wasn’t stupid. “How do you know when it happened? Did they say so in the report?”
I shook my head. “I dreamed about that guy a week ago. But in my dream, he didn’t die the way they said on the news. He wasn’t shot. He was a vampire, and he got in a fight with another one of us.”
Dr. Walton sat back in his chair and slipped off his glasses. He studied my face. “You aren’t by any chance pulling my leg?”
I shook my head. “But that can’t happen, right?”
He pursed his lips. “Have you talked to Peter about this?”
I clenched my fists. “No.” I wanted to make up excuses, but I couldn’t. I knew the real reason I was hiding this from Peter. It wasn’t normal. Something was wrong with my injured brain. Something hadn’t healed when he turned me. I would be like this forever now- and he would blame himself.
Dr. Walton stood and began to pace. He muttered to himself and pulled his chin. He paced to his bookshelf and ran a finger over the bindings of his medical books. I noticed that he never actually opened any of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had them all memorized. Finally, he went to the door. “Sue,” he called pleasantly, “please send Mr. Marcellus back.”
I frowned at him. Peter joined us, and I could see the worry on his face, though he tried to hide it. I felt my fake smile start to pull at the corners of my mouth and quelled it, realizing that I probably did look rather psychotic. Dr. Marcellus gestured to the couch and Peter gracefully sank down next to me. I took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Don’t freak out.”
He shot me an offended look. “I do not freak out.”
Dr. Walton was pacing again. “Peter, do you know how the brain heals after an injury?” At a blank look from Peter, he waved the question away. “Once a neuron is destroyed, it will not grow back. That neuron is lost forever.”
I glanced at Peter. “But people can get better. We go to rehab and learn to do things again.”
Dr. Walton nodded. “The brain can’t re-grow its lost cells, but it does have what we call plasticity. It can be… remolded. We can’t make new neurons, but we can make new neuronal connections. If information needs to get from point A to point B, but the road there is disrupted, we learn to use a different route.”
Peter nodded. “So different areas of the brain learn to take over the tasks from those that were damaged?”
Dr. Walton nodded, pleased at his pupil’s quick conclusion. “You see, a person with a brain injury uses their brain differently than before. Maybe they even use different areas of the brain than they were using before. Maybe those areas of the brain become more sensitive, more powerful…we have only begun to scratch the surface in our knowledge of how the brain works.” He stopped pacing. “Maybe, if a brain injured person is given increased reflexes and abilities- if the turn magnifies their function- maybe they are able to tap into these areas of the brain that are dormant in the rest of us.”
He stopped and cleared his throat. “You’ve told me before that Melody is really coordinated. She has excellent awareness of her body.” His hands danced in the air as he talked, giving away his excitement. “I think something similar is true of her brain. Possibly there was a recess of her mind that she began to use after her brain injury, and with her vampirism, this ability was heightened.”
Peter turned his sharp green gaze to me. “What is going on?”
I took a deep, bracing breath. “I think….” I glanced at Dr. Walton. He closed his eyes and nodded. “Peter, I think I’m psychic.”
Peter didn’t say anything. In fact, for a moment he went completely and utterly still. He didn’t breathe or blink. Then, he grinned. “This is why you’ve been struggling?” He sounded relieved.
I shook my head in disbelief. I had been hallucinating for weeks, and he was relieved. “It’s not pleasant you know,” I said tightly.
He was still smiling. “I’m sorry, Melody, but it’s just that… well I thought that you were…”
I nodded. He had thought I was going mad. Or that I couldn’t stand being around him anymore. Being a tad bit psychic was nothing to worry about- you know, except for the fact that it meant people were going to