The Year's Midnight by Rachel Neumeier

Author:Rachel Neumeier [Neumeier, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: portal, portal fantasy, aftermath recovery, psychological fantasy, epic, epic fantasy, adventure fantasy, lyrical, death as character
ISBN: 9781611389791
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2021-09-03T05:00:00+00:00

The whole ward was tense, picking it up from the staff or the air or the patient's grapevine. Not much useful was likely to go on today, not with that stormy atmosphere hanging over them all. Daniel spent one appointment after another just calming patients down. He let Tenai wait. He wanted to see her. But it seemed to him that giving her a long time to settle down was not necessarily a bad thing. After hours was soon enough for a visit. He’d still get to Jenna’s school and pick her up on time. Probably. Nearly. He asked one of the receptionists to call the school and tell them he might be a little late.

Finally he knocked on Tenai’s door, unbarred it, and put everything else out of his mind.

Tenai was standing by the window in her room, brooding. Or at least, it looked like brooding to Daniel. Her bandaged arms were folded, her strong-boned face tipped down, her dark eyes blank. It took her several minutes to respond to Daniel's arrival. He waited patiently, sitting in the room's one chair, a heavy metal thing that was, like all the furniture on this wing, bolted to the floor.

At last Tenai turned her head. “Doctor.”

“Tenai. You sound tired.”

She tipped her head a little to the side. She said, “I am tired, yes. I hurt you. I am sorry.”

“Did you know it was me?”

After another long moment, Tenai said, “Yes. I knew you were there. I did not know—I did not know it was your hand I burned, I think. Partly I knew it, and partly not.”

“What happened?” Daniel asked gently. “Can you tell me?”

“Michaela was screaming.” Tenai looked away, out the window. It was painted closed. Unbreakable glass outside the bars distorted the view just a little.

“Michaela screamed,” Daniel repeated, trying to encourage Tenai to go on.

“Yes. So I broke the door and went to her. That man, Will, he was threatening those girls, trying to make them be quiet.”

“Why didn't you call staff for help?”

“Doctor, I did not think to do so. I was angry. I wished to—” she stopped, flexing her fine, narrow hands. She said fiercely, “I wished to punish him. To kill him. They are my ... my kishe-a, mine to guard, no man's prey. Who else should protect them but I?”

“Tenai—”

“I know,” she snapped, looking sharply up at him, “I have no right to lay down justice, here. I told you: I was angry. I understand I am at fault. You were right about me, Doctor. I thought I was less angry. But like a wolf in a cage, the fury only waited to be let out. I hurt you. And Richard. After I hit him, I saw I was too angry. I tried to put down the anger.” Her head bowed, the flash of temper fading. “I am sorry I hurt him.”

“I know you are. That’s not the issue. No one is judging you. You were trying to put down your anger by hurting yourself?”

“Yes,” Tenai agreed, and stopped, brows drawn together, thinking about that.

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