stones.
"Oops," she mumbled.
Cooper watched her scoop up the keys.
"This will probably be interesting," he said.
She drove the powerful car very gingerly through the alley. The headlights penetrated only a few feet into the heavy fog. Every trash can was a major hazard.
She made it across the narrow street that separated the blocks and drove cautiously into the alley that ran behind her own shop.
She was sure she heard a deep sigh of relief when she stopped at the rear door of St. Clair's Herbal Emporium and de-rezzed the ignition.
"See?" she said, handing Cooper the keys. "No problem."
He pocketed the keys without comment. With Rose hunched on his shoulder, he climbed out of the backseat, opened the passenger door, and reached down to assist Bertha.
Elly de-rezzed the heavy new lock that she had recently installed and opened the back door of the shop. The familiar scents and a pleasant trickle of psi energy wafted over her, soothing and comforting all of her senses.
She rezzed the lights, revealing the ranks of herbs and flowers that hung upside down from the ceiling and filled an array of baskets.
"My apartment is on the floor above the shop," she said. "We need to get Bertha up. those stairs."
Bertha grunted. "I'm not a total invalid here."
She grasped the handrail and trudged up the steps.
Elly left Cooper standing at the foot of the stairs while she piloted Bertha down a short hall into the darkened bedroom.
Bertha balked in the doorway, scowling ferociously at the neatly made bed.
"This is your room," she complained.
"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa."
"Can't take your only bed."
"Yes, you can and you will," Elly said. "Please, Bertha, don't go into stubborn mode on me tonight."
"Can't." Bertha lurched into the room and collapsed on top of the bed, eyes closing. "Feel like a building fell on top of me."
"I don't doubt it." Elly tugged off Bertha's heavy boots. "Do you remember anything at all about what happened?"
"Not much." Bertha rubbed the nape of her neck. "Can't think. Maybe in the morning."
"Do you feel nauseated?"
"No."
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
Bertha peered at her hand. "One. G'night."
She started snoring.
Elly covered her with a spare blanket and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Patient number one was under control, she thought. Now to deal with patient number two.
Rose tumbled up the stairs and drifted into the kitchen in search of her food dish.
Elly went to the landing and looked down. Cooper was still standing at the foot of the staircase. It seemed to her that he was gripping the end of the banister much too tightly.
He watched her with stark, hot eyes. An unfamiliar tension radiated from him.
A chill of awareness swept through her.
"Cooper?"
"Remember, don't tell her who I am."
"Yes, I know." She wrinkled her nose. "Guild business."
"Yeah, and it just got a lot more complicated."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll explain in the morning." The words sounded ragged around the edges. "Just wanted to make sure you understood how important it is that you don't tell her about the blue."
"I won't."
"I need to get out of here." He shoved himself away from the banister and started toward the door.
"I don't think so." She hurried down the stairs. "You're not in any shape to drive, especially given the fog. You'll have to stay here tonight."
"Bad idea. I'll be back in the morning."
"I'm not going to let you leave."
"Be okay." He kept walking toward the door.
"Like heck you will." She rushed past him and flung herself in front of the door, barring his path. "Stop right where you are. I mean it. You cannot possibly intend to drive that Spectrum anywhere tonight. You're a danger to yourself and others."
He blinked a couple of times and then nodded, reluctantly acknowledging the obvious.
"You're right. I'll sleep in it, instead," he said.
"You will do no such thing. This isn't the most dangerous neighborhood in the Old Quarter, but it isn't
"Oops," she mumbled.
Cooper watched her scoop up the keys.
"This will probably be interesting," he said.
She drove the powerful car very gingerly through the alley. The headlights penetrated only a few feet into the heavy fog. Every trash can was a major hazard.
She made it across the narrow street that separated the blocks and drove cautiously into the alley that ran behind her own shop.
She was sure she heard a deep sigh of relief when she stopped at the rear door of St. Clair's Herbal Emporium and de-rezzed the ignition.
"See?" she said, handing Cooper the keys. "No problem."
He pocketed the keys without comment. With Rose hunched on his shoulder, he climbed out of the backseat, opened the passenger door, and reached down to assist Bertha.
Elly de-rezzed the heavy new lock that she had recently installed and opened the back door of the shop. The familiar scents and a pleasant trickle of psi energy wafted over her, soothing and comforting all of her senses.
She rezzed the lights, revealing the ranks of herbs and flowers that hung upside down from the ceiling and filled an array of baskets.
"My apartment is on the floor above the shop," she said. "We need to get Bertha up. those stairs."
Bertha grunted. "I'm not a total invalid here."
She grasped the handrail and trudged up the steps.
Elly left Cooper standing at the foot of the stairs while she piloted Bertha down a short hall into the darkened bedroom.
Bertha balked in the doorway, scowling ferociously at the neatly made bed.
"This is your room," she complained.
"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa."
"Can't take your only bed."
"Yes, you can and you will," Elly said. "Please, Bertha, don't go into stubborn mode on me tonight."
"Can't." Bertha lurched into the room and collapsed on top of the bed, eyes closing. "Feel like a building fell on top of me."
"I don't doubt it." Elly tugged off Bertha's heavy boots. "Do you remember anything at all about what happened?"
"Not much." Bertha rubbed the nape of her neck. "Can't think. Maybe in the morning."
"Do you feel nauseated?"
"No."
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
Bertha peered at her hand. "One. G'night."
She started snoring.
Elly covered her with a spare blanket and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Patient number one was under control, she thought. Now to deal with patient number two.
Rose tumbled up the stairs and drifted into the kitchen in search of her food dish.
Elly went to the landing and looked down. Cooper was still standing at the foot of the staircase. It seemed to her that he was gripping the end of the banister much too tightly.
He watched her with stark, hot eyes. An unfamiliar tension radiated from him.
A chill of awareness swept through her.
"Cooper?"
"Remember, don't tell her who I am."
"Yes, I know." She wrinkled her nose. "Guild business."
"Yeah, and it just got a lot more complicated."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll explain in the morning." The words sounded ragged around the edges. "Just wanted to make sure you understood how important it is that you don't tell her about the blue."
"I won't."
"I need to get out of here." He shoved himself away from the banister and started toward the door.
"I don't think so." She hurried down the stairs. "You're not in any shape to drive, especially given the fog. You'll have to stay here tonight."
"Bad idea. I'll be back in the morning."
"I'm not going to let you leave."
"Be okay." He kept walking toward the door.
"Like heck you will." She rushed past him and flung herself in front of the door, barring his path. "Stop right where you are. I mean it. You cannot possibly intend to drive that Spectrum anywhere tonight. You're a danger to yourself and others."
He blinked a couple of times and then nodded, reluctantly acknowledging the obvious.
"You're right. I'll sleep in it, instead," he said.
"You will do no such thing. This isn't the most dangerous neighborhood in the Old Quarter, but it isn't
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