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?

10. Scared Stiff

Chapter 10: Scared Stiff

"Hey Nina – it's Andy. I know you're at the New Entrepreneurs of America Seminar today and – and I wouldn't call you unless it was really important. You're probably at the seminar right now and have your cell phone turned off. I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please pick Delia up after school and bring her over to your place? I know I was supposed to do it today but an emergency came up and I'm taking Ephram to Denver General. Listen, I can't go into the details right now but as soon as you get this message, please call me back. Or I'll try you again later. I don't know what time I'll be coming home so Delia will have to stay at your place. Promise to fill you in later. Bye. Oh - Thanks. Bye."

Right after the "Marketing and Sales" but right before the "Managing Your Finances" segment was when Nina retrieved the unnerving voice mail on her cell phone. The seminar had paused for a brief fifteen-minute coffee/bathroom break and it was the first moment that Nina had the time to check her messages all day.

'Hospital? Did he say Ephram's in the hospital??' Nina's mind reeled at the millions of possibilities that could have occurred. She was dying to know what happened to Ephram. He seemed fine the day before. What was so urgent that Andy had to bring Ephram to the hospital immediately? The more she thought about it, the more she worried that something horrible had happened. What if Ephram was really sick? What if this was something serious or life threatening? Suddenly, the image of Ephram lying unconscious in a hospital bed with a thousand tubes sticking out of him clouted Nina's mind and she got scared.

She quickly dialed Andy's number. Her nervous fingers pressed the wrong number a few times causing her to have to start over. Out of frustration, she cussed under her breath. Apparently it was loud enough to be heard by a few people who where loitering nearby. Nina ignored their pompous stares and redialed Andy's number carefully. She was successful on the fourth try.

'Come on, come on. Pick up the phone. Pick up.' Nina thought impatiently as she paced the floor anxiously. After the fifth ring, a soft click was heard and Andy's voice mail picked up.

'Damn!' Nina swore silently.

"Hi! You have reached Andrew Brown. I'm not able to take your call at the moment. Leave me your name, number and brief message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks and have a great day!" Andy's cheerful pre-recorded voice answered. The greeting was followed by an automated bleep to advise the caller when to leave a message.

"Andy! It's Nina. Got your message. I'll pick Delia up – no problem. Is everything ok? Is Ephram alright? Call me back. Bye." Nina's voice warbled nervously.

Nina replayed Andy's message several times. Andy's voice was tense and apprehensive but not too overwrought. He sounded hurried. Did that mean something was happening to Ephram? Why couldn't he go into details? Why couldn't he say if Ephram was alright? Why didn't he say what happened that made him have to take Ephram to the hospital? Why isn't he calling her back? Obsessed, she tried to figure out all sorts of hidden meanings from that one phone message.

'Screw it if he thinks I'm going to sit around here like an idiot and wait for him to call me.' Nina thought angrily. She gathered her papers and peeled her jacket off the wire hanger on the coat rack.

Nina has always wanted to open up her own business – a bakery to be exact. The benefits at Momma Joy's were great. She could get anyone to cover for her if she needed to take a personal day or pick Sam up from school. Everyone understood the Ephram situation and agreed that she should help the Browns out since she was closer to them than anyone else in this town. That was the difference between working in a small town versus a big city. People in small towns were laid back, less competitive, warm and more understanding. Missing a few days of work wasn't going to put you out in the streets. When the going gets tough for one of their own, they pull together and help each other out. This was the rule that was always followed in the Everwood community.

Managing Momma Joy's had its advantages but it was not fulfilling enough. The restaurant did not belong to her. Nina wanted something to call her own. Running somebody else's restaurant was not her long-term goal. It had its share of inconveniences. If she wanted to revise the menu or rearrange the furniture, she had to get approval from the boss first. Nina always felt she was a creative person and that she was capable of running things her way.

She learned of a New Entrepreneurs of America Seminar going on at the Everwood Convention Hall and signed up to attend immediately. She needed tips on opening up a new business and this was supposed to be very helpful in setting her in the right tracks.

'There will be other seminars.' Nina told herself as a consolation. She turned the ignition key and started her car. She thought back and remembered how much pain Ephram had been in two days ago. Maybe it was a symptom of something terrible. The signs were there and she saw it. Why didn't she pursue the problem? She was there when it happened and she should have done something. If something happened to Ephram now, it would be her fault. 'Dear God, please let Ephram be ok. Please.' She said a little prayer before pulling out of the parking lot.

Nina checked her watch – 1:45 pm. Maybe Andy would disapprove of her actions but she didn't care. This could be a matter of life and death. She swung by the Everwood Elementary School and pulled Delia out of math class, then without so much as an explanation, she dragged Delia all the way across the school to pluck Sam out of his class. When they finally made it back to the car, Nina broke the news to Delia.

Breathless, Delia had a million questions that Nina did not have the answers to. Nina tried calling Andy again and got his voice mail once more. She started driving out of the lot and eventually turned onto I25 – the highway that lead straight to Denver.

She can't believe this was happening. 'Ephram had to be ok. He was fine yesterday. He was laughing and playing Frisbee. He taught me how to use chopsticks. He was so happy.' Nina thought. The negative thoughts came in by the truckloads. Her eyes started to water but she couldn't let the children see her crying.

Nina kept an eye on Delia and Sam through the rear view mirror. The road was empty on the northbound lane of the I25. There was no traffic at that hour of the day. She stepped hard on the gas pedal and felt the acceleration of the car. Nina wasn't the type of person who broke rules. She knew the boundaries and always found ways around them to get ahead. This was an emergency. And emergencies were the one exception for breaking the rules.

A mumble of child conversation brought her out of her thoughts. Nina failed to hear what the children were saying to each other but the hum of spoken words made her aware that dialog was exchanged.

"Mommy, Delia's crying. Why is she crying?" Sam asked.

"Delia, honey?" Nina called while craning her neck to see the girl through the rear view mirror. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Delia sobbed.

"Everything's gonna be alright." Nina didn't know what to say. Delia sniffled and cried as quietly as she could. She didn't feel like giving a reply to Nina. She just wanted to mope on her own.

"Mommy? Did something happen?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." Nina's brows furrowed. There really was nothing she could say to comfort Delia because she didn't have any information to work with.

Sam turned to Delia, who was seated next to him, and watched her weep. She did not look up. Her head hung down miserably and the tears just flowed down her face – thick droplet after droplet. She didn't bother to wipe them away. Sam took Delia's hand and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

Delia looked up and saw Sam's little blond head staring at her. She sniffled and accepted his caring gesture. The relationship between Sam and Delia was a strange one. They appeared to be best friends one minute then enemies the next. They fought constantly over childish things like which cartoon character was the best or what ice cream flavor was the tastiest. Sam was three years younger than Delia and this year was his first year attending the elementary school. At five and a half, he was in the first grade. They may be from different worlds but Sam looked to Delia like the big sister he never had.

Sam and Delia had their own opinions but when it comes to family, they felt they were in the same basket. They set their differences aside and pull together.

"Delia, don't cry." Sam spoke softly. "I'm your friend." He said to show her that he understood – or at least tried to understand. He then, leaned his head against Delia's shoulder. This compassionate gesture touched Delia and made her cry even harder.

"Thanks." Delia mumbled as she pulled Sam into a hug. Sam would be the last person she would find herself turning to for comfort but she desperately needed a shoulder to cry on.

Nina saw the kindness and empathy displayed by her young son. She always thought her son was too young to understand anything this complicated. She underestimated his capability.

"I don't wanna lose him. I just don't wanna lose him." Delia repeated thru sobs. She closed her moist eyes and hugged Sam tighter.

"Delia, I know you're scared. Hell, I am too. But we don't know the facts. Your father hasn't told me anything. This could all just be a false alarm." Nina replied hoping it really was nothing.

"If dad had to take Ephram to the hospital, it has to be a pretty big deal. Otherwise, dad would just give him a pill or something and it would make him ok again." Delia heaved.

'Damn! She's a smart one. Can't fool her at all.' Nina thought.

"Something did happen. I know it did." Delia cried.

"Oh – sweetheart. Let's not jump to conclusions, ok?" Nina soothed. "We'll know what's going on soon."

"What if, what if – he died??" Delia blubbered. She took deep breaths. Her sobbing couldn't be controlled and she let it all out.

"NO!! You can't think like that." Nina shouted in denial. She knew that Delia hit upon some degree of truth. All this time, Nina had been sticking her head in the sand and giving herself excuses in believing the fact that maybe Delia may be right. It hurt too much to think of the possibility of Ephram dying.

'He was truly happy yesterday. I can still hear him laughing.' Nina thought back. 'There was no pain, the fever was gone, and maybe even the nightmares were a little less of a burden. And he told me his deepest secrets. He confessed about things he would never tell anyone else. He didn't have a care in the world. It was almost like as if he was coming clean with himself.' Suddenly, Nina's eyes widened. 'Oh no!! That can't be a sign! Don't tell me God has given him one day free of all pain and suffering to be with his loved ones before taking him away from us completely!! It was not Ephram's last confession that I heard. I will NOT believe it. He couldn't have known that he would die the next day. No, no, no. God isn't that cruel.' She thought with a sense of hopelessness.

She was jumping to conclusions. Different scenarios filled her head as she analyzed each of the events of the previous day. She remembered catching the affectionate stares the boy shot at her direction. He saw the satisfied way he looked when she shared a joke with Andy. Ephram hugged Delia and Sam just about a thousand times and made them laugh with his zany antics. Now that when she thought about it, it did seem like Ephram appeared calmer than usual. Did he know something was coming? If he did, was it his plan to see us all together one last time so he could die happy? Was it meant as some type of morbid farewell? Was that the reason why he suggested we go out to dinner? Was that the reason he suggested going to a Japanese restaurant for dinner? Was it because it reminded him of his days with his mother? Did that mean something? All these questions and more fired one after the other in Nina's brain.

'Ephram!! How could you be so cruel? How could you be so selfish??' She thought bitterly. Tears filled her eyes when she pictured Ephram's lifeless body being laid gently into a casket. She visualized Ephram's eyes glued shut and imagined the nails that were hammered under his skin to pin his jaws together. And with the help of modern cosmetics, the boy's bloodless face would be professionally painted up to let him have the "asleep" look.

'Dear God, don't take Ephram away. Please don't. He means so much to all of us. We need him in our life. It's not his time yet. He's too young. He has so much to experience.' Nina bargained.

She accidentally let out a small sob. Quickly wiping her tears away, she rolled down her window for air.

"Mommy, you crying too?" Sam asked innocently when he heard his mother's sniffles.

"No baby, I'm fine." Nina managed to say with a straight voice.

Not knowing what to do, Sam started crying. Sam was usually quite brave and like any five year old, cried only when he was either cranky or forced to. As long as he had a strong mother, there was no reason for him to be worried or scared. It wasn't until he saw his mother crying that gave him a reason to panic. There was only one other time he remembered ever seeing his mother at her weak moment. It was when Nina and Carl, Sam's father, split. She cried when the divorce papers were served. It's been roughly seven months since that happened and Nina was coping with it quite well. She allowed herself to be more outgoing and did things that made her happy. She focused her energy on her son and the Browns. It allowed her to not think too much.

"Oh sweetheart. Don't cry. Mommy's ok. I'm just a little worried about this whole situation. That's all." Nina tried to laugh it off. "I'm a worry wart." She glanced at the rear view mirror.

Nina saw the children huddled in an embrace. Their small shoulders heaved as they cried in each other's arms. It was a piteous and heartbreaking sight to see the little ones drenched in so much sadness. She wanted to take them into her arms and comfort them but her hands were full in manning the steering wheel. She was glad that at least they had each other.

"Sam, it's ok. It's ok." Delia spoke. Under different circumstances, Nina would have thought it amusing how Sam started off comforting Delia but Delia ended up comforting Sam instead.

"I want Ephram to be ok too." Sam bawled.

"I'm scared." Delia whispered as if she was afraid someone might hear her words.

"I'm scared too!!" Sam shouted as he cried some more. "Ephram's my friend!! I don't want him to die." He mumbled through loud sobs.

"I don't want him to die either!! I love him so much!!" Delia responded with a blubbering howl.

"Now kids, we don't know what's going on." Nina scolded gently. She had to be the strong one here and set an example no matter how much it hurt inside. "Until we do, we should be optimistic, ok? We have to think positive thoughts. None of us even know what happened. Maybe we are all crying for no reason. Maybe Ephram's fine. There is a possibility you know. Delia, if something horrible happened, your father would have sounded distraught and hysterical on the phone message, but his tone of voice was half-way composed and pretty relaxed." Nina added layers of exaggeration to sugar-coat it. "I think we should keep our heads on straight and not drive ourselves crazy with our wild imagination."

"Maybe Nina's right." Delia finally muttered. She let go of Sam and dried her cheeks with her fingers. "We should stop crying now." She suggested as she searched her backpack for tissues.

Nina listened to the children blowing their noses and found refuge in her own world of silence once again. The drive to Denver from Everwood was approximately three hours. It gave them a lot of time to think and reflect.

Delia stared out of her passenger side window. There was nothing out there except rows of aspens. The trees were tall and skinny giving them the optical illusion of being the same height and size. Gazing into the woods reminded her of the camping trip. She thought back to the way her brother protected her against the ferocious bear. Ephram made a huge sacrifice – he played with fire and got burned in the end. It took him forever to recover from the attack. Delia realized how physically fragile Ephram had become as a result. He couldn't do the rough stuff he used to without feeling rundown and exhausted. And to this day, he was still struggling with his health. In her heart, Ephram had always been her hero. Whether he was strong or weak, it didn't matter. She would love him regardless because he was the one who took care of her and loved her from the start. And for that, he was everything to her. Delia thought Ephram was winning the battle but right now, the outlook didn't look promising anymore.

Delia squeezed her eyes shut and prayed. 'Oh God, don't let the bear win.' Her lips moved to the words. Delia found herself praying a lot lately. In fact, she'd been praying every night since the incident with Ephram happened. Her family had never been the God-fearing religious types. They hardly ever went to church or said grace around the table or had any religious rituals. The subject of religion was always lightly touched. They believed but it wasn't like they were very into it. Delia didn't know about her other family members, but she enjoyed believing the existing of God. Believing gave her new hope. At times when she felt desperate and every last bit of hope is gone, she can always seek refuge in prayer. Because she knew that when there was nothing any mortal can do, she can always expect a miracle from above. 'Please give me back my brother.' Delia begged as she continued to ramble to God about Ephram's importance in her prayer.

When Delia finished her lengthy prayer, she opened her eyes to find Sam fast asleep. All the crying and activity must have made him sleepy. He snoozed on the seat next to Delia. His body was relaxed and head tilted back. Delia thought Sam looked like a bigger version of a Cabbage Patch Doll.

Nina made it to the mile-high city of Denver in record time – two hours and three minutes. She clocked herself. It was hard to ignore the glowing green numbers of the digital clock on her dashboard. It blinked away time as she drove. She exited the highway and made a right turn onto West Colfax Avenue. The buildings and houses they passed were all too familiar to Delia. She recognized most of the structures when they passed downtown. The Colorado State Capitol building was the landmark that stood out the most. Located in the manicured lawns of the Civic Center Park surrounded by an endless rainbow of multi-colored tulips, the 15th step on the west side of the building is exactly one mile above sea level. Except for the gold-capped dome, it reminded Delia of the capital building in Washington, DC.

Nina's little red four-door Saturn sedan sped down West Colfax Street and took a left onto East 17th Avenue. Even as they drove passed Logan Street, Delia was still able to see the D&F Tower in the waning afternoon sun. Standing tall on the corner of 16th and Arapahoe Streets, the D&F Tower was a clock tower that once was considered the highest building west of the Mississippi. Since all four sides of the tower had clock faces, the time can be viewed from any direction. Delia noted the Roman numerals on the clock indicating the hours. It was almost 4 pm.

On any given day, Delia would be home from school at this time and doing her science homework quietly in her room. Ephram would be in his room blasting music from his stereo as usual – sometimes it was Korn or Smashing Pumpkins, other times it was Paganini or Mozart. When told to lower the volume, Ephram swears that such types of music were best when heard at full blast. He was always jam-packed with excuses.

Nina made a sharp turn and pulled into the parking lot of Denver General Hospital. She spotted a parking space almost instantly. Delia found it amazing how Nina always managed to find a space in less than five minutes. Whether she was at the supermarket, at the gas station, or even at the school, there seemed to be a space waiting for her at all times. Either she was really lucky or had special radar for empty parking spaces.

Delia and Sam jogged lightly behind Nina to keep up with her rapid pace. Nina didn't bother going into the main entrance of the building. She went directly to the emergency room entrance and inquired about Ephram. She figured, if it was an emergency, that's where Andy would've taken him. Although Delia's already had more than enough of the hospital scene, she could still get lost in the endless hallways. Denver General was a huge maze-like complex and it was very easy for an eight-year-old to loose her way should she take a wrong turn somewhere. Delia took guardian of Sam since Nina was busy trying to get information about Ephram's whereabouts. Delia took Sam's hand and stayed close to Nina.

"I'm looking for Dr. Andrew Brown. Can you tell me where I can find him? He's here with his son – Ephram Brown." Nina repeated brashly to a plump woman with puffy round cheeks behind the big counter. Delia saw every inch of the woman's cellulite jiggle like a tub of jell-o as she stood up from her swivel chair. The woman grabbed some charts and searched for patient check-in as she gave Nina just about a dozen reasons why she wouldn't know anything since she had just started her shift.

Her father was right. The emergency room really was the busiest part of the hospital. There were nurses, paramedics, and orderlies everywhere transporting patients on stretchers or wheelchairs. People were practically tripping over each other as they scurried along the halls. All sorts of new patients cluttered the area. Delia saw an old woman dressed in a floral nightgown with an oxygen mask attached to her wrinkled face being pushed in a wheelchair. Then a pair of paramedics wheeled in a middle-aged man on a stretcher. The man's head was wrapped with blood soaked bandages. His eyes were closed and appeared to be asleep. Delia cringed at the sight of the blood and quickly turned her attention away from that scene. A few passing nurses smiled at Delia and Sam. Who could resist looking a couple of cute kids? Delia watched them watching her for a while.

Unlike the rest of the hospital, it was noisy. Delia overheard conversations between doctors and nurses, who wandered importantly around the hallways. They talked seriously of surgery preps and medical procedures. Delia observed the high traffic area. It seemed like they were coming from all directions. She could tell right away who medical personnel were and who wasn't from their uniforms. They were in starched, all-white uniforms and others were in light blue uniforms. Delia studied the passing uniforms from head to foot. The hospital was screaming with professionalism, which made up for the lack of organizing skills.

The emergency room was a complete mess. Order did not exist. Various types of peculiar-looking machinery and stretchers took up every vacant space in the area. Delia guessed they needed such equipment within arm's reach in life-threatening situations. She noticed the familiar medicine-y smell that circulated the air. The halls reeked of disinfectant and drugs. The smell combined was kind of like pine-flavored vitamins. Delia decided that she didn't like the place.

Somewhere down one of those hallways, Delia saw a door open and a familiar-looking man stepped out.

"Daddy?" Delia said hesitantly uncertain of the figure that emerged from the room. He closed the door quietly behind him and turned around. Her eyes lit up. "Daddy!!" She exclaimed as she recognized the man.

Delia broke free of her hold on Sam and ran down the hall towards her father. Nina caught the girl through the corner of her eye.

"Delia! Wait!!" Nina hollered as she picked up Sam with a scoop of an arm and proceeded to follow Delia. She looked at the direction Delia was sprinting to saw Andy's surprised face.

Nina was so glad to see Andy standing at the end of the hallway. The nurses just gave her the run-around on what she really needed to know. Delia was the first to reach Andy.

"Hey sweetheart!" Andy greeted as he picked Delia up in his arms. He gave her an affectionate hello kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy, Daddy!! Oh daddy!!" Delia cried as she hugged his neck. "What happened? Where's Ephram? Is he ok? Please, oh please tell me he's ok. I'm so worried. Why didn't you call us back? We tried to call you lots of times. Can I see Ephram? Where is he, daddy, where is he? Is he in that room? Is he?" Delia rambled before Andy had a chance to explain.

"Whoa, there pumpkin. You're going ninety miles an hour." Andy said.

"Andy!! There you are!! We've been looking for you." Nina said trying to catch her breath.

"Nina!! What are you all doing here in Denver? I was just about to call you. I thought the kids were hanging out with you this evening?" Andy sounded confused.

"I got your message and got worried so I pulled the kids out of school and drove here like a maniac. I figured something was up if you had to bring Ephram to the hospital. Ephram – is he -?" Nina's nervous voice trailed off.

"Ephram had a little episode earlier but he's ok now. Just a bit tired. He's doing fine." Andy revealed.

"Oh thank God." Nina sighed in relief. After hearing the good news, she turned into her "pit bull" mode. "Why didn't you call me back? I must've left you twenty messages. The least you could do is pick up that phone and let me know Ephram's alright. Did you know that you scared the hell out of me? I was crying – we all were – because we thought something terrible happened. I don't like you holding out on us like that. It's not right." She refrained a little when she realized she was centering herself.

"I'm sorry." Andy apologized.

"I had all these crazy worst-case scenarios running around in my head. And all you could say is sorry?" She lectured.

"Yes. I know. You're right. I should have called. I'm truly sorry for keeping you in the dark. My fault totally. I didn't mean to scare you guys." Andy forced a laugh to lighten the situation. "I would have called you back the first chance I got. We just came out of radiology not too long ago. So, really? You were crying?" He singled out the one thing that caught his attention. Andy was not offended by Nina's scolding at all. In fact, he was flattered that this woman cared so much about his kids. It was kinda cute.

"Radiology? What on earth for?" Nina ignored Andy's question. "I thought you said Ephram was fine."

"CAT scan and X-rays." Andy answered as if Nina should know what that meant.

"Alright buster, you better tell me what the hell happened." Nina said in frustration. "Start from the beginning. You owe us that much." She ordered as she shifted Sam's weight onto her other arm.

"You're right. I do owe you an explanation at least." Andy agreed. "Let me tell you what happened."

---- Backtracking -----

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Andy called out of the upstairs bathroom. He ran a thin comb through his hair while looking at his reflection from the medicine cabinet mirror.

"Dad – there's no use in both of us hanging around the house. I'm tired of being stuck at home all the time. If I go with you to work, you get to do your thing and I get a change of scenery. See, it's a win-win situation." Ephram convinced. He was hopping on one foot in the hallway trying to pull up a sock.

"We'll go but only if you're positive that you're up for it." Andy repeated as he slid the comb with precision through his short, graying hair again.

"Dad – you're treating me like I'm gonna break myself or something if I should step out onto the street. I'll bring my pills and everything'll be fine. I promise not to get in your way. 'Sides, Edna is out of the office today so you can use the company." Ephram pleaded his case.

"Well, there is a couch in the office if you need to take a nap." Andy rubbed his scruffy beard in thought. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to get you out of the house."

"It's time to take the dog for a walk around the block." Ephram joked. With every hair in place, Andy spun around and placed his hands on his waist.

"Fine, then you better get your leash. I haven't got all day." Andy said with a straight face before cracking up.

"Good one, dad. Good one." Ephram laughed at his father's wisecrack. Andy walked over to Ephram and playfully pinned the boy's neck in the crook of his elbow.

"What kind of dog are you? Hmm? Let's see, are you a Doberman or a golden retriever? Maybe you're a German Sheppard?" Andy teased as Ephram struggled to get free.

"Cut it out dad. Come on!" Ephram laughed wildly.

"No, you're wa-ay too skinny to be a German Sheppard. You look more like a miniature Dachshund." Andy messed up Ephram's hair.

"Yea." Ephram dangled his tongue out the corner of his mouth and panted like a dog. "Throw me a bone, will ya?" He joked and continued his dogface. Placing both hands with the backside turned up in front of him, Ephram imitated a dog's begging gesture and whimpered. "Arf. Arf." He barked.

"Good doggie." Andy laughed. Ephram was still trying to wrestle free of his father's arms.

"You better let me go before I start licking you." Ephram threatened.

"I'm not afraid of a little saliva from my pooch. Come here and give daddy a kissy." Andy kidded as he puckered up his lips and pulled Ephram closer.

"Da-ad!!" Ephram laughed harder. "Ew, that's gross. Come on, lay off. Quit playing."

"You started it with your dog comment." Andy said as he let go of his son. Ephram straightened his shirt and fixed his hair. The boy shot an annoyed look at his father.

After putting on his sneakers, Ephram went to the kitchen in search of some grub. He scanned the kitchen counter and found the mess left by Delia in her morning rush. Judging by the breakfast remains, it appeared she had cereal. Andy was thankful that God created cereal because he wouldn't know what to do without it. Cereal was the easiest breakfast for any kid or adult to prepare. All you had to do was add milk.

It was very unusual for Andy to cook a real breakfast on a weekday. Ephram didn't expect his father to cook anyway. It took Andy long enough to pull out all the ingredients, organize them on the counter and read the recipe several times before doing any actual cooking. Watching him cook was worst that watching brain surgery. However, Andy was known to make omelets on an occasional Sunday, when he felt rather ambitious. Ephram cleared the dirty dishes, banana peels, and other garbage off the kitchen counter. He washed one of the bowls in the sink then filled up half the bowl with Fruit Loops cereal. Popping a few pieces of cereal into his mouth, he opened the refrigerator door to get the milk.

Ephram snatched the plastic gallon container of milk from the second shelf. Out of laziness, he left the door refrigerator door wide open as he quickly poured the milk into his bowl of dry cereal. Then, he placed the jug of milk back on the second shelf, kicked the door shut with the back of his heel, and grabbed a spoon from the dish rack. He took a seat on a stool at the counter and attacked his breakfast with a vengeance.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you grow teeth for a purpose?" Andy said coolly as he entered the kitchen. "It's so you can chew your food before you swallow it."

"Naw! Really??" Ephram said looking up pretending to be amazed. "I thought it was just decoration for your mouth." He joked with a mouth full of cereal.

"Very funny. Slow down, kid. It's not a race. I don't want you to choke." Andy advised authoritatively.

"I'm not worried because you know the Heimlich Maneuver. If I should happen to choke on a Fruit Loop, you'll know how to save me from asphyxiation." Ephram reasoned comically.

"Using big words now, aren't we?" Andy kidded with a humorous smirk on his lips.

"Learned from the best." Ephram replied. Andy watched his son continue to stuff his face.

"There's plenty of cereal if you want more, you know. It's not like there's a shortage or anything."

"You're the one that told me to hurry because you haven't got all day." The boy said as he held the rim of the bowl to his lips and slurped the rest of the milk. "Ah! Done. Let's go." He placed the bowl and spoon in the sink.

The ride to town was quick. It was an easy fifteen-minute drive. There was no traffic, as usual. That was difference between the big city and the small town. In a big city, it takes you double – sometimes triple – the amount of time to get to your destination. Traffic was always heavy and especially during the morning and evening rush hours. The bumper-to-bumper traffic was something that Ephram definitely did not miss. Andy pressed the play button on the car's CD player and before they knew it, the clear, sharp, angelic voice of Celine Dion was bouncing around the car's interior. She was in the midst of belting "Love Can Move Mountains." This didn't bother Ephram.

Aside from the classical stuff, Celine Dion was the only contemporary music common ground that Ephram shared with his father. People tend to find it peculiar for a boy like Ephram to groove to something so "adult" but then again, Ephram was different than other kids his age. These were also the same people who thought it was absolutely normal and acceptable for any fifteen-year-old boy to be a Madonna fanatic but when one of those boys should start to dig Celine Dion's style, they start wondering why. Whether he fell into the mainstream or gone his own way, it was useless because people already judged him from day one. Either way, he was the outcast – the newcomer – the nonconformist. Ephram didn't care what anyone thought. He rather liked the idea of having something in common with his father. If that something happens to be Celine Dion, then let it be Celine Dion.

The CD that was playing had special value because it was the first CD that Ephram made for his dad. It was a compilation of all the Celine Dion songs that Andy liked. Ephram had given the CD to him for his birthday this year. Not only was this year relatively the first year for a round of birthdays without the children's mother, it was the first year that the relationship between father and son began to flourish again. The CD may not have been an expensive gift but to Andy, it was the best gift he'd ever received. Ephram had put his thought and heart into making it for him and for that reason only, Andy treasured it like it was gold.

"We're gettin' to the best part of the song." Ephram anticipated.

"Yea, I know." Andy agreed. The two of them were happy as clams – as the saying goes.

"Love can move mountains, believe in your heart and feel. Feel it in your soul. And love, baby, love can move mountains!" Ephram and Andy sang along with the CD on the top of their lungs.

They sounded horrible – like as if they were a couple of snot-flying drunks. Even with both passenger side windows rolled down all the way, they were not embarrassed to show off their imperfect singing voices. They came to a stop at a red light. Ephram beat his hand on the side door while Andy tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel.

"We can reach the heavens and touch the sky. Just believe it, believe in you and I. Baby. If we got love, that is strong enough. We can do anything, make it through anything 'cause through it all, love will always find a way." Father and son continued to croon merrily as they drove down the street when the light changed. Ephram sang so hard that a light headache formed at the base of his neck but he didn't let that get in the way. Andy was loud, but Ephram had to be louder. When the song ended, Andy pressed a few buttons on the CD player and selected track number nine.

"I Drove All Night?" Ephram identified the title of the song as soon as the first few music notes began. Andy nodded.

"I had to escape. The city was sticky and cruel. Maybe I should have called you first. But I was dying to get to you. I was dreaming while I drove the straight long road ahead. Uh-huh, yeah." They sang right on cue with the CD. Andy's car rolled to a stop at another traffic light. It was a wonder that both father and son knew all the words to the songs.

They noticed a black Oldsmobile pull up in the adjacent lane. It, too, was also waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The driver side was located right next to Ephram's side. Sitting at the driver's side of the Oldsmobile was a shriveled up elderly woman, who Ephram thought looked to be a couple hundred years old. She had her window down and both Andy and Ephram felt the weight of her eyes gawking curiously at them. But that didn't discourage them from singing. They were ready when the chorus verse came around.

"Could taste your sweet kisses, your arms open wide. This fever for you is just burning me up insiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!" Andy and Ephram hollered dramatically trying to stretch the notes the same way Celine belts it. "I drove all niiiiiiiight – to get to you." When Ephram sang the word 'you', he pointed humorously at the woman in the adjacent car. She gave a puzzled fleeting look and quickly turned away. The light changed and Ephram and Andy spend away laughing until their sides hurt.

"I can't believe you did that." Andy said between laughs. "But serves her right. She was nosy."

"Did you see her face? She was like – those two are crazy!" Ephram said ignoring the tension building up in his temples from all the activity.

"Yea, she was probably thinking how horrible we sounded." Andy shook his head.

"Hey – speak for yourself." Ephram joked.

"Are you kidding? We sounded like fingernails scraping against a blackboard." Andy chuckled.

"Really? I was thinking it sounded more like cats in heat." Ephram said. That comment left them in another fit of hysteria.

It was the little sentimental things that Ephram and Andy valued the most. The laughs and good times were important. Everything that happened in the past was locked up in the Brown's very own - Pandora's box. As much as they refused to admit it, they enjoyed the eccentricity of each other's company. It added color into their lives. It was still a learning process for both of them and they had a lot to learn about each other. This was a good start.

By the time they stepped into Andy's Medical Clinic, it was about 9:00 am. Andy hibernated into his office to go over patient information, make some calls, and receive his appointments of the day – not that Andy had a lot of appointments to begin with. He had scheduled about two people before lunch and the rest of the day was open to walk-ins. He left Ephram to his leisure.

Ephram had the run of the whole office. But he kept mostly to the foyer area. Aside from his father's office, the two examination rooms, the bathroom, the supply closet, and the equipment storage room, there was nothing that exciting about re-exploring any of those rooms. There was a couch in his father's office and Ephram was welcomed to take a nap on it but he didn't feel the need to at the moment. Although, he had to admit to himself that the pinching headache was getting to be quite a nuisance, the boy decided to forego telling his father. It was no big deal. And besides, it wasn't a big headache. It was just a small one that would most likely go away eventually. He could handle it.

It was hard to pass the time with Edna out of the office. Things were dull and way too quiet. He tried to keep himself entertained. After leafing through every magazine in the magazine rack, he scanned the room for something interesting to keep him busy. He even sat at Edna's desk and played with her desk ornaments and figurines. Ephram decided that his favorite was the little plastic lucky troll Edna kept on top of her computer. The troll was clothed in a little red, white and blue checkered jumper and had blazing red hair that stood up. Ephram played with the troll's hair for a while and gave it several different hairstyles before losing interest in it completely.

Andy's two appointments came promptly. The first patient was Mrs. Sawyer. She was the wife of old Cal Sawyer Sr. Cal Sawyer Sr. owned a store in town called Sawyer Furnishings, which was a furniture store. From what Ephram heard, it was a fourth generation business. The Sawyers came from a long line of furniture makers. Mrs. Sawyer was a sweet old lady and had always been nice to the Brown's. In fact, she was the first person to patron Andy's Medical Clinic since it opened. Mrs. Sawyer was so thrilled and surprised to see Ephram there that she seemed to have forgotten whatever reasons she had for seeing the doctor. Ephram talked to her for a while and that made her day. Andy suspected there was never anything physically wrong with Mrs. Sawyer. She was just a lonely old lady, who wanted some attention every now and then. Her visit only lasted a short fifteen minutes.

The second appointment was Moe Harris. Ephram always thought 'Moe' was a real interesting name for a guy. Interesting – not in the sense that it was worth a deep thought, but in the sense that it was lame. It sounded like a name you would give a pet or something. Then again, everyone must think 'Ephram' was a stupid name. Ephram figured Moe never got teased when he was in school. If you looked like the way he did, nobody would have the balls to make fun of your name, no matter how stupid it was – unless you were asking to be beat to a pulp. See, Moe was a real big and intimidating guy. Looking at Moe was like looking at Hercules. The guy was 270 pounds of pure muscle. He looked like he could bench press a tractor without so much as breaking a bead of sweat. Tight black t-shirts showed off muscles that bulged in every inch of his perfectly tanned body. He was taller than Andy by at least a head. And at six foot one, Andy was already pretty tall.

Apparently, Moe was complaining of abdominal pains. Ephram wouldn't be surprised of it was the side effects of all those gross protein shakes and raw eggs he's been gulping down everyday. Ephram didn't dare make a peep when Moe stepped into the foyer.

"Hey, how's it going kid?" Moe sputtered when he saw Ephram sitting as still as a statue behind Edna's desk. Ephram was hoping to blend in with the desk so he didn't have to talk to Moe. He thought if he stayed real still enough, maybe Moe wouldn't notice him. But that was pretty ridiculous.

"Er, fine. I guess." Ephram replied nervously as he watched Moe walked towards the desk. There was no rational reason for Ephram to be afraid of Moe. Moe never had anything against Ephram but Ephram knew exactly why he was scared of him. It was the enormous biceps. He used caution when choosing his words in front of Moe because he didn't want to accidentally offend the guy and get snapped in half with a flick of his thick fingers. One thing Ephram's learned on the streets of New York was that you don't mess with guys bigger than you. A slip of the tongue and you're liable to get your ass kicked. You avoided guys like Moe if you wanted to keep your pretty face in one piece.

"Heard you's the one that had a run in with the bear." Moe nodded. Ephram almost laughed on impulse at Moe's grammar but refrained himself. Moe whipped his head back as a piece of sandy blond hair fell across his forehead. Ephram could see the little veins throbbing in Moe's broad neck as he spoke.

"Yea, that's me." Ephram replied in a tiny voice.

"I can't believe someone your size can outsmart a bear." Moe's husky voice gave the boy a start. Ephram didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

"David and Goliath." Ephram replied.

"Who?" Moe looked confused.

"Never mind." Ephram replied sheepishly.

"I gotta hand it to ya though. You're one tough kid. I don't think I could've done what you did." Moe snorted. He reminded Ephram of one of those bulls at a bullfight – thick and round while puffing out hot breathes, and ready to charge at the red cloth.

"I'm sure you would've done the same. You know, if you were put in that situation." Ephram stammered.

"You, kid – you got guts. And anyone who sticks up for his little sister like that is alright in my book." Moe said giving Ephram a smile. Moe had a dimple in his left cheek.

"Um, thanks. I guess." Ephram replied. He wondered if this meant they were friends.

"Kid, you feelin' ok? You look kinda white." Moe suddenly said when he took a closer look at the boy.

'Oh Lord – I must be scared shitless and look it.' Ephram thought to himself.

"Huh? No, I'm ok. I always look white. It's my natural pigment." Ephram said. "L-let me go get my dad. He's in th-the other room."

Ephram shot up from his seat and the instant he stood up, he felt the whole room get extremely bright. He had to close his eyes for a second to adjust. Swaying a little, he nearly tripped over the leg of the chair but luckily Moe caught him.

"What's wrong with you kid?" Moe said as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders.

"Huh? Oh - Nothing. I just got up too fast. Y-you could let go of me now." Ephram looked up at Moe with frightened eyes. The boy seemed to be like the size of a spec of dust when he stood next to Moe.

"Be careful." Moe said as he released his grip on the boy. "And take it easy." He added but by then, Ephram was already half way down the hall trying to find Andy.

Moe's appointment lasted for 33 minutes. Ephram watched the tiny clock on Edna's desk. On his way out of the office, Moe passed by Ephram again. He nodded at the boy and said, "Hang tough kid. See ya around."

'I hope not.' Ephram thought but smiled and waved good-bye nonetheless.

There was something about the work environment that triggers the workaholic animal in Andy to surface. The only time he stopped by to talk to Ephram was to tell him to think about what he wanted to have for lunch. Then Andy retreated back into his office to shuffle more paperwork. Ephram had not realized it was almost time for lunch. It occurred to him that all he ate so far was a bowl of cereal. For some reason, he didn't have much of an appetite. Usually by now, he would be scouring the office for candy or gum or any junk food that he could find.

Was he not feeling well? Was it some weird side effect from the drugs he'd been taking? Or was he just feeling under the weather today? He couldn't tell what it was. He decided that it was not enough of a bad feeling to sound the alarms and alert the authorities yet – so to speak. All he knew was that he felt kind of lightheaded. Maybe it was from the lack of food.

Ephram made his way quietly to the doorway of Andy's office. He leaned against the doorframe and observed the office for a few minutes. The room had one window facing the west. And when you looked out of it at a certain time of the day, you could see the sun setting above tips of the trees that lined the mountains. There were no curtains, only Venetian blinds. Right next to the window was Andy's "L" shaped desk. A computer workstation and fax machine stood on the side desk, which was isolated from the mess in front of Andy. The computer was turned on and a screensaver with pictures of New York City slowly popped up sporadically onto the screen. Ephram found it rather ironic that his father had panoramic views of New York as a screensaver. It was initially Andy's idea to drag his family away from that place and live in Everwood. Yet, there was still a part of Andy who was "homesick" and Ephram understood and empathized that feeling. Two tall messy stacks of manila folders cluttered up the entire left side of Andy's desk. In the center of his desk was another pile of papers of all sizes. Blue Papermate pens were strewn aimlessly across the desk. A white mug filled with cold coffee was used as a paperweight on top of one bunch of papers.

Andy had been so absorbed with reading the folder in his hands that he failed to realize Ephram standing by the doorway. "Dad?" Ephram called. Andy looked up.

"Ephram! I didn't see you standing there. Is everything ok?" Andy asked as he put his papers down.

"Everything's fine." The boy replied.

"Have you given a thought about lunch?" Andy took a sip of his cold coffee.

"Anything is good. Maybe a burger or something." Ephram said for the sake of giving his father an answer. Just the thought of putting a big, fattening, greasy, oil-drenched burger into his system made Ephram nauseous.

"Ok. We can hop by Elroy's Burger Giant for lunch. I have yet to try their one-of-a-kind waffle fries. Heard they were real good. The secret is in the batter, you know. They dip the potatoes into their spicy homemade batter before deep frying it." Andy said.

Ephram wanted to barf. He didn't want to be thinking about burgers and fries right then. "Yea, whatever." The boy shrugged. "So, what does Edna normally do when she's here?" He inquired to get his mind off the grease.

"Well, sometimes she makes phone calls, looks up information, orders supplies, schedule appointments for me, and keeps things orderly. She makes copies, does paperwork and files." Andy listed.

"You got anything for me to file?" Ephram asked trying to be helpful. It sure beats sitting in the foyer counting the wooden floorboards.

"Ah, so you want something to do?" Andy tapped his chin with his index finger and looked around his desk. "Tell ya what. You can help me put these back in the file cabinet out front." He took one of the stacks of manila folders off his desk. "Follow me." He instructed as he walked back to the foyer. "This should keep you busy for a little bit." Andy smiled at 'daddy's helper.'

Andy led Ephram to the three rows of aluminum file cabinet next to Edna's desk. The gray colored cabinets were each about Ephram's height with three drawers in each cabinet – top, middle and bottom. There were three cabinets but only the first two was in use at the moment. In other words, there were not enough clients to fill up all three file cabinets. Andy pulled open one of the middle drawers and explained to Ephram that each folder contained individual patient information and are filed alphabetically with last name first. Ephram had to integrate the stack Andy had given him back into the cabinet.

Easy enough. He didn't need a college degree to alphabetize.

"If you need anything, I'll be in my office." Andy said and left his son to his filing.

Ephram took the first folder and it read "Sutton, Valerie." He pulled open the middle drawer of the second cabinet and placed it in the "S" section right behind "Stanley, Mark." After slamming the cabinet shut, he grabbed another folder and this one read "Barnes, Eric". He pulled out the first drawer of the first cabinet. The top drawers were the hardest for Ephram to access because he had to stand on his toes just to see the files. He finally found "Berkley, Jim" under the "B" section and slid Eric Barnes' folder in front of it.

He went through about half the stack before he started feeling sick. With the "Mavis, Louise" folder in his hands, he pulled open the top drawer of the second cabinet. He stood on his toes and proceeded to thumb through the files.

Without so much as a warning, his eyes blurred and his whole body went numb. Grabbing the file cabinet to steady his balance, he lost his grasp on the folder. The contents emptied out of the folder and blew into all directions on the floor. Ephram shook his head to clear his vision but that didn't work. He had no idea what was happening. The lights suddenly went out and it was completely dark. Last thing he felt was something solid hitting him hard across the back. The pain was searing. It was like as if someone had clubbed him over the head with a baseball bat. That was the last thing he remembered.

The pain he felt was actually from his body striking against the wooden floorboards when he fell over backwards.

In Andy's Office

Andy wondered how his son was doing. He felt bad giving him a job when he was supposed to be recuperating and taking it easy. But he figured the boy wouldn't request for a task if he weren't bored to tears. Ephram was a good kid. Andy was satisfied.

'It's awfully quiet out there.' Andy thought as he looked out the opened door to his office. 'But filing really doesn't require a lot of noise." He smiled at his absurdity and turned his attention back to his papers.

Andy found himself reading the same paragraph five times and nothing was sinking in. He was thinking about something more important – Ephram. His thoughts revolved around Ephram a lot these passed few weeks. It was a sense of worry, love, caring, sympathy, and compassion for Ephram at all hours of the day. It was a wonder how he didn't worry as much about Delia. Delia was the easy one. He did not miss out on her childhood. It was still salvageable. But with Ephram, he's missed out on nearly seven years of his life. He wished he could rewind time and relive those years. Things would've been different.

It was the occasional guilt trip that made him think of how he wronged Ephram as a father. He should have talked to Ephram more. He should have spent more time with him. He should have been there for him when he was sad – when he was happy – when he was angry – when he was scared. He should have comforted him and showed him how much he loved him. These were the issues that circled Andy and right in the center of it all was the word "GUILT" blinking in large neon letters. He couldn't help it that he sometimes treated Ephram like a baby. He knew he shouldn't but the truth is, all parents tend to treat their children like babies no matter how old they get. It's natural behavior. That's one of the baffling mysteries of being a parent. Parents never considered their children "old".

Perhaps through Andy's eyes, Ephram was still a child. He called him sweet little nicknames – some of which Julia had used to address the boy. And sometimes, Ephram didn't seem to mind it as long as it was used with discretion – meaning not in public or in front of friends. But Andy could understand that. Ephram wanted to appear so mature and unbreakable. And in a way, he really has or he would never have pulled it off in taking such good care of Delia for so many years. However, Andy was able to see Ephram's fragileness and how easily emotionally breakable he could really be. Ephram's spent a good percent of his childhood playing the adult. He never had the chance to be the kid. Andy knew Ephram needed someone to lean on and someone to hold when he's frightened or sick. The bottom line is that Ephram was not as strong as he made himself appear. It was just a thick mask – a fog – to hide the weakness.

Andy wished to be able to give more to Ephram than just a shoulder to cry on. The boy wanted so much but asked for so little. He wasn't being fair to him. Andy decided to close the clinic early and take Ephram to see a movie after lunch. The kid would like that very much. Besides, it's not like Andy had a full schedule. Excited with the idea, he scribbled a few signatures and sealed some envelopes.

He was looking for his pen cap when he heard an unfamiliar noise. It came from the foyer. The noise sounded like a sharp thud – similar to the sound of a bunch of books sliding off the table and landing on the floor. Andy stayed still to hear it again – and nothing.

"Ephram?" Andy called. No answer. "Son?" He called louder from his seat. Still no answer. He had a weird, uneasy feeling in his stomach. He got up from his desk and walked vigilantly out of his office.

Andy stepped into the foyer and saw the top drawer of the second file cabinet still open and a scatter of papers covered the floor just beneath it. His eyes followed the trail of paper, which lead him to his unconscious son's body lying face-up on the middle of the floor.

"Oh God! Oh no!!" Andy gasped and rushed over to the boy. He realized now that the thud he heard was Ephram's body weight hitting the floor.

"Ephram!! Son?" Andy said as he knelt down beside him. The boy's complexion was deathly white. With a shaky hand, Andy felt the boy's neck for a pulse. "You've got a pulse. A bit slow but still good." He sighed in relief. He ran his hand over Ephram's pale cheek to feel for fever. "No fever, that's good." He thought out loud. Ephram's skin was clammy and cold.

"Ephram, hey Ephram." Andy continued to call and tried to rouse the unconscious boy by giving him a gentle shake. Ephram let out a soft moan as Andy anxiously awaited him to open his eyes. "Can you hear me?" His voice tensed. The boy stirred sluggishly and opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a fuzzy image of his father looking back at him. His father's facial expression was one of eagerness and apprehension. The air seemed especially thin and Ephram had to really put an effort in inhaling a breath. He saw his father's lips move and he knew words were directed at him but the diction that came out impaired. The slight buzzing in the ears may have something to do with it. Ephram blinked a few times and his vision became clearer.

"Hi dad." Ephram greeted with a lethargic smile. At this point, he still didn't know what was going on. His body felt detached and numb – like as if he was floating on air. His heart rate was slow.

"Hey." Andy replied.

"I'm almost finished filing." Ephram said softly. Confused, he couldn't understand why he felt so drained.

"I see that. And you're getting pretty good at it. Maybe I should hire you." Andy spoke tenderly.

"Edna wouldn't like the competition." Ephram garbled almost incoherently.

"No, but she would like the company. Gets awful quiet out here sometimes." Andy forced a calm smile. 'The kid doesn't even know he fainted.' He thought in dismay.

Getting some of the feeling back in his body, Ephram sighed and tried to move. He turned his head and realized he was not sitting or standing up but instead, he was sprawled on the floor. "Hey!! What am I doing on the floor??" He exclaimed in surprise and tried to pull himself up. After realizing that he didn't have the energy to, he lied back down. The back of his head was throbbing.

"Easy now, baby." Andy cautioned. "You passed out."

"I did??" The boy sounded shocked.

"Yes. You did. Lie still for a while until you get your strength back." Andy advised in a doctoral tone.

"Gosh, how long was I out?" Ephram mumbled.

"About a minute, I think. How do you feel?" Andy smoothed Ephram's hair gently.

"Tired." Ephram blinked. "Aw man, did something hit me in the head?" He winced in pain.

"You hit your head on the floor when you collapsed." Andy said as he checked the back of Ephram's head.

Ephram felt the pins and needle sensation pricking through his whole body as the circulation resumed its course. He shook his hands to speed up the blood flow and get rid of the uncomfortable feeling faster. A tiny moan escaped his lips when Andy touched the delicate spot on his head.

"How many fingers do you see?" Andy asked as he raised one index finger in front of Ephram.

"Dad! I can't believe you're asking me that question." Ephram sighed in annoyance.

"It's important. Just answer the question." Andy ordered.

"Fine." The boy squinted at his father's hand. "Um. One?" Andy didn't like the way the answer sounded like a guess rather than a statement.

"Do you think you can sit up?" Andy questioned.

"Huh?" The boy seemed a bit disoriented. "Oh – I think so." He was slow to register what was asked of him. Andy gently pulled the boy up to a sitting position. Ephram slouched and reached back to rub the knot on the back of his head.

"Are you feeling better?" Andy shot a worried glance at the boy's face. Ephram wasn't in the mood to go into details. He'd just gotten back his wind and his brain felt like mashed potatoes. He let out an "Hmm."

"Alright, let's get up. Can you get up?" Andy asked. Ephram wished his father would stop asking him questions. Without answering his father, Ephram ventured to stand up by himself. He did so successfully without falling back down. The boy leaned on the edge of Edna's desk in a stupor. "We're leaving. Let me grab my keys." Andy instructed.

Ephram did not object nor did he ask questions. Feeling like he just had the crap beaten out of him and looking like something the cat dragged in, Ephram followed his father out the office obediently. Leaning on the wrought iron railing outside the clinic, he waited for Andy as he turned off the lights and locked the front door to the clinic. They walked to the car, which was parked across from the office. Andy had a secure arm around his son's shoulder to guide him in the right direction and to catch him should he have another fainting spell.

Fatigued, Ephram almost felt relieved when he sat down in the passenger side of the car. At least he didn't have to walk anymore. He fumbled several times for the seat belt over his shoulder. He didn't realize he'd taken so long because before he knew it, his father had already gotten in the car and reaching over to help him snap his seat belt into place.

There was no music playing when they started driving. Andy rolled down the windows so Ephram can get some fresh air. When they made the turn on Sycamore Street, Ephram knew they were getting close to Elroy's Burger Giant. He didn't have to actually see the restaurant to know they were close, he knew they were close when he could smell that greasy fried smell. It was their trademark. The restaurant finally came into sight when they were about one block away. Ephram could see the midday lunch crowd gradually accumulating under the red and green-checkered awning. He expected his father to slow down and look for a parking space, but they whizzed by the burger joint.

"Uh dad, I thought we were gonna get lunch. We just passed Elroy's." Ephram remarked.

"We're not going there today." Andy's short response made Ephram perplexed.

"We're not?" Ephram rubbed the back of his neck and grunted. "Then we're going home?" His voice was hoarse.

"Nope. Not yet." Another short response from Andy. "We're going to make another stop first."

"Where are we going?" Ephram was tired of second-guessing.

"We're going to Denver General." Andy answered calmly.

"The hospital?!" The boy exclaimed. "Why are we going to the hospital??"

"Relax, it's nothing to get all wind up about. We were gonna make this trip sooner or later. I actually planned it for this weekend but since all this happened I figured we shouldn't wait. The earlier we get you checked out, the better. We'll just run some preliminary tests to make sure you're ok. Besides, you hit your head pretty hard. You might have a concussion."

"We can't go to the hospital!!" Ephram objected.

"Really, it's no big deal. The tests won't hurt and I'll be right by your side." Andy coaxed.

"No! It's not that." The boy groaned. "If we go to the hospital, then there's a good chance I might run into Gwen." He paused to gather his thoughts, as his head was still a little dazed. "I can't have her see me looking like a bum. Look what I'm wearing!!!" He bleated like as if it was the end of the world.

"Ephram, you look fine." Andy sighed. He wanted to laugh. Here was his son, who passed out in the middle of the floor of his office for some unknown and potentially dangerous reason and who knocked his head so hard it might have scrambled his brains, and all he cared about was some silly first impression. "T-shirt and jeans. So? It's you. What's wrong with that?" He added after darting a glance at what his son was wearing.

"You don't understand!!!" Ephram whined.

"Don't be ridiculous! She won't care what you look like. As long as you don't smell, I think you'll be ok." Andy chortled lightly.

"What? Do I smell?" Ephram took everything seriously. He seemed to have forgotten about his headache. Andy laughed when he saw the boy sniffing his armpits to make sure body odor was not an issue.

"Geez, if it'll make you feel better, I'll comb your hair before we go in. Ok?" A smile formed on Andy's lips. "Why don't you settle down and put your head back. Close your eyes. Take a nap. Don't worry about Gwen. Let her see you the way you are. You wouldn't look disheveled if it weren't an emergency. It adds to the sympathy."

"Maybe you're right." Ephram finally said. Resting. It wasn't such a bad idea. The knot behind his head was still throbbing. He gently tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "Oh No!" He suddenly exclaimed.

"What? What's wrong?" Andy inquired.

"What about Nina and Delia? They don't know we're going to the hospital."

"Don't worry, I'll call Nina later."

Satisfied with the reply, Ephram relaxed. It was a while before he started talking again. "Dad?"

"Yea?"

"Why did I pass out?" Ephram asked curiously.

"Because there was not enough oxygen reaching your brain." Andy replied.

"I know that. I mean what made me pass out."

"Don't know for sure. That's why we're going to the hospital."

"You don't think – "The boy began. "You don't think it means something bad, do you?"

"Nah. It's probably nothing." Andy said convincingly. Silence hit once again. Andy drove fast unintentionally hitting just about every bump in the road. He stared at the road ahead. He was not thinking about his driving. His mind was on what tests should be done on Ephram first. CAT scan first, chest X-rays second, then blood test, and blood pressure after.

Ephram groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. Andy's mind was miles away but a mechanism in his brain triggered and his parental intuition kicked in allowing him to hear Ephram.

"How are you holding up?" Andy asked.

"What I wouldn't do for a Tylenol right about now." Ephram winced.

"Hurts, huh?"

"Yea. Maybe I'll pass out again." He laughed.

"Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?" Andy did not take that comment lightly.

"I don't think so."

"Is that a guess?"

"I'm just a little lightheaded." He rubbed his eyes.

"I always knew you were a feather brain." Andy joked hoping to distract Ephram from his ailments. The boy must've been feeling pretty awful because he did not give a smart reply.

"Mmm." Ephram moaned and closed his eyes.

"Yea, just rest up." Andy said.

A good ten minutes passed. Andy thought Ephram had fallen asleep. He was sort of relieved that the boy was getting some shut-eye. His concerned darting glances alternated between the road and his son. Finally, he just concentrated on the road.

"Dad?" Still with his head leaning against the headrest, the boy opened his eyes and turned to his father.

"I thought you were sleeping." Andy said looking at his son.

"Naw, I was just resting my eyes. I couldn't sleep with this headache. I was trying to will it to stop. But it's not working." Ephram said. "Dad?" He repeated.

"What is it?"

"Am I going to be alright?"

"Are you worried?" Andy sensed the uneasy tone in Ephram's voice.

Ephram gave a short nod.

"Well, you shouldn't be. You knocked your head pretty hard but you're fine. Besides, you've survived worst falls than this." Andy reassured. "Remember the time you fell out of that tree?"

"Yea." Ephram laughed. "I nearly broke my ass."

"More like dislocated your shoulder." Andy said. "Your mother warned you not to climb that tree, but you wouldn't listen."

"I was pretty mischievous, huh?"

"Rambunctious is the word I would use. I don't know what possessed you to climb a tree in the first place."

"I was nine and gutsier back then. I guess I wanted to see if I could do it."

"Well, if it was a challenge you were after, I wished you could've chosen a less dangerous one – like crossword puzzles or something." Andy said and the idea made Ephram laugh.

"Yea – well when you're that age, you don't think of consequences. You believe you're invincible." Ephram said.

"You still do." Andy reminded. It was ironic how Ephram sometimes spoke like he was much older than he really is. Andy found it rather amusing. It was true that Ephram's mentality was slightly more mature than the average kid and circumstances forced him to "grow up" faster than other kids his age, but someone had to remind Ephram that he was only a boy.

"Dad? Can I tell you something?" Ephram said after a pause.

"Sure. What is it?"

"I wasn't being rebellious."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean when I climbed that tree. I did it more because I wanted to get your attention not because I wanted to prove something. I guess I was so hungry for your attention at that point in time that I probably would've done anything just to get you to turn your head for a second." Ephram admitted. "I wanted to do something that'll make you notice me. I figured if I climbed to the top of that tree, I'd make you proud since nothing else I did seem to work."

The April rain was endless. April showers bring May flowers – but nobody really cared. That was New York. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were not unusual in the springtime. It was a way of life and you learned to accept it. But being cooped up indoors for any long period of time was enough to drive anyone up the wall. And when the first pleasant day rolled around, everyone wanted to take part in it. As luck would have it, this agreeable day landed on a Sunday and coincidentally, the great Doctor Andrew Brown had the day off.

One in a million – as Ephram used to put it. It was very rare that Andy had any days off with the chaotic schedule that he juggled. He was an asset to the profession and everyone wanted and needed him. It took him too long to realize that his son was the one who needed him the most.

Andy took the family to Central Park. Central Park always seemed the likely excursion because it was convenient. And it helped that the park was just a few short blocks away from their apartment.

Ephram was only nine years old and he already knew Central Park West like the back of his hand. He wasn't surprised that his father would suggest going to the same place every time he had a day off and felt the need to make up for lost time with his family. Ephram wasn't excessively enthusiastic but he went along with it nonetheless.

After purchasing a lunch of overpriced, yet gourmet, sandwiches from an upscale eatery at the park, they decided to eat al fresco and found a nearby empty picnic table on the grass. Ephram ate his food while watching his parents make conversation and fuss over Delia, who was two years old at the time and stroller-bound. Andy was paying attention to Ephram and joked around from time to time. It almost seemed like they were one big happy family again. But eventually, that magical moment vanished when Andy's pager went off and he disappeared to find a pay phone.

Ephram found a dead branch that had fallen off a tree. He kept himself busy with his active imagination in pretending he was young D'Artagnan of the Musketeers. Using the branch as his sword, he battled the evil Cardinal Richelieu, which happened to be a mulberry bush. It was a very intense scuffle that didn't go without his own battle wounds. Though more importantly, he had defeated the Cardinal and brought justice to King Louis XIII. Upon his return to the castle, the king rewards him with a medal of honor and two thousand gold coins (which at that time, seemed like a lot through the eyes of young Ephram).

After a while, he got bored and wandered around the area to "explore". He came across a great oak. It was massive and tall with a spread of at least forty feet. The thick trunk illustrated its powerful character and sturdiness in withstanding the elements of nature. There were three fat limbs stemming from where the trunk ended. The limbs of smaller branches grew out of larger branches and seemed to run on forever reaching skyward. There were no leaves on the trees yet and this skeletal appearance added to the grandeur. Ephram stood there in amazement and surveyed the tree from top to bottom. It was the biggest tree he'd ever seen. Broad roots penetrated through the soil making the tree look like an octopus or a really big squid. Ephram walked on the roots around the tree. He noticed the imperfections of the tree. There were knobby protrusions on the sides of the trunk from old age.

Ephram scanned the park and spotted his father still yapping away at a payphone near the restaurant. Andy cradled the receiver between his ear and shoulder as he fished for more coins in his pants pockets to insert into the payphone slot. Ephram turned his eyes away. He heard the tree's silent words. "Climb me! Climb me!" it taunted and Ephram couldn't resist. Succumbed to the temptation, he stood on the roots, grabbed those tiny funny knobs, and pushed himself up on the trunk. The boy was warned several times by his mother to get away from that tree when she noticed what he was doing. Never quite making it passed the trunk before his mother started scolding him, he came back down.

The moment of truth came when Delia spilled her apple juice all over herself and Ephram's mother was distracted with cleaning the mess. Ephram took the opportunity to tackle the tree again. He figured if he was able to reach the top, maybe he could earn his father's attention and his bravery would be applauded. It didn't take him long to reach the first limb. He sat there and dangled his feet for a minute before continuing to climb the next limb. The higher he climbed, the cooler the view. By then his mother had already started calling his name because she did not see him anywhere.

"Here I am!!" Ephram yelled from the tree and waved to his mother. She was not pleased to see him up in the tree.

"Ephram, you get down from there this instant." His mother picked Delia out of the stroller and came running. "Ephram!! Do you hear me? You are in big trouble young man!!" She screamed because she was scared. She was afraid he would fall and hurt himself.

It was easier to climb up rather than climb down. His mother's hollering made him nervous and he sprung into action. Boy, she looked steaming mad. He tried to climb down as quickly as he could - one foot after the other. Things were going well until he reached the last limb. His footing slipped and he fell - came down on his stomach.

He saw stars. The pain wasn't immediate. It needed time to build. After the stars disappeared, he tried to move and an excruciating stab of pain shot through his body. The patch of grass that broke his fall didn't help much. His mother was by his side hysterical. Soon, his father came running at full speed. He left the phone receiver swinging off the hook.

Ephram opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out – only grunts. He wondered if the fall somehow damaged his vocal chords. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even say, "Mom". Short of breath, he felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. His whole body ached and couldn't decide on the source of the pain. He thought he'd broken all the bones in his body. Scared and in pain, he started bawling. His mother kept calling his name but he wasn't able to answer. Her voice was growing more and more concerned. Seeing the commotion, Delia started crying too. Ephram's father felt his son's bruised body for fractures. When he moved his hand over Ephram's left shoulder, the boy shrieked in agony. The unusual bump under Ephram's skin gave proof that the boy had his humerus, or the head of the upper arm bone, knocked out of his socket.

Drawing a small crowd, Andy kept Ephram calm and told him it was imperative that he did not move. He feared internal bleeding and spinal injuries as well as nerve damage and torn ligaments. Ephram sobbed as the spasms of pain racked his small body. With his mother smoothing his hair gently and gave words of comfort, the boy lay there helplessly until help came.

It took forever for the ambulance to arrive. But once it did, the transport was very quick. Andy rode in the ambulance with Ephram while Julia got the car and drove Delia to meet up at the hospital.

Luckily, Ephram only suffered minor bruising and a dislocated shoulder but the response to his accident was most unexpected. With his arm in a sling, he got all the attention he ever wanted from everyone – including his father. There were times after the accident when his father called him twice in a day from the office to see just how he was doing and to remind him to ice the sore area. Then there were the dinners, where Andy actually wrote it in his appointment book to have dinner with his family twice a week. Every weekend, Andy took Ephram to the movies or the arcade. That was a treat for the boy. He felt like the luckiest kid in the world. But it was only temporary. As he got better, his father disappeared from his life again. Sometimes, he wished he were still hurt so his father would spend more time with him.

"Ephram, did you know how worried I was about you when you fell from that tree??" Andy said as he recalled the famous tree-climbing incident.

"Well, it certainly got your attention and I was the happiest kid for about two months." Ephram replied.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing!!" Andy gasped. "Ephram! Oh son, I know I should've been a better father to you and I should have seen all the signs. To think you were capable of pulling a dangerous stunt like that – God Ephram – I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I never intended to fall and get hurt. That part was an accident. But it turned out to be the fudge on a sundae because my plan to get your attention worked." Ephram explained.

"Do you know you could've broken your neck? You have to promise me you'll never do anything that crazy again. Promise me." Andy demanded.

"Da-ad. I was nine at the time. Practically a million years ago. I didn't know what I was doing." He rolled his eyes.

"Son, I don't want you to hurt yourself to get my attention. You already have my attention - all you have to do is talk to me. Do you understand? Now promise me."

"I already said that was an accident. I didn't deliberately fall from that tree." Ephram was finding it difficult for his father to understand his point of view. He neither had the strength nor the desire for an argument.

"Ephram. Call it what you will. I love you to death. I'll never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Fine. I promise." Ephram said.

"Good." Andy was satisfied.

The rest of the trip to Denver was spent in silence. Ephram didn't feel like talking much and it was understandable given the circumstances. It was a long ride to Denver and eventually, he nodded off. His sleep did not start off as a relaxed one. He dozed lightly but he could hear things around him – the cars whizzing by in the opposite direction, the clanking motor of Andy's car, birds squawking somewhere hidden in the trees. He felt the acceleration of the car, the leather seat under his body, and the dull ache in the back of his skull. When he drifted into a deeper sleep, the sounds and sense of touch became more and more detached. Part of him grew alarmed at the notion that he was passing out. He tried to tell himself to stay awake but his body refused. It was really hard to tell what was happening to him – sleep and unconsciousness were so similar. He couldn't differentiate one from the other anymore.

Andy took the moment to call Nina and let her know they were on the way to the hospital. He knew she would be hard to reach that afternoon because of the meeting and all so he decided to leave a brief message and call her back later and fill in the gaps.

It seemed like he hadn't had five minutes of sleep yet and his father was already giving him a shake to wake him up.

"Hmm?" The boy said drowsily.

"Ephram."

"What dad?" He sounded annoyed that his sleep was disturbed.

"We're here." Andy said as he unfastened Ephram's seat belt.

"We are?" Ephram opened one eye first. They were parked with the ignition turned off. He groaned tiredly.

"Can you walk ok? Do you want me to carry you in?" Andy offered.

"What are you – nuts?! Carry me in – what am I a baby or a retard?!" The boy exclaimed. "That's embarrassing. I'm gonna walk." He boasted proudly.

"You're still dazed from that knock on the head. We can get you a stretcher or wheelchair." Andy said.

"No thank you. I think I can manage." Ephram replied and proceeded to get out of the car.

Ephram was slightly wobbling from left to right. Andy realized this and took a firm hold of the boy's collar. The nurses in the emergency room all knew Andy by name and they couldn't possibly forget Ephram. Andy was popular before but after the bear incident, he was even more popular – even the janitor knew who he was. The nurses were surprised to see Ephram making a visit and inquired if everything was alright.

"Does anybody have a freakin' aspirin??" Ephram asked desperately. "I'm gonna keel over if I don't get one soon."

Andy explained to the nurses what happened earlier and their reason for the trip. Several nurses within earshot gathered around to hear the news. They alternated concerned glances between Andy and Ephram.

"Dad. Dad." Ephram interrupted. He hated how every time his father told a story, he had to start at the beginning of time. Maybe the older you get, the more long-winded you become. "Can I sit down?" The boy asked as he was leaning against the counter.

"Here, sugar. Sit here." A nurse said. As if by magic, she appeared out of nowhere pushing an empty wheelchair towards Ephram. Ephram looked at his father in hesitation. "Don't be shy now. Come on. Sit right here and I'll get you a Tylenol." The nurse continued. She had a trusting, grandmother-y appearance that Ephram found safe and credulous. The boy took a seat in the wheelchair.

"Sugar, you don't look so good." The nurse said as she observed the boy closely. "Have you eaten anything?" She asked. Ephram shook his head. "You poor dear. Well, you can't take any kind of medicine on an empty stomach. Are you hungry? Do you want a cookie first?" She was so nice. Ephram nodded.

"Good. I'll be right back." The nice nurse said with a smile. Ephram's eyes followed her as she walked into the room behind the front counter. He listened to his father telling the nurses what he wanted done first, second, and third until the nice nurse returned with two large cookies, a cup of water and two small tablets in a paper pill cup. The nice nurse handed him a cookie and gave the other one to Andy.

Ephram felt like a lab rat. They watched him as he nibbled on the cookie. It wasn't a horrible tasting cookie. He did not feel the pangs of hunger yet. It was 2:30 pm. He had to admit that although he had not eaten anything since breakfast, he was not as ravenously hungry as he should be. He wondered if that was normal. But nevertheless, he needed to get something down in his stomach before taking the medicine.

After Ephram downed the tablets with a shot of water, Andy wheeled Ephram into a room down the hall where the boy was supposed to change into a hospital gown. Ephram was trying to take off his shirt and jeans but apparently, he wasn't doing it fast enough because Andy helped speed up the process. Usually, Ephram would make a big stink about wearing a backless gown but this time, he obeyed quietly. He seemed too uncomfortable to care. Seeing this, Andy allowed the boy to keep his underwear on and promised him sweatpants afterwards.

Accompanied by a nurse, Andy wheeled Ephram on the wheelchair into radiology, where another nurse and a radiologist were prepping for the scan. They did a thorough scan of Ephram's head and entire torso. He was then wheeled to another room where they took more X-rays of his head and skull. Finally, they brought him back to the first room. A pair of sweatpants was slipped onto the boy's legs. Andy helped him onto the bed. The same nurse came in with a syringe and drew blood from Ephram's arm. When she was done, she smiled matronly and gave Ephram a Scooby-Doo band-aid, which Ephram thought was funny because he never had a cartoon band-aid before. His mother always used to buy the skin-toned boring ones.

Ephram expressed how tired he was and wished to take a nap but he made it clear that he wanted to go home. He did not want to stay overnight at the hospital. However, he thought it would be nice if he could say hi to Gwen before he left since he was in the neighborhood. Andy left the room when the same nurse who drew the blood returned and proceeded to take Ephram's blood pressure.

Shortly after, Andy returned with a surprise for Ephram. Sleep escaped his body when he saw Gwen enter the room tagging behind his father. Andy did Ephram the favor of paging Gwen on the hall phone. When she came, Andy started off by apologizing profusely on imposing on her busy schedule but he had to use her for his own selfish needs. There was a certain eager sickly boy lying in exam room number five who wanted so much to see her. Andy briefed her on the earlier events of the day. And she agreed to visit her former patient in a heartbeat.

Ephram was so glad to hear her call him Charlie Brown. The visit was chaperoned by Andy but Ephram didn't mind. Gwen perched on the edge of Ephram's bed and Ephram couldn't be happier. He was glad he had sweatpants on because it would've been real embarrassing if he didn't. The subject of discussion varied. Gwen inquired about his shoulder and chest, how he was currently feeling, if his head still hurt, what he was up to lately, had he finally seen Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and if so, what were his thoughts on it. And the list went on. It was trivial conversation. They touched each area briefly – the weather, school, his friends, Delia, comics, movies, Leo. They kind of got caught on the subject of music. Ephram was so excited when he found out that Gwen was a big classical music enthusiast that he absentmindedly invited Gwen over to his house without running it by his father first. He wanted to play his rendition of Rachmaninov's piano concerto # 1 opus # 1 and rhapsody on a theme of Paganini for her. Andy encouraged the notion to help the awkwardness. There was nothing wrong with having some company over. Gwen took up on the offer as soon had she had some time off.

At the end of the visit, Gwen gave Ephram a good-bye/take care kiss on the forehead. It was a peck of a kiss that literally implied nothing. It was the sort of kiss that a mother gave her child. The unexpected kiss made Ephram's heart race. Andy never knew Ephram's face could turn red right up to the tips of his ears so fast. It was like watching a temperature rising on a thermometer. Ephram felt warm under the collar. His head was spinning and his stomach was doing somersaults. Yes, love was a wonderful feeling.

Andy sat with Ephram after Gwen left. Ephram's mind was wide-awake but his body was begging for sleep. He had an ear-to-ear grin on his face. Andy figured if the boy's busy thinking about girls, at least the bear nightmares would have a less of a chance in reoccurring. Meanwhile, Ephram couldn't believe what happened. He let the thoughts settle in on the realization that the girl of his dreams just kissed him. He may very well never wash his face again.

"Do I have to get you a tranquilizer?" Andy said after a while. "After that, you're in too much of a high to take a nap." He laughed. "Maybe it was a bad idea that Gwen came. Now you're too excited."

"Don't blame her. It's not her fault." Ephram said in defense.

"Yea, it's not her fault you have it bad for her. Remember, she's way out of your league." Andy teased.

"Blah, blah. I know about the age difference. You really know how to spoil a moment, don't you??"

"That would be my intention." Andy replied. "You look beat. A nap will do you good. You think you can sleep now that I've taken your head out of the clouds?"

"Yea – like a baby."

"We'll pick up something from Il Fornaio for dinner. You'll love their brick oven pizza. Sounds ok?"

Ephram nodded.

Andy advised Ephram that he had to step out and call Nina again. With all the action in preparing Ephram for all those tests, he hadn't got a free moment to call Nina again with the latest update. He didn't want to worry her more than he already had. Although Ephram insisted that he would be fine in the room by himself, Andy promised to return in a few minutes. He exited the room and closed the door behind him softly. Upon doing so, he heard Delia's voice. He turned around and saw his daughter down the hall running towards him.

----- Back To The Future -----

"How is he now?" Nina asked.

"He's ok. We took tests to be on the safe side. His head X-rays are normal – nothing fractured. But the CAT scan and blood tests will take twenty-four hours for completion. The cause of his fainting spell was most likely due to stress and too much activity. Boy's tired."

"Well, thank goodness he's alright." Nina sighed in relief. Then her tone of voice changed. "I can't believe you. You actually took him to work with you!" She scowled at Andy.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. It wasn't my idea. I wanted to stay home but he said if I brought him to the office, I could get some stuff done and he could get a change of scenery. He twisted my arm."

"Yea, a boy was able to twist your arm. I find that hard to believe." Nina said. "And even still, he was bored so you made him work?!" She glowered. "In his condition?"

Suddenly, Andy grew scared of Nina. When he was able to see the dimple above her left lip, he knew she was not pleased. That tiny dimple was the only way Andy could really tell if she was pissed off at something. It only appeared when she made a mean face. He wondered if she knew.

"I know I screwed up. But you know, I didn't want him to think I was an old nag. I wanted him to think I was cool so I did what he wanted. I wasn't asking him to pump iron. I didn't think some light filing would hurt." Andy said still holding Delia in his arms. Nina's face softened.

"And exactly how many times did you crack the whip behind him?" Nina poked.

"You make me sound so evil. Like I worked the poor boy until he passed out." Andy made a hurt face.

"Yea, you probably didn't give him any water either." She mocked.

"Daddy, put me down." Delia requested as she slid off her father's arms. "I want to see him."

"He's in there." Andy began as he thumbed to the room he just came out of. Before he could say another word, Delia bolted for the door and turned the knob. "Delia, wait!"

The door roughly swung open and she tripped into the middle of the room. Her eyes locked onto the figure lying on the bed. Ephram's eyes shot open at the sound and looked to see who it was.

"Ephram!! Ephram!!" She called through sobs. "I thought something bad happened to you. I was afraid you died. Nobody told me anything and I was so scared I was gonna lose you." She rambled.

"But Delia! I'm fine." Ephram said as Delia climbed onto the bed. She threw hew arms around her brother in a hug.

"You can't leave me. You can't. I need you still. I'll need you forever." Delia sobbed into Ephram's thin polka-dotted hospital gown. "I'll do anything. Anything you want. Just don't leave me."

"Delia." Ephram called. "Del, look at me." He raised her chin up. Delia reluctantly looked up with a sad face dripping with tears. "I'm ok."

"Then why are you here? Why?" The little girl demanded. "I heard it from dad but he sugar-coats everything."

"I was sick this morning but I'm ok now. I overworked myself and it caused my body to shut down - but only for a minute. And I also bumped my head when I fell. It hurts like you wouldn't believe." Ephram's eyes locked onto his sister's eyes while he spoke. "And that's the truth."

"Really?" She sniffled.

"I swear."

"Then why are you sleeping in this bed? Are you hospitalized?"

"Huh? No. Dad made me take a bunch of X-rays. And that takes a lot out of me. It leaves me so tired. Plus my head is killing me. He said I can take a nap here before we leave." Ephram explained. Delia seemed to be satisfied with the answer.

"You know, Nina's here too. She drove me and Sam here. She pulled us out of school." Delia said while wiping her tears away.

"Wow, she can do that?" Ephram murmured trying to keep his energy up. "What subject did you miss?"

"Math."

"Lucky duck."

By then, the adults and Sam had caught up with Delia. Sam was the first one through the door. Seeing Delia sitting next to Ephram on the bed, he, too, climbed onto the bed to give Ephram a hug. Ephram accepted the hug and playfully ruffled Sam's hair. Nina and Andy entered the room.

"Ephram. Sweetie, how are you?" Nina said as she approached the bed.

"They took my blood." He cracked a weary smile and nodded at his Scooby-Doo band-aid on the crook of his left arm. He already had Nina's sympathy.

"How's your head?" Nina said with a worried air. She rubbed his arm lightly.

"It's ok. Dad says that when people faint, hitting the ground has a tendency to do more damage than the actual cause of the faint." Ephram said knowledgably. "It's so true coming from experience." He rubbed the back of his head. "Ow."

"Did they give you anything for the headache?" Nina asked taking a closer look at him.

"Two Tylenols. It's better now. Just hurts when I touch my head." Ephram said. "Nothing I can't handle though."

"He nearly cracked his head open." Andy said. "Lucky that the kid has a thick skull to begin with or we would've been in big trouble." He joked and tried to pinch Ephram in the cheek but he moved away just in the nick of time.

"See Nina, this is what I have to put up with. If I hear one more of his terrible jokes, I think I'm gonna bang my head against the wall so I can fall unconscious again. That way, I don't have to hear it."

"Ephram, you shouldn't say things like that." Nina said.

"Nina?" His smile was heartbreaking.

"What is it?" Nina whispered.

"She kissed me." Ephram told. He was itching to tell someone.

"Who?" Nina was confused.

"Gwen came to visit." Ephram revealed.

"She kissed you?!" Nina gasped in surprise partly because she did not believe it.

"Yea – she kissed him on the forehead." Andy laughed. Nina started laughing too.

"Shut up dad! A kiss is a kiss. It doesn't matter where it was placed." Ephram pouted.

"Oh honey, well then, I guess that's right. You were very lucky." Nina tried to keep a straight face.

"He's a walking four-leaf clover." Andy commented.

"I think she likes me." Ephram marveled happily.

"Uh – I believe that's the mild concussion talking." Andy joked.

Nina smoothed the boy's hair. "You look famished. Have you eaten?" She changed the subject.

"He hasn't. All he ate today was a bowl of cereal and a cookie." Andy answered.

"Can I get you anything? I'll get you whatever you want!!" Delia piped eagerly trying to be helpful.

"We're all going to Il Fornaio for dinner later. My treat." Andy said. "But if Ephram's hungry right now, we can probably scrape up something for him from the cafeteria."

"Well, I am kind of thirsty." Ephram admitted. He was not crazy about cafeteria or hospital food. "I feel like a Snapple lemon iced tea – a cold one."

"I'll get it!!!" Delia volunteered as she hoped off the bed.

"Me too, I want to go too!!" Sam yelled and followed Delia.

Excited, Delia was reaching for the doorknob when she realized something. "Waitaminute!! I don't have any money." She cried. They walked back to Andy.

"See, I knew they'd come back." Andy gave Nina a wink. "Kids, I can't have you guys running around the hospital. It's not a playground. There are serious activities going on here. First of all, do you even know which direction you're going in?" He said. Delia and Sam looked at each other and shrugged at Andy.

"You go with them." Nina said. "I'll stay with Ephram."

The man with the wallet led the way and the two little helpers followed leaving Nina alone with Ephram.

"They're sweet." Ephram said referring to Delia and Sam.

"Yea – they are." Nina agreed. She took his hand.

"Fine mess I got myself into this time, huh?" Ephram mumbled. He curled his long fingers around Nina's hand.

"Your father did the right thing in bringing you here." She said. "You're still recovering. You can't get all wild and teenager-y just yet. You need to take it easy and get plenty of rest so your body can heal faster and completely. You also need to eat even when you're not hungry – three meals a day."

"I know."

"And if you feel run down, don't ignore it. It's your body's way of telling you it needs to rest. If you push yourself too hard, this is going to happen." Nina said with a firm and serious voice. "I'm only giving you a big lecture because I care about you. You mean everything to your father and Delia. I see how much they love you."

"I promise to take better care of myself." Ephram wanted her approval.

"That's a good boy." She kissed his fingers. Ephram was putty in Nina's presence. There was everything motherly about her – the way she talks, the way she acts, the way she looks.

"Nina?" Ephram called. "I don't think I can wait for the Snapple. I'm really tired right now." He confessed.

"Why don't you take a nap first and we'll save the Snapple for when you wake?" Nina offered.

"Are you gonna stay in here awhile?" Ephram asked. His eyes pleaded for her to stay. "I know I told my dad that I would be ok in here alone, but now that you're here..." His voice trailed off.

"I'll stay as long as you like. Close your eyes baby and sleep." She lulled. Her gentle voice was most hypnotic making it hard for Ephram to keep his drowsy eyelids open. He sighed heavily. "There, there. You're ok. You just need some sleep. You'll be good as new when you wake."

"Nina, can you wake me up in one hour? I don't want to stay here overnight. I want to go home." His eyes were so heavy with fatigue that they were little slits when he spoke to Nina.

"Sure." Nina replied even though she was not going to wake him up in an hour. She was going to let him sleep. But she knows he'll be hungry when he wakes so she'll have a little snack ready for him.

Ephram fell fast asleep. He was exhausted and it was about time for him to sleep it off. Nina found a blanket on the foot of another bed in the room. She covered the boy with the blanket and drew it up to the boy's chest. After tucking in Ephram's arms gently under the blanket, Nina pushed a few pieces of the boy's hair back that appeared to be uncomfortably touching his brow. Nina sat there until Andy and the kids returned.

They let Ephram sleep for four hours. When he woke, he was a little less than happy that no one woke him up in one hour as per his request. But then again, it didn't matter because whatever tactic they used to wake him, probably wouldn't have worked anyway because he slept like the dead. He felt substantially better after his nap. The throbbing in his head was more or less gone. Refreshed, he changed back into his own clothes and joined his family.

As expected, he was hungry and Nina was prepared. She had gotten him a snack to hold him until dinner – peanut butter sandwich crackers from the vending machine in the lounge plus the Snapple that was bought early and kept in the refrigerator.

Dinner at Il Fornaio on Wazee Street in LODO was filling as well as delicious. For Ephram, it was like tasting pizza for the first time. The bubbling cheese was hot enough to blister the roof of your mouth if eaten without caution. And the ultra thin and crispy garlic-flavored crust crunched with each delectable bite. Ephram exceeded his limit. He downed two regular slices, two and a half ham and pineapple slices, two garlic breadsticks, one tall glass of Coke, four spicy Buffalo wings, and half a portion of the restaurant's homemade chocolate almond Gelato. Andy and Nina were both amazed at how much food Ephram was able to devour. The poor boy hadn't eaten all day and now, he was making up for it.

When they walked out of the restaurant, it was well after 10 pm. Andy decided to check into the Holiday Inn for the night since it was too late to start driving back to Everwood. Ephram pondered on how old fashioned his father was when he went to the front desk and booked two separate rooms. He wished Andy would book a large suite that would fit all five of them. But then again, Ephram was so used to staying at five star hotels maybe the Holiday Inn didn't have suites that big. Luckily the two rooms that Andy requested were next door to each other.

'How ironic!' Ephram thought. 'Just like how it was back home.'

Nina and Sam stayed in one room while Andy, Ephram, and Delia stayed in the other. Ephram made a beeline for the queen sized bed nearest the balcony when he stepped into the hotel room. He sat at the foot of the bed with his legs still hanging over the edge and lied his upper torso down on the tonal bronze paisley bedcover.

Delia was busy having fun jumping up and down on top of the other bed. Andy was holding his door open with his foot while talking to Nina in the hall to make sure everything was alright in her room. When he finally came in and locked the door, he instructed Delia to get ready for a bath. She refused to take a bath and they had a mini argument with Andy on how she was perfectly clean and that there was no need for a bath until tomorrow. Andy threatened to bring her back to school the next day in time to make her afternoon lessons and Delia willingly consented to the bath. Earlier, Andy had granted Delia a day off from school the next day due to the unavoidable circumstances.

When Andy called Ephram from the sink to tell him he's up next for a bath, the boy did not reply. Getting no answer, he went into the bedroom to see what his son was doing. Andy and Delia had been so occupied in their ramblings that they failed to notice that Ephram had fallen asleep on the spot.

Between the mild concussion, the fainting, and all the food he's eaten, exhaustion hit Ephram pretty hard. Andy found Ephram sleeping on the bed with his legs still hanging over the rim of the bed. He hadn't even taken off his jacket or his shoes. It was the funniest sight Andy had ever seen.

"Ephram, you can't go to sleep like this." Andy gave the boy a poke in the arm. Ephram let out a bothered grunt and mumbled something incoherently.

"Ephram, you can at least take off your shoes." Andy reasoned. The boy gave a heavy sigh and showed no signs of waking up.

Andy pulled off Ephram's shoes and socks. Then he proceeded to peel off Ephram's jacket one arm at a time and dragged him gently up onto the middle of the bed. He was careful in handling the boy because of his past and recent injuries.

"You gonna help me out a little here?" Andy was having difficulty tugging the bed spread out from under Ephram since his weight was pressing on it. Ephram ignored his father's request.

Finally, Andy was able to yank the bed spread back. He slid an arm around Ephram's shoulders and pulled him up. Andy lowered the sleeping boy's head onto the pillow. When the tender spot on Ephram's head touched the pillow, he gave a sleepy but painful squeal and flinched.

"Sorry." Andy cringed. Ephram rolled over to his side and continued sleeping. His back was facing Andy. "Are you ok?" Andy whispered. He felt compelled to ask but got no answer. He watched Ephram's side rise and fall as the boy's steady breathing took over. He stared at the back of Ephram's head. The pink bump was hidden under his dark hair. It was the size of a jawbreaker candy half.

Andy pulled the blanket up and placed a kiss on the ball of Ephram's shoulder. "Sleep tight, buddy. I love you." Andy said in a soft undertone. He smoothed the blanket around Ephram.

"Hey!!" Delia said as she walked into the room dressed in a big T-shirt and Care Bear underwear.

"Shhh!" Andy hushed. "Lower your voice, kiddo." He cautioned.

"No fair!! How come he doesn't have to take a bath and I do???" Delia whined as she climbed onto the queen-sized bed that she was going to share with her father.

"Because he's had a very tough day and he's burned out. I can't get him to move even if I tried." Andy replied.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Delia shot a concerned look at the figure sleeping in the next bed. Ephram looked even smaller nestled under covers in the middle of a massive queen-sized bed.

"He'll be better in the morning. He needs sleep." Andy said. "As for you, young lady - it's way past your bedtime. If I don't find you fast asleep in this bed by the time I come out of that bathroom, you are so grounded." He threatened only because he had the power to.

Andy disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door softly behind him. Delia reached over and turned off the lamp affixed to the wall between the two beds. She got comfortable under the covers and watched the back of Ephram's head for a while. Even though it was kind of dim and she really couldn't see him all that clearly (the only light came from the little sink room in front of the bathroom), she knew he was there. She listened to the running water guzzling in the pipes in the walls. But if she listened really concentrated on the silence, she was able to hear Ephram's light breathing.

"Good night Ephram. I love you." Delia said softly and went to sleep.

Andy, on the other hand, did not get much sleep. He slaved over worrying about Ephram's CAT scan and blood test results. It was the one thing that kept him awake no matter how hard he tried to catch some Z's. He watched Delia sleeping next to him. She looked like an angel. Her face was serene and free of worry.

They didn't officially leave Denver until 11:00 am the next day because Andy had to swing by the hospital and get Ephram's CAT scan and blood test results. Seated on a row of chairs in the waiting area, everyone was a little uptight prior to knowing the results but when that large orange envelope came, Ephram decided to lighten the situation with one of his wise guy comments.

"Are those my test results?" Ephram asked as Andy nodded gravely and Nina tightened her grasp on Ephram's hand. Her hand was moist with sweat. He guessed he was the only one that wasn't nervous. They were scared for him and he understood. But he knew that if there were anything wrong with him, he would have to accept it and move on. There was nothing he could do about it. Take it like a man.

"We're here for you." Nina said. "Fingers crossed." Her voice faltered.

"Gosh, I really hope I passed because I must admit, I didn't study at all." Ephram joked. He got a nervous giggle out of Delia and Andy. Sam was too young to understand the punch line. But Nina's response to the joke was unexpected. Ephram watched her face turn white and then her beautiful blue crystal eyes watered.

"Everything is a joke to you." Nina stifled a sob as she quickly brushed her tears away. "Why do you say stuff like that?" She made him sound like he was so cruel.

"Everybody's so down and tense. What's the big deal anyway?" Ephram shrugged. He didn't understand why Nina was so ticked off. She usually loved his jokes and was the first one to laugh at them. "Well, I thought it was funny." Ephram muttered.

"No, it's not funny." She said harshly. "This is serious and it IS a big deal."

"But it's my life on the line here. Even if they come back and tell me I only have three months to live then the fact remains that I have three months to live. What difference does it make if everyone's moping around like I'm a walking dead man? The facts are the facts. You can't change it. The moment of truth is there." Ephram nodded to the sealed envelope Andy held in his hands.

"I swear Ephram, I hate it when you start saying it like it is. You are braver than the rest of us." Nina said. "But don't you understand??? You could be sick. Your life is important to all of us in so many ways. I don't think you realize how many lives you've touched. And-and if something bad, God forbid and knock on wood, happened to you, those people's lives that you've touched would be shattered. We can't have that at all." Nina replied and hugged Sam tighter with her other arm. "To be honest with you, I don't want to know what's in that envelope. I'm afraid to know. I think – I think my heart will be broken if it's something bad." More tears fell from her eyes, which she wiped with her hand. Ephram watched her behavior.

"Yea, Ephram. I don't want you to be sick." Delia cradled her brother's hand. Ephram looked at his sister, who was seated next to him. He discovered that she, too, had started crying. Her big eyes were glossy with moisture and then he saw the fear. It was written in Delia's bright eyes. He suddenly knew the feeling. It was the fear of loosing someone close to her. Ephram realized that if the tables were turned and it was his father or Delia facing a life-threatening dilemma, he would feel the same way they were feeling now. He finally saw Nina's point.

Ephram leaned on Nina's arm with the point of his chin and said, "Then, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you cry." He squeezed Nina's hand for forgiveness. She looked at him and he offered her a heart-wrenching smile. Nina squeezed Ephram's hand back and gave him a hug across the shoulders showing him that he was forgiven.

Nina, Ephram, Delia, and Sam huddled together as they waited for Andy to open the envelope and tell them the news. Ephram never had this much moral support simultaneously at any point in his life. Aside from his grandparents, everyone he loved was with him in that very room.

He would've been foolish to not think of the downside to his situation. He knew himself better than anyone. If he was sick, he knew it. He thought of the possibilities – maybe those papers will tell him he was dying, maybe the CAT scan showed something wrong with his wounds and he needed more surgery done, maybe those blood tests will come back positive for something critical, maybe he was terminally ill. Ephram was satisfied with how his life played out. Reconciliation with his father, and Delia's well-being was all he ever really wanted. He would not disclose his condition to anyone. Knowing this town, they would only feel sorry for him and make a big fuss. He didn't want that. He probably wouldn't tell Amy either.

His only request, though, was to see his father and Nina unite. It was clear that they adored each other and they seemed to be headed in the right direction. Perhaps they just needed that extra push.

Ephram questioned himself on how he should like to spend his last few valuable days. He decided that he would prefer to have Everwood as his final resting place. Even though his life began in New York, his journey has brought him to this new and potentially good place, where he learned so much about himself and those around him. It would be a good place for Delia to grow up in. However, he would like to take one last trip back to New York. It would be not only to say good bye to and spend some time with his grandparents, but also to see his birth city for the last time. He promised himself he would not cry under any circumstances. He would miss everyone that had made his life so full and warm in the past year and he would never forget it, but should be happy that his mother would not be alone in heaven anymore. He was coming.

His whole life could be changed in a matter of ten seconds. Things would never be the same. He still had a lot of "unfinished" business to take care of before he went to the big concert hall in the sky.

Andy finally opened the envelope and pulled out a few sheets of paper. There were scatters of numbers and figures that were only knowledgeable to Andy. Nina and the children anxiously watched Andy's eyes dart from left to right as he silently read the results carefully. He flipped to the next page and continued reading.

The fate of Ephram's life is literally in Andy's hands. They watched Andy's serious face and waited for some small sign of good news – maybe a smile or a laugh. But on the contrary, his expression remained pensive. Nina feared it could only mean something bad.

Andy looked up at last.

end of chapter 10

Author's Note: The test results are in. Would anyone care to know what lies ahead for young Ephram? Will his life be spared? Or will his life be coming to an end? Once again, thanks for reading/reviewing! You guys are the best!!