Bear Essentials

by Drama-Duchess

The Brown's camping trip turns sour when Ephram is attacked by a bear. Escaped but wounded, will anyone find him before it's too late?

6. Lessons Learned

Chapter 6: Lessons Learned

"So, were you planning on sleeping for a century or were you just trying to get noticed by the people at Guinness for setting a world record?" Andy nudged Ephram comically in the arm. "You'll do anything for some attention, won't you?" He added. The boy blinked tiredly at his father's straight poker face.

"I know that look." Ephram finally said through clenched teeth in an attempt to avoid experiencing the tenderness in his throat.

"Oh – you don't know just how much trouble you're in." Andy sighed. "You've really out done yourself this time, buster."

"I'm in deep shit, aren't I?" The boy gulped.

"Up to your ears." Andy exaggerated with a frown and a slight shake of the head.

"Oh no." Ephram groaned. "I'm gonna be grounded for life. I know it."

"Don't lock yourself up and throw away the key just yet. Before you condemn yourself to a lifetime of bread and water, I want you to let you know the good news. After much thought and consideration, I've decided to waive your sentencing. You are officially exempt from any grounding." Andy smiled sarcastically.

"What did you say? I must be still delirious from all the drugs they keep pumping into me. Cause my hearing seems to be going." Ephram mumbled almost incoherently. "It almost sounded like you said you were ungrounding me."

"You heard me right."

"Really?" The boy said with a hint of skepticism.

"Yep. You're free as a bird when you get outta here."

"Wow." Ephram muttered under his breath. "OK.... Why?" He asked carefully waiting for the punch line.

"Because." Andy shrugged humoring the boy. Ephram tried to figure out the sly expression on his father's face.

"I thought I broke all your rules." Ephram said. He stifled a cough caused by a tingle in his throat as a result of the Tracheostomy. The tube inserted into his windpipe through his neck was supposed to make it easier for him to breathe but it needed getting used to. "You mean you're letting me get away with it?"

"Ephram, I never really planned on punishing you in the first place." Andy confessed. "I wouldn't be too concerned about it if I were you." He added with a wave of his hand.

"Did being hurt affect your ruling?" Ephram's words came out in a deep croak. It took some serious effort to clear his throat.

"Easy now. Don't strain yourself." Andy advised gently. "After all this, I don't think I can bring myself to dishing out a proper punishment for you."

"It's not like you to – to take back grounding me. Did something terrible happen?" Ephram guessed. "I don't remember the last two days too well. My memory is all fuzzy."

"I don't count on you remembering. Things went from bad to worse. Your heart stopped and we had to bring you back." Andy answered.

"You mean I had a heart attack?!" Ephram squealed in excitement.

"Yea – I guess you can put it that way."

"I flirted with death. Cool." He flashed a mischievous grin.

"No Ephram. It's not cool. I forbid you to talk that way. This is not a game. Do you know how worried sick we were about you? There was a point when I honestly thought we were going to lose you. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. All I could do was pray that you would make it through the night. And when you hung on through one night, I continue praying that you make it through another. I don't think you realize how close you were to dying and how weak you still are. I don't require much out of you. But I will require this - I can't have you talking like it's cool to think you cheated death. I'm serious. Do I make myself clear??? " Andy scolded a bit too harshly and sensed it after the fact.

Ephram brought his gaze to the mass of electrodes on his chest and with sad regret, he mumbled, "Sorry."

"Look - forget it." Andy sighed and composed himself. He didn't want to take out his frustrations on his son. Sometimes, he was too callous with Ephram without meaning to be. It was hard to break a bad habit. Ephram had regained consciousness barely half an hour ago. The poor kid is probably still in pain and discomfort and here he was about to make him cry. * Nice going genius. You definitely have a way with words. * Andy thought bitterly to himself.

"It's just that you had me so scared. I wouldn't know what to do without you. You, me, and Delia – we are like the dynamic trio. How would we survive without each other?" Andy redeemed himself with a lighter tone.

"I didn't mean to scare you." The boy replied softly.

"No. I know you. You just wanted to give me a nervous breakdown." Andy joked. "And congratulations boy, you've succeeded." Seeing the smile on his father's face, Ephram knew he wasn't mad at him anymore and put his mind at ease.

"So, I'm really not grounded?" Ephram probed. He licked his dry lips.

"Nope. I'm letting you get away with murder."

"Yea? Then now would be a good time to tell you that I accidentally knocked your toothbrush into the toilet." Ephram confessed as innocently as possible.

"What!? When was this?" Andy blurted.

"About three weeks ago. You know, when I couldn't go to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert." Ephram cringed.

"Wasn't that the very weekend I grounded you for getting into detention because you were caught fighting in your gym class?"

"Um – yea." He said timidly. "And – and which by the way was very unfair because how often does a hot group like the Red Hot Chili Peppers come play at the Pepsi Center in Denver?!" He continued in a murmur. "You made me miss a chance in a lifetime."

"Shoulda thought about that before you threw the first punch. You had every right to be grounded." Andy replied.

"I planned on going to that concert for a long time and you know it." Ephram refuted. "Besides, Billy stated the fight. He called me a freak. I was really mad. Then as if detention wasn't enough, you had to ground me too. Made even more mad."

"Uh-huh, so you decided to toss my toothbrush into the toilet?" Andy scratched his head and seemed almost amused at his son's revenge.

"Did I mention it was an accident?" Ephram said in a near whisper, as his voice was getting raspy from all the talking.

"Yes, you did. More like a premeditated accident." Andy challenged. "But under the circumstances, I was a tiny bit unjust with not letting you go to the concert. I knew how much you wanted to go. So, I'll forgive you for messing with my hygiene."

"Really? You're not mad?"

"Naah."

"Ok. Then this would also be a good time to tell you about your Willie Mays baseball you keep in the den." Ephram avoided eye contact.

"What about my Willie Mays baseball?" Andy interjected with nervousness in his tone.

"I took it out of the display case." Ephram began and stopped to catch his breath.

"Ephram, how many times did I specifically tell you not to touch it? It was strict orders." Andy's voice got excited.

"I know but maybe that's why it was so interesting. The more you said I wasn't allowed to touch it, the more appealing it was. It was sitting there on the shelf screaming to be touched. I wanted to hold it in my hand." Ephram defended himself.

"Do you know that it's a one of a kind collectors item autographed by Willie Mays??? It's not a toy. I'm almost afraid to hear what you did with it."

"Don't worry, I didn't break it.... at least not the baseball anyway." Ephram said. "I was playing with it – you know tossing it in the air and catching it. Everything was fine then the ball accidentally came down on your crystal globe."

"You mean the same crystal globe that's on my desk?" Andy pressed.

"Uh-huh. A part of it chipped off when it rolled off your desk and hit the floor." Ephram felt hot under the collar.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. That crystal globe was a Tiffany's original. Your mother gave it to me on our first anniversary." Andy exclaimed.

"I know. That's why I couldn't tell you I broke it. If I did, you'd probably skin me alive. So, I used Crazy Glue and stuck it back together really well. You could hardly see the cracks – unless you look real close. You've been staring at it for months and you hadn't noticed anything wrong with it." Ephram thought he was clever until he saw the frown on his father's lips.

"Unbelievable!! Just unbelievable." Andy grumbled.

"I'm sorry." Ephram moaned. "I'm sure you feel like grounding me now." He added after a pause. Sitting in his chair, Andy rubbed his face and sighed.

"What you did was wrong. I don't appreciate being fooled and lied to. And when I tell you to do something or not do something, I expect you to listen. You know that certain things are off limits and rules should not be challenged." Andy reprimanded. Then after a while, he changed his tone. "But in the end, all you wanted was to feel the legend of Willie Mays in the palm of your hand. If I just let you hold it once, you wouldn't be sneaking around my back and none of this would've happened. It's not entirely your fault."

Ephram shot an astonished look at his father. He tried to swallow and let out a small grunt in the process.

"Did I ever tell you how I got Willie Mays' autograph on that baseball?" Andy asked as Ephram shook his head.

"I was about six or seven when my dad took me to my first baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. It was the Chicago Cubs versus the San Francisco Giants." Andy began.

"Giants? That's a New York football team." Ephram interrupted.

"Believe it or not, it used to be a New York baseball team. The San Francisco Giants was formerly known as the New York Giants until they moved to San Francisco in the late 50's. Anyway, my dad had some business to tend to in Chicago so he brought the whole family with him – you know – kinda like a business and pleasure trip rolled into one. My mom and older sister didn't care much for baseball so they went shopping while me and dad went to the game. We had seats up in the right field. It wasn't the greatest seats in the world but we were able to see what was going on. It was the bottom of the sixth inning and Willie Mays stepped up to the plate." Andy told with stars in his eyes.

"Willie Mays – Wow, he was my idol back then. He was one of the greatest players of all times. He was good at everything – hitting, running, throwing. In his entire career, he made 3,283 hits, 660 home runs, and had a batting average of .302, which was pretty damn good. He earned Rookie of the Year in '51, two MVP awards, and won the Gold Glove award 12 times. He was elected into the baseball Hall of Fame in '79. The man was immortal." Andy reminisced his childhood passion.

"I never knew – I never knew you were into baseball." Ephram mumbled.

"Well, there's a lot you still don't know about your old man. Baseball was one of them." Andy smiled at his son.

"I guess, now we know where Delia gets that from." Ephram humored.

"So anyway, Willie Mays stepped up to the plate. The whole stadium was quiet. He took a few practice swings at the air with his bat. He winded the bat behind his shoulders, the pitcher hurled him a curve ball. Mays swung and the ball flies out of the field. He jogged the baseball diamond as the crowd went wild." Andy's face lit up.

"Let me guess. You caught that home run ball." Ephram said.

"No. But close. My dad did. I was too small at the time." Andy replied. "And he handed it to me. I felt so proud holding that ball. I remember I couldn't keep my eyes off it for the remainder of the game. When the game was over, my dad took my hand and I assumed we were going back to the hotel to meet my mom and sister, but I knew we weren't heading out of the stadium when we took a turn around the last corridor. I asked my dad where we were going and he said, "Well, now that you have the home run ball, we gotta go get it signed." At first I didn't believe him but then I gave in when he led me to the team locker rooms. My dad had to go through several beefy security guards and personnel to get permission to see the great Willie Mays. But you know, I was a cute kid back then and it helped when my dad explained to them about the home run ball." Andy said with a laugh.

"I'll bet." Ephram rolled his eyes.

"Finally, they let us in but we were only allowed a few brief seconds. I spotted Willie Mays at a locker packing his stuff into a sports bag. I walked up to him and, my gosh, he was a lot taller than I expected. He was this huge black guy towering over me like a skyscraper. I looked up at him and he saw me holding that ball. He flashed this big smile. White teeth. And kneeled down to meet me at eye level."

"Your moment of glory - hope you didn't say something stupid." Ephram winced as he tried to move his position.

"I said, "Hi Mr. Mays. I caught your home run ball. You are my favorite baseball player. Can you sign the ball for me?" I was so nervous and excited at the same time. It was my dream come true. He took one look at me and said, "Sure." I watched him scribble his signature on the ball. He hands it back to me and asks what's my name. I tell him. He says, "Ok then, it was very nice meeting you, Andy" and shakes my hand. I couldn't sleep for a week." Andy said. "I don't think I washed my hand for the rest of that day because I was touched by the great Willie Mays. But anyway, the Willie Mays autograph was only the icing on the cake. The real treat was the time I spent with dad. Priceless."

"Oh." Ephram felt guilty for being so disrespectful with his father's prized possession. "Sorry. I shouldn't have messed around with it." He added.

"Well, you didn't know and it's my fault for not telling you sooner." Andy patted the back of Ephram's hand.

"Guess – guess that autographed ball has got to be worth something these days, huh?" Ephram's voice got softer.

"Yea – values about two hundred dollars. And don't you get any crazy ideas to auction it off on eBay." Andy warned.

"Don't worry, I won't." Ephram blinked. His weak smile topped by the lethargy in his dull eyes gave him a most woeful guise.

"And to answer your question. I'm not grounding for this either." Andy pardoned.

"For real?" Ephram breathed out.

"Um-hm."

"Must be my lucky day." Ephram gushed. "But there's something else." He added awkwardly.

"Oh no! Now what?" Andy gasped.

"I forged your signature." Ephram flinched afraid of his father's reaction to the news.

"You did what??? On where?" Andy demanded.

"On my sequential two math mid-term two weeks ago. Mr. Adelman said for all those who flunked the mid-term, we have to get our parents to sign it. I didn't want to be grounded for flunking so I took one of your returned checks and forged your signature onto my test paper." Ephram admitted.

"Ephram!!" Andy roared uncontrollably.

"I know I was wrong. That's why I'm coming clean with you. Please don't be mad at me." The boy pleaded. "Besides, half the class flunked the mid-term. It wasn't like I didn't study."

"What am I going to do with you?" Andy wondered out loud. "I can't believe you would do something like that."

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I learned my lesson. Really, I have." Ephram stammered as a surge of pain shot up his side. He tried to hold the pangs of irritation but his torment escaped in the form of a distressing moan.

"Ephram?" Andy called with concern.

"Muscle cramp." Ephram whimpered and closed his eyes tight waiting desperately for the pain to pass. A single tear squeezed past the corner of his eye. Andy followed the tear as it slid off his son's cheekbone and trickled passed the ear where it was absorbed by the cotton pillowcase. Andy noticed the boy's lips quiver and jaw tighten.

"It'll be ok." Andy soothed and took his son's hand into his.

"I know what it looks like. But I'm not faking it to gain your sympathy to get off the hook." Ephram said after a few minutes when the muscle cramp relaxed. "It hurts like you wouldn't believe."

"Oh, I think it would be kinda hard to fake your face turning three different shades of green like the way you just did. Hmm, looks like you're going back to your original tinge of ghost white now." Andy softened. "Are you better?"

"Slightly."

"Ephram, you probably don't know this and I'm to blame because I don't think I've ever told you face to face...you and Delia are a very necessary part of my life. I can't imagine living life without both of you in it. Maybe before, all I knew was my work, but I see things differently now. These few days have made me realize just how important you are to me. I'm sorry if I seem too strict sometimes. Maybe it's because I've forgotten how to be a parent or because I've forgotten what it was like to be your age. I don't know. What I do know is that I want you and Delia to be able to come to me for whatever problems life throws at you. I want so much to be part of your lives." Andy paused.

"Dad." Ephram said with a feeble attempt. "You don't have to say it."

"No, I think I do." Andy disagreed. "I need to say it. So at least you know where I'm coming from. Ephram, I know I haven't been the perfect father to you. I've made my share of mistakes. If I could go back and erase it all, I would but I can't. I know I've hurt you and let you down so many times that you've probably lost faith in me. I turned you away when you needed me. I let you drift further and further away. I don't have any excuses for what I did. Ever since your mother died, I've had a lot of time to reflect on the past and maybe I don't understand everything yet but I do understand the reasons why you were so hostile to me. That part is clear. You had every right to be angry with me. I know I deserved it. Ephram..." Andy paused. "I love you. Damn, I don't know why it's so much easier to say those same words to Delia. Maybe I was afraid you wouldn't accept it or that I didn't think you'd love me back. But I've always loved you, Ephram. Always."

The little speech left Ephram quiet for a moment as he processed the words in his head.

"Dad, were you fessing up just now?" Ephram tried to lighten the knot in his heart from hearing the touching words his father spoke.

"I guess so – if that's what it sounds like." Andy scratched his beard. "I only want to make things right between us again."

"I love you." Ephram said unexpectedly.

"What's that? You say something boy??" Andy toyed with his son. "I don't think I heard you."

"I said – I love you. I mean it." Ephram repeated louder and with slightly more passion. His glassy eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry for forging your signature."

"Well, was it believable at least?" Andy sighed prompting the forgiveness.

"Mr. Adelman didn't say anything when he saw it so I assumed he thought you really signed it." Ephram answered.

"Ha, I still can't believe you forged my signature. Just don't make forgery a habit with you. OK? It's not the way to go. Next time, hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there was, I prefer it if you just came to me instead of spinning webs of deception." Andy said.

"Webs of deception, huh? What is that – a movie or something?" The boy marveled at his father's choice of words.

"However, I am glad we've cleared the air today. I, for one, feel a whole lot better." Andy admitted.

"Dad...I have one more thing to tell you." Ephram grunted as he drew a deep breath.

"Ephram! There can't be more than this. You'd better quit while you're ahead."

"No, it's nothing like that. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for ruining our camping trip." Ephram said.

"No, no. You didn't ruin anything. The bear ruined everything. Just wait till hunting season comes around." Andy joked. "Then I'm gonna retaliate." Ephram's lips curled up in a misty smile for a second in admiration for his father.

"I know you wanted to spend time with me and I was being a real jerk."

"Not at all, you were being a teenager. I shouldn't have forced you to go camping." Andy replied trying to not make Ephram feel bad. "Hey, we didn't get to make s'mores and tell ghost stories by the fire and sing campfire songs. Next time, I should remember to bring my guitar and we can all sing Kumbaya around the fire."

"Yea - a good technique to send all the wild animals running in the opposite direction." Ephram said sarcastically.

"What? What's wrong with my singing?" Andy said in offense. "Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya. Someone's singing my Lord, Kumbaya." He crooned dramatically.

"Please dad, no. Stop. Have mercy. It's bad enough I'm in so much pain. Now you're gonna add to it with your singing. This is abuse." Ephram kidded in a dry voice. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna have to use my secret weapon." He slowly reached for the nurses' call button by his bedside.

"That's your secret weapon?" Andy teased.

"Go ahead, make my day." Ephram eyed his father with a bold grin and raised his thumb over the little red button.

"Alright. Alright. You win. How can I compete when you're everyone's favorite pet? You have all the nurses' sympathy and they just love you to pieces." Andy sighed in defeat.

"I have power." Ephram's soft feeble voice came out most ironically. The boy's weak hand accidentally lost grasp on the nurses' call button. His delayed attempt to catch the device before it fell over the side of his bed was unsuccessful. His reflexes failed him miserably.

"There you go. You lost your weapon there for a minute." Andy said as he retrieved the mechanism and placed it back into Ephram's hand. Andy noted the poor kid's lack of strength.

"Tired?" Andy asked stroking his son's cheek affectionately. "Do you want to sleep?"

"I'm not very tired - just groggy. The room is swimming. I feel like I'm high on something." Ephram replied in a mumble.

"It's probably the antibiotics in your system." Andy explained.

"You should see things through my eyes. It's wild. Do you know who you look like right now? Paul Bunyan."

"So what are you saying? Do I look like a lumberjack to you?" Andy laughed.

"It's the whole beard and the flannel shirt thing." Ephram replied in an attempt to maintain his spunk. He flinched at the gripe of soreness in his body and closed his eyes briefly. He wanted to be in control but it was quite difficult when his troubled breathing came in pants. Inhaling air through his mouth, Andy saw the difficult time his son was having in drawing a breath.

"You have to breathe deeply. Try breathing deeply and slowly." Andy instructed as he smoothed the boy's hair. "Like this...." He demonstrated taking a deep breath. "Can you try?"

The boy watched and tried desperately to follow his father's method. They breathed together for a while until Ephram got his wind back. His breathing still sounded ragged but at least he was no longer gasping for air.

"You know, I was looking forward to trying out that new pack shovel." Andy said humorously after a pause. Ephram repressed a chuckle and winced.

"Oh, I forgot. Hurts when you laugh, right?" Andy observed as his son nodded.

"You're gross, dad." Ephram stopped short to catch his breath.

"If we ever have a desire to implore the wilderness again, I think we'd better just settle for camping out in the back yard. At least this way, we'll have easy access to plumbing." Andy said undeniably.

"Dad?"

"What is it, baby?" Andy lulled.

"Am I going to be alright?" The boy asked.

"You'll be as good as new." Andy replied.

"Honest?"

"I'll take good care of you. We're going to get through this. But you gotta meet me half way by concentrating on getting your strength back, ok?"

"Ok." Ephram agreed. He stared at his polka dotted hospital gown and the huge thermal blanket covering his body from the waist down. A thick outline of a bumpy gauze pad was seen protruding underneath the thin fabric of the gown. The gauze shielded the wound covering half his entire left side descending from the rib cage. Ephram allowed his fingers to trace the contour of the bandage. "Is it really true that they had to take skin from my leg to patch up my skin here?" Ephram asked.

"Yea. It was the only way to mend the damage. Your wounds split up pretty badly and that handy work you did on yourself with the pocket knife didn't help either."

"It's gonna leave scars?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so. But look at it this way - there are far worst places to be scarred than on your torso. Speaking of which, reminds me of a story. But – ah well – I don't know if I should say it." Andy changed his mind.

"What?" Ephram asked inquisitively with a peeking interest at the bone that his father threw at him – so to speak.

"It's really funny and I know how you hurt when you laugh, so maybe now is not the best time for it." Andy taunted.

"I want to hear it."

"I hate seeing you in pain." Andy shook his head.

"I can handle it. Please?"

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I am."

"Ok then, consider yourself warned." Andy cautioned. He was itching to tell a story so there was no need to twist his arm behind his back.

"Mm." Ephram nodded anxiously.

"It happened many years ago – back in the dinosaur era - when I did my residency at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. I was well into my second year and still green behind the ears. You know, relatively new to the environment and learning the ropes. That was the time when you wanted to be as thorough and careful as you possibly could and not make any errors. When you're new, you tend to be your own worse critic in every aspect. You had colleagues that were more experienced and it was hard to match their perfection at such a short period of time. I was so caught up with the seriousness of the job and doing everything by the book that I'd basically forgotten how to laugh. Everyday was a replica of the day before. It was like the same song just second verse. That was pretty much the case for a while. Then I met a certain patient that showed me how to lighten up." Andy described in a soft yet intoxicating tone.

"You? Lighten up? Naw!" Ephram mocked. A tickle from the wounds made him absentmindedly rub the gauze vigorously with his hand. Andy immediately grabbed Ephram's hand and placed it back by the boy's side.

"Ephram, you gotta leave it alone. Don't scratch it." Andy advised.

"It's so freakin' hot and itchy." Ephram complained.

"I know it's very uncomfortable but I'm telling you not to scratch. That's not optional. It's an order." Andy lectured. "How about I rub some anti- itch cream on it? It'll alleviate the irritation and you'll feel better. Sound good?" He reached for the tube of ointment that was placed on one of the trays under a rolling cart.

Andy shifted the side of his son's hospital gown open to reveal a chunky white gauze pad adhered securely to the boy's skin with removable tape. He carefully removed the bondage surrounding the foam. With Ephram's eyes fixed on his chest, Andy flipped the gauze over slowly. A clear string of pus mixed in with old cream medication clung from the stitches and transferred onto the gauze coloring it a light shade of yellow.

"It's ok." Andy said when he saw the expression of horror etched on his son's chalky face as he witnessed seeing the grotesque wound post-surgery for the first time.

"Oh my God!" Ephram whimpered in disgust at the repulsiveness of his mangled upper body. "Is it supposed to look like that?" He panicked at the pink and reddish puffy blotches of skin. His breathing quickened as he became more excited and agitated by the second. He alternated horrified glances between his father and his chest not knowing what to do.

"Ephram. Buddy. It's ok. Calm down." Andy appeased. He saw his son's eyes fill with uneasiness. "It's really not as bad as it looks. It'll take time for the swelling to go down."

Mortified, Ephram's face contorted with terror. "I think I'm gonna hurl." A sickening moan passed his lips as he searched for guidance in his father's eyes. His rapid breathing turned into exasperated choking grunts.

"You're not going to be sick. Ephram – listen to me. You have got to calm down. Do you hear me?" Andy grabbed his son gently by the shoulders.

"Can't. Can't. Breathe. I – I..." Ephram gasped desperately.

"Yes, you can. Come on, inhale and exhale. Like we did before." Andy demanded.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to get the disturbing image out of his mind. The boy inhaled and exhaled steadily trying to calm his nerves and allow the Tracheostomy tube in his throat to help with the flow of oxygen to his lungs.

"That's it. You're doing fine. If it'll help, don't look down. You really didn't need to see this." Andy coached. "See what happens when you get excited and stressed?"

Ephram suppressed a sharp cry when Andy dabbed a sterile wedge of foam gingerly around the edge of the stitches to absorb the accumulating pus. Andy grimaced at the pain he caused and promised to be gentler. Squeezing some of the ointment onto the mended abrasion, Andy rubbed the medication in a circular motion with a Q-tip. As he applied the cream discreetly, he took note of his son's frailty. Ephram was practically a bunch of twigs. He obviously lost a tremendous amount of weight in the last few days. The boy looked like he could snap in half if Andy pressed too hard. The coolness of the cream dulled the hot and itchiness almost instantly and Ephram let out a sigh of relief.

"Feeling better?" Andy assumed.

"Yea. Mm." Ephram groaned. Once his anxiety subsided, he opened his eyes again to find his father busying himself with applying the cream. "So, continue with your story. What happened next?" He added now that he was feeling more normal.

"Hmm, where was I? Oh, right, I met an impressionable patient who showed me it's ok to not be so serious all the time. Her name was Mabel Bergman. It's weird that I can recall her name so vividly. You know, I had so many patients that it wasn't unusual to forget names and faces but somehow I've always remembered Mabel. At the time she was forty-five years old. Forty- five going on eighteen – was more like it. There was something very youthful and lively about her. She was a natural at knowing how to break the ice. She wasn't afraid to reach out and communicate with people – maybe that's why I remembered her so well. Anyway, Mabel was this really skinny lady about average height with long blond hair pinned up in a big bun on the top of her head." Andy described.

"A bun? What was she? A librarian?" Ephram cut in.

"No. Mabel was a dance instructor. She taught intermediate ballet, believe it or not." Andy said as he screwed the cap back on the tube of ointment. "She used to be quite the prima ballerina in her day. She danced with the best in the New York City Ballet Company."

"Really?" Ephram raised an impressed eye. "What was she in for?"

"I'm getting to that. Mabel lived in SoHo with her boyfriend and they owned a Chihuahua named Tequila. Mabel adored this dog. I mean - she treated him like it was her child. Took him everywhere with her in a little checkered canvas tote bag. She let Tequila have the run of the dance studio. She practically spoiled the dog to death. Well, it was true that Mabel loved Tequila, but I'm not so sure Tequila loved her back equally." Andy hinted. He finished taping the new gauze pad onto Ephram's wound and fixed the hospital gown back into place.

"The dog bit her." Ephram presumed. He adjusted his position on the bed. Putting more of his upper body weight on his left shoulder, Ephram relieved the pressure from his wound on his right shoulder.

"Yea. The dog must've been in one foul mood that day because when she picked him up and tried to give him a kiss, he bit her on the mouth. And the worse part was the dog refused to let go. So basically, Mabel's boyfriend had to help pry the dog off her and bring her to the emergency room. It wasn't anything extremely serious. Just a regular patch and sew up on the same day. Easy job. She didn't even need to stay overnight." Andy tucked the thermal blanket around Ephram's body. "However, the bite had ripped her lip up pretty bad. I believe the abrasion was from here to here." He pointed to a spot on his lower lip and mid chin.

"Yuck!" Ephram exclaimed wryly. "The dog bit her on her mouth?"

"I was amazed too. Since the split was so bad, we needed to take skin from her buttocks and grafted it onto the cut so her lip could heal properly." Andy continued. "Let me explain a little about skin grafting so you can get a feel of what it is. There are two types of skin grafting. The first is called full thickness skin graft and that's when the graft consists of the epidermis and the whole dermis. Skin is harvested manually with a scalpel and used ideally for small defects. The second is called split thickness skin graft and this consists of the epidermis and not the whole dermis. It could be thin, medium or thick. This piece of skin is harvested with a special instrument called a dermatome and used for larger wounds. Split thickness skin is usually taken from the buttocks or thighs, where as full thickness skin is taken from behind the ear, eyelid, and neck. What you have is a split thickness skin graft because your wounds were so massive." He explained knowledgeably. "The place where your skin was taken from is called a donor site. In this case, your donor site is your thigh. You'll experience some burning in your donor site for a while. It'll feel like a bad graze. A dressing is applied and should be left on for about ten to fifteen days. Then there after, it should be healed."

"Fifteen days?" Ephram griped impatiently.

"That's fast for re-growth." Andy persuaded. He decided not to tell Ephram about the deformity and skin discoloration yet.

"Oh." Ephram said satisfied. "So, Mabel had a split thickness skin graft." He concluded based on the information he'd just learned from his father.

"Yes. You are sharp as a tack, my boy. Mabel had a split thickness skin graft – same as you. I was the one who completed the whole procedure and was very cautious with every step of the way. Afterwards, I explained to Mabel what I did and what she needed to do to take care of it, etc. There I was, all serious and professional and sounding quite intelligent, might I add." Andy rubbed his nails on his shirt humorously feeling quite the scholar.

"I'm sure you were a nerd." The boy teased.

"You know, patients are usually concerned with scarring – especially if the injury is to the face. And I figured that was what she was going to ask. So I broke the news gently to her that she will have a scar on her lower lip but just a small one - hardly noticeable. I was trying to make her feel better. She looked at me with a blank face and said nothing for a while – like she was trying to read me. She finally said with a straight face, "So you mean that skin from my derriere was used to patch up the missing skin on my lip?" I told her – basically, yea. I imagined she was going to cry at the thought of a scar ruining her face, but quite on the contrary, she burst out laughing. Confused, I asked her what was so funny since I obviously missed the joke. Her eyes light up and she said, "I was just thinking. Now, whenever Keith – my boyfriend – kisses me, I can say he's literally kissing my ass." I couldn't stop laughing after that." Andy chuckled and waited for his son's jovial expression, which came almost instantly.

Ephram's laughing left him gasping for breath and his pained look made Andy regret he ever told the story. But he couldn't undo what he'd done so he only hoped for the best. On the bright side, at least he was able to humor the boy and make him forget his current condition if only for a while. Smiling on, Andy tried to soothe Ephram at the same time.

"Oh man, that's hysterical." Ephram choked on a couple of coughs.

"Yea, I agree. I mean, Keith could be kissing her ass on a daily basis." Andy said in a laid back tone causing Ephram to crack up once again. This time, he laughed so hard that he choked on his own spit. His rigorous coughing was enough to cause Andy concern.

"Ephram?" Andy called worriedly as his son's face was turning a light shade of blue.

"I'm fine, dad. I'm fine." He wheezed struggling to regulate his respiration. "I know. I know. Breathe. I'm trying."

"You don't look too good. I shouldn't have told you that story. I'm not supposed to make you excited."

"I'm ok. Just kinda short on O2 is all. I'll try not to pass out on you. From what I've been told, I seem to be doing a lot of that lately." Ephram replied with a smirk. His aim was to make his father feel guilty and from the look on his face, Ephram had succeeded. A raspy cough ruined the moment. "Aw, fuck." He swore under his breath. The coughing caused the menacing ache in his body to return with full vengeance.

"Watch your language, little man." Andy warned.

"You'd curse too if you knew how much it hurts." The boy shot back once he gained a little more control. "Can't you give me something stronger to kill the pain? I feel like I've been chewed up and spit out by a meat grinder." He droned painfully.

"I'll see what I can do." Andy promised.

At that very moment, the door swung open and Nina entered the room. Following her was young Delia sporting her baseball cap snugly on her head. The rim hid her beautiful brown eyes – and with good reason. She didn't want Ephram to see that she'd been crying. Nina lugged a black overnight bag over her shoulder. They appeared to be decked out in a fresh change of clothes. Delia wore khaki cargo pants and a gray and yellow-layered shirt with an image of Mickey Mouse printed on the front. Nina's attire consisted of a paisley printed long sleeved peasant shirt and stonewashed blue jeans. It was proven that Nina looked good in anything she wore. She was the type of woman who looked stunning even if she wore a bag over her head. Looking as radiant as ever, Nina worked her way to the boy's bedside.

"Ephram! Sweetheart, are you ok? Oh my God, you're turning blue!" Nina fussed when she saw the boy still occasionally fighting to draw a breath. Caught up in another grating choke, he pointed helplessly at his throat. She turned to Andy, "What's going on? Why can't he breathe?" She demanded answers.

"He – He." Ephram began but found it hard to continue without exerting himself. He practiced the slow breathing technique as advised by his father earlier.

"It's my fault. I told him something funny and got him all rattled up." Andy admitted.

"What? Andy! See what you've done!" Nina sounded in a rather ragged yet sweet-tempered tone. Stepping closer to Ephram, she reached her hand over the boy and brushed his clammy hair back. "Oh my poor baby." She pitied.

The only thing Ephram could think of was how nice Nina smelled. It wasn't perfume. It was more like the sweet light scent of body spray – nothing heavy or oozing. The smell reminded him of his mother. It was a comforting heavenly smell that Ephram had already gotten used to. It was pretty conclusive to say that his love for Nina blossomed fuller with each passing day, though it was never in the romantic sense, but rather more in a mother- son sort of way. He craved the maternal attention. He missed having someone to take care of and make a fuss over him when he was sick or someone to remind him superfluously to dress warmly on a chilly day or someone to give him the inside scoop on girls and dating or advice on his piano techniques or even someone to scold him about drinking straight out of the milk carton. Having a father telling him all this just wasn't the same. It was a different kind of nurturing. Ephram admitted to himself that it was for selfish reasons that he wished his birth mother hadn't passed on. Her premature death was unfair. He was only a boy and still needed much guidance. Fighting his weariness, Ephram took care of himself and Delia the best he knew how. Tired in body and mind, he searched relentlessly for someone to give him what he needed - a mother's touch. Nina was the perfect candidate.

"How are you doing?" Nina's delicate forehead wrinkled as she spoke when Ephram's breath evened out.

"Hurts when I breathe. Hurts when I move. Hurts when I laugh. Hurts when I talk. Hell, it even hurts when I blink." Ephram went fishing for sympathy from his surrogate mother and by the looks of things – it worked.

"Oh dear! You must be so miserable." Nina stroked the boy's cheek. Ephram could see her heart was already bleeding for him. He was doing an excellent job of pulling heartstrings. "You just hang on, okay? You will feel better soon. I promise you that." Comfort was the very thing that Ephram craved and it felt good coming from Nina. "Andy, I hate the idea of pumping him full of drugs but he's feeling so poorly. Isn't there anything you can give him so he doesn't have to suffer so much? I can't stand seeing him like this."

"I'll have a talk with his doctor later." Andy said.

"Aw gee, it's not that bad. Everything hurts only when I'm conscious." The boy joked drawing even more sympathy out of Nina. Ephram may be young but he was a smart kid. It didn't take him long to figure out exactly how to play Nina and push all the right buttons to get the special treatment.

"Do you hear that?" Nina cried as she darted her eyes at Andy. "Ephram sweetheart, is there anything I can get you or do to make you more comfortable?" She asked the boy.

"Um, hang out for awhile and keep me company." Ephram struck all the right sympathy chords. Andy was slowly catching on.

"Of course, I will. I'll stay as long as you want. There is no place I'd rather be." Nina's ardor was dripping with sweetness. Ephram made sad puppy- dog eyes showing an expression of great physical suffering sure to strike Nina as woeful and win her over a thousand times. Sometimes, Andy thought his son had a knack for theatrics. Hollywood would've been proud. Andy alternated glances between his son and Nina.

"I feel horrible." Ephram cleared his throat to give it the dramatic touch. And after swallowing with slight difficulty, he continued, "But the pain goes away when you're here. I've got ten different drugs running through my veins. It's enough to make my eyes cross. And it doesn't really do anything for the pain – I don't think. It just dopes me up to the point where I don't remember where I am half the time." Nina absorbed every word.

"And the Oscar for most dramatic injured actor wrapped in gauze and bandages goes to – drum roll please – Ephram Brown!" Andy said in a silly radio-voice.

"Andy! Don't be so mean! Can't you see he's in pain?" She shot an appalled glance at him.

"Congratulations Nina, he has you practically eating out of his hand. And you fall for it every time." Andy reported. "It's so obvious he's playing the sympathy card for your attention."

"Ephram, don't listen to him. I'm going to fuss over you whether he likes it or not." Nina re-tucked the boy's blanket over his chest. Facing Andy, she boasted, "If it's my attention he wants, then that's what he's gonna get, so you'd better get used to it."

Nina was always good at being blunt. She never hinted or beat around the bush like other women. Nina was honest and hardly kept things bottled up inside her for too long. She didn't like playing mind games or the whole yes means no and no means yes thing. Her philosophy - people are not telepathic so don't treat them that way. If you have something to say, just say it – don't hide behind a riddle. Andy's favorite quality was her strength.

"Dad - that was actually funny. Ha-ha I'm dying of laughter here." Ephram said sarcastically. "Ow!!" He squealed with annoyance when he turned his neck a little too fast forgetting his wound on the back of his right shoulder.

"Do be careful baby!" Nina fussed almost feeling the pain herself.

"I'll feel a lot better if my partner in crime – my faithful sidekick – my girl wonder – would hold my hand." Ephram eyed Delia, who was quietly standing by the foot of his bed. She ventured closer to her brother and took his hand. "See, I'm feeling better already. How are you, Del?"

"Fine." She replied as Ephram observed her.

"Hey, you been crying?" He asked suspiciously noting her puffy eyes under the rim of the cap.

"No." Delia lied and covered her eyes even more to avoid eye contact.

"I like your shirt." Ephram commented as he nodded at the color image of a toothless Mickey Mouse grinning back at him.

"Thanks." She didn't know what else to say.

"Is it new?" Ephram's hoarse voice returned.

"Not really." Her short responses gave Ephram the impression that something was amiss. The Delia he knew was a chatterbox and always had an opinion to voice. The only time when she gave anyone the one-word answers was when she was either not feeling well or upset. She appeared pretty healthy to Ephram so he chose the latter reason.

"What's wrong?" Ephram asked out of curiosity. "You seem quiet."

"Nothing." She shrugged. Ephram knew his sister very well. When Delia starts shrugging, it usually was a sign that something was bugging her big time.

"I don't believe you. Wanna tell me about it?" Ephram inquired. She shook her head. "No? Clammed shut, huh? Well, then I'm gonna have to use a crowbar and pry your mouth loose. Or get dad to tickle it out of you. I'd do it myself, but you know."

"It's nothing. Really." Delia assured unconvincingly enough. She refused to budge.

"Are you mad at me?" Ephram gave his sister's hand an affectionate squeeze. Delia finally looked up showing moist eyes that had once been concealed under the baseball cap. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from excessive crying.

"I'm not mad at you, Ephram." Delia's voice shook. She freed a tear from her eyes. Nina saw this and threw a comforting arm around the girl's shoulder. "I'm scared."

"Did I scare you?" The boy asked. Delia nodded in reply as she watched him draw in oxygen before speaking. "Then I'm sorry that I scared you. I didn't mean to."

"I'm afraid of being too happy. No one knows what's gonna happen." It was impossible to hide her tears now, since they rolled off her face and dripped onto her sleeve. She looked down again to shield her tearful eyes from her brother. There was a reason for wearing a cap.

"Delia, look at me." Ephram requested. "Please look at me."

Delia reluctantly lifted her face.

"I know I freaked everyone out because I looked like I was getting better, then something terrible happened and I almost died. It was beyond my control, I guess. I didn't mean to cause so much grief – especially to you. Delia, you are my baby sister and I love you. I can't stand you being sad. Please don't cry anymore." Ephram's speech was slow.

"I don't want to loose you. I'm so scared." Delia finally exclaimed in a sob. This caused tension in the adults and Nina tried to soothe her with gentle words of reassurance.

"I'm not going anywhere." Ephram replied most positively gaining the approving nods and smiles from the adults.

"Ephram!" Delia sobbed. "I want to hug you!!" Caught up in her emotion, she exclaimed loudly losing control of her voice. She glanced at all the thick bandages, and electrodes and tubes sticking out of his body. It was virtually impossible to hug him but Delia wanted so much to feel his warm embrace.

"Del, I want to hug you too. Soon, ok?" Ephram smiled. "For now, I want to see a happy face. No more tears."

Delia offered a smile though her tears were still coming down her cheeks with a fury. "I don't know what to say." The girl mumbled.

"Anything you want as long as you don't make me laugh. It hurts like a bastard when I laugh." Ephram groaned and got a scolding glance from his father warning him to watch his language again.

"It's ok. I know what bastard means. It means illegitimate child." Delia said all-knowingly giving Nina and Andy a surprised and yet appalling notion that the eight-year-old knew more than they were giving her credit for.

"She's smart." Ephram praised.

"That's only because she takes after you. You've been feeding her all those God-awful words tainting her innocent mind." Andy quipped.

"I resent that." Ephram replied groggily. "Just wait till I get home."

"Oh! Speaking of home, I almost forgot. Here's your stuff." Nina said as she produced the overnight bag that she had been carrying over her shoulder.

"Thanks, how was the train ride?" Andy looked alternately from Delia to Nina. He took the bag and placed it on the floor by his chair.

With Andy keeping vigil over a stable Ephram for the past few days, Nina took a train back to Everwood during the daytime to check on things back home, make sure Sam was ok, retrieve some fresh clothes, and spread the news about Ephram. She thought it would be a good idea to take Delia with her since the girl was becoming more reserved and sadder by the minute moping around the hospital. The few hours of scenery change would've done them both some good. Nina and Delia took the morning train out of Denver. It was a calming three-hour ride through trees, hills, grass, and tunnels. There was a limited amount of conversation between the two throughout the ride no matter how much Nina encouraged girl-talk. Nina understood and didn't take it personally. Delia's heart wasn't in the right place and it was only natural for her to be worried about her brother. Silence was her comfort.

Nina offered to stop by Andy's house and pick up a few necessities since his stay at the hospital was indefinite. After running to and from both houses collecting the accumulating mail and filling overnight bags with clothes and toiletries, a nice hot rewarding shower was in stored for both Nina and Delia. Thereafter, they dropped by Nina's mother's house to check on Sam, who was doing fine. Apparently, grandma had lots of fun activities planned for her precious grandson and the little toddler couldn't get enough of her. Her son's independence restored her confidence in leaving him alone for long periods of time.

Nina was curious to know how the hired help at Momma Joy's was holding up without her. It was more of a self-reassurance than a trust issue. She wanted to be rest assured that the restaurant hadn't burnt to the ground while she was away. Her fears were promptly removed when she saw how orderly the little diner was being run. Missing the lunch crowd, the place was neither packed nor empty. Things seemed to be well taken care of and she couldn't help but smile.

With Delia in tow, Nina was deep in thought when she headed for the kitchen, whose entrance was marked by two swinging doors. She failed to take note of Dr. Harold Abbott sitting at his usual stool at the counter having the daily special with a cup of black coffee. He was in the middle of taking a sip from his mug when he caught a glimpse of her through the corner of his eye. Stopping Nina in her tracks, he expressed his concerns regarding the Browns and inquired about Ephram's prognosis. Since Harold's mother worked as the nurse-slash-secretary for Andy's Clinic, the news had already been bounced around. Because of Ephram's shaky condition, Andy was forced to inform his staff, which only consisted of Edna Harper, to close the clinic until further notice. Like with the old game of "telephone", the faster the news traveled, the more distorted the specifics became. Everyone heard a slightly altered version of what really happened. Although talk was fast and cheap in a small town, people hardly ever got the actual facts straight. Therefore, rumors and gossip generated faster than the speed of light.

While preparing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Delia, Nina briefed Harold on the latest developments in Ephram's health. Nina was hardly in the mood to rehash the events of the last few days. She was mentally and physically drained. Of course, everyone seemed to want to hear the story straight from the horse's mouth. And since the "horse" was not available for comment, Nina was the next best thing since she was present when it happened. So, to be polite, she gave Harold a short version leaving out all the morbid details about following the blood trail and the cold, damp cave where they found Ephram hanging onto dear life by the skin of his teeth. She built the story around Ephram's heroism and devotion to his sister. It was much better than focusing on how the defenseless boy was savagely attacked by a bear. However, Nina found it necessary to include the telling of the poor boy's recent heart failure episode. She could tell how much it affected Harold when he nearly dropped his folk as he absorbed the news.

After the chat with Harold, Nina waited for Delia to finish her milk and sandwich. It took Delia longer than usual to consume her lunch. Before long, Nina and Delia headed out the door again. They quickly hopped on the next train back to Denver.

"The train ride was smooth." Nina replied to Andy's question.

"How are things on the home front?" Andy asked as he watched Nina walk over to his side of Ephram's bed.

"Calm and collected. Ran into Harold." Nina answered while leaning her rear against the bed rail. "He asked about you and wants to take a trip here with the family for a visit this weekend. You know, see how you all are doing."

"He must've noticed the transference of customers piling on his doorstep within the past couple days after the temporary closing of his biggest competitor - me." Andy joked knowing how slow business was these days and especially in a small town like Everwood.

"Andy – you're showing your mean streak again." Nina laughed. "Harold is someone you have to get to know in order to understand. You'd be surprised. When you get beneath the ego trip, he's a really down to earth person. He cares."

"Get to know Harold Abbott? That'll be a first." He mocked. "Well, I can't blame him for hating me. After all, I came out of nowhere and pretty much stole all his business right from under his nose. I'd be furious too if the tables were turned."

"He doesn't hate you. Harold was maybe a little too defensive in marking his territory. But he's not such a bad guy."

"I don't know if Ephram's up for visitors just yet." He shot a look at his son who was busy listening to his sister's ramblings. "Look at him. He's still on assisted breathing. I don't want him getting too excited. I've seen how much it hurts. I feel so bad telling him that joke."

"You're just being protective. And that's completely understandable but I think having some visitors will cheer him up. A few short minutes won't do any harm. Besides, the weekend is three days away. He'll be better by then."

"Well, I guess you're right. Let's run it by him first." Andy said. "Maybe later." He added when he saw Ephram grinning at his sister and didn't want to ruin the moment.

"You see. That's what I'm talking about. That eloquent smile of yours warms the world. It's something we need more of. You've got one of the most intoxicating and sweetest smiles I'd ever seen." Nina said to Ephram. For the first time in days, a hint of pink came briefly across the boy's cheeks. He was blushing at the compliment.

He wanted to say thanks, but the second he opened his mouth, his speech failed him and an unpleasant incoherent noise came out instead. The uncivilized noise sounded like a caveman's grunt. Embarrassed at the uncontrollable outburst, he cleared his throat and apologized.

"Now what did I say about apologizing, young man?" Nina pouted with her hands on her hips. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"My voice. It's kinda hoarse." He said in a near whisper.

"It should be – with all that talking you've been doing. You're supposed to be resting." Andy interjected.

"Sweetheart, you look uncomfortable. Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?" Nina fawned over the boy at her leisure.

"Yes, I have a request. Can you make dad stop nagging me?" He said in a thick voice.

"Done." Nina granted. She turned to Andy, jokingly slapped him in the shoulder and said, "Get off his back Andy. Be nice to the poor kid or you'll have me to answer to." She threatened. And for a split second Ephram thought he saw a connection between his father and Nina. It seemed like they were reading each other's eyes and a spark ignited between the two. Then again, maybe the drugs in his system were causing wild hallucinations.

"Hmm. I bet you were the bully in high school. I can tell. I wouldn't want to mess with you." Andy cowered away pretending to be frightened with Nina's ultimatum. Nina cocked her head and tossed her hair, gave Andy an I'm-not-talking-to-you-anymore manner and brought her attention back to the injured boy. Delia giggled at the adult's noble try at acting.

"Ephram sweetheart, would you like me to get you another pillow?" Nina suggested.

"That'd be nice." Ephram replied. "Oh, and can you get me some water while you're at it? My throat's dry." He added as Nina moved towards the door.

She spun around, winked and said, "You got it babe." before exiting the room.

"Wow, Ephram. I'm impressed. I must admit that I'm a little jealous of you right now. You have her wrapped around your finger." Andy scoffed.

"Dad – I didn't do it on purpose." The boy drawled.

"I know you're enjoying all this." Andy said.

"So, when are you gonna ask her out?" Ephram asked out of the blue. "I mean on a real date." He put emphasis on the word "real".

"What?" Andy was surprised at what his teenaged son just blurted. "Let's see." Andy placed a hand on the boy's forehead. "No, you don't seem to have a fever. Then it must be the drugs talking." He deciphered and nodded to Delia.

"I think she likes you but you're too stupid to realize it. Maybe you're afraid of getting too close to someone. Or getting your heart broken. I dunno. But you should give her a chance."

"And who made you the love expert all of a sudden?"

"I may only be fifteen but sometimes I see stuff you don't see. There's chemistry between you two. You just don't see it. Not yet."

"Ok, Mister Matchmaker. It's time for you to mind your own business." Andy fired back though he wasn't completely annoyed by his son's persistence.

"You know, Ephram's always right about these things. He's very smart." Delia piped in.

"Thank you." Ephram said to his sister for backing him up. "See, two against one."

"Hey, who's the parent here? Stop trying to marry me off." Andy countered.

"Del, they grow up fast don't they?" Ephram sighed repressing a giggle.

"Yea, it only seemed like yesterday he was learning to tie his shoes." Delia took Ephram's lead in mocking their father. Ephram let out a laugh followed by a groan and a cough. He sucked in deep, slow breaths. Nina reentered the room carrying a fluffy white pillow under one arm and a tall plastic cup of water in the other.

"You ok, sweetie?" Nina asked. Ephram gave a quick nod of his head. "You haven't been picking on him while I was gone, have you?" She directed her question at Andy.

"What?! Me pick on him?! It was more like they were picking on me!" Andy said in humored defense.

"Some how, I find that hard to believe." Nina replied sarcastically.

Nina requested Andy's help to tuck another pillow behind Ephram to relieve the pressure on his injured shoulder. With the cup of cold water in her hands, Delia watched Andy multi-tasking at the attempt to get Ephram more at ease with the help of an additional pillow. Andy had one forearm supporting the boy's neck and shoulders careful not to inflict any pain. His other hand was making sure there were no accidents in keeping the wires and tubes intact. Nina wedged the pillows comfortably between the mattress and Ephram's back.

"Poor you." Nina pitied the boy upon seeing him rely solely on Andy to sit up. "You're like a ragged doll." She said referring to the boy's limpness.

"More like a sack of gelatin." Andy joked.

"I'd respond to that." Ephram said dryly through clenched teeth. "But I'm hurting too much right now to think of a good comeback."

Andy lowered his son down gently when Nina was done with arranging the pillows. Ephram sighed in relief as the pillow cushioned his shoulder. Andy raised the bed up slightly so Ephram could take a drink. Nina allowed Delia to give Ephram his water through a white bendable straw sticking out from the top of the cup. They warned him to take it easy and watched with anticipation as the boy sucked on the straw. He took a long and slow draught before coming up for air.

"Better now?" Delia asked.

"Much." Ephram replied with a smile.

A nurse walked in unannounced. From what Ephram could see, the heavyset woman was dressed from shirt to shoes in white. All she needed was one of those neat little white matching nurse hats pinned to her head to complete her outfit. Ephram was disappointed the woman wasn't sporting one. She made her way passed the various machines and approached Ephram's bedside.

"Hello everyone." She greeted. "And how are we this evening? Doin' ok?" The nurse flashed a big smile at the patient. Ephram thought it was amusing how nurses always say "we" instead of "you" when they want to know how you're doing.

"We are doing fine." Ephram replied smugly trying to be a smart aleck.

"I see." The nurse jiggled when she laughed. "You certainly look better today."

Then a series of questions were fired at Ephram. She wanted to know if anything hurt and if so, where and specify the type of pain. She wanted to know if any of the necessary tubes he was hooked up to was giving him any discomfort. She wanted to know if he could feel his right arm, if so could he move his fingers for her, etc. etc. Ephram answered her questions as honestly as he could. They were questions his father could've asked him but then the nurse was only doing her job. The interrogation ended when the nurse whipped out a syringe. Through Ephram's eyes, the needle was the size of a turkey baster and it scared the living daylights out of him.

"DAD??? What's she gonna do with that thing?!" Ephram hollered and pulled on his father's hand. Sheer panic made his heart beat in a fury and whatever nightmares he had long forgotten came back at full throttle. Fear slammed into his face. Suddenly, the kind tubby nurse transformed into something evil. It was like those comics where they draw wicked glowing red eyes on the characters to make their inner evil pop out. He swore he heard Psycho music playing somewhere in the deep corners of his mind.

"Ephram. Relax. It's just a needle." Andy tried to comfort the boy.

"I hate needles. She's gonna stick that into me?! Please dad, don't let her do it. Please." Ephram didn't give his father the opportunity for an explanation. Terror consumed him as he watched the nurse calmly transfer the clear liquid from a small, labeled bottle with a short pull of the top of the syringe. She handled it like a pro. She'd obvious done this sort of thing hundreds of times.

A wrong move sent pain stabbing through Ephram's body. He cried out and got everyone in the room concerned – the nurse included.

"Ephram. Listen to me. Baby, relax. Calm down. Do you hear me?" Andy held down the boy's flailing arms.

"DON'T HURT ME!!" Ephram desperately yelled as loud as he could with tears welling in his eyes. He wasn't sure why he said that. It just came out. Maybe something in his brain clicked and he'd forgotten where he was for a split second – a repressed feeling that brought him back to the endless hours spent slowly dying in the cave. Maybe it was some type of post trauma thing. He was not able to explain it - nor could those around him. Never had the room been so silent and still. Sounding louder than usual, the bleeps from the heart monitor ticked out the seconds. And all it took were three simple words.

"Oh no. No. I would never ever hurt you." Andy gasped at the unexpected blunder. The nurse hid the syringe from Ephram's view.

"Sweetheart, we wouldn't dream of harming you." Nina lulled as a flabbergasted Delia watched on.

"Ephram, we want you to get well but in order for that to happen, you have to take your medicine." The nurse spoke authoritatively.

The boy choked through tears and struggled with difficulty to regain his breathing. He cried and sobbed out of fear and pure frustration.

"Come on, baby. Everything's going to be alright." Andy tightened his grip on Ephram's hand. "Shhhh...Dad loves you."

"Dad...Daddy...." The boy wheezed. The further he gasped for air, the faster the heart monitor beeped and the more discomfort he felt.

"It's ok. I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." Andy tried to gain Ephram's confidence. "As long as we're here, we will protect you. You're safe, ok?" He nodded at his son.

"Okay." Ephram sobbed in exhaustion.

"I want you to breathe for me." Andy demanded. "Come on now – like how we did before."

"Honey – you have no reason to be afraid. We're all here to help you." The chubby nurse gave the boy a homey grin. She watched Ephram practice breathing with the help of the Tracheostomy tube.

"You are getting yourself worried over nothing." Andy said while smoothing the top of the boy's head. "She wasn't planning on giving you a shot through your skin, silly. She was going to inject the medication through your IV drip."

Nina and Delia caught the boy's attention as they mumbled comforting words to him. The nurse turned to Andy and whispered, "I'm sorry. It was my mistake. I shouldn't wave a needle around like that knowing what he's been through. I should've been more sensitive. But I had no idea he would freak out."

"It's alright. Ephram's just a little apprehensive at this point." Andy replied.

"Wrong timing on my part I guess." The nurse said. "But his dosage is ready to be administered."

Andy acknowledged the nurse's requirement. "Ephram." He called. "Buddy, the nurse is going to give you something for the pain. I promise it won't hurt at all. The drugs will make you feel better. She's gonna take out the needle now and inject the liquid into your IV. You cool with that?" Andy asked. The boy nodded nervously.

Andy brushed a lingering tear from the boy's pale face. Ephram looked away while the nurse administered the medication. "That's a good boy." Andy spoke and stroked the frightened child's cheek. "I know you're scared. You have every right to be. What happened to you was unimaginable and devastating. I don't think I could've handled the situation better than the way you had. You're a strong, tough kid and we love you very much. Just keep your head above water. Hang in there, k?" He continued in the same soft-spoken voice.

"Dad." Ephram whimpered. "I don't know why I yelled that. I know you wouldn't hurt me. I don't –"

"Shhh.... Don't think about it. You'll be ok." Andy deterred. "The antibiotics will make you tired and sleepy. Basically, it's gonna knock you out. But that's fine because your body needs time to recharge and heal."

"Alrighty, we're done. See, it was over before you know it. Completely painless." The nurse boasted as she quickly finished up her task. She was preoccupied with adjusting the drip valve and triple checking all the tubes attached to Ephram's body. "Well, that's about it. If you need anything, all you have to do is press that little red button there and I'll come running. Alright, honey?" She smiled again. Ephram managed a weak nod of the head.

"Will you guys stay with me a while?" Ephram asked after the nurse waddled out of the room.

"Hey, you couldn't move us if you tried." Nina answered for everyone.

"OH!" Delia exclaimed. "I almost forgot!! I brought you something, Ephram!!" She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a tiny object. "You'll never guess what it is!!"

Delia placed it into Ephram's hand so fast that no one was able to catch a glimpse of the present. She then folded Ephram's hand into a fist enveloping the small knick-knack and landed a peck of a kiss on the top of his knuckles.

"What is it?" Ephram murmured.

"It's for you to keep forever - for good luck." Delia said letting go of her brother's hand.

Ephram felt the bumpy crevices of a small, cold metal-like item in the palm of his hand. Not able to determine what it was by merely feeling its shape, he drew his hand closer to bring the object into view.

"Delia!" His eyes widened as he recognized the object. "I – I can't keep this to myself. It belongs to both of us."

"Well? What is it?" Nina pawed over Andy to see the present. Ephram opened his palm to reveal a small figure of a car die-cast in shiny silver pewter the size of an acorn.

"I've seen that somewhere before." Andy rubbed his beard trying to think of where he'd seen that charm.

"No, I decided you should keep it." Delia grinned merrily.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Ephram's thick voice echoed the room slightly.

"I've already thought about it. My mind's made up." Delia protested. "It's yours. Happy speedy recovery!"

"Wow. I dunno what to say." Ephram stammered. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome. Do you like your gift?" Delia teased.

"Like it? Are you kidding? I love it. It's the best gift I've ever received." Ephram's eyes welled up again but this time, it was filled with tears of happiness.

"Aha! I know what that is! It's the racecar game piece from the Monopoly game." Andy shouted.

"I took it from the box when we went home this morning." Delia revealed. "I figured Ephram could use some cheering up right about now."

"Aw, Del. I - " Ephram began but never finished his sentence. Tears got in the way. He clutched the game piece as tight as he could in the bony fist of his left hand.

"Oh no! I didn't mean to make you cry. That wasn't supposed to happen!!" Delia gasped. She looked at Nina and Andy for support. "Oh Ephram, don't cry. Please, don't cry." She begged profusely.

Andy sponged away Ephram's tears with a fist full of tissues. "Man, Ephram. You're on one helluva emotional roller coaster ride today, aren't ya? Let's see – scared, sad, scared again, and now happy."

"I can't help it." The boy sniffled.

"I know. I'm just teasing you." Andy replied affectionately. "If anyone is able to make Ephram happy, it's Delia."

Ephram sighed and tried to stop crying. He realized that crying was very taxing and he didn't have a lot of energy to keep it up.

"You've got to stop those tears or you are going to ruin that handsome face of yours." Nina cooed. "You look exhausted. Do you want to take a nap?" She noticed the dark circles under the boy's puffy red eyes. He looked like hadn't slept in days.

"I'm not sleepy yet." Ephram said.

"Maybe you should close your eyes and try to get some rest." Worried about the boy's health, Nina had set aside the nature of Delia's gift.

"I'm ok. Really." He reassured.

"Ok, you've got my attention. What's so special about the race car game piece anyway?" Andy questioned. Curiosity was killing the big cat. He wished to be included in his kids' cute little secrets and childhood games. He was tired of sticking out like a sore thumb. In the end, he only wanted to understand his children. Ephram and Delia shared a smile.

"You want to tell him?" Delia asked Ephram. "You tell it better than I do."

"Fine, but you might have to take over if I can't finish it." Ephram warned. Delia agreed. "Dad, you missed out on a lot. I don't hold it against you anymore because what's in the past is in the past. But if you had only been there just a few times, you would've caught on pretty quickly." He paused to swallow.

"I was about ten or eleven when mom bought the original version of a Monopoly board game home. I think she picked it up at a flea market somewhere in Tribeca." Ephram began. "I remembered her being really keyed up about it too. She said she used to have a set just like it when she was a kid. I was less than excited at first. I mean, what was so friggin' special about some dumpy outdated board game. I watched mom sitting there for half an hour combing through the contents of the box to see if any pieces were missing." He reminisced.

"She was so happy when she discovered she had a complete set. Then she set up the game on the dining room table and roped me in to play. Up until then, I never liked board games and Monopoly sounded like it was created for a bunch of old farts to keep busy while growing mold in some nursing home. Ha Ha - just kidding." Ephram rattled on.

"Uh - watch the language." Andy cautioned. The boy rolled his eyes peevishly and prepared to continue.

"My excuse was that I didn't know how to play. But you know that wasn't an issue. Mom offered to teach me. She was so excited. I couldn't possibly say no to her. So, somewhere between "Pass Go and Collect $200" and "The Community Chest", mom told me why this game was such a big deal to her." Ephram said in one huff. "On her tenth birthday, she had this amazing birthday bash and her parents – meaning Grand pop and Nanna – invited a bunch of relatives, mom's friends from school, and the kids' parents. After the night was over, she managed to rack up a big loot. She had everything from fancy dolls to exotic jewelry boxes to a new Huffy bicycle with pink streamers coming out of the handlebars. There were imported velvet dresses, designer hairpins, tea party cup and plate sets that were made of fine china, tambourines made of mother of pearl – there were so many things that she couldn't name all of them right off the top of her head."

"That's my favorite part." Delia interjected.

"Somewhere in the mix of gifts was a Monopoly board game. She never could remember whom it was from – probably an uncle or cousin twice removed or something. Mom was the first one to get up the next morning because there was a room full of new toys to be played with – no time to lose. The first thing that caught her eye was that mysterious flat rectangular box that held the Monopoly board game. She'd never heard of this game before but she said she remembered thinking that the picture of Mr. Moneybags on the front was cute. Mr. Moneybags - you know, he's the rich funky cartoon dude with the mustache and top hat." Ephram stopped recharge his breathing.

"Oh! So that guy has a name! I didn't know that!!!" Andy said as a light bulb lit up in his brain.

"Geez Andy, you're the only one who didn't know that." Nina sighed.

"Well, excu-use me. That bit of info was left out in the medical books." Andy rebutted.

"Oh shut up." Nina joked. "Ephram, let's hear the rest of your story."

"Nanna thought it was strange that out of all the expensive gifts mom got, she opts to play with the cheapest one. But in a way, Nanna was pleased because she remembered the game from her own childhood. Nanna thought mom made a cool choice and joined her for a round of Monopoly. Of course, mom had trouble understanding the rules of the game, but Nanna was patient and explained everything. After a while, mom enjoyed spending time with Nanna so much that they made every Monday night Monopoly Night because she said the M O N in Monday stood for 'Monopoly.' Sometimes Grand pop and Uncle Jacob joined in but not always. Monopoly Night went on for many years until mom graduated from High School and moved into a dorm for college." Ephram pushed himself on even though his voice was getting raspier.

"Do you want some water?" Nina asked when he paused.

"You're always able to read my mind." Ephram croaked. Nina put the straw to his lips and watched him swallow a few hard gulps of water.

"You can stop if you don't feel up to it." Andy said. "Delia can continue the story."

"No, that's ok. I'm almost done." Ephram droned. The building pressure in his throat from excessive talking was beginning to take its toll. But it was rude to keep everyone hanging on and not tell the conclusion to his story.

"I have to admit that it was kinda nice to have a gab session with mom. I loved hearing stories of when she was a kid. You know, Monopoly was a small part of the big picture. But that board game served as a means of bringing us closer to each other. Who knew a dorky board game would have such a big impact, huh?" Ephram smiled. "It was like I got to know the real mom and she got to know the real me. I didn't want that feeling to end so, I decided to keep the tradition alive and have Monopoly Night on Monday nights. Mom thought it was wonderful idea. I remember cherry Kool-Aid and Fig Newtons in the summer and hot cocoa and sugar cookies in the winter. We even included Delia though she was too young to know how to play at the time but we still let her hang out with us."

"So get to the race car part already!" Delia said impatiently.

"The race car game piece was mom's favorite. Ever since she was a kid, she stuck with the same token. I was the wheelbarrow sometimes and other times I was the shoe – depending on my mood. But mom – she would always pick the same one. She always wanted to be the race car. One time, I asked her about it and she said it was because the race car was the first token she picked up that day Nanna taught her how to play. Then she laughs and said something about a man having a nice car is also very important. I think she was joking." Ephram moistened his lips.

"Ephram taught me how to play the game." Delia said proudly.

"Yea, after mom died, I wanted to share that same bond I had with mom with Delia. But it wasn't always about me, I didn't want her growing up not understanding and knowing what kind of person mom was. There was so much she didn't know about mom. I didn't want Delia to miss out. So I taught her how to play Monopoly and told her the history behind it. I - I guess I was trying to keep mom's memory alive." Ephram blinked trying to hold back tears. After all this time, he still had a weak spot whenever he spoke about his mother in the expired tense. He hated the reality of her actually being dead. Gone. Taken away from him forever. It was tough on his young soul.

"The race car had mom's name written all over it. Every time I held the race car in my hand, I felt mom's presence. When I was sad or lost in hope, I hold it and some of the pain goes away. It really does. It's hard to explain but Delia understands cause she felt it too." The boy's eyes watered but he secured it like the Hoover Dam.

"Now I get it. And because of that connection, you two are always fighting over that race car." Andy concluded. "It has sentimental value. I can't believe Julia never told me this story!! I thought I knew her so well."

"That was too sweet." Nina squealed. "And you – Delia, it was so thoughtful of you to let Ephram be the keeper of the little token."

"Oh, it was never mine to begin with. It was ours. We shared it. But I think Ephram needs it more than I do. Besides, if I need it, I can borrow it from him." Delia replied modestly.

"I still can't believe it. All the years that I've known Julia, she never mentioned this." Andy was still blown away. "Ephram, I'm glad you told me."

"Me and Delia don't play Monopoly all the time. Every now and then." Ephram said in the middle of a wide-mouthed yawn.

"Well, you hold onto that race car. If Delia says it brings good luck, then chances are, it probably does." Andy recommended.

"Andy, I think Ephram's tired." Nina noted. "That's the third consecutive time he's yawned." She counted.

"This is weird. I'm so tired all of a sudden. Hey, what do ya know! I don't hurt anymore. In fact, I kinda feel numb all over." The boy's elongated words came out slurred as a tidal wave of drowsiness prepared to wipe him out.

"Ephram, it's the drugs." Andy explained. "They work wonders."

"Mmmmmm....." Ephram blinked and tried to stay awake. "Del – can you hold this for me? I'm afraid I'll drop it or someone stealing it while I'm asleep." He joked. Delia gladly obeyed and took the token back for safekeeping.

"Ok, enough talking. It's time for you to go to sleep." Nina interrupted and pulled the blanket up to cover most of the boy's arms and chest.

"Gosh, what kind of wacky drugs did that nurse give me? Are you sure she gave me the right drug? I can't even keep my eyes open anymore." Ephram's speech was garbled but clear enough to be understood.

"Don't fight it. Go to sleep." Andy ordered. "I'll be here when you wake."

Ephram blinked his tired greenish gray eyes at his father. He then glanced at Nina, who was smiling affectionately at him. Then he turned his cheek to meet a grinning Delia by his bedside. There was no doubt in his mind that everyone in that room loved him.

"See ya later then." Ephram drawled with a smile. His head felt like it weighed a ton and the cotton pillows cushioning his body suddenly grew cozy and softer than usual. He closed his eyes and his aching muscles gradually relaxed.

"Good night Ephram." Delia whispered.

A slight moan passed Ephram's lips and he quickly fell asleep. He was dead to the world. No sound could wake him up. Andy stayed in that room the rest of the evening and night while Nina took care of Delia. Andy wanted to keep his promise that he would be there when Ephram woke. He had underestimated Ephram's sleep time. The sleep marathon would run well into the next afternoon.

Ephram's brush with death worried those around him. Death was not supposed to touch someone so young and pure. It was unheard of. But the worst was over and things were going up hill, at least that's what everyone liked to think. The truth of the matter is that physical wounds heal faster than mental wounds. Ephram's earlier blunder left certain doubts in Andy's mind about Ephram's mental state.

* One day at a time. Take it one day at a time. * Andy thought.

*end of chapter 6*

Author's Note: Thanks for reading!! Who wants to know how this story turns out??