Chapter 11- Past and Present
"A book?" Arthur asked, puzzled. "No, I've never written a book in my life. Why do you ask?"
"I was dreaming." Mike said. "I was back home, but you're friend Jacob, was in my place. Does that make sense?"
"No, but continue and I'll try and keep up." Arthur said. "Would you mind if I wrote down what you're saying?" He asked, picking up the journal he had dropped and looked around for the pencil, finally finding it under the bed.
"No, I don't mind, I guess." Mike shrugged, "but, before we start could I get into some dry clothing?"
"I'm sorry Mike," Arthur apologized, "but you only have one nightshirt. We could take it off and let it dry in the sun though."
"Alright." Mike nodded as he started to take it off.
"Oh, easy there. Here let me help." Arthur said quickly. With his help, the nightshirt came off and Mike flopped back on to the pillows, eyes closed, breathing deeply. He did not notice the covers bunched up around his waist, exposing his bare chest. Arthur grabbed the sheets and tucked them in around Mike who still had his eyes shut.
"Ok, I'm going to go and put this outside, then I'll come back and we'll start the interview." Arthur said and left, leaving Mike alone with his thoughts. Raised voices outside a few minutes later, however, drew his attention and he opened his eyes and turned his head toward the door. Elizabeth, Arthur, and Victor were all talking rather loud.
"Please keep your voice down or he'll hear you." Elizabeth pleaded.
"He's already suspecting something." Arthur said. "I can't believe it."
"Well, you better believe it Art." Victor's voice said. Mike sighed and turned away, hoping to block out the voices…then a new one caught his interest.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to go in and look in on him." it said, "And I suggest you three have this conversation away from the door." The other three voices went quiet and then Henry came in smiling slightly.
"Good morning, Mike." Henry smiled.
"Is it morning?" Mike asked, looking out the window. It still looked dark.
"Yes, it is about four fifty five o'clock." Henry said, setting his black case down on the chair and dug around in it. "I hear you started your morning with a bang."
"More like a small earthquake, or bodyquake I guess." Mike said. Henry smiled slightly.
"Yes, well, we'll see if we can find out what caused it." Henry said. "Can you hold out your arms?" He asked and Mike stuck his arms out obediently.
"Ok, I'm going to put some slight pressure on your arms you tell me right away if anything hurts." The doctor said. Mike nodded to let him know that he heard him. Henry started applying pressure to his left arm starting at the shoulder and working his way down, then did the same to the right.
"Can you hold your arms straight out for me?" Henry asked. Mike did as he requested and while Mike was doing that Henry made to move the blanket but Mike stopped him.
"Hey what are you doing?" He asked putting his hands down so the doctor couldn't lift the blankets off him.
"I need to see how your legs are Mr. Nelson." Dr. Thorkelson explained.
"But I'm not wearing anything." Mike hissed out he had found out while Arthur helped him take off the nightshirt that he wasn't wearing underwear.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before, however, I won't peek." Henry said.
"Not a great comfort, doc." Mike grumbled as Henry pulled the sheets back a little.
"Ok, as with your arms tell me right away if anything hurts." Mike didn't answer.
"Mike?" Henry asked looking at the young man. Mike had fallen asleep.
"Why did he start seizing?" Peter asked worriedly, looking at Jacob.
"You don't think he has a really high fever, do you?" Micky said, going to grab the thermometer yet again. For not using it in almost two years, they sure were making up for it now.
"I don't know." Davy said, "but this is interesting…he was talking to Mike and Mike was talking back."
"What do you mean, he was talking to Mike?" Micky asked, pausing on his way out the door.
"Just what I mean. Jacob was talking to Mike. Like they could see or hear each other and could talk to each other." Davy said. "It was weird." Micky sucked his cheeks in and picked up the book Lizzy left and opened it up.
"Davy, do you remember what he was saying?" He asked.
"A little bit, not a lot why?" Davy asked his eyebrows bunched together.
"Well this Arthur person recorded a conversation, look I'll read it out loud.
It is a most peculiar case that I save for last, that of my friend Jacob Nelson. Jacob got sick with the Spanish flu on August 12, 1916. In his fevered state he claimed to be a young man by the name of Mike. I do not recall Mike's last name, so I apologize for this man and anyone trying to find him in the future. We assumed that it was the fever talking, but even after his fever went down he still claimed to be Mike. He claimed he grew up, or will grow up in the 1960s and is in a band by the most unusual name. They were called 'The Monkees,' and that his band mates were called Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork. He told it as a story to entertain his young daughter, Mary, but later told me in confidence that it was true and I told him I'd help him in any way I could. Now in the early hours of August 13th I heard Mike mumbling in his sleep. At first I thought it was just the fever but as I listened more closely I heard this:
"No, no, no. I'm not her."
"My- I'm Mike… You must be Jacob. I don't know what's going on… Yeah, they are. I've met Elizabeth, Mary, your best friend, the Dr. Thorkelson, and that Victor kid."
"My friends, Micky… and Peter… what about Davy? Are they okay? Peter… he hasn't hurt himself… has he?"
Unfortunately before he could go on he started to shake violently and we had to get Dr. Thorkelson. This was only one night of this strange event, however. There were more, but that's in another issue.
A. Dolenz.
Micky looked at Peter and Davy.
"Well, what do you think of that?" he asked. Davy and Peter both shrugged. Truth was…they didn't know what to think.