Prism stayed on the Moon Clipper for a week as his wounds healed. The herbs and creams and crystals helped, but because of the nature of the wounds—namely that he'd inflicted them himself and he had strong magic in his blood—the healing was slow. Still, he couldn't stand not knowing how Jackson was. The first round of chemo for anybody was a mystery, but he especially cared for Jackson. So he took his ship, landed away from the town, and flew into the Bennetts' backyard.
He knocked on the back door quietly. After a few minutes, Lucy peeked suspiciously out of the curtain, and when she saw the flash of rainbow light, she relaxed and opened the door.
"Hey, Prism," she said.
He nodded very obviously then strode in. Lucy followed, looking tired. She poured him a mug of hot tea with honey then sat down on the sofa. Prism took the mug with another big nod and sipped at the hot, sweet tea. They sat in silence then Lucy gestured at the dining room table.
"Laptop is over there. Bring it here and I'll unlock it."
Prism set aside his drink and strode over to grab the laptop. He plugged it in, opened it up in front of Lucy, then grabbed his coffee cup and sat beside her. Lucy logged in and opened a blank document.
Prism flexed his fingers and quickly typed on the keyboard.
Good to see you again, Lucy. I came to check on Jackson.
Lucy sighed and leaned back after she'd read that. "He's exhausted. Sometimes he can't even stand up to go to the bathroom. He can barely eat." Her lips quivered. "Is that normal?"
Unfortunately. He needs rest right now. Have him eat when he can, and make sure he drinks plenty of water. Hydration is important.
"That's what the doctors said," Lucy sighed. She sipped her tea. "It's hard to see him like this. And with Jamie working all day, I feel like I'm in this alone."
I'm here, as much as that helps. I'll listen if you need to talk and play with Jackson when he's strong enough.
"I appreciate it." She stirred her tea. "Can I ask you something?"
Sure.
Lucy pursed her lips. "What exactly happened? You burst out of the back door and left so fast. Jamie couldn't figure out what had happened, and I was a bit scared to tell him about you. I mean, he's the one who knows all the spirits. I couldn't explain. And I've been worried about you. Something happened, and I want to make sure you're okay."
Out of all the questions she could have asked, this was one he wasn't prepared for. Prism hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keys. After a few moments of long, careful thinking, he began to type.
I didn't feel so well all of a sudden. And I thought you'd be uncomfortable knowing that a spirit was in your house that you were aware of while Jamie wasn't.
Lucy looked him over, wishing she could see his face. "What kind of not feeling well?"
Again Prism hesitated before answering. Just overwhelmed with all I'd seen that day. Hospitals are difficult places to be. Especially the ones that specialize in cancer.
That was true, as far as it went. He had been overwhelmed when he'd seen Jamie, and the hospital had bothered him. Some of the patients he'd seen were children, and he couldn't help them all at once. It hurt him as a Guardian to be unable to do everything he wanted to, but he had come to grips with that many centuries before he became a Guardian. He wasn't outright lying, which he'd done with Jack, but it wasn't the full truth. This time, though, he was justified in keeping his thoughts from her; he hardly knew her, after all.
Lucy seemed to realize this because she took another mouthful of tea and leaned back.
"I'm sorry if I'm prying. I'm just concerned. It startled me when you left like that. I had to explain to Jamie that I'd left the back door open for some air, and a gust of wind made it bang against the doorstop. He believed it." She chuckled. "It's funny. He knows all the spirits but you, so he believes that he knows them all."
Amazing what the human mind will do to keep from recognizing things it doesn't understand. Like what North's magic does so that parents won't realize he's real.
"Oh? What's that?" Lucy smiled.
North's magic permeates the house and implants memories into the parents' minds about getting the presents he leaves. That way, they think they bought them, wrapped them, and placed them at night while their kids are sleeping. But it's all Santa Claus.
She laughed in wonder. "I've wondered about that since Jamie convinced me that Santa and the Easter Bunny and all of them are real."
And how, pray tell, did he do that?
Lucy leaned forward. "Through bizarrely specific descriptions and drawings, and reciting full conversations that he'd had with each of them. Still, it didn't fully click until the Tooth Fairy grabbed that toy and it disappeared.
Prism smiled. That was Jack, actually. Jack Frost.
"Spirit of winter and Guardian of Fun, right?" Lucy asked.
Yes.
"You're the Guardian of Courage, right? That's what you said to Jackson?"
Yes. Guardian of Courage. Giving courage to children since 3,000 BC.
Lucy was surprised by the quip, though she knew he wasn't exaggerating. She laughed, setting aside her mug so she didn't spill the remaining tea.
"Could they all see you?" she asked.
The children could. Adults were a different matter. Lunar had already woven the magic together to block us from adult sight. But it wasn't as refined of a system as it is now. He was young and didn't know how to do it properly. And he was still figuring it out.
"I see." Lucy stirred her cooling tea again, looking thoughtful. "I wonder why Jamie can't see you," she mused. "I mean, I can see you in a way, but Jamie claims he can see all the spirits. Why not you?"
I don't know, Prism wrote, but in his thoughts he was grateful. What baffles me is that you can see me at all. You can't see the others, which makes sense. But you can see me?
"Not completely," she argued.
But the fact that you can see me at all is surprising. I have no idea how that is possible. The magic doesn't work like that as far as I know.
"I'm not sure."
Before they could continue, a soft thud came from a room behind them, and they turned to see Jackson shuffling out. He had dark circles under his eyes, but a spark of delight filled them when he saw Prism.
"Hi," he said softly.
"Hello, Jackie," Prism said. Lucy shivered at the strange sound that she heard, but she smiled at her son.
"You okay?" Lucy asked.
"Bathroom," Jackson murmured.
Lucy stood up and hurried over. "We'll be right back."
Prism nodded obviously and watched them go. When the door closed, he got up and walked into the kitchen, rooting through the cabinets until he found instant oatmeal. He clicked his tongue and reminded himself to tell Lucy to get real oats for good oatmeal. When Lucy came in looking for him, he was just picking up a warm bowl.
"I don't know if he can eat that," Lucy said.
Prism nodded then shrugged and walked into the living room. Jackson was now on the sofa, lying propped up. He brightened when he saw Prism again.
"You're still here."
"Yep," Prism replied. He carefully set the bowl on the boy's stomach. "Try and eat a few bites of this. Just three or four is enough, okay?"
"I am a little hungry," Jackson said.
"If you need help, just ask."
Jackson focused on bringing a small spoonful of the mush up to his mouth. He chewed slowly then swallowed. Lucy was relieved to see even a small amount of food pass her son's lips. Prism drank his tea while Jackson took small bites of food. After a quarter of the bowl was gone, he set aside the spoon and leaned back.
"I'm done for now."
"You did very well," Prism said. He picked up the bowl and carried it into the kitchen. After making sure Jackson had everything he needed, Prism typed on the laptop again.
I'm going to leave now. He'll be okay. Call my name loudly if you need anything. I think it'll work.
"What will work?" Lucy asked, keeping her voice low. Jackson contentedly watched a cartoon on the television, his eyelids already heavy.
If you believe in us, you can call our names and we can hear you. It's some kind of magic. It's usually reserved for spirits, but it can extend to other circumstances. I believe that's how Jamie called for Jack when he was a kid and wanted to play. But you have to believe in whoever you're calling or it doesn't work.
Lucy nodded. "Got it."
I'm going to say goodbye to Jackson then get out of your hair.
"Well, I guess I'll see you again soon."
Prism closed the document without saving and nodded. Then he stood up and walked over to Jackson. The cartoon was about pirate ships, and Jackson looked fascinated.
"Ahoy there," Prism greeted. "It's time for me to come about and return home."
Jackson giggled. "I like ships."
An idea occurred to Prism. "I have a ship like that. Only it's a spaceship and can sail in the skies."
Jackson turned and gazed with wide eyes. "A spaceship? That's so cool. Can I have a ride?"
Prism tapped his lower lip. "I'll make you a deal. If you get better, with no more cancer, I will take you up in my ship and we can visit Lunar on the moon."
Jackson's tired face was bright. "Wow. Really?"
"Yes. But you have to focus on getting better."
"Mama, did you hear that?" Jackson asked, turning to gaze at his mother.
"No. What did he say?" Lucy asked.
"That I can ride on his spaceship to the moon if I get better."
Lucy was surprised and wondered if that was safe for a human, but she decided to allow it. Surely Prism wouldn't hurt Jackson.
"That sounds fun. But only if I can come along, too."
Prism smiled and nodded again then raised his hand in a wave as he headed for the back door.
"See you, Jackie," he called.
"Bye," came the weak response.
Prism gently closed the back door behind him then exhaled slowly. At least he'd eaten a little. As he flew up to the roof, a car door shut behind him in the driveway. Without thinking, he turned to look and saw Jamie putting his keys in his pocket. Prism was so surprised that he stopped flying and hit the roof of the porch with a loud bang. Jamie looked up and scanned the roof, his eyes passing right over Prism.
The spirit didn't move, his heart hammering in his chest as he saw the man before him shrink into a little boy, frightened and weak. Prism's breath began whistling in and out between clenched teeth, and he knew that he had to fly away. He threw himself into the air and made a beeline for the caves near the town. There were no thoughts in his head except to get under the cover of something so that Lunar wouldn't see.
As he crashed into the cave, skidding across the mixture of rough earth and stones at the bottom, his vision went white, and he felt Shadowman again. He wasn't there, but Prism knew the sensations. He just had to get him out, rip him out of his mind and body. He began to tear at his flesh, trying to get inside and reach the Shadowman. It wasn't working! So he dug in harder…
Prism came to slowly, aware of a burning pain across his chest and sides and arms. He lay in a slick mess in a familiar cave outside of town. Shifting, he winced as the fire burned hotter. He sat up, took a deep breath, and looked down at his body.
Long gouges streaked his upper torso and arms, the muscle beneath the shimmering black blood pink and raw. He winced at the damage. He needed to clean himself up. He stood up stiffly, trying not to move his aching body too much, and peeked out. It was still daylight, with no sign of the moon in the sky.
Furtively, he raced through the trees to a stream, and he stripped off with great effort and stepped into the cold water. He rinsed the blood off of his body, and the gouges looked even worse. He must have been unconsciously using his magic to try and get Shadowman out. That was the only explanation for why the damage was so extensive.
With quick movements, he washed his clothes clean and fixed the tears in them with his magic. He got dressed, flexed his muscles, and launched himself into the air. He had to get to his ship so he could get to the Moon Clipper. Then he could begin the process of healing himself again.
Pushing away the niggling thought in the back of his mind that he'd promised himself to go to Lunar if this happened again, he began listing the ingredients he'd have to sneak to his room to make more creams and tea. The guilt that gnawed at him for keeping the secret was overshadowed by the shame he felt that he couldn't control himself. And he simply couldn't confess that he'd lied to Jack. So, he thought to himself, I'll just have to keep it to myself.
It was only a small prick of a thought as he reached his borrowed single-man ship and stepped into the dark interior, but inside Prism knew that this was the only outcome that could have happened once he'd lied. Which meant that when he promised himself that he would go to Lunar the next time, he'd been lying to himself. As he buckled in and started the ship, he wondered when he had become a liar.
