Chapter Ten

Gene watched as Jarrod walked out of the guest room; he was amazed his eldest brother had spent a solid hour talking to Heath. Well, he'd been in the room for an hour anyway. Guess, if Gene was to be honest with himself, he didn't know for sure the whole hour was spent talking.

"Where's Nick?" Jarrod asked as he looked around, frowning slightly as he did so. Had his hot tempered brother flat out refused to talk to Heath as Victoria and Gene had suggested? That question was when Gene answered his question.

"He's gone on a ride. But," Gene said as he shrugged his shoulders, "he'll be back and take his turn. He promised mother he would."

"But he needed time to get those feathers of his unruffled?" Jarrod asked with a grin on his face.

"That's one way to put it." Gene chuckled, and then asked if Heath had responded to Jarrod's words at all.

"No," Jarrod sighed as he glanced back towards the room, "but, then again, I didn't expect any. Best get in there and take your turn. I need to go back to the study. I've got papers that I should have been working on before now. And, I want them finished before Dr. Merar comes to check on Heath. Good luck in there," Jarrod nodded towards the room and gave Gene's shoulder a squeeze as he spoke; Jarrod then disappeared down the hallway.

After Gene took a deep breath, he walked into the guest room and over to the bed where Heath lay. Unbeknownst to Gene, Heath was standing practically next to him as Gene sat down on the chair. "I don't know if you can hear me like I could hear other people when I was hurt." Gene rubbed the side of his neck, feeling more than strange talking to a brother he never knew he had. "I hope you don't mind me talking to you if you can." He took another deep breath and began talking.

"I wish the family had known of you sooner." Gene sighed. "It would have been nice to know you as long as I've known my other brothers." He went on to tell Heath all the things that he, Gene, would like Heath and him to be able to do…including fishing which Gene said was one of his favorite things to do when he wanted to relax.

Heath stood where he was and continued to listen to Gene. However, when the youngest Barkley started talking about their father, Heath turned and walked over to the window and looked out. He shook his head when Gene, basically, said a few of the same thing Jarrod had…Tom Barkley was a good man who, in spite of faults that came along with being human, would never turn his back on family. This being the case, they couldn't see Tom actually knowing about Heath. "I never knew about you" Tom's words from earlier rang in Heath's ears once more. Guess Jarrod and Gene might just be right when they said if their father knew he'd have done the best he could by him. It didn't change anything; still, Heath had to admit it was nice to have them reinforce the fact that Tom had not lied to him, and that Heath hadn't been neglected by his father on purpose. His thoughts about the lack of a father in his life were interrupted when Gene, like Jarrod, starting telling Heath that Gene would welcome Heath into the family if he'd just wake up…and begging him that, if nothing else, to at least come too long enough to talk to each of them.

By the time a knock came on the door, Heath was wondering if Gene had decided to out talk Jarrod. He then watched Audra walk in and listened as she told Gene it was her turn. "Boy howdy, if she talks as long as the first two, my ears are going to be aching" Heath thought, but said nothing...afraid they might actually hear him.

"No," Gene said as he looked at Audra who had a questioning look appear in her eyes as she looked at Heath, as if to ask if Heath responded at all. "Talk to him though, he might hear you." Gene then walked of the room and Audra sat down.

Since Heath had expected to Audra to start talking right off the bat, he was surprised when she picked up his left hand and, turning his hand into a position where his palm was facing up, began tracing the lines that ran across it. She looked as if she was deep in thought. By the time she began talking, Heath was wondering if Audra had gotten a case of laryngitis.

"Please, Heath, you got to wake up. There's so much that needs to be said and," she chuckled softly, "I always said I wanted another brother, would be kind of nice for you to know that. Especially," she fidgeted slightly as she paused and the said, "after what I tried to do to you in the hotel. I'm not that kind of woman, really. I just…" she hesitated as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say. "I just didn't want to believe father had been unfaithful to mother is all. I wanted to prove you were a liar and con artist." Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Heath, who felt bad for the young woman, knew his half sister was telling the truth, wished he could tell her he understood and not to be upset. At that thought, he was shocked to see Tom appear on the other side of the room and nod towards Audra. "I understand you not responding to Jarrod or Eugene, though I wish you had. However," Tom looked longingly upon his only daughter, "please, won't you tell her not to blame herself, or at least show her you heard."

"I'd be glad to, but how?" Heath, who wasn't surprised by the look of love towards Audra in Tom's eyes, was confused. "It seems like they can only hear me on occasion." He looked at his father, waiting for his father to answer only to feel himself being pulled back into his body. One minute he was looking at his father with surprise on his face, the next Heath felt as if he'd been pushed into a fireplace with wood blazing full force.

"Heath, I…." Audra started to talk only to catch her breath as Heath managed to slightly bend his fingers, just enough to make Audra's head-which she'd bowed- fly up. "Heath?" she leaned forward, anxiously looking for a sign that Heath had regained consciousness. Heath again moved his fingers just enough to let her knew he had heard her, but his eyes removed shut.

"Mother!" Audra quickly laid his hand down and went running out of the room.

"I feel like I'm burning alive, and she has to practically yell in my ear." Heath groaned to himself as he heard Audra in the hallway continuing to yell for her mother.