SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

James Gets His Lieutenant

Sebastian was incensed when he saw that there was only one operative at James's door and questioned his guard harshly while Alison peered around his shoulder.

"We called for reinforcements, Sir. Eagle Eye was notified," the younger man relayed nervously.

His man explained that his partner was in with James as he had a visitor and that they only reason that she was allowed in was that she knew all the pertinent information and that Eagle Eye had confirmed the woman's identity. He also relayed that there was another patient in the room with him. This bit of information angered Sebastian and he withdrew his wand and headed into the room and vowed to himself to set Topher's wings ablaze if he'd been wrong. Alison tried to enter the room behind him but his man prevented her from walking in behind him. His second in command Smythe, the same soul he had threatened to count coups on while at school smiled and informed James that his father was here.

"Dad," James said happily, "come see who's here!"

Ignoring his son, he quickly peeled back the curtain sequestering the other patient and saw a dark-skinned woman sitting in the chair next to another burn victim.

"Please no...take me instead," she begged quietly. "Please..."

Finally, a woman walked around the curtain that had separated the two young men and forced his wand arm down. "Sebastian James Matus! What the hell are you doing!"

His gaze moved toward the woman who was gently but firmly holding his wand arm down. "Mum? What the hell? I thought you were in England visiting your aunt?"

"I was, but then Jaimie got hurt...come see! It's nothing short of miraculous, considering the shape he was in this morning—I've been watching him all day!"

"What is?"

She pulled her son deeper into the room. His wand was still at the ready, still prepared to fire first and ask questions later as he was usually wont to do.

He looked toward the bed to find his son sitting up and smiling at him. "Dad! Look man! I'm almost completely healed!"

Sebastian was at a loss for words. He felt Alison's gaze as she remained at the door, having taken the quiet advice of the guard. He turned toward her and waved her into the room with a smile and a nod. He saw his guard smile and nod, giving her the go ahead and he felt his entire body on fire from embarrassment.

Alison walked slowly into the room and looked toward the frightened woman still shielding her son. Alison could feel the fear oozing from this woman and she looked up toward Sebastian with contempt. "You should get on your hands and knees and beg for forgiveness from that lady," she said pointing toward her. "You scared the hell out of her..." Alison approached her slowly and held out her hand. "It's okay hon. He's just a little grumpy. My name is Alison."

The woman eyed her with suspicion as Alison craned her neck to look at the young man in bandages laying in the bed, asleep.

"Your son? How is he?"

"They said that once the threat is over, he would survive but he'll have scars all over his body."

Alison's fingers went to her lips as she gazed at the young man laying unconscious in the bed. "Oh my god."

The mother looked down at her son and smiled. "He always wanted to be a firefighter. We all knew the risks...but..."

Then she heard James' voice, "Alison? Is that you?"

She pulled back the curtain to have a look at him and saw a nearly healed young man sitting up, beaming at her. She then saw Sebastian's mother seated in the chair, the same one she had been seated in when she watched over him. "Beverly?"

James' grandmother stood and beamed at her. "When I asked Jimmy who healed him with such skill and he told me your name, I wondered, how many Alison McNaultys there could be in the world...and here you are!" The older woman rose from her chair and then moved to embrace her. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Hold on a minute," Sebastian said, moving to stand between them. "You two, erm, know each other," he asked nervously.

"Well, of course! She and David trained Caesar..."

"That old grumpy mongrel?" He turned toward Alison. "Really!"

Alison smiled. "Really."

"Bastian, you ought to have been at the memorial—all those dogs...it was absolutely amazing to witness...all those dogs and even a few cats in their little sit-stays and when they all went to the casket...it was such a beautiful tribute!"

Alison smiled as she remembered, tears filling her own eyes as she nodded. "And Caesar was the star..."

"He was an amazing therapy dog thanks to you and David..."

"Oh, I'm so glad," Alison whispered as she wiped at her tears with the tips of her fingers.

"Mum, did you know who Ali was?"

"Not at first, I mean, I thought she looked familiar and I remembered thinking that she couldn't possibly be my Bastian's Alison...But I had to use the loo and by a happy accident, I saw a photo of Diane and Debbie and I knew instantly who she was!"

"I remember that," Alison said. "I was changing the frame because one of my cats had knocked it over. What a coincidence!"

"There are no coincidences," Sebastian, James, the guards and Beverly stated in unison.

Beverly beamed as she took Alison's hands in her own. "There really isn't, you know?"

Alison looked as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "My Mom used to say that to me all the time..."

Sebastian nodded and beamed at her.

"I have so many questions..." she murmured.

"I'm sure you do, Sweetheart," Beverly replied as she took her hand. "We have time," she said gently.

The woman who'd been sitting with her son shyly approached them. "Excuse me? Miss?"

Everyone's eyes were on her and the guards were on full alert.

"Yes?"

"If you did that to him..." She pointed toward James.

"Yeah Ali," James said. "That's Alex...he's one of my closest buds. That's why he's in my room."

Sebastian jumped at the chance that had presented itself. "Give it a try, Love?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

"We would have a valuable ally...and James would have his lieutenant..."

Understanding the importance of Sebastian's words, she nodded and lay her overnight bag and purse on James's bed and walked toward the boy and sat down by his bedside then took his hand in hers...She closed her eyes and fell into a dream-like trance immediately.

In her mind's eye she witnessed the horror the boy was reliving in his nightmare. She looked down and saw Puppy by her side and she smiled. "Let's get to work, Pup."

____

Hours later, a medi-witch entered the room as Alison and Sebastian worked their healing magic together from the spans of the Umbra. Beverly explained in medical terms what they had been doing, as well as what they were hoping to accomplish. The medi-witch removed the bandages from the young man's foot to find it free of burns. Then she continued, the bandages on his leg. She called for assistance from her staff and quickly removed the bandages on his other foot, and continued unwrapping his bandages until he was completely naked, his wounds were completely healed. She felt the young man for fever and found him to be slightly warm and nodded..."this is what happened to Mister Matthews, only at a slower pace," the medi-witch relayed quietly to her colleagues.

"He still has a fever, that's the infection still lingering in his blood...but we know how to treat that part..."

Sebastian woke first and he struggled to stand, but James hopped off the bed, IV and all, and helped his father stand and walk toward his friend's bedside.

"Well, I'll be buggered!"

Alison's eyes fluttered open as she heard his voice.