William didn't have to think about it.  She'd been an unattainable goal for more than two years, and that was long enough. 

Besides, he was looking for someone else.  The young woman from the diner was the first he'd ever seen that was changing, evolving like he was.  He didn't have much hope left for companionship, for someone who really understood what he was going through, but it had to mean something that they had found each other once.  He had to believe he could find her again.  Maybe he could help her; maybe they could help each other.

He had thought about telling Bryan about her, but didn't want to, not yet.  Instead, he offered his hand to his friend.  "I wish you both luck." 

He had to wait a moment before Bryan took his hand.  They shook.

"She's probably rearranged your apartment already.  Right?"  William saw he was right when Bryan winced.  They both chuckled.

"How a blind woman can move furniture that quickly, I have no idea,” Bryan said.  “But it's better than your roommate.  You really must be nuts."  William shook his head at the mention of his current arrangement with Westen.  He knew Bryan was trying to change the subject away from Jess. 

William had started by just keeping a watch on Westen after she'd gone home.  The voices had said she was healing, but he knew how hard memories could be, and the ones that had come back to her were horrible.  After two days of suicide watch, with him sneaking in to check on her, she had assured him she wasn't going to kill herself.  Then she had told him, in her usual polite manner, how awful he smelled and that he could wash his clothes there and use her shower.  He'd even slept in her spare bedroom one night.  It beat the pile of rags at the latest warehouse he had found.

"You know, you didn't kill her.  That means something," Bryan said.  "I was tempted to do it a few times."

William smiled back.  He may not have understood it at the time, but he'd come to realize why he'd saved the doctor after she had tried to kill him.  He had known, subconsciously, that he wanted to kill Harold, and that saving her might redeem him somehow.  But even after helping her, he still felt like a murderer.  He wished he could talk to Bryan about Westen.  He hadn't told his friend of her memories, what she had hidden from herself, and wouldn't tell him.  They were hers to deal with.  But there was one thing.  "She has dolls.”

"What?" Bryan asked

"Don't get too Freudian about it, but she has shelves on every wall that are covered with dolls.  I think I'm the first male to ever set foot in that place."

Bryan just stared at him.  "Yeah, good thing I'm not into Freud," he said.

William picked at the pizza crust.  The doctor wasn't trying to kill him anymore, wasn't trying to lock him up, but things weren't settled between them.  He saw how she would often shrink into herself and thought she might blame him for the recovered memories of her childhood.  He doubted he would visit her much more.

He noticed Bryan staring at him and looked back.

"What is it?"  Bryan asked.

"I'm going to miss her shower."

"You're being cryptic again," Bryan said.

William smiled.  "It'd been two years since I had a real shower.  It's not the same in an institution, trust me."  He took a bite of crust.  "But I know it won't last.  So, selfishly, I'll miss the hot showers."

He saw Bryan nod, could tell he was thinking.  "You can shower at my place.  And if you need a place to sleep..."

William held up his hand.  "That's just a little too Three's Company for me, and for you and Jess.  Thanks."  The night before, as he'd watched over Bryan's apartment, he had seen his friend open the curtain.  They had looked at each other, one in the apartment with Jess, the other alone on the street.  The voices had told him of Bryan's concern over being watched.  "You're not upset, are you, about me still protecting Jess?"

He watched Bryan think until his friend answered.  "I would be.  But you're not just protecting her.  You're protecting me, and others.  Aren't you?"

William had been waiting to see if any racists came after Bryan, had been there for hours, every night since the fire.  But Mickelson was right.  Jess and Bryan weren't the only ones he was protecting.  He had seen Jess' vision too.  He knew what was needed of her, probably very near in the future.  There were others coming, evolving.  They needed protection in many different ways, and he feared his way was still necessary.  If there were people like Jared Smith, who would kill and drive people from their homes simply because their skin was a different color, how much could they hate someone who really was different?  He had to stand there and be ready when they were in danger.  But would he be doing it alone, or would he have Bryan's help?

He let the fog in.

The voices swirled together around him. The Caretaker, close to Bryan, watched over them both.  The Hunter was still and The Advisor pointed out small bright spots on the streets below.  People, each growing and changing the way William was.  He didn't know if he could tell Bryan who he was really protecting.  Bryan had some access, was attuned to something bigger through his intellect and intuition, but wasn't evolving like so many others were.  He might not ever.  And if he didn't, he might not understand what William was trying to do in protecting Jess.

He nodded for Bryan as he looked out.  For now he had a friend and he'd try to keep him.  But there were others out there, and one of them, like him, hadn't been in Jessica's vision.  He needed to find her and find out why.

(Author’s note:  Thank you all so much for reading.  Please do check out the following pages…the thank you page, sample chapters of Schism Book Two and Voodootown and the upcoming FAQ, info pages and contest pages.  If you can afford it, the ebook of Schism is on sale for $4.99 at amazon  (just search for Bruce Elgin Schism)  And…if you want a signed copy of the paperback, it’s on sale  for $12.99 at hopebooksllc.com   Before I go, I want to let you know that the second book in the Schism trilogy should be up around Christmas 2014.  I have one big favor...if you can't get the paperback or ebook right now, please go to amazon and leave a review of Schism.  It doesn't have to be long...just a quick sentence saying it's awesome and clicking on all five stars would help so much!  Thanks!  Please stay in touch!)