Chapter Thirty-Four - Richard Bellamy
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Richard Bellamy
THERE WAS A soft knock on Bellamy’s office door. Ethan remained seated, slumped in the chair across from Bellamy. He seemed to be processing everything that occurred in his first session.
Bellamy adjusted the knot on his tie and glanced at the door.
Jason stepped in hesitantly, his gaze immediately softened, “Is Ethan ready?”
Bellamy beckoned him in, he sat perched on the ledge of his desk. He watched as Jason crossed the room to Ethan’s side. Jason rested his hand gently on his shoulder. Ethan’s eyes were distant, red-rimmed, and glassy. Bending over, Jason whispered something in his ears and Ethan nodded faintly.
“It was a difficult session. He’s going to be tired tonight, I pushed him a little further than maybe he was ready to go. But we made some good progress, especially for our first session.”
Jason glanced at Bellamy, “Is he going to be okay?”
Bellamy stood up, pulled his glasses from his face, and rubbed his eyes, “He’ll be alright, just needs something to eat and a good night's sleep. Nothing to worry about.”
Jason exhaled, relieved but unconvinced. He turned back to Ethan, offering him a hand.
“Jason, before you go,” Bellamy said, stepping towards the bookshelf. His voice took a fatherly tone. “Take this,” he said, hooking a finger around the spine of a thin, weathered book, and pulling it off the shelf. Bellamy offered it to Jason, “When you have time, read through it. It might answer some questions about what this looks like longer term.”
The title gleamed faintly from the dim lamp light: Voices Within: A Discussion of Telepathic Phenomena.
“What’s this?” Jason asked, flipping through the book's yellowed pages.
“Something to help you understand what Ethan might be going through,” Bellamy replied. “It’s some of my earliest work and there are only a few copies. It’s not widely circulated— more a personal project. Dated, perhaps, but it may provide some clarity.”
Jason nodded and then shot a concerned glance towards Ethan, who was standing by the door still in a daze, he seemed to be swaying. Bellamy studied the couple a beat longer.
“Okay, now off you go, get some rest. Text me in the morning,” Bellamy said, and both of them disappeared out of the office doorway. Ethan was a few steps ahead as Jason’s hand hovered protectively near Ethan’s lower back.
Bellamy’s stomach churned with anticipation. Tonight had gone better than he could have imagined. A real stroke of good fortune, considering Bellamy’s luck as of late. He witnessed the most powerful display of attunement possibly in his entire career.
What are the odds?
Bellamy took a seat at his desk, he heard the lab entrance close, satisfied the two boys had shown themselves out.
Bellamy was alone again.
He reached down to the bottom drawer of his desk, and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid and one glass tumbler from the drawer.
Sitting the the glass tumbler, he poured generously into the cup.
He sipped the whiskey slowly. Kicking his feet up on his desk, he leaned back in his chair. A new precognitive. One with far more raw potential than even Naomi. He ran his fingers along the edge of the desk, the wood cool to his touch.
Ethan was fragile, vulnerable — a mind stretched thin. Bellamy was confident that Jason would watch over him. He was so committed to Ethan. A love like that is rare. Bellamy sipped again, remembering a time when he had loved that deeply.