❝THAT HEART OF YOURS WILL NEVER CHANGE.❞
In which Freja Barrett, an enthusiast for all things supernatural, makes the life-altering decision of reconnecting with an old friend in the midst of her mission to prove the existence of zombies.
[iZOMBiE...
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BY FREJA'S DEFINITION, a quitter was someone who gave up for the sake of giving up, for considering themselves unable to see things through, for having no passion — it was something she never wanted to be, and so far, she had managed to stay on the right side of the word. Sure, she had dropped out of college and stopped studying psychology, but that had only been to pursue what her heart truly yearned for. She had still been courageous and determined.
Now, though, as she rested on the hospital bed, bruised and beaten, the only desire burning in her chest was to throw in the towel and give up. With her own well-being on the line, Major blamed for her current state, Lowell shot in the head and the rest of them grieving the zombie, it was safe to say that she, along with everyone else, had sunken to the bottom and she couldn't find the motivation to rise.
Not yet, anyway.
Ravi didn't make it easy for her to roll over, though — just like he had promised, he had stuck by her side, kept her company and slept in the uncomfortable chair with his fingers still entwined with Freja's. He had asked questions about the spent night, but when the conversation got too much to handle, he steered the attention elsewhere and made her laugh with his best efforts. The light-hearted approach wasn't enough to cover up his deep-rooted worry, though, and Freja could tell he was just as riddled with discomfort as she was, and that she wasn't the only one who needed the supportive hand-holding.
Freja had been wrong to think that being on the receiving end of a criminal's sucker punch was exhausting, though, because once the next day rose and people flowed through the room in an endless loop, the aftermath proved to be much more tiring. Encouraging Ravi to stop by the hospital's canteen and get something to eat had been nearly impossible, even when Marian and Willa had been there for her, and while she had been delighted to see Matilda, she hadn't had it in her to keep the conversation going. The Dean meant well, but her unfiltered questions and random thoughts had only given Freja more reason to draw the covers across her face and hope to sleep.
When it came to interrogating the bedridden Barrett, though, Matilda had nothing on Detective Babineaux.
"It wasn't Major", Freja stood by what she had insisted as soon as Clive had flipped open his notepad, her usual warmth nowhere to be heard as she sat on the firm mattress and poked at the bottom of her pudding cup. "I know I got hit on the head and everything, but it wasn't him. He wouldn't do that to me", she added, unyielding when she glanced back up at Clive, no love lost in the stern glare brewing in her eyes.
The detective had gotten in his condolences and he had even brought a card with him — which suggested that he wasn't a natural at comforting gestures — but he hadn't exactly wasted time in idle chitchat. Instead, he had quickly brought Major's name up, yet no mention of the Candyman, and while Freja could tell from the concerned look in Clive's eyes that he had the best intentions and wanted to help, she couldn't help but be frustrated. Even though she knew that Clive couldn't possibly imagine an unkillable zombie fleeing from the scene of the crime, she still failed to hold back the bitter edge to her voice as she shot down any attempts to roll the blame onto Major.
