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Authors: Alexis Harrington
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”
Susannah pulled back, not knowing what he might do next. Jessica sat on her heels.
“Can you help him?” Cole asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, not even during the influenza epidemic. There were plenty of delirious patients, but none of them lost their identity.”
Even Shaw had nothing more to say about the stranger on the dining room floor.
Finally, Riley managed to hoist himself to a sitting position. Pale and clammy, he glanced around at the overturned chair and the family crowded over him. “It happened again?” He sounded dazed, like a man who had just awakened from a fever dream.
“ What happened?” Cole asked.
He rubbed at the scar on his temple again and muttered, “The Strangeness. At least that’s how I think of it. I never remember what happens.”
“It seemed like you were reliving a battle. You talked about whipping something and you told someone that you wouldn’t leave him.”
A glimmer of comprehension crossed Riley’s features and then was gone, like a drowning man losing his brief grip on a snag in a swift-flowing river. He moved his hand to press two fingers to the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
“You spoke French,” Jessica added.
He shrugged self-consciously. “I picked up some of the language while I was there. Did I say anything bad?”
“Hell, no one around here talks French,” Shaw threw in, finding his voice. “This is Amurrica.”
Riley shot a brief, malevolent glare at him, one that Susannah had never seen before. The man she remembered and loved had been much more tolerant of his father, usually disregarding Shaw’s heavy-handed opinions and demands. Not that Shaw deserved such tolerance, she thought now.
“We won’t worry about that, Riley,” she said, taking his hand again, her eyes welling with tears. “Let’s get you up. Cole…?”
Cole stepped in and righted the chair, then gave his brother enough support to help him back into it. Riley plowed both hands through his thick, dark hair to push it out of his face.
They pelted him with offers, trying to help. Susannah didn’t know what else to do.
“Can we get you anything?”
“Maybe one of those aspirin tablets, Jess.”
“I could go over to Tilly’s and get a bottle of real whiskey.”
He waved off the attention. “Please don’t make a fuss. I—I’ll be fine. It’s happened before.” He looked a year older than he had ten minutes earlier. “But if you would not mind, I’d like to just go to my room and lie down.”
“Of course,” she said. “That’s probably a good idea. Let me help you—” Susannah turned her head and happened to catch Tanner looking at her. His expression was as cold and flat as a grave marker, and her heart felt like an icy fist in her chest.
Riley shook his head again and put up a hand. “No, really, I don’t need any help.”
“But Riley—”
He got to his feet and left the room. They listened to the sound of halting, uneven footsteps going up the stairs.
After Riley’s first demonstration of The Strangeness, as he called it, two more episodes occurred over the next week. The most mundane event or problem could trigger outbursts of inexplicable anger that made him lapse into a combination of French and English while he barked at everyone. Susannah found herself watching him more closely than ever and walking on eggshells around him. There was no way of telling what would set him off—a loud noise, or a comment or a question—almost anything. The boys kept their distance and followed him with wary eyes, now frightened of him. It was like living with a wasp’s nest, and more than ever, he felt like a stranger to her. And yet…yet, she couldn’t help but compare him to the man she had once known, and her heart ached for the slim wraith who had come back to a place he didn’t recognize.
The weeks stretched out to a month, and soon October was hard upon them.
On this gray, chilly afternoon, she stood on the back porch,
Susannah pulled back, not knowing what he might do next. Jessica sat on her heels.
“Can you help him?” Cole asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, not even during the influenza epidemic. There were plenty of delirious patients, but none of them lost their identity.”
Even Shaw had nothing more to say about the stranger on the dining room floor.
Finally, Riley managed to hoist himself to a sitting position. Pale and clammy, he glanced around at the overturned chair and the family crowded over him. “It happened again?” He sounded dazed, like a man who had just awakened from a fever dream.
“ What happened?” Cole asked.
He rubbed at the scar on his temple again and muttered, “The Strangeness. At least that’s how I think of it. I never remember what happens.”
“It seemed like you were reliving a battle. You talked about whipping something and you told someone that you wouldn’t leave him.”
A glimmer of comprehension crossed Riley’s features and then was gone, like a drowning man losing his brief grip on a snag in a swift-flowing river. He moved his hand to press two fingers to the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
“You spoke French,” Jessica added.
He shrugged self-consciously. “I picked up some of the language while I was there. Did I say anything bad?”
“Hell, no one around here talks French,” Shaw threw in, finding his voice. “This is Amurrica.”
Riley shot a brief, malevolent glare at him, one that Susannah had never seen before. The man she remembered and loved had been much more tolerant of his father, usually disregarding Shaw’s heavy-handed opinions and demands. Not that Shaw deserved such tolerance, she thought now.
“We won’t worry about that, Riley,” she said, taking his hand again, her eyes welling with tears. “Let’s get you up. Cole…?”
Cole stepped in and righted the chair, then gave his brother enough support to help him back into it. Riley plowed both hands through his thick, dark hair to push it out of his face.
They pelted him with offers, trying to help. Susannah didn’t know what else to do.
“Can we get you anything?”
“Maybe one of those aspirin tablets, Jess.”
“I could go over to Tilly’s and get a bottle of real whiskey.”
He waved off the attention. “Please don’t make a fuss. I—I’ll be fine. It’s happened before.” He looked a year older than he had ten minutes earlier. “But if you would not mind, I’d like to just go to my room and lie down.”
“Of course,” she said. “That’s probably a good idea. Let me help you—” Susannah turned her head and happened to catch Tanner looking at her. His expression was as cold and flat as a grave marker, and her heart felt like an icy fist in her chest.
Riley shook his head again and put up a hand. “No, really, I don’t need any help.”
“But Riley—”
He got to his feet and left the room. They listened to the sound of halting, uneven footsteps going up the stairs.
After Riley’s first demonstration of The Strangeness, as he called it, two more episodes occurred over the next week. The most mundane event or problem could trigger outbursts of inexplicable anger that made him lapse into a combination of French and English while he barked at everyone. Susannah found herself watching him more closely than ever and walking on eggshells around him. There was no way of telling what would set him off—a loud noise, or a comment or a question—almost anything. The boys kept their distance and followed him with wary eyes, now frightened of him. It was like living with a wasp’s nest, and more than ever, he felt like a stranger to her. And yet…yet, she couldn’t help but compare him to the man she had once known, and her heart ached for the slim wraith who had come back to a place he didn’t recognize.
The weeks stretched out to a month, and soon October was hard upon them.
On this gray, chilly afternoon, she stood on the back porch,
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