Stones Have a Way - Chapter 7: Stones in the Ground
Before closing her school locker, Daria made a last long look up and down the hallway as it cleared out after lunch period. She didn't see the slight, blonde girl in crisp prep-school uniform for whom she was looking. The girl with the next door locker finished arranging her books and snapped her locker shut. Daria and Berit shared a couple classes their eighth grade year but Daria wanted to check with another person on Berit's whereabouts.
"Clarissa," Daria had decided Clarissa was one of the nicer girls and she took algebra too. "Have you seen Berit today?"
"Berit? Oh, yeah, Berit Fergus." Clarissa wrinkled her face a moment in thought as she smoothed down the designer jeans which were her habitual Wednesday wear. "No, and come to think of it she hasn't been in math or phy ed all week either. I had to think a moment. She doesn't say much but if we all get stuck in math, teach usually calls on her for the right answer."
"Yeah, it's a fun class but hard." Daria said trying to keep an uneasy feeling down with small talk.
She settled her books into the new Tom Binh backpack she had guilted her parents into buying her after they rewarded Quinn with a new Italian designer jacket for bringing her grades up. It was great to have it and backpacks were a new thing in Highland Junior High but the envious looks other students gave her made Daria uneasy also.
"Gone three days. Does the office know anything? Who's picking up her homework? Berit takes school pretty seriously, well the real work anyway."
After the last class Daria hurried to the office. The admin staff all smiled at her.
"How do they know me and seem to like me so much? I'm almost never here but I guess it's better than them scowling at me. Still, having a bad reputation might be fun and useful too."
"Hi Daria, what can I do for you?" A round-faced woman with the name tag of Simmons greeted her.
"Hello, Mrs. Simmons. Uhm, I noticed Berit, Berit Fergus, hasn't been in school all week. Uhm, can I bring her her homework?"
Mrs. Simmons became grave and nodded. "Yes, I've seen you two pal around. We need more students like you both. Uhm, wait a second." She went into Mr. McVickers' office and Daria heard a low buzz of conversation. Mrs. Simmons returned a moment later to hand Daria a thickly stuffed folder. She couldn't meet Daria's eyes.
"Here, assignments for the whole week. That should keep her busy, I hope."
Daria thanked her and slipped the packet into her pack while fighting down a rising feeling which had progressed from unease to dread.
After school, Jake obligingly took her to Berit's house. Although nothing looked different about the Fergus' tidy two-story Daria seemed to sense the house was almost waiting for something. She got out as soon as Jake came to a stop in the driveway and she immediately noticed a sheet of paper taped to the front door.
"JIMMY," the note read in plain, neat block letters. "MOBILE SERVICE IS HAYWIRE, AGAIN. TRY OUR NUMBER WHEN YOU GET HERE OR GET A CABBIE TO TAKE YOU TO HIGHLAND GENERAL. WE'LL BE WAITING. HURRY."
Putting a note like that on a front door was an invitation for a break-in, Daria knew, even though the Morgendorffer and Fergus families lived in a better part of Highland. She heard her father come up behind her and pause as he read the note.
"Let's go," Jake said simply as he ushered her back into the car. "The hospital's close. It won't take long."
Daria couldn't repeat the note to Quinn who was filled in by Jake.
"I'm sure it's just a bad cold," Quinn said trying to reassure her older sister.
"They don't put you in the hospital for a 'bad cold', Quinn." Daria snapped at her then the sisters gripped each other's hands as they completed the trip in silence.
They pulled up just behind a bright, yellow taxi letting out a tall man. Mr. Fergus came out of the entrance and hugged him. Daria got out without a word to Jake or Quinn. She saw immediately that despite the height difference the tall, blonde young man bore a distinct resemblance to Berit.
"Daria?" Mr. Fergus said as he and his son separated. "Dear, I don't know. She's, she's not doing well."
Mr. Fergus was clearly debating something to himself as Daria tried to find words.
"Berit's sick? What is it? Pneumonia? A bad cold? Please Mr. Fergus. I have her homework. That will cheer her up."
Jimmy rushed into the hospital as Jake came up to talk to Mr. Fergus. Daria bit her finger unsure what to do. She turned to see Quinn with her nose pressed against the window also unsure what to do. Quinn finally got out and stood awkwardly next to Daria.
Jake turned to them. "Daria, Berit's not doing well like Mickey, Mr. Fergus, says. They're sure it's nothing catching. Mr. Fergus says it might cheer her up to see you and Quinn but just one at a time, don't make her too tired. Daria, he, Mr. Fergus, says he doesn't want to have you get upset by seeing her. It's up to you, Daria. I can take Quinn to her dance lesson and Mr. Fergus can take you home."
"I, I want to see Berit, Dad."
Jake hugged his older girl then drove off with Quinn leaving Daria and Mr. Fergus on the sidewalk by the hospital door. Mr. Fergus looked up at the gleaming new steel and glass building, home of the up-to-date Highland Medical Arts and Healthcare Building, the fancy name it had been given after a former resident of Highland had made it big in the outside world donated a huge chunk of cash. His stipulation was not to name anything after himself or invite him to the opening ceremony.
"In the Old Country," he began slowly still scanning the new edifice. "One of Berit's great-great-grands had something like this. She, she passed on but she was in her thirties and that was a long time ago. They should know better now."
Leading Daria by the hand to the fifth floor seemed to give him some comfort.
"Berit!" Daria choked on the word as she caught sight of the slight girl in a bed. She noticed Mrs. Fergus asleep in an comfortable looking chair to the side.
Jimmy's face was wet with tears as he and Berit were finishing a prayer. Daria heard a thick Irish brogue coming from him. Berit was holding a rosary made, of course, of beautiful stones and a silver crucifix.
"Oh Daria," Berit smiled thinly as she turned her head with some effort. "Thanks so much for coming. How's eighth grade?"
"Same old, same old," Daria managed to keep it light. "I have your homework."
"Marvelous! I've been so missing it. I can catch up here and not be behind when I get back."
Mr. Fergus gasped and shook. Jimmy took his shoulders and guided him to the window.
Daria took Berit's outstretched hand. It wasn't hot but felt dry and feeble as she gave it a gentle squeeze.
Berit got even quieter and turned more to Daria. Daria leaned over.
"I saw the black unicorn again! With the golden horn. Daria, he was outside the window and he spoke to me like you are, like he was right in the room. He says when I'm ready, only when I'm ready, I can go with him to the Land of Tir Na Nog. I don't know though."
"Berit, no, no. Tell him not yet, not for a long time. Stay here. We, we all need you."
Berit nodded and turned her head to look out the fifth floor window. Daria felt something wet and hot rolling down her cheeks. She sniffled.
"Berit?" Daria asked desperately as the girl turned her head away, sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
Then Daria was screaming, "NURSE! NURSE!"
Jimmy and Berit's father rushed to the bed. Mrs. Fergus stirred but remained sleeping in her chair. A tall, black man in a white smock entered the room.
"Whoa, whoa, quiet now, people are resting. What's going on?" He asked then answered his own question as he met Daria's panicked eyes. He went to the bed and checked Berit over.
Daria could see now that she was breathing slowly but regularly.
He straightened and nodded at Mr. Fergus. "She's sleeping. Probably best for her, Mr. Fergus. I see your wife's still out from exhaustion and that little sedative Dr. Simpson gave her."
Daria saw that he bore a name tag reading "Dr. Graham" as he turned to her. "I think we should leave her alone, Miss. Probably best for you too."
He sucked his cheeks. "C'mon, I'm on break and I bet your parents don't let you drink coffee at home. It's on me."
Daria turned to Mr. Fergus. "Sir, I'll call Dad to take me home. Stay with her." He met her eyes with great thanks in his.
"Doctor," Mr. Fergus said as they left. "You can tell Daria anything about Berit. It's okay. They were like sisters."
Dr. Graham led her to the cafeteria on the first floor, cheery and new despite a distinct, definite institutional feel. He sat her down in a corner and pushed a dispenser with napkins towards her. As she was daubing her eyes with a fresh napkin he set a mug of black coffee next to her and took a sip from his own.
"Go ahead and drink. Some days it's like mud, some days like thin water. You're lucky, today it's in between."
He regarded her over his glasses and waited.
"You're her doctor?" Daria was uncertain what to say.
"No, I'm a general surgeon. We've all had a look at her but Dr. Simpson is her doctor, the best pediatrician around."
"What's wrong with her? Can you cure her?"
"We don't know and we don't know. Believe me, we're trying. Your name's 'Daria'? Pretty." He went on. "You know, sometimes I can tell a lot about a person just be looking at them. You're young but I think I can see you want any news straight at you, nothing held back. Mr. Fergus said we could talk so I will."
He sucked in a breath again. "We don't know what's happening to Berit. It's not any infection we've ever seen or heard about: viral, amoebic, bacterial. We're sure she's not infected. Her vitals are good but it's like…it's like she's just running down. Mr. Fergus said one of her great-grandmas died like this but that doesn't help us; that was a long time ago and it's just word of mouth. We've got specialists coming in from the U med school tomorrow. We hope they'll have some ideas. Just know now, she's not in any pain. That's a big one."
He let Daria sip some coffee for a few seconds. Dr. Graham paused to stir some sweetener into his mug.
Daria needed to talk but had no real words to say. "What's going to happen to Berit?" She asked at last. From everything Dr. Graham had told her she knew it was a useless question but he nodded and resumed.
"We don't know. Look Daria, I've been a doctor here for over twenty years and I've seen some strange things. I've seen dried-up old men that everybody thought were going to die, just jump up and dance out the next day. I've seen big, strapping grown, cowboys laid low. But one thing I've learned: it never hurts to pray."
He and Daria sat in silence for some minutes as she had nothing more to ask or say. Then Dr. Graham glanced at the big, institutional clock and stood.
"I gotta get back to work. Use that phone there to call your folks. Just dial 'nine' first to get out. I can see Berit's got a good friend, Daria. That can mean everything in here."
He clapped her on the shoulder and left her to finish a cup of the most needed coffee in her life. Then she called home.
Although she wanted to see Berit again, Daria had otherwise had enough of the hospital. She went outside and sat in a small park opposite the main entrance. She didn't have anything to feed the disappointed squirrels. She worked her mouth and tried to form words.
Pray? Prayer? The Morgendorffers were not religiously observant. In some parts of Highland there were churches on every corner but the family rarely darkened a doorway. A couple times, Berit had taken her and Quinn to the large and only Catholic Church in town. She had liked some of the ceremony but Daria thought that her friend knew that she regarded it more as an anthropological expedition than anything meaningful to her. Berit, being Berit, did not push anything but held nothing back either.
Daria's mouth worked. For this kind of prayer she thought she had to say something out loud.
"God, I, uh, I don't know what I'm saying here. Look, uh, just for Berit make her…blessed."
Daria was so astounded that she stood up. Blessed? Daria knew just enough to know that 'blessed' basically meant to make someone happy. But she knew she had meant to say 'make her okay'; 'make her better', 'make her well'. The next thing she knew a concerned Helen was putting her in the car.
There was no question of Daria going to school the next day and as soon as visiting hours opened at eleven a.m. Jake and Daria drove up to the hospital. Jake was about to turn into the parking ramp when Daria yelled for him to stop. She jumped out and stared after a long, black car disappearing down the street and the three people standing by the door looking after it.
They turned towards the ramp as Daria ran up.
"Mr. Fergus, Mrs. Fergus? Uhm, Jimmy?"
Tears were streaming down Jimmy's face as he wept silently. Mr. and Mrs. Fergus had the look of people with no tears left. Mr. Fergus and his son were supporting her. He beckoned for Daria to come closer. Mr. Fergus spoke.
"She didn't make it. About eight this morning, our beautiful little girl…Berit was just too good for this damn old world."
Daria wailed. Jake embraced her closely and did not let her go as he said a few words to Berit's family. There wasn't much to be said and at last he coaxed her back into the Lexus and started for home.
DM DM DM DM DM
Mrs. Fergus looked down at the crystal on its silver chain which Daria had laid in her hand. It glinted in the sunlight filtering through the trees in the cemetery.
Daria stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't, couldn't, uh, didn't make it to the funeral. Here, keep this, uhm, to remember her."
Mr. Fergus heard her as he came down the gravel cemetery path with Jimmy walking beside him. He stopped and shook his head. "Daria, you're so young. I hope you don't have to worry about funerals for a long time yet. You were her true friend and that's all that counts. Go along now and have a good time while you can. You'll do some great things; Maggie and I just know it."
Mrs. Fergus put the pendant back into Daria's hand, closing Daria's fingers over it. She wrapped Daria in a hug and kissed her head gently.
"Dear," Mrs. Fergus said softly. "I'm happy Berit found you and Quinn. She needed a sister and she got two. She's wearing that stone you gave her forever and we treasure that. As Mickey said, dear, you'll be doing some great things; we can see that. Keep in touch; there's nothing holding us here anymore. We'll be moving back to Limerick soon."
She stroked Daria's hair then the three moved off without talking.
After carefully putting the chain back around her neck, Daria went up the winding cemetery path which the Fergus' had just come down. She did not have to look long to find a beautiful waist-high stone under a shady tree. The red dirt was fresh and smooth in front. Fresh flowers stuck out of an urn.
Daria gulped then surprised herself by speaking. "You would have loved this rock. Yeah, granite I think if I remember what little I picked up from you; sorry, I should have listened closer. Yeah, grey-blue with big black crystals. Yeah, it's just right."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried silently without shaking or sobbing. She turned to leave but stopped and turned back to the grave.
"I wish I had brought something to leave. I wish I could find something you would like right now."
She noticed something in the dirt and reached down to pick up a brown rock smooth and gleaming as if already polished. It was almost squarish with bits out of a corner or side and rounded lumps sticking out of other sides. Thin layers of darker brown were sandwiched between the bright almost orange wavy wafers which had caught her eyes.
A soft breeze rustled the tree and she thought she heard something above, maybe around her.
"Stones have a way."
She put the beautiful found rock on Berit's headstone then turned and walked quickly back to a waiting Jake and Quinn.
"Did you find Berit, her, uhm, your friend…" Quinn trailed off and Jake looked concerned but uncertain what to say.
Daria sucked in a deep breath and Quinn teared up as Daria said, "I never had a friend, Quinn."
"And so I never lost one."
DM DM DM DM DM DM
Daria turned slowly in the center of the empty room sliding her eyes carefully up and down back and forth as though she had x-ray vision.
"I suppose I could start pulling up the carpet. Start here then the whole damn house."
Her mother called from the front. "Daria, we're ready to leave." Then she could hear Helen pad down the hallway. A moment later Daria had come full turn and faced her mother standing in the doorway.
"Still can't find it, sweetie?" Helen asked softly as she entered.
"No, Mom."
Helen glanced around quickly but thoroughly and then moved to survey the empty closet. She looked into her elder daughter's eyes.
"It's hard losing that beautiful gift from your friend...I mean that pretty pendant you've been wearing forever. I know we can't really replace it."
"But we have to go now," Helen said firmly. "They're already calling me from Lawndale with updates on the cases I'm taking when I get there. Look, Quinn filled up the car with her clothes and boxes of makeup and she insists she has to ride with it all. To keep the peace, you'll have to ride with the movers. They'll treat you well; I only put the fear of God and lawyers into them. We'll make it up to you."
Helen expected some bargaining at that, Daria having learned from Quinn or did they feed off each other? She was surprised when Daria took a step closer and hugged her. She felt Daria shake and sob in her arms but her daughter was dry-eyed when Daria broke off the hug.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll be out there in a second, I promise."
Helen stroked her cheek and nodded. As she left Daria called, "Okay, Mom, I'm going to insist we stop for steak AND pizza tonight. And treat the van guys too."
Helen chuckled and nodded.
"All right, get busy. I can rip up the whole carpet in ten seconds flat I bet. I can't believe I lost her, uhr, that crystal. It can't have gone far."
She cracked her knuckles and approached a corner. As Daria bent down she paused in mid bend as she seemed to hear a soft, Texas twangy Irish flavored voice whisper through the room. Or was it just in her head?
"Yes, stones have a way of doing that."
Daria slowly straightened up and glanced around the room as a breeze began to play through the windows the realtors had asked them to leave open.
"Yeah, Berit, yeah, they do." She whispered quietly and left the room.
THE END