Elam took in details of the room as he watched the women interact. It was larger than most hospital rooms. Though the bed was a standard mechanical one, it sported cotton sheets with a very high thread count. The blankets were expensive and of the best quality. There was a comfortable rocker by the bed, a widescreen TV and a sound system that cost nearly as much as he paid for his apartment every month. Beautiful religious pictures and statues graced the walls and tables. A red glass candle stood beside the bed, burning with a low flame.
"This is Malachi," Mrs. Garafolo said. "Darling, this nice young lady has come to visit. And her young man. He's one of the men who rescued you when you got hurt." She beckoned to Elam. "Please, speak to him. Part of him understands."
"I'm sure he does," Elam said. He stepped forward, shaking Malachi's limp hand. "I'm Elam, Malachi. Maybe you remember me. I helped pull you out of the wreck." He paused, exhaling slowly. "I'm so sorry about your brother. By the time we arrived, he was gone. You did a good job trying to help him. You can be proud of that. We just didn't get there in time."
He turned to Mrs. Garafolo, tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry about your son, Micah. I found him." He closed his eyes. "I tried—"
"I know you did, dear boy. He was gone to Jesus long before you arrived. But you saved my other boy. One day, he'll wake up, and be my son again. Until then, I sit here with him all day. His father comes at night. His sisters come too. We take turns talking and singing to him. I know he's in there."
"I believe that," Blythe said. "May I?"
Mrs. Garafolo nodded.
She cradled the limp, pale hand in hers. "Hi, Malachi. I'm Blythe. Remember me? You saved me the other day. You kept me calm, and helped me move my car off the road. You opened my door and told me everything would be all right. Do you remember? I wanted to thank you, and let you know that I've been seeing you in my dreams. You saved them, just like Elam saved you. You're a hero."
She bit her lip to stop it from trembling. "I'm so sorry about your brother. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. My fiancé, Alec, he died the same day as your brother. If I figure the time differences right, it was at just about the same time. Freaky, huh? I don't know why you're in my dreams. I don't know how or why you saved me. But I want you to know, I'm here for you. If I can help you, I will. You have to tell me how. I'll let you rest now. I'll see you in my dreams." She leaned over, kissing him gently on the lips.
There was no reaction. Why she thought there would be, she didn't know. Maybe she was hoping it was like a fairy tale, where a kiss wakes the cursed person from a deep sleep. Sadly, a kiss wouldn't wake Malachi Garafolo from his slumber. But she felt better having talked to him. She knew that somehow, their spirits had met. Maybe now, she could help him, and he could wake once more.
They thanked his mother, giving her their numbers.
"We will come back soon," Elam promised. "I have to check my days off this week."
"That would be wonderful. I'd like you to meet the rest of the family."
"We'd like that," Blythe replied. "Thank you again for allowing us to visit."
"It was important for my boy to meet you," Mrs. Garafolo said with a sad smile. "I don't know how, but you'll help one another."
"He saved my life," Blythe replied, hugging the other woman. "I can't thank him enough for that."
They met up with Jason and Lori behind the hospital. There was a small pond with a gazebo in the middle. Not far away, there was a meditation garden with gravel and rakes if guests felt inclined to indulge in tracing gravel. Lori had written her name. Blythe laughed. So like her friend to find the humor in a situation.
True to her word, Sarah had given them the names of several restaurants. They stopped at a small fish camp that looked like something out of Deliverance. It was rundown and weathered outside. Inside, it smelled of good food. The tables and chairs were clean, the floor neatly swept and the beer on tap. It was still a little early for the main dinner crowd, so they mostly had the place to themselves. They ordered appetizers, sipped their beer and talked. Blythe was pleased, once again, that Elam fit into their group so well. He loved Lori's sarcastic wit, and gave her some tips on how to handle the heckler.
"I've caught your act a couple times," he admitted. "I think you and the magician are the funniest ones. Hell of a lot funnier than most of the headliners they get in."
"Thank you. A man of discerning tastes. I did think that guy, Dexter, was pretty funny."
"I caught his act. He was great. But that one dude with the weird eye. Talked about jacking way too much. He's got an audience mostly women over sixty, and he's talking about self-abuse? Man! I'm not a comedian, but I could read that audience. One old girl got up and left. Then a whole bunch stampeded for the door. He played to a half empty house. I was about to tell him he wasn't funny, just to shut him up." He chuckled.
"I remember that night," Lori said. "I opened for him. He was such a prick. Kept hitting on me because he thought he was somebody special. That was right after Jason and I got engaged. I wasn't interested in some egotistical fat boy with a lazy eye." She kissed Jason, her expression loving. "Do you know how great it is to be able to kiss you anytime I want?" They kissed again, longer this time.
Elam cleared his throat. "We should probably get on the road soon. It's nearly a three hour drive."
"You're right. I wanna get my woman home," Jason growled, nibbling Lori's ear.
©2022 Dellani Oakes
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