"I thought about not coming back," I told him truthfully.
"Lissa, don't make my heart stop," Franklin said, frowning at me. "I still have flashbacks of seeing your blackened body floating in a bathtub. I know how I felt then and I didn't like it. Life hasn't treated you well at all, little girl, but something has been squeezing my heart for three weeks now, and it's finally beating at a normal rhythm because you're awake and talking."
"I have a question for you," I reached for his hand and captured it, this time. I squeezed his fingers lightly, too.
"What's that?" he smiled again.
"Why wouldn't you and Greg let Merrill turn you? You know—before?"
"Ah. That." Franklin sighed and looked at the wall for a moment.
"It was Griffin, wasn't it?" I already knew the answer; I just wanted him to say it.
"Yeah, it was Griffin. I knew he saw things," Frank turned his gaze back to me. "I asked him once what he thought I should do. It took a few minutes to get a reply because his eyes lost focus, just as they do when he's Looking into the future or something. 'You can allow the turn,' he studied me with those hazel eyes of his, 'and you'll be a vampire. It won't be too bad, but you have a choice to make, Franklin. You can take the easy way and be a vampire and lead an okay life. Or, you can take the hard path, live out this life and die as you normally would—you and Greg both, and wait for the better life to come. It's your choice, young one. But if you could see what I see at the end of the second path, that is the way you'd go, I think.' He was right, as it turns out."
"It was a hard path, though, wasn't it?" I watched his face. He looked so much like Merrill it was frightening. I didn't see much of Kiarra there at all.
"It was the hardest path, and I almost caved in when Greg died," Franklin muttered, ducking his head again.
"I wish I'd been there," I sighed. "When can I get these tubes out of me?"
"When Karzac says," I saw a shadow of a smile come back to Franklin's face.
"Well, me and my IV stand may take a little trip to the kitchen, then," I grumped.
"Lissa, that may not be a good idea," Frank attempted to talk me out of my kitchen-raiding plans.
"Uh-huh," I nodded. "Want me to mist you in there with me?"
"You want me to get in trouble with Karzac, don't you?"
"Well, he'll know you didn't have anything to do with it." I was trying to sit up in bed so I would be partly vertical before taking off.
"Lissa, your body has been practically inert for three weeks—you'll need to build up your strength again," Franklin cautioned. "We've been exercising your arms and legs and turning you during your out-of-body experience, but that's not the same thing."
"You sure know how to take the fun out of everything," I grumped. He was right, though—my arms and elbows were shaking, just from trying to sit up. "Damn," I muttered. "And I wanted something to eat and drink."
"I'll see if I can find something for you," Franklin said, trying to get me back down in the bed.
"Why did they put me here? In Gryphon Hall? Isn't there enough room in my overly large palace, somewhere?"
"Well, we need to tell you about that some other time." Franklin was putting me off, I could tell.
"They haven't turned my palace into a casino, have they?" I was just about to come off the bed anyway.
"Lissa, I think Kifirin would murder everybody if that happened," Franklin replied, fluffing my pillow. "Now, will you sit still while I round up something for you to eat, or do I have to wake someone to watch you while I go to the kitchen?"
"I'll sit still." I wasn't happy, but I didn't want everybody in the house forced out of bed because I wanted a sandwich and a glass of juice.
Frank even had something to eat with me, then threatened to put me in a healing sleep afterward when I told him I wanted to brush my teeth. "Do it with power," he grumped, his arms crossed over his chest. I cleaned my teeth with a bit of power, and he made sure I hadn't dislodged any of my tubes. Yeah, I hate those things in my hand and arm. Franklin stubbornly sat on his chair, although I tried to get him to go to bed. I even offered to scoot over so he could have the side of my bed. He refused and out-stubborned me to sleep.
* * *
"Liiisssa."
"Huh?" My eyes were refusing to open, like always. My mouth always works first. I'm sure most people I know would prefer things to be just the opposite.
"Thank goodness. We were worried Frank had imagined this." Drake held me against his chest, and Drew was impatiently waiting for his brother to scoot out of the way when my eyes cooperated eventually.
"Hi, honey," I lifted a hand and stroked Drake's cheek.
"Karzac's on his way," Drew hissed, so Drake handed me over. The stupid tubes were still attached, and I sure hoped Karzac would take the damn things out. Drew leaned down and kissed me while I got babied in his arms. Yeah, I like my Falchani. They put me back in bed just before Karzac walked into the room.
"Lissa is awake and do you send mindspeech?" Karzac could find something to grumble about in any situation, I think.
"Honey, I think I'll buy you a planet," I said.
"Lissa, do we need a psychiatric evaluation?" Karzac had an eyebrow lifted as he came to stand at my bedside.
"Now see, you just proved to me that you can find the flaw in any situation," I pointed a finger at him. Drake and Drew were doing their best not to snicker. "And it's nice to see you, too," I added. "Can I get in the hot tub now?"
"Lissa, please do not force me to slap my forehead. I have watched over your unconscious body for weeks now, and the first things out of your mouth are buying a planet and soaking in a hot tub?" Karzac was shaking his head in disbelief.
"I feel cold," I grumped.
"Then say that, instead of asking to get in the hot tub."
"Damn, no hot tub," I muttered. "Can I get a kiss, at least?" That I got, several times over, with a little mindspeech, too, telling me not to worry him like that again. I also got a big, thick quilt over my bed and the tubes pulled out.
"You may get up with assistance for dinner, if you feel well enough. Lunch will be brought in—I'm sure your other mates will come calling." Karzac was sending the IV stand somewhere and getting rid of the used blood bag with a thought. I never asked him what he did with that stuff.