The Donors (24 page)

The claw had lost its momentum, but still struck Jason high on the forehead, causing him to stumble backward. Jenny's inert body flew from Jason's arms.

Nathan tightened his finger lights. The sizzling sound got louder, and more animal screams came from the Lizard Man. He opened his mouth again and shouted out another, thicker beam of light that struck the creature on the side of the face and knocked him to the ground.

Nathan looked over his shoulder and saw that the shorter lizard man had retreated into the passageway. Then he turned his gaze back to the creature on the floor whose eyes had paled to a dull orange. For a moment, he thought the creature would rise and try to strike again, and he could feel more power vibrate inside of his own chest at the thought, but instead the Lizard Man screeched one more loud protest and then, in a flash of blue light, disappeared. The blue light crackled like a live power line and followed after the creature. A dull, burned-oil smell joined the nasty fart smell.

Barely noticing in his relief, Nathan tumbled roughly to the dirt floor several feet below with a thud and a moan as the air was forced from his lungs. He sat up and looked over at Jason who sat beside Jenny, a hand on her shoulder.

“My God, Nathan. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

Nathan started to answer, but he didn't want to lose the ebbing power before he could use it again. He got up and shuffled over to Jenny, then knelt in the dirt beside her. He looked at Jason, trying to communicate reassurance, then lightly placed his hand on her head. He saw his hand start to glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. He closed his eyes and went into her mind.

At first he saw only darkness and he called to her. Her voice answered back from far away. She sounded like a very little girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She floated in the dark, warm pool and felt neither fear nor relief. She simply existed in the blackness and though a part of her mind knew just what it escaped from, most of her couldn't possibly care less. She thought for a moment that it must be like this in the womb, dark and warm and safe.

She felt a tug of sadness at what must be left behind and she saw fleeting images in the dark—her parents, her brother in his cap and gown, Jason looking down from on top of her, Nathan—but those things had to be left to escape the bad things that she chose not to remember. It would be best for her to stay here—to keep the images safe from the dark creatures and their poisonous thoughts. She had floated here long enough now that the good and bad things started to feel abstract and she thought maybe she would just let herself dissolve in the darkness…dissolve completely and go away forever.

Then she heard the little boy's voice that seemed familiar.

Jenny? Jenny, answer me please. It's Nathan. I need to find you before it's too late.

Both the name and the voice felt important in a way that ached, but she just didn't have any energy left. She had decided to go and should finish her journey.

Jenny, please. Jason and I need you so bad. Please answer me.

Another name that felt important and she matched it to the picture of Jason smiling down at her in her bed.

“Jason?”

It's Nathan. Let me help you find the light and come home.

“Nathan? Where are you?” Her own voice sounded like a child's to her.

I'm in here with you. I brought some light. Can you see it? Come to it, Jenny.

She did see the light. At first it looked like a tiny pinpoint that grew into a bobbing flashlight. She floated toward it and the blackness faded to a soft grey. She willed herself to float on, to head toward the glowing ball of light. As she approached, it got brighter, almost blinding, and then she saw that a boy stood in the middle of the light. The light emanated from him.

“Nathan?”

It's me, Jenny. If you take my hand we can go back. Jason is waiting for you.

She reached out a tentative hand and felt the soft hand in hers. A warm vibration spread out from her hand, chased quickly up her arm and then out into her whole body. It felt a lot like an orgasm, only better.

“Oh my” she whispered.

And then she felt as if she were pulled to light speed and accelerated out of the darkness.

Still holding Nathan's warm hand, she flew out of her mind. She closed her eyes tightly, not in pain or fear, but to try and hold onto the light for just a moment more.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked up into two faces looking back at her. Nathan looked like the little boy she had always known and Jason looked like her future.

“Hi,” she said and smiled.

 

*  *  *

 

Jason cradled Jenny and felt a flood of relief that she hugged him back. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he kissed her dirty hair. Then he reached up and pulled Nathan over into their embrace.

“Thank you, Nathan. I don't know what the hell you did, but thank you so much.”

Nathan beamed back at him, all little boy again. For a moment Jason saw the terrifying image of the thing Nathan had become—the blindingly bright light creature that had shot energy beams, or whatever they were, and defeated the Lizard Men. He could almost still hear the shrill sound when he had opened his glowing mouth and screamed out the energy that had chased the beasts away. It seemed unbelievable that now he just looked like Nathan.

“You're welcome,” Nathan said with a shrug. “I just want us to all be okay.”

“Are they gone?” Jason asked.

You know better, young Jedi.

“I don't think so,” Nathan answered and he looked dark. “But I think we're okay now and I think Miss Jenny is gonna be fine.” He hugged the two of them tightly.

“We need to get out of here,” Jason said. He rose and pulled them both to their feet. Jenny looked over at the inert figure a few yards away from them and pulled in closer to him. Jazz's body lay completely still. Even his eyes were now motionless. Jason wondered for a moment if he might be dead, but thought he saw his chest rise and fall slightly.

“Did I do that?” Jenny asked, her fingers digging into his arm.

“No,” he answered quickly. “No you didn't, Jenny. And it's over now.” He hugged her tightly. “God, don't even think about leaving again.”

“I won't,” she promised. “But I think we have to save him somehow. We can't just let them kill him.”

Together they decided to meet up in Nathan's room as soon as they all got back. Once they were together and everyone was alright, Jason would find the room where Jazz was kept and take him out of there, to the ER or something.

“I'll go with you,” Jenny said. “I can find it easier than you and I kind of need to do it.” Jason reluctantly agreed. They huddled together in the corner, far away from the walls and the cave blood puddles. Jason held Jenny's hand and told her to just hang on tight. Then he checked on Nathan, who had bowed his head gently and already faded beside him.

He closed his own eyes and listened to the far off sounds of Jenny's breathing beside him on the call room bed and searched with his skin for the feel of the sheets. He felt a small shudder, like an unexpected sigh, then realized he lay on his side and opened his eyes. He stared deeply into the beautiful blue-green eyes a few inches from his face and smiled at Jenny, who lay wrapped in his embrace on the call room bed.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she answered and kissed him deeply. “Thank you.”

They hugged and then sat up together awkwardly on the narrow bunk. Jenny had no shoes on for some reason, but that would be an easy fix. Jason felt that once they made sure Jazz was safely in the care of the ER, assuming he was still alive, they might be free from this. He knew that the creatures weren't dead—didn't know if “dead” even applied to them—but he felt pretty sure they would be moving on after their encounter with Nathan. He felt a stab of guilt. If he had been strong enough to do twenty years ago what Nathan had done today, maybe none of them would have had to go through this hell.

And maybe Mom would still be here.

He took Jenny's hand and they slipped out of the call room.

“Nice, guys,” a voice said from behind them. “Very nice.”

He turned and saw one of the anesthesia residents grin broadly and give them a thumbs-up and then a little golf-clap. “Strong work guys,” he called after them.

Jason blushed, ignored him, and headed hand in hand with Jenny toward the door.

 

*  *  *

 

Nathan opened his eyes and looked without surprise at the hallway lights that danced strange patterns on the ceiling of his hospital room. In the corner Mom's sheets and pillows sat on the empty chair-turned-bed. She must have gone to the bathroom or to get something to drink. The bathroom door stood open and the light remained off.

“Mom?” he called out softly.

No answer.

He felt relieved. He needed a minute to settle down before he had to pretend that everything was right and normal. Already the memory of the lights that struck out of his fingers and beat back the Lizard Men had taken on a dreamlike quality. For a moment he wondered if he
had
dreamed the whole thing.

You know better than that, Ranger. He'll be along in a minute and then you'll see.

That sounded more like his own voice then the other-him, and he started to have more doubts. It seemed so real, though. He went to push his hair off his forehead where it tickled a little and clumped himself in the face with the bulky white bandage on his arm, the splint that kept his cracked bones together, certain to raise a red mark.

“Ouch,” he said.

But the arm didn't hurt at all where the bones were supposed to be broken. More amazing, his hand where they had scraped the dead skin off and just recently stapled new skin on didn't sting either. Even with a bunch of pain medicine in his IV, bumping his hand should hurt like crazy.

Nathan pushed the button on his bed rail to turn on the soft reading light behind the head of his bed. He pulled down the sheet and looked at the clear plastic dressing on his upper thigh where they had taken the good skin to fix his burned hand. The dressing still looked stuck to his leg, right where it had been, but the skin underneath the see-through plastic no longer looked red and bloody. Before it had looked like the worst raspberry you could imagine, but now he saw normal skin, and none of the yellowish liquid and blood that always collected under the plastic. Nathan used his good hand to gently peel the plastic off and then lightly ran a finger over the site. Completely normal, like nothing had happened there ever. It even tickled a little ‘cause he rubbed so soft.

A little excited, he peeled the tape off his arm dressing and started to unravel the yards and yards of gauze. When the bandage lay in a tall pile beside him and the splint fell away, he looked at the fluffy four-by-fours on the palm of his hand, took a deep breath, then pulled them away quickly like revealing a magic trick.

The trick worked.

“Tah-duh,” he said with a giggle.

The skin on his hand looked completely normal, even on the two fingers that had looked all black—the ones the first doctor had told his mother he might lose. He balled his hand into a fist and it felt normal, except for a little tug of pain where a dozen little staples, placed to hold the skin graft in place, stuck up uselessly from normal skin. Nathan bent his wrist back and forth, a movement that the splint would have prevented, and felt no pain where the bones had been broken.

“Wow,” he whispered.

He looked around the room, suddenly worried that he would get caught and have to explain why his burns and broken bones had healed like magic. He grabbed a stack of fluffy four-by-fours in his magic hand and then awkwardly wrapped the gauze around to his mid forearm and tucked it in. It didn't really look at all neat, but if he kept his hand under the covers, he doubted anyone would notice. He could ask Jason what he should do once he came.

Nathan craned his neck to see out through the door into the hallway. He wondered where his mom had gone, but also kind of hoped that Jason and Jenny would hurry up and come before she got back. He slipped out of his bed and padded across the cool floor in bare feet to the door where he cautiously peered into the hall.

Way at the end he saw a nurse with a big cart that he knew held medicines, but the hallway looked otherwise empty and the lights had been dimmed for the night shift. The nurse at the end of the hall saw him and held up a finger at him in a silent “just a minute and I'll be there.”

Nathan slipped back into bed so he could hide his poorly wrapped hand under the covers. He wished Jason would come through the door instead of the nurse. Something was wrong, he was certain now.

Something is going to happen. Something bad.

“I thought it already happened. I thought I did good.” He felt his lower lip start to quiver and tears welled up in his eyes.

It's still coming, Ranger. You have more work to do. Your mommy needs you.

The words gripped him by the throat, and for a minute, he couldn't breathe. Where was she? He needed her to come back right now. He closed his eyes tightly.

I need you to come here, Jason.

The words echoed around in his head but no answer came. Now he felt more than a little afraid.

He can't help you now, Nathan. You have to do this.

“I thought we were a team. I thought you said I have to lead my team. I'm the Red Ranger,” he sobbed. “I want my mommy!”

Some things the team can't help you with, Nathan, and this is one of them. Only you can do this. The others would get hurt if they tried to help. I know you want your mom and she needs you too. I can help a little, but you really have to power up now, okay?

The door opened and the tall nurse came in with a big smile on her face.

“Hi, there, Nathan Doren,” she said without looking at her card. “Are you doing okay?”

“I want my mommy,” Nathan said, feeling hot tears run down his face and drip off his chin.

“Oh, she'll be back real soon, sweetie. She left with someone—a family member, maybe? Kind of a tall man in a long coat and top hat? He had scars on his face.”

It took Nathan a moment to realize he felt dizzy because he had stopped breathing. It seemed like some invisible giant squeezed him way too tight. He needed Jason—needed him right now.

No Ranger—you have to do this alone. You can do it, Nathan. Remember how great you did in the cave just a little while ago? You rescued Jenny and Jason and you can rescue your mom. You will have to defeat the Lizard Men. You have the power.

I might be too scared.

“Are you okay, little guy?” The nurse touched his face. “Are you having pain?”

Nathan struggled to swallow his fear. He had to make this nurse go away. He had to find his mommy and he had to kill the Lizard Men.

“No,” he said softly and lay down on his pillow, pulling the covers up on his shoulder. “I'm just tired. I wanna go back to sleep and my mommy will be here when I get back.”

“I'm sure she will, sweetie,” the nurse said and turned off his light. “Is it okay to turn this off?”

“Yes please,” he said and faked a big yawn.

“Call me if you need anything.” The nurse pulled the door nearly closed behind her.

I want to talk to Jason. I want to tell him where I'm going.

No, Nathan. He'll want to go with you and that would be too dangerous. I'm sorry, but you have to do this alone.

Nathan swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He grabbed his good wrist with his healed, but bandaged, other hand and pulled it back, karate style.