104 Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter One1

When the teacher announced a field trip on the first day of the semester, Izzy immediately decided she was going to love this class. In all her years of school, she’d never had a field trip on her first day, but that was one of the benefits of college: everyone was at least eighteen, so they didn’t need their parents to sign a permission slip. That wasn’t what really thrilled her though; there would be cake. The professor was young and evidently had a good relationship with her mother. The mother worked in the cafeteria of the local hospital and they were all going there to pick up the professor’s birthday cake.2

“We can’t stick around and bug mother so we’re going to have to bring the cake back here,” Dr. Kinsley had said before they left. It was a huge cake, so big they had to borrow a cart to wheel it out to the bus. Unfortunately for the guy who had volunteered to push the cart, the professor had some aversion to elevators and someone had to help him lift the cart up the stairs. For whatever reason, that person seemed to be Izzy.3

They reached a small stairwell and the class started up it. The guy with the cart looked at the stairs then continued down the hallway.4

“Where are you going?” Izzy asked.5

“It looks like there’s another door this way. We’ll go out it and walk around to the bus. Don’t worry; they won’t forget us. We have the cake.”6

Izzy considered telling him that the door led to an enclosed courtyard, but he was already leaving her behind. By the time she caught up he’d figured it out for himself. 7

“Great. We can’t go out here. I wonder where the closest door to the parking lot is…”8

“Up those stairs,” Izzy told him pointing to their left. “The hospital is built into the side of a hill so we have to go up to reach the parking lot. Technically, this is the basement. Now we’ll have to go up onto the roof and carry the cart across the gravel. I tried to tell you--”9

“How do you know all that?”10

“My dad works here. Come on, Dr. Kinsley will start to worry.”11

Together they hauled the cake up the stairs and onto the roof. Izzy glanced up for a second to make sure she didn’t run into anyone then back down at her feet. She paused. Something she’d seen hadn’t been right. She looked up again to see a girl from her class talking to a guy she didn’t know, but that wasn’t what had caught her eye. A couple yards from them a guy was sprawled on his back.12

“Hey, what’s wrong? This cake’s heavy and I’m hungry.”13

“That guy isn’t moving,” Izzy said, then to the couple, “Hey! Is that guy okay?”14

The girl looked up. “I dunno. I just got here.”15

Izzy carefully set her side of the cart down on the gravel and started walking toward the sprawled figure.16

“Hey! Where are you going?” the boy from her class called.17

“I want to make sure he’s okay.” She heard a sigh as her classmate set his end of the cart down, then a crash as it fell over. Izzy stopped short a couple feet from the boy on the ground.18

Behind her, she heard her classmate curse. “Look what you made me do. We are so gonna fail this class. Huh? What’s wrong?”19

“There’s a lot of blood.” Izzy spun around to face the boy behind her. “You guys stay with him. I’m gonna go get some help.”20

Izzy ran through the door and headed for the nearest nurses’ station. If you were gonna get hurt and end up lying in a pool of blood, outside a hospital was a good place for it, but he could have picked a better entrance. It would take Izzy several minutes to reach the nurses’ station. She skidded around corners and bumped into janitors, Physical therapists, and patients; no doctors, though, not even a nurse. She was stopped several times by different people who recognized her. She’d practically grown up in this hospital and most of the people knew her. Until now she’d never thought of that as a bad thing. She lost count of the number of times she mumbled an apology or excused herself. Finally, she rounded the last turn and ran up to the nurses’ station.21

“How may I help you, Dear?” the elderly nurse asked as she set her phone on the counter.22

“There’s a boy bleeding to death outside the southeast entrance. I think he’s unconscious,” Izzy gasped between breaths. She didn’t know if he was actually bleeding to death, but she’d heard enough about the nurses from her father to know that exaggerating was her best chance of getting help quickly.23

The nurse frowned. “Well, that’s certainly not good. You head on back, Dear, and I’ll send someone just as soon as I can.” Izzy nodded and turned to go. Behind her she heard the nurse pick the phone back up. “Annie, you still there? Good. I can’t believe your own daughter said that to you! Kids today. What? Oh, don’t worry about it, Hunny. I can work while I’m on the phone.”24

Izzy was still out of breath, but she ran back as fast as her legs could carry her. When she burst through the doors and onto the roof she saw her classmates kneeling by the injured boy who was propped up in a sitting position. The other guy was gone. Izzy ran over and saw the wound up close for the first time. The boy had deep gashes in his back near each of his shoulder blades. The girl from class had her hands on the wounds, trying to slow the bleeding while the other guy stopped the unconscious boy from toppling over.25

Izzy dropped to her knees and placed her hands on top of the other girl’s. “You need to put more pressure on them, like this.” The injured boy moaned in pain.26

“Hey, he’s awake,” the girl said.27

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Can you tell us your name?” she questioned the injured boy.28

“How about I don’t and you can just make one up,” he groaned, opening bright blue eyes.29

Izzy saw the other girl frown. “Bubbles,” she announced. “I always wanted a fish named Bubbles.”30

“Absolutely not,” the boy said between gritted teeth. “Do I look like a fish?” Izzy was amazed that he could carry on a conversation when he’d lost so much blood and was in such obvious pain.31

“I thought it was cute,” the girl mumbled. “John, do you have any ideas?” she asked her classmate.32

“Your name’s John?” the injured boy questioned. “From now on I’m John. You’re Simon.”33

“What?!” Simon asked.34

“Hey you, Stupid girl, what’s your name?” John asked.35

“It’s Meg. And I’m not stupid.” With that she pressed down on the wounds.36

John screamed in pain. The scream deepened to a roar and the air started to shimmer like heat waves. Slowly, something appeared in the air before them. Izzy could still see John, but she also saw a huge serpent wreathed in flames with rivers of blood cascading down its sides from two enormous gashes in its back. The flames danced over their skin and clothes, but didn’t feel hot. Izzy saw Meg flinch, taking pressure off of John’s wounds. As suddenly as it had appeared, the fire snake vanished leaving just John in front of them, gritting his teeth against the pain.37

“It didn’t burn me,” Meg wondered.38

“Funny how that works,” John said through his teeth. Whenever Izzy blinked she saw an afterimage of the serpent writhing in pain on the back of her eyelids.39

Izzy thought she knew what she had seen, but three paramedics were running through the door with a stretcher before she could find her voice. She lost her chance to say anything as they loaded John onto the stretcher and ran back into the hospital.40

The three were too stunned to move for a few seconds then Izzy turned to Simon. “I’m going to follow them. They’ll want our names and for at least one of us to leave a statement. I need your last names.” They gave them to her. “Simon, they’re going to ask who he is and I’m going to give them your name.”41

“What?! Why?”42

“Do you honestly think a winged serpent is gonna have health insurance?” she demanded. 43

“Winged serpent?” Meg inquired.44

“I think that’s what we saw a minute ago.”45

“I didn’t see any wings,” Simon said thoughtfully. “Unless those wounds…”46

“It makes as much sense as anything.”47

“You expect us to believe that John is a winged serpent who had his wings ripped off? How does that make any sense whatsoever?” he demanded.48

“Wouldn’t that make him an unwinged serpent?” Meg wondered idly.49

“We can’t really know for certain until we talk to him again.”50

“If then.” Simon shook his head. “Why do you have to give him my name?”51

“Well, ours certainly won’t work.”52

“This is identity theft,” he mumbled.53

“Are you done complaining?” Izzy asked him impatiently.54

“No. I’ll never be done complaining.” He sighed, “I’ll go. 55

They’ll want to talk to me. I’m not giving up my last name. We’ll just have to share it. It looks like I have a new brother.”56

Chapter Two57

Izzy opened her door to see John and Simon standing on her front steps. Simon had an arm around John’s waist, supporting him.58

“What are you doing here?” she wondered.59

“Are you going to leave an invalid standing out in the cold while you ask questions, or are you going to let us in?” Simon demanded.60

“It’s August. It’s not cold,” she pointed out, but let them pass. Simon helped John to the couch then looked at her.61

“Got anything to drink?” he asked.62

“No,” Izzy responded. “What do you want?”63

“Don’t act so cranky. You’re the one who gave me your address in case John needed anything.”64

She couldn’t argue with that, but she also couldn’t shake the feeling that she wouldn’t like whatever was coming. “And what, pray tell, does John need?”65

“It’s not like we’re asking for a kidney. He just needs a place to stay for a bit.”66

“What’s wrong with your place? He’s supposed to be your brother.”67

“We decided it would be best if my loving parents didn’t know anything about me,” John said simply.68

“And what am I supposed to tell my dad?” Izzy protested.69

“Nothing. He doesn’t have to know,” Simon explained. “Being a doctor he’s probably gone a lot anyway. It shouldn’t be that hard to keep it from him.”70

“Who said my dad was a doctor?”71

Some of Simon’s confidence evaporated. “Well, you did.”72

“No. I said he works at the hospital. It takes a lot more than doctors to run a hospital.”73

“Then what does he do?” Simon asked.74

“He’s the Maintenance Supervisor. He fixes things.”75

“Sounds like a tough job. A place like that, things have gotta be breaking all the time. I bet your dad’s a busy person.”76

Something in his voice and in John’s innocent expression made her hesitate. “So what if he is?”77

“Well, it’s bound to be easier for you to hide him than for me. My mom doesn’t work. She’s home all day.”78

“And what do you want me to tell my dad about the missing food? Where do you expect him to sleep?”79

Simon thought for a minute. “Hmmm, well I guess that’s your problem. See you at school!”80

“Wait a minute!” Izzy protested, but he was already gone. She turned to look at John. “Why am I stuck with you?”81

“Give me money to rent my own place and I’ll go,” he responded calmly.82

“I don’t have that kind of money!”83

“Then just relax. It’s not every day you have such a prestigious house guest.”84

“There’s prestigious and then there’s weird. Winged serpents definitely belong in the weird category.” 85

John shrugged. “You should feel honored either way.”86

Izzy heard the doorbell ring and went to answer it muttering, “If that’s Simon again, I’m gonna kill him.”87

“Hi, I came to see how John’s doing. I heard he was staying with you,” Meg said as soon as Izzy opened the door.88

“How did you hear so fast?” Izzy asked as she stepped aside.89

“What are you talking about? Simon told me in class this morning.” 90

“That little…” Izzy began, but Meg was already sitting on the couch, pelting John with questions.91

“How do you feel? Are you tired? You look tired. You’re still hurt, so you should get plenty of rest.”92

“I could use a nap,” John agreed. “Where’s my bed?”93

“You get the floor.”94

“Izzy,” Meg interjected, turning to her. “you shouldn’t make an injured person sleep on the floor.”95

“He’s not a person, he’s a reptile.”96

“That hurts,” John said insincerely.97

“How mean! I’m sorry you have to stay with someone who’s being so mean, but I don’t have room at my place,” Meg said sympathetically.98

“I don’t have room either.” Izzy pointed out.99

“Surely, there’s somewhere he could sleep other than the floor.”100

“Nope. There are only two beds in the apartment. And there’s too big of a risk of my dad seeing him if he sleeps on the couch.”101

“Too bad. A bed would be much easier on my injured back than the floor. But I guess it can’t be helped,” he said sadly.102

“Couldn’t you give him your bed, Izzy?” Meg asked, standing.103

“Then where would I sleep?”104

“The floor obviously,” John commented. “But I couldn’t let you do that for me.”105

“She doesn’t mind. She loves sleeping on the floor,” Meg informed him.106

“How would you know? We just met yesterday.”107

“Oh, come on, Izzy.”108

“It’s my bed.”109

“But he’s hurt.”110

“Don’t argue with each other. I’ll be fine on the floor,” John said quietly. He shifted a little to one side and winced as if his back was hurting. Meg saw and was at his side in a moment.111

“Just relax,” she said. “Do you need anything? Izzy probably has some Aspirin or something. Is there anything I can do for you?”112

“He’s fine,” Izzy muttered.113

Meg looked up at her. “Maybe I should stay the night to make sure you take care of him.”114

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s already one too many staying here. Where would you sleep?” 115

“I’m sure your bed’s big enough for me and John to share.”116

“Not in my house.”117

Meg sighed, standing up. “Oh fine. It is your house after all. But I’m not leaving until you promise to give him the bed.”118

“What?”119

“He’s injured. A few nights on the floor won’t kill you.”120

“It’s won’t kill him either.”121

Meg tapped her foot. “I’m waiting.”122

“This is absurd.” The other girl didn’t move. “Alright, fine! He can have the stupid bed.”123

Meg smiled. “Great. I’ll see you later!” She blew them a kiss then let herself out. Izzy watched her go.124

“You know, she had a point about sharing the bed,” John murmured. “If you really don’t want to give it up…”125

“Do want to sleep outside?” Izzy demanded.126

“So hostile. It was just a suggestion…” John pushed himself unsteadily to his feet and stumbled forward a step. The girl reached out and steadied him.127

“It looks like I’ll have to help you up the stairs. Sit back down for a minute while I grab some fresh sheets for the bed.”128

“I can manage on my own.”129

“Right, and I can sing.” She replied sarcastically. “Sit.”130

John frowned at her, but sat down.131

Izzy went to the laundry room and grabbed fresh sheets for the bed. She was on her way back when she heard a crash. She ran back into the living room.132

“What was that?” she demanded.133

“Your lamp broke.” 134

“How’d that happen?”135

“I picked it up and knocked it against the coffee table,” John said 136

calmly. “It was more fragile than I would have expected.” 137

“Ya think?” Izzy wanted to say a lot of different things, but eventually just sighed and settled for: “Try to be a little more careful.” She helped him up the stairs and changed the sheets on her bed. With any luck he wouldn’t be able to make it downstairs on his own for a while and the majority of the apartment would escape any further damage, but she somehow doubted it.138