The day was hot and beautiful even for July in Colorado. All around me people hurried off to see one animal or another, oblivious to the panic that filled me. I'd become desperate to try and get a spark of life out of the now five year old Daniel. Since his accident a few weeks ago, he'd been this ghostly waif gliding though my halls, a pale shadow of the man he'd been and the boy, he should have been now. There was no running or laughter only silence and tears.

So out of desperation, I'd brought him here. We'd begun at the camels and moved on, but my faith in my idea was slowly dying as the day progressed. All whole day, I searched for a sign that my little guy was coming alive but there was nothing.

Over the loud speaker a staticy voice announced the zoo would be closing in half and hour. Dejected, I headed back to the main gate.

It was Danny who saw the sign. The little guy read the sign and then looked down at the large watch on his arm and then tugged on my hand pointing.

"Can we go?"

It was one of those demonstrations where they show kids how an elephant can roll a thousand pound ball with his trunk or tell them how many pounds of leaves the giraffes eat in a week. Well this one was about snakes and other reptiles of all things.

"Sure, off you go."

I was never one for snakes, even before I got snaked twice, so I hung back and watched my own miracle take place. As the zoo keeper concluded her talk, three others stepped out with cages and began to remove the occupants. Let me tell you, I was glad to be way back there. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not scared of snakes, but they do give me the heebie jeebies.

The woman, Judy or that's what her name tag said, asked for a volunteer to hold one of them.

Daniel's chubby little hand shot up in the air and he practically bounced up and down in his seat with his large Boonie smacking against his back. The lady smiled and pointed to him, but he turned searching the crowd for me before he excepted. His eye were so full of the curiosity that I thought had died when Daniel shrank. I nodded ignoring the tears filling my eyes.

As soon as Judy had my consent, she held out her hand to Daniel. "Come with me and you can hold Martin." They two of them stopped in front of the table where the tanks were set up. "Hold your hands out flat and he'll just curl up on them."

He didn't say a word but nodded before doing as he was told. Those little hands quivered with excitement and he looked up at me so proud when Judy plunked the dull brown garter snake on to Danny's outstretched palms.

Then it happened. At first I couldn't place the sound, I went rigid, ready to save my Daniel, but then it happened again. That time I knew, Danny had laughed.

Until that moment I'd wondered if he'd ever be able to find joy in his new state. There were moment when he seem to remember his old self, and the sadness seemed to weigh him down, especially when it came to some of his possessions, like his watch and Boonie hat.

All those concerns and worries melted away when he turned toward me with a huge grin splitting his face and a snake curling up his arm. "Daddy Jack, see snakes aren't all bad, Martin loves me!"

Coming closer, I placed my hand on his shoulder, unable to speak, I squeezed gently and at that moment I had to agree.