Monday morning found Daniel back in class with Amy and Mr. Addison and feeling much better about his ability to deal with bullies, if he should find himself in that situation again.
He and Amy were working together on a science project, attempting to build a model of a salt molecule using Styrofoam balls and uncooked spaghetti. Amy kept eating the spaghetti sticks and Daniel was trying to hide them from her so they'd have enough to finish their project. He would have thought that hiding something from a blind person would be easy, but Amy's sense of smell was highly developed when it came to her favorite food. He was just thankful she didn't like Styrofoam.
He had just managed to conceal the last few remaining unbroken spaghetti sticks and Amy was reaching across him to dig through his desk, when the door opened and Dr. Tanzi called for Daniel.
Daniel froze. He had been having so much fun with Amy that he had completely spaced out about his Monday counseling visit. Since Amy was draped across Daniel, she felt his body stiffen and heard his heart thumping hard in his chest. She changed her tickle attack into a bolstering hug and then urged him up with a slight push in the direction of the door.
Daniel wasn't sure he was actually moving because he couldn't feel his feet. He did eventually make his way over to the door and heard Mr. Addison telling him to meet the class in the lunch room when he finished. Daniel nodded to let the teacher know he had heard, then allowed Dr. Tanzi to guide him to the counseling office.
Daniel sat ram-rod straight in his chair while Dr. Tanzi chatted about the past holiday. The grown man slid his chair next to Daniel's in order to have Daniel finger spell into his hand.
"Tell me about your holiday." Dr. Tanzi let his left hand settle on the arm of Daniel's chair.
Daniel rested his right hand in the palm of his counselor. He noticed a band-aid fixed on Dr. Tanzi's thumb and vaguely wondered if he had cut it when he sliced the Thanksgiving turkey.
We went to Ruby's mother's house. She has a big family and there were about forty people there, mostly kids. We had dinner and we left.
"Did you interact with any other kids?"
The dinner scene reran in Daniel's head. Yes. A couple of kids tried to talk with me. My foster sisters helped.
Dr. Tanzi was mildly encouraged by this. He wanted Daniel to learn to be with other kids his age.
"Tell me what happened."
Daniel hesitated. He was sure that if he told him what had happened, the doctor would admonish him for not getting more involved with other kids. On the other hand if he kept quiet about it, he'd probably get the same lecture.
Daniel briefly told him what happened.
To Daniel's surprise, Dr. Tanzi laughed about how Daniel imagined Eric as Pegleg Pete.
"I'll have to remember to use that with some of my other students." Dr. Tanzi patted Daniel on the shoulder. "That was well done. You can use that 'evil cartoon character' bit a lot."
Dr. Tanzi was aware that Daniel had relaxed and he was now ready for the next big step. "Daniel, today we're going to do something different. I'm going to put you into a state of relaxed hypnosis so that you can tell me what happened with your parents."
Daniel immediately pulled away from his counselor. His heart pounded in his chest so hard he was sure Dr. Tanzi could see his shirt fluttering. He wiped his sweaty palms repeatedly on his pants to dry them. His throat clamped shut and he couldn't get any air into his lungs.
Dr. Tanzi recognized the signs of panic and reached into his desk for a paper lunch bag. He blew it open and held it over Daniel's face and instructed him to breathe slowly.
"Just listen to my voice, Daniel. Breathe in…and out…in…and out."
As Daniel finally got his breathing under control and the color returned to his face, Dr. Tanzi continued to speak in soothing tones to the child. "You're okay now. It was just a mild anxiety attack and now you're fine. I'm going to get you a glass of water now to help your dry throat."
Daniel waited while the doctor stepped into his main office to get him some water. I can't. I can't. I can't. I've spent the last ten months trying to block that scene from my memory and now he wants me to talk about it! I can't!
"Here, drink this." The man handed Daniel a paper cup half full of tepid water. Daniel downed it quickly.
"Let me explain to you how this is going to work. You can see light and objects within a few inches of your face, so I'm going to swing a small flashlight in front of you and I want you to concentrate only on that and the sound of my voice. When you are completely in the state of hypnosis, I'll gradually take you through the events on that day. When I bring you out of it, you will remember everything you said, but I'll give you a post-hypnotic suggestion, so that you won't experience another episode of panic."
Noticing Daniel's eyes going wide through his dark glasses, Dr. Tanzi kept on. "Daniel. This is something you need to do. It has been close to a year since the accident and you need to get past this. It's like lancing a festering wound. It's painful and messy, but that's the only way to administer medication directly to the lesion. Then healing can begin."
The counselor grasped both of Daniel's shoulders. "Daniel, do you trust me?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Do you believe that I would never do anything that could truly hurt you?"
Daniel nodded again.
"George and Ruby know what we're going to do today. They wanted to be here for you today and they're waiting in the lobby. Is it okay if they come in? Will that help you be more comfortable?"
Daniel perked up a bit at this news. He wouldn't have to do this alone.
Tanzi reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a tiny flash light on a chain. He handed it to Daniel and allowed him to feel it and flick it on and off several times. While Daniel was thus occupied, Dr. Tanzi continued, "I'm going to put you into hypnosis first, so that you're not distracted by anyone else in the room. Then I'll go get George and Ruby, okay?"
Daniel sucked in a deep, calming breath and nodded.
"Good. Now get as comfortable as you can in the chair and then concentrate only on the light and my voice. Ready?"
Daniel shrugged his shoulders, but nodded tentatively.
It took Dr. Tanzi only a couple of minutes until he was completely satisfied that Daniel was under. "Daniel, while I go get George and Ruby, I want you to think about your favorite place in the world. Picture yourself there and doing something you really like to do."
Daniel was only distantly aware of the door closing while he imagined himself at a dig with his parents. That's where they had all been their happiest, when they were together as a family and excited about new discoveries and unexplored places.
George and Ruby slipped quietly into the tiny room and each took a chair at the table.
"George, it might be a good idea if you settled Daniel in your lap for this. It could help him relax if he's in physical contact with someone. Ruby, why don't you scoot as close to George as you can and you can hold Daniel's hand. We mentioned this before, but please don't speak or interfere during this session. It will be difficult, if it works, but Daniel must do this."
When they were settled in, Dr. Tanzi began. "Daniel, I want you to go back to that cold day in January when you arrived at the museum. Describe to me what you see."
Daniel began speaking in a scratchy voice, "I am cold, so cold. I want to go back to the warm, dry sands of Egypt, but my parents have told me we're going to stay in New York for a couple of years. It snowed last night. There are tiny hills of snow in the gutters and along the sides of the buildings. The sidewalk is slushy where the snow has melted from people walking in it."
"Good. Now, go upstairs to the exhibition hall where your parents are setting up the display."
Daniel tensed and Ruby began rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand in a soothing, circular motion.
"I don't want to."
"Daniel," Dr. Tanzi insisted firmly, but gently, "tell me what you see when you first go into the hall."
Daniel sighed and continued, "There are six statues of Bastet lining one wall. A couple of them are missing their feet and one is missing the head dress, but my dad thinks they're in excellent condition. There are a couple of wooden mummy cases. You can still see the faces painted on them in bright colors. One is a man and one is a woman." Daniel laughed and startled George and Ruby. They had never heard his laughter.
"There's a really strange ceramic bowl with human feet! It looks like it's going to walk away." Daniel giggled again. "There's a ceramic model of the Sphinx of Ammenhotep III that's glazed in a pretty blue color. But my favorite is a limestone carving of Anubis. I think I like him because he's a dog. My parents promised me I could get a dog after they finish setting up the exhibit."
"You're doing well, Daniel. Now, walk to the back of the room, where the temple is being set up and tell me what you see." Dr. Tanzi leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the table.
Daniel squirmed slightly in George's lap and George pulled him in even closer. Ruby looked at George, tears of empathy for Daniel poised to spill down her cheeks.
"There's a big crane sitting there, ready to raise the cover stone. A chain is already attached to it. They got the pillars up yesterday and my dad is pleased because they're a couple of days ahead of schedule. He promised we could take a couple of days to just act like regular tourists in the city."
"Daniel, you're getting off the subject. Tell me what your parents are doing right now."
"They're talking to the man who's going to operate the crane. Now my mom is picking up the blueprints so they can tell the operator which way the cover stone has to face. Her long hair is brushing the blueprint and she pushes it back over her shoulder. I remember how she smells like the desert breeze and lotus flowers."
"Daniel. What is your father doing?"
"He takes my mother's hand and pulls her into the temple, among the pillars. The man gets into the crane and starts it. It makes so much noise that I have to cover my ears. The chains slowly pull the cover stone up. When it's up higher than the pillars, the man shifts some gears and it swings slowly over the top of the temple. My parents are under it, telling the man to turn it a little so it will sit down on the pillars correctly."
Daniel stopped and folded his arms over his chest, breathing deeply before he continued. "I hear a loud creaking noise, like metal being stretched. I see a link snap and I run to them, screaming." Tears streamed down his cheeks and George began to rock him gently. "I don't know what happens after that. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital and Nick telling me my parents are dead."
Ruby leaned in and took Daniel's face between her two hands. She bent forward and rested her forehead on the top of his blond head. He pushed her off and jumped off George's lap and roared, "NO! Go away! You're not my mother and he's not my father! Nick lied! My parents would never, never leave me! They're coming back for me and you can't keep them away!"
He tried to run from the room, but in his agitated state he couldn't find the door and he smashed into the wall. He began frantically running his hands over the surface, desperately searching for the door. Dr. Tanzi waved George and Ruby away and approached the frantic child quietly from behind.
"Daniel. Breathe. Count with me."
"No! I want my mother!" Daniel, frustrated that he couldn't find the door, began beating the wall with his fists.
Dr. Tanzi moved closer, until Daniel could feel the heat of his body closing in on him. Daniel slid down the wall and sank into a heap on the floor, rolled into a ball and rocked himself, whimpering.
The adult knelt down on the floor next to the distressed child. He leaned over him, but didn't touch. "Daniel. Breathe slowly. Count with me. One…two…three…"
Bit-by-bit, Daniel responded and begin to calm down. Dr. Tanzi continued to talk soothingly to him while George held his sobbing wife. Finally, Daniel sat upright and the doctor was able to give him some post-hypnotic suggestions. "Daniel, you will remember everything you said here, but you will not panic or experience severe anxiety. It will hurt, but you will be able to talk to me and George and Ruby about it. When I count to three you'll wake up. You'll feel rested and well. One…two…three."
Daniel stood up. He haltingly called out, "Ruby? George?"
They both rushed over and George picked him up in a tight embrace. Ruby leaned in, hugging George with Daniel sandwiched in between them.
"We're here, son. We're here." George's voice quivered with unshed tears.
"They are never coming back are they?" Daniel's voice was muffled in his foster-father's chest.
"No, son, they're not. They would come if they possibly could, but they can't."