A Bloody London Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 2) (37 page)

“Hey! Wasn’t that a
Doctor Who
episode?” he asked excitedly.

She peered at him curiously, shook her head and replied, “Not sure. And anyway, we don’t have time for-- um.”

“
Doctor Who
,” he supplied happily.

“Ah. We’ve got to head across town for your appointment. Then we’ll get dinner afterwards, okay?”

He shrugged. “Okay.”

The journey was expedited via the London Tube, and they arrived nearly thirty minutes early. The five-story office building was actually used for a variety of businesses, which included small medical practices. Dr. Guilhelm’s office was on the fifth floor and reminded him of the small office that Alondra Vargas, actually Chimalma, had maintained in Atlanta during last fall’s adventure. The small seating room outside of the doctor’s main office was eerily similar in size and layout. A brown-haired, human receptionist greeted them, acknowledged their appointment and asked them to sit in some chairs on the other side of the room.

Caleb looked up at Katrina with a frown and made a comment regarding the odd coincidence in setting. Her expression turned serious as she whispered, “Something like that’s simply not going to happen to you again. I promise no vampires will be messing with your mind or body. Except for me, of course.”

He sighed with his arms folded across his chest, and she placed a comforting arm across the back of his shoulders as they sat next to each other. After a few minutes, the doctor’s interior office door opened, and a tall figure with teal eyes and silvery blond hair looked at Caleb with an inviting expression. The fellow appeared to be in his late forties and had gaunt features and a lean body. Aside from his overly pale complexion, the only attribute even hinting at his true nature was that his eyes appeared somewhat brighter than normal.

“You must be Caleb,” he ventured calmly. “I’m Dr. Guilhelm, and I’m pleased to meet you. Alton said to expect you. And Ms. Rawlings, I presume?”

“Katrina,” she offered as she rose to shake his hand firmly.

Dr. Guilhelm shook Caleb’s hand in turn and gestured towards his dimly lit office. “Please come in, Caleb. Would you mind if Katrina remained out here for the time being?”

He looked up at her, and she smiled supportively and nodded her affirmation.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” she assured him and noticed the doctor smile and nod subtly in agreement.

“And Ms. Prescott, you may clock out now,” Guilhelm politely instructed his aide. “I won’t need you back here until tomorrow afternoon at the regular time.”

“Yes, sir,” the woman acknowledged with a respectful tone. “Good night.”

“Good night,” he replied as Caleb walked past him to enter the office.

A few minutes later, he perched on the edge of a brown leather couch placed against the back wall of the office. A series of forest photographs was displayed in three large frames above the couch. A leather reading chair sat across from the couch, in which the doctor sat with his legs crossed. Caleb scanned the office and noticed the window behind the doctor’s large oak desk looked out upon a nighttime view of the city beyond. Overall, it was much more comfortable than Vargas’ office and far more warm and inviting.

“Kind of a classic look in here, Doc,” he offered with a hint of anxiousness. “Do all psychiatrists use the same office furniture catalog? Or maybe it’s a standard layout?”

The doctor smiled, briefly and nodded. “Chapter three of the psychiatrist’s manual, actually.”

Caleb sighed and smirked.

“Are you feeling nervous, Caleb?” Guilhelm asked calmly with a supportive, non-threatening expression.

Caleb swallowed. “No. Well, actually, yes. But I’m okay.”

“Ah, but if you really were okay, you wouldn’t be here, would you?” the vampire asked with a grin.

Caleb looked up with a surprised smirk and chuckled despite himself. “You’re not a real psychiatrist, are you?”

The doctor grinned reassuringly. “Actually I am, but I’ve found humor usually lightens the mood, and you seem to enjoy a little levity.”

“I can see that,” Caleb agreed good-naturedly as he absently rubbed his fingertips against each other. “And yeah, I like humor.”

“That’s good. So, why not tell me a little about yourself?” Guilhelm encouraged. “And then a little about what it is you’re trying to recall.”

Caleb described his background at a cursory level, but soon found himself going into further details about his childhood and abusive father. He was surprised how easy it was to talk to the doctor, and he effortlessly described his introduction to Katrina last fall, including the occasional flashes of memory flaring at odd occasions. He described the flashbacks after having discovered the old photograph of his mother and Katrina, then Amber, at the company banquet. Occasionally, the doctor asked simple questions for clarification or additional details, but mostly listened patiently. By the end of his recollections, Caleb found himself feeling oddly at ease and had even stopped fidgeting.

“Caleb, have you ever undergone hypnosis therapy?” Guilhelm asked once Caleb had finished.

“Nope, never.”

“Well, I’m going to try something that’s very straightforward and pain-free,” the doctor began. “It’s just to gauge how significantly your memory may be blocked. And if the conditions are viable, I’ll see what I can do beyond that. Perhaps I can nudge them free for you. All you need do is sit back and relax.”

Caleb nodded, and the doctor stared at him in a sedate manner. Guilhelm’s eyes began to glow mildly, and he offered in a reassuring voice, “Now just stare into my eyes, Caleb. And don’t be nervous. My eyes are calm, and friendly, and inviting…”

Within moments, Caleb was concentrating on Guilhelm’s teal eyes. They were entrancing and soothing, and it made him feel a little sleepy. Suddenly, he saw only teal eyes before him. He heard Guilhelm continue talking, asking him to think about his childhood. Random memories from his youth flooded his mind. The doctor’s voice continued to soothe and guide him as he remembered back to various childhood events. Again, the teal orbs filled his vision, blocking out everything else. And the memories continued to flash in his mind.

He described his visions in a subdued voice, explaining the scenes and recollections playing out in his mind. But at some point, he was unable to recall whether he were speaking aloud, or merely thinking, or both. Yet the memories continued to flood through his mind. After an undetermined period of time, he saw something new from his childhood seemingly appear before his eyes. At least, the vision seemed new. He didn’t recognize the scene, which included a sunny day in his old backyard in Ohio.
Was it summer?
Everything was so vivid in the vision.
I played with my toys, and I saw something blurry kicking up dust in the field near our house. A door opened and slammed shut abruptly. It was the old garage next to the house. I ran to investigate.
Caleb watched events play out through his own eyes as he entered the musty garage with a curious expression.

I went into the garage, and I think I heard moaning somewhere. Was it an animal? The sound came from the tarp-covered old car that Dad worked on sometimes. I knelt on the floor and peeked underneath the oily old tarp.
Caleb gasped.
I saw a person, or something that looked like a person! There was a stinky, burnt smell, too.

There was a woman’s voice, a quaky-sounding woman’s voice. Was she hurt? What was she doing under the car?
Then additional flashes of conversation with the woman.
She’s an angel? From heaven? And she needs help soon! I ran back into the house for a pencil and some paper and returned to the garage. It was a secret, the angel. Angel Amber said not to tell anyone, not even Mom. A long series of numbers followed. He needed to get to a phone and call the number and give the angel on the other end of the phone some more numbers. What were all the numbers for? Did God use all those numbers too?

I waited for a truck to arrive. God sent a truck? The delivery angel, Angel Bruce, although he looked like an ordinary man, left a plastic box with me. Why did the angel need for me to write my name on a clipboard? Don’t angels know everybody? I rushed the box to the garage for Angel Amber. She told me to leave for a while, so I did. More playing with toys, watching television, and eating lunch. Then Mom made cookies. It was evening, and I had to go check on Angel Amber after supper. But Dad was angry after work, and he drank more of the stinky bottles of beer. He got angry again. Lots of shouting, and Mom started crying. Then Dad hit me when I kept asking about Mom. The pain hurt so much. He likes hitting, I think.

I went into the garage and wanted to see the angel, but I’m upset. Angel Amber asked me questions from under the car. Wait! Dad’s coming! He looked angry, and I was scared. Ow! My arm was bleeding, and I cried. There’s a woman standing in front of me. Who is she? She’s Angel Amber? Dad’s really mad and doesn’t like Angel Amber. The angel hit Dad! She’s putting me outside, out of the garage. But Dad’s going to hit the angel with a big metal bar! Angel Amber grabs Dad by the neck, and he falls onto the floor. Angel Amber wants to look at my arm because it’s still bleeding. She kisses it, and it feels funny, but better. She says the angel magic will fix it. She wants me to look into her eyes. She has pretty green eyes. I feel sleepy. Then I’m playing in the back yard with my toys. I see the angel carrying something over her shoulder as she walks through the empty field near our house. And Dad’s gone…

Caleb gasped as he fell back against the cushion of the leather couch, still staring into Dr. Guilhelm’s calm face. His heart was racing so fast that he thought it might burst from his chest.

“Are you okay, Caleb?” Guilhelm asked quietly with a concerned expression. “How are you feeling?”

Caleb blinked once and nodded dumbly. “Um, yeah,” he stammered. “Confused...” He actually remembered meeting an angel named Amber.
It’s like everything just happened. Everything’s still so fresh.

Guilhelm merely nodded silently and waited.

“Angel Amber was Katrina,” Caleb mumbled almost to himself. “She killed…She saved me from my dad.”

Guilhelm nodded again. “Caleb, you found something that was hidden away inside your mind. You must realize that these new memories, though valid, are as you would have interpreted them as a child. They are yours either to embrace or reject, but either way, they are your own. I suggest that you patiently take the time to go over them in your mind.”

“They’re so vivid, like they just happened,” Caleb rambled.

“In essence and to your conscious awareness, they just did,” the doctor explained. “What are you feeling right at this moment?”

Caleb rubbed at his eyes and felt wetness on his face. Guilhelm handed him a box of tissues, and he blew his nose.

“I’m not sure,” he began unsteadily. “I’m free from Dad, though. Forever.”

“Caleb, your memories can be very powerful, and I want you to think about your feelings surrounding them. You have some difficult images to digest and may want to consider further visits with me. I’ll be more than happy to help,” Guilhelm offered.

“What next?”

“Most of all, you should talk to Katrina about your memories openly and honestly. I also want you to call me if you have any questions or concerns, day or night.” Guilhelm handed him a business card. “I put my personal cell phone on here, and you shouldn’t hesitate to call me anytime. After all, I’m a vampire, and I don’t sleep much.”

Caleb smirked at the quip and took the card. Guilhelm rose from his chair, but motioned for him to remain where he was. “I’m going to step out for a few minutes so you can collect yourself in quiet,” he explained. “But I’ll be outside with Katrina if you need me or her.”

Caleb nodded, and the doctor quietly slipped from the office.

Katrina rose as soon as Guilhelm exited. She had an expectant expression on her face, and the doctor motioned for her to remain quiet. Once he pulled his office door to, he whispered, “We’re done for now. He seems fine and is collecting himself at the moment. I was successful in releasing his memories, and I suspect he remembers everything that you blocked. But time will tell, and he may need to visit with me in the future. I told him that he needs to think about his feelings and to talk to you about them. I gave him my card, but I’ll give you one too, just in case. Call me anytime, especially if you sense that something is wrong.”

“Can I see him now?” she asked with concern.
My God, it’s been nearly three hours!

He held up his hand tentatively and suggested, “Give him a few more minutes alone. Then you can peek in on him.”

“Um, just let me know what I owe you, and --” she began a little unsteadily. Her mind was racing with concern for Caleb.

“No,” Guilhelm countered. “This one’s
pro bono
. Alton told me a little about your circumstances, and I’m just happy to help.”

“Pardon me for being suspicious, but why?” she asked carefully.

Guilhelm smirked. “I see what Alton meant when he warned me about your protective and cautious nature. Not that I’m criticizing, mind you.”

She scowled.
Alton, you blabber-mouth
.

“For one, he seems like a fine young man. I’m sincerely pleased to help you, actually. Alton conveyed how very important Caleb is in your life. And frankly, I don’t get to see many vampire hypnosis patients, particularly vampire mates. This was a sort of professional opportunity for me,” he explained. “You did a pretty good job, by the way. But I’d stay away from hypnotizing humans in the future. It’s quite tricky.”

She sighed and shook the doctor’s hand. “Yeah, I found that out the hard way.”

Guilhelm smiled and nodded.

He certainly seems like a thoughtful being for a vampire
.
How unusual.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, doctor,” she said. “You’re a first in my book, as well.”

“First vampire psychiatrist?”

“No, first time I met a psychiatrist who does
pro bono
work,” she teased. Fortunately, a hopeful feeling began to replace the anxious ones of a few minutes ago.