup on the table and shuddered, screwing up her face and sticking out her tongue.
“Every two hours until it’s gone,” Glenda announced cheerfully as she sat the thermos on the table next to the empty cup.
“You outdid yourself, Glenda,” Sylvie told her. “That was the most horrible thing I’ve ever tasted in my whole life.”
I’m sure it was horrible, but Sylvie would drink it partly because Glenda was a talented witch and her magic did what no doctor could do, and partly because if she threw it out or refused it, Glenda’s feelings would be hurt. None of us wanted that.
I leaned down to kiss my twin on the cheek, scooting the ice cream over closer to her. “I’m going to head out. I’ll swing by tomorrow and see you. I can give you a ride home if they release you.”
“No, I’m doing that,” Cassie announced. “I’m spending the night here, and I’ll have Lucien come over and pick us up after they let her out. Sylvie is going to stay at my house until she’scompletelyrecovered.”
Sylvie and I exchanged a knowing glance. This was Cassie. Bossy. Overprotective. She’d assumed a maternal role when our mother lit out, and even now that we were all grown, she still felt one hundred percent responsible for us. It was something we put up with because we loved her—just like we put up with Glenda’s disgusting smoothies.
I left Sylvie’s room, and I found Nash over by the nurses’ station, flirting.
At least, I think he was flirting. The nurses certainly thought so and that made me feel a bit stabby. Evidently flirting, according to some weird reaper social conventions, involved asking the nurses about their jobs as well as what various monitors and medications were, and having them demonstrate. When I walked up, he had a blood pressure cuff on, and an attractive blonde was standing close enough that her boobs were touching his arm as she read the results.
I leaned over as well, wondering what sort of cardiac function a reaper had. It was disappointingly normal.
“Are you coming with me, or shall I leave you here at the hospital?” Although leaving a reaper at a hospital probably wasn’t a good idea. Hopefully no one had died while I was in talking to Sylvie.
“Thank you for the demonstration.” He took the cuff off and handed it to the blonde whose boobs were still practically glued to his arm.
