MK found Sarah May at the Goodie Tree the next morning, gloomily stirring a cup of steaming apple cider.
"Hey, Sarah May, what's wrong?"
"They found his wife," she muttered.
"What?"
"They used the same technique you did, they went back and watched a couple of nights, he called out her name in his sleep apparently, Esther. And now we know his name, Richard Hawkins."
MK's mind started whirling, "Wait, how long has he been in a coma?"
"For years," mumbled Sarah May, her eyes never leaving the cup.
"What, shouldn't she have found him by now?"
"She thought he had left the city for good, she didn't think that he would end up in the hospital in a coma . . ."
"For years," continued MK. Sarah May gave a slight nod. "For as long as you can remember?" Sarah May nodded again. "How long is that?" Sarah May finally glanced up at the strange question.
"What do you mean?"
"How long do you remember living here?"
"I . . . I don't know . . . it's been a while . . ."
"Longer than Jamie's been alive?"
Sarah May blinked, "I-I guess so . . ."
"Then he has been in a coma for more than ten years, and, I can't believe I'm saying this, he only comes out now because you read A Faraway Land to him."
It seemed a hope sprung to life in Sarah May's eyes, "Do you, do you think that everything that happened in A Faraway Land is . . . is real?"
MK bit her lip, "I-I'm not exactly sure, I'm just saying that this is a little strange."
"Oh," replied Sarah May, glancing back down at her apple cider.
"I mean, it doesn't have to work out the same as in A Faraway Land, after all, you and Jackson Overland seemed to get along pretty well."
Sarah May's head snapped up, "Let me make this clear to you right now, there is only friendship I feel for Jackson, maybe even a bit of sibling love, but nothing more. Alright?"
MK gulped, nodding, "A-alright, I'm sorry, the two of you actually looked happy."
Sarah May sighed, "I know why you'd think that way, but it's nothing compared to what my alter ego, Princess Merida, got with Chief Hiccup."
"Are you assuming that Richard might like you back?" Sarah May pursed her lips in response. MK gasped, "Sarah May, you barely even know him! How could you even think like that?"
"I-I don't know, ever since Jamie started reading that book, it's like, it's like I got this feeling that things would get better finally."
MK groaned, "Oh, that book, I'm getting tired of hearing it, please change the subject."
Sarah May glanced up at the clock and gasped, "Oh no! I'm late! I'm supposed to be at the hospital in a few minutes! I've got to run, we can talk some more later. Oh! Would you like to come to my apartment for dinner? I haven't had anybody over since I cleaned it."
"Uh, sure, I guess."
"Great! I'll pick you up at the hotel at five, sound good?"
"Sounds fine."
"Great! See ya!" With that, she rushed out the door. MK turned back to where she had sat and sighed, her thoughts turning back to everything that had happened. It seemed like everything was falling apart, or at least changing, in Cedar Grove ever since she arrived. She finished her breakfast and turned to leave, but paused, glancing back at Sarah May's place. She hated wasting food, and scooped up the teacup to finish the cider. She gulped down some of the cider before pausing to glance at it. Strange, she had never known anyone who liked having almond extract in their apple cider. She quickly chugged the rest of it, smacking her lips at the end. Boy, did she miss that. Maybe she should ask Sarah May at dinner that evening. She paused as she glanced at the clock. But what should she do until then?
Sarah May rushed to the hospital, getting there right as the clock struck ten. She paused in the lobby to catch her breath real quick before going about her routine. She had barely started when Dr. Lupei approached her with a request.
"Miss Bernards, perhaps I could persuade you to concentrate your volunteering time today on Mr. Hawkins? I'm afraid I cannot spare my staff for him, but since there really isn't much that you need to do today, I was wondering if you could spend time with him? All he asks is for a bit of company."
"Oh, why, sure, Doc, whatever you need."
Lupei smiled, "Thank you, Miss Bernards, I would appreciated it." Giving her a slight bow, he left to take care of a few other patients. She was glad Dr. Lupei had left when he had, otherwise he might have changed his mind. She took a few minutes to calm her racing heart before entering Richard's room.
"Hello, Mr. Hawkins, how are you today?" He glanced up, it took everything she had not to lose her composure right then and there under the scrutinizing gaze of those green eyes. "What?" she asked after a few minutes of agonizing silence.
"You're prettier than the staff here," he replied bluntly. Sarah May felt some heat rise to her cheeks before bursting out laughing. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, Dr. Lupei was pretty protective of his staff.
"Um, sorry, that wasn't very nice, even to be funny."
Richard chuckled, "That's alright, I just meant it as a compliment." Sarah May's heart pretty much skipped a beat at that. She blinked, what were they doing? He was married!
"Well, compliment or not, it wasn't very nice. So, what would you like to do today, Mr. Hawkins?"
"Oh, call me Richard, please. I would just like to talk, if you don't mind."
Sarah May shook her head, "Not at all. What would you like to talk about?"
Richard shrugged, "Anything, really, the town, what's been going on, everything."
"Do you remember anything about Cedar Grove?"
Richard shook his head, "Not even my own wife, or why I left her." He paused and glanced down, "Is, is she even my wife?"
Sarah May bit her lip before replying, "They said you are, she said you are. They found a video of you calling out her name in your sleep."
"Oh," he mumbled. There was a bit of silence before he spoke again. "Is it nice outside?"
"Uh, yeah."
"I want to go for a walk, want to come with me?"
Sarah May grinned, "Have to, I can't leave you alone since you just got out of a coma."
Richard smiled, "Oh, fine. Well, shall we?" She helped him out of his bed and led him to the garden in the back of the hospital. She told him some bits about the town before they were interrupted by a pretty blonde.
"Richard! What are you doing up?"
"It's fine, doctor's orders," Sarah May immediately replied. The blonde shot Sarah May a look before walking up to Richard, hit him in the stomach, and pulled him in for a kiss, much to Sarah May's surprise and anger.
"What? What was that for?" he asked when they separated.
"That was for leaving me, and this is for getting yourself into a coma," she stated, hitting him again. Sarah May couldn't stand back and watch it.
"Excuse me, ma'am, this is a hospital, he's supposed to be healing, not get hurt all over again."
The blonde turned on Sarah May, "And what exactly are you doing with my husband? You're not one of the staff."
"Esther . . ." began Richard.
Sarah May looked straight into Esther's eyes, "I'm a volunteer, and the doctor asked that I help with your husband's recovery as there are other patients that they need to tend to. Is there a problem with getting your husband back to full health?"
Esther pursed her lips, "No."
"Then let us do our job and get your husband back to full health. And if you cannot come here to visit your husband without hitting him, then I must ask that you stay away until Richard is fully healed." Esther glared at Sarah May, their clothes showing a stark difference between the two. But Sarah May held her own, and didn't stop until Esther had finally left the garden.
"Well, I think I know now why I left," Richard stated, giving a little grin. His face fell when Sarah May's face didn't change a bit. "H-hey, it's alright, really. I left because of that, remember?"
"No, I don't, I didn't know you years ago . . ."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What if . . . what if none of us remembers who we really are? What if this isn't who we are, or are supposed to be?"
"Um . . . I don't get it."
"I read you a book the other night, it was called A Faraway Land, it was the first time you responded to something in years."
"And?"
"And everyone here is in that book!"
"Wait, what?"
"You, me, everybody, there are versions of us in that book. I'm Princess Merida of the Scots . . ."
Richard chuckled, "You certainly look Scottish. What about me?""
"You, you're Chief Hiccup," she whispered. Richard watched her as she sighed, "We, they got married and had a little girl."
"Is, is Esther in that book too?"
"I-I think so, and she married someone else, I think, I really didn't read much. Jamie knows all about it."
"Jamie?"
"Oh, right, he's the adopted son of our illustrious mayor, Mavis Bennett."
"Oh, and his real mother?"
"He found her, Mary Katherine Bomba, nice girl. We've convinced her to stay and visit until Halloween. Oh, speaking of, I promised her dinner at my place tonight, so I have to keep an eye on the time."
"They sound like great people. Can I meet them?"
"Sure! Maybe I can bring them with me after school tomorrow, Jamie was the one who suggested reading the book to you."
"Great, I'll get to meet my other saviors then." He smiled, and Sarah May had no choice but to smile back, his happiness was pretty infectious. She told him more about Cedar Grove before leaving, having promised him to take him on the next outing with MK and Jamie, and possibly Jackson. She got to her house and began supper, getting most of it finished before leaving to pick up MK.
"What's with you?" MK asked as soon as she got into the car.
"Huh, what are you talking about?"
"You're practically glowing!" Sarah May took a quick glance in the rearview mirror to see.
She blushed a she turned her eyes back to the road, "Oh, I guess it's because I talked with Richard today, and I stood up to his wife."
"You did what?"
"He had a good reason to leave her, MK, she's abusive! She hit him twice upon seeing him, and in my presence of all things!"
"W-what? She hit him? Twice?" Sarah May nodded. "But he's getting better!"
"Exactly, so I told her if she couldn't refrain from hitting him whenever she saw him, then she would just have to leave him alone at the hospital."
"Good for you!"
Sarah May grinned, "Thanks, I felt really good for standing up for him. He is really just the sweetest thing. I promised to take him with us on our next outing."
"Next outing?"
"Well, yeah, we had to postpone ours because of him!"
MK laughed, "That's true."
"Besides, he wants to meet you and Jamie, and thank you in person for everything you did for him."
"Well, we didn't do much, it was all you, really."
"Oh no, you two did help, especially Jamie with his ideas, I just acted on them," shrugged Sarah May as she pulled into her apartment complex. "Well, here we are, hope you don't mind, it's kind of small."
MK chuckled as she followed her hostess up the stairs, "It's probably bigger than my hotel room, and my own apartment. Oh wow." She entered the apartment, it was tiny, but comfortable and cozy. She glanced over the reds, whites, and greens that up made the theme of the apartment, with apples dotted here and there. "Sarah May, this looks amazing."
"Oh, thanks. Why don't you take a seat? I'll be right back," she replied as she dashed into the kitchen. MK took a seat at the counter, gazing into the blazing fire ahead of her in the living room. "Here you are," stated Sarah May as she set down two plates of steaming mashed potatoes, aromatic corned beef, and a tangy vinaigrette drizzled over diced carrots.
MK gasped, "Corned beef! I haven't had this in a long time!"
Sarah May chuckled, "Then you need to come over more often! My family and I tend to have it whenever we can."
"Your family?"
"Mm-hmm, my mom, dad, and triplet brothers, they have a place out in the countryside and run some stables."
"Wow, can we go riding one day?"
Sarah May grinned, "Maybe we can do that this weekend, you, me, Jamie, Richard, and even Jackson, if he wants to come. Well, go on, eat! Before your food gets cold."
"Oh, right," and MK began eating her food. "So, um, why did you become a teacher?"
"Oh, my mom inspired me with a love of learning, and I wanted to give that to future generations. And I like hanging out with the children, they're actually a little easier to handle than my brothers," she laughed.
MK laughed, "Really? Your brothers are that bad?"
"Oh, you have no idea. Though you might find out when we go horseback riding."
"Oh man, I'm not sure if I want to know."
Sarah May laughed as she got up, "It might not be that bad, considering that they tend to be well-behaved until they get to know you better, then they'll strike. Excuse me for a minute, I need to take care of the apple pie and the cider."
"Oh, um . . ." began MK, but Sarah May had already walked into the kitchen, humming a little song. MK sighed and finished her dinner, by then, Sarah May had come back with two plates of apple pie and two steaming mugs of apple cider. "Oh, um, Sarah May?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you always have almond extract in your apple cider?" Sarah May glanced at her with surprise. "Sorry, I went ahead and finished your cider this morning, and I was just curious. I thought I was the only one who liked it."
Sarah May's mouth dropped, "Y-you like almond in your cider too?" MK nodded. Sarah May gave a little squeal and hugged MK. "We must be kindred spirits or something! Jamie was the only other one I knew of!"
"W-what? Jamie likes almond in his cider too?"
Sarah May nodded, "Yes, that can only mean that he really is your son!" MK sat back in her chair, baffled. Sarah May noticed tears forming in her eyes. "MK, are you alright?"
"I-I don't know. It's like the longer I'm here, the more I feel like I belong. For the first time in my life, I feel like I could belong."
"Oh, MK," cooed Sarah May as she pulled the sobbing girl into her arms. When she finally calmed down, the two took their desserts and cider into the living room, and talked long into the night as the fire crackled on.