Page 133 of Drift

Something under Drift’s skin started to crawl.

“And then low and behold,” said Martin, “after Ava turned Night-walker, someone turned up at Jackson’s and offered you meds to control your seizures, right? Because they’d started to get worse after Ava left, maybe when one of Ava’s planted themselves in there.” Martin looked him up and down. “And they certainly got worse afterwards, enough to keep you running from crew to crew. So think it over, boy,” he said as he leaned forward. “You’re damn smart, but Ava screws with your heat levels and head. Why? It’s never just for kicks with her. What is she playingBlind man’s buffover when it comes to control ground and her environment?”

“Ava….” Jan said flatly as he sat next to West. “She knew Drift was prone to seizures.” Fuck. He knew where Martin would go with this if Driftwastalking to him, and he leaned in close to West. “Jackson, does he keep track of Drift’s absences, maybe records them before and after his medication has been taken?”

West shifted uncomfortably, maybe starting to get an ill scratching at the back of her scalp too. “Yeah, he always has,”she said eventually. “He gives them to our Doc that comes by every so often… Doc Whitlock. Lilliana. She was the one to formally diagnose Drift with the seizures after watching a clip. She prescribes drugs for all the kids, earning big money on the side off Jackson for it.” She frowned. “But Jackson only allows her to prescribe. He trusts no one, so we steal what meds she says we need. Drift’s never missed a dose.”

Jan hadn’t heard anyone list any meds similar to Jack’s when they’d looked in Drift’s backpack, but maybe that was because Jack was an adult. The medication names would be different for youngsters, right? Or maybe they could only take the medication for minors when they stole from the pharmacies? So where…? “He has the meds with him here?”

“Yes,” said West. “He always takes them with him no matter the feeding job or shift to crew.”

“Where?”

Chapter 38

BAD MEDICINE

“The Anadin box,” Martin said over to Drift. “I didn’t catch it in your backpack when I should have done. No one writes their name on over-the-counter painkillers. You keep seizure meds in there.”

Drift nodded, then rubbed at his head, it really starting to hurt because something itched, gnawed at the back of his head that he didn’t want to see. “Frankness,” he said flatly. “I’ve given you mine. You promised me yours when it came to Jack and family medical history.”

Martin said nothing for a moment, not looking ready to drop anything. “I did, yes.” The abrupt change surprised Drift. “Ask what you need to know and ease your head a little, because I can see what you’re starting to fall into,” said Martin. “But I think I know what your question will be.”

Maybe he did. “You saidgeneticdisposition for seizures….” Drift held his look. “Is… is there a family history of seizures? From your side… maybe my mother’s? You talk like you know the symptoms.”

“And there we have it,” Martin said softly, the blackness in his eyes filtering out. “Damn smart boy to pick it up. Jack—fuck.”

Blood started to run from Martin’s left nostril, just a thin drop, and he wiped it away. “I’m…” He looked down at the redness dampening his fingertip. “We’re gonna have to avoid talk on me, Jack, maybe more so your mother for just a while.”

“No. Frankness doesn’t work like that. Only mind games do. And I’m sick to the fucking polluted gut of those.” He talked openly. He needed that back his way. “My mother…. You obviously didn’t stay around to find out she was pregnant.” Maybe he was clutching at straws, because it felt like time was starting to slip through his fingers. “You look, what? Mid-thirties, which when you slept together, that puts you at—”

“Seventeen…” Martin rubbed at his head. “Joanna was sixteen.”

Joanna…. His mother. He finally had part of a name. Although Martin… he’d mentioned a Joanna when they’d first met, hadn’t he? But seventeen… sixteen. Christ. Drift sat back. Kids raising a kid. But roughly the same age as him, the same drive to walk away. Only why had they? “Did you love her? She love you?”

Martin shook his head. “I was the Ava to her world.”

“What…” Drift stiffened. “You werewhatto her?”

Martin went to say something, but another trace of blood started to trickle from his nose. “You… you really need to shut up now and think.” He looked Drift’s way, and blackness bled to full-blown in his eyes. He looked to be fighting something. “Your head’s stopping you from seeing the wider picture here.”

The change in conversation was fast, hurried. One his head fought not to fall back into. “Do I at least get to know my mother’s maiden name?”

“No.” Martin sucked in a pained breath and got to his feet before heading for the microwave as a little more blood dropped from his nose. Only he stumbled a touch and rubbed at his head as he did. “Shit. Not now.”

Giving a frown, Drift got up and went over and pulled kitchen towel free off the counter. “Here.” He pushed it at him. “You need anything else?”

“Time. I need more fucking time.” Martin swiped at his nose, not looking happy with the blood. “But you….” He came in close, searching his eyes, and Drift swore he would have climbed inside his head if the option was faster.

“Connect the fucking dots,” Martin said quickly. “From my side of the family, you have the genetic disposition passed down for potential seizures and aggressive blackouts. But it is only apotentialgenetic disposition. Ava saw your first one, and her very MO as a psychopath is to control and dominate. And what better way to ensure Grant kept her around than to slip you something that would cause seizures and concern with Grant for letting you out on the streets alone without someone on your level. Which West isn’t, Ava is.” Another drop of blood fell from his nose. “Because like Jack, you had one initial seizure due to a traumatic event—which anyone could have had due to the level of abuse and trauma. But unlike Jack, yours looks a one-off that Ava simply exploited. Then in comes the Night-walkers, with Ava running with them after you both caught the virus. So with her already playing around with inducing seizures and seeing you fall into your aggression, what better way to keep tabs on how aggression levels spike the virus than with a prepped subject? You are not Jack. You’re not me. Take away the meds, theycouldstop your seizures, allowing you to get your head out of the dirt and away from Ava.”

Double-tap.

His meds… sometimes they worked, sometimes they… didn’t.

All those years of needing to hide away, to move between different crews, stay away from Ava… the seizures, the tiredness, the blood on his hands he’d wake up to, wishing he could still lose all that hurt to Ava’s touch….

How his meds, he’d kept up with then day in, day out to avoid falling into the void…

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