I was never on it, Michael said, straight-faced. Dont take all day.
Eve took Claires arm as they walked down the hall toward the bathroom. No more shouting, so the crazy guy had been detained and taken off to the padded rooms, Claire guessed. There werent very many people in the halls right now, and as she looked at the clock, she realized why; theyd been here for hours, waiting. Shed slept through most of it.
Mom wasnt in the bathroom, but Claire was relieved (no pun intended) to get there anyway. She and Eve chatted about nothing, really, during the entire process, and then Claire kept on talking while Eve checked her makeup, which took a lot longer.
Finally, Eve met her eyes in the mirror and said, You think your dads going to be okay? It was a direct question, an honest question, and Claire felt her breath catch in her throat for a second.
I dont know, she said, just as honestly. Hes . . . hes been weak for a while. I hope this is just . . . something they can fix.
Eve nodded slowly. Oliver said they could get the hell out of here. They should, Claire. They should go find one of those world-class heart places and never come back, like Michaels parents. Talk to your mom about it. Promise me.
I will, Claire said, and sighed. Thanks.
For what?
For not just telling me everythings going to be all right.
Eve paused in the act of fixing her lipstick. Are you kidding me? Its Morganville. Of course everything isnt going to be all right. Were lucky when something is all right. She finished the lipstick, made kissy lips at the mirror, and said, Okay, ready.
As they left the bathroom, they saw Michael and Shane in the hallway, and Claires mother, and a doctor in a white lab coat with his name embroidered over the pocket. Claire hurried to join them, and Eve joined just a few seconds later.
Dad? Claire blurted out. Her mother took her hand.
Your father is alive, the doctor said. Hes got a serious issue with his heart, and Ive already spoken with Oliver to tell him we dont feel we can give him the care he needs here. Id like to transfer him to a facility in Dallas. Theyve got the best possible specialists and facilities to treat him there.
But . . . is he going to be
The doctornot one she was familiar with, from her various stays and visits herewas older, tall, with a long, mournful face and graying hair. He wasnt especially warm. I cant give you a good estimate of his chances, Ms. Danvers. I can only say that theyre worse if he stays here.
Claires mom, whod been taking it all in silently, said, When are you transferring him?
Early morning. Youre welcome to ride with him.
I will. I have to . . . go home and pack some things. Claire
Mom, if you want me to come with you . . . Of course, Oliver hadnt said she could leave, but Claire wasnt in any mood to think about that.
No, honey, it wouldnt be safe for you to try; we both know that. Ill let you know as soon as we arrive, and Ill call every day. As soon as we can, well be back here. All right? Her mother kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair back. Stay here. Stay safe, with your friends. Hes stable right now, and Ill let you know if you need to come up and see him. Theres no telling how long all this will take.
Can I see him? Before you take him? Claire asked the doctor. He nodded.
Hes awake, but ten minutes only. Dont tire him out. He needs rest.
Want me to . . . ? Shane asked. Claire hesitated, but shook her head. She didnt think Shane would be especially restful for her dad, much as he meant well.
Her dads room was quiet and very white, even though theyd tried to make it more cheerful with pictures on the walls. He was lying propped up on the bed, playing with a remote control, and he looked better. Not well, but better. Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I gave you such a scare.
Claire laughed, but it tasted wrong in her mouth. Youre apologizing? Next thing, youll be telling Mom youre sorry for messing up the carpet by falling on it.
He acknowledged that with a wry little twist of his mouth. So, theyre taking us to Dallas tomorrow. I hear theyve told us we dont have to come back. Her dad always seemed to see too much, Claire thought. Like he could see right through her. But youre going to stay here, arent you?
I dont think theyll let me leave, Dad.
Her father took her hand. His fingers were warm and strong, and she was so glad to feel that, after holding his limp, cool hand when he was lying on the floor. I want you out of here, Claire. I want you safe. I want you to get on with your life like youd planned, go to MIT. Its my fault you came here at all, you know; your mother and I wanted you to stay close, and . . . this is what happened. He took in a deep breath. Youre meant for something better. Thats what I was trying to tell you before. Its what I told Shane, too.
You mean better than him, Claire said.
Her father looked away. I know you think the world of him, but hes not the kind of boy whos right for you, sweetheart. I know hes got a good heart; I see it every time he looks at you. But hes going to hurt you in the end, because hes not the kind of boy who stays. I dont want to see that happen. And I dont want you to stay here for him and destroy your chances.
Claire raised her chin. Im not, Dad. If I stay, its not about Shane. Well, it was, partly, but she wasnt going to say that now. I wanted to go to MIT because that was where I was going to find people who could teach me different ways to think, and would understand me, and work with me. I found that here, in Morganville. Myrnin does that. And hes got so much more to teach me. Hes brilliant, Dad. Hes not like anybody else.
Claire
Dad, youre supposed to rest. She put her head down, her chin on their clasped hands. Please. I need you to rest, and I need you to get better. I can do this. I know what Im doing now, and I know its not what other people might think is right, or popular. But its right for me. I can make a difference. I cant just run away. I want you and Mom out of here, and safe, and trust me, someday Ill do all that stuff you talked about.
He gazed at her for a long, long moment, and then sighed. Thats my stubborn girl, he said. Come see me in Dallas. Promise.
I promise, she said. It felt like good-bye, and she hated it, but she knew she couldnt leave Morganville now. Even if Amelie wigged out and let her go . . . she couldnt just leave.
The time was up sooner than she expected, but a nurse came in and stood there, clearly waiting to hustle her out. Claire stood up and kissed her dad. I love you, Daddy. Please
I heard you, you know, he said. When you were talking to me, on the floor. You said, Dont leave me. But I am leaving you, honey.
No, youll be one phone call away, she said. Thats not leaving. Thats just . . . transposition.
She kissed him again, and then the nurses glare sent the message that her time was definitely, completely up.
She left the room feeling lighter, somehow; hed looked better, and hed sounded clear.
He was going to be okay. She could feel it, deep inside.
They were all waiting for her, all her friends. Her mom went in, after a silent hug and kiss, to sit with her dad.
Shane looked at her with those warm eyes thatlike her dadssaw maybe a little too deeply. You okay? he asked her quietly, as he took her hand.
Im okay, she said, and took a deep, trembling breath. My parents are going to leave Morganville. Thats what I wantedto keep them safe. The euphoria shed felt on leaving her dads room was fading now, and she felt shaky again. Its funny, but I didnt think . . . I didnt think Id miss them at all if they left. Is that awful? But I will. As much as I wanted them to go . . . Maybe I should ask Amelie if I can go with them.
You already know what shell say. Look, if I thought you could leave, Id be the first one stuffing you in the car and telling you to have a nice life, Shane said. But I think we both know its not that simple anymore.
Nothing was, Claire thought. How had the world gotten so complicated?
EIGHT
Eventually, they all went home. Or at least homeward . . . Shane announced that he was starving, and Eve agreed, and Michael steered his car to one of Morganvilles two all-night diners. This one was Shanes favorite, Marjos, although Claire guessed that Marjo herselfthe rudest waitress everwas off duty, since a woman with the nameplate HELEN came to take their orders. She wasnt nearly as rude as Marjo, but she wasnt nice, either. Claire supposed that being nice was against the rules. Or maybe being on the night shift in an all-night diner in Morganville tended to make you bitter.
The food, though, was delicious. Juicy burgers, crisp fries, milk shakes to die for, although Michael skipped that and ordered something in a covered to-go cup that Claire thought was probably not ice cream. The diner was packed with late-nighters . . . college students, although they were pushing the curfew, as well as lots of quiet, pale people who sat in groups and, when they looked at the humans, had a special glitter in their eyes.
Marjos, like Olivers Common Grounds, was a place where the two halves of Morganville had a kind of unofficial truce. Besides, who didnt like hamburgers? Vegetarians, Claire supposed. But she didnt think there were any vegetarian vampires. That would be like an atheist priest.
Speaking of priests, Father Joe came in and looked around for a seat. Michael gestured for him to come over, and he did, stopping to say hello to people (and vamps) along the way. Father Joe wasnt a very large man, but he was . . . well, kind of cute. Eve had once had a monster crush on him (check thatfrom the wide-eyed look Eve was giving him now, she still had one). Shed claimed it was the cassock. Claire thought it was more the wavy red hair and cute smile.
Hows your father, Claire? Father Joe asked, even before hed sat down in the chair hed pulled over to their table. I was planning to stop by again tonight before I went home.
Hes doing better, she said. Theyre taking him to Dallas tomorrow.
Father Joe nodded and sat back as Helen came over to take his order. Not surprisingly, he was having a hamburger, too. Claire wondered why they bothered to even have a menu, really. He favored strawberry milk shakes, which put him in solidarity with Eve. Ill keep your father in my prayers, the priest said, handing his menu back. And your mother, of course. And you. I assume youre staying in Morganville?
Claire sighed. For now, anyway.
I hope to see you on Sunday, then, at the evening services. Amelie comes quite often.
Huh, Claire had never considered that Amelie might be a churchgoer. And Oliver?
Father Joe chuckled, then sipped on the strawberry milk shake Helen thumped down on the table before him. Oliver has . . . theological differences with the Roman Catholic Church. He attends a more nondenominational service we hold on Saturdays. Although he usually argues with me about formats.
She could see Amelie in church, but Oliver? Really? That was . . . new.
Father Joe must have seen the confusion in her face, because he said, Most of them attend some sort of service. After all, in the times they were born and lived, religion was a vital part of life and society. Its a little less so today, but for many of them, its hugely important to still feel they have a path to God. He grinned. But Im off duty right now. Seen any good movies lately?
Do not ask Shane, Eve said. Hes got awful taste.
Are you kidding? That last thing I took you to was totally sick!
If you mean, made me throw up, then yeah. Would it kill you to watch something where heads dont explode?
Probably not, unless its one of those movies where everybodys wearing poofy skirts and corsets and nobody does anything. That might actually kill me.
Eve looked at Claire. Really? Is he running for Worst Boyfriend Ever?
In the subcategory of Completely Awesome, Shane said, and stole some of her fries. Eve stabbed at him with a fork, but missed.
The bell over the door chimed, and it wasnt that Claire was really looking, exactly; she was too busy laughing. But something about the woman who came in caught her eye. Maybe it was because she was clearly a vampire, and from the way she dressed and the hair, shed probably last cared about fashion in the 1940s. She looked eerily out of place here, where most of the vamps were wearing casual, modern clothes, even if their hairstyles seemed a little iffy.
She looked around the diner as if she were trying to locate someone. The waitress Helen steered in her direction, and must have asked her if she needed help, because the woman focused in on her immediately.
And then she attacked her. Just . . . cold, flat-out bit her. It was so fast Claire couldnt react at all, at first; it seemed so totally random, so wrong that her brain kept insisting she wasnt seeing it.
Other people reacted, though. Father Joe, for one; he jumped up and raced to help. So did a tableful of vampires seated near the door. It took all of them to wrestle the vamp off of Helen, who collapsed back against the counter, holding a shaking hand to her bleeding throat. Her knees buckled, and she fell. Other diners bent down to check her as the vamps continued to fight with the stranger. She was acting crazy now, yelling in a language Claire didnt recognize at all. Finally, they got her out the door and off into the night.
For some reason, Claire hadnt moved at all. Most of the people hadnt. Maybe theyd been afraid to draw attention. She felt, suddenly, like a small, defenseless animal in a room full of predators.
Uh, Mike? Shane asked. What was that?
I dont know, Michael said. But it was freaking weird.
Helen was okay, it appeared, although she wouldnt have been if the vamp had been able to do her worst. Father Joe offered to drive her to the hospital, and the cook came out of the back to keep order and make sure nobody ran out on their checks. He was a vampire, which for some reason struck Claire as immensely odd. A vampire fry cook just seemed . . . wrong. But then again, they were really great burgers. Being immortal gave you lots of time to perfect your grilling technique, Claire guessed.