“I don’t know about that. It’s quite a mouthful for a room name.” Beryl led the way to his front door. “Also, I’m rooting for this to be your last hospital stay.”
“I hope that as well, but I like to keep my options open.”
“Okay. Maybe they’ll name it for you, but they’ll also charge you rent if you expect it to be waiting for your next possible visit, regardless of the reason. Hospital rooms aren’t cheap you know.”
“Fair point. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Inside the front door, Beryl held Jake’s arm, ensuring he was steady. Down the hall, she saw—as usual—that his bedroom door was wide open. If she peeked inside, she was certain she’d see his Maxwell the Martian doorstop doing what it was made for.
“Thanks for getting me home. Waking up in the hospital a second time threw me for a loop. Then I realized I still had all the memories I’ve made since the last time I was in the hospital. I consider it a big win.”
“I’ll bet.” Beryl closed the front door, settled him on the sofa and went into the kitchen to get him some water.
“You were the best memory,” he called after her.
“Such a charmer! Is that really you talking, or are you still drugged to the gills from your hospital stay?”
Jake huffed. “I’m drug-free, thank you very much. Given my status—of strange wire stuck to my head upon admission—the hospital staff was afraid to give me anything more than aspirin, which I declined.”
Beryl handed him the glass of water, which he dutifully drank half of before placing the glass on the coffee table. “Sit,” he said. “Tell me what you know.”
“I know you are a charmer. I like you. And I’m glad you came out of the hospital with some, if not all, of your memories. You’re no worse for wear on that score.”
“Truth.” Then he asked, “Did you talk to Wyatt?”
She nodded. “He’s still working on your case, but he didn’t have anything new to tell me. He took the wire they detached from behind your ear as evidence, but I don’t think anyone has figured out what it is yet. They didn’t find the guy in the black robes or any sign of him at the barn.”
Jake’s expression darkened at the mention of his captor.
Stroking his arm, she asked, “What’s wrong? Do you hurt? Do you want that aspirin after all?”
“No. I just remembered something disturbing. It was probably a drug-induced nightmare figment of my imagination.”
“What did you remember?” Beryl mentally held her breath.
“You’ll likely think I’m crazy, but when he dumped me in the trunk, I looked up as the lid closed and I would swear the guy didn’t have a face behind that mask.” He looked at her. “Crazy, right?”
“A little. You may not want to repeat that to anyone else.” Beryl made her lips form a smile and hoped it didn’t look fake. She forced a quick laugh. “The faceless medieval marauder? You know, I hear the finest street drugs produce the wildest dreams.”
“I can attest to that,” he said, and reached for his water glass. “I don’t know what kind of knockout drugs they were, but very fast-acting and, as a bonus, strange dreams.” He drank the glass dry. “If we ever find that guy, we should ask him what it is. But you’re right—I’m not telling anyone what I dreamed up.”
Beryl grabbed the empty glass and darted toward the kitchen. “Let me get you more. You don’t want to get dehydrated for real.”
“Thanks, Beryl.”
“Sure thing.” Beryl took her time filling the second glass of water, debating whether she should relate what he thought he saw to anyone else. Wyatt? Jett? Diesel? All of them? None of them?
There was a protocol about what to do if a human learned about aliens hiding in plain sight on Earth. But if she told anyone about Jake’s drug-fueled fantasy—which wasn’t imaginary—it was likely a Defender would come into play to correct the issue.
Jake had lost so many of his memories, it seemed cruel to cause him to lose any more. Beryl would have to think about it.
She brought him the second glass. He took it from her, but placed it on the coffee table without sampling it. He pulled her to sit down next to him. She thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he grabbed her hand and gently squeezed.
He looked deeply into her eyes. “I missed you.”
She scoffed. “You were unconscious the whole time.”
He grinned. “Not once I woke up. And I definitely missed you then.”
