Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

Interlude V - The Sister - II

  Hailey made a dropping gesture with her hand. Meg had gotten a little louder as she talked. "Yes," she whispered. She took a seat on the office chair in front of Meg's desk, and stretched out her legs like someone who'd just gone for a long run. As her head tilted back, Meg saw her eyes drift over the photos she'd pinned up, and felt a twinge of embarrassment. What if Hailey thought they looked silly or dumb? She had to keep talking.

  "Is this what you guys always do?"

  "No. Nothing like this has ever happened." For the first time, Hailey's voice actually sounded a little uncertain. The little breeze that wafted around the room whenever she was there tickled Meg's neck, reminding her again what Hailey could do. She leaned up and looked Meg in the eye, and her voice was strong and solid again. She looked suspicious. "What did he say to you?"

  "Oh, uhh..." Meg looked away, feeling a bit ashamed. No hiding it now, I guess. "Actually... Zack always tells me where you guys go." As Hailey's suspicion grew, Meg talked a bit faster. "Don't be mad at him, okay? He said it was important. Just in case... you know... something happened to him. So that I could tell Mom and Dad. He never told me what you were doing out there."

  Hailey sighed. The suspicion faded, to Meg's immense relief. "Trying to help people."

  "...Did you? You know, help people?"

  "I think so." She glanced at the wall that separated Meg and Alden's bedrooms. "He's gonna need your help for the next few days though."

  Meg followed her gaze, though the wall wasn't particularly interesting to look at. She had a poster of a boy band above her bed, which she was now regretting. Hailey probably thinks they're so lame... "Did he get hurt?"

  "Not exactly. Physically he's totally fine. But, sometimes when someone goes through something really scary, it stays with them. Like—"

  "Like PTSD, right?" Meg supplied. She wasn't a kid, she knew stuff.

  "Yeah."

  "What do I need to do?" she asked breathlessly, wanting to show she was ready to dive right in. Anything to help out her hero.

  Hailey smiled weakly. "Alden's really lucky to have a sister like you, you know?"

  "Psh. After all this is over, I get to rub it in his face. Totally worth it." She meant it too. She got along okay with Alden most of the time, but he had a tendency to play way too much into the big brother thing sometimes. Overprotective, over-restrictive. Having one up on him would do loads for her. "What do I do to help him?" she asked again.

  Hailey looked a bit wistful at her words. She shook it off. "Just be there for him. No complaints and no teasing, just help him out. You can joke around a bit, but never make it seem like he's a burden. He's gonna be in shock for a while, and maybe some pain too. Plus all that stuff from over the summer will probably come back. Maybe even worse."

  Meg sighed, a little more dramatically than she'd intended. She got up and walked over to her closet, pulling out her sleeping bag. She hadn't needed it since July, but she'd never bothered to put it back up in the attic. "I was hoping I'd never have to use this stupid thing again."

  "You sleep in his room?"

  She shrugged. "I had to if I was gonna be there fast enough to keep him from waking up Mom and Dad, right? It sucks, but someone's gotta do it." She picked up a few of her favorite pillows from her bed, as well as a blanket. The sleeping bag wasn't really warm enough on its own. "Hey, Hailey?"