Chapter 7

Ralph removed the Suit, went to bed, and fell asleep quickly. A short while later, another lucid dream of Maria being sick manifested. Ralph partially woke feeling the pain and fever starting. He said to himself, "Oh, no, not again." Once again, he thrashed around and moaned in bed from the pain and fever. Jose and his wife had stayed up late to talk about the day's activities when they heard Ralph's moans coming from his bedroom. Jose knocked on the door and got no reply but heard the cries; he apprehensively opened the door and saw Ralph tossing and turning.

Jose and Enez stood by the bed and watched the First in obvious distress. They didn't know what to do. Jose called the Hero League emergency line and told them what happened with the First. They connected him to Dr. Adams. Dr. Adams explained that there was nothing they could do but keep him comfortable while the psychic episode progressed through the different stages. Enez got a cool, wet washcloth to cool him down and wiped the sweat from Ralph's face, arms, and chest while he had the fever.

The children heard the commotion and got up to see what was happening. They stood at the door to Ralph's bedroom with sadness and concern. Lizzy asked, "What is wrong with señor First?"

Jose explained, "He had a bad dream about a sick little girl, which made him sick. The doctor said he would get better and would be okay. Now you go to bed."

He got up to take them to bed, but his wife told him, "Let them stay; they should learn what can happen to Heroes." The children were told to sit on the floor and be quiet.

Ralph continued to toss and turn for about half an hour, then calmed down and opened his eyes and stared at the wall with unintelligible words coming out of his mouth; he jerked and blinked his eyes a few times and called, "Suit, suit record this," then went back to staring and mumbling. Suit got up from the dresser it was draped across, went to Ralph's side, and put its sleeve on his head. Jose and Enez stepped aside, letting it have access. The children watched, amazed that the suit could move by itself; they had never seen their father's suit do this.

Again, Lizzy asked, "Pappa, can Jesus do that too?" Jesus was Jose's name for his suit.

Jose told her, "Yes, he can; I just never had a reason to ask him."

Finally, the episode subsided, and Ralph took a deep breath and blinked his eyes several times, coming out of the trance. He closed his eyes and took several meditative deep breaths, calming his mind and body. When he opened his eyes, everyone was standing around the bed staring at him, even Suit.

Ralph said, "I'm sorry that happened; it must have upset everyone. I have no control over these episodes, but I got more information about the Pure Water Organization. Suit, did you record what I saw while in a trance?" Suit touched his head and answered in his mind, 'Yes,' Ralph said, "Good, show it to Jose and his suit."

Suit placed a sleeve on Jesus's arm and transmitted the recording. As this was being done, Ralph closed his eyes and rubbed his head because of his headache.

Enez saw this and asked in Spanish, "Does your head hurt?"

He said, "English, please."

She said, "Oh, yes, you don't have Suit on. Does your head hurt?" she repeated in English.

Ralph answered, "Yes, these episodes always give me a headache."

She said, "I'll get you something for it," and left for the other room.

While she was gone and Jose was communicating with Suit, Lizzy came up and asked him a question in Spanish, which he couldn't understand. He put his hand out, touched her face, and said he didn't know when he got a vision of her grown-up as a Hero in a great battle.

Enez came back with two pills and a glass of water and saw Ralph caressing her daughter's face with a faraway stare in his eyes. She said, "Señor Ralph, Ralph, are you okay?"

He blinked several times, removed his hand from the little one's face, and said, "She will be a Hero and be in a great battle." He took a deep breath and blinked several times again. He saw the pills and water, took them, and thanked Enez.

Enez asked, "Why did you say that about Lizzy?"

Ralph answered slowly, "I guess I had one of those prophetic visions again. They seem to come in batches. It is never one and done."

"She asked me a question in Spanish. Can you find out what she wanted?" Ralph asked.

Enez asked Lizzy what she had requested from Ralph, and Lizzy told her. "She wanted to know if it hurt to do those things. She means when you have the episodes, as you call them."

Ralph said, "Tell her yes. It hurts because the little girl I was seeing was hurt. I feel what she feels. Tell her I am here to find and keep her from being hurt."

Enez relayed the message to Lizzy, and she seemed to be satisfied. Then she asked, "Can you touch my other children and tell me what you see for them?"

Ralph said, "I don't think it works all the time, but okay."

Enez had the other children line up and let Ralph touch each of their faces. When he caressed each face, he got a vision of each grown-up and what they would do. One would be a doctor, one a nurse, and one of the boys would also be a Hero in the same battle as Lizzy, but the last was different. He saw the boy's death. He was hit by a car while on his bicycle. He jerked his hand away and sat there for a second, unsure what to say. He told Enez it wasn't working anymore.