“Like me?”
“Yes. I loved the watercolor you left at the house, the one with the kids and the sandcastle. It made me think of summer on Sea Smoke Island when we used to play at the beach. Happy times.”
“I’m happy now.”
“Are you? That’s wonderful.” He decided to try something. “Is it because of some new medication?”
“That’s a question.” But even as she said that, her eyes darted to a shallow plastic bowl on the counter next to the sink. Bingo! He got up for a closer look. It held a pile of square pieces of nearly transparent paper, each imprinted with the letters NL.
“What’s this?” he lifted one of the tabs out of the bowl.
She bolted to her feet. “Leave that alone. Those are my—” She broke off with a gasp as he scooped up all the papers and stuffed them in his pocket. “What are you doing?”
“These are your meds.”
Even though it wasn’t a question, she nodded nervously.
“If you want to keep taking them, you’ll have to come with me. I’m going to my car, it’s just across the street. I’m your brother and I mean you no harm. But I want you to come with me.”
“I…I…” Her head twitched and her eyes blinked. “I shouldn’t leave here.”
“But you like this new medication.”
“Oh yes,” she said with a happy sigh. “It makes me feel so good. If I skip a dose things get very dark and confusing. I don’t like to think about that.”
“Come on, then!” He patted his pocket where the paper tabs were stashed. She fastened her gaze on it and got to her feet. This stuff must be wildly addictive.
He ushered her into his car and buckled her into the back seat. “You can stretch out and take a nap back here if you like.”
“Where are we going?” she asked. “You should give me my meds first. I can’t be late for a dose, and it’s almost time.”
“What happens if you take it late?”
“I told you. Things get confusing and scary.”
He got into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel so hard it hurt. What would happen to Jessie if he withheld the drug? Would she go through some terrible withdrawal process? Confusing and scary didn’t mean physically harmful, but withdrawal could be a bitch.
He put the car in gear and drove down the street.
After about ten minutes of silent driving, she said, “Jack,” she said urgently. “You have to give me the meds.”
“You called me Jack.” Was the drug starting to wear off? Hope twisted in his heart that it would be as easy as that.
“Of course I did. Jack, give me the meds. Now. Or I’ll…” She kicked the back of his seat. He kept driving, taking turn after turn, unsure of where to go next. He needed a safe place, a place where Jessie could get this weird drug out of her system, where he could wrap his arms around her and hold her until she stopped trying to hurt him.
He ruled out the idea of a hospital. Too many questions, and he doubted they knew anything about this drug either. It was too new.
He should take her back to Sea Smoke, he decided. Back to the familiar world of the Sunderland house.
By the time he’d reached the Harbortown docks, she was curled on the back seat in a fetal position, moaning and sobbing about how horrible the world was. How horrible he was.
He called the water taxi service and asked for Captain Sparrow. He couldn’t risk a stranger picking them up with Jessie in this condition.
“This is a crisis situation,” he told Sparrow. “I have someone with me who’s going through withdrawal. I need to be as private as possible. Can you make that happen? For a fee, of course?” he added, before Captain Sparrow could make the demand himself.
“It’s always something with you two. Meet me at the public landing in ten.”
Sparrow helped him bundle Jessie onboard the Salty Gal. She fought them only feebly, darting her hands in the direction of Jack’s pockets. She’d reached a stage beyond words and beyond understanding anything he said to her.
