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Aimée awoke in the hospital, with her right leg in a cast. The room was small and there was only room for two beds in the room, both beds had machines next to them registering their occupants breathing and heartbeat. Aimée couldn’t see who was in the other bed but the visitor gave it away, fortunately Aimée still had her cap on.
“Hey Max,” she said. Max had been sitting as still as a statue until Aimée spoke, as soon as he heard her voice he ran over,
“Aimée, are you alright?” he looked very worried for her, Aimée wondered why.
“Okay, all things considered,” she said weakly, “how’s Treeroot?” Max looked at Aimée’s saviour, he sounded as if this sort of thing happened a lot but he was still worried.
“She was in surgery for an hour getting all the wood out, her scapula got chipped, and her back is badly burnt too.” He looked back at Aimée, he tried to smile, but he was nervous about something,
“Are you worried about her?” she asked, Max shook his head and chuckled.
“This kind of thing always happens.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I’m worried about you.” As he said this his face turned red. He looked away, embarrassed. Aimée was taken back, He’s worried about me? She thought, Something awful must have happened.
Max saw her anxious face and explained; “You had a thick piece of wood through your lower leg, nothing too serious. It’s just…” He looked in her eyes, “You could have died in that fire.”
“Not if I can help it.” Came Treeroot’s voice, she sat up awkwardly. She had an oxygen mask on and bandage around her neck, her eyes were black but they slowly changed to amber. “Are you alright?” Aimée nodded. Treeroot pulled off the oxygen mask, “I hate those things.”
The doctor came in with Emma following close behind. The doctor had platinum blond hair pulled into a ponytail, she was probably in her early 30s. Her light blue eyes had a calming effect, as she read the chart at the end of Aimée’s bed.
Emma looked up at the doctor, “Well, Dr Jones? Can I question them?” As usual Emma was emotionless in public and only wanted information.
Dr Jones put down Aimée’s chart, “Well, Ms Perkins can probably leave tomorrow and Treeroot-”
Treeroot was pulling off the technical wires,
“Will get out as soon as she can.” She interrupted, Treeroot must have twisted the wrong way because she suddenly stopped moving, stifling a yelp.
“No she won’t, because she’s too injured, and if she does; she’ll get an injection to make her sleep.” There was no humour in the doctor’s voice.
Treeroot looked distraught at Dr Jones; her eyes had changed to bright blue. Treeroot was terrified and didn’t bother to hide it. “Go ahead Macintosh, get the information you need.” With that Dr Jones left the room.
Emma rummaged in her pocket, and then looked behind her. No one was near their room. She walked up to Treeroot’s bed, “What the hell were you thinking?” she yelled. Treeroot started laughing but clutched her sides in pain. Emma, satisfied that Treeroot had hurt herself, turned to Aimée. “Stephanie told me about your premonitions. Why didn’t you tell us?” Aimée bit her lip and looked away,
“Premonitions?” queried Treeroot, “Isn’t that when you see the future in your dreams?”
Emma revealed to Treeroot what Aimée had said to Stephanie, Treeroot didn’t seem fazed; in fact her eyes were hazel. When Emma finished Treeroot tried to laugh, but the pain stoped her again, “At least she didn’t end up like you, Emma. Another intellectual scholar like you would probably give me a headache.” Emma crossed her arms,
“She could have told us at least.” Aimée was confused,
“What are you all talking about?” Treeroot tried to answer Aimée’s question, but Emma interrupted her.
“Letting you see Max isn’t the only thing the Gift of Sight can do, it lets you ‘See’ things differently and one ‘Other Thing’. For example: I ‘See’ robotics, computers and their programs as if they where Lego blocks; so they’re easier for me to program and create, my ‘Other Thing’ is my elevated intelligence. Andy says he can tell what can be made from steel before he’s even had time to measure it, and his ‘Other Thing’ is he handles molten steel like play doe, but fire still burns him. You see the future as if it’s the past, but only when you’re asleep. Does that make sense now?” Aimée scratched her head,
“I think so.”
“Good. Now, back to business.” Emma pulled out a tape recorder from her pocket, “I have Stephanie’s side of the story, so could you tell me what happened after Tom fell down the ladder with her?”

After Emma had the information she wanted and left, some staff came to take the machines away. One of them was Scott; he was in charge of getting the wires off the patients, Treeroot didn’t even flinch when he reached down her shirt. When Scott had finished with Treeroot the other staff had left. He started walking toward Aimée, she shifted uncomfortably. Scott stopped and smiled understandingly.
“Do you want to take them off?” he asked, Aimée looked up at him. “Alice is used to it; I’ve fixed her up more times than I’d like to remember.”
“The fact that you’re gay helps.” Added Treeroot, Scott shrugged.
“I didn’t know you were gay Scott.” Aimée admitted.
“I prefer guys to girls.” He confessed. He then gave Max an odd look.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Max said uneasily, “You know it makes me uncomfortable.” Scott shrugged,
“I can’t help it Max. You’re hot.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I mean Andy’s cute, but you beat him by a mile.”
“Shut up!”
“I’m not the only one who’s attracted to him right?”
“Will you be quiet?!”
“Max is really sexy, true?”
“Someone make him shut up!” Aimée was still laughing after Scott had left.

Aimée looked at Treeroot; she didn’t like being here but didn’t dare risk getting an injection. I wonder why she’s so afraid. She gets jabbed with sharp things all the time. Aimée voiced her thoughts, Treeroot balanced her elbows on her knees, her hands clasped in front of her face, her two fore fingers leaning against each other across her thin lips and thought about how to answer.
“Well, I guess I’d better start from the beginning:
“I wasn’t always called Alice Treeroot, my original name was Layron, and Max was Maruc, he’s always been with me and he’s always been a phantom in case you were wondering. Aside from Max, my brothers and sisters were all cats, even though they were all different types: There were the two tiger twins, Kar and Far, Three panthers; Bas, Sec, and Fen, and one leopard; Spicard. Spicard was the odd one out until I joined the family, so we got along well. We were all in the care of Shara, a lioness. She taught us how to hunt, climb, pounce, everything a young feline should know. But she spent more time with me and Spicard than the others, Spicard because he was bigger and stronger than the others, and me because I was very strange; I only had fur on the top of my head but it grew longer that the others, it was easier for me to walk on my hind legs, I didn’t have claws or sharp teeth, and I was very fragile by their standards. But Shara pointed out my opposable thumbs, and my ability to learn quicker than the others, her encouragement always kept me going.
“Once, when Spicard and I were play fighting, we were found by a hunter, I jumped in front to protect my brother. The hunter was shocked to say the least, and he ran off. But I was curious, ‘Why did he look like me? What was that stuff he covered himself with? Did it protect him the way fur did?’ After darkness fell, I tracked him to his camp. I saw a lot of things I thought were strange; fire, cloth, knifes, and guns to start with. I watched him for a long time, taking things every now and again; one of his shirts to keep me warm, a knife and a belt to keep it in. I don’t think he noticed.
“Finally, one day, he saw me, I was scavenging some of his food scraps, he tried to talk to me, but I didn’t understand English, so I scurried up a tree. He grabbed some food and lured me down. After a while I started to trust him, he made me fur clothes and taught me some English words, and how to tan and sew fur, I also learnt how to make fire, and that if I cooked my food over fire, it tasted better. I taught him how to sneak, track, stalk and kill without weapons. He called himself Sam and he called me Lauren, which was the closest he could get to my name. He only stayed for a few days in a row, but when he left, after a couple of days he always came back. I told my family about Sam, Shara encouraged me to learn about humans but to be careful, and Spicard said he wanted to come with me the next time I saw Sam. When Sam saw me coming toward him with a leopard cub walking beside me he froze in his tracks, but he soon found that he could trust Spicard as much as he could trust me.
“Sam started bringing a friend with him, he never told me his name, but Sam called him Doctor. He liked to watch me and take notes; he was fond of my colour changing eyes and animal characteristics and studied them. Just the thought of his cold, gray eyes still gives me shivers; he was more emotionless than Emma. Spicard didn’t like him either. A couple of nights later, I snuck up on Sam, he and Doctor were arguing, I still couldn’t speak English, but I heard Sam say ‘No’ a lot. Doctor left on a huff and I came out. When Sam saw me he gave me a hug and said something that sounded like; ‘he never get you’. I’d never had a hug before, but it felt good.
“The next day Shara came with me instead of Spicard, it was his turn to hunt dinner. Doctor had come back bringing other people with him, they each wore black, stiff uniforms and black balaclavas, and each had a hunting rifle in their hands. I’d never been afraid of humans before, but just the fact that I couldn’t see their skin scared me, that’s where I got the idea for Dagger’s costume. Doctor had Sam backed up against a tree with a gun at his chest. Without thinking I leapt at the gun, trying to save Sam. I knocked Doctor back. When I landed the other people turned their guns at me, and Shara…” Treeroot stopped, looked away with her nearly midnight blue eyes and cleared her throat. “They shot her.” Was all she could say, she wiped tears from her eyes. This must be hard for her, thought Aimée, she’s reliving her mother’s death. After awhile Treeroot could continue her story.
“They caught me in a net, dragged me to a car and threw me in the boot. I had no idea what I was in or where I was going, but I didn’t care, I was crying for my mother and didn’t stop for a long time. When they opened the boot, I was in a science lab, and I found out what it was like to be a lab rat. Then we found out that Max couldn’t do anything to anybody unless I was either touching them or they had my blood on them. For months they stole my blood and injected me with agonizing chemicals.” she pointed out the scars the needles had left, there were masses on her face and neck, and even more on her arms. “I was there test subject until they decided that I was of no further use. They wanted to know what I looked like inside and how my eyes changed colour with my mood, so Doctor strapped me to a table and tried to dissect me, while I was awake.” Aimée’s hand flew to her mouth, Treeroot traced the strange deep scar on her face as she spoke. “Doctor cut down my forehead, but I turned my head before he could go too far. My blood sprayed on Doctor’s hand, Max used the blood covered hand to stab the scalpel into Doctor’s eye, and dragged me out of my bindings... well through my bindings. We ran down a maze of corridors, Max led the way and I tried to stop my face from bleeding enough not to leave a trail. I fainted from blood loss after we found a room to hide in, so I don’t know much of what happened next.” Aimée was shaking her head with disbelief,
“They tried to dissect you? Alive?” Treeroot nodded grimly,
“And that’s why I’m petrified of needles. I’m even more afraid of becoming a test subject again. That’s why Emma doesn’t know too much about me. She finds out things by testing them and I won’t let her near me with any kind of examination tools.” The neon lights flickered on above them and Aimée realised that the sun had set, Treeroot asked Max to get something from her tree.
“I’ll see what I can pickup.” He said and jumped through the closed window. Aimée looked at Treeroot.
“Can you tell me what happened after you fainted? At least as much as you can?” she asked, Treeroot continued her story.
“I woke up and Scott was standing over me, he was 15 back then. I was too tired and weak to run anymore, so I just lay limp waiting for him to take me back to Doctor, or to finish dissecting me himself. But he didn’t try to hurt me. He flipped through a first aid book franticly, until he’d found the right page, he’d got a paper cut half way through but he didn’t stop. Scott found what he was looking for and pulled some bandages out of his bag. As he was cleaning my wounds he got the Gift, but until he looked up and saw Max we had no idea about it.”
“How old is he now?” Aimée asked,
“Scott? He’s 25. His birthday was the day before you were kidnapped.”
“And how old are you?”
“13. As far as I know.” Aimée did the math and gasped, That can’t be right!
“You where only three when all this happened?” Treeroot nodded, Aimée only heard snippets from the rest of the story; Scott taught Treeroot English, and they found out what the Gift does. He fixed Treeroot’s face, and helped them escape. What kind of person tries to kill a three year old? She thought. Not too long after, Max came back with a test tube filed with a reddish pink liquid. Treeroot uncorked it and took a small sip, By the look on her face it must taste bad. Treeroot gave the vile to Max and he brought it to Aimée. She looked at it suspiciously,
“Don’t worry. Even though it tastes bad, it helps. But only take the smallest taste; it’s very strong, and hard to make.” Treeroot warned. Aimée took the test tube from Max. It smelt like rose petals and pine sap. Aimée took a sip. It was so revolting, Aimée nearly vomited.
“Erg yuck, what is this?” she asked corking the test tube.
“Healing potion.” Treeroot answered. Just then Aimée’s Maman and Papa came through the door; Maman ran to Aimée and hugged her, Max took the potion so that Aimée could squeeze back. Over Maman’s shoulder Aimée saw Treeroot look at the embrace with wishful dark blue eyes.
“Oh Aimée, I was so worried about you. Are you alright?” Maman said in French.
“I’m fine Maman, Alice saved me.” Maman stood up and turned to Treeroot, she spoke slowly in English,
“Thank you for saving my Aimée. I am very grateful.” Treeroot looked surprised that Maman had thanked her,
“Umm…you’re welcome.” She managed to say.


* * * *

Aimée went back to school on Wednesday, hobbling along on crutches. As usual Emma and Andy were behind the library, while Treeroot and Max were on it.
“Aimée, you’re back.” Said Emma, “How’s the leg?” Aimée shrugged.
“Not too bad. In fact I just brought the crutches because Maman made me.” She rested her crutches on the tracker that Emma still hadn’t fixed, “I can walk just fine without them.” Treeroot looked at Emma and grinned, Emma threw her hands in the air.
“I know, I know, you win. Again.” Aimée looked up at Treeroot.
“Emma and I had a bet going, whether or not my potion worked.” She explained.
“So far all of Alice’s potions have done what we wanted. Emma makes potions to, they just don’t work as well.” Max added. Aimée clicked her fingers remembering why her mother had let her come to school.
“Alice,” she said, “Maman wants to invite you over for dinner.” Treeroot stared at Aimée.
“Really?” she asked, Aimée nodded. The school bell rang and Aimée picked up her crutches. She was sure Treeroot wanted to go, but didn’t know what to say.
“Come at 6:30.” Aimée said, “I’ll keep the backdoor unlocked.”