The River is Wide

Chapter Six

Previously: Heath didn't know if Tom was serious when he said Heath could not leave the house, but all of a sudden Heath just wanted away from Tom, away from having to talk with him. He wished he could go somewhere quiet until his fate was decided by whoever was in charge of things like this. The moment Heath thought that he was shocked to find himself in the hallway. Before he had time to really think about it, he heard a young woman crying in a room down from the room his body lay in. Figuring it was Audra who was crying, Heath made his way down the hall. The door to Audra's room was wide open; she was sitting on the side of her bed holding a picture. 'Maybe, I should have stayed with Tom Barkley' Heath thought and turned to leave only to hear Audra begin talking. He might not have stayed only the first words she said to the picture in her hands were, "Father, I've got to talk to you about Heath."

~oOo~

Heath turned around and watched as Audra laid the picture down upon her lap. While her tears continued rolling off her cheeks, Audra shook her head. "How could you father? How could you do this to mother? How could you not tell us we had a brother?" Her voice grew angrier, "How could you do that! Do you know what I did? He must think I'm not better than some of those dance hall girls!"

Instinctively, Heath took a step forward. "That's not true! You had every right to be suspicious, and to try to prove me wrong."

Audra continued her rampage. "Heath fought on our side at Sample's farm, do you now that?" Audra hands shook slightly as she went onto to say how Jarrod was alive, and uninjured, thanks to Heath. "But he's bad off, doc says he might not m… make it." Her crying started to increase as she cried out, "He can't die… yet! I never got a chance to say I'm sorry for throwing myself at him like I did and not believing him! For that matter, I never even apologized for whipping him for kneeling on those flowers around your grave!"

Heath couldn't stop a crooked smile from appearing on his face as he remembered how he'd accidently came across Tom's grave, knelt on their flowers and began looking at the headstone….only to find her whip coming down upon him. She was a feisty one at that; it reminded him of his mama and Aunt Rachel, both women were as feisty as all get out. Of course, Hannah was a strong woman too, just not as vocal as his mother and Aunt Rachel was all. "You need to stop beating yourself up; you did nothing wrong." Heath sat down beside Audra and rested his hand upon her right shoulder. He was shocked when Audra quickly turned her head and looked at the shoulder he was touching and then looked in his general direction. Heath removed his hand, wondering how strongly his hand had been felt and if she'd actually heard or seen him. He didn't have to wait to find out as Audra tossed the picture onto the bed and, jumping to her feet, ran out of her room and down the hallway. Heath, who cursed himself and wished he was back in the other room, found himself standing beside Tom where Jarrod sat watching over him.

When his sister barreled into the guest room, Jarrod looked at her, concerned by the look of terror in her eyes. "What is it sis? What's wrong?" Jarrod asked rising to his feet, taking a hold of her shoulders as he did so; she' practically flown to the side of the bed.

At first Audra didn't answer as she gazed down at the blonde haired cowboy lying in the bed with his eyes closed. His chest was rising up and down. Audra shocked Jarrod by asking, as she continued looking at Heath lying unconscious in the bed, "Did he stop breathing at all? Even for a moment?"

Jarrod's eyebrows turned down as he realized he couldn't answer that one, as he'd closed his eyes for a few minutes, just to rest them. "Not that I know of, why? What happened?"

Audra began talking a mile a minute. Needles to say, Jarrod had to slow her down. After all, her words were being run together at the rate she was speaking. "What about Heath?" Jarrod asked as Audra took a deep breath.

"I felt a hand on my shoulder, Jarrod. And," she grew excited again, "I know I heard his voice, though I couldn't quite make out what he was saying!"

Jarrod quickly turned around and, placing his fingers over the front of Heath's wrist, felt the man's pulse. It was beating steady, but not quite as strong as before. He muttered under his breath, wondering if Heath's heart had indeed stopped. "Go down stairs and wait for Dr. Merar. He should be arriving soon." Jarrod pulled the chair he was using closer to the bed.

Audra wanted to stay in the room with Heath and Jarrod. However, she didn't feel like fighting Jarrod either. She turned around and hurried out of the room.

Heath, who had been watching Audra, now turned his attention to Tom, who was looking at him with great concern in his eyes. "I didn't know she'd feel me or hear me. I never would have done either if I had known that was a possibility."

Tom sighed, "It's always a possibility; it just depends on who one is making contact with and if they're in tune enough to hear you."

"Why didn't you warn me?" Heath snapped angrily; he would have liked to have known that fact beforehand.

"I didn't think to because it so seldom happens when the people involved don't already have a solid connection with the person who is in Limbo sort to speak." Tom answered as he took a step towards Heath only to have his blonde haired son move next to the window before he realized he was doing it. Tom then looked upwards and, for a moment, Heath could have sworn his father was talking to someone. After a moment, Tom turned his attention to Heath. "I have to go for awhile." He wasn't surprised when shock appeared on Heath's face, along with a look that came into his eyes…one that asked what was going to happen to him. "You will continue as you are. You will stay here and-in time-I will come back."

"Why can't I just go with you for awhile?" Heath couldn't believe he'd just asked that, but the idea of walking around the house not knowing who could feel or hear him was more than unsettling.

Tom shook his head and slowly said, "Son, there is an unseen river that separates the living from the dead. The river is wide and, once it's crossed, their body dies. I'm already gone. I can cross that river all I want, but you can't. Not yet anyway, your time might not be up yet. Like I said, I will be back." He began to fade; though, before he disappeared completely, Tom urged Heath to open up his heart to the family and to really listen.