Gone Too Far (SamandColby)

Chapter 19: Ambiguity

Sam stared at his friends, awaiting their reactions.

"So you've been seeing... what?  Ghosts?" Stas asked.

She was the only one who seemed to have found her voice.  Kat was staring at him, open mouthed.

At least she was still looking at him.  Colby was staring at the ground.  His hands were knotted in his lap, his gaze fixed firmly on them.  Sam desperately wanted Colby to look at him, to meet his eyes, to give him some sort of sign that Colby was still with him.

Colby gave him no such thing.

"I mean, I guess?" Sam shrugged helplessly.  "I think... I think that was what I was seeing?  I really... I really don't know.""

John spoke. "You already had psychic tendencies. It wouldn't surprise me if exposure to the demon's energy strengthened it."

"And you said... you said that those abilities might have been what like... attracted spirits to him, right?" Kat spoke finally, and Sam's gaze flew to her.

That was new information for him. "What?"

Stas picked up with the explanation. "We asked if you having the attachment before might have influenced the demon possessing you," She explained.  "John said it was more likely that you had something that attracted them to you."

"Oh..." Sam said quietly, thoughts racing through his mind.  So he was... what? More predisposed to this shit? Was that why it was always him being affected by this stuff? And now he was... he was seeing ghosts...

John knew about this stuff and John didn't think he was crazy.  And shit, maybe he should have reached out to Amanda when this all started but...

And he had a million questions, but only one priority in this conversation.  Because Colby was still silent.  "Colby," He couldn't stand the silence.  "Dude... what's going on?"

Colby definitely looked alarmed to have everyone's eyes on him.  "Uh..." He rubbed his hands together.  "I just..." Sam watched his jaw work, his throat bob as he swallowed. "So... this psychic thing... it's all Sam right? Not like... not any sort of spirit or demon?"

Sam swallowed too.  Of course he and Colby had the same fear.  They were usually on the same page.

John nodded.  "Almost certainly."

Sam nodded, releasing a breath.  Thank God... And then his mind caught on the qualifier.  "What?"

"Almost?" Kat had caught it too.

John grimaced.  The man's hands knotted in his lap.  "There are a few cases where it is the presence of a spirit causing enhanced abilities..."

There was almost immediately panic twisting at his lungs.  "Then get it out." Sam snapped, feeling the energy in his chest bubble.  "Then fucking get it out of me.  If there's any chance..."

"But you said there was nothing left," Colby added, and Sam sent him a grateful look.  "You said the demon was totally gone."

"From what I can sense, it is," John confirmed, and his voice was tight.  "But entities as powerful as the demon that possessed you often can't be removed seamlessly.  They leave pieces behind."

"Pieces? Like what?" Sam's breath felt choked in his chest.

"What kind of pieces?" Kat added almost on top of him, and she squeezed his hand tighter.

John took and released a breath, maybe trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room.  Sam just needed his answer.  He desperately needed the answer.  "They are not inherently demonic," He said.  "Just energy.  And that energy only enhances what was already there."