Teri woke up in a clean, soft bed. The sheets smelled like Downy. Where am I? she thought.

  Something shifted next to her, and her heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t alone.

  She was curled on her side, with her right arm tied to something behind her. She tried to reach out with her mind but found only her own thoughts.

  She opened her eyes.

  A greying woman in scrubs sat in a chair, facing the bed. She had weary, kind eyes. She gave a forced smile when she met Teri’s gaze.

  “Good morning, Teri. My name is Gladys Newbold. I’m your nurse.” She put her hand on Teri’s forehead and took her pulse. “You had us worried. You've been asleep a while.”

  Teri turned over to see a man sitting behind her. It was Richard. But ... the Richard she remembered stank like beer and tobacco. This man was neat and clean shaven.

  “You!” she said. “You grabbed me …” Had he grabbed her? Or had it all been a dream? Her memories were so foggy.

  “Now don’t be scared, honey,” Gladys said. “Richard’s here to protect you, that’s all.”

  “Protect me? From what?”

  “I’m really sorry about the handcuffs,” Richard said. “I have to stay close to you. I know you don’t want to hurt anyone else.”

  His words hit her like a brick. Anyone else?

  “What … did I do?” she said. “Who did I hurt?”

  Richard looked away. “There’s no need to go into that right now. You need rest. When you’re feeling better, we’ll talk about it.”

  “But …”

  “You aren’t in trouble. We just want to help.” He smoothed a stray hair off her face. She flinched.

  “Ruddy and Xeke. Are they still mad?”

  “Try not to think about it. They’re worried about you. For now, me and Gladys are going to take care of you.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Gladys patted her hand.

  Teri’s mind spun. What did I do? Why can’t I remember anything? It wasn’t just that her powers were gone, it was more than that. Her brain felt like it was wrapped up in a layer of cotton candy.

  “Can we get you something to eat?” Gladys said. “You must be hungry.”

  “My stomach hurts pretty bad,” Teri said. “I don’t know if I can eat.”

  Gladys nodded. “That’s because you haven’t eaten in a while. I’ll be right back.”

  Teri looked around. The room was nicer than the one she’d shared with her sister before Tabitha’s ... accident. The king-sized bed had four posts stretching toward high ceilings. Diaphanous curtains billowed over an enormous picture window, blown about by two slowly spinning designer ceiling fans. An entire wall was lined with shelves filled with books, puzzles, and games. A fire crackled in the fireplace.

  “All this is for me?” she said.

  “This was Adrian’s daughter’s room,” Richard said. “You’ve had such a rough time. We thought you should have someplace nice to get well and Adrian volunteered to let you sleep here.”

  “Thank you,” she said. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “This is so nice.”

  She sat up, holding her stomach. She was wearing flannel pajamas—grey with bright-colored DNA double helixes printed on them. “When can I see my friends?”

  “Maybe later,” Richard said. “When you’re feeling better.”

  "I'm fine,” she said. “Please, I want to see Ruddy and Xeke.”

  Richard’s face twitched. “Well … the thing is, they had to go take care of a few things.”

  “They left without me?”

  “I'm sure they'll be back by the time you're feeling better.”

  Were they really gone? Panic welled up and she took a deep breath.

  Gladys came into the room carrying a tray of food. “How does chicken soup sound?” she said. “And warm milk to settle your stomach. And I brought you some venison stew, Mr. Richard.”

  Gladys sat the tray on the table across the room. It smelled delicious. Teri’s stomach grumbled.

  “Let me help you up,” Richard said. “I’ll bet you get around better than ever with me to help you.”

  Teri’s heart sank as she remembered all the times she’d leaned on Ruddy and Xeke … Ruddy carrying her through the bus station, Xeke holding her as they fled from Julie.

  Richard steadied her as she slid off the bed. Her stomach growled again, but she wanted to see where she was before she ate. “Can I … can I look out the window?”

  “Of course,” Richard said. “I’ll help you. Lean on me and take it slow. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

  He bent his left arm, the arm she was attached to, and she held onto it with both hands. He helped her to the window and pulled the curtains to the side. Snow-capped peaks loomed in the distance behind an endless snowy landscape of aspen and pine. The view was breathtaking, but loneliness welled up in her. The distant peaks were as far away as her heart, and Richard’s arm was her only connection to the world.

  She pulled away from him, then caught herself. These people had shown her nothing but kindness. She relaxed and took comfort in his support, ignoring the voice in her head that told her to run and fight.

  She reached out again for Ruddy and Xeke, but there was still nothing.

  It’s for the best, she thought. I guess Corey was right about me.