The Music of the Mind Ch. 16

When we finished we rose up through her mind and back to ourselves. Ellen and Suzan both just slumped over into immediate unconsciousness from the strain, and Tuyen looked barely able to do better. Meg and Wendy, being younger looked wiped out, but were able to at least stay upright on the floor where they sat next to each other.

I felt like someone had taken a hammer to my head, and the only thing holding me up was the arm chair I was sitting in. Dimitry still held Anna's head in his lap, and tears flowed freely down his face. Anna was gazing up looking at him, and her body was wracked with sobs.

Dimitry looked up at me for a moment, and mouthed the words "Thank you" to me. At this Anna turned to look at me, her face swollen, her eyes red. I realized that though we had helped her to deal with that onslaught of emotion and memory, it would still take time for her to integrate all that had happened. She was as exhausted as us, maybe more so. She looked hard at me for long minutes the tears still streaming down her face, then she whispered, barely audible to me.

"Yes, thank you." I could only nod, feeling the tears on my own cheeks. I reached out to her note and called her to me. She did not flinch, or react in fear. She welcomed me with trust into her mind, and I knew for certain then that she had become a friend. As if she could be anything else after what we had shared with her.

I reached out and send notes of rest, peace, and sleep through her. Almost immediately her eyes closed, her sobbing stooped, and she slept. I made sure her curtain was tightly closed before I left her mind and looked at my friends.

These people, who now surrounded me had risked their lives for me, and for each other, and would soon do so again. I loved them all I realized, and I knew we had one hell of a fight ahead of us. But right now, what we all needed was some rest. With Dimitry's help I got everyone bedded down. I set two alarm clocks in the guest bedroom where I shared the bed with Meg again, just to make sure I would wake up at the right time. There was no fun this time, only grateful sleep.

I was amused to find that Meg snored lightly; it only endeared her to me more.

I sat awake for a brief span thinking after all the others were asleep. I thought about the upcoming night, and suddenly a plan came to me fully formed, as though I had been thinking about it in the back of my mind for ages. A smile crossed my lips, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, tonight we could stack the deck in our favor.

I am coming alright Dolkoff, but we will see on whose terms...