You Hear Voices

When she woke up, she could feel several pairs of hands on her and a commanding voice counting when to move an individual who may or may not be wounded. They moved her to a stretcher. The moment they let go, she rolled off and ran down the hall. She heard several shouts as she locked the bathroom door. Sitting in the bathtub, she bowed her head trying to comprehend the words she was hearing.

"Willow, it's Dean. Will you come out and talk to me?"

"Why did you call for an ambulance?" she asked, still trying to puzzle out what she was hearing.

"I couldn't wake you. I didn't know if something had happened."

"I'm fine. Send the medic team to 3D."

"They are here for you. To…"

"Then she will die and I won't come out."

"What?"

"Send the team to 3D!" she yelled.

"Okay."

Willow listened as Dean got the medic team to the other apartment. They lived in a single bedroom apartment complex just off campus. There were about thirty apartments in their complex. She lived in 3A and Dean in 2A, just below her.

He knocked lightly once the team had gone.

"It's unlocked," she said.

Dean entered and sat on the toilet lid. Willow curled into a ball and rested her chin on her knees.

"What are you thinking?...Willow?"

"Close call," she whispered.

A knock on the door prevented him from asking his next question. The Chief of Police stood at the door.

"Is Willow in, young man?" he asked.

"Right here, Chief," Willow said.

"I'll need you to come with me."

"What has she done?" Dean asked.

"Dean, it's all right. I'll be back in a few hours."

"But..."

"There are pens and paper in the drawer of the side table. Write down your questions and I'll give you answers when I return."

"Are you crazy?! You've been sleeping a lot and you were completely unresponsive when I came by today!"

Willow walked towards him. He backed up until he was sitting on the couch.

"Write down your questions. I'll be back in two hours." Then she left with the chief.

While Dean was writing all of his questions, Willow was filing another testimony. She and Chief Bushberry had gone through this many times since she had gotten out of the Sanitarium. All of her testimonies were basically the same, though, at times, an element here or there would be different. This one was the most different because of Dean's involvement. It had been hard to explain how this happened the first time, but now it had happened enough times that the police just accepted it. She still had to fill out a report each time, but that didn't bother her.

Two hours later, as promised, she was back in her apartment. Dean looked worn out. On the coffee table in front of him were several pages of questions. She picked them up and read through them. Dean had only known Willow for a few weeks, so she wasn't surprised by how long the list was. Dean watched her as she read. These last few days had seemed out of the ordinary for her. Still, her expression was unreadable. What was she thinking? Feeling?

Willow set the questions on the table and went into the kitchen to make herbal tea. While the herbs were steeping, she disappeared into her room. There she stayed for, what seemed to Dean, a long time. He was about ready to check on her when she came back. Her expression remained the same. For several minutes they drank their tea until Dean couldn't stand the silence no more.

"What are you thinking?" Dean asked, setting his empty mug on the table. Willow set her cup down and turned slightly toward Dean.

"You know the answers to all the questions you have written down. Do you really need me to tell you again?"

"No, but..."

Willow left the room. When she didn't come back out, Dean checked on her. She was laying in bed. He sat on the edge and set a hand on her shoulder. Her orange eyes turned to him.

"Will you tell me more about yourself?"

"No."

"Please, Willow. I really do want to know you better. To understand what makes you different."

"If you really want to try and understand who I am, you need to stop blowing up in my face. Stop trying to make me fit what society deems normal."

"I can work on it."

"Then get started." Willow turned away and covered her head.

Dean sighed and rubbed her shoulder for a moment. Then he left her apartment. For the rest of the week, Dean didn't see her. He didn't hear her moving around her apartment either which was normal, yet not. There were patches of floor that squeaked and yet he never heard one of them. How did she remain so silent? When the next week began, Dean checked on Willow. Her door was unlocked. He knocked then stepped in. She sat against the wall opposite the couch.

"Hi, Dean," she said.

"Hi, Willow," he replied.

He sat beside her and gave her a long hug. When he let go, he noticed she was staring away.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"It has to be something."

"No really. It's nothing."

She turned to look at him. Her orange eyes appeared to be red and she looked exhausted.

"Have you been unable to sleep this last week?"

She nodded and pulled her legs up to her chest.

"Why don't you go lay down?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"There is still something I need to do."

"Like what?"

She was quiet for a moment before she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.

'9-1-1, what is your emergency?'

"Cotton Tree Apartments. 3556 S 8900 W Apartment 5C," then she hung up.

Dean stared at her. "What's going on there? Why did you just give an address?"

"I don't know what is happening there. I can only pass on the information I am given."

"Given?"

His question hung in the air again.

"You hear voices," he said, trying to keep his tone even.

"I hear locations," she said. "Keep a watch on the clock; Chief Bushberry will be here in a few hours."

Willow got up and went into her room leaving Dean confused and worried. Kneeling next to her bed, Willow prayed. She conversed with her God until Dean knocked lightly on her door.

"Willow? The chief is here."

"Thank you, Dean," she replied, but she didn't move.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"If you'd like."

Dean accompanied Willow and Chief Bushberry back to the station. Dean watched as she wrote the report. Several times she adjusted her stance--preferring to stand than sit--or rubbed her eyes, but it wasn't until she set the pen down that she collapsed to one knee. The movement was so sudden that it startled the entire department.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Dean yelled.

"No!" Willow yelled. "I'm fine."

The room seemed frozen in indecision as Willow pulled herself back to her feet. Then with shaky, uneven steps she made her way out of the police station. Dean tried several times to help her, but she shook him off. A few blocks from the police station, Dean forced her to sit down and rest on a nearby bench.

"Why won't you go to the hospital?" he asked, very upset. "Clearly you are not well."

"My life is meaningless."

"No, it isn't! How can you say that?"

Willow stared at the park across the road. "There is something you need to see," she said.