Yesterday (Part Three - Chapters 57 & 58)

CHAPTER 57

—What do I have to do? —Aminarti asked, holding the small oval pellet in his hand.

—Just activate it by pressing the top button when you are next to him.

—And this will fix him?

—No doubt, from that moment and to all intents and purposes he will be an ordinary human being.

Aminarti had received the call shortly after his conference call with Rome.

He had used up his wild card and finally made the call he had been saving himself for years.

The elderly Cardinal, a former Camerlengo of the Holy See, listened quietly to his request and told him tersely that someone would call him back.

When the phone rang a few minutes later, he felt a shudder. At last the mysteries would be over.

—Where are you? —the voice asked bluntly.

—In Madrid.

There was a short silence.

—I shall see you in room 714 of the Ritz Hotel at twelve o’clock midnight tonight, be there on time.

—Okay.

There was a click and the receiver began to emit a short tone over and over again. Aminarti stood with the old, heavy receiver in his hand wondering if he had done right.

Spencer Kelt did not raise his head to check if the priest closed the door behind him. His field work was almost over. He would wait a few minutes and finally return to the helipad.

All it took was a little touch of suggestion. Aminarti already unconsciously wished that Jonah did not have within him all that made him different. By offering him the possibility of a cure, Kelt knew he would carry out his mission without hesitation.

He reviewed some data on his screen and sent a brief message. His gaze turned wistful for a moment.

Soon he would be leaving for Arcadia.

Knowing this made him feel warm in his chest. He felt elated for the first time in many years. As elated as Spencer Kelt was capable of feeling, of course.

CHAPTER 58

Laura woke up feeling numb. Her mouth was pasty, she reached for some water on the bedside table. Found a small plastic cup there and squeezed every last drop. She looked around and discovered her sister lying on the couch in front of her, asleep.

Then gave herself a moment to think.

She remembered regaining consciousness in the subway and staggering out to the street to find she was in the middle of nowhere. Reaching into her pockets, she found nothing but a 20 Euro bill, which she spent mostly on a cab to the Stanhope Clinic.

She could think of no better place to go. She was not feeling well and assumed she would need attention.

She arrived at the reception desk very dizzy and found herself face to face with her sister. Didn’t remember much else. She must have fainted, but before that she thought she saw her father.

Suddenly a question came to her mind.

Where was Jonah?

The last thing she remembered of her encounter with him was his hand intertwined with hers, his sweet words, his eyes and light, lots of light.

Her brother could not be responsible for what had happened to her, that much was obvious, it did not seem likely to her after she had met him. But she could do nothing but wait for someone to tell her something. She would wait, told herself, anyway she didn’t feel strong enough to get up either. She felt a throbbing pain in her head, as if she had received a blow. She put her hand where it hurt the most, but did not notice anything strange to the touch, no bandages or bruises.

Perhaps it was due to the sedatives; they never did her any good.

She could not remember anything else, the gap of time between the encounter with Jonah and the subway was part of a great void in her memory. She only vaguely remembered dreaming about her mother shortly before waking up in the train car, but not much else.

Oscar entered Laura’s room trying not to make any noise.

—Don’t worry, I’m already awake, —Laura whispered to him.

—How are you feeling? —asked her father in a low voice, approaching the bed.

—I'm a little disoriented, but I think I’m fine.

—Do you remember what happened to you?

—I remember meeting Jonah, but then everything went dark until I woke up in the subway. Have you heard from him?

—Jonah is here, —Oscar told her.

—Here? Where?

—Checked in. He called us.

Laura put her hand to her mouth to stifle a sigh. Oscar indicated her with a finger to keep quiet, but Eva had already woken up.

—Thank goodness you’re awake, —was the first thing she said.

—I'm sorry about all this, Eva, —said Laura with compunction.

Oscar looked at both of them.

—You don’t have to apologize, I’m going to find out what happened, don’t worry, —Oscar reassured her.

—Did you tell her? —Eva demanded very seriously to Oscar.

—What?

—About her brother, —said Eva, sitting up on the sofa.

Laura scrutinized Oscar in a glance.

—I told you Laura knows everything, there’s no reason to make a scene, Eva, this isn’t the moment.

—Have you told her without me being present? —Laura exclaimed, dumbfounded.

—I had no choice, your brother called her.

The three of them stared at each other and there was an uncomfortable silence in the room.

—I’m leaving, —said Oscar, turning towards the door, —I have a lot of things to do, among them I have to make sure that someone takes care of Jonah.

—I’ll do it, —Eva answered firmly, —that’s what we’re here for, right? We are family, —she said defiantly.

—No, —Laura interrupted her, —it’s my business, —she said trying to get up before Eva stopped her with her hand.

—You wait until you’re discharged, and then we’ll talk.

—All right, —Oscar agreed, —I’ll call you later.

Oscar left the room and the two sisters looked at each other with concern.

—Are you ok? —asked Eva in a whisper to Laura.

—Yes, a little dizzy, I don’t know what happened, but whatever it is, I feel better now, relax, —Laura answered, squeezing her hand to calm her down. It’s you who is starting to worry me, you seem very upset.

—Really? You disappear, I find out we have a brother, he’s just been admitted unconscious, dad starts saying nonsense, and Adrian…

—How are you holding up?

—Bad, —Eva vented, lowering her head. —I really missed him yesterday. And I got so scared, because all that happened, and I…

—You have to be strong.

—I am! —How else do you think I'm still here?

—I know.

The two remained silent again and Laura remembered something important.

—Eva —she hesitated, looking for the words —the tumor Adrian had, did they tell you if it was common?

Eva looked at her confused.

—No, I don’t remember them telling me anything like that. Well, now that you mention it, the doctor told me he didn’t have much of a chance when it looked like he was going to wake up, but other than that, nothing else, why do you ask?

—Do me a favor, have his doctor come to see me.

—Why?

—I need to talk to him, it’s important.

—But why won’t you tell me why? —Eva insisted angrily —Why are you and Dad suddenly behaving like this with me?

—Eva, it’s not because of you, it’s to protect you.

Eva looked away.

—Here we go again. I didn’t expect this from you.

—Eva, listen to me, it’s better if you don’t know any more for now.

—You sound just like Dad, I’m not fifteen anymore.

—I know, but I need you to trust me for now, —Laura replied, taking her hand, —will you?

Eva pondered for a moment, but reluctantly agreed.

—All right, but swear you’ll tell me everything.

—I will.

Both sisters wanted to talk about the same thing, but neither dared. Laura wanted to hug her, to tell her everything, but she restrained herself. She had enough of what was going on. They continued holding hands until a nurse came in.

A new day had officially begun.