Messages to deliver
Conner was tired, more tired than he had ever been in his life. He couldn't remember the last time he got more than just a couple of hours sleep. First his sleep had been interrupted by Stephen's death. It was so hard to grasp that he was gone. He had been so alive, so vibrant, so full of energy. And now where all that had been, there was now just empty space. What was almost harder for him to deal with though was Abby's reaction. He knew she no longer fancied Stephen. Helen's revelation about her and Stephen sleeping together had killed all that. She was however still haunted by the feeling that in the end, she had let Stephen down. She felt he had gone to his death feeling she had betrayed him. She was having a hard time dealing with that. Conner talked to her and talked to her, but it wasn't sinking in. Conner was not giving up though. He would never give up on Abby, not as long as he had a breath in his body.
Helping Cutter's deal with Stephen's death was even harder. It seemed like every time he heard Stephen's name, he closed up even more. Conner knew Nick had hit Stephen just before he died. He couldn't let go of that fact or the fact that he had allowed Helen to put a wedge between him and the best friend he had ever had. Now that Cutter was dead also, Conner wondered if somehow he hadn't forced Helen to kill him. Suicide by Helen he thought.
It was so hard to sleep, even when he had a chance for some real sleep. Like now, he was lying in bed, sent home by Lester. Abby was still working at the ARC, however Lester noticed Conner was dead on his feet and told him to leave and not to come back until he was rested. Everyone had to pick up the slack of losing first Stephen, then Cutter, but you could only do so much. I need to sleep he kept telling himself. I need to sleep, and then he drifted off.
He didn't know how long he slept before he starting here someone say, "Wake up Conner." He muttered to whoever it was "Go away." But the voice wouldn't. It said, "Come on Conner I need you awake." "Go away and leave me alone," Conner said louder. But the voice wouldn't leave. "Conner, wake up now!" the voice said very forcefully. Conner suddenly realized whose voice he was hearing and his eyes shot open and he sat up in bed. The voice was Nick's! But Nick was dead! What the hell! He frantically looked around and finally his eyes settled on a very faint person leaning against the rail at the foot of his bed. He couldn't really tell if it was the Nick but the voice, no one had that voice. Finally Conner stuttered out "N-N-Nick, but your dead." Nick laughed. "Yea I know genius. However I have some very important messages to tell you, so listen up." Conner shook his head trying to make sense of this all. Finally when Nick spoke again, Conner gave that up and listened.
"First," Nick said. "That artifact I gave you when I was killed, you will know the secret to deciphering it when you get back to the ARC. This artifact and what it revels is the key to stopping Helen. And Conner, know this like you know nothing else. She must be stopped! Make sure Lester knows that, even if you have to tell him twenty times a day. Got that?"
Conner said, "I'll know the secrets of the artifact when I see it. It is important to stopping Helen. Make sure Lester knows that."
Nick then continued. "This is more personal. Tell Jenny I love her, as the Jenny she is, not who I thought she was. Tell her I am sorry I wasted so much time, but tell her she has to let go of me and move on. She will find love again. Tell Sara I am sorry I didn't get to work with her longer. Tell her I think she is a great addition to the team and to believe in herself. Tell Becker that he had better keep you all safe. If he doesn't I will come back and haunt him. Tell Abby I miss, her smile, her energy, her dynamite in a small package. She's a wonderful gal, but I don't have to tell you that do I?" At this Nick smiled and Conner had to smile back. Maybe he and Abby did have a chance he thought.
"And questions?" Nick asks. Conner has a million of them. Only one that really counts though, only one he needs to voice. "Stephen?" And Conner sees another person appear and lean against the rail by Nick. "I'm here Conner, and Nick and I at peace. Where we ended up, well you cut through the blarney really fast and get down to what is really important. We are closer than we have ever been." Then Stephen throws a quick smile at Nick. Then he walks over to where Conner is sitting up in bed. "You know what though Conner. I never thought this would happen when I was dead." Conner waits a second looks up into Stephen's piercing eyes and says "What?" Stephen reaches down and ruffles Conner's hair. "I never expected to miss you as much as I do. Tell Abby all is good between us. Now hurry, get going Conner, you have a job to do." And they disappeared.
Conner jumped out and bed, and rushed to get dressed. He felt alive for the first time in weeks. He couldn't wait to get to the lab and deliver the messages and get a look at the artifact. He flew down the stairs and ran to the door. As he started to open the door he heard Nick's voice once more, "And Conner here is your message. I am so thankful you came to Stephen and me that day and showed us the article that lead us to the Forest of Dean. I wouldn't have had the rest of my life, and death, any other way." Conner turns to look for Nick but he can't see anything. Then he hears Stephen's voice say, "and that goes double for me kid. I'm glad you entered my life." Then Conner felt a wind move through his hair and he knew they were gone.
As he was getting into the car he thought to himself, things are going to be ok. They never left us; they are just a little harder to see. Then he chuckled. And people may think I am crazy, but I saw what I saw and I heard what I heard. And he drove off, his spirit a little lighter and his burden not so big because he knew Nick and Stephen were around to help him carry it.