Magnificent Folly - Iris Johansen [54]
Lily reached over and with a caressing hand touched the indentation on the pillow where his head had lain. It was strange how many little things signaled this major upheaval in her life. The sight of the change from Andrew’s pockets on top of the bureau, the sound of a shower running in the next room, Andrew’s quick footsteps on the stairs or in the hall. Such little, unimportant things to engender such flowering feelings of warmth and security.
The phone rang on the table beside the bed, and she reached over to pick up the receiver. “Hello.”
“Lily.” It was Quenby’s voice. “Listen carefully. I’m sending a car for you. Be out in front of the house in ten minutes.”
Lily sat up in bed. “Why? I’ll have to ask Andrew what plans—” She broke off as the crackling urgency of Quenby’s tone sank in. “What’s wrong?”
“Andrew.”
Blind panic seized Lily. Andrew wasn’t in the bathroom or out on the balcony. Andrew wasn’t in the house at all. Her hand tightened on the receiver. “What’s happened to him?”
“I don’t know.” Quenby drew a shaky breath. “As God is my witness, I don’t know. He’s at the hospital, and it’s not going well. Gunner was planning on being there this morning before Andrew arrived, but Andrew showed up in the therapy room three hours ago. He knew Gunner would try to stop him, and immediately started treating Kalom.” She paused. “The doctors noticed something wrong almost at once. Andrew went into convul—”
“Save the rest of it,” Lily cut in as she swung her feet to the floor. “I have to get dressed and get downstairs. Will you be at the hospital when I get there?”
“I’m in the waiting room with Mariana.”
“She’s there too?” Lily closed her eyes. Of course Mariana was at the hospital. They always called the next of kin in life-or-death emergencies. Dear God, was Andrew dying? She should have known something would happen to explode the dream. But it shouldn’t have happened to Andrew. Perhaps she didn’t deserve her happiness with him after the mistakes she had made, but Andrew shouldn’t be punished. “I’ll be right there.”
She put down the receiver, jumped out of bed, and ran to the bathroom.
“Is he still alive?” Lily demanded as soon as she strode into the waiting room. “For God’s sake, what happened to him?”
“Kalom,” Quenby said simply. “Gunner thinks Kalom is trying to die and wants to take Andrew with him.”
“I don’t understand. Can that happen?”
Mariana turned away from the window. “They’re joined telepathically. It can happen.”
“But if Andrew’s trying to help him, why would Kalom want to kill him?”
“Who knows? He’s twisted,” Quenby said. “Gunner says his mind’s like a desert where nothing can grow but malice, and the malice is so bitter, he chokes on it. He wants to die.”
“Then let him die,” Lily said fiercely.
“But he won’t let Andrew go,” Mariana said. “Or Andrew won’t let him go, we don’t know which.” Her teeth pressed hard into her lower lip. “Andrew’s in a coma.”
Lily felt as if an iron hand were crushing her heart, stopping her blood from flowing. “Gunner,” she said desperately. “Can’t Gunner help?”
Quenby shook her head. “Andrew’s too deep.” She gazed squarely at Lily. “The vital signs of both men are weakening. They can’t last much longer unless something changes.”
“You’re telling me there’s no chance?” Lily whispered. “I won’t believe that. Andrew is so strong. He won’t give up. I won’t let him give up.”
“You can’t help him,” Mariana said dully as she turned away to look out the window again. “None of us can help him now. We’ve always been terrified this would happen to Andrew someday.”
They were giving up. She couldn’t believe it. Mariana and Quenby were two of the strongest women she had ever met. Didn’t they realize something had to be done? “The hell I can’t. Where is this therapy room?”
Quenby gestured to the double doors across the room. “Gunner