by Ari Harper
Oh shit. That wasn’t very clever. I returned his smile and I walked over to him. “Are you ready to go where no man has ventured before, Father of mine?”
“Surely, it can’t be that bad.” Mom laughed as she came out of the house to join us.
“Mom, I know for a fact because he told me, that Jasper hasn’t looked in some of those storage rooms for hundreds of years. Who knows what we will find.”
“Off with you both, then,” Mom said. “I’ll see you later, whenever that might be. I have enough here to keep me busy all day. Have fun.”
I held onto my father’s hand, enjoying the close contact. We went out the back gate and down the lane that led over the river to Jasper’s.
“Dad, what happened last night? I heard you and Mom arguing. Is everything okay?”
“I’m sure she will tell you herself, Nera. Mom is pregnant. Her argument is that we let you kids decide when you wanted to be born, and now this is the new baby’s choice. I tried to convince her to wait, but it was already too late. We both agreed to that theory when you were born, so it’s a bit hard for me to go back on it now. We will just have to make the best of it.”
“You love babies, Dad. You are always cooing over someone’s if you get a chance.”
“I know, honey. I’m just not sure if this is the right time for us.”
We entered the house through the back door, Hugo pushing ahead to greet Jasper as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
“Down, dear boy.” Jasper pushed him back. “I know what you are after.” He walked into the pantry and reached into the bag of dog treats he kept for the big, black dog. Hugo took one gently in his jaws and raced outside to sit under his favorite tree and demolish his treat.
“That’s cupboard love for you, Jasper.” Dad shook his head. “That is one spoiled dog. If only life was so easy.” His face turned grim.
“What’s wrong, son? You seem a little shaky this morning. Something I should know about?” Jasper headed for the kettle.
“Yes, there is. Hannah is pregnant. She told me last night.”
“Oh dear.” Jasper turned to look at Dad’s haggard face. “That is obviously an issue for you. Does Hannah know how you feel?”
“Yes. I tried to convince her to wait until Roman was in school so he could have more time with us, but you know how we both feel that the child chooses the time. I can hardly go back on that, Jasper. I will just have to deal with it.”
“Let me put the kettle on, and we can sit outside with a cup of tea before we start to clean the store rooms.” Jasper turned to the sink to fill up the kettle when a chill crept over my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I opened my mouth to call Jasper but before I could, my body went cold, and I struggled for breath. I felt like I was being sucked down into a deep well full of ice water. My lungs were squeezed so tight I could hardly breathe.
Jasper heard my quick intake of breath and reached my side before my legs gave way.
“Girl dear, what is it!” he cried, his eyes wide in shock.
I looked at him wildly, unable to speak, struggling to breath. He held my face in his hands.
Use your mind, girl dear. What is happening?
I’m cold, Jasper, so cold. I can’t breathe. Help me, please.
You are okay, Nera. Try to go with it and feel who this is, quickly child.
The realization hit me. It was Roman; he was the connection, the one in my mind.
“Roman, Jasper. It’s Roman.”
“What’s going on?”Dad cried.
“Nera has a strong connection to Roman. She feels that there is something wrong with him. Where is he this morning?” Jasper grabbed hold of Dad’s arm. “Hurry, man!”
“Hannah said he was going to the neighbor’s today. He likes to help her in the garden,” Dad said, still confused.
I clutched onto Jasper and Dad for support. We hurried through the forest path toward home. I didn’t falter as they helped me over the bridge and up the lane into our backyard. Mom was sitting on the back step with a cup in her hand. She stood up when I pulled away from Dad and Jasper and stumbled over to her. Dad jumped the fence to bang loudly on the old lady’s door.
“Nera, what is going on?” Mom looked panicked.
“Where is Roman, Mom?” I asked. Bent over, my hands on my knees, I struggled to breathe steadily.
Mom pointed over the fence just when Mrs. Freeman opened the door to my father.
“Why, Jack.” The old lady smiled as she opened the door. “Whatever is the matter?”
“Where is my son? Is he here with you?”
“No dear. He went home awhile ago.” Her beady eyes reflected little concern, and brushed crumbs from her chin and the front of her dirty dress. “Is everything all right, Jack?”
“Nera, Jasper, down to the river!” Dad yelled, ignoring her.
We ran down the lane toward the river. Mom was right behind us, her eyes wide with shock and her face had lost most of its normal color. “Jack, what’s happened? What makes you think that Roman is in danger?”
“Just a gut feeling Nera has, Hannah. Hurry!”
We raced to where we had crossed the bridge just minutes ago to the park farther along the river bank. Hugo bounded past us and leaped into the water. Dad slid down the bank and lunged in after him. He grabbed his unconscious son from Hugo’s jaws.
“Call an ambulance!” He tried to drag Roman’s lifeless body to the bank and passed him up for Jasper to grab. A man passing by ran to the nearest house, calling for a phone.
As soon as Jasper had him on level ground, he started CPR.
Mom stood by, frozen to the spot, watching the two men worked on Roman. I put my arms around her and the tears became gut wrenching sobs.
“Oh my God. What happened to my little man? He was in the garden with Mrs. Freeman when I went in to make a cup of tea. When I came back outside, I thought they had gone in for a drink.”
We could hear the ambulance coming. The siren rang out along the normally quiet streets. It pulled to a halt beside us, and two paramedics jumped out. The first one out the door raced to grab his bag of gear out of the back of the ambulance and the other one, an older man, ran and dropped down by Jasper reaching for Roman’s hand.
“Don’t stop CPR,” he instructed. Nathan, according to his name badge, tried to find a pulse while Jasper continued to work on Roman.
The other medic approached us.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked. “Start with name, age, and how long he was in the water.”
“We really don’t know,” Mom cried through her tears. “He was with our neighbor and must have wandered off from her and came down here. My daughter had a feeling that something was wrong, and we found him in the water. He’s only five and can’t swim.” Mom collapsed to the ground.
“Will he be all right?” I stood with my hands on her shoulders, my body shook, not with cold but fear.
“I don’t know,” the paramedic replied. “We will stabilize him here and get him to the hospital. Then it’s up to them. It depends how long he was under water.”
Once Jasper established a steady heartbeat, the paramedics pushed him to one side and took over. They connected Roman’s small body to an oxygen mask to help his breathing and another machine to monitor his vital signs. Then they strapped him onto the gurney and loaded him into the ambulance.
“Okay, let’s roll. His heart is beating steady, his pulse is steady, and the oxygen mask is helping him, so now it’s up to the hospital. One of you can come with him.”
“I’ll go,” Dad said. “Jasper, can you please bring Hannah and Nera.”
“We will be right behind you,” he replied.
Jasper helped me pick up my distraught mother and hold her limp form between us as we hurried back to the house to get the car. I shuddered as the ambulance sped away from us toward the hospital, sirens wailing.
Mrs. Freeman was at the fence when we arrived. She w
as wearing an old ugly housecoat over her dirty dress, and her hair poked out of her hairnet, giving her a scruffy appearance.
“Did you find him, dear?” she asked Mom.
“How could you? How could you let a little boy like that just wander off?” Mom cried. She fell, sobbing once more into Jasper’s arms.
Mrs. Freeman turned toward me. “I didn’t mean for anything to happen to the wee man. You know that dear, don’t you?” Her face was lined and pale, and her shoulders were hunched forward making her look pitiful and old.
I glared at her, saying nothing. I turned and followed Jasper and Mom into the garage.
Mom cried all the way to the hospital, the sound of her sobs ripping at my heart. He was my little brother and I loved him to death regardless of how many times he got into my things and annoyed me. Dread filled my body as the possibility of losing him raced through my mind. If he didn’t make it, I would be gutted. I squeezed my eyes closed and prayed like never before.
Dad met us at the emergency room doors. “They won’t let me in yet,” he told us, running his hand through his hair. “They promised to let me know as soon as it is possible to see him, but right now he’s still unconscious.”
Mom fell into Dad’s arms, and I turned into Jasper’s chest, his arms going around me.
“I don’t think I can bear it if he doesn’t pull through.” Mom gripped Dad’s shirt in her fists as she clung to him
He led her over to the chairs in the waiting room, but Jasper held me back. “Girl dear, listen to me,” he said gently shaking me to get my attention. “You can help him.”
I turned my tear streaked face toward him, not trusting myself to talk.
“If you can get into his mind, you can help heal his body. We have to hope that his brain has not shut down yet. This is not going to be easy. Let’s wait a bit and see what we hear about Roman. Then I want to bring you back outside somewhere quiet, and we can start this.”
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and looked at him doubt filling my mind. “Do you really think that I have the power to do this, Jasper? Is it possible?”
“Your power, girl dear, is only limited by the belief you have in yourself.” He stroked the hair from my forehead while his words sunk in. “All things are possible for you, Nera, you just have to open yourself to them.”
We walked arm in arm over to where my parents sat huddled together.
“Any news yet?” Jasper asked.
“No, nothing yet.” Dad held Mom, who was still crying in his arms.
We sat and waited, jumping each time the door opened, hoping to see someone coming toward us with good news. Dad asked the receptionist more than once if they had any updates, but each time she silently shook her head and we continued to wait.
We all jumped up when the door opened, and Dr. Peters came out. We had known him for a long time; he had delivered both me and Roman. I was relieved he was on duty today.
“Is he awake, Noel?” Dad asked
“No, not yet. Come with me. There is somewhere we can talk that’s a bit more private.”
We followed him down the corridor to a small room not far from emergency.
“Take a seat, folks. Now, we don’t know how long he was under water, but he is young, and the most important fact in his favor is that the water was quite cold. That slows down how quickly the body reacts without oxygen to the brain.”
“What do you mean, Noel?” Mom her hands crossed over her chest while she waited for his answer. “Will he have brain damage?”
“We certainly hope not. The brain can only last undamaged without oxygen for a short time, but it has been found that under colder temperatures, that process slows down considerably. That river is always cold, coming from the hills, so that is a great bonus for Roman.”
“But do you think he will have any damage?” I asked.
“Nera, it’s just too soon to tell. We have him on oxygen to make breathing easier for him, because he struggled a little. His heart is strong; he’s young. There’s not really much more I can tell you. It’s a case of wait and see. He may wake up tomorrow; it may be next week. His body needs to heal itself, and until it does, he will stay in a coma. We won’t be able to see if there is any brain damage until he wakes. I’m sorry I can’t be more positive, but I don’t want to give you false hope.”
“Will he wake up?” Mom asked, her voice quiet.
“I don’t know. There’s no reason why he wouldn’t. Let’s just all pray that he does and soon.”
“Can we see him?” Dad asked.
“Sure, just let the nurses get him settled into intensive care where we can keep an eye on him. Only two at a time, though. Otherwise the nurses will have my head.”
“Thank you for everything you are doing,” Dad said.
“Don’t thank me yet, old friend. Thank me when that young man wakes up.” He got up and turned to leave the room. “One of the nurses will come and get you when they are ready. Don’t let the machines scare you, Hannah. It’s just a precaution.”
Jasper stood and sighed. His eyes were sad, and a frown lined the space between his eyebrows. His glossy black hair had fallen free of the leather thong he usually had it tied back with. He curled it behind his ear before he turned to our grieving family.
“I’ll take Nera for a cup of tea, Jack, while you and Hannah sit with Roman. We won’t be far away if you need us. We won’t go home. There will be no going anywhere until that young man is awake.”
“Thank you, Jasper. We will let you know as soon as anything happens,” Dad said, pulling Mom close.
“Come on, girl dear.” Jasper waved me to the door and led me to the cafeteria. After we were served, we found a quiet table outside in the garden to have our tea.
“Would you like me to play mother?” he asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Sure,” I replied. I raked my fingers through my hair and shook my head, trying to make sense of the latest incident and not succeeding.
Jasper poured the tea for both of us and pushed mine over toward me.
“How are we going to fix this? Is this just a nasty accident or is it part of the curse?” I asked.
“I really don’t know. It does seem too much a coincidence to me, but I think that we need to discuss it with Bones after Roman recovers.”
We drank our tea in silence, both deep in thought.
“Well, girl dear, let’s get on with it, shall we?”
“Don’t you think we should wait and see if the doctors can do anything first?” I asked. “I really don’t think I have the power to help him.” I twisted the serviette in my hands and tore small pieces off as my brain worked overtime trying to understand what he was saying. I doubted myself more than he knew. My first reaction was to brush it off, but what if I could do this and save my little brother? Did I have the guts to try knowing that if I failed I would lose him?
“The doctors have already said they can do nothing more for him, Nera. It is up to him to wake up if he can. Please don’t start to doubt yourself now, girl dear.” He took my hands in his. “Yes, you need more practice with your power, but you may be the only chance Roman has. It could mean his life. You know this. Please try.” Jasper looked deep into my eyes. “Trust me, Nera.”
“Okay, okay.” My voiced cracked, and I sucked back the tears that threatened. Breathing deeply, I nodded my head.
“Just like before, focus on what you want to see and go with it. Don’t panic. Just go where it wants to go. It cannot hurt you.”
I settled myself down and relaxed. Jasper kept hold of my hands while speaking softly to me and guided me through the process. “Talk me through it, Nera.”
Visions of Roman came easily to me. He was happily playing in the back yard while our mother spoke to Mrs. Freeman over the fence.
“He’s playing with his trucks while Mom talks to that woman next door.” My voice sounded bitter.
“Is he at your house?” he asked.
“I don’t t
hink so. He’s not very clear.”
“Never mind. Skip that part and go to where Roman is going to the river. What happens?”
“He’s walking and skipping down the path to the river. I can feel his happiness. There is no fear in him, but I can feel it coming in me,” I replied.
“Go with him, Nera, and try to stay calm, no matter what happens. Just remember that I am here with you,” Jasper said.
“He knows he shouldn’t be there, but it’s exciting all the same. There is something that he wants. He’s standing at the bank of the river watching the water flow, looking for something. That’s it, the fish, he wants the fish. He thinks he can… Oh my God, he’s falling, Jasper!”
“Keep calm, Nera,” Jasper reminded me.
“Oh, no! The water is so cold; it’s so dark and cold in here. I can’t breathe. Can’t someone help me?” My mind was being torn in two, becoming two different entities. Part of me was in the room with Jasper watching and listening to everything that was going on around me as I hovered in an altered state. The other part of me was totally lost in the moment as I slipped easily into my brother’s mind. Jasper held onto me, but I was lost in Roman, reliving his panic as the water rushed over his head and into his lungs. As one part of me lost consciousness, I could hear Jasper’s voice whispering in my mind.
“Stay with him, Nera. You can do it, girl dear. You can.”
The cold turned into a comforting blanket as I drifted away, devoid of any feeling. I could hear the beeping of the machines that were connected to Roman. I could feel my parents’ presence where they maintained their vigil by Roman’s bedside. I struggled again against the cold darkness, not willing to give up without a fight.
Roman’s little body began to thrash and buck.
“Nurse, come quick!” Dad called. “Something is wrong!”
Mom started to cry again as she tried to hold her baby still. “Jack, do something!” she screamed.
I tried to hang on, but the cold was calling me, deeper and deeper.
The nurses rushed to Roman’s bedside and checked the machines. “Call Dr. Peters, STAT!” Then she turned and tried to calm them both.
Moments later Dr. Peters rushed in and quickly assessed the situation. “Nothing has changed Jack. While this seemed frightening, I think it was just his body reacting to what he’s been through. Everything here is fine. No worse than a nightmare for the boy. It’s still let’s wait and see. I think we might take off the oxygen mask, though. His breathing seems okay for now.”
