Chapter 206: BOING

"I can sit in a ballpark after a game and love looking at the field. Everybody's gone, and the ballpark is empty, and I'll sit there. I sit there and think, 'Is this as close to heaven as I'm going to get?' Or, 'If I get to heaven, will there be baseball?" – Kim Braatz-Voisard

"When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet." – Stanislaw J. Lec

"Risk – If one has to jump a stream and knows how wide it is, he will not jump. If he doesn't know how wide it is, he'll jump and six times out of ten he'll make it." – Persian

Sydney smiled again, "Yes…" she thought a moment, "He's just…better…I can tell. He's come so far, I'm so proud of him."

Amélie smiled, "How so?"

"The first time we were at the hospital, he was just incredibly scared…of everything. The circumstances surrounding his torture were bad enough, but the hospital just added new terrors. Then, he went to the Naval Hospital, and things were better…they progressed even more when he got home here…but…he's had so many setbacks and nightmares and everything, it's just hard for him to see that he's come so far. The x-ray didn't go well the first time, but I realized…this time…he made the choice for himself. While he still wanted me there, while he was still in pain, still afraid, he used that all differently this time. He made the choice for surgery." She paused, "It's funny…but really…I think this trip…was really good for him in an odd way. He dealt with his fear, and I don't think he's afraid of the hospital anymore. He's still not a fan, but ya know…it's a huge step. He doesn't think so of course, but that's why I keep telling him."

Sydney stopped, looking at the smiling faces of her friends and Vaughn's mother, "What?" she asked.

Amélie was the first to speak, "My son is incredibly lucky…"

Sydney blushed, "Well…someone's got to tell him…"

They all sat in a pensive silence until Sydney broke it again, "Amélie…"

"Yes?"

"Tell me another story about Michael."

Amélie chuckled, "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

"Um…one where he was bad…" Sydney said with a chuckle.

"I take it you want ammunition to tease him?"

Sydney smiled, "Perhaps…"

Amélie thought a moment, "Well…then I better make it a good one…" She sat for a few seconds, "Ok…" she smiled widely, "Michael was about eleven. After his father died, he was very responsible…almost too responsible for his age, but there were times…when he still acted foolishly, got in trouble, as boys do. I don't remember why exactly, but I grounded him for something. He was confined to his room, no television, no radio for I believe a week. Every afternoon after school, he would get off the bus, come in for his snack, and then he had to go to his room to do homework. That was a normal routine, but with the grounding, he had to stay in his room, and I made it clear, that he should be studying or reading or something constructive or at least non-entertaining." She paused to smile and shake her head, "Well…one afternoon after school, it must have been about day four or so…he came in for his snack and he asked me if I would let him out of his grounding for a few hours to go play baseball with his friends. Of course, I had to be stern, he was after all grounded; I said no…that he should have thought about that before he did whatever it was he did. Well, he stomped off to his room and I didn't hear another word out of him…"

Flashback
Michael was trying extremely hard to concentrate on the history text book that was laying on his desk, but his mind kept wandering to things that were not exactly historical…the crack of the baseball bat as it connected with the ball…the sound that was made when a ball hit a mitt…the sound of his friends' voices as they shouted for someone to run home…

That was far more interesting than the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and it was made increasingly more difficult when every baseball fact and players stats kept running through his head.

Between that and the visceral sounds that were penetrating his ears, he could hardly stand to look at the book anymore; the words just blurred together as his mind wandered farther and farther away.

He was shaken out of his blur when he heard something hit his window. A small, distinct noise, then another…then another. He pushed the chair back from his desk and went over to the window. When he opened it, a small pebble came flying at him, hitting him on the cheek.

"OW!" he said, "What the heck?"

He looked down to see his friend, Tyler, grinning up at him, "Hi Mikey!" he yelled.

"SHHHH!!! My mom will hear you!"

"Sorry," Tyler said, "So you coming to the game? Everybody's there…they're all waiting…"

"I can't," Michael said, "I'm grounded…my mom's downstairs…there's no way I can sneak out…"

Tyler thought a moment, "Well…can't you…darnit! We need you to play! The team's not complete!"

"I'm sorry…I can't!" Michael said, looking at the door to make sure his mother wasn't standing there with that disapproving look when he was in trouble.

"But Mikey!" Tyler whined, "We can't play without a full team! Can't you get out?!"

"How?" Michael said, his brain trying to figure out a strategic way out of this mess.

Tyler suddenly squealed.

"What?" Michael asked.

"THE TRAMPOLINE!"

"What?" Michael asked again.

"You can jump out of the window onto the trampoline!"

"Tyler…are you insane? I'll kill myself!"

"No you won't…I'll stand here and make sure you don't bounce off…"

Michael weighed the options, "Tyler…I can't…"

"Yes you can…please? PLEASE MIKEY?"

Michael looked at the pleading face of his friend, "Ok…get the trampoline," he said, glancing back at the door to make sure his mother wasn't there. He walked over to the door and pressed his ear against it, making sure she wasn't approaching and then went back to the window and opened it all the way. He looked down to see Tyler positioning the trampoline under the window. He stuck one foot out and then sat on the ledge.

"Move it out a little more Tyler…"

"Ok Mikey…" Tyler said, dutifully moving the trampoline out more.

Michael took a deep breath, trying to figure out if the trampoline was positioned right, but then decided there was only one way to find out. He took another deep breath, "Ok Tyler…here we go…"

He pushed himself off the ledge…

"Mrs. Vaughn! MRS. VAUGHN!" Tyler screamed from the front porch, banging on the door.

Amélie came rushing to the door, "Tyler? What's the matter?"

"It's Mikey! I think he's dead!"

"WHAT?! Tyler he's upstairs…"

"NO he's not! He's dead in your flowers!"

"Show me!" Amélie said worriedly, running after Tyler to the side of the house.

Michael was lying face down in the middle of the flowerbed. "OH MY GOD! Michael!"