The Second Heart

The Second Heart

K. K. Eaton

Copyright 2014 K. K. Eaton.

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Note from K. K. Eaton

About K. K. Eaton

Connect with K. K. Eaton

Chapter 1

Meredith Carpenter’s eyes snapped open as if she had been electrocuted. Rolling over in bed, she looked at the clock. 5:22 AM. Not usually an early riser, she was surprised to find that she was fully awake.

She lay in bed for several minutes to see if she would fall back asleep before giving up and heading to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands, Meredith started as she caught her own reflection in the mirror.

Holy crap, I look like I’ve been hit by a truck, she muttered, peering at herself more closely. Her strawberry blonde hair was disheveled and she had dark smudges under her clear blue eyes. Though she’d had seven hours of sleep, it appeared as if she hadn’t rested in days. Chalking it up to an impending chest cold, Meredith sighed and left the bathroom.

As she padded toward the kitchen, she spotted her roommate, Violet, asleep on the couch. Vi still wore the clothes from the night before: a lacy black bustier and torn jeans. Tall black leather Doc Martin boots lay on the floor next to the couch, along with Vi’s cell phone and purse.

Meredith chuckled. She and Vi couldn’t have been more different from each other, but they still maintained the close friendship that they had begun with each other in the seventh grade. Meredith had always been outgoing and athletic, whereas Vi preferred to present herself as a moody artist. Of course, Meredith knew that Vi had a goofy side and was a sucker for puns, but she was one of the few people who did.

Meredith wondered what Vi had been up to the night before, assuming it likely had something to do with an underground metal band and their grungy drummer. Her own evening had been relatively uneventful. Meredith was in her first semester of veterinary school, and her social life consisted mostly of studying and tending to the sick animals at the veterinary clinic where she worked part time. Occasionally, she would go out on a date with one of her classmates, Miguel. The fact that he was in vet school with her was very likely the only reason why they were still dating. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have much time for him.

Meredith had just finished pouring milk on her cereal when a groan emanated from the couch. Vi slowly sat up and stared blankly at the empty television screen, not noticing that she had company. Her face was imprinted with the diamond pattern from the sofa cushion, and her glossy black hair was still in last evening’s updo, which now hung limply to one side. To complete the look, red lipstick stained her lips and part of her chin.

Meredith took in the sight of her roommate and laughed out loud, causing Vi to jump up in alarm. Meredith laughed even louder.

Geez, Meredith! You scared the shit out of me! Vi took in Meredith’s mirthful countenance with disgust. Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. You know, you don’t exactly look like a shining princess this morning, either.

Meredith quipped, Ooh, a sparkling personality to go with her looks, folks! More seriously she asked, Late night last night?

You could say that. Vi’s face turned serious as she paused for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to elaborate. She shook her head and said, I’m going to go shower. I feel like I’m growing mold.

As Vi shuffled out of the room, Meredith continued eating her cereal thoughtfully. Vi was usually pretty forthcoming about her adventurous sex life, so it was odd that she hadn’t shared any details about the night before. She shrugged it off. Knowing Vi, she wouldn’t be able to keep it to herself for long.

Meredith stood and rinsed out her cereal bowl, putting it in the dishwasher. She looked at the clock and realized she had several hours before she needed to be in class. Unaccustomed to so much extra time, Meredith cast about in her mind for something to do.

Listlessly, she wandered back to her bedroom and looked around. She remembered how carefully she had decorated her personal space. It was done up in shades of soft teal, white, yellow, and gray, with bold geometric patterns interspersed with softer florals. The unmade bed took up one of the walls and was flanked by small antique dressers; on the opposite wall, Meredith had set up an office area with an antique brass lamp and a few potted plants. She gave the plants a chagrined smile, as they were looking pretty sad and neglected next to several piles of paper and textbooks that crowded around the laptop computer and the lamp. She tried to remember the last time she had watered them.

Figuring there was no time like the present, she went to the bathroom and filled the water glass that was at the edge of the sink. She glanced at herself again in the mirror, noticing that she still looked haggard. Glass in hand, she returned to the bedroom and poured water onto the plants. One of the leaves crumbled under the onslaught of liquid. Meredith giggled. Geez, it has been a while. Sorry, plant!

The potting soil drank up the water greedily as Meredith sat down at the desk in front of her laptop to check her email. The most recent one was an emergency alert notice from the university. Meredith opened it.

EMERGENCY ALERT

Due to a fire on the Tempe campus this morning, all classes are cancelled until further notice.

All commuter students are advised to avoid coming to campus until we receive the all clear from the fire department. We will send out another alert when it is safe to return.

Students who live on campus should have received a separate email from their resident advisers with specific instructions. If you did not receive an email, please contact Emergency Services.

Surprised and curious, Meredith quickly opened a news website to see if there was any coverage of the campus fire. She wondered how bad a fire would have to be to shut down the entire campus. With over seventy thousand students, closing campus down would be no small matter.

The first headline on the news site read, Fire Departments overwhelmed as fires erupt in cities across the nation. She clicked on the link to bring up the full article, and scanned it quickly. A large fire has consumed several buildings at Arizona State University early this morning … at present the fire is sixty percent contained … this was only one of several large conflagrations around the city … other major U.S. cities suffering from out of control fires … terrorism is suspected but cannot be confirmed until after all the fires are put out and investigated.

Damn! Meredith exclaimed. Her remaining emails forgotten, she stood up to go share the news with Vi. Just as she did, the smoke alarm went off. Striding out of the room, Meredith’s eyes darted around the apartment looking for the source of the smoke.

Vi came out of her room wearing jeans and a t-shirt, toweling off her hair. I don’t think it’s our apartment, she said.

Our neighbors! They rushed outside without bothering to put on shoes. Their second story apartment shared a small porch with the one next door. From there they could see smoke seeping out from under the door.

Call 911! Meredith snapped at Vi. She began to pound on the neighbor’s door, and the hot wood seared the back of her fist. She wrapped her hand in her sleeve and pounded harder. Tears sprang into her eyes as the smoke and pain got to her. After a few moments she realized that her neighbor’s apartment was a mirror image of her own, which meant that the master bedroom likely shared a wall with her own.

Meredith turned on her heel and ran back inside and down the hall to her bedroom. She leapt onto the bed on her knees and started pounding the wall with all her might. Wake up! she yelled. Fire! Wake up!

After she hammered the wall with her fist a few more times, the neighbor thumped back. A voice called through the wall, I’m trapped!

Go to the window, she yelled back, scrambling off the bed. She ran back down the hall and through the front door, which was still wide open. With her cell phone glued to her ear, Vi followed.

Thundering down the stairs, Meredith pounded on both of the downstairs neighbors’ doors before running around the side of the building and to the back, Vi close behind. They could see their neighbor standing in the window. He was in his late twenties, with close-cropped medium brown hair and a goatee. He wore square, black-rimmed glasses and small silver stud earrings in both ears.

Meredith called up, You have to jump!

I’ll break both my legs, he protested.

Better two broken legs than burning to death, Meredith reasoned.

The neighbor looked unconvinced.

Vi stepped next to Meredith and asked, What’s your name?

Josh.

Nice to meet you, Josh, Vi said. You’re gonna be really well taken care of when you jump, okay? My friend Meredith here is a doctor.

Meredith looked sharply at Vi as she continued, But you gotta jump, man.

To Meredith, Josh said, You look too young to be a doctor.

Before Meredith could respond, Vi said, She just graduated. But she’s the top of her class. You’re in really good hands. Just do it on three, okay?

Josh swallowed hard and swung a leg through the window. Count fast before I lose my nerve.

Vi obliged him. As he landed on the ground, they heard a sickening crunch. Immediately, both Vi and Meredith ran over to where Josh lay sprawled on the ground.

Are you okay? Meredith looked him over to see if any bones were obviously broken. She thought maybe one of his ankles looked weird.

Josh blinked up at them as they knelt over him. Got the wind knocked out of me. And my left ankle hurts like a bitch.

Meredith glanced at Vi. Are you still on the phone with 911?

Vi looked at the phone as if she had forgotten that it was plastered to her ear. Oh yeah, I am. Then to the dispatcher on the other end she said, Our neighbor just jumped out his window and is lying on the ground. He thinks maybe his ankle is broken.

As Vi continued to talk with the 911 operator, Meredith turned back to Josh. You need to just stay here and not move, okay? I need to make sure everyone else is out of the building.

Josh scrutinized her. You look way too young to be a doctor.

Meredith looked away sheepishly. Well I’m still in school… That, and we’d probably be in much better shape if you had fur.

Josh laughed. You’re a veterinarian?

Someday, hopefully. There isn’t anyone else in your apartment, is there?

Nope. Go wake everyone else up. But leave your friend here. She’s cute. He smiled and glanced over at Vi, who looked almost bored.

Sensing she was a topic of conversation, Vi looked at both of them and made a face. She says it’ll be at least an hour before any fire trucks can get here.

Meredith left them there and went back around to the front of the building. She could see flames in the windows of Josh’s apartment. Their downstairs neighbors stood outside, looking up at the fire. One set of neighbors was an older couple, clutching a small, fluffy dog. The others were a mom and her two teenaged children, who stood there bleary-eyed in their pajamas.

Is everyone out of both apartments? Meredith asked.

They nodded sleepily.

Good. We’ve been on the phone with 911 and they said that the firefighters are swamped right now and can’t get here for a while. We need to find some hoses and try to get everything wet to keep this fire from spreading. But we need to be safe first, so don’t go back inside for any reason.

After a bit more verbal prodding from Meredith, her neighbors swung into action. The older gentleman found some hoses in the landscaper’s shed while the teenagers went to the other buildings in the complex to alert the neighbors to the situation. The woman with the dog went to the apartment management office. Soon, their building looked like a beehive of activity as neighbors hosed down the walls and worked to contain the fire.

Against Meredith’s warnings, a couple of hot shot bodybuilders who lived in another building kicked down the door of Josh’s apartment and got a blast of flames to the face. After the initial surge however, the fire eased back and they were able to point hoses through the door and onto the flames.

By the time the firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire was out, but it was several hours before they were allowed to go back into their apartment. Meredith and Vi helped Josh hobble around the building to relax on the grass under a tree while they waited.

Because he didn’t have health insurance, Josh refused to be seen by the paramedics that had arrived with the firemen. I’ll drive myself to the E.R. later, he explained. Ambulances are only worth it when you’re bleeding to death. I’m fine.

As they sat on the grass, Meredith noticed that Vi looked antsy. She obviously wanted to talk about something, but didn’t feel comfortable doing so in front of Josh. Meredith wondered if it had something to do with Vi’s rough night the previous evening. Vi’s reticence in front of their neighbor didn’t deter her from flirting with him, however. They were obviously very interested in each other. The drummer was yesterday’s news, Meredith supposed.

At last, one of the firefighters walked over to the trio and said to Josh, We’ve pinpointed the origin of the fire in your home, sir. It appears to have started with a lava lamp next to the TV.

Vi raised her eyebrows and snickered. A lava lamp?

Josh blushed.

Meredith laughed and said with mock sincerity, Go easy on him, Vi. Lava lamps have graced many a bachelor pad since the seventies. They are the height of male decor. She felt almost giddy after the stress of the morning.

The firefighter shifted his weight impatiently and continued, The fire was localized to the area just inside the front door, and the damage is pretty superficial. It’s gonna smell pretty bad, but it’s safe to go back in.

Meredith stood up. I’ll go get my keys so we can take Josh to the hospital.

I can take myself, Josh insisted.

Vi rolled her eyes. Yeah, right. Rising to her feet, she added, I can take him. I know you have tons of stuff to do today. She gave Meredith a pointed look and glanced meaningfully down at Josh, who was still resting with his back against the tree.

Meredith shrugged. Suit yourself. Hope your leg feels better, Josh.

Even though they had only been out of their apartment for a few hours, Meredith felt like she was re-entering it after being away for months. The acrid smell of damp smoke filled her nostrils as she quickly began opening every window she could. Aside from the smell, however, the apartment appeared undamaged.

Vi followed Meredith down the hall to her bedroom as Meredith went to open the windows. Mere, I have to talk to you about something that happened last night. This is too weird not to tell you.

Meredith stopped what she was doing and faced Vi expectantly.

Vi chose her words carefully as she continued, Last night I met up with these Wicca chicks that I know, and we decided to mess around.

Meredith suppressed an eye roll. As much as she adored Vi, this was one side of her that Meredith felt Vi could do without. Oh, did you contact Elvis for a serenade? she teased.

Vi reached out and grasped both of Meredith’s arms gently, her eyes penetrating. "Something happened. I mean, I’ll admit it, most of the time we just light a bunch of candles and drink a bunch of wine and nothing really happens… but last night, something happened."

Something in Vi’s voice made the hair on Meredith’s neck rise. She stared hard into Vi’s deep brown eyes. Okay, so what happened?

Vi released Meredith’s arms and continued, Everything was going normally, when all of a sudden, all of the candles flared up at the same time. Some of the curtains caught on fire, and we had to get the hell out of there. We called 911, but we had no idea how to explain how the fire started. Without the flare up, none of the candles would have been close enough to the curtains to set them on fire.

Are you sure? A born skeptic, Meredith felt that Vi might have been exaggerating. Meredith scrutinized Vi’s face trying to judge her sincerity.

Vi rolled her eyes. I know that look, non-believer. I’m telling you, it happened. Dana’s apartment is trashed.

Meredith was silent for a moment, thinking about Vi’s confession. She knew that these gatherings tended to involve a lot of alcohol, but Vi usually held her liquor well. Plus, Vi had never made any other similar assertion about the Wicca stuff, so why would she start now?

That is really weird, Meredith conceded. Then she continued, There was a fire at the university this morning, too. The paper said there have been fires across the U.S., and the feds suspect terrorism.

Whoa, really?

But it’s hard to believe that Josh would be a target of terrorism. Meredith said.

Yeah, and that doesn’t explain what I saw with the candles. I’m not making it up, Mere, I swear. It was like the fire took on a mind of its own. Vi glanced back down the hallway. I gotta go take Josh to the hospital. Let’s talk more later, okay?

Meredith nodded and impulsively reached out and gave Vi a tight hug.

Vi chuckled and hugged back. I love you, too, kid. Then she stepped away and disappeared down the hall.

Chapter 2

Meredith turned back into her room and retrieved the cell phone that had been charging next to the bed. She had two missed calls, one from her parents and one from Miguel. She suddenly felt very tired, as the prospect of recounting the morning’s events to either her parents or Miguel was overwhelming.

Instead, she quickly stripped off her pajamas and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. She turned on the light, grateful that the fire next door hadn’t deprived them of power. Then she felt a flash of guilt as she realized that Josh had lost so much, and all she was worrying about was whether the power was still on.

She examined the hand that she had used to pound on Josh’s door. The heel of her fist was a little red, and it stung. She ran it under the cold tap, enjoying the feel of the water running over her skin. Inspired, she turned the shower on and stood under the cool stream. A Phoenix native, Meredith had always enjoyed taking cold showers in the summer, feeling that taking a hot shower in August was something akin to bathing in one’s own sweat. Though it was October, and a little late in the year for cold showers, the idea of a hot shower after being so close to a fire was unappealing.

The water was refreshing and invigorating, and Meredith felt her muscles relax as she allowed the water to pour over her upturned face. She leisurely washed and conditioned her long hair, relishing the feel of the cool water running through the silky strands. After a while, she started to feel a chill and turned off the water. She toweled off, looking at herself again in the mirror. She still looked like roadkill, but at least she was clean roadkill.

Boys, please form an orderly queue to the left, she teased herself. Shrugging, she wrapped the towel around herself and walked into her closet to get dressed. The smell of smoke was stronger in here, and Meredith supposed it was probably closer to the fire than her bedroom had been.

Methodically she began yanking clothing off of the hangers to throw into the washing machine. She imagined that every scrap of linen in the house would likely need to be washed. Meredith snickered as she pictured Vi’s closet, which was bulging with masses of halter tops, bustiers, mini skirts, and fashionably distressed denim.

Still in her towel, Meredith carried an armload of jeans and tee shirts down the hall to the laundry closet. Just as she started the load, her stomach rumbled loudly. Realizing the last thing she had eaten was the cereal hours before, she soon found herself standing in front of the pantry looking in. Both Meredith and Vi were sporadic shoppers at best, leaving Meredith staring at a can of tomato paste, some uncooked rice, a few cans of tuna, and the box of cereal. The pickings in the fridge weren’t much better: milk, ketchup, pickles, and Vi’s three-day-old Chinese takeout.

Closing the fridge, Meredith trotted back to her room, and threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed as she pulled on socks and tennis shoes. Listening the ringing on the other end, Meredith grabbed her purse from the hook on the back of her bedroom door and rummaged around inside for her keys.

Hello?

When Meredith heard her mother’s voice, she smiled. Hey, Mom!

Oh! Hi, honey. I read about the fire at the university in the paper and I wanted to check on you. Amelia Carpenter’s voice sounded concerned as she asked, You weren’t on campus, were you?

No. Believe it or not, I don’t actually sleep there. As Meredith talked, she left her apartment and locked the door, heading for her car.

Well, good.

After a brief pause, Meredith said, Are you home? I was thinking about coming over for lunch since my classes are cancelled.

I have a life, you know, Amelia protested jokingly. Meredith’s parents were retired, and they lived about ten minutes from Meredith. Though they traveled frequently, they were often available during the day when Meredith decided to drop by between classes for some free food.

So...? Are you home? Meredith persisted.

Amelia sighed audibly, though Meredith knew she was smiling. Yes.

Meredith laughed. Great! I’ll see you in a few!

Amelia chuckled and said, Drive safely.

As Meredith drove she had to pull over twice to allow emergency vehicles to pass. It reminded her that things were definitely not normal in the world. What the hell is going on? she asked herself out loud as she pulled over for the second fire truck. She waited for it to pass and then pulled back out into the street. Traffic was lighter than usual; it seemed as if the entire city, aside from rescue workers, had been shut down.

The sky had taken on an unusual brownish hue that Meredith assumed was a result of all the fires that were plaguing the city. That, combined with the emptier streets, gave the atmosphere an eerie feel that made Meredith feel anxious to get to her parents’ house. Fortunately, her trip passed without further incident, and she was soon pulling into the Carpenters’ driveway.

The Carpenters lived in a ranch style four bedroom on the side of one of the few hills in Phoenix. It had a stucco exterior and a red tile roof, just like all the other houses on the block. Unlike their neighbors, however, the Carpenters had a lush garden, full of orange, purple, and yellow flowers, a mesquite tree, and a few cacti and succulents. The garden was Amelia’s pride and joy. The bright colors cheered Meredith as she locked her car and walked around the garage to the front door.

Amelia immediately gave her daughter a big hug. Then, Oh my God! Sweetie! You smell like smoke.

Meredith quickly explained what had happened that morning.

Thank God no one was seriously hurt, Amelia said, drawing Meredith into the house. Why don’t you sleep here tonight, baby? I’ll wash your clothes and we can watch a movie. What do you say?

It sounded absolutely wonderful. Can Vi come, too?

Amelia smiled. Of course! Now go find some clothes to wear so I can wash what you’ve got on. You reek!

Meredith walked through the living room toward the bedrooms. The first bedroom on the left was set up as an office, and Meredith poked her head in. Hey, Dad.

Robert Carpenter turned from the computer screen while pulling off his reading glasses. He was in his early sixties, with thinning strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore an unbuttoned plaid flannel shirt over a white tee and jeans, which was a uniform that he’d