Page 95 of Ruled By Fate

Brie’s voice was a whisper. “Yes.”

“Any idea who that might be?”

Their eyes met briefly.

“Yes.”

Denise nodded in what looked like slow motion. “Matthews was in the showers when the police asked for him. He’s still in there.”

Brie found her voice. “They’ll never find anything on him.”

“No, they won’t,” agreed Denise. “Especially because this is such a bizarre, motiveless crime. He has no connection to this child that we’re aware of, Weldon. This is…” She exhaled and leaned her head against the wall in a rare moment of vulnerability. “This is one of the worst, most senseless things I’ve seen in all my years here. I can’t tell you why, but I know in my gut that you’re right.” She placed her hand on Brie’s shoulder again, gently this time. “You’ll need to give your statement to the police. Don’t speculate. Just tell them what you know. But first, I want you to come with me.”

Brie obediently stood and followed Denise down the hall. She didn’t have the energy to do anything but follow orders. People looked at them and whispered behind their hands as they wove their way through the hospital up to the ICU and into the child’s recovery room.

The little girl lay on the bed with her hair fanned out around her like a fiery halo. There were so many tubes in her arms she looked like a science experiment. Brie’s breath caught in her throat, but then the girl opened those bright green eyes and focused them on her. “I know you.”

Brie forced herself to smile, stepping closer. “You do?”

The little girl nodded.

Denise eased gently forward, gesturing between them. “Kylie, this is Brie. Brie, Kylie.”

There was another toothy grin. “Brie, like the cheese Mommy likes?”

The two women chuckled.

“Brie, just like the cheese your mommy likes,” Brie answered, perching on the bed. “It’s very nice to see you, Kylie. I’m sorry you’ve had such a terrible day.”

Kylie leaned back against her pillows, exhausted even by the effort it took to sit up. “The doctors said I almost died.”

Brie nodded gently. “Yes, you did.”

“And that you saved me.”

Brie cocked her head towards Denise. “Denise over there saved you. Nobody would have listened to me if it wasn’t for her.”

“Yes, but you… you saw it. You’re the one who saw what was bad and told everyone how to help me.” Kylie reached up a tiny hand toward her. “Thank you.”

Brie’s throat tightened as she took the girl’s hand. For a long moment, nobody said anything. They simply sat on the bed, listening to the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall.

“I’m going to go check on the mom,” Denise said quietly, backing towards the door. “She’s been with the police a long time. You got this?”

“I’ve got this.”

Kylie and Brie sat together quietly for a few minutes longer.

Brie rubbed gentle circles on the back of the little girl’s hand with her thumb, and a warm feeling of relief bloomed between them. It reminded her of the way it felt when Cameron touched her, or when she’d touched him in his other form, when he was nothing but energy and light.

After a few minutes, Kylie shifted around in the bed.

“Can I get you anything else, honey?”

“No, I just want to go to sleep.”

“That’s a good idea,” Brie murmured, tucking her in. “Get some rest. Have a nice dream.”

Kylie snuggled deeper into the pillows, her eyes already beginning to shut. “Brie?” she asked sleepily.

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