Chapter 5: Lucky Charms
"Mom?" Ephram murmured in his troubled sleep as he woke up to an ear- splitting headache.
"Hi, sleepy head." Andy greeted as Ephram opened his eyes slowly to find his father smiling down on him.
"Dad? Where am I?" Ephram groaned. Startled, he attempted to sit up but the dull pain in his chest prohibited him from being too successful at it and he was forced to lie back down.
"Easy now Ephram. You're in the hospital. Thanks for scaring the hell out of me." Andy joked. "How do you feel?"
"Hurts when I breathe and feels like I'm buried under a ton of bricks." Ephram winced. He noticed his chest was taped tightly and gauze bandages wrapped around his head. "What happened? How did I end up here?"
"After the two men left, you went into shock. Luckily, an ambulance was waiting outside as a precaution. We rushed you to the hospital. Barely alive by the time we got you into the O.R. You suffered a concussion and your left lung collapsed and we had to hook you up to a respirator for three days until you were strong enough to breathe on your own. But you just hung on. I tell you, there's something magical about that necklace."
"Huh?" Ephram asked confusedly.
"You know, the necklace in your hand right now."
Ephram didn't realize it before but he felt something cold in his hand. His motor functions and ability to feel were slowly coming back to him. He pulled his hand closer to see what he was holding. He opened his palm and in it was the gold chain with the little angel embossed charm that was taken away from him during the robbery.
"What? How?" Ephram stammered.
"Everyone got their possessions back after the cops caught the two guys. They let the cashier girl go after they got into the car. They didn't get too far. I heard there was a police car chase and when they ran out of gas, that's when they were caught." Andy explained. "They turned out to be a couple of out-of-towners staying at the Inn for the past three months."
Ephram looked at the necklace curiously. He noticed the thin chain had broken when it was ripped off his neck.
"Two days ago, it didn't look like you were going to make it. You were very weak. I was afraid for the worse. But then I put that chain in your hand and you took a turn for the better. I think this charm really IS good luck, Ephram. It brought you back to me." Andy's voice shook with emotion. "Maybe your mother did have something to do with it."
"Dad, I heard mom's voice."
"It's funny because you kept calling for her in your delirium."
"I couldn't see her but I wanted to follow her voice. It was so hypnotic."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing really. She just kept saying my name. It was weird."
"I'm glad you found your way back. I love you Ephram. I don't know what I would do without you." Andy said as tears started to well up in Ephram's glossy eyes upon those heart-felt words.
"Did you know you struck so much sympathy when you were unconscious that all the nurses here wanted to volunteer their home care services to personally nurse you back to health?" Andy continued on a lighter note.
"Whoopee. Don't I feel special." Ephram rolled his eyes.
"The town is considering you a local hero now."
"Me?! Really?" Ephram sounded surprised.
"Yes you. If you hadn't called the cops, no one would've known about the robbery. Plus, you took a bullet. Heroes always make self-sacrifices. You can even call it your very own red badge of courage." Andy laughed.
"Sure. My battle wound. The price to pay to be a hero."
"You'll probably make the papers. I can see the headlines now - 'Boy Risks Life For Everwood Supermarket Shoppers' How about that?" Andy attempted to be humorous.
"Please dad, don't. It hurts when I laugh." Ephram replied trying to repress a chuckle.
~ End ~
"Mom?" Ephram murmured in his troubled sleep as he woke up to an ear- splitting headache.
"Hi, sleepy head." Andy greeted as Ephram opened his eyes slowly to find his father smiling down on him.
"Dad? Where am I?" Ephram groaned. Startled, he attempted to sit up but the dull pain in his chest prohibited him from being too successful at it and he was forced to lie back down.
"Easy now Ephram. You're in the hospital. Thanks for scaring the hell out of me." Andy joked. "How do you feel?"
"Hurts when I breathe and feels like I'm buried under a ton of bricks." Ephram winced. He noticed his chest was taped tightly and gauze bandages wrapped around his head. "What happened? How did I end up here?"
"After the two men left, you went into shock. Luckily, an ambulance was waiting outside as a precaution. We rushed you to the hospital. Barely alive by the time we got you into the O.R. You suffered a concussion and your left lung collapsed and we had to hook you up to a respirator for three days until you were strong enough to breathe on your own. But you just hung on. I tell you, there's something magical about that necklace."
"Huh?" Ephram asked confusedly.
"You know, the necklace in your hand right now."
Ephram didn't realize it before but he felt something cold in his hand. His motor functions and ability to feel were slowly coming back to him. He pulled his hand closer to see what he was holding. He opened his palm and in it was the gold chain with the little angel embossed charm that was taken away from him during the robbery.
"What? How?" Ephram stammered.
"Everyone got their possessions back after the cops caught the two guys. They let the cashier girl go after they got into the car. They didn't get too far. I heard there was a police car chase and when they ran out of gas, that's when they were caught." Andy explained. "They turned out to be a couple of out-of-towners staying at the Inn for the past three months."
Ephram looked at the necklace curiously. He noticed the thin chain had broken when it was ripped off his neck.
"Two days ago, it didn't look like you were going to make it. You were very weak. I was afraid for the worse. But then I put that chain in your hand and you took a turn for the better. I think this charm really IS good luck, Ephram. It brought you back to me." Andy's voice shook with emotion. "Maybe your mother did have something to do with it."
"Dad, I heard mom's voice."
"It's funny because you kept calling for her in your delirium."
"I couldn't see her but I wanted to follow her voice. It was so hypnotic."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing really. She just kept saying my name. It was weird."
"I'm glad you found your way back. I love you Ephram. I don't know what I would do without you." Andy said as tears started to well up in Ephram's glossy eyes upon those heart-felt words.
"Did you know you struck so much sympathy when you were unconscious that all the nurses here wanted to volunteer their home care services to personally nurse you back to health?" Andy continued on a lighter note.
"Whoopee. Don't I feel special." Ephram rolled his eyes.
"The town is considering you a local hero now."
"Me?! Really?" Ephram sounded surprised.
"Yes you. If you hadn't called the cops, no one would've known about the robbery. Plus, you took a bullet. Heroes always make self-sacrifices. You can even call it your very own red badge of courage." Andy laughed.
"Sure. My battle wound. The price to pay to be a hero."
"You'll probably make the papers. I can see the headlines now - 'Boy Risks Life For Everwood Supermarket Shoppers' How about that?" Andy attempted to be humorous.
"Please dad, don't. It hurts when I laugh." Ephram replied trying to repress a chuckle.
~ End ~