Demon Chord - A MaxTul Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 27 - Waiting

Chapter Twenty-seven

Waiting

Whiskey had never felt so alone.

She was a solitary woman; yet she would not call herself lonely.

She had known for years that she was her own best company, which most likely led to her divorce from the gregarious Knox. She liked most people well enough and often enjoyed spending time with friends and family, but at the end of the day when all was said and done, she was happiest alone.

But now was different, she deeply felt this loneliness. Maybe it was because hospitals are in essence lonely places. A place for self-reflection and pondering as you waited for the universe to deal out your fate or the fate of loved ones.

She didn't have anything to distract her mind while she waited, there was no TV or reading material in the dismal hallway of the surgery wing, just empty chairs, and cracked tiles, all she had were her thoughts and she didn't like where they were taking her.

She felt regret for unshared feelings and unspoken words. She felt even deeper regret for time lost. She had reasoned that there was still plenty of time for all those things... until there wasn't.

But now, all she had was the loneliness and the waiting.

She looked at her watch and saw only ten minutes had passed since the last time she looked at it and smiled sadly as she realized that the passing of time was relative. When you have ten minutes to spend with someone you love it often feels like ten seconds, while ten minutes waiting to hear if that loved one lives or dies feels like ten hours. What she wouldn't give for ten minutes of the ten second variety.

She was so engrossed in her melancholy that she didn't realize that the surgeon had entered the narrow hallway until she spoke.

₹ ₺ ₻ ₼ ₽ ₾

Kate pushed the wheelchair of a grumbling Ronan down the ugly green and white tiled hallway of the hospital surgery wing. He didn't want to be in the chair, but the floor nurse had threatened to keep him another day if she caught him out of it. He was scheduled to be released tomorrow and wisely decided not to risk it.

Near the end of the hallway, she saw Whiskey talking to a tall female doctor who was still wearing bloody surgical scrubs. Kate slowed her pace so as to give them privacy. Ronan must have also noticed them, as he stopped in mid grumble and became uncharacteristically quiet.

Glancing at her watch, she estimated Vlad was most likely boarding the private flight on his way to the hospital. She had talked to him about an hour ago when she filled him in on what had happened to Knox. She hoped she had good news for him when he arrived. She could tell from his voice that Vlad was deeply upset at the possibility of losing his closest friend; the fact that he was leaving Kathmandu and the war council in the middle the conflict with the Cadre spoke volumes to his affection for Knox.

Whiskey and the doctor finished their conversation. After watching the doctor enter the surgical suite through the sliding doors, Whiskey sat down stiffly in a chair, covered her face with her hands. Crying silently, she bent over with her face between her knees as her body began to tremble.

Kate felt her heart stop and then begin to beat faster at the perceived implications. She must have made an involuntary sound because Ronan struggled to turn around in the chair to look up at her.

She could see his lips moving, so she knew he must be talking to her, but she heard no sound other than her own heartbeat as it thundered within her chest. Kate continued to stare at Whiskey, it was as if time had stopped, she didn't know if ten minutes or ten seconds passed before Whiskey up righted herself, smiling and made a triumphant fist pump before wiping the tears of relief from her face, that Kate began to breathe again – she hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath.

₹ ₺ ₻ ₼ ₽ ₾

Max awoke to the smell of roasting meat. As he climbed out of his sleeping hole, he saw Tul and Saint sitting around a small fire with what he assumed was a rabbit roasting on a roughhewn spit.

"That smells delicious" said Max in lieu of a greeting as he approached the campfire.

Saint looked up and grinned liked a happy toddler, "just like out of an American western movie, yes?" pointing to the roasting meat, he continued, "I am half tempted to try it myself."

"Go ahead. I don't mind" replied Max as he sat next to Tul and made himself comfortable on the hard packed dirt and sand.

Saint made an exaggerated pout and then said, "Shadows don't eat meat."

"Ever?" questioned Max as he tried to remember if he saw Saint eat the Korean BBQ in Taipei which seemed like a lifetime ago.

"No" answered Saint with a shake of his head and without further clarification.

Max shrugged his indifference, "More for me I guess."

Tul held out a tin cup, "Our supplies are pretty low, but I did manage to find some tea" smiling apologetically he continued, "it's the kind that is best served hot. Knox had a thing for hot tea."

"I like hot tea" Max answered as he reached for the tin cup.

"I also found a chocolate bar if you need a little something sweet to off-set the bitterness."

"Chocolate with tea – sounds good" smiled Max.

Saint watched the banter between the slayer and wamphyri and smiled happily.

Sensing the shadow's smile, Tul turned around and asked, "What are you so happy about?"

"Nothing" Saint answered but made no effort to suppress the grin that stretched across his face.

Giving his friend the side eye before turning his attention back to the roasting rabbit, Max asked, "is it done?"

Tul reached across the open fire and poked at the meat with his knife, watching as the juices ran pink "Not yet" he answered.

"I have something to tell you while we wait" said Saint.

Both men turned an expectant look towards the shadow, but before he could continue, he was interrupted by the radio as Kate asked, "Tul? Are you there?"