by Jay Cannon
Morgan took time out before each match to clear his mind. He sat Pico down on a bench so he could watch him play. While he was there he closed his eyes and took three deep breaths. He then said quietly to himself, “There is no win, there is no lose, there is no pride or shame or second-guessing. There are no spectators. There is only the game. Focus on the game.”
“Come on, already,” shouted Biffle. “Enough with the meditation. Let’s play.”
“You’re always in a hurry to get beat.” Morgan pulled out his racquet and headed onto the court. “Let’s do this.”
The two athletes played an incredible first set, though Morgan won it decisively, six to three.
“What am I doing wrong?” asked Biffle.
“You have a great game but you get flustered, which distracts you.”
“I tried clearing my mind the way you said, but I always get emotional about missing a shot and it just eats away at me.”
“Come on. I’ll teach you my chant. Just kneel here by the bench.”
Morgan connected with Pico through their bond and asked him to take away Biffle’s distractions the way Pico had done for him. Morgan repeated his chant out loud while Biffle kneeled next to him and tried to clear his mind.
“Wow, I feel a little strange. More focused,” said Biffle once Morgan had finished.
“Okay, let’s play while you still have your focus.”
The two played again and Biffle played the best set of his life. He beat Morgan six, four. They sat on the bench next to Pico to rest. Morgan asked Pico through their bond to return Biffle back to normal.
“That was an impressive win, Biffle. I hope you know that it was more about your focus than your talent.”
“Yeah, I have to agree. It was unreal. It was like the whole world disappeared and nothing existed but me, you, and the ball. It was great. Playing with you brings out my greatness.”
“Let’s see how great you are in the last set.”
“I’m amped. Let’s do it.”
The boys went back to the court and played the most strenuous set of their lives. There were several ties during the set, but neither suffered a service break. This forced a tiebreaker that Morgan eventually won.
“Woo hoo!” shouted Biffle, collapsing to the court. “What a match! That was definitely the best match of my life. I am so glad my dad made me practice tennis with you.” Morgan walked over and offered him a hand up.
“I’m the one that is learning from you, Biffle, and not just about tennis.”
“What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Just homework and chores.”
“I thought we could go for a ride in my new Tesla. It’s environmentally friendly and very fast. We could ride out to Kent Island. You ever been there?”
“I’ve never even heard of it.”
“It’s an island on Chesapeake Bay. Annie’s is a restaurant in the marina there with great seafood.”
“I rarely get outside of DC. I’d love to go.”
“There’s a pool party at my house we can drop by afterward. My dad would love to see you again.”
“I don’t know. I don’t have any extra clothes with me.”
“The shop is full of clothes. Just get what you need and put it on our account.”
“I wouldn’t feel good about that.”
“After the amazing tennis match that we just played, we deserve to celebrate.”
“Okay, I’ll pick out something, take a shower, and we can go.”
“Yes! That’s what I like to hear,” said Biffle, enthusiastically pumping his fist into the air.
An hour later they were on Highway 50 headed toward Annapolis. The convertible top was down and Morgan held his hands above the windshield, feeling the wind flowing through his fingers. Pico, partially hidden by Morgan’s jacket, had his hands in the air as well. Morgan was in heaven: first time in a sports car, first time outside of DC on his own, and the first time in a long time that he felt accepted about being who he was. He never imagined that Biffle of all people would be looking up to him. What a wonderful world it had become. Just a few weeks ago he had reached the depths of despair. Now he was on top of the world.
They zipped past Annapolis in the hot sports car and onto the bridge that separated Kent Island from the mainland. A few minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot at Annie’s. They went inside and took a seat by the window with a view of the water. Morgan ordered lobster bisque and the shrimp basket. Biffle ordered clam chowder and the crab cakes. They finished their meals quite quickly.
“Was that great or what?” exclaimed Biffle.
“Definitely great,” replied Morgan.
“I know my father has given you a few things in exchange for tennis lessons, but I want to show my personal appreciation. Thanks for making me a better tennis player even though I used to treat you like crap.”
“Don’t worry about it. I completely forgot about that stuff.”
“Good. Let’s go party.”
Biffle and Morgan jumped into the car and headed back to DC. Before long they were pulling into Biffle’s driveway. Morgan was a little worried about going in. This wasn’t exactly his crowd. He remembered how Biffle’s friends used to make fun of him. He didn’t want to damage his newfound friendship.
“Are you sure your parents are okay with me being here?”
“Of course they are. I told you my father wants to see you.”
“What about your friends?”
“You’re my friend, Morgan. As a matter of fact, you’ve been a better friend to me than those other guys have, even after the way I treated you. If they don’t like you being here, they can leave and never come back.”
Morgan left Pico in the car to keep him out of sight and he and Biffle walked through the front door of Biffle’s massive house. They stepped into a large open foyer with a winding staircase up to the second floor, and were greeted by Randolph, the family butler.
“Good evening, Biffle,” said Randolph. “Your family and friends are out by the pool.”
“Thanks, Randolph,” replied Biffle.
Morgan and Biffle walked through the house, past the formal living room with its sunken floor and large brick fireplace, the dining room furnished with an oak table that could easily seat sixteen people, the media room with its 100-inch LCD television and twenty reclining seats, and the family room with its ping pong table, Xbox Kinect system, and 60-inch LED television.
From the family room, French doors led outside to an Olympic-size pool with a large hot tub at one end. Several of Biffle’s friends were in the water playing pool volleyball. Biffle’s father stood by a large Viking grill, cooking cube steaks and hot links for everyone.
“Morgan,” yelled Biffle’s father, “come over here and let me talk to you for a minute.”
“Yes, sir,” Morgan responded, and jogged over to him.
“Biffle’s been saying good things about you and how you’ve helped improve his game. I don’t want you to think your effort has gone unnoticed.”
“Not at all, sir. You and Biffle take good care of me. Biffle just took me out to dinner.”
“Great. Did he tell you about the doubles tournament coming up?”
“Yes, and he asked me to be his partner.”
“I hope you said yes. Don’t worry about the entrance fee. I’ll take care of that. And if you need spending money, I’m sure I can find something for you to do around the office.”
“Thanks, but my foster parents give me an allowance,” Morgan lied. He felt he had already taken enough from their family.
“Fine. But you let me know if you change your mind about a job. Here, grab a hamburger or hot dog before you go. There are condiments on the table over there along with coleslaw, potato salad, and enough chips to stuff a pig.”
“Okay, I guess I could squeeze in a hot dog,” said Morgan, holding up a paper plate he grabbed off the table. He added ketchup, mustard, and relish to his hot dog and placed some chips on th
e side of his plate. He pulled a root beer from the cooler and sat down by the pool next to Biffle to watch the volleyball game. I am truly in heaven, he thought.
CHAPTER 31
DENISE TAKES A BREAK
The elevator doors opened and Denise stepped into the familiar corridor of the high-rise condominium building, thoughts of Jerome still on her mind. She was afraid that he was so far gone that she couldn’t save him. She approached the door to the familiar condominium and with a deep breath pushed Jerome from her head. She made two firm knocks. James opened the door and greeted her with a smile and kiss to her cheek.
The smell of lilacs hit her nose as she crossed the threshold of James’ two-bedroom condo overlooking Benjamin Banneker Park. The lights in the condo had been dimmed, the way Denise liked them, but she could still see the forlorn look on her face as she passed the hallway mirror. Throughout the condo James had lit candles with the lilac scent she enjoyed so much. A recording of Sade singing “Is It a Crime” played in the background. As she walked through the living room she paused to take in the view of boats on the Potomac. She had grown up near the water and always had a fondness for it. James handed her a flute of Veuve Clicquot that she quickly sipped for the effervescent rush. She sighed quietly. James handed her a small plate with a serving of cheesecake lined with sliced strawberries and drizzled with Irish Cream. Denise smiled warmly and headed to the master bath.
The large bathroom had a sunken tub with jets that surrounded the bottom. Lilac-scented candles filled the room. Denise disrobed and stepped into the hot water peppered with Epson salt. Denise ate the cheesecake and strawberries and sipped the champagne, letting Sade’s sensuous vocals send her into oblivion.
Thirty minutes later she was lying on a towel in James’ bed, getting a full body massage. James started with the fingers of her left hand, kneading the muscles of her left arm on his way up to her shoulder. He switched to the right hand and then to the toes of her left foot. James massaged each leg, taking extra time on her tense thighs. Denise experienced both pain and pleasure from the pressure of James’ fingertips. He transitioned from massage to love making, which Denise considered the perfect ending to an evening.
She woke up early the next morning in James’ arms.
“Good morning, doctor,” said James.
“Good morning, James,” Denise replied, stretching with a big yawn. “Thanks for last night. I really needed the pampering.”
“You never mentioned what had you all tense.”
“It was such a strange day yesterday. You are not going to believe this, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Some hoodlum grabbed Jerome and threatened to kill him if I didn’t pay him the money Jerome owed him for a drug debt. I picked up the money for the debt and went to Joey’s Diner to drop it off. A dead guy walked in during the exchange and started throwing people around using telekinesis. Lastly, one of my patients seems to be being cured of cancer by a strange doll that emits some sort of blue light. What do you think about that?”
“Wow, that sounds like a Twilight Zone episode. Are you sure you don’t need some time off?”
“I’m fine. Right now I need to take care of Jerome, again. I’m afraid he may not recover from his addiction this time. Thanks again for taking care of me last night.”
“It’s always a pleasure to see you, Denise. I just hope you won’t wait so long before seeing me again.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t work so hard. And of course now I have to leave for work. But I promise we will spend time together this weekend.”
Denise kissed James passionately, took a shower, and left for work.
CHAPTER 32
THE SEARCH FOR DR. TURNER
Denise was at the hospital making her rounds by 7:30. At 9:00 she took Morgan’s mother in for a CAT scan. She got her back to the room at 10:00 and found Morgan waiting on them.
“Is my mom okay?”
“She’s better than okay. Her brain tumor seems to be all but gone, which is miraculous considering she is not getting any treatment, at least none that I’m aware of.”
Morgan gave her a blank look, unwilling to volunteer any information.
“She’s still not out of the woods though,” continued Denise. “There are a couple of smaller tumors that have formed in other parts of her brain. I could help Pico find them if you’d let me work with him.”
At that, Pico stretched out his arms toward Denise. Denise gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Pico cocked his head to the side and studied Denise.
“Pico, I can’t believe you did that,” said Morgan, stunned at his careless behavior.
“You’re alive,” blurted Denise.
“Pico is an alien that escaped from a slave ship that was studying our planet,” interjected Morgan. “He can move things with his mind with the help of his shaman stone. He used it to destroy the tumor.”
“Pico, can you talk?” asked Denise.
“He uses telepathy to communicate with me. You could hear him, but you have to clear your mind for it to work.”
Denise looked at Pico, took a deep breath, and tried to clear her mind.
“Hello, Denise,” said Pico with his mind.
Denise gasped and smiled. “Oh my goodness. I knew there was something special about you.”
“I want to help your brother,” said Pico.
Denise curled her lips inward. Her eyes watered. “I would like that. First we need to take care of Morgan’s mother.” Denise placed the CAT scan images up on a viewing screen and explained to Pico how to find and attack the tumors. Pico pulled his stone from his side and went to work on Morgan’s mother. Denise watched in amazement. Pico kept her updated as he navigated the patient’s brain. An hour later, exhausted, Pico halted his effort.
“That was amazing to watch. I wish I could see what you see,” said Denise with wonder in her voice.
“Next time I will show you what I see,” said Pico telepathically.
“I would love that.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Denise,” said Morgan. “Please keep this a secret. I would hate to lose Pico.”
“Don’t worry, Morgan. I promise that it will be our secret.”
Morgan placed Pico into his quiver with a fresh lemon and nails. Pico waved to Denise as they left, and Denise smiled and waved back. Morgan stepped into the elevator, descended to the first floor, exited, and turned to leave the hospital.
“Morgan, go to the shop, now! Hurry!” said Pico excitedly.
“What are you talking about?”
“Please, just go now!”
Morgan made a beeline for the hospital shop.
“Go to the back, by the drinks!”
“Do you need some special fluids or something?”
“No! There was an alien coming toward us, dressed as a human. He is wearing a black hood over his head. He’s an assassin from the ship, sent to kill us.”
“Us?”
“Yes us, because you’re helping me. He’s with a black human.”
“How do you know he’s an alien?”
“I felt his unique brainwaves when we exited the elevator. I gleaned his thoughts and he is very focused. And currently his focus is on finding and killing me and anyone helping me.”
Morgan saw the two reflected in the glass of the cooler as they passed by outside the shop. He walked to the front of the store and watched them go to the information desk. He then took off in the other direction to leave the hospital.
“Excuse me,” Calvin said to the lady behind the information desk. “I’m looking for Doctor Turner.”
“Which one?” replied the information booth attendant. “We have five that work here.”
“Are any of them female?” asked Calvin.
“We have two female Doctor Turners. Do you have a first name?”
“No, but she has a brother named Jerome and she’s black.”
“That doesn’t help me, sir.”
“Tell me the first name of the doctor and I’ll s
ee if it’s familiar.”
“Sharon?”
“Yes, that’s it,” Calvin said, pretending he knew her.
“You’ll find her on the fifth floor in pediatrics.”
“Thank you.”
Calvin turned toward the elevator with Uan close behind.
“How do you know this is the right one?” asked Uan.
“I don’t. But there are only two. So we check the name the lady gave us. If it’s not her we know it’s the other one.”
“Sounds practical.”
They arrived on the fifth floor and headed to the nurses station.
“Excuse me,” said Calvin. “Is Doctor Turner around?”
“Yes, she’s right over there, next to that patient.”
Calvin looked to his left and saw an older white lady talking to an overweight gentleman on crutches.
“No, that can’t be her. My Doctor Turner is black,” replied Calvin.
“You must mean Doctor Denise Turner. She’s in oncology. You should be able to find her on floor six, seven, or eight.”
“Which floor is most likely?”
“All of them, sir. Have a nice day,” replied the nurse with a smirk.
At the sixth-floor nurses station Calvin was told that Dr. Turner was on the eighth floor. At the eighth-floor nurses station, Calvin learned that Doctor Turner had left for Howard University to participate in a research trial and would return the following morning.
“Do you know where at the university I can find her?” asked Calvin.
“No, and I’m certain she wouldn’t want to be disturbed there,” replied the nurse.
“Can you page her for me?”
“Only if it’s an emergency. You can leave a message though.”
“No, that’s okay. Do you think I can get her home address?”
“Certainly not!”
Uan shoved Calvin to the side. “I can make you talk!” he growled.
“He’s just kidding, ma’am. He’s not from around here,” said Calvin. “We’ll just check back in the morning.” Calvin stepped in front of Uan and guided him back to the elevator. “I thought you wanted to be inconspicuous. She has an alarm under her desk. Within minutes there would have been security guards everywhere. Whether you killed them or ran off, they would have guards on the doctor by the time we found her, making things harder for us.”
