Schism

Chapter 47 part 2

The lock broke easily in William's hand and he shoved the door open.  Jess wasn't there.  He stood in the doorway.  She was supposed to be there.

He stood for a moment and the fog thickened around him.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a splash of color leak out from behind the door.  He looked through it.

Jess stood there, a weapon in each hand.

He knew how strong she was.  Armed like that, Harold wouldn't have stood a chance against her.  She probably thought he was Harold and was waiting for him to clear the doorway before she stabbed him in the back and clubbed him.

She didn't need protecting.  He didn’t know what she needed, but it obviously wasn’t that.

Show her.  The Advisor stood beside her.  He held his hand up to William.

"Jess, it's okay," William said.

Her head jerked, her ear turned to his voice, but she didn't say anything.  He slowly stepped into the doorway.  "Jess, it's me."

She turned her ear again, then shook her head.  "You're dead.  You burned."

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he said.  They had read several Mark Twain books together and had traded his quotes back and forth for weeks when they had moved in together.  As the line sank into her, he saw the colors around her calm and she lowered her weapons.

The Caretaker pulled away from his knee and William nearly buckled from the pain the quickened healing had produced.  He leaned against the doorframe and watched as The Caretaker probed around Jess, but didn't enfold her, didn't try to comfort her.  She is ready now.  Show her.

"What do you mean show her?" he asked aloud.  Jess looked around the room.

This is the only time that she will allow herself to understand, The Advisor said.

"Understand what?"

What she can do.  What she needs to do.

He shook his head.  "I'll get her out, then show her," he said.

She will not accept it then, The Advisor said.  It has to be now.

Why wouldn't she accept what they wanted her to know later?  William knew the voices had their reasons, but this didn't make sense.  What difference would a minute make?  He stood in front of her.  "Jess."

"You're talking to them, aren't you?" Jess asked.

Now, The Caretaker said.

"I'm here," he said to Jess.

The Advisor took William's hand.  This is why you came back.  To show her she has a place.

This was why he escaped the institution, not to protect her, but only to show her something that the voices wanted her to see?  That was it?

With all that he had given up, seeing her there, so close, he still wished for more.  The rush of emotion pushed the physical pain from his body.  It was a need that had been blocked out by the drugs and the voices for two years.  The intensity of it pushed through everything else until William saw that his desire was lacking one thing.

Hope.  He knew she'd never accept him.  He was damaged in her eyes.

Jessica dropped her weapons, reached a hand out to grasp his arm and pulled back from the burnt, tattered fabric.

William started to reach forward to her, but The Hunter moved suddenly at his side.  William followed his gaze through a window in the floor and saw Bryan hiding behind a wooden crate, with Harold and Jared moving toward him from opposite sides.