Colin MacGregor

Sean looked over at Colin. "We should be able to find a free training room at one in the morning." He swallowed. "Can you take her down there? I'm going to leave my body in the lounge, so I can be..." He pressed his eyes closed and shook briefly. "So I can be closer to her."

Colin nodded, and motioned for Ryan to follow. Slowly, he picked up Robin's trembling form and drifted down through the floor with her, Ryan phasing after.

The spirit led the way down four floors to the second sub-basement. Sure enough, all of the training rooms had a small green light burning over the doorway. Colin slowly walked over to the first and stepped through the door. The room was mostly empty - only a large whiteboard and associated markers adorned the walls, and the floor was lined with worn, blue indoor/outdoor carpeting.

The spirit slowly laid down his burden and knelt beside her. Ryan joined him on the floor sitting cross legged. "Another hue", the banshee murmured. "Seems to be more of us all the time."

'Aye, saw her a' the Chamber a lo'", the spirit replied quietly. "I dinnae know she was Sean's sister..."

"You couldn't have", Sean said as he phased through the door. "Not like I keep family photos around."

Colin closed his eyes and ran a tender hand over Robin's forehead again. The hue trembled, but her wracking sobs were quieter now.

"Bu' I still should nay ha'e treated her..." Colin trailed off, unable to look Sean in the face.

Sean went rock still. "What are you saying, Colin? You actually knew her before this?"

Colin nodded slowly, still unable to look up from the floor. "Aye", he whispered. "She's been a' the Chamber...e'ery time I ha'e, for the las' several months."

"That's impossible!" Sean snapped, grabbing Colin's arm. "She's been in Florida."

"Sean...", Colin winced as the skimmer's grip constricted around his own gauze. "I dinnae know abou' tha'. I jus' know she's been a' the chamber almos' e'ery Wednesday for the las' few months."

Sean relaxed his grip and sat back with a stunned expression on his face. "Why...?"

Colin shook his head. "God, Sean. I hate tae be the one, bu'..." he looked helplessly at Ryan.

"She's become a hue, Sean", the banshee said tenderly. "That means she was taking pigment."

Colin touched the wisp on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I...I saw her taking i', Sean. Saw her buying i'. And I did nay do anything." The spirit shuddered, trying to find a way to explain, to free the guilt that churned within him.

The skimmer didn't respond, either to the spirit's words or touch, and Colin slowly withdrew his hand. He turned to leave, not wanting to force his presence on his grieving friend - if, indeed, they still were friends.

Colin stopped, his back to the other three. "I ne'er knew she was yuir sister, Sean, I would ne'er ha'e ignored i' if..."

Ryan answered. "From what I saw, pigment doesn't have a great distribution yet. Major cities only, really. Still", he paused, looking thoughtful. "Seems like Jacksonville would be closer."

Colin nodded in agreement. "Seems likely, aye. As tae the why..." He sighed. "I ne'er asked. I' ne'er mattered tae me why they took i', jus' tha' I could talk wi' them when they did." And the fac' they though' ye were an angel did nay hur', his subconscious reminded him. Ye did nay care so long as they fough' for yuir attention.

The spirit turned around and looked at the others. Ryan was gazing intently at him; Sean remained kneeling beside his sister, holding her hand in his and staring at her face, which twisted from one grimace of pain to another while her eyes remained screwed shut.

"You may be able to bring her up slowly", Ryan offered. "Share your vitality with her like you do with us."

Colin nodded slowly, still not wanting to intrude any more on the wisp's grief. "We can all help...if ye wan'."

Sean looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "I think I need all the help I can get."

"Then ye'll ha'e i'." Colin knelt down on the floor and placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.

Ryan closed his eyes, seemingly trying to compose himself before reaching out a tentative finger to brush across the girl's forehead. As one, the three spooks focused on Robin, sending their own life energy into her and infusing her with vitality.

Slowly, the hue's form gained more solidarity, her gauze strengthening and sharpening into more recognizable features. Her black hair deepened, flowing around her head instead of lying limply in a matted knot. Her pale skin tanned, her tattered grey tshirt knit together into a subtle blue whole, and at last her eyes opened to reveal hazel irises wit a frightened, desperate depth.

Simultaneously, however, Colin and Ryan's own gauze faded, the two ghosts pouring what remained of their reserves into Sean's sister until they were but pale shadows of their living selves. Ryan's eyes grew bloodshot and his skin paled and bruised as needle tracks peppered his arms.

Colin felt his own form grow heavier as his clothes and hair became soaking wet. He could not see himself now, but knew from experience that his lips and skin would be frigidly blue while bruises and rope burns etched themselves into his throat and wrists.

Sean's flickering aura dimmed, no longer casting bright sharp shadows and barely illuminating the dimly lit training room, but his physical appearance remaind unchanged. The wisp let out a ragged breath from the exhaustive effort when his sister finally looked up at him, and Ryan and Colin both withdrew their touch.

The two ghosts sagged, sitting back from the skimmer and the hue and sharing a tired but relieved glance.

"Oh, Sean, I was so scared..." The hue reached up and clasped her brother in a tight hug, pulling herself up from the floor and hanging around his neck.

Colin looked at Ryan and motioned towards the door with his head. Ryan nodded, and the two ghosts quietly slipped out through the door of the training room. Although the warning light above the portal burned an angry scarlet, the duo took up station on either side to ensure that none disturbed Sean and his sister.

They stood in silence with the patience of the dead, and although a few other agents passed by with curious looks at the wardens, neither offered explanation and their pose left no doubt that to approach was a poor idea indeed. Hours passed, and the two sentinels remained in place, their silence and motionlessness putting British Royal Guards to shame.

Finally, however, a pulse of vitality erupted from the room behind them and a warm aura suffused the entire hallway. Colin smiled quietly to himself, though the grief and sadnes remained just below the surface of his thoughts.

<--PREVIOUS

DON'T LOOK BACK

NEXT-->

Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen

#0770 - Letting Go

November 15, 2003