She relaxed and smiled. Then her forehead furrowed as she remembered one detail. “They think I’m dead. Like you did.”
Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair.
“How did you know? I mean how did you find me?”
She trembled as she spoke, and already she could feel the slow crawl of need creep over her skin.
“It’s a long story, baby, and right now it isn’t important. What is important is that I found you. You’re a miracle to us all. Mom and Dad are going to be so thrilled. I don’t know yet how I’m going to tell them. They’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I’m hungry,” she blurted. She rubbed her hand over her arm, trying to make the itch go away. Hunger beat at her, but she wasn’t sure which was more prevalent: the hunger for food or the hunger for the needle.
She could feel the needle sinking into her flesh, welcomed it, wanted the horrible ache to go away.
Ethan’s hand closed warmly over hers. “I’ll be right back.”
He eased from the bed and left the room after a quick look back at Rachel. Whatever Maren had given her was wearing off, and she was becoming agitated again.
He stuck his head in the doorway of Cole’s room to see him passed out cold. From there he passed Steele’s room, only to find it empty, not that it surprised him. He nearly bumped into Maren as she came out of Dolphin’s room.
“Is there a place we can get some food?” Ethan asked. “Rachel’s hungry.”
“That’s good. She needs to eat. But take it easy. Don’t give her too much too quickly. I have a small kitchen in the back where we can nuke some soup.”
She turned, and Ethan followed her past the shower area to a kitchenette that had a two-burner stove, a small fridge and a microwave.
“All the comforts of home,” she said ruefully.
“You don’t live here, do you?”
“Yes and no. When I’m busy or have patients I crash in the back room here, but no, I have a cottage a half a mile from the clinic. Not much, but it’s dry and keeps the rain out.”
“Where is everyone?” he asked as he watched her take a bowl out of the refrigerator.
“I sent them down to the cottage. They can crash, eat and generally stay out of my hair there. Sam said to tell you he’d be back in a few. Why don’t you go back to Rachel? I’ll heat this up and bring it down in a few minutes.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it, Maren.”
She smiled and made a shooing motion with her hand. Ethan turned and walked back down the hall. He was nearly to Rachel’s door when he heard a crash.
He broke into a run and burst through the door to see Rachel standing by her bed, the IV pole knocked over. She yanked frantically at the line at her wrist, and before he could react, she pulled the line free of the catheter. Blood spilled from the catheter still inserted into her arm onto the floor and her gown.
She ignored it, rubbing and hitting frantically at her arms, her chest and her legs. Blood flew in all directions as she batted at invisible objects.
He vaulted over the bed and grabbed her to him. He reached for her wrist to try to stop the flow of blood, but she fought relentlessly. She wasn’t even aware of his presence.
“Rachel! Stop. Baby, stop!”
“Get them off!” she cried. “God, get them off me!”
He held her tightly, subduing her flailing arms and all the while trying to get his hand over the IV lock to stop the blood. Finally he held her, helpless in his arms, her body locked to his, but still she twitched and cried out in anguish.
“Maren!” he yelled. “I need you in here!”
Rachel screamed again, a high-pitched sound of terror. She arched her body, bowing against him with surprising strength.
“Rachel, honey, I’ve got you. You’re okay, I swear.”
“They’re all over me,” she wailed. “Get them off!”
“Get what off? There’s nothing there.”
Maren burst into the room, her lab coat flying in her wake. She took one look and went into action.
“On the bed,” she ordered. “I need to get that IV hooked back up.”
Ethan hauled her onto the bed and held her down as she kicked and bucked endlessly. Her eyes were wild with fear, the pupils fixed and dilated. Sweat bathed her face and hair, and her cheeks were chalky white.
“Hallucination,” Maren said grimly. She deftly reattached the IV