[Fiction] When a god seeks help

[Wakinyan]

Boston, one of the beachheads for invasion. Those who sought freedom to worship struggled and strived and eventually succeeded thanks to the help of those they eventually nearly destroyed in gratitude.

Wakinyan did not dwell on it. Leveling a city for sins of the past was not something he had any inclination to do. Still these reminders tickled the back of his brain his own abilities would never let him forget and he was glad it would not. Forging a future meant not forgetting the past and he never would.

Her home did not really surprise him. Comfortable for a Nova which meant a mansion. Though less outrageous than some of the homes on N!cribs. His mind wondered if she had owned the place long before her Novahood. He suspected she did as his claws clacked down onto the cobblestone driveway. The smell of spring lawn work filled his nostrils. Pollen of multitudes of flowers and trees filled his nose as well as mulch and rich turned earth.

As he came up the circular drive he did so slowly making it easy for him to be spotted. Each pace of his paws became shorter his form became confusing and incoherent as he shifted the eufiber collar that held his wallet and other items slid and shaped over his native human form covering him quickly leaving the only briefest moment of nudity before the eufiber shaped itself into a pair of old faded blue jeans and a black Tshirt that showed a yellow traffic sign like shape with the silhouette of a wagon on fire on it with the words 'Wagon Burner'. Though clothed the handsome young native male walked barefoot to the door and rang the doorbell.

Wakinyan hoped she could help him. He hoped she would at least, listen.

[Lou Anne Burgess]

The front door opened a moment later, though Wakinyan had not seen Lou Anne since the Pow Wow the previous summer. It was not the older doctor who had spoken to a crazed gunman that opened the door, but a younger woman, still recognizable as that doctor. He caught a flash of distraction in her eyes as they were drawn to the logo on his tee shirt and then she smiled first at the logo, and then looking back up to him at him in greeting. “Wakinyan, it’s nice to see you again.” She stepped aside to let him into the house. “Come in. Would you believe that you left on your um, walkabout wasn’t it, about twelve hours before I was planning to come see you to thank you for warning me with your vision? I figure now that you’re definitely back, I’ll stop out next week sometime with the present I was going to bring you.”

Lou Anne was dressed simply in a heavier spring dress. The entry way behind her was marble with narrow marble pillars and a few functional pieces of furniture that allowed the display of a few small Grecian sculptures and some paintings. “Would you like something to drink after your trip? We have water, tea, coke, and I could make up some Koolaid if you were interested.” She lead the way through the vestibule into a very modern kitchen. “You were rather vague in your call, so, what brings you all the way out here? That way, I know where to lead from here.” She smiled.

[Lou Anne Burgess]

Rachel came in from working on the back flower beds and found a tray setup in the living room. Two pitchers and a large glass sat empty and abandoned on the tray table. Rachel walked to Lou Anne’s office and found her sitting in her chair thinking. “Was that Wakinyan leaving Boston?” Lou Anne turned to look at Rachel, though thoughtful, it was clear that Lou Anne was a bit sad about something.

“Yeah, he wanted me to try to help Falling Star.” Rachel nodded her acknowledgment, a moment passed. “I told him that it would have to be her decision, he apparently blindsided her with the idea that he was going to get her someone to talk to before he came out here. She told him she’d go along with it but, I told him it’ll be up to her.”

“So what’s wrong?”

Lou Anne shook her head. “I think he thinks she has a problem, but I’m not sure that she does, and if she’s not convinced something’s wrong, there’s nothing I’m going to be able to do.”

”I realize you don’t like it, but the law keeps me from helping her forcibly is the same one that keeps people from treating you for what appears to be a textbook case of India Syndrome. Hold on, I’m not coming down on either side, but it’s an excellent example. Would you appreciate someone telling you that they were going to cure you of the notion that you were, The Wakinyan?”

Lou Anne came back to the present. “You want me to get the...” Rachel motioned towards the living room.

“No, I’ll get it, I need to email him a copy of something and then I’ll be out.” Rachel nodded and went upstairs towards the shower. Lou Anne had given given him a business card to give to Ptehehincalasanwin and told him she’s email him a copy of the information to him as well. The card said for Ptehehincalasanwin to call anytime that she was up to it, but that if the voice mail said that Lou Anne was in Africa, she’d need to call the home number to leave a message with Rachel. Lou Anne included that information in the email and sent it to Wakinyan.

She didn’t know how much good her advice would do, but hoped he would follow it. “If you haven’t told her that you’re worried about her for some reason, tell her. Tell her that you have someone you’d like her to talk to, whenever and where ever is convenient or comfortable for her and tell her how to contact me. That lets her have power over the situation and she won’t feel forced because you’re not forcing her. The second thing and honestly, I would suggest this be after you’ve talked to her, get Neil involved. He’s family and while he’s not a psychologist, he is a doctor and he can consult with me or he can bring me in if he thinks that’s better.”

Leaving her reverie in the office, Lou Anne went to clean up from Wakinyan’s visit, she hoped to hear from one of the two young people soon.