Chapter 07 (You're Not Alone)
Warning: This chapter contains violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Taboden opened his eyes to see that at last, the rain had stopped. The skies were still dark, but light was seeping over the horizon, telling him it was morning.
Taboden immediately hopped out of bed and opened the window. The moist chilly air made him shiver, but the smell of sea salt made him shiver in delight. There wasn't much to like about his father's home, but the one thing Taboden loved was the short distance to the ocean.
Taboden snatched his raincoat and dashed out of the room. He made his footsteps light so his father wouldn't wake up. The mansion was so vast and unfamiliar, it would've been easy to get lost in it. But Taboden got a tour the other day, and there was one place he made sure to remember.
"Hello, Taboden. You're up rather early today."
Taboden grinned. He entered the garage and ran to the old man sitting at a table. The man was holding a newspaper in one hand and a coffee cup in another. He lowered the paper and gave the boy an amused look.
"Of course!" Taboden stopped in front of him, leaning over to catch his breath. "We want to leave before father wakes up!"
"Don't you want to have breakfast first?" the man nodded to his right. "The staff has leftover pancakes."
"Naw, I'm good!" Taboden shook his head. "Now c'mon! Let's go! Let's go!"
The old man laughed and stood up.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go."
The old man was Truman Sparce, and he had been Taboden's chauffeur since Taboden was a younger boy. Taboden's parents had just divorced when Truman had met him. The boy was as traumatized as any six year-old would've been. He often walked in small steps, his eyes glazed and distant.
So Truman drove him to the ocean. He didn't know why, even to that day, but he had no regrets. Six year-old Taboden ran to the ocean the second the limo parked in front of it. Truman remembered his heart melting as he watched him run. He remembered the joy he felt when he instructed Taboden to stay in shallow water.
He also remembered his panic when Taboden didn't hear him. He only watched in horror as the boy swam into deeper waters. He immediately went after him, but the waves shoved him back. He was forced to return to the beach, where he knelt on the sand, turned to the heavens, and pleaded the boy came back alive.
Fortunately, he did, and, oblivious to his butler's horror, looked absolutely ecstatic.
"Give me more time!" Taboden had pleaded. "I promise I'll be back!"
Truman couldn't believe his ears. He was about to scold him, yell at him, and threaten to tell his father; but the boy's dull and shade-less eyes were bursting with life, and Truman couldn't say no. So the chauffer sighed, sat on the sand, and waited for the boy to return.
But Taboden didn't return until an hour later. Truman didn't restrain his angry worrying then, but Taboden was too happy to be bothered, and only promised to return sooner. Truman remembered how wide his eyes were when Taboden told him his adventure. The boy swam to depths no human can withstand, yet didn't seem to suffer from any pressure nor trauma. Questions swam through Truman's head like a whirlpool. Speaking of whirlpools, did Taboden get sucked into one? How was he able to stay underwater for so long? Why didn't his body succumb to pressure? There were a lot of dangerous pokémon down there--did the boy get attacked by any of them?
Suddenly, Truman was afraid. Not of the boy, but for him. So much so, he took him by the shoulders and told him not to tell anyone about his venture, not even his father.
"Why?" Taboden had asked.
"Because the world is a terrible place," Truman had told him, "and it is cruel to things it doesn't understand."
"What's not to understand?"
Truman became silent for a moment, careful to choose his words wisely.
"You are very different," he then said, "but very special too. That's why you need to keep this a secret, okay? So no one will hurt you or your loved ones."
Taboden gasped. "Am I a superhero?"
Truman blinked. He definitely wasn't expecting that. But he smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, you are."
Taboden jumped and performed a triumphant dance.
"Yes!" he cheered. "I'm a superhero, I'm a superhero!"
"Shh!" Truman hushed. "It's a secret, remember?"
Taboden suddenly stopped dancing and nodded.
"And as long as you keep it a secret," Truman continued, "you can come here every day. How does that sound?"
Taboden's eyes immediately widened. He let out another cheer before doing another happy dance. Truman smiled. There was something about the boy's joy that gave him hope. He promised himself that day that he would maintain that joy. That was why he was there again in that present time, driving the boy to his favorite destination. He himself hadn't been there for a while; it wasn't the same without Taboden.
---
"Sir..."
"Yes, what is it?" an older man approached. "Did you find out what the bogey was?"
The man that called out to him shifted in his seat.
"N-no sir," he answered slowly. He was new at the job, and wasn't anticipating how his superior would respond to his next words. "It disappeared..."
---
Taboden couldn't have been happier. The move back to Genesis may had been stressful, but he was finally back at sea, so there wasn't much to complain about.
He heard Truman scolding him as he ran in his underwear. He was shivering like crazy, but the water was calling to him, and he didn't dare slow down. His toes were stiff as he was running, but melted like ice when they touched the water.
The boy let out a cheer before diving to his expedition.
---
It was almost 3 AM when Lucy came home. Matt was worried sick, but Lucy brushed him off and plopped on the bed. She was grateful her husband didn't pester her that time. When he hugged her and rested his head on hers, she became even more relieved. It was one of those moments that made her wish that time would stand still. Unfortunately, Matt was off the bed an hour later. A while after that, so was she.
Ian and Alakazam were just admitted to the hospital. Ian was unconscious in one wing, while Alakazam was down in another. The doctors had yet to determine their conditions, but the patients' sleep-deprived states made whatever they had much, much worse.
Violet, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. The nurses didn't mention anything about a Jane Doe, but Lucy knew better than to ask. Where was Violet, she asked herself instead? What happened to her? Was she the one that sent Ian and Alakazam to the hospital? Wait! Lucario said she needed protecting, right? What if something tried to attack Violet, but Ian and Alakazam intervened? Did they succeed? Did they protect her?
Did...did they fail?
Lucy fell to the ground.
"Doctor!" one of the nurses ran to her. "Doctor, are you alright?"
Lucy didn't say anything. She couldn't. She sat on her collapsed knees and started to tremble. Violet is okay, she told herself. She's safe and sound, and no one is trying to hurt her.
But images of Violet in pain raced through her head, and she felt herself coming to the verge of tears.
"Call her husband," another nurse ordered, prompting the other nurses to walk to another direction. Lucy gasped and tried to stop them, but then another person arrived.
"What's going on?" Zeaburg entered the scene.
The doctor looked to be in his fourties, but his thinning hair and heavy eye bags made him look older. Lucy flinched when he looked down at her. He was her supervisor after all.
"Dr. Burns?"
"I-I'm fine," Lucy stood up. But she did so with struggle, and her superior wasn't convinced.
"Go home, Burns," Zeaburg commanded. "We'll get another doctor."
"No!" Lucy gasped.
Zeaburg's eyebrows furrowed, and his frown turned into a scowl.
"I will not have defiance, Burns," he stated. "You are obviously not fit to work today."
Lucy was about to retort, but he stopped her.
"I was about to call you off the patients anyway," Zeaburg continued. "Your husband requested you to step down. You're too close to the patients."
Lucy stared at him, completely lost for words. Then she was pulled in by familiar arms.
"I got her, Dr. Zeaburg," Matt told him. Lucy tried to pull away, but the cop was strong. "She'll be back to work soon, but I can't promise when."
"Take your time, sergeant," Zeaburg nodded. "I'll make sure the patients are taken care of."
"Wait, hold on!" Lucy spoke up, but Matt pulled her away before she could say another word. They were soon walking the hallways, much to Lucy's frustration. With the last of her strength, Lucy made a sharp turn and shoved her husband off. Matt stumbled and steadied himself before he hit the walls. He shot his wife a glare, and Lucy heatedly returned it.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucy demanded. "What gives you the right to make decisions and control me like a child?"
Matt maintained his glare as he reached into his pocket. He took out his ID and badge, but they were slight alterations to them.
"I'm the new sergeant, sweetheart," Matt told her sweetly. Lucy narrowed her eyes at the sarcasm in his voice. "I wanted to surprise you with the news last night, but you came home late, again. Without telling me, again."
Lucy's glare intensified. She knew where that was going.
"Why don't we talk in your office?" Matt suggested.
"You can't tell me what to do," Lucy crossed her arms. "Ian and Alakazam need my help, and no one, not even you, can stop me from helping them!"
Matt suddenly tugged her, hard.
"We can either talk in your office or an interrogation room," he threatened. "Take your pick."
His face was calm the whole time, but the slight crack in his voice made Lucy guilty. She had hurt him, she realized. Even though he was a bossy new sergeant that took his job too seriously, he was still her husband, and she was still his wife. He had been patient with her for a while now, and she was pushing his limits when he was only doing his job.
"Okay, honey," Lucy whispered.
Matt's face stayed hard, but his grip on her wrist loosened, just a little bit.
---
When Violet looked down, she saw herself standing on a weary bridge. The wood moaned and creaked beneath her, leaking dust beneath her feet. When Violet jumped in surprise, the structure rocked turbulently in protest. Violet stood as still as possible then, carefully turning her head instead.
The bridge connected two separate cliffs of land: an almost pitch black realm in front of her, and a slightly less dark realm behind her. In the more illuminated ground, Violet made out trees and slivers of grass. In the darker setting, Violet was blinded by a dense fog that was too thick for her to see through. Violet didn't know which land was more appealing, but had to pick one quickly. The bridge proved to be too fragile. One misstep, and she could fall into the darkness she seemed to be surrounded by. How Violet could see anything at all, she didn't know.
"Hello there."
Violet gasped. She almost jumped, but forced herself to stay still. A short figure was standing not too far away from her. The figure looked exactly like her, but had a few distinguishing features. It wore a black dress instead of Ian's clothes, and its skin was paler, almost lifeless. Its eyes...weren't present. Two empty holes were staring at Violet. Violet started to tremble when the figure stepped closer.
"Don't be afraid," the figure told her. "I'm your friend."
Violet didn't believe it at all. Its voice sounded just like hers, but it was more ominous, more malicious.
"Wh-Who," Violet spoke out, "who are you?"
"I'm you, silly," the figure giggled. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Who are you?" Violet asked again.
The figure tilted its head.
"What a shame," it said, "after everything I've done to protect you."
Violet narrowed her eyes. "H-how did you protect me?"
If the figure had eyelids, it would've blinked; but because it didn't, the figure only stared at Violet. And smiled.
"Who do you think saved you from the gastly?"
Violet froze. She didn't know what a gastly was, but knew what it was talking about.
"You...y-you..."
"That's right," the figure confirmed. "You didn't think it was you who did that, did you?"
Violet didn't answer. She didn't know what to answer.
"Well whether you believe it or not, you're alive because of me," the figure told her. "It's only fair that you repay me for saving your life. How about your eyes?"
Violet stepped back.
"As you can see, I don't have any, and yours are very pretty."
"I-Is that why you brought me here?" Violet trembled. "To get my eyes?"
The figure tilted its head.
"I didn't bring you here," it said. "You came here on your own. I would never force you to be here. I'm your friend, remember? I'm you."
Violet cringed. "A-Are you really?"
The figure laughed out, unnerving Violet more with its deep laughter.
"Of course I am!" it said. "You and I are the same. You don't remember that because you don't have your memories. But once you regain them, you and I will be one again, just like before!"
Violet felt uneasy. She swallowed with difficulty since her mouth became dry.
"B-but if you're me," she said, "shouldn't we have the same memories? Shouldn't we both not know who we are?"
The figure widened its eye-less holes, but only for a fraction of a second.
"I know who we are," it said, "but you have to know it too or we're not gonna be one. We are powerful, more powerful than you can ever imagine! We are capable of things no living creature can comprehend. Many will tell us who we are, and what we are meant to be, but that's because they can't accept what we really are; but once we become what we are meant to be, we will fulfill our purpose."
Violet swallowed. "A-And what purpose is that?"
The figure smiled. "You'll find out," it said. "Just remember not to let anyone tell you what to be. No matter who they are, they're wrong."
Violet immediately thought of Ian, Alakazam, and Lucy. They had shown nothing but kindness to her, so they couldn't mean her harm. Then again, she didn't know who they really. She just met them, after all.
"It seems that our time is up," the figure then said. "But we'll meet again...Violet. That's what you're calling yourself now, right?"
Violet flinched.
"Do you, " she asked, "do you know what my real name is?"
"That's also something you have to find out yourself," the figure stated.
Violet frowned. "Can you at least tell me what your name is?"
"I'm you, remember?" the figure smiled. "You can call me 'Violet' too."
Violet shifted in place. She was about to suggest something else, but the figure, along with everything else, suddenly disappeared. Darkness surrounded her, and the only thing she could hear was the rapid rush of wind. That was when she realized she was falling, but before she could grasp anything, she was submerged in water.
---
Taboden smiled when a group of Chinchou waved at him with their antennae. That was the third time pokémon greeted him that day, and he was glad they had missed him as he had missed them. He was so deep into the ocean, light barely touched his skin. Fortunately, it didn't have to; Taboden could see everything perfectly. Now that he thought about it, Taboden could never see anything in the dark on land. Down in the ocean, however, deep in the salty floor, everything was crystal clear.
Taboden sighed when he spotted a hole at the edge of a boulder. He discovered a tunnel there three years ago, and it led him to large cavern. He couldn't fit in the hole at that time since he was bigger, and it tormented him to know that he could never return. Maybe he could bring a pokémon, he thought. It could enlarge the hole without disturbing other pokémon.
Taboden jumped when a deep roar echoed through the water. Then lightning flashed above him, and he realized it was thunder.
A storm was coming. It didn't seem like an ordinary storm, however. That particular one seemed to have emotion. Lightning flared at the gray skies above as thunder rumbled the waters. Taboden covered his ears. The thunder was deafening, and he was underwater. Imagine how loud it must've been on the shore.
Taboden immediately started making his way back up. Truman must be calling out to him from the beach, crouched anxiously with a towel in his hands. But the thunder seemed to be the one calling out to him that day, like a voice commanding him to hurry. Taboden grumbled. He knew it was stupid to think a storm was commanding him to rise, but for some reason, he didn't dare brush it off. The thunder was booming with authority. Even if Taboden didn't know what the consequences were, he knew they would be there if he didn't obey.
As if to enforce that, the thunder became even louder. The currents became stronger too. They shoved at Taboden so hard, Taboden started losing his dive. Taboden clicked his tongue. The ocean never overpowered him before.
But then he saw it. More specifically, her.
Taboden, with utter disbelief, swam faster to take a closer look. It really was a girl, a young one around his age. She was dressed in baggy clothes, which was strange considering they were unsuitable for swimming. She had short black hair that floated freely around her, and white skin that reflected palely against the lightning. Taboden stared at her with wide eyes. Where she came from, he didn't know, but one thing he was certain of: she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
Taboden continued to stare at the girl until thunder boomed again. That was when he realized the girl's eyes were closed, and that she, unlike him, was probably drowning. Taboden immediately took her in his arms and headed for the surface. He paddled up hurriedly with one arm while clutching the girl with another. The two soon broke through the surface, where they were immediately pelted by rain. Taboden raised the girl's head to his and swam to shore. The waves seemed to be pushing them there, expediting their trip. The winds were aiding them too, but were strong and making Taboden shiver.
Truman, as expected, was waiting at the beach with a towel.
"Hurry, Taboden!" he called out. "Hurry! Huh?"
Truman squinted his eyes. He then rubbed them both and squinted again. Taboden seemed to be struggling, which was odd considering he was almost an expert in swimming, if not the best in the world. It wasn't until Taboden ran on the sand did Truman see what his burden was.
"Quick!" Taboden ran to him. "Give the towel to her!"
Her? Truman blinked, but the towel was snatched before he could ask. Taboden wrapped the girl in the towel before holding her in his arms. His eyes were wide, even wider when he shook her.
"Truman, what do I do?" he asked. "She's not waking up, what do I do?"
Truman had an idea, but before he could say it, Taboden laid the girl on the sand…
And kissed her.
---
Matt opened the door and waited for Lucy to pass him. Lucy's office was small. Medical journals covered the walls while a desk stood in the far middle of the room. Two chairs were placed in front of the desk, and the couple sat on them, facing each other. Lucy could've sat in her large leather chair, but didn't think it was appropriate for the situation.
"So," Matt started, "what were you doing in Ian's place?"
Lucy bit her lip. "You know I can't tell you that," she said. "It's classified."
"Ian and Alakazam are in the hospital," Matt reminded. "Is whatever you're protecting worth more than their lives?"
"They were fine when I left," Lucy stated. "I don't know what happened to them, I swear."
Matt sat up.
"Has it occured to you that whatever you're keeping a secret might be the reason Ian and Alakazam are here?" he asked, his voice rising. "Do you think the other officers wouldn't eventually find out you were there and suspect you?"
Lucy gasped. "Do you seriously think I would hurt them?"
"I don't know, Lucy!" Matt replied. "I don't know what to think! That's why I'm asking you, Lucy! To tell me what I need to think!"
"I already told you, Matt!" Lucy retaliated. "I have nothing to do with Ian and Alakazam's attack! I wasn't even there when it happened! I was with you, remember? I came home to you!"
"But what if you didn't come home, huh?" Matt stood up. "What if you were there when they were attacked?"
"But I wasn't!" Lucy stood. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm innocent!"
"Damn it, Lucy!"
Matt stepped away and clutched his head. His chest was heaving, and his eyes squeezed shut. He didn't say anything for a while, allowing them to calm down.
"If my bosses find out you're involved," he said in a calmer voice, "I'll be put off the case."
"Don't they already know?" Lucy asked. "Wasn't that the reason you took me off my job?"
"I told them you were close to the patients, that was all," Matt said. "I don't know what would've happened if I told them the truth."
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "What truth?"
"I don't know," Matt sighed. "But I'm begging you, please, tell me."
Lucy stepped back, but he clutched her shoulders. She was about to yank him off, but froze when she saw his eyes.
"I don't want to fight, Lucy," Matt told her. "I'm your husband. I'm here to help you, not hurt you. Why can't you see that?"
Lucy bit her lip. She was so caught up in preserving her secret, she didn't see the damage it was causing to her marriage. Matt was doing so much for her, even when she seemed like she was breaking the law, and she repayed him with coldness and distrust. She made him look like the enemy when he only wanted to help.
"I'm sorry, Matt," Lucy shook. "I'm so sorry."
Matt wrapped his arms around her, and Lucy returned his embrace.
"I'm sorry too," he responded, walking them to his chair. They held each other for a while, contemplating the mess they were in.
---
He trudged forward weakly, searching for a sign of water. How long had it been since he escaped what used to be his home, he didn't know. But since he was on his own now, he had to be strong.
If only that wasn't so hard.
He jumped when something came out from the trees. His wobly legs started to shake, but they were sturdy, ready to attack. Especially if the intruder was--
A little girl, no older than seven, emerged from the shadows. She wore a frilly pink dress with matching ribbons in her curly brown hair. Her blue eyes searched the terrain until they saw the limp creature to her left.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He stepped back, his legs almost stumbling. He eyed the girl as she neared him.
"I'm looking for my mommy and daddy," she told him, "but you seem like you need help too. You thirsty?"
The girl reached for her backpack, but before she could take out anything, the creature lunged. The girl flailed and screamed as the creature pounded her with his legs. She cried for her parents, but was silenced when the creature stomped on her face.
Then the girl's struggles stopped, along with her screams for help. She fell limp on the grass, dead.
The creature stepped back. He only trembled as the corpse stared blankly at the sky. He was about to run, run and never return. But then he smelled something, something sweet and familiar.
Crushed and almost empty a few distance away, was a bottle of water.
---
Taboden shivered. He watched people do CPR before, but he didn't think he was doing it right. Also, he was kissing her. He never kissed a girl before, and never wanted to, yet there he was, and still was.
Truman didn't move. Just as Taboden was, he was conflicted with emotions. Taboden was always a little boy to him, so seeing him do such a grown-up act was almost heart-wrenching. And it wasn't even with a girl he liked! It was someone drowning in the ocean!
Truman understood what Taboden was doing. Or, at least, trying to do. Taboden didn't tilt her head, pinch her nose, or give her chest compressions. His mouth wasn't even open to breathe air into her lungs. He was just kissing her.
Truman was about to correct the boy and his faulty procedure, but took out his phone instead. The girl needed help, and Taboden didn't look like he pulling away any time soon.
Come on, Taboden thought. Get out, you stupid water!
Taboden jumped when the girl coughed out water. The girl tried to sit up, but yelped and landed back on the sand. Truman's eyes were wide as can be.
Did Taboden's faulty CPR really work?
"Are you okay, miss?" Taboden asked.
The girl jumped. She slowly opened her eyes, curious and afraid. When she finally looked at them, she shocked them both.
Are those, Truman blinked, violet eyes?
Taboden, on the other hand, didn't know what to think. People didn't usually have violet eyes, and it scared him a little to see how different they were. But wow, he breathed out. They were beautiful.
The girl started to shiver.
"W-where am I?" she asked. "Who a-are you?"
She has a nice voice, Taboden told himself, and it scared him even more. Was it normal to be that perfect? Was she human at all?
"My name is Truman," Truman introduced. "And this is Taboden," he gestured to the boy. "He was the one that rescued you."
The girl blinked. "R-rescued me?"
She made another move to sit up. Then the searing pain in her arm came back, and she yelped before plopping back on the sand.
"Let me see your shoulder," Truman leaned to her. "Hmm," he hummed, "it seems that you have broken your arm. Did you fall into the ocean?"
The girl bit her lip. She heard the word "ocean" a few times on TV, but couldn't remember what it was. She did remember falling and getting wet. But everything was black when she was falling, and she could see her surroundings now, no matter how gray they were.
"We have to call you an ambulance," Truman unlocked his phone. "Don't worry, we'll get you help soon."
The girl gasped. "Wait, no!" She remembered the word "ambulance" from one of the TV shows and didn't like what she saw next. "L-Lucy!" she then said. "I want Lucy!"
"Lucy?" Truman asked. "Who's Lucy?"
"She's a doctor!" The girl explained. "She helps me all the time! I want her!"
Truman looked away. "Lucy," he repeated. "Is her last name 'Burns' by any chance?"
The girl frowned. She couldn't remember what a last name was, nor could she remember if it was Lucy's.
"I don't know," she said. "But she has red hair."
Truman smiled. "I'll call and see if it's her," he searched for the number. "She happens to be my doctor too. She was there when my wife passed away and helped me cope with it since."
The girl tilted her head.
"What's a wife?" she asked.
Truman stopped and looked at her incredulously. Taboden, who was staring at her the whole time, also stared with wide eyes.
"It's the woman you marry," Taboden answered.
The girl jumped and turned to him. She forgot he was there, so she took the time to look at him. He had flattened dirty blonde hair and green eyes that were almost yellow. He was shivering like crazy, but didn't seem to mind as he stared right back at her.
"She isn't answering."
The kids turned back to Truman.
"Hello, Dr. Burns, this is Truman Sparce speaking," Truman then said. "Taboden and I found a girl you might know. She was drowning in the ocean, but Taboden saved her so she's fine now. She did break her arm, but refuses to see anyone but you. Her name is..." Truman turned to the girl. "What's your name, dear?"
"Violet."
"Violet," Truman continued. "I'll bring her to the beach house so you can see her. Call me as soon as you can, please."
Truman hung up the phone and turned back to the children. "Let's get into the beach house and out of the rain," he told them. "I'll carry you, Violet."
"No, I'll do it!" Taboden said. He immediately stood up, then sneezed when he got on his feet.
"Goodness, Taboden, here," Truman took off his coat and handed it to him. "Your father is going to be angry when he sees you with a cold."
"I'll take the heat," Taboden brushed him off. "Besides, carrying her will keep me warm."
"Taboden, she might be too heavy for you," Truman told him. "And besides, she's injured. We don't want to cause any her more harm."
"I got this!" Taboden knelt down to Violet. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm gonna take care of you."
Violet yelped when he lifted her off the ground. She flinched against his chest and used her good arm to hang on. She didn't like being babied like that. She already had that treatment with Ian, Alakazam, and Lucy. But the freezing cold and her broken arm were still there, and they were very good at convincing her to behave.
"Let's go!" Truman said. "And hurry before we catch a cold."
"Got it!" Taboden said. It was hard to run on the sand and carry someone at the same time, but Taboden didn't mind. Violet looked up at him before leaning on his shoulder.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Taboden heard her and beamed.
"You're welcome!"
---
Matt and Lucy were just about to speak again when Lucy's desk phone started ringing. Lucy moved to get it, but Matt kept her in place.
"Matt," she grumbled. "The phone."
"Shh," Matt hushed. "You're not working right now. Let it go to voice mail."
Lucy rolled her eyes but stayed in place. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaning on his shoulder.
"Hello, Dr. Burns, this is Truman Sparce speaking."
The familiar voice caught Lucy's attention, but it was what it said next that made her stand up.
"Taboden and I found a girl you might know. She was drowning in the ocean, but Taboden saved her so she's fine now. She did break her arm, but refuses to see anyone but you. Her name is...Violet."
Lucy immediately fell to the floor. Matt immediately fell to her side. "Wha--"
"Shh!"
"I'll bring her to the beach house so you can see her," Truman continued. "Call me as soon as you can, please."
Lucy immediately jumped to get the phone, but the speaker hung up before she could respond.
"Oh my…" Lucy gaped.
She immediately pulled out her cellphone.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Matt asked. "Who's Violet?"
"Hold on!" Lucy shrieked. The phone on the other end was ringing, and Lucy waited impatiently for someone to answer. After what seemed like years, someone did.
"Dr. Burns?"
"Yes, Truman," Lucy responded shakily. "Is V-Violet really there with you?"
"Yes, she is," Truman responded. "We just arrived at the beach house. Taboden is setting her down at the couch."
"Can I speak to her?" Lucy asked.
"Of course," Truman replied. There were voices faintly speaking to each other on the other end. Lucy's suspense grew immensely as the carrier of the phone started to change.
"Lucy?"
Lucy collapsed to her knees, but Matt was there to catch her this time.
"V-Violet!" she coughed out, tears streaming down her face. "Oh goodness, Violet, where are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm in Truman and Taboden's house," Violet responded. "My arm hurts, but they're making me feel better. They're making me soup right now!"
Lucy took a deep breath before letting out a shaky sigh.
"T-that's good," she laughed out. "Stay w-where you are, o-okay? I-I'm gonna c-come there and see you, o-okay? I'll g-get that arm fixed."
"Okay!" Violet chirped. "I'll see you soon!"
"B-bye, Violet."
Lucy collapsed in Matt's chest, hanging to his shoulders for dear life.
"She's okay!" she exhaled shakily. "She's okay!"
"Who's okay, Lucy?" Matt asked.
Lucy hesitated for a moment. Then she shook her head and gripped his shoulders.
"Matt," she looked him in the eyes. "This girl is very important to me. I'll let you meet her, but only if you keep her a secret."
"So she's the secret you've been hiding?" Matt asked.
Lucy nodded. "Y-yeah."
"Who is she?"
Lucy wiped her tears away and stood up.
"You'll know when you meet her," she told him. "Come with me."
Matt, too relieved to gain his wife's trust, stood up and smiled.
"Let's go."