Free After Dark by Donna Hill Page B

was that I hurt you—hurt them.”
    â€œI’m sure they know,” Elizabeth said.
    â€œWhat do you think I should do—about the course of treatment?”
    She sighed heavily. “I don’t know.” She placed her hand on his thigh. “Maybe we can talk to the doctor about it…together.” She watched his nostrils flare and his eyes fill.
    â€œThank you,” he said, barely able to get the words out.
    She nodded. “It’s going to be all right. I know it is,” she said, as much in statement as in prayer.
    He placed his hand atop hers and squeezed it gently.
    Â 
    By the time Elizabeth got back home, it was after midnight. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally. She checked her voice mail. No call from Ron, but Barbara had called. She knew it was much too late to reach her now. She’d call first thing in the morning. Maybe they could get together for breakfast and talk. She had a laundry list of things she needed to get off her chest.
    Dragging through the apartment, she stripped out of her clothes and crawled into bed. But once there, with the lights out and only the distant sounds of the streets below to keep her company, she couldn’t sleep.
    She felt totally overwhelmed, as if she was sinking and had forgotten how to swim. Every time she tried to get her head above water, she got tugged right back down again.
    Ron.
    Matthew.
    She saw herself running through the woods, darting around trees and leaping over foliage until she finally reached a clearing. At the crest of a rolling hill, she spotted two images and recognized them as Matthew and Ron, standing side by side. Seeing them gave her some momentary sense of peace. She started to run toward them and, as she got closer, she realized that they weren’t standing on the top of a hill, but on the edge of a cliff. The wind suddenly gusted. Matt and Ron rocked back and forth, losing their balance. She ran faster, but they continued to get farther and farther away. She finally reached the edge of the cliff and stretched out her hands to keep them from falling. Their fingers touched. She almost had both of them. She could save them both if they would just grab hold. And then the wind whipped up again, more powerfully this time, and they were lifted off their feet. Both men began to fall and as they fell she was dragged down with them. She screamed and jumped up from her nightmare.
    Her eyes darted around the darkness. Her heart raced out of control. She drew her knees to her chest and lowered her head, drawing in long breaths, hoping to slow her racing heartbeat down.
    It was just a dream, she kept repeating to herself. Just a dream.
    What was left of the night was spent half sleeping, half waking, the fear of revisiting her dream enough to keep true sleep at bay.
    Unable to stay in bed any longer, she stumbled into the bathroom and got into the shower. Feeling mildly refreshed, she fixed a pot of coffee. It was just about seven when her phone rang.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œHey, Ell, it’s Barbara. I tried you last night.”
    â€œGirl, we gotta talk. Wanna have breakfast?”
    â€œMy sister in spirit. Come by my house. I’ll fix us something while you’re on your way.”
    â€œGreat. See you in about a half hour.”
    She grabbed her mug of coffee and took it into the bedroom to sip while she got dressed. The forecast called for a chance of showers so she snatched up her umbrella on the way out. The spa wasn’t scheduled to open until noon and it would close at ten. Tonight was their late night. At least, the long hours would give her and Barbara a chance to really talk, which reminded her that she needed to get in contact with Ann Marie as soon as possible.
    When she knocked on Barbara’s door, she could smell the warm scent of fresh biscuits and her stomach yelped in appreciation.
    â€œHey, girl, come on in.”
    They swapped cheek kisses.
    Elizabeth dropped her