First, Best and Always

Chapter 55- The Spirit Realm

Finally! The voice exclaimed. Finally free of that body. It was holding on so hard. Craig Scott stepped from…he wasn’t sure where, into a world he’d never seen before. Everything around him seemed blurred, the air was heavy and oppressive like a fog that would not rise. As he looked around he tried to orient himself, he knew he’d never been here before, but still…this place, wherever it was, had a familiar feel to it. As he walked along the path he became increasingly anxious; wherever this place was, whatever this place was, he didn’t belong here, this place was forbidding, there was danger here, he wasn’t sure how he knew…but he knew. Now his problem was how to go back to…where? Where had he come from?

“Now that does present a problem” he thought to himself as he continued to move down the path, “You can’t go ‘back’ if you don’t know where ‘back’ is”…

~~~

Eric was quickly making his way back to Craig’s room. He’d finally talked the two doctors into acting now with his procedure. If his dad was right Craig was running out of time. “He’s always right about things like this,” he thought to himself as he made his way hurriedly through the corridors. He caught up with Raven just as she was coming out of the ladies room.

“Jic” he called out to her back. “Finally, I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“What’s wrong” she replied, fear filling her eyes. “Is it Craig?” “Is he all right?”

“No…I mean yes he’s still holding on, but we’ve decided to go ahead with the surgery now…it can’t wait any longer.”

“Something’s happened,” she said knowingly. “You wouldn’t be in this state if everything was still the same.” “What’s going on?”

“I just got some information that makes me think we have to go now, we have to get in there now.” “I’ve already talked to Dr. Millieux and he and the Chief agree, we can’t wait any longer.”

“Information?” “What information?” “Tell me Ric” she said anxiously, “Tell me everything…I have a right to know.”

“Of course you do Jic, of course you do.” “Lets just say that Craig has folks looking out for him that we didn’t’ even know were in the game.”

She looked at him for a moment, a confused look spread across her face, and then the light dawned.

“It’s your dad isn’t it?” “He knows something, doesn’t he?”

“Does he ever” he said as he took her by the arm leading her quickly down the hall. He found an unoccupied section of the hallway near the window and told her everything he knew.

Raven’s reply was one of shock and disbelief, “He’s walking the wheel for Craig?”

“Yes, that’s why I’ve got to get ready now, I’ve got to get in there and help him.” “They’ll be coming up to get him in a few minutes, you probably should get in there with him, if you want to say good…he stopped himself just short of saying 'good-bye', “If you want to see him before they take him upstairs.”

“Raven understood all too well what he started to say, and she’d steeled herself for this moment, for the moment when she would have to watch them take her brother away not knowing if she’s ever see him alive again.

“But before you go in there” he continued, “There’s something else we need to get straight…it’s about Vin.”

Raven’s temper started to rise again; “I don’t have time to be concerned with him right now.” “I told you before I don’t want to talk about him.”

“Good.” Eric said authoritatively. “Cause I don’t have time to argue with you, so I’ll do the talking and you can just shut up and listen.”

Raven couldn’t believe Ric was speaking to her that way at a time like this, but she knew that look in his eyes all too well, he had something to say and nothing was going to stop him, not even her.

“Well…go ahead...I’m listening,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest impatiently.

“I know why he’s been acting the way he has…he thinks...” Eric paused, this was his last chance to leave things be and get his life back the way he wanted it. He made a decision that would change all their lives. He decided to do what he’d always been taught to do…he took the high road.

“He thinks that we’ve been together…since I’ve been home…he thinks you cheated on him.”

“That’s crazy!” Raven said astonished. “Why in the world would he think something like that?”

“I don’t know why, that’s for you two to sort out, but it is what he thinks…he said as much back at the house before we left.” “He said you got up out of his bed and came to me.” “He said that I’d ‘won’ that my ‘victory was complete’…he warned me that “if you did it to him you might just do it to me too.” “That kind of talk coming from a man can only mean one thing Jic…he thinks you slept with me.” “That’s why he’s been acting so crazy.”

Ric’s last sentence was hardly out of his mouth as Vin and Chris emerged from the room. Looking at Vin and giving Chris a quick wave he said “I’ve gotta go…bring them up to speed, and, well…you know what to do about my dad.” With that he went running towards the elevators that would take him to a place that held the destiny of not one, but two people he loved.