Dead and Alive

Chapter 16

                        Willie and Reggie dropped like stones before they'd gotten halfway into the room.Julie's heart stopped in her chest at the scene before her; Luke and Alex lying on the floor, barely conscious, and now Reggie and Willie were screaming and writhing in pain. There was no way that Reggie could teleport anyone out of there. Their plan had fallen apart in mere seconds."Hello Willie, Reggie, Julie," Caleb said from his perch on the edge of his vanity table, "you're right on time." He eyed her the way a predator would its prey—The type that liked to play with it first. Caleb stood gracefully and walked towards her, like someone planning on greeting an old friend."Don't let him touch you!" Luke said urgently, "that's how he stamped us!"Caleb made a gesture with his hand and Luke cried out in pain. Julie felt it, blunted through her Gift, but intense enough to make her gasp."Luke!" Julie turned towards him unthinkingly. Caleb lunged and seized her by the throat."No!" Luke reached for her, but Caleb gestured again. Luke collapsed to the floor.Caleb shook her like a doll. "Either you make me solid, like your friends, or I'll kill them.""No!" Willie said, horrified. "Julie!""Don't do it Julie," Luke whimpered."No," Julie forced out. "Let them leave.""You are in no position to negotiate," Caleb said. "Fine. Who should die first? The drummer?"Alex gave a bloodcurdling scream, writhing in agony."Stop, stop!" Julie begged. "Please! I'll do it!""And finally, the right answer." Caleb put her down and she sucked in a loud breath, hand at her throat. "Do it now, or I kill them.""Okay," Julie said faintly. She didn't want to do this for Caleb, but she'd rather die herself than watch him hurt her boys. She held out her hands, conjuring up the sensation of bubbles along her spine. A soft white light haloed her body, increasing in intensity until she was forced to squint against it."Yes!" Caleb shouted; arms outstretched as the light engulfed him. It penetrated his skin, burning brightly like a flashlight through paper.She felt her Lifeforce flowing into him, draining from her into his ghostly form. Her strength ebbed as the light brightened, but she wasn't empty yet.And then, she felt it: the way her energy was adding to what Caleb had already taken from his victims. They mixed and ran together like paint. She could feel his discomfort as the energy poured into him, filling him like a balloon ready to burst.Her fear immediately morphed into triumph. She could do it, she realized: Fill him so full he'd come apart.Caleb put his hands in front of him, trying to ward her away. "That's enough! Stop!" he shouted.Julie dug deep inside herself, pulling the energy from every cell of her body. The light blazed from her until the entire room was engulfed. She pushed harder, screaming with effort. She forced her Lifeforce into Caleb. He wasn't going to hurt anyone she loved ever again.He expanded with the excessive energy until there was a massive sound as his body exploded. The energy burst out of Caleb, smashing into Willie's collarbone where the stamp was and sending him hurtling into the wall behind him. The force threw Julie to the floor.Julie groaned with effort as she rolled onto her front and crawled to the boys. Her whole body hurt and her head was swimming, but she couldn't stop. She went to Willie first. He was unconscious and bleeding from his nose, his body far too still. The edges of the stamp where Caleb had branded him were raw like a wound. Holding his head, she directed as much Lifeforce as she could into him, her arms shaking and tears running down her face. After what felt like forever, the stamp disintegrated into purple-coloured dust and Willie finally took one breath and then another. He was still injured, but she couldn't do any more. Not if she wanted to save the others. Gently she rested his head back onto the floor and turned to Luke, Reggie and Alex.They were lying on the floor, still displaying the violent purple stamps on their wrists. Caleb had hurt them, and she could still feel it. She could feel the way he'd taken their energy, injuring them deep inside. She moved closer to them and closed her eyes, pulling up every final dreg of Lifeforce she still had inside her. She moaned."Julie, no, please," Luke said. His voice was barely a whisper."I have to," Julie whimpered. She pushed her light into them, touching every molecule of their bodies. She found every place that Caleb had damaged and fixed it. It hurt, and she cried out with the pain. The stamps on their wrists disintegrated like Willie's brand.But there was something else wrong with the boys. There was something missing from them. Something that she could barely feel. I can fix this, she thought, and gathering the very last of her strength, she threw all her light and energy and love at the boys. First Luke, then Reggie, and then finally Alex. She was struggling as she tried to fix what was missing, so near to empty that even breathing felt hard. She wasn't sure she'd managed to fix everything, but she was exhausted beyond endurance.Her eyes closed.Luke's arms were around her a moment later. He was saying something to her but it sounded really far away."it's okay," she said, voice slurred, "I fixed you."The light faded and went out.The light around Julie dimmed until Luke could see again. It had been so bright the three of them had had to shield their eyes. It was a little bit like gazing at the sun."Holy shit." Reggie stared at his wrist. "What did she do?""She saved us," Luke said.The pain was gone, Luke realized. He felt good. Better than good. He felt alive. He went to Julie and embraced her, desperate to make sure she was okay."Are you alright?" he asked her, frightened of how pale she was."It's okay, I fixed you." Julie smiled blissfully and then collapsed."Julie!" Luke lowered them both to the floor, his arms around her. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. It looked like she wasn't even breathing. "No! No!" His guts froze over with fear. "Don't die! Don't you die!""Something's wrong with Willie!" Alex shouted. Willie was unconscious, with a bleeding patch of damaged skin where his stamp used to be. Blood tricked from one nostril.There was a terrible, wrenching noise, then the building started shaking like an earthquake. Everything tumbled off Caleb's vanity, and then the bookshelf fell over with a crash. Pieces of the ceiling started coming down."We need to get out of here," Luke said desperately."Reggie...!" Alex craned his neck, frantically searching the ceiling for what might fall next."On it." Reggie leaned over and wrapped his arms around Julie and Luke. He turned to Alex. "Grab Willie and come on!""No! No way," Alex said, even as he dragged Willie closer. "Reggie, you can't teleport five people!""Like hell I can't!" Reggie snapped at him. "Grab onto me, now!'Another huge quake rattled through the building. The top of the wall collapsed."We need to leave, now!! Luke shouted at Alex. He wasn't sure if Reggie could teleport all five of them, either. But he'd take any risk if it helped Julie.Alex grimaced, then clasped tightly to one of Reggie's shoulders. He wrapped his other arm around Willie's chest. "Don't kill us.""We're already dead," Reggie said. There was another flare of warm yellow light, and they were gone.Flynn's Gift went off.She put the tray of just-baked cookies down on the stove and pulled the oven mitt off her hand, wondering what her Gift was trying to tell her.There was a bright flash of golden light behind her.She bolted to the living room. They were there, they were all there: Luke, Alex, Willie, Reggie and Julie. For a moment Flynn was so relieved she thought she'd faint.And then she realized Julie's eyes were closed, and Alex was holding onto Willie, who was unconscious and bleeding. Luke looked like he'd just died along with the girl in his arms."Hey, Flynn," Reggie said. He stood from his crouch next to Luke and took a step towards her, grinning broadly. Then his knees buckled and he pitched forward.Alex yelped and managed to put Willie down just in time to catch Reggie right before he hit the floor. "Little help here!"Flynn grabbed Reggie's nearer arm, and managed to lower him down to the floor. She put her hand on his chest, incredibly relieved when she could feel his heartbeat."Flynn, Julie needs help!" Luke said. There were tears in his eyes.Flynn didn't know which injured person she should help first. "What happened to her?""She needs sugar. Right now!" Luke said."She's unconscious!" Flynn snapped at him. She pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1 "I'm calling an ambulance.""Willie needs one too! And Reggie!" Alex said.Flynn nodded as she hit the call button.Reggie groaned."Reggie's awake," Alex bent over his friend. "Hey buddy, how're doing?"Reggie groaned again, sat up, then turned and heaved onto the floor.Alex neatly avoided getting puked on. He glanced at Willie, then ran to the kitchen and came back with a juice box. He jammed it into Reggie's hands. "Drink all of this."Reggie took it and drank. He was pale, even for a pale white boy. Flynn was worried he'd pass out again no matter how much juice he drank."We need an ambulance for two Gifted emergencies and..." Flynn looked at Willie, trying to figure out what had happened to him. "And for a person who's unconscious," Flynn reported to the 911 operator like she'd learned how to do in health class. She gave them the Molina's address. "Yes, there're three patients. Yes, the unconscious patient is breathing, and yes we gave juice to the Gifted one who's conscious." She looked at Luke. "They're on their way.""C'mon Julie, wake up," Luke pleaded to the unconscious girl in his arms. Alex knelt by Willie again, visibly distraught by his boyfriend's injury. Flynn had never felt so helpless.She went to Reggie who was just finishing the juice box. He looked slightly less like he was going to pass out again any second. "Hey," he said.She ran her fingers through his hair, unable to not touch him. "Hey," she said back. Tears pricked her eyes."I kept my promise.""I know." She smiled through her tears.Her Gift went off again, and she turned towards the front door just as it opened."Hey," Ray said as he came in. "The lights are still on. I hope you didn't stay up this late on a school night." He sniffed the air. "Did you make cookies?" He turned towards the living room, immediately seeing the four boys, Flynn, and then his daughter, lying unconscious in Luke's arms."Julie!" His camera bag hit the floor as he rushed towards her, just as the paramedics arrived.Ray sat on the hard plastic chair of the emergency department waiting room, head in his hands.He'd had bad moments before: the day he heard the prognosis of Rose's illness; the day she was admitted to hospital for the last time; the day she died. But he knew the horror of seeing his daughter lying injured, grey, and so still in Luke's arms would haunt his nightmares for years to come.The paramedics had been incredibly good at their jobs. Two teams had started IVs on both Julie and Reggie and given them some fluid with glucose in it. Both kids had recovered like magic. Julie had woken up a bit confused, but otherwise fine.Willie had been another story. He'd needed a defibrillator, which meant something was wrong with his heart. Ray had no idea what, but the kid was still unconscious when the paramedics had whisked him away to the second ambulance. They'd let Alex ride with them, at least, which hopefully meant Wille would be okay.Ray had made the paramedics take Julie and Reggie to the hospital as well, just in case. They probably didn't need it, but he kept imagining Julie being defibrillated, and well. They went.He'd had to leave Flynn behind for Carlos, which felt awful because she was Julie's best friend. But it was obvious Luke was in no shape to be responsible for a child.He could hear Alex and Luke rustling around him now, exuding anxious misery. He was feeling pretty damn anxious and miserable himself, but he couldn't stand the idea that the boys were suffering and he wasn't helping them through it. He remembered from the family meeting they'd had a few days ago that neither of them had parents they could count on. So as of now, he was it.And Julie was going to be okay. He had to remember that.He sat up with a sigh, and was immediately met by the sight of Alex and Luke, looking exactly as awful as he'd expect with their friends in the emergency department. Luke's eyes were still red and puffy from crying, and Alex looked like he was one bad word away from total collapse. His heart broke for them both.Ray patted the empty seat beside him in invitation. Neither of the boys sat down. He met Luke's eye and titled his head at the seat, making his instructions clear. Luke sat and Alex sat beside him, pulling out his chair so he could see Ray."Do you..." Alex stopped, huffed out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you think Willie's going to be okay?""Willie's fine. And Regie's fine, too. And Julie." Luke looked at Ray as he said it, teeth worrying his bottom lip, clearly seeking confirmation."Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course," Ray said immediately. He could feel the anxiety rolling off Alex in waves. "I'm sure we'll hear about them any minute. But they're young and strong. For sure they're fine.""Uh huh." Alex nodded. He didn't look reassured.They didn't say anything else. Ray cleared his throat. He turned to face the boys and spoke, trying to keep his voice neutral. "What happened?"Two pairs of eyes snapped to his, both scared. Alex licked his lips. "Um.""It was Julie. Julie—" Luke's voice cracked and he swallowed. "She saved our lives, sir.""Saved your lives?" Ray repeated, his concern sliding into dread, "from what?""She used her Gift to save us from..." Luke bit his lip again and glanced at Alex, as if unsure he should continue."What was it?" Ray demanded, temper beginning to flare. "Was it drugs? Were you using drugs?""What? No!" Alex jerked back in surprise. "No! I swear!""We don't do that stuff, sir," Luke said. "It wasn't anything like that.""Then what was it?" Ray's frustration hadn't ebbed. "Both Reggie and Julie used their Gifts until they were hypoglycemic. Willie looked half-dead. That doesn't happen by accident!""Julie used her Lifeforce to destroy a ghost who wanted to eat our energy," Alex said quickly, "and the ghost did...did something to Willie. And Reggie teleported all of us back to your place."Ray stared at him. "What kind of bullshit is that?""It's true, sir," Luke said, painfully sincere."The ghost was actually Willie's boss. Which I know sounds really weird, but it's true." Alex ran his hand through his hair again and then hugged himself.Ray blinked at them, lips curling up in a lopsided smile. He wanted to shake them until their teeth rattled. "You're joking with me. With my daughter in hospital, you're making jokes!""We're not, I swear!" Luke looked like he was going to cry again. "Willie's boss is a ghost named Caleb Covington. He was really famous in the 1920s and when he died, he started this club—""The Hollywood Ghost Club," Alex said."Yeah, and he has—had—lifers—that's living people—and ghosts party together. But he only does that to get energy for himself.""He was an energy vampire!" Alex jumped in again. "And he tried to take it from me and Reggie and Luke and...and Willie. But Reggie managed to teleport Willie and him out of there—""I thought you said Reggie teleported all of you?" Ray still wasn't sure if they were making it up, but the panicked look on both their faces, and the way they seemed so utterly convinced about what they were saying made him pause. Besides, he trusted his daughter and these boys were Julie's friends. He'd hear them out. But energy-eating vampire ghosts? That was really hard to wrap his head around."He did, but later. First he rescued Willie when Caleb was choking him." Alex swallowed like his own throat hurt.Ray's eyes widened in shock. "He choked him?" No wonder Willie had been so badly hurt. This Caleb had tried to kill him."He hurt all of us," Luke said. "To get Julie to come to him.""He hurt you?" Ray's frustration morphed into murderous rage. Caleb had hurt children. He was going to kill him. His fists clenched."But Julie healed us!" Alex said quickly. "That's why her sugar got so low.""I can't believe this." Ray covered his mouth with his hand, thoughts careening. Caleb had hurt the boys to get to Julie, but then she had healed them and maybe even destroyed this ghost...all with her Gift? He knew his daughter was Gifted, but it wasn't much of anything. He had no idea she could heal people, or kill murderous ghost bosses who apparently were a thing? He looked at Luke and asked the first question that was remotely coherent. "How could this guy be Willie's boss?"Luke looked at Alex. "I actually don't know how that happened.""Willie never told me," Alex whispered. He looked like he was about to cry."Hey guys," Reggie said coming into the waiting room. He looked good: cheerful and happy and with much more colour in his cheeks than when Ray had last seen him.Alex and Luke immediately leapt up and tackled him with hugs. Ray smiled to see the obvious love the boys had for each other. They're good kids, he thought to himself. Julie had done a good job picking them as friends.He stood and waited until Reggie was freed from his friend's loving ambush. "Come here." He opened his arms and Reggie went in for a hug. Ray held him tightly, finally letting go of the fear he'd felt when he saw Reggie nearly unconscious on the floor. He'd developed a real affection for him, he realized, probably after the boy had threatened him with a knife and then cried in his arms. he ruffled Reggie's hair and let him go.He looked at the other boys. Luke's arms were crossed and he was gazing down, jaw working. Alex had his hands jammed in his jean jacket pockets, staring up at the ceiling. The poor kids couldn't make it more obvious if they tried. He opened his arms again. "Who's next?"Luke and Alex looked at each other. "You go," Luke whispered."Me? Um. Yeah." Alex walked into Ray's arms. Ray held him, feeling Alex's back shaking under his hands. Alex was pulled tighter than one of Luke's guitar strings. He tried to infuse the embrace with all the safety and comfort and love he could.After a long moment Alex let go, surreptitiously wiping his eyes, and it was Luke's turn. Luke practically fell into Ray's arms. He started crying against Ray's shoulder."I'm sorry," he wept. "Reggie got hurt, and Willie got hurt and Julie got hurt and it's all my fault! I'm so sorry!"Ray patted his back. "It's okay, they're okay now," he said, because he didn't know what other words would help. "It's not your fault," he added, because he couldn't see how it could've been. He really needed the whole story."Mr. Molina?" Ray let Luke go and they both turned to see a doctor approaching them. She was about Ray's age, with dark blond hair and kind blue eyes."Hi." Ray shook her hand. She looked immediately familiar and Ray wondered whom she reminded him of."I'm Doctor Mercer, but you can all me Alison," she said. "I'm the Gifted Patient Specialist here at the hospital, and I just wanted to give you an update on your daughter..." Her voice trailed off and all the color drained from her face.Ray followed her gaze where she was focused on the boys, and one in particular."Alison?" Alex breathed.Dr. Mercer's stunned expression didn't change. "Alex?"

Didn't see that coming did you 😏