The Soul-The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 33: Ruled

Chapter 33 Ruled

The game room was nearly full when we arrived. Melanie was there already, standing at the front between Jeb and Jared. Jamie was there too, and the four of them were talking, but amid the chatter of the game room--a mixture of human voices and the gurgling of the sulfur stream--I couldn't make out their conversation. Ian and I found a spot close to where they stood, next to Doc and Sharon. When Jamie spotted us, he turned his back on whatever argument he was having with Mel and strutted defiantly to sit beside me. I raised my eyebrows at Melanie but she just sighed, shaking her head in defeat.

"Let me guess, Melanie doesn't want you here for this?" Ian ventured, having noticed the exchange.

Jamie huffed in exasperation. "I'm not a kid anymore. Everybody forgets that. I was there, I saw Matt attack Doc. I should be here." 

Although I understood Melanie's desire to protect Jamie from this, he had a point. Melanie and I may have been the only ones who saw the whole thing, but Jamie had witnessed Matt's unprovoked aggression. So had Doc, who sat beside Jamie now. And Lily. I scanned the room, but didn't spot her in the crowd.

"Where's Lily?" I turned to Doc. The last I'd seen of her was in the hospital wing, when she'd gone to comfort--

"She's with Sunny." I was surprised when Lucina's voice answered me. I hadn't noticed her there, on the far side of Sharon. Lucina rarely came to tribunals. She usually stayed with Freedom and Isaiah, keeping them away from this sort of thing just like Melanie wanted to do with Jamie. I stretched my neck, looking past her in search of the boys, but they weren't there. 

Lucina must have noticed my confusion. "Freedom and Isaiah are with her, too. I wanted to be here for this."

Before I could ask her why, or ponder what it meant that she had changed enough to be willing to leave her children in the presence of a soul, Jeb's voice rose above the hushed conversations around us, silencing everyone. The game room had filled up while we talked--I noticed Kyle and Jodi sitting nearby, as well as Lacey, planted as far away from Melanie and I as possible in the enclosed space--and it was time to begin. 

"Okay, let's get started. Here's how this is going to go: Melanie is gonna tell us what happened, and anybody who's got any questions or complaints can bring them up now or not at all. Then we take a vote. As always, I reserve the right to decide differently if I disagree with the majority. Got it?" There were murmurs of affirmation throughout the room. "Okay. Melanie, go ahead."

To everyone else in the room, save Jared and Jamie, Melanie probably looked calm and collected, a solid force ready to take on the world. I knew better. I could see the subtle lines around her mouth, the glint of unease in her eyes. Melanie was nervous. I could also see that Jared, standing next to her, wanted desperately to take her hand, to comfort her, but he let her step forward on her own. 

She took a deep breath and spoke. "Wanda came to find me this morning." She searched for me in the crowd and I nodded when our eyes locked, offering what silent support I could manage. She continued. "She and Lily had been talking with Candy." Melanie carefully explained our concerns about Mark's body and Lily's plan to use him as a host for Sunny so that he wouldn't just wither away on one of the cots, another life wasted by the souls' invasion. There were a few surprised murmurs, but Jeb silenced them easily, and Melanie went on.

"Doc and Candy both thought it was the best plan, but because Mark was my friend, Wanda wanted to ask my permission. I agreed, and we decided to do it right away, before Mark's brain and muscles could atrophy. That's why we were in the hospital--Wanda, Jamie, Lily, Doc, and I--when Matt came in." Melanie paused, swallowing. "I don't know how much of the insertion he saw, but he was clearly upset. Doc stepped forward, tried to reason with him," I could see him nodding out of the corner of my eye, the bruise on his cheek vivid against his pale skin, "but ... Matt just started swinging." Melanie took a deep breath. "Jamie tried to go to Doc, but Matt grabbed him and shoved him, hard." I could hear the anger in her voice, could see it in her glittering eyes. I could almost feel it myself, and others were nodding now, understanding the need to protect your family. "Things happened so fast. I jumped on Matt and Lily followed. Wanda went to help Jamie and Doc. And then Lily was on the ground, and Matt threw me aside and went for Sunny. He picked up a scalpel. I grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm around behind him to make him drop it. I tried to make him stop, told him it was over, but he overpowered me and suddenly we were on the ground and he was choking me."