Moose and Goose

Chapter Eighty-nine

Judith opens her bedroom door and notices the orange light pouring out of her bathroom. She doesn't recall leaving it open or any lights on, so with a concentrated stare and cautious steps, she stalks the carpet around the end of her bed.

A skeletal, feminine body lay on its side between the tub and sink; its back facing her and its afro visibly damp. Judy stops on the threshold and places her right hand on the side of the frame.

"Hey, who are you," she asks the unconscious person, but her voice sounds warbled, tickling her throat, which she lifts her hands to caress. Her eyebrows push together and lower as her eyes dart from one tile to another.

"Judy?" Before she can turn to the sound of her younger brother's voice, she feels a swift tug at her navel. The motion sends chills rushing up and down her body as she staggers to her feet. "Oh, my God, Judy!"

She clenches her eyes shut as Stevie sprints toward the person— herself. When she reopens them, she watches Stevie standing over herself with his trembling hands over his quivering lips.

"Stevie," she softly calls for him, squeezing the side of the arch for support. He steps across her body, then kneels in front of her, and Judith takes a deep breath. "Stevie, I'm right here."

"No. No, no, no, please, Judy, don't be dead." Tears trickle off his lashes as he looks at her from her mess of hair to her bare feet. He hesitantly reaches his left hand toward her face, and as his thumb strokes her cheek, more tears fall.

"Stevie." Judith pushes herself off the door sill, ready to step closer, but she slams into an invisible barrier. It sends her to the floor, and as she grips her forehead, she glares around the space between her, her brother, and her body.

Stevie plunges forward and sinks his face into the crook of her neck, his shoulders thrashing back and forth. He wails into her flesh, leaving his sadness in his wake.

Judith directs her attention to her bare feet, and her hands grasp the floor before her. She pushes herself upright, and when she looks up, she gasps. Stevie's gone and where he once crouched is where Vera's standing.

***

Judith's eyes flutter open, greeted by the blurry image of Jerome and Kacey standing at the foot of her bed talking to her doctor; a dark-haired and hazel-eyed man with smooth mahogany skin.

"There has to be another way for her to get help," Jerome says, his deep voice soft and forlorn. "Believe me, I think an asylum would do her some good, but if she's running away at the mention of Red Cave, then don't you think there might be something wrong with that place?"

"I'm sorry, but there aren't any beds available in other nearby facilities." Kacey folds her arms and emits a weary sigh, her head hung. She's donning a long-sleeved striped shirt and coffee-brown gaucho pants. "I think we should be appreciative of the one she'll get now because I'm told it's the last one."

"I would think so. It seems like everyone and their mommas are going batshit lately," Kacey says after scoffing. Judith glances at the leather belt around her right wrist, and her eyes widen before darting onto her other forearm.

"Jerome?" The trio looks at her, and he exhales from relief when he sees that she's awake. He rushes to her side, and as he raises his hand to the top of her aching head, Kacey and the doctor look at each other. Her voice cracks as she says, "I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you."

"Could you give us a moment alone with her? I think I should explain – well, everything." Kacey sighs, and the doctor nods, his lips in a straight line while he watches Judith's eyes fill with tears as she stares at Jerome.