^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O.)^^

{Geoffrey}

Raina comes back from the bathroom looking unsettled. Her eyes are shifty, and since her hair's up, she keeps rubbing the back of her neck. I want to let her know I've noticed, but I can't, not when there's so many other people around. Instead I make eye contact with Eckles and then move them to Raina. I know it's not necessary, with his mind-reading abilities and everything, but those seem to be duller ever since the fire. He seems to get it anyway, leaning over and saying something into her ear. She nods and replies into his, and I see his eyes flare, the white streaks of electricity pulsing.

"Looks like Howard's taken a shine to your wife, Geoffrey," says Mr. Kramer, the chairman.

I almost snort into my drink. That's an understatement. "They do seem to be getting along well," I say instead.

"You'll have to bring her to our Labor Day party," Kramer says, giving me a wink. "Then maybe I'll understand why."

"Maybe." I don't like that he's treating Raina like something to be passed around and he hasn't even met her yet. But then again, he's the same age as Dad would have been. In other words, traditional.

When we're finished with the appetizer course, it's time for the executives to say a few words. Including me. They proceed in order of seniority, which means I go last. While most of the executives at our table are distracted by Kramer, I catch Raina scribbling something on a cocktail napkin with the stub of pencil to mark the drink orders. Then, while H. Eckles's CFO speaks first, she leans across his empty seat and hands it to me behind his back. I unfold the napkin and read it quickly. Don't drink the dinner wine. Hank thinks it might have been tampered with.

After I'm finished with my short speech, I sit back down just as the dinner course starts to arrive. Another waiter comes around to take our drink orders, but when I try to order anything but wine, he insists that for this course, it's the best beverage. Now I see what she means as I give in and order a white wine. If it's been tampered with the way I think it has, then maybe I'll be able to see the color change easier.

Then I see him: Pascal. He's dressed in a waiter's uniform, wheeling the carts with covered food out to the tables. I clench my fists. How was it that he was everywhere? And what the hell was Ridley up to?

And just our luck, he comes to our table. He begins to set the food down in front of us, and when he reaches me, I grab his wrist before he can pull it away.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss at him.

"You assume a lot, sir," he says, but the act drops when I glare up at him.

"I know Ridley sent you, Pascal," I say, narrowing my eyes at him. "What're you trying to pull?"

"If I told you, he'd have to kill you." Then he leans down. "Now let go. People are staring."

He's right. Kramer's watching me, and so is Eckles. I release him and stealthily he disappears. Damn him.

Midway through, Eckles pushes back from the table, excusing himself to go to the restroom. I get up too, with the excuse that I need to go after two glasses of wine, and immediately take wheelchair duty, pushing him out of the main dining room and into the lobby. I let him go and he turns around to face me.

"We need to get rid of Pascal," he says abruptly, the last thing I was expecting.

"Yeah," I say, completely thrown. "I was thinking the same thing."

"I can't really do it, 'cause of this," he says, gesturing to the wheelchair. "But you can. I can deal with Green, if he's really gonna be here sometime soon."

"How do you suggest I do that?"

"Kitchen's that way," he says, nodding towards a set of swinging doors. "Pascal's onto you, so don't be surprised if he puts up a fight. He's a weasel."

"So what do I do? Fight him?" I'm not looking forward to another fist fight. It feels like I've just recovered from the last one.

"If you can. Hold him off 'til Green gets here, at least."

"Which is how soon?"

Eckles looks up at me, his eyes flashing with electricity. "I don't know that for sure. But I can't think of another way to buy any more time."

"Okay. Okay." I tug at my tuxedo jacket. "Will you tell Raina?"

He gives me a one-sided smile, and a wink. "Don't worry, kid. She's safe with me."

"Thanks, man." I give his shoulder a clap. Before his accident, I wouldn't have trusted him even within ten feet of her. But now I do. Turns out a bad seed like Ridley can change a lot of things.

≈

I find the kitchen relatively easily. Waiters rush in and out, hardly giving me a second look. Maybe it's because they're just busy, or it's that I'm dressed similarly to them: black trousers, black jacket, bow tie. I duck through the swinging doors and look around the kitchen for him.

"Hey, you gonna stand there or you gonna help?" says a voice behind me, and I spin around. It's Hank.

"Hey, Hank." I grin. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Raina didn't tell you?" I shake my head. "Well, that's okay. We got a real problem on our hands."

"Yeah, apparently. Eckles says we need to get rid of Pascal before Ridley gets here. But I can't seem to find him is the problem."

"That guy changes clothes like a chameleon. I know where he went. C'mon."

Hank motions me through the busy kitchen, and into a short hallway in the back. In front of us is a door marked LOADING DOCK, and that's the one he kicks open. I hear guys outside, and the thud of boxes being unloaded. As soon as I poke my head out, I start to scan the place for Pascal. I can just imagine more green stuff being smuggled into the kitchen in any one of those boxes.

Then, there he is, emerging from the cab of the truck with a ball cap shading his eyes. I nod to Hank, to go around behind him, while I approach him from the front.

"Pascal!" I shout as I approach him, mainly to get a second's worth of surprise.

He looks up, eyes widening. Then he takes off.

Dammit. "Hank! He's getting away!"

I start after him, finding he's already rounded the front of the truck and fled up the alleyway. A second later I see Hank, already a good ten steps ahead, in hot pursuit. When we reach the street, Hank runs one way and I run the other, straining our eyes through the darkness to try and catch him. Then I see him, darting under a streetlight on the opposite curb. I break into a run again, cars honking at me as I enter traffic. I don't stop, hitting the other side and shoving my way up the sidewalk, seeing him hammering on the button for the crosswalk. I reach him just as the light turns red and he's about to cross. I grab his collar and pin him up against the post, my forearm dug into his neck.

"Not so fast, you," I growl, and when he tries to get away, I press harder. "What's Ridley planning? Why'd he tamper with the wine?"

He gurgles and struggles. I shove my arm up against his chin, freeing his windpipe but forcing his head back to look at me.

"Answer me. Ridley won't have to know it was you who told me."

"Green serum," he rasps, pawing at my arm.

"What about it? What's he doing with it?"

"Wants to...revolutionize superpowers..."

"What do you mean by—"

I don't get to finish. There's a boom, and a crash. I glance away from Pascal just in time to see the entire front of the venue blow out in a cloud of dust. And then it hits me — Raina's in there.

"We're not done here," I snarl at him before shoving him away and pelting down the street towards the clearing dust. I hear distant sirens, and as I skid to a stop in front of the building I see forms emerging. Waiters are helping executives out, and vice versa. They're streaked with dust and a couple have bleeding cuts on their hands and faces. I stop Kramer, who's limping along helped by two waiters. "Where's my wife?"

He groans in response, pointing vaguely behind him. I curse and step into the wreckage, coughing from the dust still in the air.

"Raina!" I can hear the panic in my voice, but I don't care. "Raina! Where are you?"

"Geoff," croaks a voice, but it's not Raina's. "Over here."

I look over, seeing a twisted mass of metal near the entrance. It's Eckles' wheelchair. Underneath it is Eckles, and just past his arm I see a strand of blonde hair. It's Raina.

I don't hesitate, running over and hauling the ruined wheelchair off him. He groans as I do, barely able to move. I see why — his other arm is trapped under a heavy tumble of concrete. Judging by his position, it looks like he tried to shield Raina from the blast and caught the worst of it.

"Don't worry, Howard. I'll get you out." I begin to dig through the concrete, thanking my super strength for allowing me to shift the bigger pieces.

"Geoff!"

I look over my shoulder to see Hank picking his way towards us, two firemen in tow. I have to move aside as they reach us, and Hank pulls me clear.

"What happened?" I ask, my panic making my voice gruff. "Why was there an explosion?"

"Hammerhead," he says. "I saw him leaving. He's gonna be here as Ridley any minute."

"Coming to the scene of his own crime." I narrow my eyes and curl my fists. "Of course."

The firemen are nearly finished, pulling Eckles free and helping him up. I hurry forward when I see Raina, covered with blood and dust. The firemen try to stop me, or pull me back, but I throw off their hands and drop to my knees next to her, rolling her gently on her side and then to her back. I shove my arms under her and lift her partway off the ground, pulling her into my chest. Her head sags against my shoulder, one side of her face covered in blood.

"Raina," I whisper into her ear, tightening my arms around her. "Wake up, honey. Wake up."

I don't let go of her, not even when the firemen turn their attention to Eckles and help him to the street, or when Hank lays his hand on my shoulder. I barely see or feel anything except pain. And for the first time in over ten years, I hold my injured wife to my chest and let myself cry.

≈

Ridley's address is on the television at the hospital. He hasn't won yet but acts like he has, pledging to stop the villain Hammerhead and make the streets safer. He keeps saying things like terrible accident and should have never happened but I know he doesn't believe them. After even five minutes of this I have to look away. It makes me sick, that he would do something like this just to prove that he cares. Or at least make it appear that he does. I want to strangle him. First he has his minion damage Eckles' property and take Ellen away from Raina, and now this. I don't want to lose Raina. I can't.

"Geoff..." Hank's watching me pace the waiting room, looking tired and haggard. "Just relax for a second, okay?"

"Relax?" I stop in front of him and scowl, pointing at the television. "This happens, and my wife is in the ICU, and you're telling me to relax?"

"There's nothing you can do about it right now," he says, a sadness weighing down his words. "She's in good hands. She'll pull through."

"No. Don't give me that bulls--t. She'd never be in this mess if Ridley hadn't decided he needed a press opportunity. Who the hell does that?"

"Geoff." He stands up, catching the front of my shirt. "Stop for a second, okay. We're being watched, first off, and second, I want Ridley brought to justice too. He took El away from me, my only friend. But you have to calm down. I'm sure she'll be...fine."

"And you actually believe that?" I scowl at him, mostly because I know he's right.

"Yeah. Come on. There's the doctor. Maybe he's got good news."

≈

It's not good news, as it turns out. She's stable, but that's all they can tell me. Apparently she responded to oxygen, which was good, but that's it. The doctor says I should go home, try to get some sleep, and they'll call if something changes.

I check into a hotel a block away from the hospital, where I can still see it if I look out the window, and make some calls. First I tell Mila what happened and that she'll have the kids for a little longer than expected. Then I leave a message on my secretary's answering machine in the office, to tell her there was an accident and I won't be back until I know everything's okay. Finally to Hank, who's still at the hospital, to give him the hotel's phone number.

I don't sleep at all that night. I pace around the room, try to watch some TV but turn it off when the replay of the attack comes on, and take a long shower. The whole time, I think of Raina, alone in a cold hospital room and probably unconscious still. I know I have the resources to raise Cam and Ettie if something happens to her, but I don't have the willpower.

At nine-thirty the next morning, the phone finally rings. I leap across the bed and pick it up right away.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Cromwell, good morning," says the doctor's voice. "I have good news and bad news."

I take a deep breath. "Okay."

"The good news, your wife is awake. The bad news, it seems she suffered a concussion, a moderate one if I were to hazard a guess. No bleeding, but swelling, a few hours' loss of consciousness, and she was disoriented when she woke up." He sighs. "But she mentioned your name."

"I'm on my way," I say into the phone before hanging up. I pull on my jacket from last night, tuck my shirt in, and try to flatten my hair. But I stop trying after the third attempt, and besides, I know Raina won't care.

I don't even call a cab. I run the entire block, just happy with the news that Raina's awake. Hank's still in the waiting room, eyes bleary and hair mussed. I feel a pang of guilt — he's become much closer to Raina since Ellen died, and it looks like they haven't told him anything.

"Geoff, thank God," he says, springing up from his chair. "They haven't told me anything about how Raina's doing..."

"We're going to go find out, right now," I say, clapping him on the shoulder before going to reception and asking for two visitor passes.

When we get there, Raina's room is dark. The nurse who shows us there says Raina hasn't been able to handle many bright lights or loud noises. She also recommends that we go in one at a time, just to make sure she doesn't get overwhelmed. Hank gives me a nod, indicating that I should go first.

"Thanks, man." I give his upper arm a squeeze and then enter. "Raina?"

I hear sheets rustle, and then her weak voice. "Geoff?"

I don't even remember walking over to the bed, or pulling her into my arms, but somehow I'm there, holding her tightly against me. She's weak, but her hands curl over my shoulders and fist gently in my jacket. We stay like that for what seems like a long time, the only sound the steady beat of her heart monitor.

"I was so worried about you," I say when I pull away to look into her face. Even in the dimness of the room I can see her face is covered with bruises, and there's a white bandage on her temple that stretches up to her forehead. "When I saw you in the wreck..."

"The last thing I remember is the loud noise and Eckles throwing himself on top of me..." She shakes her head and furrows her brow. "I don't even know what happened..."

"We won't talk about it right now," I say, kissing her forehead. "Until you're better, at least."

"I'm glad you came," she says, sagging back against her pillows. "When I didn't see you anywhere..."

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving." I pull her into another hug. I feel bandages under her hospital gown, so I have to be gentle. "Hank's coming in next, okay? But after today, I'll get you home."

"Thank you, Geoff." She curls her fingers against my neck and rubs my stubbled jaw.

I kiss her forehead again, right between her eyebrows, and then stand. She takes my hand, lacing her fingers through mine. I kiss them too, and she smiles faintly. I know I'm going to get Ridley for this. In fact, Eckles and I are going to make sure he can never show his face around New York ever again.