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?

7. David and Goliath

(Please keep in mind that this story is set during Everwood's first season, so Colin is technically still alive and Madison does not exist – thanks.)

Chapter 7: David and Goliath

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!!!" Ephram shrieked wildly in his sleep. A quick spasm of terror rippled through his body and with a rigid jostle, the boy was freed from his nightmare. His heart was racing a million miles per hour and adrenaline pumped in his veins. He could hear the pulse thumping in his temples. Bad dream. Bad dream. That's all it was – a terrible dream. But if it was a dream, why did it seem so real? He swore he tasted the saltiness of blood in his mouth. The intense dream racked his nerves so much that he'd forgotten where he was for a moment.

He was on the road to recovery. Although his vitals still had to be monitored, they stuck him in a "more comfortable" room, which meant virtually nothing. The only difference between his new room and the room in ICU was a window facing the outside. The machines were still there pumping, sucking, clicking, beeping and basically stabilizing his life force. Feeling significantly better than he had in days, he insisted these devices were no longer necessary and wanted them off his body. Andy disagreed and paid no attention to his son's ridiculous requirements. The tubes and electrodes were mandatory until Andy said it wasn't. However, Ephram's breathing showed improvement so the Tracheostomy tube was removed. He was excited about that – one bodily appendage down only about a dozen to go.

For a change, Ephram awakened to an empty room. Usually, his father or Nina or Delia watched him sleep. If his loved ones had stepped out, then nurses would be present taking turns circling around him like vultures. They prodded, poked, squeezed, pricked, and clutched him without warning or permission. There was a time the process bothered him to the point where it became a nuisance. His body had been tortured and dragged through hell only to be wrung dry of any ounce of energy he may possess, hence, leaving him with as much strength as a snail. All the wanted to do was sleep. But the nurses, who thought they were being efficient, constantly interrupted his sleep. Once, out of pure frustration and anguish with his disturbed sleep, he woke up wailing like a baby and threw a tantrum. It was very unlike Ephram to act the way he did but given the circumstances, he only wanted to be left alone. And in that instance, he was quickly sedated with another dose of medication to prevent him from harming himself. It put him out like a light almost instantly.

The nurses duties consisted of administering drugs, shuffling noisily about - though unintentionally, moving machinery around, groping his body parts, taking his blood pressure at all hours of the night, and rolling him over every once in a while to avoid bed sores and enhance circulation. After awhile, he grew accustomed to the hindrance.

Glad that no one was there to witness him talk in his sleep, he quickly shook off the cold chill lingering from his upsetting dream. These nightmares haunted him from time to time and came mostly when he wasn't in a drugged sleep. Ephram hid these dreams from his family. There was no reason for him to dig a deeper hole. He didn't want to add to their worries. They didn't deserve it. Besides, it wasn't like he could actually remember all the contents of the dream. Once he woke, he was only able to recall bits and pieces – scary bits and pieces.

He looked around the room and judging from the faint sunlight peeking through the closed blinds, he decided either dawn must be breaking or dusk must be settling. It was easy to lose track of time.

Ephram closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep but the dull murderous pain in his body bothered him. After a few stubborn minutes of battle, he was ready to admit defeat and pushed the nurse's call button. A tall, skinny nurse blew into the room momentarily. It was always a different nurse. Ephram could never recognize the faces and he'd stop trying a long time ago. It was no use. They were like fingerprints or snowflakes – no two were alike. All he had to say was one word – "pain." And the nurse knew exactly what to do. She scampered out of the room and quickly returned with a cup of water and a little paper cup filled with several colorful pills.

He obediently swallowed the pills one by one with pleasure. The nurse asked him how he felt and he replied, "it wasn't anything the pills couldn't fix" but somehow the nurse wasn't satisfied with that answer. She eyed him suspiciously and grilled him about everything to make sure he wasn't lying. Ephram grew tired of the smothering attention especially when the nurse asked him the same question twice. She was beginning to sound like a broken record. He figured she was doing it to confuse him and catch him when his answers were not consistent. But Ephram was too smart for her even in his condition.

An overzealous nurse chewing your ear off is the price to pay for pain relieving medication. It was a hard bargain but in the end, the drugs were worth it. Ephram shooed the nurse away when she paused to reload her ammunition for a second round of questioning. Surprisingly, she did not object to Ephram's request. However, she did promise that she would be back later to check on him, which was alright with Ephram because by the time "later" rolled around, he would be asleep and wouldn't have to deal with a fussy nurse.

The drugs eventually kicked in and knocked Ephram out for another three hours. He slept peacefully without any troubling dreams. On second thought, if there were bad dreams, he didn't remember them. When he finally woke from his restful and much needed sleep, he realized he wasn't alone. He had hoped to awaken to the smiling faces of his family by his bedside but this was hardly the case. This person that stood before him was a complete stranger. She was exquisite and alluring in every way but nonetheless, still a stranger. Caught in an unusual rapture, Ephram's young heart fluttered with joy.

It was love at first sight. At least, that was how Ephram described the feeling. But one can never call it "real love" when they're Ephram's age. It should be more like "puppy love." He wanted to slap himself to see if this was all a dream but that wasn't necessary because he knew he was awake when he felt the tightness in his muscles and all the remnants of his injuries.

Forget Angelina Jolie. The woman standing before him was no match. She had such beauty and perfection that it would not be fair to compare her to any other. Ephram scrutinized her with a careful eye. She wore a white lab coat that hid her clothes all too well. Long velvety dark brown hair ran to the middle of her back. Two small fancy hair combs adorned each side of her head right above the tip of her ears. She appeared to be older than she looked – too old to be a student but too young to be a doctor. In other words, Ephram was way out of her league but he could hope, couldn't he? Her flawless facial features held such symmetry. Her eyes were turned downward reading the big metal clipboard she held in her hands. Ephram wished he could see her eyes. And his wish was suddenly granted when she noticed the patient had awakened. Her smile took Ephram's breath away.

"Well, hello there. Did you have a nice nap?" She said as Ephram watched her glossy red lips move without batting an eye.

"Yea. It was ok." Ephram replied trying to act cool. He wondered who this woman was and what she was doing in his room.

"I'm glad you're sleeping well. From the looks of things, you need a lot of it." She replied.

Oh my God! She cares about me!!! Ephram thought excitedly.

Afraid of making a fool of himself with the wrong choice of words, he remained quiet. She sensed some awkwardness in the room so she brought her attention back to the blasted clipboard. Ephram wanted her to talk to him. Just the sound of her voice made his hair stand on end. As if she was reading his mind, she looked up from the clipboard again.

"Says here your name is Ephram? Brown." She read off the patient info on the chart from the clipboard. She sounded a bit skeptical on the pronunciation of the boy's first name.

"Yep. That's me." Ephram sighed. He knew the direction of the conversation was to go that way sooner or later. It was only a matter of time. Strangers always tend to inquire about the origins of his name. Sometimes he wished he had a more common name like John or Mike – normal names that no one questioned. "I know it's weird and dorky."

"No, it's not!" She laughed wholeheartedly. The sound of her good-natured laugh gave Ephram goose bumps all over. At least he was doing something right. Chicks love humor. He was insanely content to have made the pretty lady laugh. "I would say it's a far cry from weird or dorky. Anything that unique must have a meaning. Does your name mean something?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea. But I was named after a character in Hello Dolly. You know the musical that was turned into a movie about the widowed matchmaker named Dolly Levi? It was my mom's favorite. My mom – she was a huge Barbara Streisand fan."

"Hmm." She said tapping her long index finger on her chin in a perplexed thought. "I'm sorry but I don't recall a character named Ephram in Hello Dolly. And I've definitely seen the movie before."

"Don't worry. You ain't the first to miss that character entirely. It's so obscure that only a die-hard fan of the film would notice it – like my mom. The character's name was Ephram Levi – you know – Dolly Levi's late husband. He was not a physical character so he was kinda hard to pick out. But Dolly made a few references to him like in the song 'Love, Look in My Window', which was towards the end of the story. It was Dolly's soliloquy speaking to her late husband - in spirit - that she wanted to move on with life and for him to forgive her for remarrying. Basically, she felt her life was empty and was tired of being alone." Ephram said aiming to impress. Sounds all too familiar. Ephram thought ironically in comparing the story with his own life.

"Wow, you amaze me. You do realize that Hello Dolly is way before your time, don't you? Heck, it's way before MY time. But I'm shocked that someone your age would be familiar with the story." She raved.

"I'm not your average teeny bopper, I guess. I've watched the movie with my mom at least half a dozen times. She used to annoy me by singing along." Ephram said. "And of all the characters in that movie, my mom decided to name me after the dead guy." He laughed.

"I would say Ephram is a better choice than the other character - Horace. Don't you think?" She grinned. "The only other male main character in Hello Dolly that I can think of is Cornelius. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be named Cornelius. Then people would start calling you Corny for short."

Ephram burst out in a hysterical laughter. He had no idea this girl was capable of being so beautiful AND funny at the same time. He was laughing so hard tears were coming out of his eyes and his stomach felt like it was going to bust among other things but he didn't care.

"Really, I didn't think it was that funny." She added coolly after Ephram's laughter subsided.

Ephram released a few lingering giggles out of his system and calmed down from his laughing fit. Squinting at the pretty lady's laminated ID tag clipped onto her lab coat, he tried to read her name.

"Gwen." Ephram read off the tag. "That's a safe name. You're lucky you were spared."

"It's actually short for Guinevere. I changed it to just Gwen because everyone seems to have difficulty in spelling Guinevere. You know, one too many "I's" or not enough "E's" – you know the deal. It'd be easier on the world if I used a no nonsense four letter first name – one that most people can spell, including myself." She said lightly.

"I know what you mean. People mispronounce and spell my name wrong all the time. I'm immune to it." Ephram empathized.

"I'm embarrassed to say that when I was in grade school, I used to forget how to spell my name. It was like I had to think about something that should come naturally."

"Tell me about it. I had the same problem." Common ground!! Ephram felt like he'd struck gold. "It took me months to understand why my name began with an E when it had an F sound. I kept bugging my mom and asking her if she was sure my name began with an E since it didn't make any sense. She finally got fed up with my logic and showed me what it said on my birth certificate. Then, I tried to convince my mom that it was a typo and that my name should've been spelt with an F instead of an E. I drove her crazy with it. I was four or five at the time."

"That's cute." Gwen laughed.

"Thanks to my mom's obsession with Hello Dolly." He rolled his eyes comically.

"You think that's bad, I was named after Lady Guinevere. You know, as in Camelot and King Arthur."

"Really?" His eyes widened. Even the beauty of the name and history suited her.

"Yea – it was my dad's idea. My dad is a professor of Medieval History at Dartmouth. He teaches a course called Arthurian Legend and basically, they retrace the events that lead to the rise and fall of King Arthur of Britain. It's developed into quite a popular elective class for undergrads."

"Medieval History? Sounds like fun!" Ephram raved. "Wish they had such cool classes at my school. You dad must've really loved the medieval times to have named you after Lady Guinevere."

"My dad is very passionate about that era. He's a big fan of the whole Excalibur thing – his eyes practically light up whenever anyone mentions that word. Arthurian times and early British kingdoms fascinate him. Well, what can I say? To each his own, huh?"

"At least you were never teased."

"Are you kidding? I think kids will always find something to tease each other about. In grade school kids from my class used to ask me if I'm Guinevere, then where's Sir Lancelot. I never really heard the end of that one."

"That's not too bad compared to me. Kids can be so cruel especially in grade school." Ephram said with a mature tone of voice. "I remember every time the teacher called my name, some wise guy in the back of the class would say 'bless you' making the whole class crack up because they thought my name sounded like a sneeze. It hurt. It really did." He acted with sensitivity. At times, Ephram could play quite the dramatic role. He knew it was downright funny – hands down. And he knew Gwen knew it too when he saw her eyes dancing with mirth. "But you can laugh. Go ahead. I don't mind anymore. Besides, it is kinda funny now when I think about it."

"Oh no!" Gwen gasped. "That's not nice!!"

"Well, look on the bright side – I thank God every day that my parents didn't name me Charlie."

"Charlie?" She sounded confused.

"Yea, my last name is Brown, remember? So, my name would be Charlie Brown." Ephram said with a straight face. "How would I live with myself if I was named after a cartoon character?" The punch line was served and Gwen ravenously ate it up. Her broad shoulders shook with laughter as she covered her mouth lightly with her slender fingers.

"Oh gosh Ephram!!" She tried to compose herself but Ephram wasn't finished.

"I swear Peanuts was modeled after my life. No one could get it more accurate. Charlie Brown is the reflection of me. You know, I wake up in the morning and stare at my face in the bathroom mirror and it freaks me out that I look a little more like Charlie Brown each day – only with hair." Ephram spoke watching Gwen's reaction.

"Yes – I see the resemblance, Chuck." She laughed.

"Good Grief!!" Ephram sighed impersonating Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strips. The comment left Gwen with another fit of giggles.

"You're pretty good at making people laugh."

"They say laughter is the best medicine." The boy smiled.

"Yea, in most cases – but when you have 46 stitches in your body, I don't think laughing is a recommended remedy."

"Huh? Forty-six stitches? How would you know that?" Ephram questioned curiously.

"I know because I'm the one who put those stitches in you." She revealed.

"Wow – really? You are my doctor?" The boy suppressed his giddiness from the potential idea that he was in love with his doctor.

"No, I'm not your doctor." She replied with a chuckle. Ephram was not the least bit surprised at her answer – like what was he thinking?

"Well, I figured you couldn't be anyway. You're too young to be a doctor." Wham – Bam! He doled out the compliment right on cue.

"You flatter me." Gwen chortled. "Actually, I'm a surgical intern. I was present throughout the entire skin grafting procedure. The doctor allowed me to sew you up. And it's my job to monitor the progress of your healing – from beginning till when we take out the stitches." She nixed the idea of telling the boy about the additional future removal of the staples in his skin. What he doesn't know can't hurt him – or freak him out for that matter.

Ephram's face was suddenly drained of color as an embarrassing thought occurred to him. If gorgeous Gwen was present during the whole operation, then that meant at some point, she probably saw him naked. He never had the pleasure of capturing the attention of any one remotely close to Gwen's caliber. In the past, it was just he and Angelina Jolie in the dream world. Gwen was a real person. She was like one of those priceless objects that you can only see but never own. The boy was horrified at the notion that this angelic creature standing there engrossed in a decent conversation with him had taken a gander at his privates. He just couldn't win.

"Sweetie, are you alright? You look kinda pale." She said worriedly.

"You – you saw everything?" He stammered awkwardly.

"Well – I was there. Of course I paid attention." She replied oblivious to the true nature of Ephram's question.

"I mean – everything?" Feeling hot and flustered, Ephram's voice came out in a squeak.

"Huh? I'm not sure I follow you – "Gwen studied the boy's face as her voice trailed off. Then it dawned on her. "OH!" Her eyes widened as she gasped at the young boy's inquiry. She smiled and quickly collected herself. "Ephram, I'm going to be a doctor someday and there isn't a single class in med school that doesn't involve examining the human anatomy closely. We're taught to be comfortable with viewing the human body. It comes with the territory, you know. Don't mean to shock you, but I really don't think there's anything that I haven't already seen."

If Ephram had the strength to get up and kick himself in the ass, he would. Boy did he feel foolish. He had trouble separating the profession with the individual. There were moments when he'd fantasized Gwen as his love interest visiting him rather than a medical intern doing her job. Ephram stared at his blanket-covered toes at the foot of the bed and prayed that he didn't turn beet red from the humiliation.

"Ephram, don't be embarrassed." She said amiably.

"Oh great." He sighed. "Am I blushing right now?" Somehow, he knew the answer to his question.

"Well, you are quite red in the face compared to a few seconds ago." She admitted with a short laugh.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I'm not used to having a female surgical intern checking me out that way." It was the toughest sentence he ever got out of his mouth. It was like eating screws. "At least – at least – "The boy hesitated before continuing his sentence.

Then he finally decided to let it out. What could possibly be more embarrassing than what already happened? "At least not one as pretty as you." He mumbled and waited for the usual hysterical laughing followed by a mild rejection. Ephram was convinced that his heart would be crushed in a matter of seconds. He quickly looked away to avoid eye contact and brace himself for the heartbreak.

Catching Gwen by surprise, she saw what was happening. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this young boy had a crush on her. She found it rather amusing that a boy almost half her age was in love with her. It wasn't unheard of but in a way, it was quite flattering. Neither angry nor disgusted, Gwen thought it best to play things down casually considering the boy's physical condition.

"Ephram, you are very sweet." Gwen was thoroughly intrigued by the boy's infatuation.

"But – "Ephram murmured continuing her sentence. This is where she says I should get real and go after girls my own age. He thought bitterly.

"There are no 'buts'." Gwen corrected. "You are a delightful young man and I hope we can be friends." She offered with a smile.

Ephram looked at Gwen with a spark in his greenish gray eyes. He couldn't believe he was not brutally rejected by her. For her to have spared a bruised self-esteem, she was indeed a merciful Goddess in disguise. Other girls would've laughed in his face. Gwen's gentle method of rejection was subtle yet crystal clear. He never knew rejection could be so sweet.

Friends. Ephram thought. To be honest, it wasn't what he wanted. Impossible as it may seem, he wanted to be Gwen's boyfriend. But that path didn't look promising and will be a tough hurdle to jump over. Besides, settling for second best wasn't so bad. Lots of platonic friendships turn into something more. He still secretly hoped and dreamed of the day he won her over and made her his trophy girlfriend. No one could blame Ephram. It was the sorts of thing young boys often go through with role models and idols of the opposite sex.

"Would you like that?" Gwen asked sensitively.

"Yes. I would." Ephram nodded bashfully.

"Alright then. Now that we have that out of the way, let's see a smile, Charlie Brown." She humored forcing an impish grin across Ephram's lips.

It was so true. In many ways, he was a reflection of Charlie Brown. Ephram always felt he had a dark rain cloud hanging over his head. When it rained, it poured. Life did not show him any mercy. It just gets harder and harder each day to prove to himself that he was not a loser. Although he managed to maintain a few friends here and there, he was never the outgoing type nor had he ever been called the life of a party. And like Charlie, the joke was always on him. Ephram's philosophy was "when something is too good to be true – it probably is." Maybe his doubts and low self-esteem had a lot to do with the massive changes his body and mind was going through during his adolescent years. Insecurity always left him putting himself down. It was pitiful to compare his life to that of a cartoon character. The young boy had much to learn about life.

"That's more like it." Gwen beamed. "I don't think you smile enough. You have a great smile you know."

A compliment from Gwen!! Ephram was tickled pink. Outside, he was calm and cool but inside, he was doing somersaults.

"People say I got my smile from my mom." Ephram said. "They say I look more like my mom and Delia looks more like my dad."

"You must love your little sister a lot, huh?"

"It's pretty obvious by now." He said in a "duh!" voice. "Everyone implies that I'm here because of her. But I really don't see how any of this is her fault. It was a split-second decision I had to make to protect her and I have no regrets on what I did. I would've gone through it a thousand times if I had to."

"Your mother would've been so proud of you." Gwen said. "But I believe she's watching over you and giving you her blessing."

"Huh? You know my mom died!?" Ephram was caught off guard. Gwen snickered at the remark from this innocent child.

"Ephram, did you know that the entire hospital is talking about you since day one? Let me tell you, word-of-mouth spreads pretty fast around here. I've overheard a few comments between nurses on how remarkable and heroic you were with the whole risking your life for your sister angle. I don't think the hospital has been this excited about any particular case probably since the Alice in the Wonderland incident." Gwen saw the question mark on the boy's curious face.

"Oh, that's just a name we gave it. Up in Littleton a few months ago, a two- year-old girl was playing in her yard and fell through a small hole in the ground. Turns out it was an old well that was dug and left forgotten many, many years earlier by land developers." She explained before giving Ephram a chance to ask. "When she was missing for too long, the mother got worried and went looking for her. She called the police and soon enough, the whole community pitched in to search for the girl. The search party scoured the neighborhood, parks, playgrounds, and every possible hiding place for a two year old. It was nearly twelve hours before anyone realized they didn't have to go any farther than her own backyard. I think it was a dog that eventually picked up her scent. Then it took another ten hours for the rescue workers to get her out of there."

"Was she alright?" Ephram asked.

"She suffered from exhaustion, dehydration, shock, a dislocated shoulder and some other minor scratches and bruises. Other than that, she was fine." Gwen revealed. "And that was oh – about five months ago - give or take a few days. Around here, we called her Alice in the Wonderland. It's a well suited name for her."

"Do you people always name your cases?"

"Not all of them. We only name the most memorable ones. That's just us medical-heads way of channeling our creativity, I guess." She chuckled. "Wanna know a secret?"

"What!?" Ephram was all ears.

"We've sort of adopted a title for you too."

"Me?!" The boy said in surprise.

"Well, yea. I mean, your story is a headliner now. There isn't one person in this establishment that hasn't heard about what happened to you. Heck yea, you've earned yourself a title." Gwen rattled as Ephram watched her luscious red lips move.

"It wasn't anything any decent person wouldn't have done." He replied modestly.

"They're calling your case David and Goliath. Do you know the story?" Gwen asked.

"Sort of. The details are sketchy." Ephram winced at a dull pain in his shoulder when he tried to move his arm. "Bible story, right?"

"Yes, it was. But let me refresh your memory. A long time ago in Bethlehem, there lived a boy named David. He was a young Sheppard boy who was dedicated to taking care of his father's sheep. He was brave and guarded his precious flock of sheep day and night. David loved his sheep so much that he was willing to risk his life to protect them. Sometimes, wild animals would try to snag his sheep but David was ready for them. One time, a lion tried to steal a young lamb from the flock. David killed the lion and delivered the lamb to safety. Faced with such circumstances made David fearless." Gwen began. It was obvious to Ephram that Gwen loved telling stories as much as he loved hearing them. Her eyes danced merrily and her voice rang with enthusiasm.

"I think I see the connection here." Ephram interrupted.

"A little background history first before I continue the story – David was the youngest of eight sons. Three of his older brothers fought in King Saul's army against the Philistines. It was a ruthless and desperate battle. The Philistines had the advantage because their army consisted of many giants. The tallest and biggest giant among them was named Goliath. Goliath was feared by all of King Saul's soldiers. Anyway, Goliath often taunted King Saul and his army by yelling across the valley. He said, "I will fight any man you choose. If he kills me, the Philistines will be your slaves. If I kill him, all of you will be the slaves of the Philistines." And he did this every day. But no one dared to challenge him because he was so intimidating."

Ephram couldn't keep his eyes off Gwen. He wasn't sure if it was because of her dashing good looks or the amazing story she was telling.

"So one day, David's father sent him to bring food to his brothers at the battlegrounds. On his way to the camp, he heard Goliath yelling across the valley to the soldiers. David was a strong believer in God and believed that God would help him overcome any obstacle. So, he went up to King Saul and volunteered to be the man to fight the awful giant. At first, the king disapproved because David was just a boy and had no experience in combat. But David convinced the king that as a Shepard boy, he had battled many wild animals to keep his flock from being eaten and have succeeded every time." Gwen paused and took a seat on the edge of Ephram's bed.

For the first time, Ephram was able to see her legs – well it was just her knees but same difference. A red and black plaid knee-length pencil skirt peeked out from under her white lab coat. She wore black opaque hosiery and on her feet were a comfy looking pair of black loafers. They were sensible shoes fit for someone who was on her feet all day.

"Since no one else in King Saul's army had the courage to fight Goliath, he decided to grant David the chance. David was given the king's armor and helmet, but they were too heavy for him so he removed them. He only took with him a sling and a few stones he gathered from a river bend. When Goliath saw his opponent, he laughed and belittled him. Was this the best warrior King Saul can come up with from his entire army?" Gwen continued. "After saying a brief prayer, David went up to the giant, placed a stone into his sling, drew back his hand, and released his grip. The stone hit the giant right between the eyes and knocked him over. David then grabbed Goliath's sword from its sheath, stabbed the giant with the sword and chopped off the giant's head."

"Oh man!!" Ephram gasped at the mental picture. "That's brutal."

"Yea. And that sent all the Philistines running as King Saul's army advanced and took over. Everyone in nearby towns danced and sang joyously when they heard of David's victory against Goliath. David was loved and respected by all those around him. They adored him so much that when King Saul died, the people made David their king." Gwen finished. "See, even though David was the unlikely soldier and readily underestimated, he was able to defeat someone as powerful and strong as Goliath."

"It kinda reminded me of Finding Nemo. Despite Nemo's size and bad fin, he was still capable of accomplishing great things. He didn't let his flaws get in the way of his goals."

"That's very insightful!" She laughed. "I guess they have similar concepts."

"Of course, Nemo wasn't as great as David. I mean, David was able to change the course of history. He became a king." Ephram said.

"Yes, and in many ways you are like David, your sister was the precious lamb, and the bear was Goliath. Hence, your title – David and Goliath."

"Wow. I think I'm speechless." Ephram's eyes grew wider at the comparison between him and David. "And I didn't think I was a big deal here."

"You see - the hospital was in desperate need of a new focus. Then you came along and all of a sudden, everyone's talking about you and your family. You've become quite the celebrity here."

"That's funny because no one's asked for my autograph yet." Ephram laughed tiredly. He stifled a grunt as he shifted his position on the bed to get more comfortable.

"Alright, you look like you can use another nap about now." Gwen advised as she proceeded to stand up. "I must be overstaying my visit."

"No!" Ephram objected. He did not want her to leave. "I'm not tired. Really, I'm not. I want – I mean – can you stay?" He rephrased his demand into a question. "Please say you will. I like your company." He begged.

"Uh-uh. It says here that it's time for your next dose of medicine." Gwen tapped her finger on the clipboard. "See? Nine-twenty PM." She said after turning the metal clipboard around to face Ephram and pointed to a spot on the chart. But she pulled it away before Ephram had a chance to read it. "A nurse is going to come through that door any second now."

"I don't need more drugs. I'm not even in pain. Well, not a lot of pain anyway." Ephram said bravely. "Don't you have to look at my stitches or something?" He tried to stall her.

"Ephram, I've already finished doing that while you napped. And everything seems to be fine." She replied.

The boy was silent. There was nothing he could do to prevent Gwen from slipping through the gaps of his fingers. She was going to leave and God only know if he would ever see her again. Nothing more could be said. Ephram blinked sadly at Gwen and tried to set the image of her in his mind so he'd remember that he had once spoken to a Goddess in his life.

"Why are you so sad, Charlie Brown? You look like a car just ran over Snoopy. I'm leaving now but I'll be back tomorrow to check on you." Gwen held the clipboard to her chest.

"You will??" Ephram exclaimed.

"Of course silly, it's my job as a surgical intern to monitor your progress, remember? I still have my rounds to finish tonight so I gotta go." She then returned the clipboard to the hook on the head of Ephram's bed.

"You promise you'll be back?" Ephram asked.

"Yes, I promise."

"Same time?"

"Same time." She answered. "You listen to the nurses, take your medicine, and get a lot of rest, ok?"

Ephram nodded. At that moment, the sound of the door creaked open to reveal a chubby nurse holding a metal tray with miniature cups of all sorts of colorful, candy-like pills and tablets with long names that Ephram couldn't pronounce or spell to save his life. One good thing about the pills was that it knocked him out completely leaving his mind blank and too tired to dream. The nightmares he couldn't remember always freaked him out.

The nurse and Gwen exchanged greetings and a casual chitchat.

"Well, that's my cue to exit." Gwen patted Ephram on the knee. She smiled and headed towards the door as the chunky nurse approached.

"See ya tomorrow, Gwen!" Ephram reminded. He made a mental note to make sure he was awake during her visit.

"You got it, Charlie Brown." She said turning around. He watched Gwen glide out the door with a soft easy step. Surprisingly, he didn't mind her calling him Charlie Brown. It was her pet name for him. Actually, she could call him whatever she liked and he would've been ok with it.

Ephram ingested all the pills obediently and went to sleep.

Earlier, Andy went for a walk with Nina and Delia. It was the first time he'd been out of the hospital grounds since Ephram's admittance. Now that Ephram was officially out of any life-threatening danger, Andy was able to breath easier. As much as he wanted to stay by Ephram's side all the time, he was persuaded by Nina to take a walk around the block and get some fresh air. Since Ephram's sleeping patterns were so irregular, there was no use for Andy to sit there and wait for the boy to wake up.

They left the hospital in the afternoon and did not return until later that night. They took a cab to the nearby 16th Street Mall. The 16th Street Mall in Denver was equivalent to the South Street Seaport of New York only bigger but not as crowded. Located in the heart of Denver, it ran the length of the downtown area. Trees lined the adjacent shops and restaurants along the promenade. Juice bars and souvenir stores greeted customers with opened doors. People sat at outdoor tables of cafes with their reading material enjoying tall lattes and cappuccinos. Tourists were happily making noise and snapping pictures of each other along the streets. The Denver Pavilions sign lit up the sky with its welcoming presence. Underneath the sign was the multicolored artful outer walls depicting huge wild orchids ran the length of Sevilla, a Spanish restaurant at the Pavilion. One level lower stood the memorable Wolfgang Puck Café. Andy couldn't remember the last time he'd been to the area. It had been too long.

Andy, Nina, and Delia took a nice stroll up to Glenarm Street where they caught the free shuttle transportation that carried people up and down the stretch of the mall. They hopped off at the Larimar Square stop. Coincidentally enough, Larimar Square always reminded Andy of New York's SoHo. Little quaint rows of posh boutiques, overpriced cafes and artsy galleries lined the eclectic streets. He marveled at how the only thing that separated Larimar Square from SoHo was the litter and graffiti.

Andy knew a great place to have dinner. It was an Italian restaurant called Il Fornaio located on Wazee Street. They had delicious helpings of imported pastas and grilled meats. The food was piping hot and extra tasty. They all admitted that things were almost perfect. "Almost perfect" referred to Ephram's absence. From time to time, Delia blinked sadly at her wood-fired pizza and thought how much Ephram would've enjoyed it too. Andy comforted his young daughter and as a consolation, he vowed that they would bring Ephram there as soon as he felt better.

Following the scrumptious dinner, they walked off the food by wandering around lower downtown Denver. They stopped at a Barnes & Nobles for a quick browse and vanilla smoothies. Andy leafed through medical reference books while Nina and Delia disappeared into the movies and music department to pick out a present for Ephram. After a refreshing vanilla smoothie at the bookstore's coffee shop, they took a cab back to the hospital.

They returned a little after 10:00 pm to find Ephram dozing away in a peaceful slumber. Nina took the opportunity to make a phone call to her mother's house to check on Sam. Andy resumed his vigil by his son's bedside. He lounged comfortably in a cushioned chair with Delia resting quietly in his lap. The soft hypnotic beeping of Ephram's heart monitor made Delia drowsy.

"Well, look who's up." Nina rattled upon seeing the boy lying awake in his bed. She tiptoed into the room as if she didn't want to make a sound. She held a tray in her hands.

"Nina?" Ephram croaked. Still groggy and dazed from sleep and drugs, he squinted around the room in search of dad and sister but they were not in the room.

"Your dad had to put Delia to bed in the doctor's lounge. He was so tired that he fell asleep next to her. I decided to let him sleep. I don't think he's had a decent night's sleep in days. Earlier, they sat with you for a long time and watched you sleep." Nina's energetic voice rang out with animation. She approached the foot of the bed and placed the tray she was carrying onto the rolling overbed table. "I thought you might be hungry." She said adjusting the utensils and napkins on the tray before turning to Ephram.

Nina's ear-to-ear smile disappeared when she took a closer look at the boy. Her expression transformed into one of concern.

"Ephram, are you ok? My God look at you. Your skin is all clammy." Nina touched the boy's cheek with a gentle hand. "You seem paler too."

"Huh? I am? Oh, it's nothing." Ephram stammered innocently. It was the dream again. He remembered waking up with a cold sweat. Chills ran down his spine as his subconscious tormented him in fragments of hidden languages.

"Maybe I should call a nurse." Nina suggested. "Something's not right."

"No! I'm fine." The boy quickly yelled in protest.

"Even your hair is damp." She felt the moisture when she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I told you – I'm ok." Ephram insisted. "The blanket was making me hot and I was too lazy to kick it off so I'm sweating." He explained. Nina studied the boy with a careful eye as she dabbed his forehead and chest with a paper towel.

"Waitaminute Ephram – are you shivering?" Her voice demanded. "Yes, I believe you are!!" She answered the question for him.

The nightmare had left the boy a little shaky but it was typical for someone like Nina to blow things out of proportion.

"No, I'm not." Ephram challenged. "I'm fine. It's the drugs. That's all. It makes me jittery sometimes." He seemed to have an explanation for everything.

"Well, you don't have a temperature." Nina diagnosed when she touched the boy's forehead to check for any traces of a fever.

"See, there's nothing wrong with me." Ephram said catching a doubtful glance from Nina. Lately, she could read him like a book. Somehow, she knew what he was thinking and knew it when he told a white lie. He wasn't sure at exactly what point had Nina become so smart. Maybe it was the maternal instinct factor. "The shakes will go away once the drugs wear off. Always does." He lied.

"I'm just worried about you." Nina admitted.

"Don't be. I'm fine." Ephram said ironically. In fact, he loved Nina's motherly concern for him. It was definitely something he longed for.

"Ok, but if you don't feel fine, you let me know." She instructed and Ephram nodded. "Hey, I brought you some food." Nina pulled the overbed table closer.

"Is it lunch time already?" The boy yawned. His attempt to stretch his stiff muscles ended up with a twitch of pain.

"Actually, it's more like a midnight snack."

"Really? What time is it?" Ephram couldn't tell day from night anymore. The window in his room wasn't much help either since the curtains and blinds were always closed and shut. He didn't see the point of a window in his room when he couldn't even see out of it.

"It's almost 2:30 in the morning." Nina checked her watch.

"What! Two thirty in the morning!?" Ephram sounded astonished. "What are you doing here? You should be sleeping instead of fussing over me."

"What!" Nina mimicked comically. "Would you believe me if I told you I couldn't sleep?" She asked. Ephram shrugged. "I've turned into a bit of a night owl these days. But I'm here because I want to be here. I don't think your father could handle this all by himself."

"You really care about me?"

"Of course I do. I care a lot about you. You sound surprised."

"No. Well, kinda surprised. I mean, it's such a new feeling. No one outside of my family has ever cared so much about me before. Usually, no one gives a rat's ass about a screw up like me."

"Ephram!! You shouldn't say things like that about yourself! I am appalled. You are not a screw up – maybe a little wayward sometimes but never a screw up." Nina declared.

"I'm sorry for putting everyone through this." He said after a short pause. "Dad doesn't show it but I know he's worried to death. And because I almost died, he's afraid to leave my side. He thinks I could go into heart failure again at any second. He's afraid of losing me. Then there are times when I didn't think the pain in my body would ever go away and every one of those times, dad felt the pain too. I believe it hurt him more than it hurt me. I saw the tears welling in his eyes in seeing me suffer. And Delia, she's sad all the time. She acts all chipper but it's just a cover. I've never seen her so depressed in my life. They think I don't know, but I can see it. Their eyes don't lie. And now you – you should be home spending time with Sam. I didn't mean to take you away from him." Ephram's stammering voice shook. He fought the tears.

"Sweetie, you're being too hard on yourself. We act the way we do because we love you. Don't worry about Sam. The little monster is doing fine. My mom's real good with kids who have an endless supply of energy. Besides, right now, you need me more."

"You love me?" Blinking back the tears, he hung on her words.

"Yes. I do. And Delia. And of course, Sam." She always got to the point and wasn't coy about it.

"Then do you love my dad?" He knew he was treading on thin ice, but he had to ask.

"Let's not discuss that." Nina's laugh left Ephram more confused than ever.

"Danger zone - I get it. None of my business. Sorry I asked." He said sheepishly.

"You got that right, buster." Nina said lightly putting an end to that conversation. "Are ya hungry? I thought we should try getting some food into you." She lifted the food cover to reveal a single bowl filled with hot pulpy soup.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea." Ephram stared solemnly at the bowl. "Remember what happened yesterday?"

The eating experience the day before was most memorable. At least, to Nina it was. One doesn't forget it when they have been doused with someone else's vomit. It had been roughly one week since Ephram was unable to digest solid food. The feeding tubes inserted into Ephram's stomach had the important task of distributing nutrients and proteins into his body. Now that the boy had regained some of his strength and his vitals were improving, getting him off the IV was the next step. It was time for him to start taking solid foods again. As easy as that sounded, it was a complicated process. Ephram's stomach had grown extremely weak and therefore, he regurgitated pretty much anything except water.

Nina fed him meat loaf and cut string beans that were kindly prepared by the hospital's nutritionist. It wasn't as exciting as real food, but nonetheless, the patient was ordered to eat it. Ephram neither argued nor objected. He allowed Nina to spoon-feed him his bland meal. As usual, Andy and Delia were in the room keeping him company and encouraging him to eat. If spoon-feeding didn't make him feel like a baby, then the blue paper bib around his neck sure made up for it. Nina forced Ephram to chew his food thoroughly before swallowing. It seemed to take forever but in the end, things were going well and his body seemed to be receptive to the food. He practically cleaned the plate.

It wasn't until Nina was wiping the boy's mouth with his disposable bib when the queasiness in his stomach hit. Andy gave him some water, which the boy guzzled down like he'd never had a drop of water to drink in weeks. Then without warning, Ephram coughed up the entire meal. If it weren't for Nina's quick response, he would've been drenched in his own vomit. Nina had the reflexes of a cat. She realized what was happening and immediately cupped her hands in front of the boy and caught the warm drippy, chunks of rancid half digested food in the color of mud. Andy scrambled for paper towels and the garbage pail. The exertion caused by the ejection of contents from his stomach left him pale and exhausted. With heart pounding, he felt like he'd just finished climbing Mount Everest.

Setting his weary head back into the pillow, he watched Nina fling his vomit into a lined garbage pail. She was not the least bit grossed out or bothered by the mushy, thick and slimy oozing liquid seeping between her slender fingers. She did her best to wipe off her hands with the paper towels, which Andy kept dispensing. When Nina returned from washing up in the bathroom, he apologized profusely until his weak voice was almost gone. She insisted that it was ok – no harm done and that he should quit apologizing. After that, they put him back on the feeding tubes.

"Meat loaf was a bad idea for a first meal." Nina said. "I think cream of corn will go down gentler – start off with something less greasy and spicy." She placed a new paper bib around Ephram's neck.

"I don't know if I'll be able to hold it down." The boy worried.

"You have to try." Nina advised in a soft motherly tone.

"Alright, but I might puke again." Ephram licked his lips.

"And I'll be here to catch it, if you do." She joked.

"I'm really sorry about that yesterday."

"Ephram, will you stop apologizing? I already said it was no big deal." She sighed. "It's not the first time someone threw up on me. I've gone through it dozens of times with Sam. Barf doesn't gross me out anymore."

"But gosh, that was embarrassing."

"You shouldn't be. It's not like you did it on purpose. You couldn't help it. It was an involuntary body function." Nina justified. "You poor thing. Now, let's eat." She dipped the metal spoon into the steaming bowl.

Ephram made a face at the contents of the bowl. Frothy, soup-like substance with bits of corn floated around the surface. He wondered how he could eat something that looked like vomit. "Are you sure that's cream of corn?" He asked.

"Doesn't look too appetizing, does it?" Nina asked rhetorically. "But it's not that bad." She stirred the contents of the bowl and scooped up a spoonful of mashed corn kernels. "Be careful, it's hot." She added.

Ephram chewed and swallowed slowly hoping that each bite will stay down. Nina was right - the cream of corn actually wasn't bad. In fact, with a little salt, it was even tasty. Nina patiently fed the boy spoonful after spoonful. He finished half the bowl before calling it quits.

"No more? Full already?" Nina cooed as she wiped Ephram's mouth with a napkin.

"I'm afraid to eat too much at one time." Honestly, Ephram was waiting for his stomach to reject the food and send it back up his esophagus. He didn't want to have a lot to vomit. Less vomit meant less mess for Nina to clean up.

"Ok then." Nina said as she set the bowl and spoon back onto the tray. She took off Ephram's paper bib and made herself busy with getting the boy more comfortable. A wall of silence between the two held up for a while. But in reality, they were both waiting for the same thing – will Ephram throw up?

"Nina?" He mumbled.

"Yep?" She answered.

"I never got to say thanks. You've done so much for me and my family ever since this happened. I didn't want you thinking I was rude and not even say thank you. You are the best and I'm glad you're here for me."

"You're welcome." She blushed and looked sympathetically at the darling boy lying in that big hospital bed. It was clear that he looked up to her and yearned for her maternal love. It wasn't fair that this young boy lost his mother at a time when he needed her so much. It wasn't fair that he had to go through so much pain and suffering.

"I – I. I – "Ephram stuttered. He found it very difficult for the words to come out naturally.

"Take it easy. Is there something you want to tell me?" Nina asked.

"I want you to know that – that I love you too." He said.

"Oh Ephram, you silly goose. I already know." She chuckled and smoothed the boy's hair. The weak and needy twinkle in his greenish gray eyes broke Nina's heart. She wanted to take the poor boy in her arms and tell him that she's going to take care of him forever. "Sweetie, how do you feel? She asked referring to the recent intake of food.

"Fine, so far. I think it's a keeper!" Ephram exclaimed.

"That's great!! Your father would be so happy to hear that. I can't wait to tell him tomorrow. I'm so proud of you." Nina praised. Ephram smiled at the compliment on holding down his own food. An itch on his healing wound made him rub his chest a few vigorous times to relieve the irritation.

"Ephram, don't scratch." She scolded.

"I don't know which is worst the itchiness or the pain." He said. "But I do know that I'm kinda tired." The statement came out in a question rather than a sentence.

"Yea? Then you should rest." Nina lowered the bed with a push of a button by the side of Ephram's bed to reposition his upper body. "You'll need to save your energy and beef up on strength. Everything's going to be alright. You'll see, baby. You'll see." She whispered after taking a seat on the edge of Ephram's bed.

"Everything's fine." He agreed optimistically.

"Tomorrow, I'll bring you some chicken broth. It'll have some peas, carrots and noodles in it. How does that sound?"

"You made it?" Wishful and hopeful thinking.

"Sorry, but it has to be hospital food for a while."

"Oh, alright." He gave in with a yawn.

"You know, it helps if you closed your eyes." She suggested as she pulled the blanket to cover his chest. "I know you must be exhausted."

Ephram closed his eyes as Nina continued to stroke his cheek lightly. She watched him breathe. His chest expanded and contracted under the blanket. Nina knew the boy was lucky to be alive. Considering the extent of his injuries and condition he was found in, no one with his age and size could've possibly survived. It was truly a miracle. God must be watching over him.

"Nina?" He murmured barely audible. "You should go to sleep too."

"I will, sweetheart. I will - as soon as you fall asleep. I promise." Nina leaned over and placed a firm kiss on the boy's forehead. It was the first time he felt Nina's tender lips press against his skin. The kiss reminded him of the way his mother used to kiss him when he was sick. It was one of those kisses that seemed to make the pain and icky feeling go away. Ephram liked it.

With eyes still closed, the corners of Ephram's lips curled up in an anemic smile. Warm and comfortable, he drifted into sleep.

"Hey, who died?" Ephram joked when he woke up to Amy Abbott standing by his bed holding a big glass vase filled with a medley of bright colored flowers.

"That's not funny Ephram." She pouted. "I thought some flowers would spruce up your room."

"Only dead people get flowers. Last I checked, I'm not dead yet." He grinned.

"Yea, you keep joking like that." Amy mocked. "Next time, I won't bring you anything."

"Amy, you know I'm just teasing you. I appreciate the flowers. They're real pretty. You can set them down over there." Ephram nodded to a table next to the window.

He watched her move across the room. Amy was still responsible for breaking his heart but he couldn't hold it against her anymore – not after what happened to him. Life was too short to hold grudges for such a long time. Besides, she wouldn't be bringing him flowers if she didn't care at least a little bit about him. Now that Ephram had a new love interest, life didn't seem so pathetic even with Amy around. Deep down somewhere in the uncharted regions of his gut, he knew Gwen would never be what he wanted her to be. But then there was that faint flicker of hope in the teenager's heart that doesn't want to be blown out.

"So, I heard about what happened to you." Amy said as she walked back to Ephram's bed.

"I'm sure everyone and their mother knows by now." Ephram replied.

"I didn't believe my dad when he told me. Actually, I didn't want to believe it. You had me so scared."

"I scared you? Wow. I didn't think you were capable of being scared. I should play the hero more often then. Maybe next time, I'll throw myself out of a moving vehicle just to freak you out." Ephram always found himself cracking jokes every time there was a potential "moment." It wasn't something he did deliberately. He just hated being in the spot.

"Ephram, I'm serious!!" Amy glowered. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'm not."

"Is it because you're still mad at me?" Amy stuffed her hands into the pockets of her tan corduroy jacket.

"What? No. I'm not. I'm so over it already." Ephram's voice was not as convincing as he would've liked it to sound. His eyes hardened.

"Ephram – don't think of me as a selfish person. I know I've misled you and if you're mad at me because of that, then you have every right to be. I'm sorry for hurting you the way I did."

"Did you come here for forgiveness?" Ephram pressed. "Were you afraid you would have to live with the guilt if had died?"

"You don't understand." She bit her lip and stared at the IV in Ephram's pale arm.

"Then tell me Amy, why are you really here?"

"Because you're my friend. I give a damn." Amy admitted softly. "Believe it or not, ever since I found out how you ended up in the hospital, I couldn't stop thinking about you. It was unbearable to picture you lying in intensive care hanging on by a thread. I cried. I tell myself it was because I felt sorry for you. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I cried in spite of myself. I thought back to all the times I've been so mean to you when all you needed was a friend. I've pushed you away, pushed you around, and in the end, I've caused so much pain for both of us. I wish I could take back everything I did. Ephram, I will be a better friend to you. I promise you." Amy's beautiful eyes watered. "I guess it's true what they say – that it takes a near death experience to realize just how valuable a life is."

A long moment of silence.

"I forgive you anyway." Ephram muttered after processing Amy's little confession. He could see the relief in her face.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Aw, what are friends for? 'Sides, it takes a lot of guts to admit one's flaws. Yours just so happens to be that the world revolves around you. Someone's gotta put up with it – might as well be me." Ephram laughed lightly to let Amy know he was joking.

"Hmph! If you weren't lying so helplessly in that bed, I'd hit you." She fired back in defense and crossed her arms pretending to be mad at him.

"Being in this position definitely has its advantages. I can say anything to anyone and get away with it."

"I'm glad you're ok." She said after a pause in conversation.

"I'm glad I'm ok too." Ephram said. "So, I hear you'll be in Denver the whole weekend."

"Yea. It was initially my dad's idea to come. He didn't have to give it a second thought. We were all very worried about you. So, the five of us packed into my dad's car and drove here."

"The five of you?" Ephram questioned at the additional person.

"Oh yea, Colin's here too." Amy's eyes lit up when she said Colin's name. "He wanted to come and see how you were. He's with Bright in the hospital's gift shop, last I saw. I don't know what's taking them so long."

As much as he wanted to be "over" Amy and accept the fact that she already has a boyfriend, there was still a twinge of envy every time he saw them together or when Colin's name was mentioned casually. It was a feeling he would have to get over eventually. To be Amy's friend, he would have to set aside his jealousy and acknowledge the boyfriend.

"So, how are they treating you?" Amy pushed back a piece of hair that was tickling her nose.

"They're doing a wonderful job of pumping me full of drugs." Ephram replied.

"Ha! Lucky you." She chuckled. "What would the rest of us have to do to get some?"

The door suddenly creaked open marking Bright and Colin's arrival. They held a bouquet of a dozen colorful helium-inflated Mylar balloons that said, "Get Well Soon" and "Speedy Recovery."

"Hey Ephram! How ya doin'?" Colin said in the best New York accent he could conjure up. He wore his usual Letterman jacket looking as cool and jock-ish as possible.

"Not even close." Ephram shook his head in disapproval.

"We got balloons to cheer you up." Bright said as he proceeded to comically decorate the room by tying the string of each balloon to any fixture he could find.

"Actually, we couldn't decide which ones to get you, so we picked all of them – well, except the ones that say, "Congratulations! It's a Boy!" or "New Mother" on it." Colin said.

"Uh, you might think twice about putting one there." Ephram said when he saw Bright about to tie a balloon to a wire near the heart monitor. "The electromagnetic force generated between that machine and the balloon's material could cause a glitch in the computer creating a little spark of electricity. The current can travel trough those wires and I can get electrocuted." He kept a straight face and watched Bright's startled expression. When he thought he had everyone convinced, Ephram broke out into a laugh. "Got'cha."

"It's good to know they didn't remove his funny bone." Colin said. "Take everything away from him, but you can't take away his humor."

"Well, he may have fooled Bright, but he didn't fool me one bit." Amy pursed her lips.

"I won't put one there – just in case." Bright said giving his sister a disgusted look.

"Geez, your room looks like a friggin' air traffic control tower. What's with all these machines anyway?" Colin said to Ephram while peering curiously at the equipment.

"Colin, this was similar to how your hospital room looked like when you were in a coma. Everything here serves an important function. Just don't touch anything ok?" Amy cautioned.

"Nah, I say it looks more like the New York Stock Exchange. Oh – there goes the ending bell." Ephram said referring to the sound of his heart monitor. Everyone in the room laughed.

"Good one." Bright said.

"Hey guys, want to see something gross?" Ephram said as he grabbed their attention by lifting his hospital gown up to reveal his thick bandage on his chest.

"Yea!!" Colin squealed in excitement. Bright agreed.

"Not me!!" Amy objected. Ephram looked quizzically at Amy.

"Forget Amy, she's always been a wimp." Bright blurted. "She can't handle this manly type of stuff. She'll just have to close her eyes."

"Shut up Bright." She argued.

"Ephram, show us your battle wound." Colin insisted as Ephram proceeded to peel the tape off the sides of the gauze slowly.

He flipped over the gauze carefully to reveal his healing wound. The bloating had gone down considerably but the discoloration remained and traced the three deformed lesions distinctively. The stitches and staples created bluish asymmetrical blotches of patched skin. The speechless visitors gaped at the grotesque and alarming sight. They were actually expecting to see just a few minor stitches but nothing this horrific. His body resembled a patchwork quilt. They never imagined so much damage could be done to one body. Ephram watched their faces turn from one of eagerness to complete paleness.

"Oh my God. Ephram." Amy gasped in horror taking a step back. Her eyes moistened as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Man, I had no idea it was that bad." Colin suddenly grew serious.

"That's gotta hurt." Bright became more sympathetic.

"Yea, it did and still does. It was worse then this a few days ago. I almost puked when I first saw it. There's another one just like it on my shoulder too." He said it like it was no big deal.

"That's nasty." Colin muttered under his breath and took a closer look. "How many stitches?"

"Forty six in total." Ephram replied. "Beat the record, I think. A big chunk of my side was missing and they had to take skin from my thigh to reconstruct the missing skin from the wound." He exaggerated.

"Ephram..." Amy finally found her voice. "You must be in so much pain."

"Yea – I am. Hurts mostly when I try to move. I usually need to take painkillers just so I can get to sleep. They told me I was in such bad shape that my heart stopped and they had to bring me back."

"You almost died." Colin cringed as he watched Ephram reattach the large sheet of gauze back on top of the wound.

"That's what everyone tells me. It's all hearsay. I wasn't conscious to know the facts. Word has it that by the time the helicopter brought me to the hospital, I had already lost a lot of blood and with the infection spreading my chance of surviving was slim. I needed a blood transfusion and the surgery left me pretty much half dead. I was on breathing tubes and life support for a while. Judging from the way things were going, they didn't think I was going to make it. But I proved everyone wrong."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." Amy said compassionately.

"No sweat. I'm alright now. I guess small miracles do happen every now and then." Ephram winced when he tried to shift his position.

Absorbed in thoughts about their friend's turbulent journey, a moment of silence was shared by Bright, Colin and Amy. None of them ever expected Ephram's condition to have been this dreadful. They knew he was in intensive care and knew it was bad, but somehow in their minds, they've convinced themselves that Ephram wasn't capable of dying. Ephram was compared to that of a cartoon character – immortal and unbreakable. They wanted to believe it was just a few bruises and maybe a broken bone or two. They realize now that Ephram's life had indeed been threatened. They also realized that in a split second, their friend's life could've been taken away.

"Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?" Bright said with genuine sincerity. The statement rendered a shocked look from Colin and Amy. Bright was never the sensitive type and for him to say something so tender to Ephram was a first. The truth was that Bright and Ephram never got along. Their relationship was like oil and water. Ephram saw Bright as nothing more than a dumb jock. And Bright saw Ephram as nothing more than a geeky outsider. They never stood on common ground; so naturally, they avoided each other like the plague. Apparently, whatever it was that held Bright back from giving the new kid a chance was slowly melting away.

"Oh my God!! Somebody get a camcorder! Is Bright actually being nice to Ephram? Oh my God!!" Amy scoffed.

"Tsk, lay off it Amy. I'm not in the mood to argue with you." Bright shook off. "C'mon, can't you see, the kid deserves a break. I'll hold off on harassing him at least until he gets back on his feet." He turned to Ephram. "If there's anything you like me to do – like choke Amy, you just let me know."

Ephram laughed at Bright's sarcasm and ended up in a harrowing cough, which caused some concern. Ephram's complexion was already white from the start. Now, his face turned even whiter making his freckles stand out. Worried, Colin suggested calling a nurse but Ephram insisted through his choked speech that he was fine. Each cough wrecked havoc in his side and he tried to conceal the pain bravely. He didn't want to show his weakness in front of his friends – especially Amy.

"He does not look too good. I'm going to get a nurse." Colin said backing away.

"No – I'm fine. Really - I am." Ephram gagged.

"Colin's right. You look like you might pass out." Amy reluctantly agreed with her boyfriend.

"Just give me a second." Ephram tried to clear his throat. "This is normal."

"Well, coughing until you're blue in the face doesn't look normal to me." Bright observed.

"Spit got caught in the wrong tube. And every time I cough, my side hurts." Ephram gasped as his coughing died down.

"Take it easy." Amy said with concern when Ephram swallowed the pain with a grunt.

"Water. Please." Ephram said weakly and nodded to the direction of the table by the window.

Bright retrieved the pitcher from the table and poured Ephram a glass of water. Colin and Amy watched in awe as Bright brought the cup to Ephram's lips to feed him a sip of water. In this rare instance, Bright's astounding good behavior caught Amy's undivided attention. Perhaps she'd been wrong about him. Perhaps he wasn't the self-centered, stuck-up, egotistic, unfeeling, meathead that she thought him to be. Somewhere beneath that narcissistic cover was a human being.

"I'm sorry, my right arm is kinda hard to move or I would be able to hold my own cup." Ephram said when he had a lengthy drink of water.

"'S ok. Don't worry about it." Bright excused. He shot a curious glance at Ephram's noticeably limp right arm resting by his side.

"Oh – it has to do with my shoulder." Ephram explained. "There were some damaged nerves from the shoulder injury. So, I'm having trouble holding stuff with my right hand. The doctor and nurses bug me about it everyday. They ask me the same questions – can I feel my arm? – Can I move my fingers? - Can I make a fist? When I see them, I'm tempted to say Yes, Yes, and No before they even ask."

"It's temporary though, right?" Amy insisted.

"Yep. It's actually much better now. My nerves are healing and the paralysis is fading. Before, I couldn't even do this." Ephram opened and closed his hand the best he could demonstrating the progress as Bright, Colin, and Amy watched on.

"See, that's good. Means you're getting your strength back." Colin said.

"You want some more water?" Bright asked pointing to the glass he was still holding.

"No, I'm good." Ephram replied. Bright returned the glass back to the table next to the pitcher.

Ephram looked at Amy, then at Colin, then back at Amy, then at Bright. He stared at Bright for a while – a bit blown away that his enemy had now become his friend. Ephram set aside the notion that maybe guilt had something to do with it. It wasn't fair how no one gave him a chance. No one – except maybe Amy – understood how difficult a transition it was to move from a place where he was a virtual unknown to a place where everyone knew his business. People treated him like an outcast and no one wanted to accept him for who he was and where he came from. Perhaps now was the turning point. Maybe things were changing for the better.

"Thanks." Ephram mumbled still staring at Bright.

"No problem. Just let me know if you want more water and I'll get it for you." Bright responded.

"No. I mean thanks in general. To all of you." Ephram's expression softened.

"What for? We didn't do anything." Colin said.

"For being here. For caring. For being my friend." Ephram admitted.

"Hey, better late than never, huh?" Bright joked.

"Speak for yourself Bright. I've been Ephram's friend from the start." Amy nudged her brother with her elbow playfully. "But seriously, Ephram." She continued in a mild tone. "Whatever happened in the past between the four of us is in the past. Hopefully we can forget it and concentrate on moving forward. You know, start from scratch. We know this is a difficult time for you, Ephram. And we just want you to know that you don't have to go through it alone. We're here for you. We're your friends." She gave Ephram a gentle pat on top of his hand.

"I'm glad to hear it." Ephram replied. In was typical for Amy to be the spokesperson for the other two. She was way good at it.

"You didn't think you'd get rid of us that quickly, now did you?" Colin asked rhetorically.

Ephram was pleased. He'd never felt so wanted in his entire life – except maybe when his mother was still alive. But that type of "want" was different. He had friends who were sticking by him. It was a new and refreshing feeling – one that will probably take some getting used to since he never had any "true" friends before. This was definitely a beginning that Ephram was looking forward to.

Bright, Colin, and Amy kept Ephram entertained for the next half hour until Bright and Amy's parents came into the room with Andy. Ephram thought it was amazing having so many people in his tiny room simultaneously. The only ones that were needed to complete the crew were Nina and Delia. But unfortunately, they had gone out together at the time. Bright, Colin, and Amy promised to come by again before they headed back to Everwood. Everyone heeded the young hero and treated him with such friendliness and respect that it was a bit overwhelming for the boy. Truly touched, Ephram waited until the Abbott's and Colin left before shedding a tear. At first, Andy didn't know what was wrong and worried that his son was crying because he didn't feel well. But Ephram revealed his reason and Andy comforted him.

Ephram was the type who often kept things to himself. As far as Ephram was concerned, there were two types of people. There were those who felt comfortable being surrounded by a support group to moan and groan, bitch and complain to when life got extra dramatic. And there were those who kept frustrations to themselves but vented thru their habits – like drinking or taking it out on a punching bag. Ephram was neither. He was an independent. He turned away attention or sympathy. His reasons were not so much because he didn't want to deserve it, but because he had to be strong and impenetrable.

He was weak when his mother died and he hated being weak. He hated the helpless feeling like the world had collapsed around him. From that day forward, he vowed to be a strong person. The iron walls against fragility were erected so he never had to show an ounce of weakness ever again. He did things himself and never relied on anyone, even when he needed to. He didn't feel like he needed anyone. Threatened by hurt and resentment, he never let his guard down too quickly either. That was the case until his father stumbled into the picture. Ephram was gradually starting to open up to his father.

Everyone had a breaking point. Ephram's façade dissolved when he realized at that moment that there was no need for him to act tough anymore. The real Ephram was a scared, fragile young boy who needed so much but requested so little. He didn't ask for love and compassion nor did he ask for nurturing and understanding. Yet, all of these qualities had always been right in front of him. He thought they weren't necessary to survive but in the end, everyone needs these qualities. He couldn't shut himself away from the world. Maybe it didn't matter to Ephram before, but it mattered to him now more than ever. It made a world of difference for Ephram to know that people loved and cared about him without judgment.

Andy caressed Ephram's hand as he spoke gentle words to comfort the weeping boy. He never knew his love for his son was capable of growing so fast in a matter of minutes. There was nothing that he wouldn't do for his son. From Ephram's emotional reaction, Andy understood exactly how much the boy needed him. His only regret was not recognizing it sooner.

After a while of crying, Ephram grew tired and drowsy. He fell asleep as his father watched over him. The boy was out for another three to four hours.

"Ephram, we got you a present!!" Delia squealed excitedly with her hands behind her back concealing a surprise for her brother.

"Delia picked it out." Nina said with a peachy smile. "I think you'll like it."

"Another present for me? Aw, Del, the race car token would've been enough." Ephram grinned.

"Generosity runs in the family." Andy humored.

"The race car was a 'Get Well' present. This is a 'We Love You' present." Delia explained. "Ta Da!!" She revealed a small shiny pink gift bag with a big red, stenciled heart printed on both sides. The edges of white tissue paper inside the bag were sticking out decoratively. "It's from me, Nina, and Dad." She reiterated.

"We didn't wrap it on purpose." Andy said. "Thought you could use some easy access."

"Open it Ephram!!" Delia placed the light bag on the side of Ephram's bed.

"Del, I'm gonna need you to help me out." Ephram asked.

"I'd be honored." Delia replied without needing her brother to say another word. "There are two things in here." She dug her little hands into the bag and pulled out a transparent plastic sandwich baggie filled with what looked like a little satchel of green and purple pellets. "First, this one is actually from me. It's Skittles. I know how much you liked the lime and grape flavors so I picked out all the green and purple ones and put them in this bag for you."

"Yea, Delia had plenty of time on her hands to comb through two economy sized bags of Skittles to separate the purple and green ones." Andy rolled his eyes comically at his daughter.

"I don't care what dad says, it was very thoughtful of you Del. I can't wait to eat them. Come here and give me a kiss." Ephram grinned. Delia gladly leaned over and pecked a kiss on the corner of her brother's mouth. "One question though, what did you do with the red, orange, and yellow ones?" He asked.

"Don't worry - we're not throwing them away. Me and dad are in the process of eating them right now. See." Delia stuck out her pink, orange, yellow colored tongue showing her brother the proof that she'd been busy eating the remainder of the candy.

Ephram chuckled lightly.

"Alright, moving right along.... now show Ephram what else is in the bag." Andy hurried.

Delia stuck her hands inside the bag again and this time, she pulled out a thin flat casing. "Look Ephram!!" He shoved it excitedly in front of her brother.

"Wow! How'd you guess??" His eyes lit up. Using both hands, he took a hold of the object with his right hand responding a little slower than his left hand.

"Delia says you hadn't seen this one yet." Nina said sharing the enthusiasm. "She says you saw the first movie but not the second one."

"Now you can have the pleasure of watching your Angelina Jolie over and over and over again." Andy teased.

"Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life." Ephram read off the DVD case. He stared contently at the picture of a sweaty, sexy, pouty Angelina Jolie as the title character on the cover dressed in her skintight silver jumpsuit with guns strapped to her thighs.

"Well? Do you like it?" Delia shouted with delight. She sounded more ecstatic than Ephram.

"Do I like it? You know it's only my favorite." Ephram said. "Of course, I love it. Thanks, you guys. It's the best present ever – aside from the race car."

"Ephram, you deserve it." Nina said.

"Yea, Nina tells me that you've started holding down solid foods now." Andy brought up.

"Mm-hm. I finished half a bowl of cream of corn." Ephram proudly confirmed while turning the DVD case to the back to look at the synopsis and movie stills. "I'm scheduled for a bowl of chicken soup later. Should be exciting." He gave a smirk.

"I know hospital food is kind of bland. I don't blame you." Andy said.

"Actually, I have to admit that the cream of corn tasted ok. It wasn't as bad as it looked. Nina was right about that." He gave credit where it was due.

"Nina's right about a lot of things." Andy flattered Nina.

"Hospital food is nice and everything but it would be nice to have something slightly more tasty." Ephram hinted giving Nina a killer smile.

"Whoa, hold on there. You've only begun to eat yesterday. We don't want you to over do it. It takes time before your stomach gets used to processing food a hundred percent again." Andy lectured as Ephram gave an unsatisfied frown.

"Your father's right. But - oh - I think we can make a small exception." Nina hated seeing Ephram frown. It was a plus that he was even asking for food. A few days ago, food was the last thing on his mind. "Come on Andy, hear him out at least. Ephram requesting food is a huge step forward. That means, no more feeding tubes." She persisted.

Andy thought about it for a moment.

"Fine. Alright Ephram. In one condition – I screen your request." Andy gave in. "What would you like to eat?"

"Let's see." Ephram began. "I have a craving for Cheese Doodles – the crunchy kind, Twinkies, sour cream and onion Pringles, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese." He listed. "And, And Ritz Crackers!!"

"Son, you have got to be kidding me. If that stuff won't make you throw up, I don't know what will. You have a weak stomach, what do you think will happen when you force down all that junk?" Andy asked rhetorically. "Ephram, you don't have an iron stomach anymore. It's very sensitive right now and you have to take care of it. The only thing I'm going to allow is the Ritz Crackers."

"Fine, then can I have a toasted English muffin?" Ephram asked.

"Toasted English muffin? That sounds reasonable. Granted." Andy rubbed his bearded chin.

"With butter?" Ephram bargained.

"No. Too greasy." Andy objected as Nina and Delia watched the negotiation.

"How about with low-fat butter – the diet stuff?" Ephram said.

"Still no. You may have the English muffin with strawberry or grape jam if you wish, but no butter. Take it or leave it." Andy gave his final ultimatum. The boy eyed his father.

"Deal." Ephram finally agreed.

"Gosh, I'm glad that's settled!! It was like you were talking someone out of a hostage situation or something." Nina boasted.

"So, Ritz Crackers and a toasted English muffin with jam." Andy summarized.

"While you're at it, can you also bring me some mints and a comb?" Ephram said as he thought of his appointment with Gwen.

"Mints and a comb?" Andy's surprised tone echoed the room. "Why?"

"I have this funny taste in my mouth and my hair's in knots." The boy replied. His father exchanged a glance at Nina then looked back at the boy with a sly grin.

"Alright Ephram, who is she? Who are you trying to impress?" Andy said suspiciously. The one thing that Andy found most enjoyable was in teasing his son. He knew Ephram hated it. That was why he found it so amusing.

"What? No one. What makes you think it's for a girl?" Ephram denied the accusation.

"Come on Ephram. I know you better than that. Out with it. Who's the babe?" Andy was having his kicks poking fun at the young boy.

"No one, dad." Ephram maintained innocently to get his dad off his back.

"I don't believe you. Is it Nurse Callaway?" Andy guessed.

"No." The boy shot back.

"The tall blonde nurse, what's her name? – Oh Nurse Pendleton." Andy said.

"No." He fired.

"Tara, the candy striper who comes around every so often with her cart of books?" Andy raised an eyebrow.

"That ditsy girl? She doesn't know her A's from her B's." Ephram was growing annoyed.

"Nurse Gutherie – she's cute. It has to be her then." Andy declared.

"No." Ephram puffed.

"Mrs. Phillips, the woman who gives you your sponge baths." Andy joked. Nina and Delia laughed heartily.

"Sure dad, she's only five thousand pounds." Ephram rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Then it's gotta be Annabelle." Andy interrupted eagerly.

"Who?" Ephram squinted at his father in confusion.

"You know, the sweet lady that comes everyday to bring you your pills." Andy said.

"Dad – will you stop guessing already?! It's nobody." Ephram said in frustration.

"Not Annabelle, huh? Hmm." Andy scratched his head in thought when his eyes lit up. "Ah-ha! I know who it is. Man, Ephram. When you aim high, you really aim high."

"I'm tired of this game. I don't have the energy." The boy sighed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"After a process of elimination, I have two words – surgical intern." Andy shook his index finger at Ephram. "You have the hots for Gwen, don't you?"

Ephram grew silent. His eyes concentrated on his toes and wiggled them under his blanket. He neither admitted nor denied his guilt.

"So it IS Gwen!! You like Gwen!!" Andy laughed. "You can deny it all you want but its Gwen."

"Oh Andy, you're making him blush." Nina decided to put a stop to the teasing.

"I'm just kidding around." Andy reached over and messed up Ephram's hair gently. "You know I'm kidding, right?"

"Dad! Quit messing with my hair!" Ephram hollered and a spasm of pain forced him to let out a nasty-sounding grunt.

"Ephram? You ok?" The humor was immediately drained from Andy's face. He noticed the boy's teeth clench tight outlining his jaw through his cheek. Ephram squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to will away the pain. He heard Delia call his name. He felt Nina's hand on his face. He finally opened his eyes to find six pairs of worried eyes looking down on him.

"She's cute." Ephram grumbled after a few quivering breathes.

"I'll say." Andy agreed. "Just don't break her heart loverboy." He kidded in a gentler tone.

"She's amazing and it seems like I can really relate to her." Ephram cleared his throat a bit too hard. He winced and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'm sure she's a special lady." Andy said.

"Gwen's more than special. She's perfect." Ephram's eyes widened at the very name. "She's beautiful, intelligent, funny, witty, and she's got a ton of personality." He swooned.

"Oh no, I think Ephram has it bad for this girl." Andy said to Nina. "Someone's been bitten by the love bug."

"Did I mention that she laughs at all my jokes?" Ephram said ignoring his father's comment.

"Don't tell me she actually laughed at the Charlie Brown joke." Andy said as he proceeded to fix his son's tousled hair.

"Of course she laughed. It was funny." The boy darted his eyes at his doubting father.

"Ephram recycles his jokes all the time. There isn't one joke that I haven't heard more than five times." Andy spoke in Nina's direction.

"I love Ephram's jokes." Delia gave her honest opinion. "He always makes me laugh."

"Well, looks like he has a fan." Nina said.

"I can't believe Gwen laughed at the Charlie Brown joke." Andy shook his head.

"Why not? At least someone knows good humor when she hears it." Ephram replied in defense. "Gwen's amazing. I think she likes me." He gave a dreamy smile.

"Ephram, I don't mean to burst your balloon and send you back from cloud nine but don't you think she may be a little old for you?" Andy's amused pitch came out squeaky.

"We've shared so much. I feel like I know so much about her already. She understands my situation and she cares about me." The boy pretended to not hear a word his father has just said.

"Uh but – it's her job to understand and care." Andy reminded.

"And she's seen me naked." Ephram sounded like as if it was something that defined the meaning of the word 'relationship'. This pensive comment sent the adults into a fit of laughter. They just couldn't hold it in anymore. The sharp burst of laughter snapped him out of his daydream. "What?? What's so funny?" He questioned.

"Listen Ephram, Gwen was part of the medical team that operated on you. Everyone present in the room saw you naked." Andy brought the boy back to reality.

"Dad – will you relax? I know Gwen and I can never really be an item. But a guy can dream and hope, can't he?" Ephram said. "Besides dad, we've already discussed it."

"Discussed what?" Andy asked confusedly.

"You know - the whole 'just friends' thing." Ephram found himself growing surprisingly passive. It definitely wasn't because he didn't want to continue the conversation. It was more of a physical set back. Every inch of his beaten body felt weak and his thinking process was slow like as if his brain was working on overload.

"You hit on her!? Tell me you didn't." Andy said.

"I didn't. It's a strictly business relationship." Ephram answered suddenly feeling weaker than he should. "She kinda read my mind and everything's cool. We're friends." He paused for a breath. "I like Gwen. She's really nice and doesn't turn me away. She's coming to check on me later." With that said, he really didn't feel like talking anymore.

"I'm sure you're looking forward to it and don't worry - we old folks will disappear the when she comes. God forbid we should embarrass you and cramp your style." Andy said hoping to get some wiseass comment from his son. When Ephram remained silent, Andy got a bit worried. The boy just blinked at him. "Hey, you feelin' ok? It's not like you to be so quiet." Andy added.

"Honestly, I don't feel so good all of a sudden." The boy said in a low tone.

"Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?" Nina pressed on.

"I'm zapped. Tired. Is it time for my medicine yet?" Ephram asked.

"No, but you can take a nap, if you want." Andy said.

"Not sleepy. Just insanely tired and run down." Ephram whispered.

"With all the visitors and excitement you had today, I'd be tired too if I were you." Andy replied.

"I'm kinda afraid if I take a nap now, I might miss Gwen." The boy said.

"Is that why you won't sleep?" Andy asked in a surprised tone. "Tell you what, how about I wake you up when she comes?"

"You'd do that for me??" His eyes gave a tiny blast of energy.

"I don't see why not! Now you can get some rest." Andy said.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ephram asked still holding the DVD securely in his hands.

"Sure – anything. You name it." Nina said.

"I don't feel like talking. My mouth is tired. Can I just stare are you guys until I fall asleep?" Ephram questioned. His voice was barely audible. Nina and Andy looked at each other at the strange request.

"Ok. No problem." Andy respected the boy's wishes.

Andy, Nina, and Delia allowed the boy some quiet time. It didn't take long before Ephram got drowsy. His blinks were slower as his eye lids got heavier and breath lighter. He stared mostly at Delia. He had so many things to tell her – that she was the best thing that ever came into his life – that she meant the world to him – that he was nothing without her – and above all, that none of this was her fault. He wanted her to hear it from him.

Finally, he closed his eyes to drift off into sleep. His grasp on the DVD was loosening and it was quite apparent. Nina took it gently out of Ephram's hands and placed it on the rolling overbed table.

"Mints and a comb. You got it." Andy reached over and gave Ephram a kiss on the forehead. Ephram breathed a tired sigh.

"Love you Ephram." Delia said after giving her brother a sweet gentle kiss on the cheek.

Nina leaned in and pressed her lips against the boy's temple. "Sweet dreams, baby."

Sweet Dreams. Even though Ephram was half asleep, he heard her. He hoped Nina was right. He could definitely use a few sweet dreams. He's already had his fill of nightmares that left him scared out of his wits. A good dream was due – perhaps one that involved Gwen or Angelina – or both. If only he should be so lucky. But in the end, he's not. The bad dreams will continue to haunt him. And he will continue to hide them from his loved ones. The boy took the weight of his world on his shoulders and prepared to battle the massive evil giant of his subconscious alone. As much as he denied it, he will need help.

end chapter 7

Author's Note: Thanks for reading/reviewing!! Stay tuned for the next chapter!!