Jack

Richard and Elaine looked up when they heard the kitchen door open.

“Mr. Dawson? Can I talk to you?”

Elaine immediately got up and headed up the stairs. “You’re on your own, Rich. I have some…housecleaning to do and laundry to fold. She winked at Hannah.

Hannah smiled gratefully, then sat down at the table, across from Dr. Dawson. “Has Mrs. Dawson talked to you? I mean, about Jack? And me?”

“Yes, she has, Hannah. And I can certainly see why you’re so uncomfortable.”

“Eli’s sure I should let this happen, Mr. Dawson, but I think it’s … not right.”

Sava sighed. “You know how it works, Eli. What exactly would you like to know? Whether or not it hurt? If I was frightened? ”

She ignored the crooked grin on his face. “Did you want to die …after?” she whispered.

Realizing at once she was quite serious about this, he put his arm around her. “It’s complicated, Angel. My life was nothing like yours. You were an innocent child. I…wasn’t. “

“But…”

“No. I didn’t want to die. Actually I gave it no thought whatsoever. I had unfinished business to take care of.”

“What did you say to Papa, Hannah? You’ve made him cry.” Eli plopped down beside them. She couldn’t help but notice that Hannah’s eyes were red, too.

“And Hannah’s doppelgänger just had to put in her two-cent’s worth,” Papa said, smiling. “How are you this morning, Eli?”

“I…I don’t know, Papa. I’m not sure I want to…talk about it right now.”

It was the third day of Hannah’s hibernation, and Richard was getting nervous. “She’s not a vampire, Elaine. I don’t think she’ll be able to survive months of hibernation like Eli did. She’ll die of starvation.”

“We don’t know what she’s capable of, Rich. She’s…unique.”

“We know she’s no stronger than Eli or Oskar,” he retorted. “And Eli just barely survived herself with her full strength.”

“That doesn’t sound like a rigorous scientific observation to me, Rich. You’re thinking with your heart now. Eli could have hibernated another month or two safely. Believe me, I know.”