“Hold on. Hold on to that arm!”

The sound started deep in the woman’s throat. It was the moan of a wounded animal. Then her head tilted back and her cry rose to an unearthly shriek. Not human, thought Maura, as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. My god, what have I brought back from the dead?

“Listen to me. Listen!” Maura commanded. She grasped the woman’s head in her hands and stared down at a face contorted in panic. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. You have to let us help you.”

At the sound of Maura’s voice, the woman went still. Blue eyes stared back, the pupils dilated to huge black pools.

One of the nurses quietly began to loop a restraint around the woman’s hand.

No, thought Maura. Don’t do that.

As the strap brushed the patient’s wrist, she jerked as though scalded. Her arm flew and Maura stumbled backward, her cheek stinging from the blow.

“Assistance!” the nurse yelled. “Can we get Dr. Cutler out here?”

Maura backed away, face throbbing, as a doctor and another nurse emerged from one of the treatment rooms. The commotion had drawn the attention of patients in the waiting room. Maura saw them eagerly peering through the glass partition, watching a scene that was better than any TV episode of ER.

“We know if she has any allergies?” the doctor asked.

“No medical history,” said the nurse.

“What’s going on here? Why is she out of control?”

“We have no idea.”

“Okay. Okay, let’s try five milligrams of Haldol IV.”

“IV’s out!”

“Then give it IM. Just do it! And let’s get some Valium in her, too, before she hurts herself.”

The woman gave another shriek as the needle pierced her skin.

“Do we know anything about this woman? Who is she?” The doctor suddenly noticed Maura standing a few feet away. “Are you a relative?”