Deep Blue Secret (12 page)

He said he was the only Keeper ever assigned to one specific person. That meant I was the only person he’d ever known who needed a Keeper personally assigned to them. Did I have some horrible fate he needed to save me from? Was I going to be the sickest person on Earth or something? He said they couldn’t see the future. How could this secret society of healers possibly know if I was going to get hurt or sick?

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Why do I need my own personal Keeper? It can’t just be dumb luck. It doesn’t make sense. What aren’t you telling me?”

He pulled a hand through the waves in his sandy hair. “I was hoping you wouldn’t realize that point. I think that’s a conversation for another day.”

“No, please, that’s not fair,” I said.

My complaint was diverted by movement in the corner of my eye. I stopped talking and looked more closely at the glass wall next to the door. Although the curtains were drawn, there was a small gap I could see through at the corner.

He peered around the room. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought I saw something outside the door. It was probably nothing.” Before I could finish the thought, the door opened.

A youthful nurse with a dark ponytail stopped in the doorway. “You’re awake,” she said. She gasped and rushed out of the room as quickly as she’d entered.

“I have to go,” Rayne said.

I felt something sink inside me.

“Promise me you’ll come back,” I said urgently, searching his face for a positive response.

He leaned down near my face. “Don’t be alarmed when you see your eyes,” he whispered. “It’s a normal reaction.”

“What?” I said, caught off guard.

He pointed to a bandage on my wrist. “And try to keep them from removing this, it could raise questions.

“But…”

Rayne moved quickly to the exit with one last smile.  “I promise. I’ll be back,” he said and he slipped out the door.

I stared at the closed door. Just like that he was gone again. But this time it was different, this time I had his promise. He would return. Somehow I knew I could trust him.

I mulled over his last few words before departing. What did he mean about my eyes?

Before the nurses could return I slid off the mechanical bed and hurried to the private bathroom a few feet away. I flipped the light switch and jumped back. For a moment I thought I was seeing someone else in the mirror.

Since birth, my eyes had been a deep shade of dark blue, but now a pair of vivid, almost crystalized, ice blue eyes stared back at me. I gaped in astonishment and pulled my face closer to the mirror. Thin rings of sapphire encircled the outer edge of my irises.

They reminded me of Rayne’s shimmering eyes, only his were definitely green. They had the same luminosity that had been so mesmerizing, with gem-like facets that caught the light and sparkled like diamonds.
This was a normal reaction?

Rayne mentioned something about my wrist too. I pulled back the bandage, carefully restraining my desire to find whatever it was concealing. The half-peeled bandage froze in my fingers. I shot a glance around the room searching for any unwanted visitors. I was alone. I removed the bandage completely to confirm my eyes weren’t deceived.

The tear-shaped birthmark was practically glowing, the icy blue surface perfectly matched with my eyes.

In a whim of curiosity I switched off the lights. The bathroom had no windows. It was pitch black aside from a slight crack along the door’s bottom edge. I stared forward with disbelief. Through the dark, a faint blue glow flickered with each blink.

After a never-ending series of tests and exams by hospital staff, they finally determined I was in perfect health. I tried to tell them it wouldn’t be necessary. I felt completely healthy. But of course they didn’t believe me.

My mother was the worst of them all when it came to making a fuss. She was overjoyed by my sudden recovery and who could blame her. Of course she didn’t say anything to me about how awful the last four days had been. It was one of the nurses who told me what a mess my mom had been while I was in the coma. Seeing the immense gratitude pour out from her jubilant face was like a song to my heart.

Even though it wasn’t my mom’s department at the hospital, the staff let her shadow everything they did. I didn’t think they minded her presence though. Without even realizing it, she spread positive energy to everyone around her.  She made sure they administered every possible test known to man and with each test that unfolded positive results her optimism grew.

The hospital buzzed about my
miraculous
recovery. Apparently it wasn’t common to wake up in perfect health from a coma, especially after suffering a traumatic brain injury. In fact it was most common to undergo years of rehabilitation to reteach the brain how to function again, if you were one of the lucky ones to make it that far. Every person I interacted with made it clear just how lucky I was.

I was concerned my eye color would attract attention and raise concerns, but it seemed to be the least of their interest. My eyes were so different and bright to me, but the medical personnel didn’t even realize there had been a change, and I wasn’t about to offer the information voluntarily.

The only doctor that brought it up was my mom’s friend, Dr. Jensen, the hot doctor I wanted her to date. He probably noticed because we’d met several times before the accident, but he quickly reasoned it could’ve been caused by a chemical reaction or hormone change as a result of undergoing physical trauma. It was mostly visiting friends and my mom that had a harder time with the change, but they all accepted the explanation given by Dr. Jensen without further inquiry.

It was confirmed through x-rays that my ribs and collarbone, which were clearly broken when admitted to the hospital just days earlier, were now completely mended. This phenomenon caused a stir among doctors from several departments. They all wanted a chance to review my case and discuss possible theories with each other.

But I knew the truth—or at least part of the truth. My recovery wasn’t the result of some grand miracle or biological phenomenon. It was all the work of my personal rescuer, my secret protector and his mysterious vile of liquid. I hoped the novelty of my recovery would wear off soon. I longed to see him again and I was sure he wouldn’t return until I was alone.

I wondered if he was hiding in the shadows somewhere, watching me but remaining invisible. I wanted to believe he was. It made all the commotion seem bearable.

Once they determined I was up for it, they moved me from the ICU down to my mother’s department, the inpatient rehab unit. I missed home and the warmth of my own bed but my mom insisted I stay a couple more days in the hospital so she and Dr. Jensen could keep me under close surveillance.

I gave in to her request, but only after she’d agreed to resume working her usual schedule and to go home to sleep after every shift. Although my mom seemed to delight in the constant stream of congratulations and well wishes, I needed a break.

I finally convinced her to allow me some time to rest. I had so many visitors over the last two days I’d barely had time to think. Almost everyone I knew came by, everyone except Heather. Out of all my friends it was her I wanted to see most, but she never came.

On the other hand, the person I was hoping to see least was Justin. The night of the accident had come back to memory and I recalled how awkward our last conversation had been. But shortly after I’d been moved to my new room his heavy knock arrived on my door.

The door cracked open hesitantly. “It’s okay, come in,” I said. I set the book I’d been reading on the side table.

A slight pair of legs staggered into the room, the rest of the small person hiding behind an enormous bouquet of flowers. It was so large I thought the little boy might topple over. Justin followed behind, a cast on his right arm. I sunk a little when I realized who it was.

“Wow Sade, you look good,” Justin said. “Actually, you look more than good. Compared to the other night, I’d say you look awesome.”

“Uh, thanks, Justin.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from his visit or what his intentions might be. I wanted to believe he was just being a good friend, but Justin’s track record wasn’t the greatest.

The young boy holding the flowers stumbled around the room in search of a surface large enough to accommodate the pretentious display. I held back a laugh. After many unsuccessful attempts and one close call involving a lamp, the boy set the vase down right in the middle of the floor. He glanced at me shyly and looked to Justin for instruction.

Justin gave him a pat on the back with his healthy arm. “That works, buddy. Now go wait for me in the hall. I’ll come get you in a few.”

“He can stay,” I said, as the boy wandered out the door.

“He’s all right. That’s what little brothers are for.”

Justin sat at the foot of my bed. “So how are you, girl? I heard you’re like a celebrity around here now.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I said.

He leaned close and examined my face. “What happened to your eyes? They look crazy cool.”

I pulled my head deep into my pillow to escape the invasion of personal space. “Um, the doctor said it could be some kind of hormone reaction to the accident or something like that.”

I figured Justin wouldn’t be one to need much of an explanation.

“Crazy…” he said. He sat back, allowing me room to breathe again. “You know, my older sister had blue eyes her whole life then last year when she got pregnant they totally turned green. I’m serious, and they still are. That would be sweet if yours stayed like this.”

“Yeah, I guess our bodies can do crazy things sometimes,” I said.

Usually I could rely on Justin to keep the conversation moving but an awkward silence circled the air. He fidgeted and glanced from wall to wall around the room.

“Well, it was really nice of you to drop by,” I said, hoping he would use it as an exit.

He stood up. “Right, so…” His words wavered uncomfortably. “Actually, Sadie, I wanted to talk to you.”

Oh no. Here it comes
, I thought. I hoped it wasn’t going to be difficult this time. I didn’t want to turn him down and hurt his feelings yet again—if they were even capable of getting hurt.

“Justin, I thought we talked about this,” I said.

“No, I know,” he said calmly. His voice suddenly sounded so
normal
, like a normal person having a normal conversation for once. I raised one eyebrow.

“I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry.” To my surprise his face dropped with remorse. “I know I’ve been a jerk and I feel really bad that you got hurt. The crash was probably the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me and it was totally my fault. I was trying to show off and I was being stupid. I’m really sorry.”

I was genuinely surprised and impressed by his apology. “Thanks, Justin. That means a lot.”

That was probably the most decent thing I’d ever heard come out of his mouth.

“Listen,” I said. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out between us, but do you think we could still be friends?”

 “Of course, Sade. You’ll always be my girl.”

I frowned in disapproval.

“…friend,” he amended. “Girl…friend.” He stumbled over his words. “I mean, friend that’s a girl.”

I laughed. He was actually kind of sweet when he wasn’t trying so hard.

“So now that we’re friends, can I give you a little friendly advice?” I said.

“Sure, I guess.”

“I just think if you spent less time trying so hard to impress a girl and more time being yourself, you might be surprised by the results. Any girl worth being with will like you just for being you.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said. “Any hot girl that’s smart like you, would probably see right through me.”

I thought I saw a hopeful gleam in his eye. I decided to take an extra measure of precaution just in case.

“Justin, I don’t know if you heard, but I have a boyfriend now,” I fibbed.

“What? Who is it?” he said, a little too territorial.

“It’s no one you know. He doesn’t go to our school.”

“Well, what’s his name?” Justin pushed.

“Rayne,” I said, knowing full well this was more of a wishful fantasy than any form of the truth.

“What kind of a lame name is that?”

“It’s not lame,” I said. “It’s unique.”

“Sounds kind of girly, if you ask me.”

“Very funny, Justin. He’s far from it actually,” I said, a little defensive. “He’s more of a man than any of the guys at our school. He’s already graduated.”

Justin frowned. “A college guy, huh?”

“Um yeah, college,” I said, not correcting his wrong assumption.

“That’s cool I guess,” he said, a hint of disappointment and jealousy in his voice.

Justin was resilient though. I knew he’d be fine.

“Hey, have you seen Heather around?” I asked.

I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t come to see me, even if she
was
mad at me.

“I saw her at school today but we didn’t talk,” he said. “Hasn’t she come to visit you yet?” He looked surprised.

“No, she hasn’t come. I think she’s mad at me, but I have no idea why.”

“That sucks…”

“I know,” I said. “Do you think you could do me a big favor?”

“Sure, name it.”

“Can you talk to her for me? I really need to see her.”

“I get the feeling she doesn’t like me,” he said. “I’ll still talk to her, but only because it’s for you, Sade.” He winked at me.

Normally that would’ve bothered me coming from Justin, but I let it slide. He’d been fairly respectful his entire visit. He didn’t try to grope me even once. I had to give him credit for such an improvement.

After Justin left, I couldn’t believe how quiet the afternoon was. It was nice to finally have a chance to relax. My mom dropped in before her shift and stopped by again to check on me a couple hours later, but other than that Justin was the only visitor I’d had for several hours. It was pretty boring and annoying to be stuck in a hospital bed, especially when there wasn’t anything wrong with me, but at least it was finally quiet.

I glanced out the window for a moment, enjoying the sun rays streaming through the window. I hadn’t inhaled fresh air for days and I missed it.

My mind wandered. I couldn’t keep from thinking about Rayne. Now that things had settled down, I anticipated the moment he would walk through my door. I missed his soothing presence and I hated that I had no way to reach him. It made me feel helpless. But I would have to trust him that this was the best way. I didn’t have any other choice.

My mom brought a collection of books and movies to keep me entertained for the time being, but after a few hours I was already restless. I wanted to go home. There weren’t enough distractions here to keep me busy, to keep my mind off of Rayne and all the things he’d shared with me the other night. I couldn’t stop speculating about all his secrets. Even if he wouldn’t tell me those secrets, I would settle for gazing into his diamond eyes instead.

My daydreams were interrupted by a knock at my door. I thought I wanted alone time earlier but now I was glad for the diversion. I was both pleasantly surprised and—for the first time in my life—nervous, when Heather entered the room. Finally I would have a chance to talk to her and hopefully figure out why she was mad at me.

“Hey you,” I said.

Her slender figure moved slowly across the room. She seemed distant.

“Hey,” she replied. “Justin dropped by. He said you wanted to see me, so…”

“Yeah, thanks for coming. It’s good to see you.” I tried to ease into the conversation to test the mood. I wasn’t sure what to expect from her.

“It’s good to see you too,” she said politely. “Everyone at school’s been talking about the accident and how lucky you are. You look good by the way.”

“Thanks. I’m not surprised. Word travels fast with a guy like Justin around.”

The conversation felt strained, more like talking to an acquaintance, not a best friend of eleven years. Not like someone who knew all my quirks and secrets, like how I used to ice skate around the living room pretending I was the girl from the movie
Ice Castles
. Not like someone who helped me study for weeks for the ACT’s.

This was not the girl who ran to the store the night of my first date to buy fake eyelashes when I’d accidently cut mine off with a faulty eyelash curler; or the girl who used to climb the huge tree in her front yard with me to call out funny noises at the neighbors and giggle as they tried to figure out where the sounds came from.

What happened to that girl? I wanted her back.

“Heather, I have to ask, is everything okay? I mean, did I do something to make you mad? Why didn’t you come visit me sooner?”

Her entire face suddenly crumpled into a frown, her lower lip quivering. “Be…
cause,
” she barely managed to squeak out. She burst into sobs.  “I’m a terrible friend.”

She was crying? But I thought she was angry, not sad.

I held out my arms. “What? No, that’s not true,” I said. She accepted my gesture and sat down on the bed with me.

“Yes it is. I’ve been horrible,” she whimpered. “And then you got hurt and I thought I was going to lose you forever, and the worst part is…it was completely my fault.” She sobbed again.

“What are you talking about?” I said, consoling her. “What was your fault?”

Her face squinted together like she was in pain. “Your…your
accident
,” she said, barely audible through her high pitched cries. I seemed to be hearing that quite a bit lately. Apparently a lot of people felt the accident was their fault.