Page 105 of Forbidden Moon
INFIRMARY, EARLY SATURDAYmorning
Dominic awoke and began to stir, immediately regretting it. He rarely drank to excess, but last night must have been a doozy. Keeping his eyes firmly closed, he tried to assess the damage without getting up. The only thing worse than his raging thirst was the incessant pounding of his head. No, scratch that—the nausea ranked right up there with the other two, making him utterly miserable.
When he dared to open one eye, the blurry images were unfamiliar. If he wasn’t at home, then where was he? How did he get here? It took a herculean effort to sit up on the strange bed he’d been lying on, only to be hit by a wave of vertigo. When the room stopped dancing, he cautiously looked around and concluded he was in what looked like a doctor’s office. Further observation ceased as the door opened to reveal a woman wearing a white smock.
“Good morning Mr. Bluett. You’ve had quite a night, and I’m sure you don’t feel the best right now. I have something here to help get you rehydrated. See if you can drink this down, but take your time.”
She pressed a cool glass into his hand and stood by while he sipped the sweet-salty mixture. It helped to have something else to focus on, and the nausea began to fade. Before he’d finished, she pressed two pain pills into his other hand and encouraged him to swallow them.
“These will help with the headache. If you can keep them down, I’ll bring you something to eat, and then we can talk, all right?”
Dominic nodded, still curious about his location and the identity of his caregiver. Something seemed out of kilter, and he couldn’t quite place it. When he was strong enough to stand, the woman led him to a small bathroom to relieve himself. The apparition in the mirror startled him, looking like twice-baked shit. Obviously not his finest moment. He returned to the small room, guided back to the exam table he’d been lying on.
“I’m sure you’re wondering who I am and where you are. My name is Doctor Follett, and a nice man named Wilson brought you here last night from the bar. Let me do a quick exam, and then I’ll get your breakfast.”
Dominic followed her instructions as she looked in his eyes and mouth, took his blood pressure, and then encouraged him to drink another glass of the odd liquid. He was starting to feel better, and food sounded like a good idea. The tray she brought in smelled delicious, loaded with various dishes—much nicer than anything he would have made for himself at home.
By the time he finished, he could almost ignore the headache. The muscle pain and fatigue, however, left him feeling wrung out. When the pleasant doctor left the room with the tray, an older man entered wearing street clothes and quickly introduced himself.
“Hello, Dominic. My name is Jack, and I have a few questions for you. Afterward, you’ll need to rest, and then I will take you home. All right?”
Dominic shrugged.
“I guess. Where am I?”
“You are in the infirmary at the Preserve. Mr. Wilson brought you here last night so we could talk to you.”
Dominic’s eyes flew open as his recently filled stomach clenched with fear. Oh God, they were going to kill him! He was too weak to fight, and no one would ever find the body! He needed help... he had to... how did... for some reason, the fear vanished, and Dominic couldn’t remember why he should be afraid of the nice man. He looked friendly enough and wasn’t threatening him in any way. There was something about the Preserve he felt sure he should have remembered, but his mind drew a blank. Oh well, Jack only wanted to ask a few questions. What harm could it do?
“There is nothing to fear, my friend. You will not be harmed. Before we begin, there is someone who wishes to meet you.”
Jack turned to open the door, allowing a middle-aged Native American man to enter. He sat on the doctor’s stool facing Bluett and smiled.
“My name is Walter. You know me as Majestic Sky.”
Dominic’s brows shot up as he came face to face with the one person he’d trusted but couldn’t contact directly.
“Are you a shapeshifter too?”
“No, Dominic. I am as human as you are. I am here visiting my dear friend, Jack, and his people. Your blog has created much trouble for them, and my advice was intended to keep them safe.”
Dominic glanced up at Jack briefly before turning back to Walter.
“You don’t know how many times I wished I could talk to you. At first, I couldn’t believe they were real. Then I wanted to see if anyone would believe me and help me decide what to do about them. They scare me, and I thought they were dangerous, but I knew no one would believe me without evidence.
“I made the mistake of telling Russell about them, but I swear I didn’t know he was YooperTrooper! Now he wants to kill them, and it’s my fault! He’s threatened to ruin my life, and I can’t stop him. If I tell the police, they’ll think I’m crazy or put me back in prison. Help me, Walter! I don’t know what to do.”
Jack soothed Dominic’s fears while he listened to him speak, knowing he told the truth. Playing his part, Walter sought to reassure the distraught man.
“Listen to me, my friend. These people are honorable and kind. They only wish to live peacefully among us, and there is no need to fear them. They know all about Russell and his men, and they will cease to be a threat very soon. Your mistakes will be corrected, and all will return to normal. Jack will see to it, and your fears will come to nothing. This is not the end, but the beginning of something wonderful.”
Dominic considered Walter’s words, weighing them against the different picture presented by his own thoughts and memories. He looked over at Jack, only to be locked into his mesmerizing gaze. The fear and confusion soon lost their edge, fading away until a sublime peace took their place.
His life wasnotover. He had nothing to fear from Russell. The shapeshifters of the Preserve were harmless. Dominic did not question the source of this strange confidence; instead, he allowed his soul to float like a fall leaf on a still pond—buoyed, supported, surrounded by tranquility.
Jack began to speak, though Dominic could not have recalled what the man said, nor his responses. Whatever they discussed seemed not to matter, and even time itself ceased its endless march. When the speaking stopped, an encompassing weariness convinced Dominic to rest for a little while, and so he did.
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