Read Online The Second Heart by K. K. Eaton - Free Book Online Page B

silver-tongued devil,” Meredith
observed sarcastically. “It’s a wonder she can resist your
charms.”
    Vi stood up. “I can be very persuasive,” she
countered. “Would you mind getting off the bed for a moment?”
    Meredith obliged her, pulling Sammy into her
arms. The black cat snuggled against Meredith’s neck and purred
loudly in her ear.
    Vi bent down and gave the bed a firm shove,
moving it away from the wall. Quickly, she reached down and grabbed
Sabrina, hauling her up onto the bed before she had a chance to run
away. “Got you!” She grinned and looked up at Meredith. “See?
Persuasive.”
    Sabrina lashed her tail back and forth,
yowling in protest. “Oh shut up,” Vi said, holding the cat in place
with one hand while petting her with the other. The cat continued
to squirm and hiss, attempting to escape from Vi’s firm grasp.
    “Try under her chin,” Meredith said
suddenly.
    Vi reached around and scratched the underside
of the cat’s chin. Sabrina immediately relaxed her body and arched
her neck back, allowing Vi full access. She began to rumble with a
deep purr, and Vi smiled happily. “There you go, kitty. That’s the
spot, eh?” Then to Meredith she asked, “How’d you know she liked
her chin to be scratched?”
    “I don’t know,” Meredith said distractedly.
“Lots of cats like to be scratched under the chin.”
    After that, Sabrina warmed up to both of them
considerably, and they spent an hour or so chatting and playing
with the cats. Meredith decided to go to bed early, since she still
felt tired and queasy.
    Scowling at the flimsy nightgown that VI had
packed for her, she decided to wear some of her father’s athletic
shorts and a tee shirt to bed. That was more her speed.
    As she was snuggling in under the covers to
sleep, Sammy curled up next to her on her pillow. Meredith smiled,
happy that the cat would be her little companion for the night.
After giving the cat a few scratches behind the ears, sleep
overcame her.

Chapter 6
    It was still
dark in the bedroom when Meredith opened her eyes again. Her
stomach continued to ache, and she figured the pain was what had
woken her up. She resolved to get herself a midnight snack of more
antacids and toast.
    Meredith folded the blanket back, careful not
to wake Vi. The night air was cold and uninviting, and she hated to
leave her warm cocoon. As she stood up, the nagging pain in her
stomach deepened into a gut-twisting cramp. Gritting her teeth, she
doubled over, clutching at her midsection. After a moment, the pain
receded and Meredith walked gingerly from the guest room and into
the hall bathroom, flicking on the light.
    She splashed her face with water and looked
at herself in the mirror. Her complexion was sallow, and her
normally clear eyes looked bloodshot and tired. She felt physically
weakened, like she wanted to sleep for years on end.
    Her stomach cramped again, and Meredith
squeezed her eyes shut, seeing stars. Her knuckles were white from
gripping the edge of the counter so tightly. The pain was all
encompassing, and she sank to her knees while tears streamed down
her cheeks from the corners of her closed eyes.
    Once again, the cramp receded, leaving
Meredith feeling weak and hollow. The last time she had felt pain
this intense was when she had had a ruptured appendix, a few years
earlier. Thinking of that, she fingered one of the small scars on
her abdomen. She pulled herself back up to a standing position
using the bathroom counter as a brace; her knees wobbled for a
moment, and then held.
    Quietly, she made her way down the hall to
the master bedroom as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pushed
the door open and went into the room, hoping that she wouldn’t trip
over anything. As she walked toward the bed, another cramp tore at
her gut, and she cried out as she fell to the floor. Reflexively,
she pulled her knees up toward her chest while she lay on her side,
gasping for breath as the pain overwhelmed her.
    In the bed,