The Compass and the Quill [Under Revision]

Chapter 34

Parker

All my exhaustion vanished. "Roy Huxley?" I echoed. "Me? What do you want with me?"

"There have been recent developments that could be of great benefit to her. She is quite...wilful, however, so I was hoping you could help me."

"Help you do what?"

"Convince her. I need to meet with her, and I want you to accompany her."

I was a little wary. "I'm sorry, sir," I told him, "but whether or not she wants me to come with her is entirely her call to make. As is her decision to meet with you."

"This is very important, son. I guess she hasn't told you about me?"

I thought quickly, deciding that I was too suspicious of the man to be honest. "No," I replied. "No, I haven't."

"Well, I'm one of the people who believe that she really is able to see murders. I have discovered information that can help her improve her image at Grissom."

"Be that as it may, she's indisposed right now. I can talk to her if you want."

"I would love that."

"Okay, then."

I was so puzzled my Huxley's call that I thought about it even in my sleep, through school and on the way back home. I was still thinking about it when Quilla called me, and I almost cut the call before I realized what I was doing.

"Hey beautiful," I said. "How are you?"

"Not that good," Quilla's quiet voice answered, and it was then that I realized how thirsty I had been for that voice.

"I'm so sorry about that, Quills. How'd the surgery go?"

"They fixed my tendons, but my mobility is still not certain. It might never recover completely." Her voice broke, and the sorrow she had been holding back seeped through the fissures. "My gardening hand," she said morosely. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"You didn't know that would happen. And you're a very smart one, I'm sure you'll learn to use your right hand just as well. I'm going to help you through it."

"But that will take so long..."

"You'll be using your right hand like a pro before you even know it."

Quilla sighed. "If I say I miss you," she asked, "will it creep you out?"

I frowned. "Of course not," I said. "Why would you even think that?"

I could almost hear her shrug. "I don't know," she answered. "Stuff I say tends to backfire."

"Not this time," I assured her. "I missed you too, you know."

She didn't respond, and for a moment, I thought that she had cut the call. But then I heard a sniffle and a hiccup, and I realized that she was crying. "Quill? Why are you crying?" I asked her, alarmed.

"It's just..." she sniffled again. "Oh...this is the first time anyone has told me that..." Quilla hiccuped again. "Its h-h-huge for me to know th-that I mean enough to someone that they miss me."

"So you're happy?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yes...oh, Parker," she sobbed. "I can't stop crying, it's so stupid..."

"It's okay, Quill," I reassured her. "You needn't be ashamed of crying when you're with me."

It only made her cry harder. "Whoa, okay, okay," I said, alarmed. "Calm down, Quilla. I'm coming over."

"Okay..."

"You hang in there, okay?" I instructed her. "Don't freak your parents out. They'll think I made you cry, and then they won't let me see you anymore."