Page 34 of Psychic Obsession
"Eyewitnesses."
"He's not a witness!"
No, Nikolai was aware he wasn't a witness in the common sense, but if he was a psychic, he'd seen the murderer, and it made him a witness of sorts."It's still a memory."
"Not in the way you and I have memories."
"How does it differ?"
Hjalmar glared at him.For a moment, Nikolai had believed they were okay, now he wasn't sure.
"You didn't learn anything about what it is he does, did you?You push and push until you get your way without considering the consequences."Hjalmar's calm tone was worse than if he'd been shouting.
Nikolai shrugged."If he's a psychic--"
Hjalmar whirled around and stomped out of the room.Nikolai stared for a second or two before hurrying after him.He made it out of the conference room in time to see Hjalmar walk into Medlin's office.Fuck.Nikolai might not cower in front of his boss, but he was new here.He rushed after him.He appeared in the doorway at the same time as Hjalmar spoke to Medlin.
"Nesterova is to go nowhere near Frode in the future."
Medlin looked between Hjalmar and Nikolai, then he sighed."Is this complaint coming from you or from Frode?"
"Frode is out cold and will be for hours.I'll go back there in a minute to make sure I don't need to take him to the hospital, but I want to make sure Nesterova doesn't harass him when he wakes up."
"Oh, for fuck's sake!"Nikolai walked into the office."When have I ever harassed Frode?"
"You bullied him into touching an item he first refused to touch, then you had the forensics hunt him down the moment he made it home.You saw what state he was in.There is no way he'd be able to work with Yeager today.Tomorrow is pushing it, and yet he agreed to it because you were breathing down Yeager's neck."
Medlin sighed loudly."Where is Elmore?"
"Returning the rug to evidence, I believe."Though, he'd been away for some time now.
"I want Elmore to handle all future contacts concerning Mr.Bakke.We only have one psychic willing to work with the police department in this city, and I'd like to have the option to consult him in the future."Medlin looked at Hjalmar."How bad off is he?"
Hjalmar made a so-so gesture with his hand."He dropped off before I could make a good assessment."
"Worse than normal?"
"What's normal?He's not in a coma, his brain isn't soup, but he threw up before he made it out of the stream of people, he could hardly stand on his own, he couldn't stay awake long enough to eat, he bit his cheek until he bled, he winced at every motion."Hjalmar sighed."Unless he has an aneurysm as we speak, I'm pretty sure he'll live."
Medlin scrunched his face and focused on Nikolai."You pushed?"
Was there any point in lying?"He said no at first."
"How likely is it this will cause permanent damage?"Medlin aimed the question at Hjalmar, and ice filled Nikolai's core.Permanent damage?They didn't believe there would be permanent damage, did they?Fuck.Nausea grabbed hold of him.He didn't want to cause Frode pain.The opposite.But he hadn't truly believed Frode was a psychic--he'd been sure he wasn't.And how could anyone be sure what he said was true?
Hjalmar sighed."I don't think there will be permanent damage, but I can't say for certain.What I do know is there are too many new faces stored in his mind, and I'm not sure how much one brain can handle.It's not only that he has to endure it while he touches something; they're there forever now, together with all the faces from the previous case, and the previous, and the previous, and so on.His restrictions aren't because he doesn't want to help; it's because he doesn't know how much more he can endure before his brain gives up.And I know to you he's a freak, a tool you can use, but to me--" He touched his hand to his chest, and his voice cracked."He's my brother, the only family I have in this country."
Guilt swamped Nikolai; he dropped his gaze to the floor to avoid looking at the stark fear on Hjalmar's face.Frode had been smiling while talking to Saylor, having a burger and a beer, a few hours earlier, and now he was unable to stay awake because of what Nikolai had made him do.
Right as the silence dipped over into uncomfortable, Isaac appeared in the doorway."Oh, Bakke, how's..."He scrunched his nose."How is Frode doing?"
"Out cold."
Isaac nodded."Will he be okay?"
"I hope so."
"Is there anything I can do?I can get food delivered for when he wakes."
