Chapter 9 #2
He paused again, and Dell wished she could give the kid a hug. Eventually, he said, “Okay,” and the tension blocking Dell from full access dissolved. She felt herself sink into his body and take control.
She slowly stood up, remembering how much longer his legs were than hers, and wiped at her wetting eyes.
“Dell?” Jason cautiously asked, and leaned toward her.
“Yeah,” she said with a sniffle, in Robbie’s voice.
“Oh, thank God,” Jason blurted, and threw his arms around her. “Also thank God Robbie showered.”
Dell burbled a soggy laugh into his neck, letting his embrace restore her. The past several hours had run her ragged, and
she finally had the chance to tell someone who’d fully understand. Not that Cole hadn’t lent a comforting ear.
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked and pulled back from their hug. “Well, I mean aside from the obvious you’re dead thing.”
She sniffled again and looked around Robbie’s room. “We seriously misjudged this kid. He’s not a slacker. He’s his grandfather’s
caretaker, and either some kind of criminal hacker or he works for the government. Either way, his income pays for this house.”
Jason jerked his neck in surprise. “Oh shit. Really?”
“Yeah. He’s lived with his grandpa since his mom died.” She turned her gaze to Cole and shyly bit her lip. “And I kind of
told him I’d be able to find his mom and give her a message . . .”
Cole didn’t immediately roll his eyes or say no, so she hoped the possibility wasn’t a stretch.
Jason followed her gaze to the space beside them. “Is he here again? The transition guy?”
“Yes. His name is Cole, remember? He’s actually been really helpful.” She shot Cole a grateful smile.
He smiled back.
“Good to know,” Jason said. “So, what the hell happened with Tommy?”
Dell shook herself to remember what they were here to discuss. She took Jason’s hand and led them to the bed. “You might want to sit down for this.”
By the time she’d finished filling in the holes about Nikki and about Evelyn ordering their lawyer to destroy the prenup,
Jason was standing at the bedside with his hands clenched in fists.
“That motherfucker!” he spat.
“I know. I can’t believe I was going to marry him at all,” Dell said with a shake of her head. “And I can’t believe you got
him to confess.”
Jason proudly nodded and punched his fists into his hips. “That wasn’t all me though. When I walked in to him looking like
he’d escaped Shutter Island, I knew something was up. You’re one scary dead bride.”
“Thank you,” she said with a little bow.
“Okay, so once that news gets out, what’s going to happen?”
Dell glanced at Cole. “Well, the hope is this mess is the wrong turn, and by fixing it, I’ll be reunited with my body, and all this will be over.”
“Okay,” Jason said again with a nod. “This is the weirdest day of my life.”
“You’re telling me,” Dell said. “I died and then found out my ex-fiancé and future mother-in-law were planning to murder me.”
“That’s rough,” Jason said like they were talking about something as mundane as Dell getting a parking ticket, and she couldn’t
fault him—she too was still stunned by it all. “What are you going to do next?”
“Well, once Tommy and his mom are exposed, I don’t know. I guess I need to . . . be near my body? Maybe?” She looked to Cole
again.
He met her eyes and gave a nod of confirmation. “Yes, we should be by your body when you come back, so we should go to the hospital.” He held up the rule book to indicate he’d found the information inside.
“Okay,” she said. “Cole says we should go to the hospital, so I guess I’ll give Robbie his body back and head there to wait,”
she told Jason.
Jason stood up and motioned for her to give him another hug. “Okay. I’ll go to work and keep that ship moving. I hope the
next time I see you, it’s you and not a gangly Zoomer.”
“Me too. Thank you, Jay. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”
“Always here for you, D,” he breathed over her shoulder.
“Okay, leaving now,” she said with a nod of Robbie’s head. And then internally, “Robbie? I’m leaving now. Thank you for your help.”
Dell didn’t hear anything in response and wondered if Robbie had sunk himself into some Zen state to ease the discomfort of
being possessed.
“Okay, bye,” she said, for good measure. Just like she had in the park, she squatted and jumped out of his body. She crashed into Cole;
with all the computers, the room wasn’t large enough for four people, even if two of them were ghosts.
“I’ve got you,” Cole said, and helped steady her. “Good job, once again.”
She softly smiled at him, feeling her face heat at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“Whoa,” Robbie said from behind them. He held his hands to his head like the room was spinning.
“You okay, kid?” Jason said, and placed his hand on his shoulder. His voice was void of the usual bite it carried when he talked to Robbie.
“I think so,” Robbie said, and took a step back.
“Good. Thanks for your help. Hopefully it’s the last time,” Jason said, and turned for the door.
“Hopefully . . .” Robbie parroted, as if he weren’t sure what he was saying.
“Oh, one more thing,” Jason said, and turned around. “What’s your mom’s name?”
Robbie flinched in surprise. Dell watched the realization dawn over his face as he put the pieces together to realize Dell
had spoken through him to tell Jason about his request. She silently thanked Jason for remembering to ask, because she had
forgotten in the thick of rehashing her story.
“Um, Barbara. Barbara Sanders,” Robbie said with a note of hope in his voice.
Jason nodded and looked in the direction Dell and Cole were standing, as if to make sure they heard.
“Thank you,” Dell said out loud even though Jason couldn’t hear her.
Dell and Cole followed Jason back through the house to the front door. They passed Grandpa Charlie asleep in a recliner in
the sitting room, and the sight made Dell smile. She noted a framed photo on the wall of a dark-haired little boy and a smiling
woman.
“That must be her,” Dell said, and pointed to it. “Can we really find her?” she asked Cole.
Cole pursed his lips like he was reluctant. “Yes.”
“Great, you can explain it to me while we wait at the hospital. They will have taken me to St. Agnes,” she said, and expectantly
held out her elbow.
Cole glanced at it, and then hooked his arm through. “Off we go, then.”
They landed with a stumble in a glossy white hospital hallway burning with the telltale smell of commercial sterilizers. Even
with her senses dulled, Dell’s nose still stung.
“That is getting easier,” Dell said, and noted her head was spinning less than last time. “Now, how do we find me?” She looked
over her shoulder but kept her arm looped in Cole’s.
He was standing close enough she could feel his hip pressed into hers. “Well, I assume your family has you in a private room,
so—”
“Ah, you there. Sir? Madam? I am wondering if you could help direct me,” an elderly man in a hospital gown with a British
accent interrupted, and waved a hand at them.
Cole looked up and tensed.
“Can he—? Can he see us?” Dell said in confusion.
“Yes,” Cole hissed. “I was worried this might happen.” He pulled Dell out of the main walkway and toward a nurse’s station.
The man kept approaching, waving with a smile. From the way his gown flapped at his sides, Dell got the sense his entire backside
was exposed to anyone behind him.
“If he can see us, does that mean he’s—?”
“Dead, yes,” Cole said. “Though he doesn’t seem to know it. Walking through a hospital runs that risk.”
“Wait, what?” Dell gaped. “You mean, there are a bunch of ghosts just hanging out in here?”
“Of course there are. A hospital is one of the most frequent locations of transition. It’s best not to engage. If he’s stuck, something has gone wrong, and we don’t have time to help him.” Cole continued to try to pull Dell away, but she planted her feet.
“Gone wrong like, oh, I don’t know, maybe his transition specialist mixed up some files?” she said with a smirk at Cole. “He looks friendly,
and maybe he can help us.” She waved back at the man and unthreaded her arm from the crook of Cole’s elbow.
“Dell, don’t. It will only complicate things—”
But it was too late. Dell was already approaching the man with a smile. “Hello, sir. Is there something I can help you with?”
The man’s face lit up. “Ah! Finally, someone who will talk to me. I can’t get a bloody response from anyone in here.”
“Definitely doesn’t know he’s dead . . .” Cole muttered from behind Dell.
“Yes, I know that feeling,” Dell said, and held out her hands to take one of the man’s. He happily gripped her palm. His wrinkled
skin was warm.
“Pleasure to meet you, my dear. Name’s Irving. You can call me Irv,” he said with a little bow.
“Nice to meet you, Irv. I’m Dell, and this is—”
“Dell?” he said, pulling back to take a closer look at her. “Oh, you’re the little bird who’s got the whole place in a fit.
What are you doing out of bed? Last I heard, you were close to the veil.”
Dell gaped at him, trying to keep up. “You know who I am?”
“ ’Course I do!” Irv sang. “You’re the star of the third floor. Can’t hardly get through the halls thanks to all the fuss.”
Dell threw a look at Cole, silently telling him she was right about Irv being able to help them.
“You’re right, Irv. That is me. I am feeling better and was just out for a short walk.
It would be super helpful if you could help me find my way back to my room.
” As she spoke, she circled around behind him and casually tied his gown closed while averting her eyes from his bare backside.
“It would be my pleasure, dear. Although getting to the third floor might be a challenge. The lifts around here seem to be
temperamental . . .” He turned toward the elevator at the end of the hall, and Dell knew his trouble operating it had nothing
to do with the building’s electrical system and everything to do with being dead.
“Thank you so much, Irv,” Dell said. “And while we walk, maybe my friend Cole here can help with those directions you asked
for.” She shot Cole another look.