Nirvana Effect by Craig Gehring Read Free Book Online

certainly caught her eye, today.  He’d just had a haircut, and something about the way he’d done it reminded her… Oh, stop it.
    The two doctors had the distinction of being the only two whites of their profession on the island.  “How can I help you?” she asked.  “I’m out of sugar, as well as everything else in the dispensary.  I have some water, but it will evaporate soon.  And they just got my last antibiotic.”  She filed charts, making sure he saw that she wasn’t wasting any time in getting out of there.
    “Actually I just wanted to borrow some of your time.  I have reason to celebrate, and wanted to take you out to dinner,” said Seacrest boldly.
    “Well, I appreciate your offer, James, I really do…”
    “Why don’t you take me up on it just once, Dr. Knowles?  It’s my birthday.”
    “It was your birthday seven months ago.”
    “This is my real birthday .  I’ve grown older,” he said.
    “James, will you ever give up?” she asked.
    “Hmmm…” he said.  She walked down the hall to the exam rooms.  She changed the paper towels running across the beds and sanitized.  As she sprayed she thought about Seacrest.  She got a feeling about him that made her want to keep her distance.  A lot of had to do with the mystery as to how he ended up in Lisbaad .  It was something he wouldn’t talk about.
    Of course, it’s still a mystery to me how I ended up in Lisbaad …
    She had to admit there was a feeling she got about every guy that made her want to keep her distance. 
    Dinner sounded nice, though.  It was something she rarely was able to treat herself to.  Seacrest, in his Corvette and infinitely deep pockets, was more than capable of delivering a fine dining experience. 
    When she walked back into the reception room, James was crouched near the natives, muttering with them.  He stood up when she walked in . 
    “What are you up to?” she asked with cocked eyebrow.
    “Apparently, Mr. Guin here had to carry his son eight miles to reach this clinic.  It will be another eight miles before they get to sleep.”  He paused.
    “Mmhmm?” she prodded.
    “I have made them an offer,” said Seacrest.
    “An d what is that?” asked Callista.
    “I will drive them in my glorious candy apple red quad cab ‘95 Corvette with all leather interior all the way to their farm, if you will agree to accompany me and then let me take you out to dinner.” 
    He smiled gamely.  He knew he had won.  She sighed and looked at the little boy.  She envisioned his eyes lighting up as he too k what was most likely the first car ride of his life .   Probably he wouldn’t even need the pills after that.
    I do it for the children…he does look handsome today…and ten, fifteen years is not all that much difference on this island…it’s just a date…

5
     
    The pain had changed.  Edward sensed that his body had made definite progress on the head injury, but the torture along his nerve channels had grown much worse.  It felt as though every neuron in hi s body were generating charge, ripping up and down his body like electric fire and ice.
    The feeling of disconnection was gone.  Instead, he felt much too connected to his body. 
    He heard a din of voices nearby, hundreds of voices.  Some sort of crowd.  They were muttering, shouting, displeased.
    He felt trapped, and for an instant he fought the impulse to jump up and flee .  He checked himself.  Sudden motion would undo every bit of healing he’d done. 
    According to the reasoning he’d conducted before he’d fallen asleep, ru nning would serve no purpose and could actually estrange Mahanta, the only reason Edward was still living.
    That logic, however, seemed hazy at best .  He didn’t feel like he could process again everything he’d gone through before the sleep.  Just the thought overwhelmed him .  He couldn’t bring back into recall the concatenation of evaluations that had led him to that conclusion. 
    I guess I