— Did I wake you ? Asked Aldan.
I sat on my bed. I had collapsed with my clothes on, it wasn’t very late and I had planned to stay put for a few minutes then go get a shower. But now it was almost eleven.
— Yes, but I’m glad you did. I need to get my things ready for tomorrow but I fell asleep before.
I heard him curse and rustle around, and realized he was in pain. Yet he’d still called me.
— Must be the telepathy. I will not bother you for long. How are you now ?
— Could be worse. I said dismissively. At least we know were to look.
— I called a friend in the US. He is going to look if he can find anything useful about the clinic while you are still in Geneva.
I pulled myself out of the bed, found my earplugs to sort my things out while talking and kicked my shoes out to a corner of the room.
— And Ergis is looking through the TELEPOL databases.
— Is there any chance to find something ? I said, shaking my teal dress.
I’d have to ask for an iron tomorrow morning, but I was happy with my choice of fabric, it had behaved perfectly in the suitcase.
— Not much. The only way to have access to everything would be to have the committee request an official investigation.
— Can you ask them ? I asked, putting my legs up. You’re a member.
There was a short silence, maybe for thinking.
— Not without handing you in first. And as soon as they get involved, we are out. Ergis will not be allowed to continue the investigation, I might loose my seat and even if I stay, I will not be allowed to vote. There are many telepaths in the committee that could be convinced that you are worth more alive than dead, but there are also humans. And more often than not, when we really want something, they use all the administrative levers to delay it for as long as possible. You could spend years in prison.
— So how do we proceed then ?
— My friend said we should fly over to Portland and snoop there. But Ergis would have to go. I cannot…
— How was you appointment with the doctor ? Nurse-me asked before I could prevent it.
I felt bad for dragging Aldan into my issues. Even if technically, Ergis had, not me.
— Well. Nothing new, really. Everything hurts and this new medicine is supposed to help me sleep but it gives me stomach aches.
I desperately tried to build my walls up as I would do at the hospital, but nurse-me had deserted me after tying me to the post for shooting.
And while nurse-me could offer hypnosis or massages to bring patients some relief, Aldan was not my patient and there was no appropriate way to ask if he’d want massage.
— Let us see if at least it helps me sleep. He sighed.
Nurse-me somehow decided to return and save me.
— I’m sure it will. When we’re back from Geneva if you’d like I could have a look at your prescriptions. I work in a palliative care unit. I don’t know anything about telepaths medicine but I know my way around hardcore painkillers.
I heard him chuckle. I dug my silvery shoes out of my Indochine t-shirts and put them next to the dress. Then I prepared a white shirt and a clean pair of jeans to run around all morning.
— Aldan ? I said, not hearing him anymore.
— Sorry. I have to go. The drug is making me feel weird. I do not want to start saying nonsense about colors and fractals.
I wished him goodnight, made sure I had properly hung up, pulled off my clothes and got into the shower.
The wedding day rushed past me like the Shinkansen did that time we had gone to Japan for holidays. I barely had had time to iron my dress and actually put it on.
It’s only when all the main events were done and people started dancing that I seemed to reconnect with reality and looked for my bag to check my phone.
I froze in the hallway. I had dozens of notifications, if not more. Several unknown calls, numerous WhatsApp and even standard text messages. I slowly walked back to the party room feeling nauseous, trying to prioritize what to do with all that.
I sat at my chair sweating profusely, and started by erasing the unknown calls without listening to the voice mails. Then I read several nice WhatsApp messages from Aldan wishing me luck and asking if I could call in the evening. I put my earplugs in and walked to the garden.
— H- Hi. I’m sorry, things got a bit hectic here. I hope you didn’t worry.
— No, no. Ergis kept me updated as if he was the commentator on a royal wedding. I guess he got bored.
I smiled and re-opened my WhatsApp while I felt I had some spoons to deal with the rest of the messages. Most were remote family members sending wishes, so I went straight to Bénédicte’s chat.
— How was the sleeping drug then ? As I read the messages from Bénédicte asking me for pictures and if there were any nice-looking men.
The last messages with screenshots made me frown.
Heureusement que ta cousine poste des photos sur FB parce qu’on peut pas compter sur toi…
Wow ! Ta robe est magnifique !
Holy mother of what ! On dirait monsieur perfecto du Gamin !
C’est lui hein dans cette photo avec toi ?
Euh. Tu te souviens que j’ai gardé trouduc dans mes amis FB pour le surveiller ?
Ben il a vu les photos, je sais pas comment
Et il est pas content
Je te passe les noms d’oiseaux
Il a copié la tête de monsieur perfecto sur sa page et il demande à tout le monde qui c’est.
— Victoire ?
I shivered and sat down, fearing that my legs would fail me. It’d been over two years now. Sam might be pissed, but surely he wouldn’t do anything, right ?
— Y- Yes. Sorry.
Only I knew he might. The fact that I still hadn’t pulled myself to open any of the anonymous text messages was proof enough. He was smart enough not to physically threaten me. He never had. But he could still make my life even worse than it already was.
— You sound weird.
I knew he would. And that also was part of why I hadn’t been much interested by finding a new relationship. I had just waved a red flag at him. And now he was likely to come back and bother me even if I had no intention of dating Ergis, like ever.
I had to find Ergis and show him but I couldn’t so much as stand up. I burst out crying.
— Are you alright ? Where are you ?
— … Gardens…
— Do not move I will reach for Ergis…
— Aldan ?
— I am here. Not hanging up until whatever is going on has been taken care of.
— I’m afraid to go back home. Would it be ok if I stayed at your place some more ?