Here's the second chapter.
Healing Begins chapter two.
Five hours after leaving the mansion, Alex arrived in Boston, the heart of it. Slowly through the crowd he made his way to the hospital. Once inside, he headed toward the nurses's station then the room.
Room 228 had one bed, two large overstuffed chairs, two regular ones, a small table, TV and lamps. The bed was filled by a small body. Not quiet a child's, but not one of a strong adult's. Alex entered, quietly breathing. "Hey, Manny. I came as soon as I heard," he spoke to motionless body. "I know you're in there, Manny. You can't quit on me now." He sat in the over stuffed chair and held onto Manny's hand. "I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
Two in the morning. Two minutes of sleep. Two rings of his cell phone. Silently he cursed as he answered with a dignified voice. Hearing the voice on the other end, he quietly left Manny's side and went into the chapel to talk.
"I had no idea he came to talk to you. No. We we're hung up at the moment. It's difficult to explain. Yes, I was with Morgana. No, there was no chance of anything happening." He paced the small aisle, cell phone in hand. "I know she means a lot to you. She means the world to me. I know how corny that sounds, but it's true. How far? The stars and back a thousand times. More if my body could take it. That life is over. It holds no thrill for me now. What made me change?" he laughed softly repeating, "Her. Something I seen in her eyes. I do want to take care of her. I love her. No, I've never told her. Why? I was afraid her family would find out my past and forbid us. I didn't want to hurt her. Looks like I did anyway. I've tried to stop feeling for her."
"Don't," the other voice commanded.
"But that's what you wanted."
"Yes."
"Why...not now?" he was confused.
"Has she told you about her college days?"
"No."
"They weren't always good, Alex. She was in love once, but he betrayed her because of who she was. You love her in spite of that."
"No. I love her because of that." They spoke awhile longer, and then they hung up. A smile appeared on his face for a split second then vanished. They memory of why he was here came back and he returned to the room.
She hadn't set out long after him, and hadn't stopped once on her trip to Boston. Nothing she could think of could explain why she had followed. Something inside her hurt. A dull, numb pain. This time it was not her heart. It was something else. Something had happened to him, or was going to, and if she didn't go now, she may never see him again. So she rode one, Winter Moon to comfort and guide her.
The other side of six thirty looks different. At one time in his life, for a long time, he had been use to this life. Had been use to sleeping during the day and working at night. That life was gone, and he had gotten use to the new one. But strangely, he enjoyed this. His stomach growled, breaking the strain of his thoughts.
"Miss," he said, "I'm going to go get some breakfast, or lunch; or what ever. I'll be back."
"Alright, Mr. Hooper." So he left and headed down the street to a small café. He sat down, ordered, and ate.
After paying the tab, Alex decided to take a walk and try to clear his head. There was too much running through it now. Manny's condition. His feelings for Morgana. The phone call he had received hours ago. The questions he wanted to ask. The park was pretty well deserted, so he strolled the walkways listening to the crickets.
She had taught him how to listen to the tiniest of creatures. The hours they had spent on their bench, just listening to the sounds of the insects and the sounds of each other. He had truly been at peace with her. Right now he wished she was here with him. He could find comfort in her arms. And love. The sounds stopped, but before he could react to the lack of sound he was hit, hard. He turned to see several familiar faces.
"Hello, Short Circuit. It's been too long," the hateful voice said before he blacked out.
She made it to Boston a little after six thirty and had no clue why he had come here. Personal business, he had said. He hadn't even told the professor where he was going. But he had told her. For some reason he had told her. Why? She would get her answers, but now she had to find him. She turned and headed towards the Boston estate.
Once there, she pulled the bike outside and climbed the steps to the large oak door. When the butler came she asked if he had been there, learning he hadn't. And that they had not heard from him lately.
"Dead end," she said to Moon still strapped to her back. Dodger's papoose idea had worked well. She thought about it, and wondered for the first time if anyone, other than Dodger, had noticed her missing. Then she thought about why she had come out here. To find him, but where? "I should have listened to Shadow about that tracker chip thing." Then she laughed at the absurdity of it. "Would help right now, wouldn't though?" she asked the sleepy wolf. "Maybe,.." she thought, and let him down then pulled a shirt out. Moon sniffed and ran off. She threw the shirt on, mounted the bike and followed.
She followed the white wolf to a large glass and metal building. The sign said 'County Hospital', and sure enough, his bike was parked outside. Leaving Moon there, she went inside, thankful that the large white shirt she had found in her room covered her mostly bare skin. She went to the nurses station and, thinking wisely, asked if Jackson Hooper was there. The nurse told her to head to the second level. So she did. There she asked and they informed her that he had been there, but had left for breakfast thirty minutes ago. But she could check in the room to see if he had returned.
He hadn't, but his jacket and cell phone were there. A moan from the bed caught her ear. The boy looked to be about nineteen, but his chart said he was almost twenty-nine. Close to Alex's age. She moved closer to the bed, and saw te age lines more clear now. They favored each other. Not brothers, he had been an only child. Maybe a cousin. About that time, a terrible pain in her back caused her to double over and breath raggedly. Something had happened to Alex.
End chapter two. Three coming.
Healing Begins chapter two.
Five hours after leaving the mansion, Alex arrived in Boston, the heart of it. Slowly through the crowd he made his way to the hospital. Once inside, he headed toward the nurses's station then the room.
Room 228 had one bed, two large overstuffed chairs, two regular ones, a small table, TV and lamps. The bed was filled by a small body. Not quiet a child's, but not one of a strong adult's. Alex entered, quietly breathing. "Hey, Manny. I came as soon as I heard," he spoke to motionless body. "I know you're in there, Manny. You can't quit on me now." He sat in the over stuffed chair and held onto Manny's hand. "I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
Two in the morning. Two minutes of sleep. Two rings of his cell phone. Silently he cursed as he answered with a dignified voice. Hearing the voice on the other end, he quietly left Manny's side and went into the chapel to talk.
"I had no idea he came to talk to you. No. We we're hung up at the moment. It's difficult to explain. Yes, I was with Morgana. No, there was no chance of anything happening." He paced the small aisle, cell phone in hand. "I know she means a lot to you. She means the world to me. I know how corny that sounds, but it's true. How far? The stars and back a thousand times. More if my body could take it. That life is over. It holds no thrill for me now. What made me change?" he laughed softly repeating, "Her. Something I seen in her eyes. I do want to take care of her. I love her. No, I've never told her. Why? I was afraid her family would find out my past and forbid us. I didn't want to hurt her. Looks like I did anyway. I've tried to stop feeling for her."
"Don't," the other voice commanded.
"But that's what you wanted."
"Yes."
"Why...not now?" he was confused.
"Has she told you about her college days?"
"No."
"They weren't always good, Alex. She was in love once, but he betrayed her because of who she was. You love her in spite of that."
"No. I love her because of that." They spoke awhile longer, and then they hung up. A smile appeared on his face for a split second then vanished. They memory of why he was here came back and he returned to the room.
She hadn't set out long after him, and hadn't stopped once on her trip to Boston. Nothing she could think of could explain why she had followed. Something inside her hurt. A dull, numb pain. This time it was not her heart. It was something else. Something had happened to him, or was going to, and if she didn't go now, she may never see him again. So she rode one, Winter Moon to comfort and guide her.
The other side of six thirty looks different. At one time in his life, for a long time, he had been use to this life. Had been use to sleeping during the day and working at night. That life was gone, and he had gotten use to the new one. But strangely, he enjoyed this. His stomach growled, breaking the strain of his thoughts.
"Miss," he said, "I'm going to go get some breakfast, or lunch; or what ever. I'll be back."
"Alright, Mr. Hooper." So he left and headed down the street to a small café. He sat down, ordered, and ate.
After paying the tab, Alex decided to take a walk and try to clear his head. There was too much running through it now. Manny's condition. His feelings for Morgana. The phone call he had received hours ago. The questions he wanted to ask. The park was pretty well deserted, so he strolled the walkways listening to the crickets.
She had taught him how to listen to the tiniest of creatures. The hours they had spent on their bench, just listening to the sounds of the insects and the sounds of each other. He had truly been at peace with her. Right now he wished she was here with him. He could find comfort in her arms. And love. The sounds stopped, but before he could react to the lack of sound he was hit, hard. He turned to see several familiar faces.
"Hello, Short Circuit. It's been too long," the hateful voice said before he blacked out.
She made it to Boston a little after six thirty and had no clue why he had come here. Personal business, he had said. He hadn't even told the professor where he was going. But he had told her. For some reason he had told her. Why? She would get her answers, but now she had to find him. She turned and headed towards the Boston estate.
Once there, she pulled the bike outside and climbed the steps to the large oak door. When the butler came she asked if he had been there, learning he hadn't. And that they had not heard from him lately.
"Dead end," she said to Moon still strapped to her back. Dodger's papoose idea had worked well. She thought about it, and wondered for the first time if anyone, other than Dodger, had noticed her missing. Then she thought about why she had come out here. To find him, but where? "I should have listened to Shadow about that tracker chip thing." Then she laughed at the absurdity of it. "Would help right now, wouldn't though?" she asked the sleepy wolf. "Maybe,.." she thought, and let him down then pulled a shirt out. Moon sniffed and ran off. She threw the shirt on, mounted the bike and followed.
She followed the white wolf to a large glass and metal building. The sign said 'County Hospital', and sure enough, his bike was parked outside. Leaving Moon there, she went inside, thankful that the large white shirt she had found in her room covered her mostly bare skin. She went to the nurses station and, thinking wisely, asked if Jackson Hooper was there. The nurse told her to head to the second level. So she did. There she asked and they informed her that he had been there, but had left for breakfast thirty minutes ago. But she could check in the room to see if he had returned.
He hadn't, but his jacket and cell phone were there. A moan from the bed caught her ear. The boy looked to be about nineteen, but his chart said he was almost twenty-nine. Close to Alex's age. She moved closer to the bed, and saw te age lines more clear now. They favored each other. Not brothers, he had been an only child. Maybe a cousin. About that time, a terrible pain in her back caused her to double over and breath raggedly. Something had happened to Alex.
End chapter two. Three coming.