WHAT CAME AFTER

CHAPTER 9

Four days later:

We were walking in the front door and laughing about a story that Norah was telling about one of her cousins; when she stopped suddenly, causing me to bump into her back. "What is she doing here," Norah hissed.

Confused, I looked up to see an older dark-haired woman standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Don't you dare speak about me in that disrespectful tone, young lady," she snapped.

Not one to back down easily, Norah drew herself up to her full height, "Iris, you're not welcome in this house."

"I grew up in this house the same as my sister Celeste and I have just as much right to be here as either of you."

"Maybe so," Norah replied calmly. "But we don't want you here."

"Celeste wants me, and that's all that matters," Iris answered with mock politeness. "Besides which, you should be thanking me for coming."

"And just why would I want to do that?" Norah asked.

"Well," she replied with a faint smirk on her lips. "If I hadn't shown up when I did, she'd still be lying there at the foot of the stairs."

"What happened?" Norah gasped.

"One of her patients, a teenage boy, went crazy on her, and when she tried to stop him from leaving, he knocked her down the stairs. The poor thing had been lying there for hours with a broken leg when I found her."

"Oh no, what happened to the boy?" I asked.

"I have no idea," she replied carelessly. "He ran out the door several days ago and hasn't been seen since."

Norah reached out and took my hand, "don't worry, we'll find him. Let's go talk to my aunt and find out what happened."

"She's sleeping right now, but you can see her later," Iris said and stepped in front of the door with her arms crossed.

We'll just take a peek and see how she's doing," Norah said firmly, and only when I was starting to think that we might have to either give up or push our way on past her. Moose curled back his lips and let out a soft, barely audible growl.

Iris gasped and jumped back in alarm, "get that beast out of here!"

"He's with us," Norah replied impatiently and brushed on past her.

"I'm warning you, Norah, dogs aren't allowed in this house," Iris snapped.

"This isn't your house, and you don't make the rules around here," Norah said, leaving Iris, I was amused to see, speechless.

"Oh, Kaley, I'm so sorry about Lucas," Celeste exclaimed when we came into the room. "He was doing so well at first; it took me completely by surprise."

"What happened?"

"Sometimes, during treatment, they suffer from hallucinations and have to be restrained to keep them from injuring themselves or others. But Lucas wasn't experiencing any side effects until right after the 2nd treatment. One minute he was completely fine, and the next, he was out of his mind."

"We have to find him," I exclaimed. "He's been out there on his own for almost three days now."

"But how?" Norah asked. "He could be anywhere by now."

"Why don't you see if Moose can track him," Celeste suggested. "Give him something of Lucas' to smell and see what happens."

"You know, that just might work," Norah said encouragingly.