Chapter 2 #6
Sascha was silent. For a long time. She did look like she wanted to argue the point at first, but that reaction was short lasting.
Instead, she seemed to turn inward, paling as though lost in memories that threatened to undo her at that very moment.
. . She honestly looked how Janice felt.
Then she turned abruptly to the table, snatched up her cup and downed the contents in one huge gulp, as though she could find salvation at the bottom.
Ansell was out of his seat the moment she tipped the cup to her mouth, fighting with her to get the cup back, but Janice watched her switch hands and give him one solid shove that made him trip and fall back into his chair.
Then she hit the table with the cup with a finality that made Janice’s blood run cold.
She shouldn’t have done that. Janice wasn’t sure why, but knew Sascha shouldn’t have done that.
“What have you done?” Ansell’s reaction confirmed Janice’s suspicion.
Sascha blinked several times, as though fighting a wave of drowsiness that suddenly came over her. She gave a shake of her head. “Erased the memories. . .” Her voice was a hollow mumble, distant and far away.
“I told you.” Ansell’s voice came distantly and Janice had to lean heavily back in her chair to stay upright.
She couldn’t breathe. Janice swallowed hard trying to slow her breathing. To take deep, stomach expanding breaths and not freak out. The last thing she needed right now was to go into a full blown panic attack.
“It’s a sipping drink. You do not chug it.” She heard Ansell hiss. . . But he sounded so far away.
She heard Sascha’s tired laugh. “I didn’t think it’d be so strong.”
“I don’t joke with medical advice, Sascha.” Ansell’s voice was hard, biting. “Sascha, how many fingers am I holding up?”
Janice blinked hard, trying to steady herself. She was fine. Hell, what she was freaking out about were problems that weren’t even hers. But she only had two people. . . Janice only had Sascha and her brother. . . What would happen to her if she lost her only friend?
“I’m. . . not sure.” Sascha slurred quietly. “It keeps jumping around.”
Ansell’s irritated huff, sounded like it came from a distant land on the other side of a turbulent, riotous ocean.
“I apologize, but Sascha won’t be returning to work today.
She’ll be sleeping this off at my office.
I’ll be right back, so can you have the waitress bag our food?
” His voice was harsh, cutting as he spoke.
“Oh. And I was serious about not chugging the stuff. If I find out you’re abusing it, I will stop supplying you. ”
The world spun and she gripped her chest. It felt like it was on fire and her head was still pounding. Addie got up and came back in the time it took her to push aside her plate and lay her head down on the table.
Then the woman’s cool hand smoothed over Janice’s forehead. “Oh, dear. Janie, are you alright?” The woman lifted her face to look at her, but Janice could only make out a vague outline of her boss as she said. “Oh, sweetie. You’re burning up? If you weren’t feeling well, you should have told me.”
Janice huffed and puffed, failing to regulate her breathing as she practically croaked her brother’s name.
“Kadir. . . Call Kadir. . .” She was losing this battle.
She couldn’t breathe. Her head was killing her.
She was pretty sure she was having a heart attack and her power was doing nothing but exacerbating the problem.
She felt the first jerking spasm run through her and then the world was tipping. A scream split the air, ringing obnoxiously in her ears as the spasms increased and the world started to go dark.
“Breathe. . .” The word whispered across her mind.
But she couldn’t. There wasn’t any air and if there was, her lungs weren’t in an accepting mood.
“Breathe, Janice. . .” She felt warmth on her lips, opening her mouth as air was forced into her lungs. “Hold.”
Her body jerked as her chest was compressed several crushing times, rushing the air back out of her. And then the mouth was on her again and air was forced into her again.
“Janice!” Kadir’s voice broke through the thick mire she was stuck in and she felt her whole body pulse along with her heartbeat as she gasped wildly for air, reaching out blindly for her brother. Her lifeline.
Warm hands wrapped around her reaching hand and she felt warm lips press to her knuckles.
“You can’t die yet.” The voice from before said before their warmth was gone. “Get her to a hospital for a check up. If she’s having seizures, they need to find out why and treat it.”
“Kadir. . .” She gasped, still blind from her fall. She must have hit her head when she landed.
She was cradled in strong arms against a notably male chest. “I am here, sister.” His voice was slightly accented and his familiar warmth comforted her.
“Take me home. . .” She whispered weakly, before allowing herself to fall back into the sightless darkness of unconsciousness. She tried not to stress, assuring herself that her vision would repair itself by the time she awoke.