The nurse followed him over to the window—Sam had picked the right one withoutinquiring.
“Can you recognize her from here?” the nurseasked.
It didn’t look much like Cass. Her silver hair spilled over the pillowcase in a tumble she never allowed. Her face was pulled so taut it looked like thin paper over rawbone. Her snapping frosty blue eyes were closed. Her lips had nearlydisappeared.
“That’s her,” Sam said in a whisper. “That’s Cass. That’s mygrandmother.”
Without waiting for permission,Sam pushed open the hospital room door. She couldfeelthe connection with the woman in thebed.
The nurse hurried after her, complaining aboutcontamination. Acting on pure instinct or a call deeper than that, Sam picked up Cass’s bonyhand.
Her eyelidsmoved.
Sam squeezed her hand tighter. “Let go now, Cass. I’m back. We needyou.”
She had no idea why she said that. She had no idea why she’d called Cass her grandmother, because even with her fuzzy head she knew that wasn’t quite right. But there was an essentialessencethat bonded them. She could feel Cass’s stirring within her own head, feel Cass’s brain bubbling withactivity.
The bony hand stirred. Sam stroked it. “Cass, please, let go. Comeback.”
Walker’s big male presence in his official uniform hovered uncomfortably. He must think she was crazed. Maybe she was. But she couldn’t stop. She stroked, she whispered, and the woman beneathher hands gained color andmovement.
The nurse checked monitors and hurried off, presumably to find a doctor. Walker, miraculously, stayed silent, not interrupting their internalcommunication.
“Water,” Sam murmured. When Walker handed it to her, she offered the glass to Cass, as if the patient had been the one asking forit.
Thin lips closed around the straw and sipped weakly.Sam nearly collapsed on the floor. Walker shoved a chair beneath her so she didn’t have to drop Cass’shand.
Her brain felt empty, floating, as if a weight had beenlifted.
“Samantha,” the woman on the bed whispered. “Sorry.”
A young doctor rushed in, followed by the nurse. He demanded they leave while he took vitalsigns.
Feeling completely drained, Sam squeezed thefrail hand in hers. “I’m here. Come back now,please.”
The doctor repeated his demand that they leave and Walker dragged her out. “You look like a ghost. We need to get food inyou.”
“Give me a minute.” She slumped to the hall floor and rested her head against her knees. It wasn’t exactly classic non-fainting mode, but it was the best she could do without a chair. Her head spun,and she didn’t feel as if she had the strength to remainsitting.
A nurse brought crackers and soda. Sam dutifully nibbled andsipped.
Walker offered his hand. “Let me at least take you to the waiting room where there arechairs.”
“No, I’m good. I need to be here.” Close to Cass, close to whatever was happening betweenthem.
Lowering his dignity, he slid down besideher. “Can you tell me what’swrong?”
“No, because it makes no sense. I’m a scientist. Iknowthis. I may know more about plant anatomy than human, but I know what’s happening isn’t... I don’t even have a word for it. Cass is inside my head. I need to get her back into her own. Did they find drugs in hersystem?”
“Nothing for which they’re equipped to test,” he admitted, soundingwary. “What do you mean, she’s in your head? Do you hearvoices?”
Oddly, he clenched his fists, as if a cold wind blew betweenthem.
But she was too shocked to do more than explore her own dilemma. “No. No, it’s like... the part of my brain that is me has been cut off by a wall, and the wall is coming down, only it’s not that solid and feels like Cass. How does hypnosiswork?”
That silenced him. Sam took deep breaths, finding it easier now. She was afraid to stand and see what they were doing to Cass. Her head ached in a vague sort of way, as if numbness was wearing off from a root canal. There was a hollow but it didn’thurt.
“The hippies experimented with hallucinogenic drugs and hypnosis back in the day,” Walker said haltingly. “I need to do more research.If you met Cass in the restaurant and she gave yousomething...”
