Jim stood in a wide Earth field as dawn came. There was mist thickly obscuring the landscape. He felt peaceful and calm. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. He turned in it's direction. The shape became a person, and he recognized this person. John Silver. Silver... Jim had to think for a moment before he could process
what he was seeing. Silver was really here in front of him! "Silver!" He yelled happily. "Jimbo lad! I was wonderin' how ye was doing!" Silver hurried the rest of the way forward. They hugged a little awkwardly and then Morph chittered frantically.
He seemed very concerned about something,and Jim vaguely thought he heard "Just toss it on him already! I need him up, wet or no!" And a cold wet sensation buzzed through him. A dark shadow started to shake him. Silver frowned and said, " Jimbo lad, I t'ink ye's best off letting them pull ye back up." Up from what? He wanted to ask. But the pull was stronger now, the shaking harder and his head was starting to hurt something awful. Silver started to fade away. "Silver! Come back!" Jim tried to yell but his mouth seemed stuck like it was glued shut, and the words sounded mumbled rather than shouted. It was getting lighter in the field, the fog lifting, and the sun rising and then...
"Silver come back." He mumbled as he opened his eyes. Kyle was standing over him and looking quite worried and Jim heard someone say, "Is he awake yet Kyle?"
Kyle turned and nodded to whomever had asked the question. Jim wondered why everything was too bright and his head hurt. He wondered why he was outside next to a heap of twisted metal. Metal...Surfer...Jim gasped. "My solar surfer!" He sat up felt very dizzy and fell back down with a grunt. "Easy now, boy. I wouldn't have done that after taking the kind of knock you just did." A kind looking man appeared in Jim's field of vision. "Who are you? What knock? What happened?!"
"One question at a time, boy. First, you had a nasty accident with your surfer. Second,
because of the accident, I came to help you. I am Dr. Nolton. Third, you hit your head rather hard and have been quite out of things for the last hour or so. What is the last thing you remember?" Jim thought very hard. His head really hurt. Suddenly, it came back to him. "I crashed. I was trying a speed stunt on a dare and just at the critical moment, a huge gust of wind blew me into something and I fell off the surfer as it exploded. And I remember falling a good ways and thinking I was going to die and
I hit my head on something, a rock I think." The doctor seemed surprised. "Well, Jim my boy, that is very accurate, considering what your friends have said, and very vivid for such a hard hit. Do you remember what the surfer hit?" "The cliff I think."
"Do you remember who was solar surfing with you?" "Kyle, Mike and Matt. They're my best friends." "Who dared you?" It was Kyle, but Jim didn't want to say because he thought Kyle might get in trouble. "I don't remember." "You're lying. I can see it. You're a very bad liar Jim." "It was Kyle." The doctor nodded. He put ice on Jim's head and got a stretcher and six people to help him. He stayed at Jim's head and kept him talking.
"Did you dream anything while you were unconcious Jim?" "Yes."
"What was it about?" "A private matter." "A friend of yours?" "Yes."
The doctor hummed in what seemed to be disapproval. "What?"
The doctor didn't answer. Suddenly, Jim heard his mother. "Is he alright?! What's happened to him?!" He heard her coming closer. And how did he go from stretcher to a bed? He either didn't remember it or had passed out. His mother appeared over him.
"He's alright . A bit of nasty accident. I can talk to you later about it. He seems to be waking up again." Jim saw the doctor next. "How are you feeling Jim?"
"My head doesn't hurt anymore." "I gave you a painkiller for it. You landed on it.
From a one hundred foot fall. I''m surprised you're alive, actually." "Jim, are you feeling alright otherwise?" His mother looked anxious and he didn't know why. " Sarah, it's too early to know. Ask him later." His mother had to leave while the doctor attended to Jim's checkup. "Too early to know what?" "Oh, no worries Jim. All in good time."
Jim knew the doctor was hiding something. "I want to know." "No, not yet. You just focus on getting well." "How long until I can go home?" Jim thought there was something worrisome about his legs and arms. But he didn't know what. "Well, Jim,
that's going to depend on a few things. First, I'll need to monitor you to make sure no permanent head injury has occurred and second, I'll need to see how well you can may have a few difficulties to overcome before you can leave."
"Like what?" "Oh, just little things. All in good time, as I said before. Rest now Jim."
Jim didn't want to rest, but he was now so tired he simply couldn't keep his eyes open.