Chapter Three
"Healing is a delicate art that must be studied for many years before practical application." - From Guide to Healing
Danica arrived at precisely seven that evening, dressed rather simply in a knee-length black skirt and a light blue blouse that only served to draw more attention to her hair and eyes. It was nothing fancy but it suited her perfectly. Likewise I myself was in a pair of tan dress pants and a darker blue button-up shirt. I was glad that we had dressed similarly; it might even lead her to a subconscious thought that we belonged together.
I took it as a good sign that she had actually showed up instead of trying to take on an extra shift. Although I had Danica convinced that this was purely a business dinner, I still hoped that the dinner would highlight how well-matched we could be if she gave me a chance.
"I am glad to see that you were not detained by charges," I said as I stood up and walked over to her. When I stopped I offered her my arm so I could escort her to the restaurant.
"Elian decided to take the available shift as soon as he heard that I had dinner plans," Danica admitted. "I assume you told him all about it to ensure my availability."
Had she learned nothing from our conversation earlier in the day? Jumping to conclusions about me would not lead to a satisfying end for anyone. "Unfortunately I cannot accept the blame for that unfortunate coincidence. All I will admit to is telling my friend Ruka that I was trading dinner for advice on field work. If he said anything about it to anyone else then I had no control over it."
Danica shook her head slightly, though I was unsure if it was because she was amused or irritated. The movement caused her gentle golden curls to bounce across her shoulders. "Perhaps I should speak with Mara about her choice in gentlemen callers."
Ruka had not mentioned that he would be asking Mara out again, at least not yet. His bringing up the possibility of us having a double date with Danica and Mara had been nothing more than that, a possibility. Or had I misread the conversation completely? Ruka's impulse control was occasionally quite weak.
"I would not do anything so rash. Besides, I do believe they enjoy each other's company. We would not want to deny them that." I glanced over at her and watched as she set her hand in the crook of my elbow. Another good sign for me because now she had decided that she really was going to go through with our plans for the evening. "We should go or we will lose our reservation."
At least I could count on her to accept and not ask where we were going. It was just another aspect of who Danica was. Specifics on food did not matter to her so long as it did not interfere with her work.
We arrived at the restaurant a few seconds later, or more specifically, we arrived around the corner where nobody would see us appear from nothing. The restaurant was one I had discovered a few months earlier and was perfect for a Resurrector who wanted to speak openly without being overheard. The booths were deep and the dividers between tables could almost be considered walls. The privacy was nice and the design kept the space feeling cozy instead of claustrophobic. I just hoped that Danica liked it.
I gave the name I had used for the reservation and we were led to the back of the restaurant, to the more secluded back corner as requested. As she took her seat, Danica said nothing and I wondered what she was thinking of the restaurant. We would not be the only couple here solely for business meetings, but a majority of the clientele were people on dates and I was certain that it had not escaped her notice. She was a decently observant person, which I gathered was one reason she was maintaining her distance; she had to know that I held an interest in seeing what could happen between us. For now though I would remain patient. I did not need to rush anything.
"How did you find this place?" she asked as she picked up a menu and started looking over the selections.
"I spent some time speaking with a few other Resurrectors and one mentioned liking this restaurant. I tried it and found that it was perfect for conducting business. A person can have a private conversation here, which is a benefit considering how most of our conversations tend to go." When I finished speaking I noticed that she was nodding slightly. Good, at least I had once again reinforced the point that we were here for business. Pleasure could wait until later and I would wait however long I needed. I would make sure she knew that at a later point. Perhaps I would truly ask her out at the end of the evening.
"Should we start discussing field work now or would you like to wait until after we order?" Danica was very good at staying on topic and maintaining a business-like demeanor. I did not understand how she could separate herself so much, to keep a professional air going at all times. I could not imagine doing such a thing, particularly not when there was so much that happened to provoke strong emotional reactions. How could she go without expressing frustration, anger, joy...anything?
"Whichever is more preferential to you. I defer to you in all discussions for the evening as you are the one imparting your wisdom upon me."
"You do not need to slather on the compliments so thickly, Thanos. I have already agreed to help you, so long as I was not detained by work. That did not happen so tonight I am here for you."
A waitress walked over and I smiled at her. "Hello, Mary. It seems as if you are all quite busy this evening. Business is good, then?" As it turned out from my many visits here, I had learned quite a bit about the people who worked in the restaurant, and Mary was the owner's daughter, a lovely young girl who was saving up money to move across the country. She had often discussed wanting to move to a warmer climate and I tried to tip as well as I could; Resurrector allowances were for any time we needed to blend in with human society or if we wanted to purchase anything for our rooms. I did not have much in my room and I spent most of my money on the many dinners I had gone on with the young female Resurrectors around me.
"It is," she answered with a smile that lit up her hazel eyes. "What can I get for the two of you?"
"I believe I will simply have water to drink and then I shall have today's special," I replied. The food here was tasty enough and had a decent blend of flavors. It did not really matter what I ate anyway; I had more important issues on my mind.
Mary turned to look at Danica as she took my menu from me. "I guess I will have the same," Danica said as she handed her menu over to Mary. Then she turned back to me, clearly not interested in paying any more attention to our waitress than she absolutely had to.
That was the only possible downside to spending time around Danica, because I believed that it was a good idea to be polite to people in the service industry. We were basically the same way, but since our charges could not see us, we did not have the opportunity to receive tips or thanks or compliments. We did our duties without question or thought of benefit. Humans were not even remotely close to us in that respect and a little gratitude went a long way to making their lives or their days a little brighter.
"Thank you, Mary," I said before she could walk away. I saw a hint of a smile on her face as she headed back to the kitchen to place our order. It took a moment before I faced Danica again, only to discover that she was just staring in my general direction. Most other ladies I had brought here occupied themselves with looking around at the art on the walls or taking in the assortment of patrons, but not Danica.
"I admit that I am curious about one thing." Danica's gaze had fixated on me like a bird of prey spotting its next meal.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"Why would the Leaders decide to place a Resurrector into the field without covering the basics of field work?"
It was a fair question and I had wondered the same thing. I knew Josiah had faith in my ability and most of the others would go along with Josiah's decision, but I also knew that Samuel was quite vocal in disagreeing completely. That had the potential to sway the other Leaders against me.
"They did not see fit to give me a reason. I was merely told that I would be assigned to some of the more high priority charges." Certainly they would have more information for me before I heard my first call. If not I would need to see Josiah and ask for more details on the job.
"You are certain that they said high priority and not high risk?" Danica always acted so calm and composed that it made conversation just a bit more complicated. Often times it was necessary to read into hand gestures or other physical movements but in this moment it was just the two of us sitting in a booth surrounded by normal people who had no idea that they were in the company of beings they would likely call angels.
"I am certain Samuel said high priority." I must have replayed that conversation in my head at least a dozen times. A hidden clue never appeared and asking Samuel for clarification was out of the question. Being around that power hungry and self-centered jerk was never easy and was actually something I actively avoided.
"I recommend you borrow Field Work Basics from the library as soon as possible. It gives a fairly in-depth analysis of the mechanics pertinent to our jobs. However, since your assignment begins tomorrow I can give you the bare bone essentials to survive." Now Danica had shifted forward, her forearms resting on the table as she truly became an active member of the conversation.
"I realize that I have already said this but thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to help me. I appreciate it more than you might imagine." I was grateful that she had agreed to help but I had already basically guessed what happened out in the field.
Healing was not exactly difficult in theory and we had been told for many years that our existence was hidden from the humans we helped. Therefore it stood to reason that the basics of field work told us to arrive to a call, heal the charge, and then leave before they could break through the haze of their memories and remember us.
We continued to discuss business through the meal and even through dessert. Everything Danica told me was rather close to how I imagined it and made all our jobs seem far too simple. Of course, there was always the possibility of failing too many times and being pulled from the field for other duties.
For people like my friend Osten, being kept from the field for other tasks was an honor. Danica and the others like her could imagine doing nothing but being out in the field. If field work suited me then I would accept that but I would not mind if I had a desk job either.
When we finally left the restaurant I felt that I had a decent grasp on the job but I had made very little progress with Danica. I would simply have to try harder to win her affection. Sooner or later I would succeed. Failing was not in my nature.
#
I paused in my story and looked over at Tamesis. She had slumped down in the chair and looked as if she was close to falling asleep. It made me wonder if she had been working herself too much again. Much like Danica, Tam was prone to losing herself in her work and forgetting about important tasks such as eating and sleeping.
"Tam, are you feeling all right?" I inquired. "Maybe we should slow down on my story for a little while and give you a chance to rest."
She perked up slightly and shook her head. "I'm fine. I just don't get what you saw in Danica."
"It took a little while to break through her shell, get her to focus on living instead of just work. The truth was that I admired her dedication and how certain she was that our duties were creating a better world. Even after I learned the truth I was impressed by her tenacity. The two of you have a great deal in common." I knew Tam would see the truth soon enough and I wondered if it would change her opinion of Danica. Then again, the last couple encounters between them had not been the most pleasant.
"I sincerely doubt that." Tamesis attempted to stifle a yawn with her hand but I still saw it, as focused as I was on her. Did she not notice that she was once again growing dark circles under her eyes? It was quite similar to how she had looked the first few times I ran into her while she was still a Resurrector.
"You need to go to your room and rest, Tamesis. I know you are exhausted."
"I told you I'm fine. Besides, I want to hear all about your first day in the field."
I wanted to be able to tell her no, to say that it would have to wait until after she had gotten a full night's rest, but I knew how stubborn she could be when pushed. "Would you agree to a compromise?" I asked. "We go to you room and you settle into bed. Then, and only then, will I continue my story, telling all about my first day until you fall asleep."
She groaned but shifted forward in her seat and then pushed herself up to her feet. "Fine. But I'm not all that tired."
I said nothing as I stood up, sensing that something was wrong, and it was putting Tam in the mood to fight. It was not something I would indulge, at least not now. For the most part I had learned to control my temper, with a few obvious exceptions. Instead I gestured towards the doorway and followed Tam as we left the study and walked to the other side of the building, which housed most of the living areas. Mine was not with the rest.
We did not speak at all during the walk and a tense silence filled the air. Something dark surrounded us and I could admit that I felt a little uneasy. Tamesis did not appear to have noticed it, but her face was a mask of determination and barely controlled anger. Her eyes swirled in multiple hues of grey. It gave me reason for concern. I thought that things would be easier now that we were not dealing with so many Resurrector issues. Apparently that assumption was wrong.
At her door I paused. "I should give you a few minutes to prepare yourself for bed." It had been so long…no, I would be professional for the duration of this story and even beyond. I had made my position perfectly clear to Tam and now we would both need to abide by that limitation. Nothing could happen between us unless she was willing to risk death. Even then, I knew I could not bear for that to happen.
"Don't wait too long." Then she pushed the door shut behind her and left me standing in the hall alone.
#
Being awakened by the tinkling chimes of a call is not the most enjoyable sensation and it was incredibly surreal to experience it, knowing that it was a real cry for help and not just a part of lessons. When Danica spoke of responding to a charge she made it sound like an adrenaline rush and having an instant alertness and ability to respond.
All I felt was that my sleep was being interrupted and the somewhat annoying chimes were worse than an alarm clock. Was this what my life was to be for the next few decades, trapped by this duty to heal and no longer being in control of my time? Being on this special assignment of priority cases meant that I did not work shifts like the others. I was on call at all times. So far I could not say that I enjoyed my assignment.
I glanced over at the clock on my wall and saw that it was only three in the morning. My dinner with Danica had lasted a few hours and then I had returned to my room to find a large envelope waiting, an envelope that had contained everything I needed to know about my new job. I had been up until almost one reading through everything, twice. Now I almost regretted that decision.
Well, the charge certainly would not wait around forever and I could already imagine the look on Samuel's face if I failed on my first day. More than anything else, that was what propelled me out of bed. I pulled on the first pair of pants and shirt I found in my closet and focused on the chimes signaling my charge's need.
It was strange to follow that call without a clear image of where I was going. Typically traveling involved picturing where to go and then imagining that I was there. This was focusing on a cry for help and following it, much like a blind man seeking out the source of a noise.
When I arrived, I first noted that I was in a dark alleyway, the nearby streetlight busted. The sounds of a man groaning in pain came from behind a stack of crates. Maybe I misunderstood, but I did not see how healing somebody in an alley could be considered high priority, unless the person was meant to do something revolutionary. That seemed unlikely considering that the Leaders did not know the future.
Perhaps there was a flaw in the system for assigning charges to a Resurrector. I would need to look into that later, but for now, I supposed that someone did need help and I was already in a position to follow our training and heal him.
I stepped around the stack of crates and saw a man slumped against the building wall. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and possibly had a number of broken bones. Whoever had beaten him had done a grand job, carefully administering injuries in a way that would be drawn out and painful, killing him slowly. Yet here I was to ruin all that by healing his life-threatening injuries and giving this man a second chance at life. I just hoped that he took the opportunity for improvement.
It was a little difficult to maneuver into a position where I could set my hands in the places I needed to for proper healing. The man was practically glued to the crates at his side and the building wall behind him. The only solution was to crouch with my left leg between his legs and my right leg off to his side. With the way this all probably looked from a distance, I felt certain there were details I would omit when sharing this tale with Ruka.
With my left hand on his temple and my right on his heart, I closed my eyes and focused on sending the healing energy through the man's body, carefully repairing the worst of his injuries while also being sure to leave some evidence of the attack on his body. The men who had done this in the first place would only retaliate more if he walked away without a scratch.
I felt it as his bones snapped back into place and I paused the healing just as the bones began to knit themselves back together, leaving them cracked instead of broken. He would feel considerably better than he did a minute ago, but he would still be incredibly sore. I did not envy his next few days.
The whole process took only a minute but left me feeling drained in a way I could not have imagined. Restraining the energy for a partial heal had been taxing, and I instinctively knew that I would need a couple minutes before I could manage to return to the Resurrector facilities.
Unfortunately with the slight boost of energy the heal had given him, my charge was beginning to really move and I needed to get far away before he realized that I had been his guardian angel. Really, why did the Leaders act as if that was the most dangerous situation ever? I remembered whole lessons where they would warn us about sticking around too long. It would reveal us to the world was what they said. Having that knowledge available to all humans would make it harder for us to operate unseen.
The truth was that some did see us and remember, but those people also knew how the rest of society would respond to such a revelation. Most were not willing to be labeled as insane.
I pushed myself up, a feat that was nearly impossible in my weakened state. I wish I could say that I then simply walked away but it was more accurate to say that I stumbled out of the alley and then leaned against the nearest wall to catch my breath. All I needed to do was relax and focus on getting back home. I would sort out everything else later.
When I eventually made it back to my room it took all my remaining energy to kick off my shoes before collapsing in my bed. It took only moments for the darkness of sleep to envelop me.
#
Tamesis had fallen asleep at the end of this portion of my tale and I pulled the covers up over her shoulders. I had to resist any urge to kiss her forehead or any other potentially romantic notion. Not long ago I told her that nothing could happen between us and mostly I had stuck to that statement. As with anything else, I sometimes struggled with my choices.
This was something I absolutely needed to deny myself. I could not stand here any longer without my resolve crumbling into nothingness. "Sweet dreams, Tamesis," I murmured before quietly making my way out of her room. I hoped she would be able to sleep through the night. Seeing her overwork herself pained me and I was unsure if she did it because it was what she was used to or if there were some signs I had been missing. I saw no anomalies on my master scroll so whatever was going on had nothing to do with the Balance.
I needed to find answers. Soon.
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