Complications

I was getting a bit too comfortable; I can feel it the minute I bite into the pizza Emilia has ordered for us. Emotions dance across my vision, feelings covering my own. My mark blinks as my power goes wild, reading everyone in the area.

Emilia has high hopes; she wants this to work out. Worry, guilt, and fear storm inside of her. She's concerned if this goes wrong, no one will be able to help.

Zach on the other hand is trying to remain calm; he glances around, feelings of worry, stress, and sadness toying with his heart. I take a sip of water, trying to pull back; I fear that if it extends to where David is currently residing, I'll break.

"Miss Hughes, the drivers have arrived with Miss Rowan. She will be entering the building in T-minus five minutes." Quinn announces.

"Lovely!" she glances at me, eyes sparked with hope. "Quinn, can you tell me where David is at the moment?"

Quinn pauses for a brief moment.

"Boss is currently taking place in the sound room. He wishes to not be disturbed."

"Override code, H-327 Quinn."

"Yes, Miss Hughes; unlocking sound room."

I stared at her confused.

"I have override codes to ignore his commands. He designed it just in case. Quinn's going to unlock the sound room and force him out of there." She explained.

"Miss Hughes, I can only help if the client is willing. If I force myself into their minds, it doesn't end very well." I replied.

Before she could respond, the doors opened and Rowan stepped in. She glances, in awe at the inside of the house, before her eyes land on me. Smiling, she takes the spot next to me on the couch.

"Quinn, can you get David please?" Emilia asks.

"Boss is on his way, Miss Hughes. He was calibrating the-"

"Thank you Quinn, that'll be all." Emilia interrupts.

Rowan glances warily at me, but says nothing. I feel a tiny bit better now that she's by my side.

The tension in the room increases as the elevator dings, someone stepping out.

My body freezes up, as my mark begins to glow. I can feel his pain, sadness, and more. I glance at the 6'3 figure, noting the bags underneath his eyes, exhaustion marring his movements. His hair is messily made, the dark spikes disarrayed as if he was running his hands through it. He looks like he hasn't shaved in a while, and the formation of a dark beard is in the works. This man looks like a walking zombie, and I'm left wondering how he can stay awake, let alone have the capability to create things.

His dull green eyes flick from mine to Rowan's.

"Sorry girls, I'm on a strict diet, and I don't want Girl Scout cookies messing me up. Unless you have fudge balls, then that's a different story." he says, standing next to Emilia.

Rowan rolls her eyes, muttering douchebag under her breath. Zach chuckles, and I'm wondering how he could have heard that if it was said so faint.

Emilia breaks the silence with a laugh. "David, always full of jokes. This is Laney, hun, remember I talked to you about her?"

"I can't even remember what I had for breakfast, Em."

"You haven't eaten in four days, boss." Quinn interfered.

"No one likes a tattletale, Quinn."

I cleared my throat, getting up from the couch. "Hello, Mr. Larkson. I've come here to help."

"Help? Oh, fantastic, I needed someone to calibrate the force fields-"

"Not that kind of help, David. Look, I'm going to be blunt with you; your girlfriend has announced the existence of Laney, forced her into hiding out into my home, which your son, or whatever he is to you has broken in." Rowan is fuming, face going red, anger bubbling up.

David's eyes go instantly at Zach, who shrinks away from his gaze. "You did what now?"

"Look. We all know you're not okay Mr. Larkson And we were just, well I was just really desperate, okay? I want you better, I know Miss Hughes does too..."

His face softens, and he drags a hand through his messy brown hair. I take note of his grease stained old band t-shirt, and faded pants. He's barefoot, and I wonder if he's even slept any today.

"I can help you; but you gotta trust in me Mr. Larkson. I got a brief run down of what I'm dealing with, so I think I can take care of this. But," I glanced at Rowan for the next part, "we're going to have to sedate you for this part. Normally, I'd just give my client melatonin, but your trauma is too severe, and if you wake up before I do, then this is all going to be for nothing."

David nods, mulling it over a bit.

"I'll be there David. You don't have to worry about going in on it alone." Emilia responded, talking a hold of his hands gently. He took her hand, gently cupping her face.

Rowan shifted from foot to foot, a bit uncomfortable.

"I'll do it. And I'm hoping you're going to prove me wrong, Ms. Maxwell. Because as an inventor and with an IQ of 272, I'm always right."

I stared up at him, straightening up to my full 5'5 height; this would be a challenge, something that I had never faced before. But his doubt made my resolve stronger; I was going to try my hardest to piece him back together.

"So you ready?" Rowan interrupted.

"Not even a little." David responded. "So, what do you need me to do?"

"Show us up to your room please. And Miss Hughes, I'm going to need you t o administer the sedative in him. I take it with your nursing background, it's something you can access?" I asked.

"Actually, we have that in the Med-Center, just a couple floors up. I can go get them if you want. It's the least I can do after all I did." Zach replied sheepishly.

"Well get on it, kid, I'm not getting tired over here." David joked.

Zach nodded before turning on his heel and disappearing without another sound.

"He's strangely fast." Rowan observed.

"Let me show you to my humble adobe." David responded, leading us away from the living room, and up the stairs. The stairs wound up, elegant railing, and shining tile on the steps. As we entered a long hallway, I noticed pictures and paintings decorating the walls.

Some of them were of David, but almost all of them were of Miss Hughes; picture after picture, it showed her smiling face next to David, or posing as a model.

"How are they not married yet?" Rowan whispered in my ear.

I shrugged, not able to give her an answer myself.

We stopped at the end of the hall, a blank wall staring back at us. I gave Rowan a confused look, which she returned. Sliding a picture over, David revealed a key pad, typing in a code. The wall slid out of the way, showing a darkened room. We stepped in, the smell of motor oil, and cologne hitting my senses.

"Welcome to my room." David said, clapping his hands. Lights flicked on, my eyes taking in the half built robots, messy king sized bed, and a pile of clothes in the corner. There was a hologram pulled up in the center of the room, and David typed on his watch, the hologram disappearing.

"I'm back." Zach said, sounding a bit breathless. He handed Emilia a small medkit. "Here ya go, Miss Hughes."

"Thank you." Emilia responded, taking the small kit, and taking out a syringe. Zach's face changed in color. "I think I'm gonna step outside." he said, disappearing once more.

"Kid gets squeamish at the sight of needles." David answered, settling into his bed.

"You ready?" she asked him.

He stared directly at me, eyes full hidden secrets. "Kid, if you can put this broken man back together, that'll be a miracle in itself."

I took a step towards him, my mark glowing faintly in response to the rise of emotion. "I'll do my best, David."

He nodded, then turned to Emilia. Without missing a beat, she placed the needle in the side of his neck, his body relaxing instantly as he laid back on the bed. His eyes glanced around wildly, hands gripping the blankets, before the drug took over, calming his movements.

I waited exactly five minutes, before laying on the floor next to him. Emilia moved as if to move me to the bed, but I waved her off. She nodded, stepping back.

My mark began to glow like a small star, my eyes closing. I could feel myself get lighter and the heavier as I took the steps into David's mind.

And into his mind I went.