Rising From The Ashes

by Drama-Duchess

A sequel to "Crash Landing." Complications develop with an old injury and leaves Ephram wheelchair bound.

9. Beating The Odds

(Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted! I've been on vacation! Hope this long chapter makes up for my pause. And without further interruption, I present the conclusion to Rising From The Ashes.)

Chapter 9: Beating The Odds

This was the day. No one knew this except for Ephram. Andy suspected nothing. Nina was clueless. Delia and Sam were too young to realize any of the signs. It was supposed to be a routine day - like any given day of the week. Nobody could've expected this. He was going to pull a fast one over them. They wouldn't know what hit them. The timer in our little unpredictable ticking time bomb's complex mind was set to go off promptly at 10:30 am. That would be the time they would all know. The thought did occur to him that he may fail at his attempt but he had to try anyway. No pain, no gain. He promised himself not to feel disappointed if he should fail. He would try again and again until he succeeded. There was no stopping his determination.

A month had passed since the bridge incident. All it took was time for the vivid memories of that day to blur and fade into black, or so Ephram hoped. With Thanksgiving just around the bend, it was the perfect diversion. People were distracted and took little notice of what was going on with the boy in the iGlide. Holidays were always a big deal in Everwood. November was the time for organizing parties, preparing family outings, planning vacation getaways, and an excuse for more festivals than you can count. It was the only time of year Everwood really came alive with bustling activity. This year, even the Brown's were exceptionally thrilled with the approaching holidays.

For Andy, things were finally going well with his family. He was happy to see his son getting better and acting feistier each day. And Delia was his sunshine spirit on those depressing rainy days when the darkness became a little too overbearing for Andy. Andy felt lucky to have a strong-willed Delia to be the crazy glue to put the pieces together when the chips were down. She had an endless supply of hugs for everyone - even Sam. The love he had for his children was immense. When Delia or Ephram was sick or hurt, he secretly suffered along with them - in body and soul. His heart ached and his mind grieved. Nothing meant more to Andy than the well-being of his children. They were not just necessary fragments of his life. They were the center of his life and held the key to his heart. He was willing to sacrifice everything he had for them.

For Delia, she just naturally loved the holidays. She was daddy's little half pint jumping bean munchkin. Though, underneath all her silly bubbly cartoon-like adrenaline, she held her family close to her heart. Delia was glad her father and brother were safe, alive and healthy. Losing her mother proved to be unbearable and almost losing her brother too made her realize how easy it was for a life to be taken away. Delia loved her family and wasn't shy of showing it.

For Ephram, it was especially exciting because he had a secret plan of his own - one which would be revealed soon enough.

"Ephram, are you ready to go?" Andy called as he stormed into the living room busily trying to strap his watch onto his wrist.

"Way ahead of you." Ephram replied as he dangled Andy's car keys in his hand.

Andy was surprised to see Ephram more ready than he was for a change. Ephram was bundled up in his black North Face down jacket with his wool scarf wrapped around his neck several times and the ends neatly tucked into the front of his coat. A few tufts of black hair sneaked out of the black knit ski hat he sported on his head.

"That was quick. Somebody is anxious to get rehab over with this morning." Andy said admiring his son's readiness to brave into the cold.

"Don't you think I could put my coat on by myself?" Ephram snickered. Andy threw his long wool coat across his broad shoulders as he yelled for Delia to hurry up.

"Oh, I never doubted that. It's just that I didn't expect you to be ready so fast." Andy fought with his coat sleeve. "You're usually sluggish on a Saturday morning."

"Nina's coming too, isn't she?" Ephram asked anxiously.

"Yea. She and Sam will be riding with us. She says she'll be waiting on her porch any second now." Andy checked his Rolex watch. "Delia!! Sweetie!! Where are you?" His voice echoed slightly in the hallway.

Suddenly, a pounding of small feet thudded down the stairs in a hurried fashion.

"I'm here daddy!" Delia appeared at the corridor in a pink and purple sweater with dark denim jeans, purple leg warmers, and boots.

"Good. Now, we better get going or we're going to be late for Ephram's physical therapy session." Andy said while he helped Delia with her coat.

"And then we're going to our usual place??" Delia squealed in excitement. "The IHOP?" Her eyes lit up like two big lanterns. She licked her lips to the thought of pancakes stacked a mile high into the sky and drenched with maple syrup.

International House of Pancakes was undoubtedly Delia's favorite restaurant mainly because there were no IHOPs in busy cities like Manhattan. She'd never been to one until the Brown's moved to suburban Colorado. Her first experience at an IHOP was during a road trip to Colorado Springs with her father and brother about a year ago. They made a pit stop somewhere along interstate 70. It was late into the night and the only place opened was an IHOP. The waiters thought Delia was so cute that they brought her a free ice cream cone after her meal. It was a different atmosphere and the portions were bigger than she can finish. Seeing how happy it made Delia to visit this restaurant, Andy turned it into their Saturday ritual to have lunch at an IHOP.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Andy laughed. He zipped Delia's coat up and tied her multi-colored scarf around her neck making sure she was bundled up properly before going out. "Why don't you go round up Nina and Sam, kiddo?" He patted her on the head.

Delia jogged merrily out the front door leaving Andy and Ephram alone.

"Dad - think fast." Ephram said as he carelessly tossed the set of car keys at his father without warning.

"Thanks." Andy replied catching the car keys in mid-air.

"Nice catch!" Ephram complimented.

"I may be old, but I still have reflexes like a cat." Andy boasted.

Ephram paused for a second like as if he had something to say then he grabbed the handrim of his wheelchair and proceeded to maneuver himself towards the back door.

"Something on your mind?" Andy asked walking with him.

"Nope. Nothing at all." Ephram replied carefully and reached for the doorknob.

"Hmm. You seem - I don't know - different today." Andy eyed his son dubiously trying to see through him. Ephram had always been an enigma to Andy. Just when he thought he had him all figured out, Ephram throws him a curveball and sets him back to square one. He watched Ephram wheel himself out the door.

"Oh. Yea, that's probably because I'm wearing my new hat." Ephram chuckled.

"Very funny. I'm onto you Ephram Brown." Andy teased.

Ephram didn't want anyone to have the slightest notion of his devious plan. He wanted it to come as a complete surprise to everyone. There will be no hints or signs to give it all away. It took too much advanced planning for him to screw it up now.

The ride to the Therapy and Rehabilitation Center was quiet except for a few mumbled outbursts from Delia and Sam who were engulfed in an intricate discussion about Pokemon characters. To the adults and Ephram, it sounded like a foreign language. It wasn't like they weren't the least bit interested or never tried to understand it. Parents were encouraged to be involved in their children's interests - even if it was a cartoon. Sam and Delia explained several times the purpose of becoming a Pokemon master but the adult mind was too straight-forward to accept it. Andy and Nina often joked with each other saying they needed to take Remedial Pokemon 101, in which they'd fail anyway. Andy even admitted that it could very well be harder than brain surgery. It tired their brains too much to try and comprehend it all so they gave up. They came to the conclusion that Pokemon had to be some sort of secret code that kids shared amongst themselves.

Andy and Nina tried to keep things on a calmer side for Ephram's sake even though it was quite apparent that there were improvements in Ephram's ability to ride in the car without going into hysterics. Of course, occasionally hitting unavoidable potholes in the streets still harrowed Ephram's nerves. But at least the uncontrollable shakes and cold sweat had diminished. The meditation and power of drugs helped him a great deal. Andy shot worried glances over at his son to make sure he was alright. Ephram had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing peacefully.

The silence gave Andy a lot of time to reflect on his son for the passed few weeks. Andy could never erase the bridge incident from his memory no matter how hard he tried. It was one of the most frightening experiences he had ever endured. He kept his word to Ephram on keeping it a secret. But sometimes, he wondered if he should have talked about it at all. His loyalty and hindrance of betrayal to Ephram forced him to abide by his promise. If he hadn't been Ephram's guiding hand that day, the boy really would've done something regretful. It was too close. Ephram, however, treated the incident like it never happened. He didn't find it necessary to reiterate the fact that it was an attempted suicide regardless of the degree of success. This thought nagged at Andy's conscience.

It was evident that Ephram appeared happier and healthier now than compared to a few months ago. He started talking to his friends again. Amy and Colin proved to be great influences in his healing process. They came over for short visits every so often and watched TV or played video games together. Ephram got his mischievous streak back and often challenged Andy but Andy always let him have the last word in the argument. From the way things were going, he found it quite difficult to come down too hard on the kid. Delia, however, was still Ephram's weak spot. It shocked Andy to come home one afternoon and find Delia and Ephram out in the front lawn tossing an old baseball around among the mounds of fallen leaves. It was Ephram's very first crack at participating in a fun activity after being wheelchair bound. Ephram was never into sports, this much Andy knew. It was like pulling teeth to get Ephram to try anything active. Andy stood on the side of the porch with a mug of hot cider in his hands. He watched Ephram and Delia hooting and yelling gaily as they tossed that dusty, busting-at-the- seams baseball back and forth. Andy was very satisfied. He remembered standing in that spot for an hour just silently admiring his kids.

Only one thing worried Andy. Ephram had been napping more frequently than he ought to. Andy convinced himself that it was because of the excess homework and physical activity that put a toll on his son's mind and body. The boy needed sleep to replenish and recharge his energy. But he couldn't help but think something wasn't right - especially when Ephram was sleeping more than Delia. Some days, Ephram was so zapped of energy that he needed to take two naps a day. On a few occasions, Andy found Ephram curled up comfortably on the couch napping away before noon. And on each of those occasions, Andy ended up tucking a blanket over the sleeping boy. He couldn't figure out why his son was so beat. In the beginning, he cut the kid some slack and allowed him to rest up for as long as he needed because of his condition. But for him to be sleeping this much now, it just seemed abnormal. Andy thought perhaps he was pushing the boy too hard on making up the schoolwork and exercise. Maybe the stress had been too overbearing for the boy. Andy will have Ephram slow down on the homework and workout regime. He also made a mental note to schedule a routine check-up appointment for Ephram at the hospital - to be on the safe side.

Andy briefly took his attention away from the road and looked over at the sleeping Ephram again. The boy had a healthy glow on his cheeks, which contradicted with the traces of dark circles under his eyes. The circles were hardly noticeable but they were nonetheless, present. Andy thought about sending his son back to school now that things were better, but Ephram had to be mentally ready - that, he was not so sure of. He decided to wait and send Ephram back to school after the New Year.

Delia and Sam were now quietly chatting about what they were going to order when they got to the IHOP. Andy listened to the calming drone of small voices for a while. He caught a glimpse of Nina's pretty face in the rear view mirror. Her troubled gaze was fixed on passing scenery. He often wondered what she was thinking. Chances are, it was Ephram. They were all worried about him.

Andy pulled into the Everwood Therapy and Rehabilitation center. Except for a few scattered vehicles, the parking lot was fairly empty. The people of Everwood usually aren't up and about until at least noon on Saturdays. Andy pretty much had the parking space of his choice. He chose a nice convenient space right in front of the entrance to the building. As soon as he turned off the ignition and popped open the trunk, the kids and Nina exit the vehicle. They went around the back of the car to help with getting Ephram's wheelchair out.

"Ok Ephram." Andy shook the boy's shoulder to rouse him from his slumber. "Wake up."

Ephram woke from his sleep with a start. Still drowsy from his nap, he shut his eyes and involuntarily threw his arms up to protect his face to brace himself for the impact. He nearly jabbed a right hook at his father in the process. For a moment, his heart pounded in his mouth and he forgot where he was. He mumbled something incoherently.

"Ephram. It's ok. We've arrived." Andy still had his hands on Ephram's shoulders. Ephram opened his eyes one by one and looked around nervously. He swore his father could hear his heart pumping blood through his body a thousand miles an hour.

"Huh? Oh. Right." Ephram breathed a quivered sigh of relief and tried to sound calm even though his chest hurt from the scare.

"I didn't mean to scare you like that." Andy said with a guilty look on his face.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Ephram swallowed. "I didn't hit you, did I?" He asked sheepishly gaining his composure again.

"Hit me?? You almost broke my nose, Muhammed Ali!" Andy kidded as he playfully pulled down the front of Ephram's knit hat covering his eyes.

"Da-ad!!" Ephram whined while pushing up his hat back up on his forehead. He had just one thing on his mind - getting even with his father for that hat stunt. Boy was he in for a surprise. He had a trick or two up his sleeve. He obediently allowed his father help him into the wheelchair.

Andy offered to push Ephram into the building but he refused. He wanted people to see him as an independent and not as the spoiled handicapped who can't even wheel himself to where he wanted to go. They entered the building lobby.

"Ephram Brown. Ten O'clock session with Marla Samson." Andy said to the pretty young receptionist behind the massive front desk. She smiled and her fingers pecked quickly at the keyboard before her.

"OK. Hmm, looks like Marla is having this session in the gym today." She stated as she read off her computer screen. "Go down the hall passed the waiting area, make a left, it's the first door your right." The receptionist instructed. "I'll let Marla know you've arrived."

Andy thanked her and the party of five continued down the hall. They entered the waiting area and took off their coats.

"I want you guys to come in with me." Ephram demanded as he removed his coat and winter gear to reveal a gray sweatshirt.

"Why? You've always gone in by yourself." Andy was drawn back by Ephram's sudden need for him to be present at his therapy session.

"I don't know. I need your moral support, I guess." A sly smile formed on his lips.

"Moral support? Wasn't it you in the beginning who said you wanted to go to the sessions un-chaperoned because you didn't want me to embarrass you in front of Marla?" Andy quipped. "Hmm, let's see, what was the word you used to describe me - ah, now it's coming back to me - it was the term 'dweeb'." Andy rubbed his bearded chin.

"I didn't mean to call you a dweeb. You're cool, dad. Really - you are." Ephram tried to redeem himself. Andy laughed.

"Ephram, I trust you can handle things by yourself. We will wait out here like the usual Saturday sessions." Andy decided.

'No, no, no. My plan will never work if you all stay out here.' Ephram's mind fretted. Afraid his plan might be thrown out the window, he had to switch on the waterworks and guilt trip mode. It seemed to work every time.

"Aw, please come. Please?" Ephram said making sad, glassy puppy eyes. "Have some pity for the kid in the wheelchair. I only want you to come in with me. I don't ask for much." He tried to look pathetic with his hands grabbing the handrim of the wheelchair and looking up at the adults with his pensive watery greenish gray eyes. After alternating glances from Nina to Andy, he looked down at his knees and mumbled in a low tone practically on the verge of tears, "Don't you care about me anymore? I -I just wanna be loved."

"Sweetheart, don't be like that. Of course I'll come with you." Nina fussed taking Ephram seriously. "We'll all come. Isn't that right, Andy?" She eyed Andy.

"Oh, alright. Before he gets deeper into this 'woe is me' scene." Andy gave in. He always knew when Ephram was being overly dramatic just to get what he wanted. It was extra easy now that he's confined to a wheelchair.

"Andy! What a thing to say!" Nina shouted with a hint of disappointment. "Don't cry, sweetie. OK?" Nina cooed at Ephram as she raised his chin up with her fingers.

"Yes! Ok, let's go!" Ephram exclaimed in pure excitement. In a blink of an eye, his sad facial expression changed into one of animated mirth leaving Nina dumbfounded. He wheeled himself down the hall in a hurry with Delia and Sam skipping by his side.

"I can't believe you fell for that." Andy said shaking his head at Nina.

"Well, who wouldn't? Except you." Nina shrugged.

"Are you guys coming or not?" Ephram called from down the hall.

"We're coming. Hold your horses." Andy called back.

"What's going on with him?" Nina asked perplexed at Ephram's giddiness.

"I haven't the foggiest idea. But one thing's for sure, he's up to something." Andy replied as they walked to the gym. "And I'm going to find out."

The tidy gym was a spacious room with gray carpeting and white walls. The Venetian blinds on the windows were pulled up exposing the room to an endless source of sunlight. The plainly decorated room held a variety of big and intimidating rehabilitation equipment and apparatus. Against one side of the room were towering stationary metal contraptions used to strengthen different parts of the upper and the lower body. It included everything from pulleys to rowing machines to Ergometers to gliders to exercise bikes to steppers and treadmills. On the opposite side were portable mechanisms such as balance and quadriceps boards, and shuttle slides to assist in range of movement and muscle stretching.

As Andy and Nina stepped thru the oak doors, they realized the room was empty. Apparently, Ephram had the whole gym to himself this morning. Delia and Sam found a budding interest with the huge multi-colored exercise balls of various sizes in the rear of the gym where the workout mats, free weights, bolsters and tumble form wedges were located.

"Mommy look! It's a giant ball!!" Sam hollered as he attempted to lift a red one up.

"Yes baby, it is. It's bigger than you, my dear." Nina laughed as she hugged her son from the back.

"Wow, look at this!!" Delia exclaimed after displaying her findings in her arms. She found a smaller blue exercise ball that resembled a globe with the continents etched onto the nylon. "This is so cool!"

"She's got the whole world in her hands. Hey, she's got the whole wide world in her hands - " Ephram sang sarcastically forcing laughs out of everyone in the room.

"Hello. I see we are all here." A friendly voice from the doorway prompted everyone to turn around.

It was Marla Samson, Ephram's physical therapist. She was a tall and thin woman in her late forties with short bouncy dark brown hair. Her temperament was one of a most amiable nature, hence giving her a grandmotherly disposition. She wore the usual light blue uniform with white Easy Spirit sneakers. A picture ID tag was clipped to her breast pocket.

"Dr. Brown, nice to see you again. Hello, Nina." Marla greeted the adults with a smile and a firm handshake. "I see your little ones are fascinated with our exercise balls." She nodded to the children playing merrily.

"Kids." Andy sighed. "It doesn't take much to get them excited."

"Well, hello Ephram." She turned her attention to the boy. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing ok." Ephram answered.

"Good. Shall we get started then?" Marla smiled showing her big white teeth. Ephram nodded anxiously.

Andy, Nina and the kids were seated on metal foldable chairs where they watched Marla help Ephram out of the wheelchair and onto the padded workout table. Everything was routine. Ephram did his preliminary stretches. Marla assisted in extending and bending his knees and ankles. Then she had Ephram lie flat on his back and went through a series of combination hip and knee rolls. Afterwards, Marla helped Ephram back into his wheelchair. She kneeled down to face him at eye level.

"So, kid. You ready to do this?" Marla gave him a wink.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He replied and surveyed the scene across the room.

Ephram saw the question marks on his father's face. Paying close attention to the whispered conversation between Ephram and Marla, Andy wished he could hear what they were saying. He wondered why the session had come to an end so quickly. Delia was seated next to Andy being reticent and attentive. She rested her chin on Andy's chest with an arm folded around his waist. Andy had an arm around her tiny shoulders. Nina sat in the third seat with a firm grip on Sam, who was sitting on her lap. She sneaked playful kisses on the back of her son's head. Sam was preoccupied with twirling a lock of Nina's long hair in his fingers.

Marla gestured for the seated parties to come forth. Clueless on the secret, they snapped out of their thoughts and approached Marla.

"Is the session over already?" Andy spoke as he checked his watch. "It's only ten thirty. Is something wrong? Ephram, are you alright? "

"Everything's fine. We're almost done for the day." Marla reassured him. "We stopped because Ephram has something he wants to show all of you." She continued. All eyes shifted to Ephram.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Trust me." Ephram said feeling their skepticism.

"If you guys would stand right by the mirror over there, we can get begin." Marla pointed. Andy, Nina, Delia and Sam took their places as their eyes followed Marla pushing Ephram in his wheelchair and parking it right in front of the parallel bars.

Andy and Nina looked at each other in bafflement wondering what was going on. Marla grinned at the bewildered adults and whispered a few words into Ephram's ear. He smiled and nodded.

"I think they've been kept in the dark long enough, huh Ephram?" Marla put her hands on her hips surveying the puzzled adults and children before her.

"Yep." Ephram responded.

"Today, we are going to try something different. We are going to use these parallel bars." Marla presented. "I'm sure you all know what these parallel bars are for." She hinted.

"Marla, are you sure he's ready for this?" Andy suddenly realized what was about to happen. He remembered the last time Ephram attempted an impossible task. And when he failed, it almost cost him his life.

"He is." Marla indicated. "He's a lot stronger than you think."

"I don't know about this Andy." Nina said nervously. The thought of catching Ephram in suicidal mode again didn't strike her as the least bit comforting.

"Relax. I know you both are worried about him but I'm his therapist and I wouldn't allow him to do this if I didn't think he was ready." Marla reassured them. She turned to Ephram. "You can do this. I know you can." She beamed.

Ephram placed his hands on Marla's shoulder as she lifted him out of his wheelchair. He planted his socked feet securely on the floor and grabbed onto the two wooden bars - one hand on each bar. He waited for his knees to get used to his weight before telling Marla to let go of his waist.

"OK Marla. You could let go now. I got it." Ephram grunted.

"Sure?" Marla questioned.

"Yea. Positive." Ephram breathed as Marla slowly released her grasp of the boy's waist.

And there, Ephram stood holding onto the bars with his fingers tightly clutching onto the bars. His arm muscles shook for a few seconds then stabled out. He scoped out the room and saw the apprehensive look on his loved ones' faces.

"Ok Ephram. Slowly now. Take your time." Marla coached patiently. She stood beside him on the outside of the parallel bars just in case he needed help. Just standing on his own is a big effort for Ephram. He had to use his upper body muscles as well as his leg muscles. It was tiring for a boy in his condition. He grunted and puffed as he used his arms to steady himself.

Ephram shifted his attention back to his feet. He stared at his thick bleached white cotton crew socks at the hem of his black Nike sweatpants. He took a few breaths and stayed silent for a minute. No one knew if he was actually giving himself a pep talk or praying that he wouldn't fall. Regardless of the outcome, the little timer on our ticking time bomb has gone off. He will walk again - if not today, then one of these days he will. He's found the strength to believe in himself.

Like a new fawn learning to stand up on his own thin wobbly legs and take its first stride in the world, Ephram put his right foot forward and took his first step. Then he took another and another after that. They were small tiny steps, hardly in a walking pace but he was headed in the right direction. His feet dragged a little but that was ok. Surprising even himself, he was walking and that's all that mattered.

"Oh My God!" Delia yelled. "Ephram's walking!! Daddy, Daddy!! Do you see that???? He's really walking!!!!" She shouted as the little flames in her eyes danced with a wild frenzy.

"Oh Ephram." Andy mumbled over and over again in pure shock. He had tears in his eyes at the sight of his son being able to walk again. He looked at Nina, who was already way ahead of him in tears. She slid her hand around the crook of Andy's arm. He accepted her hand and laughed wholeheartedly with happy tears spewing out of his eyes. Ephram stopped to witness the expressions on his family's faces.

"Surprise!" Ephram panted breathlessly. He cracked a tired smile but hid the weariness quite well.

Ephram wanted to finish walking the length of the wooden bars. But somewhere about half way through the bars, Ephram's knees got weak causing him to stagger. He lurched at the bars to steady himself. Even his arms seemed to have weakened tremendously as he groped at the bars to hold him up. His arms slid down further and further. He was barely propped up when his armpits finally hit the wooden bars. That hurt like hell - he was surprised he didn't dislocate his shoulders in the process. Silently cussing, he hung there for a moment trying to decide on his next move. The muscles in his legs did not obey him. Andy approached to help Ephram.

"Wait, let him try." Marla said touching Andy's arm. He stopped in his tracks front of Ephram.

"No dad. I can do this." Ephram croaked as he hung onto the poles with his armpits. His father's troubled face was etched with worry and distress but Ephram wanted a triumph - he wanted to rekindle his extinguished pride.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Andy replied holding out his arms hesitating to grab his son.

"Yea." Ephram nodded with tiny clear dots of sweat forming on his forehead and nose.

He had to pause for a breather before his next attempt. All this vigorous exercise was extremely taxing for the boy but he had to try - nothing ventured, nothing gained. Ephram struggled to command his knees to straighten out so he could gain his footing. Finally, his right foot obeyed and found its strength to set itself onto the thick blue mat first, then his left foot followed momentarily. With every last ounce of energy he could muster up, he dragged his legs up and grabbed for the wooden bars with wet clammy hands.

Andy watched on passively with a nervous eye as his son huffed and puffed at a task where most people find it effortless to accomplish - standing up. He hated seeing his son exerting himself so painfully. He wanted so much to assist and relieve him of this torment.

"Be careful!!" Nina piped noticing the strain Ephram put on himself. Sam was hugging Nina's knees and burying his face into the folds of her khaki trousers.

"God, it's like dealing with two gummy worms for legs here." Ephram said in jest. He then managed to pull his legs up to standing position. "There we go. I'm back." He added.

Andy stood at the end of the parallel bars ready to receive Ephram when he finished walking the length of the bars.

"Take your time. Take your time." Marla kept saying. "Don't rush it. Take a rest if you have to."

"I don't need a rest. I'm going to finish what I started." The boy grunted in labored breaths. He wished he could wipe the accumulating sweat off his brow.

Ephram concentrated on picking up his left foot a few inches above the mat and took his next step. He continued his slow journey to the end of the wooden bars all the while glancing over at his loved ones for support and approval. Andy had a look of exuberance and encouragement. Nina's expression was a mixture of pleased, emotional, worried, excited, and supportive - but mostly worried. She didn't enjoy watching the poor kid suffer. Each time he suffered any physical or mental pain, it took a chunk out of her heart but she tried to not let it show. The children were his personal cheerleading squad. Sam clapped and bounced up and down at the glorious sight. Delia was the happiest of all. Her dancing eyes, rosy cheeks and delicate pink lips radiated her innocence and charm. Andy had the talk with her months ago explaining why Ephram had lost the use of his legs and how it may be possible that her brother may never walk again. And she understood. But now, she saw Ephram standing and walking before her very eyes. It was a miracle.

"Just a little more. That's it. Easy now." Andy muttered under his breath. His eyes were glued to his son's feet making indentations on the mat at snail's pace. The boy was now almost drenched in perspiration. His short black hair glistened as the sweat penetrated thru his scalp and plastered some of his bangs to his forehead. His breathing became heavier and arms shook with every grip on the wooden bars.

On the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, Ephram shifted his attention away from his feet and focused straight ahead to where his father stood with open arms at the end of the parallel bars. He was almost there. The more Ephram stared at his feet, the slower he seemed to walk. Just when he couldn't go any further, he stumbled on the last three steps and fell directly into his father's arms. Andy caught his son around the waist and lifted him up into a bear hug.

"You did it, son! You did it!! I'm so proud of you!" Andy raved with tears in his eyes.

"Dad! See, I can walk!! I can really walk!" Ephram panted trying to catch his breath. He had clasped both arms around his Andy's neck and rested his right cheek tiredly against his father's ear. He felt like he'd just ran a marathon.

"Your heart is beating faster than a rabbit's." Andy noted as felt the loud thumping of his son's heart against his chest.

"You've been holding out on us." Nina wiped her eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't want to let you guys know until I was sure I could do it." He said in choppy pauses while inhaling air.

"How long have you known?" Andy questioned looking at Marla.

"Oh, I would say about 2 weeks ago." Marla joined in and smiled. "I wanted to tell you about the breakthrough, but Ephram wanted to surprise you."

"I've been practicing everyday - right under your nose, dad! You suspected nothing!!" Ephram giggled.

"Aren't you the sneaky one." Andy hugged his son even more. "That explains why you've been so tired all the time."

"And had us worried sick." Nina scolded happily. She rubbed Ephram's back.

"Two weeks, huh?" Andy released his tight grasp on Ephram slightly.

"Whoa, dad. Don't let go of me. I'm gonna fall if you do." Ephram said as a precaution. His soft, socked toes trampled lightly all over the top of Andy's shoes as his feet fumbled to gain proper footing.

"Don't worry, I gotcha. I won't let you fall." Andy tightened his hold on the boy's waist.

Delia threw her arms around Ephram in a hug sandwiching him between her and her father. Her height came up to Ephram's waist. She was small but she packed in quite a hug. Sam followed Delia and threw his arms around the already hugging trio. Shortly after, Nina joined in as well.

"Group hug. C'mon Marla. You're in this too." Andy beckoned comically with a welcoming hand. Marla accepted the invitation. "There we go. We all love Ephram." Andy added. With Ephram being in the core of the embrace, he rocked the human ball of hugs back and forth for a while.

"Stop hugging me so tight you guys. I can't breath." Ephram mumbled into Andy's shirt. "You're squishing me." He whined and faked a cough.

"Oh that's right. We better not accidentally smother our respected hero to death with too much love and affection at one time." Andy joked and ruffled the back of Ephram's semi-wet hair. The others released their hugs reluctantly. Andy scooped Ephram up in his arms and placed him back in his iGlide.

"I still can't believe you kept it all a secret from us." Nina said to Ephram.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy sneaking around you people." Ephram wheeled himself to the door grabbing his sneakers. "One time, I almost fell flat on my face. My legs were in one of those I-don't-wanna-budge moods that day. But it was a good thing you guys weren't there to see that one. It was just down right embarrassing if you ask me." Ephram chattered excitedly to anyone who would listen as he put on his shoes. He watched the wide-eyed faces of his audience.

"Yea, and another time, I lost control of the muscles in my calf and ankles. I dropped to my knees. So there I was, sitting on my heels and had no idea how I was going to get back up. I was a fish out of water. It was funny. Marla can vouch for it." Ephram rambled as he finished tying his shoelaces.

Andy watched them herd out the door. He loitered behind and pulled Marla aside.

"So, Ephram's doing well, I take it." Andy said in a low but serious tone.

"You've got one strong-willed kid there. I don't think he could do worse. It's full speed ahead at this point." Marla dug her hands into the patch pockets of her uniform.

"And what's his prognosis?" Andy kept a firm voice.

"Oh, you mean will he ever walk again. Well, considering the progress he's made so far - you know, Andy, there is a degree of uncertainty that surrounds this whole issue." Marla stopped herself short. "I don't want to make broken promises and get everyone's hope's up."

"I understand. All I want is the truth." Andy said.

"Ephram is a wonderful child. You are very fortunate." She began. "He's one of the most determined and remarkable patients I've ever worked with. He kinda reminds me of the little 'I think I can, I think I can' choo-choo train going up the hill. Giving up is just not in his vocabulary, is it?" Marla raved. Andy laughed and smiled neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her comment.

"Giving up" was an understatement. It was unconceivable how much emotional torture the boy had to go through the past few months to get this far - all the doubts topped with pain and agony. There were countless times when Ephram thought it easier to throw in the towel and give up on life. A large dose of encouragement was often needed to convince him otherwise. For the most part, Andy and Nina had done all they could to prevent any immeasurable damage from happening. They started off guarding the boy but kept him on a long enough leash to not have him suspect anything. It wasn't some vicious stranger they were trying to protect him from. They were safeguarding him from himself. Andy couldn't let Ephram alone for too long until he was certain his son was not going to try and hurt himself intentionally. Luckily, as time passed, Ephram got better and more importantly for the past several weeks, Ephram was starting to enjoy life again. He was slowly accepting his situation.

"First of all, for him to even get this far is - well - almost a miracle. I've seen and worked with dozens of people who have far less injury sustained and they're not making half the progress he's making and in record time too." Marla continued. "Judging from the severity of his condition, I'd say he has a 80% chance of walking again - with the help of crutches. Don't count on him running around anytime soon though. If he keeps up the hard work and only if things go well, he may graduate to walking with a cane at most. Maybe this is news you don't want to hear but you have to know this is all speculation. I would prefer it if the odds were not mentioned to him."

"No, not at all. I wouldn't dream of telling him. But I appreciate you being straight with me." Andy said. "And I'm very glad Ephram has you for a physical therapist."

"Da-ad. What are you still doing?" Ephram called impatiently from the hallway. "C'mon. Let's go. We're all waiting for you."

"I'm coming." Andy called back. "Thanks Marla. For all you've done for Ephram." He stuck his hand out for a handshake.

"Doin' my job." Marla smiled humbly and shook his hand heartily. "Can't take all the credit. It was mostly Ephram. I just helped."

"Well, thanks anyway." Andy grinned.

"Fine then. You're welcome." Marla replied modestly. "Ok Ephram - you take care now. And see you in two days!" She shouted to Ephram.

"Bye Marla. See you Monday!" He waved.

After saying good-bye to Marla, Andy joined Ephram in the hall. Marla crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway watching the two descend down the hall into the foyer. She heard a drone of muffled conversation.

"Did you dry off before putting on that coat?" Andy asked.

"Yes, dad." The boy sighed.

"Your hair is still wet." Andy ran a hand thru Ephram's short black hair.

"Stop it. You're messing up my hair." Ephram pouted as he brushed his father's hand away.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's wet." Andy retorted.

"No it's not. It dried while you were yakking away with Marla in there." Ephram said as he gave the handrim of his wheelchair another pull.

"Don't want you catching a cold because you were being careless. Is your shirt wet?"

"I changed my shirt already. Wanna check?" Ephram said with a sly grin.

"Where's your hat?" Andy asked.

"Dad, will you quit nagging me! I can take care of myself." Ephram declared in a huff. "The hat is here. Satisfied?" He finally added pulling out what appeared to be a black knit hit from his pocket.

"Ephram, stop being difficult and put on your hat. Zip up your coat for Heaven's sake. It's 30 degree weather out there."

"I'm not being difficult." Ephram challenged. He pulled the hat on his head and fumbled with his coat zipper.

"Oh, yes you are." Andy sighed.

"No, I'm not."

Marla smiled at the little father-son bickering she happened to overhear. Some things will never change.

***** Later That Afternoon *****

The first thing he heard when he entered the house through the back door was the peaceful rippling harmony of piano keys being played. Andy placed the day's mail and a rolled up copy of the Everwood Gazette on the kitchen counter. He stood there for a brief moment with eyes closed capturing the sweet mellifluous sounds of his son's genius traveling from the living room.

"Isn't it just beautiful? He plays it so well." A female voice distracted Andy's attention forcing him to open his eyes. Nina had drifted into the kitchen.

"Mmmm." Andy agreed with a slight feeling of euphoria. "Debussy's Clair de Lune." He rendered.

"It translates into 'Moonlight'?" She asked timidly as Andy nodded. "Intoxicating, huh?" Nina said admiring the soft melody. "He's been at it for the past half an hour." She reached into the cabinet and pulled out three tall glasses.

"I know what he's doing. There's a reason why he chose to play Debussy. Debussy puts emphasis on the use of the damper pedal." Andy concluded. "It's a pedal technique. Ephram is testing his ability to elongate notes by using the foot pedals. He's using his feet." He added when he saw the confused look on Nina's pretty face.

"Anyway, I've never heard Clair de Lune played so beautifully in my entire life. Ephram has a natural gift. It wouldn't be fair for him to lose that ability." She searched in the Brown's pantry for the canister she had in mind.

"He'll be a great pianist someday." Andy said as he sorted the mail.

"Yep and I can picture him playing at Carnegie Hall in front of thousands of people. We'd be sitting right there in the front row dressed up to the nines. Then I turn to our seat neighbors and say I knew him when." Nina daydreamed.

"He's come a long way." Andy laughed.

"Aha, here it is." Nina found her object of desire. "You want chocolate milk to go with the vanilla sugar cookies I made or coffee?" She pulled out a container of NesQuik chocolate milk powder.

"Coffee will be fine." Andy replied.

"Ok then, two coffees and three chocolate milks coming right up." Nina smiled.

"I'm going to check on Ephram." Andy headed towards the living room corridor.

He stood there watching Ephram's back view. The boy was seated comfortably on his wheelchair in front of the piano. A large sheet was propped up against the music desk. Ephram's long narrow fingers ran over the top of the black and white keys with grace and expertise as he occasionally looked up to read the music sheet. The old mahogany Baldwin vertical piano was backed up against one wall next to a big window in the far right side of the living room. Ephram called it his "Music Corner. "

When he looked up, Ephram caught the reflection of his father standing at the corridor through the medium sized brass framed mirror that hung on the wall above the piano. Ephram suddenly stopped playing his intended piece and professionally hammered an octave on the keys. Toying with his father, he began tinkling the theme music to "The Smurfs".

"Oh, now, that's just you being silly!" Andy laughed.

"I didn't know I had an audience." Ephram turned his wheelchair around to face his father. "It's my rendition of Clair de Lune - I thought I'd spice up the ending with something cheery."

"Claude Debussy would be turning in his grave if he found out what you did to his masterpiece." Andy joked.

"You are so anti-Smurf." Ephram shook his head in disappointment. They laughed at each other's sarcasm. "Dad, I play much better now that the strength in my legs are returning." He said excitedly after a while.

"Yea, I noticed from your choice of music. I'm happy for you. You've hypnotized Nina with your spellbinding piano playing too." Andy thumbed the kitchen. "Oh, before I forget, a package came for you. I picked just it up from the town post office. It's on the table."

"For me? Who's it from?" Ephram asked curiously.

"Well, open it and find out." Andy said not giving his boy any hints. Ephram wheeled himself to the dining room with his father trailing behind.

On the dining room table was a small brown package about the size of a shoebox. Andy disappeared into the kitchen trying to get a head start in stealing a few cookies from the plate when Nina wasn't looking. Ephram examined the box. Even block letters of his name and address were written with a thick black magic marker across the top. Recognizing the handwriting immediately, he knew who the sender was without looking at the return address. But force of habit made his eyes dart to the left hand corner of the box hence, confirming his theory. It was from Jewels.

He opened the box with a pair of scissors. The same pair that he once held to his wrist. Andy and Nina spied on him meticulously when he picked up the sharp object. He knew what they were doing. But he played it cool and set the scissors down on the table in plain sight as soon as he was done opening the box to show the adults that he wasn't planning on using it for malice.

Five long sleeved knit shirts in different solid colors in black, gray, olive, blue, and dark wine with the bold letters "S.N.A.F.U." imprinted across the chest were folded into neat squares. Tucked carefully between the folds of first and the second shirts were a large pack of strawberry Twizzlers, a crisp issue #48 of the DC comic "100 Bullets" in a clear plastic envelope, and a letter written in her own small handwriting on blue lined loose leaf paper.

He unfolded the letter and began to read it. His eyes darted back and forth quickly absorbing all the words of the page. Andy and Nina watched Ephram's facial reaction to the letter and craned their necks curiously to see the contents of the package from where they stood. For a split second, they thought they saw a tear welling in Ephram's eyes. The tear resembled a little sparkling diamond, which clung to the corner of his eye but it did not fall. They looked at each other trying to send telepathic messages through their eyes. When Ephram finally put down the letter, Andy gave Nina the signal that it was time to go snoop. Nina took her tray of cookies while Andy helped with the glasses of chocolate milk and coffee. They casually entered the dining room and placed their loads onto the table.

"So, Ephram. What'd you get?" Andy said while eyeing the contents of the box, which were now scattered in front of Ephram. "Hmmm, nice loot. Now you have one for each day of the week." Andy chuckled referring to the shirts.

"Is it from your New York friend?" Nina asked arranging the food on the table.

"Yea." Ephram confirmed. The ends of his lips curled up slightly.

"What does she say?" Nina inquired nicely.

"Here. I know you guys want to read it." He said pushing the letter towards the two adults, who were seated across from him.

"What? Oh no, we couldn't do that. It's private." Nina gasped hoping Ephram would not withdraw his offer.

"No, really - go ahead. I don't mind." Ephram replied. There was nothing too personal on the letter that would be too embarrassing to reveal.

"Well, ok. If you insist then." Nina took the letter and shared it with Andy. They began reading silently.

The letter read as follows:

Hi Mr. Intriguingly Cryptic!

I know how much you liked that last SNAFU shirt I got you. And I know how pissed off you were that it had to be cut up. So, I went back to that place on Canal Street that sold the shirts and wow, it comes in long sleeves and in colors too! I must've stood there like an idiot for half an hour racking my brain trying to figure out what color to get. So hell, I got you all five.

You're probably wondering how I managed to get my claws on #48 of 100 Bullets esp since it's not due out in your neck of the woods until next month. I have connections in high places. Haha. My brother's friend works at your favorite store - Midtown Comics. When new inventory comes in, they all go through his hands first. So, after some intensive arm-twisting, teeth pulling, backstabbing and blackmailing, my brother got him to sneak him one quietly under the table. OK - so he just sold it to me, same difference. Hey, humor me - it's my attempt to be dramatic here. You said you followed 100 Bullets so happy reading, my friend!! Whoever says revenge was sweet obviously never read this dark comic. Sigh.

One more thing before I go. Twizzlers because I don't want you to forget the discussion we had that day on Kafka. Ephram, don't end up like Gregor Samsa. I know what it's like to have those days when you wish you could just fade away and disappear. You try so hard to escape and "run away" from yourself that you've forgotten everything that mattered and in the end, you become numb. You say to yourself that this is what you wanted so you can hide from the pain, fear and anger. You thought you needed to feel nothing when all you really needed was someone to tell you that they understood. Gregor's life was a down hill tragedy from the start. It doesn't have to be that way for you. You have a whole life ahead of you, Ephram. You concentrate too much on your weaknesses and not enough on your strengths. What you lack in physicality, you gain in experience and wisdom. You may have deficiencies that are more severe than the average person, but from all the stories you've told me, your life is indeed very rich - rich with friends and family who care about you (myself included). And I don't think any of us would want you to lock yourself up and turn into a "roach". With that said, I think I'll end it here. Talk to you later!

Don't be a stranger, Jewels

PS - Thanx for the cool postcard. I always thought the Rocky Mountains looked a lot like shaved chocolate sprinkled with powdered sugar. Yum.

********

"Aw, that's sweet. She's very intelligent." Nina said to Andy when they finished reading the letter.

"She understands." Ephram said. A few rebellious tears strolled down his face and he wiped them away before anyone noticed. But it was too late. Both Andy and Nina saw the escape of the tears.

"Ephram, are you ok?" Andy asked.

"Uh - yea. Of course, why wouldn't I be? I'm fine. Just fine." Ephram stammered as his face reddened.

"Oh Andy. Relax. He's fine." Nina smiled warmly. "Those were tears of joy. He's happy." She nodded and winked at Andy. She then turned to Ephram. "Well, I think that was a lovely letter. Thank you for sharing it with us." Nina always had a way with words. She could turn any awkward situation around. Maybe it has something to do with woman's intuition.

"Sure." Ephram replied as he refolded the piece of paper into a square.

"So, have you told her the good news yet?" Nina inquired.

"Naw, I think I'll surprise her." Ephram replied. "By Christmas, I'll be even better at walking than I am now."

"You have such a nice friend. And look at all the neat stuff you got!" Nina exclaimed.

"Yea, now what are you going to get her?" Andy teased.

"Hmmm. I was thinking of taking her to see Rent, which is her favorite show. It's going to be another surprise. If I start saving my allowances between now and Christmas, I think I can scrape up enough monetary units to cover for two tickets." Ephram said wisely.

"That sounds wonderful. I happen to know a guy who knows a guy in New York who can get great seats at reasonable prices." Andy offered with a raised eyebrow.

"You mean a ticket scalper." Ephram concluded. "Isn't that, like, illegal?"

"Very funny. I always knew you inherited MY sense of humor. No, really, he's not a ticket scalper." Andy reassured.

"OK then. I don't want either of us to be thrown in jail. Then we would have to make license plates for a living for the rest of our lives." He squirmed.

"Isn't he the one with the over-active imagination." Andy sighed.

"Ok, Ephram. We are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate your victory. You get to pick the restaurant since you are the man of the hour. So, what will it be?" Nina questioned. Ephram thought about it for a while.

"McDonald's!!" Ephram finally exclaimed. His eyes lit up like the lights on a Christmas tree.

"McDonald's?" Andy scratched his head in confusion. "Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather go to a five star restaurant like Marcelli's or The Bamboo Garden or that new French place - what's it called again?" Andy tapped his index finger on his forehead in thought.

"Chez Pierre." Nina said almost too quickly.

"Right! Chez Pierre!" Andy proclaimed.

"No. I have an unusual craving for a Big Mac. So, I'm gonna stick with McDonald's." Ephram nodded.

"You do realize that the nearest McDonald's is a forty-five minute drive from here, right?" Andy said.

"Yep. So maybe we should get a head start." Ephram smiled as he reached for a vanilla cookie from the plate on the table.

"It's just that you haven't been in a car ride for more than fifteen minutes let alone forty-five minutes. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Andy worried.

"I'll be ok. I'll try not to freak out on you." Ephram gave the adults a wide innocent grin. "Besides, it'll all be worth it when I sink my teeth into a juicy Big Mac or two." He added and chomped on the soft and gooey cookie.

"Well, I think the boy is finally getting his ravenous appetite back." Nina observed quite contently.

"It's settled then. We're going to the McDonald's." Andy declared. "But it's a little weird that you should pick a simple and cheap place like McDonald's to celebrate such a big occasion but ok, I think I can deal with it - "

"I don't care what your father thinks. McDonald's is a decent choice." Nina smiled at Ephram. "It's whatever makes you happy sweetie."

"You always take his side." Andy pouted in jest. "I guess I'll go round up the kids for snack. Last I saw, they were in the backyard burying each other with leaves. Tomorrow's gonna be one heck of a laundry day."

*** Later That Night ***

A luminous crescent moon hung against a darkened sky riddled with sparkling studs. It was a peaceful night. There were no cars or trucks whizzing by, no distressing police car sirens blaring, and no annoying car alarms. Sounds of the city were far away. He closed his eyes briefly and listened to the silence. The tranquility was calming and for the first time in his life, he thoroughly enjoyed it. A trace of fragrant Aspen leaves mixed with minty air filled his nostrils. The coldness was biting, yet it felt refreshing and cleansing at the same time. A sudden brisk gust of wind caused a cold shiver to run down his spine. He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders for warmth.

Ephram spent the past half hour sitting on the long wicker bench on his porch. Andy had been preoccupied with putting Delia to bed and reading her a bedtime story. The house was quiet. Nina and Sam left some two hours ago. When he looked up at the adjacent house, he could still see a faint light flickering in an upstairs bedroom. Nina was still awake. He smiled knowing she was nearby. The time alone allowed him to reflect on his life. He felt peculiar. Maybe it was peculiar because he'd forgotten how to feel anything for the past few months. He was happy - truly happy.

"There you are." A voice said as the front door opened with a rusty squeak. He turned his head to find his father standing by the doorway.

"Hey dad." Ephram greeted. Andy's tall and burly figure against the porch light cast a shadow on the boy making him look small and powerless.

"Mind if I join you?" Andy sat down next to his son on the bench.

"Not at all." Ephram said. He offered to share his blanket and Andy accepted.

"How was the Big Mac?" Andy asked trying to start a conversation. "Was it satisfying?"

"Yea, it was great. It really hit the spot." Ephram replied and turned his attention back to the sky.

"Wow. It's a beautiful night." Andy remarked.

"Sure is." Ephram agreed. They sat there for a few minutes in silence.

"You know, you can see Orion from here." Andy noted.

"Orion?" Ephram said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Yea, Orion - also know as The Great Hunter. Look there." Andy pointed an index finger at the dark sky. "You see three bright stars lined up - there, there and there? That's Orion's belt." Andy traced the stars with his finger. "Then if you look a few degrees north of that, you'll see a bright reddish star. That's Orion's armpit. And if you concentrate hard enough you can spot the outline of his body. He's holding a club in his hand."

"Waitaminute. You lost me. I don't see it." Ephram said as he squinted into the area of the sky where his father pointed.

"There are three really bright stars -" Andy started again.

"Hmm, all the stars look pretty bright to me." Ephram's puzzled tone caused Andy to laugh.

"Ok, follow my finger. The three stars lined slanting slightly upward. One, two, and three - see it?" Andy said patiently as he retraced the stars. The boy continued to focus hoping to spot Orion's belt. After a short while of pondering, a huge smile ran across Ephram's excited face.

"I think I see it! Yea! I do! I see it!" Ephram exclaimed.

"Good!" Andy congratulated. He watched his son's innocent boyish face stare into the mass of stars above in amazement. "There are eighty-eight constellations in total. Some are more difficult to spot than others but with some practice, you'll be able to find them in no time. Like the Canis, Pegasus, and even Hercules."

"Wow, there are eighty-eight of them up there?" Ephram said in awe. "Who discovered them?"

"The constellation was not discovered, it was invented. I believe it was the ancient Greeks who invented them. Though I'm sure some astronomers would disagree with me. In reality, names were given to stars as a means to simplify the remembering of which star is which. But we owe it to Greek mythology for all the fascinating tales encrypted in those cluster of stars you see right now. Do you know the story of Orion?" Andy asked. Ephram shook his head.

"Well, in ancient Greek mythology, Orion was the son of Poseidon - the God of the Sea - and Euryale, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Orion was so tall and huge that he was able to walk the bottom of the deepest oceans with his head sticking out above the water. Now, remember that very fact because it will come into play later in the story. There are many different versions on the death of Orion and how he came about to be part of the constellation but this one I'm about to tell you is my favorite and in a way, the most romantic." Andy explained. He noticed Ephram's eyes widen as he absorbed every word.

"See, Orion was supposed to marry Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, but her brother Apollo, as you may also know as the God of the Sun, totally objected to the marriage. So, Apollo thought up a way to keep his sister from marrying Orion. Apollo wasn't stupid, he knew his sister well. He knew she was overly proud of being a skilled archer and without question would prove to anyone that she was the best. I mean, the chick was after all the Goddess of the Hunt - I should say, she should know her weapon pretty well. One day, Apollo presented her with a challenge." Andy paused to build suspense.

"So then what happened? What was the challenge?" Ephram pressed.

"I'm getting to it. Apollo, being the sly dog that he is, challenged Artemis to put an arrow through a small bobbing object on the waves that was seen from a far, far distance. Artemis didn't know what that object was at the time but, since competitiveness was in her nature, she never turned down a challenge. She drew her arrow back and with a single shot, the arrow struck the object. She then approached to see what the object was that her arrow had pierced through, and to her horror, it was Orion's head. She was so full of remorse and grief after unwittingly killed her future husband that she placed him among the stars so he would never be forgotten." Andy concluded and waited for his son's response.

"Gosh!" Ephram said in amazement. "How did you know so much about this stuff?"

"I'll have you know that learning the constellation was an excellent way to impress girls back in the day. You didn't think I learned all that stuff for no reason, now did you?" Andy retorted.

"Aren't you the hopeless romantic." Ephram chuckled.

"Well, it works." Andy shrugged.

"You've probably tried it on mom too." Ephram snickered. "I didn't know there were more to it than just twinkling stars. I've never really paid much attention to constellations." He continued after a short pause.

"The night sky is like a map. For centuries, people relied on stars to navigate the earth and tell time. Farmers looked to the stars to know when to plant seeds and harvest their crops. You would never think something this small and often overlooked can be so important. The map is sketched into the sky. So, no matter where you are you can ever really get lost because the stars will eventually guide you home." Andy said.

The insight left Ephram speechless and bewildered as he gazed at Orion. Ephram leaned his cheek against his father's muscular bicep. Seeing his son's sudden reach for affection, Andy swung his arm around Ephram's shoulder. Andy thought Ephram was the sweetest during these quiet moments when they weren't bickering or fighting over petty things.

"Dad?" Ephram said in a near whisper.

"Yes, son?"

"I think I know what I want Santa to bring me this year." Ephram joked.

"Oh, yea? And what's that?"

"A telescope so I can see Orion better."

"Well, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you." Andy laughed.

"Do you think Jewels can see Orion all the way in New York right now?"

"Sure! Maybe not at the same exact time since stars move, but Orion can definitely be seen over New York." Andy replied. "As a matter of fact, on a clear night, your mother and I used to sit under the stars in Central Park and point out the constellations to each other. I think the story of Orion was her favorite too." Andy answered while secretly reminiscing those romantic nights spent with Julia.

"So, you DID try it on mom!" Ephram yawned tiredly. Andy stroked Ephram's hair gently.

"Yep." Andy said. He felt Ephram snuggle closer to him for warmth.

Andy tucked the blanket around them but gave more cover of the blanket to Ephram. His gaze found it's way to Ephram's wheelchair parked next to the bench. Then he looked at the small figure leaned up against him. 'He's so brave.' Andy thought and continued to stroke Ephram's hair softly. It was a comfort to know that Ephram hadn't objected to the affection.

"When we go to New York, can we go see the Christmas tree lighting at Rockerfeller Center?" Ephram asked.

"What? I thought you've seen your fill of trees already in Everwood. Why on earth would you want to see one when you're in New York?!" Andy kidded.

"I'd forgotten what that's like - the tree lighting and all. Maybe we can invite Jewels to come with us." Ephram said.

"Sure, we can do that." Andy answered.

Pause.

"Dad." The boy whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks." Ephram murmured just loud enough for Andy to hear. "For saving me. If it weren't for you and Nina and Delia, I would've been lost a long time ago."

"Ephram." Andy began.

"Remembering all those times when I had the opportunity to kill myself, it scares me to think that I really would've done it. Either that or I would've gone crazy. I owe you one." Ephram interrupted.

"You don't owe me anything, precious." Andy placed a kiss just above Ephram's ear to show his affection. "I know it has been a turbulent several months for you. You've been through so much. But I'm happy that you're ok now. My prayers have been answered." Andy said caringly. The familiar salty lump formed in his throat.

Andy disliked talking about such emotional subjects for fear of bursting into tears in mid-sentence. He was a strong man and strong men didn't cry. It was apparent that he felt deeply about the welfare of his crippled child. Discussing it was his weakness. Each tear that Ephram shed took a mark on his soul. He grieved. And here before him was the boy who had once been shattered into a thousand pieces with little or no hope at all of becoming whole again. The scars were mending and slowly healing. Andy heard Ephram's words thanking him for guidance to salvation. Little did the boy know that Andy needed him so much more than he could express.

"You know what? As much as I would like to take all the credit, I'm going to have to be humble and share." Andy said to deter the salty lump in his throat from getting any bigger. "I think your friend Juliana deserves some of the credit too. In fact, I think she deserves a lot more credit than I do. If I remember correctly, your big turnaround happened right after your conversation with her when you confessed. For some reason, no matter how much I tried to convince you that I understood - you never seemed to fully believe me. Though when you talked to her, it was like as if something in your head clicked and everything made sense. She must've said something to you to make you realize that she truly understood."

"Her name is Jewels. No one calls her Juliana." Ephram corrected. It was true what his father said. Deep in his gut, Ephram knew if it hadn't been for Jewels, he would've still been trapped in the darkness. Andy had been the safety net and protector. Nina supplied the maternal love and care. Delia and Sam served as his pep rally. And Jewels played the most important part of all - she was his wake up call. "She told me lots of things." Ephram added.

"Well, she's a smart girl. Maybe someday you'll tell me what it was that she said." Andy responded.

"I don't know. It's weird that she understands this stuff so well. I mean, when I talk to her, it's like she's been in the same situation. Every time I ask her how she knows so much or if something happened to her, she changes subject. I don't get it."

"You like this girl."

"Maybe I kinda do."

"Tell ya what. I think I have a little experience when it comes to the opposite sex." Andy winked humorously. "I know you're curious and want to know whatever it is that she isn't telling you. Be patient. Give her time. Maybe it's a sensitive issue. When the time is right, she will share her secret with you." He advised.

"I guess you're right." Ephram let out another yawn.

"You about ready to turn in?"

"Mmmmm." Ephram closed his eyes and gave his father a tight hug. "I love you."

"Love you too, baby." Andy returned the hug. Ephram looked up at his father with tired eyes. "Time for bed, huh?"

"Yea, I'm gonna call Grandpop and Nanna first thing tomorrow and tell them I can walk." Ephram stretched. "Well, sort of walk. Well, you know what I mean." He mumbled.

"I'm sure they would love to hear from you. But first, let's get you off to bed." Andy got up and collected the blanket.

"I can do it by myself." Ephram said sincerely when Andy offered to help him into his iGlide. Andy watched his son pull himself onto the wheelchair with finesse. "See, I told you I can do it myself. You didn't have to wait for me."

"I know. But I still have to help get you up the stairs to your room, remember?" Andy reminded.

"Oh, right. I forgot." The boy smiled and wheeled himself through the front door.

Upon entering the house, Andy turned around and took one last look at Orion in the sky. With a happy sigh, he whispered "thank you" to the heavens.

Satisfied, Andy shut the front door and turned off the porch light.

In life, we tend to take things for granted. Seldom do we appreciate the importance of our abilities until they are taken away from us.

As humans, we are reared to learn from our mistakes. But sometimes, the mistakes are in our ignorance. We are so caught up in our expectations and daily demands that we fail to see how ignorant we are on appreciating the fruition of life that is presented before us. Hardly do we ever stop to count the blessings we already have rather than the curses we have yet to acquire. Imagine what it would be like to suddenly lose one of your sensory or motor functions - the two most important functions we use and rely on everyday without even realizing it.

Our senses have so much to offer. Without the sense of smell, we would never be able to take in the eye-opening aroma of coffee brewing or the clean scent of freshly cut grass or even the savory smell of mom's special recipe of baked Cornish hens stuffed with wild saffron rice. Perhaps if our sense of taste was taken away, we should never have the pleasure of indulging in our favorite desserts or that extra heavenly slice of pizza we crave from time to time. Maybe if we were robbed of our hearing, we could never be permitted to hear sweet beautiful music or the serene sound of songbirds. Or if we were deprived of our sight, we could never take in the dramatic hues Mother Nature paints for us each day or discovering all the wonders the world holds for us. And how horrible it would be if we should lose our sense of touch! We would never be able to feel the warm embrace or tender kiss of a loved one or appreciate the icy tingle of a snowflake melting on the tip of your nose.

Further more, mobility plays a significant part in our lives. Losing the use of a limb such as an arm or leg is devastating. Imagine never being able to dance to your favorite song or take a relaxing barefoot stroll on the beach or something as typical as typing an email. As we close the book on this part of Ephram's turbulent journey to walk again, we hope he has learned the value of life's fundamental gifts. He is on his way to beating the odds. More so, it appears he has indeed risen from the ashes.

* The End *

Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you who have followed this story from beginning to end. All your meaningful reviews (no matter how short or long, how general or constructive) keep me going. Also, thanks for the wonderful emails. Your loyalty and patience are greatly appreciated. I couldn't ask for a better group of fans. You're the best! I also wanted to apologize if I strayed from the show. I know some of what I wrote was a bit of a stretch but - ah well, what can I say - I enjoy seeing Ephram as an extremely fragile, vulnerable, young, edgy, scrawny kid in desperate need of paternal as well as maternal love.

PS. For those of you who want to know, this story does have a sequel - but it hasn't been written yet. Instead, I've decided to start a new story and revisit this one another time. Until next time!!!!!!