Seer

Gabe’s

My beloved struggles with his pain, and the new strange experience of walking with crutches, as he and his mother approach the front entrance of the hospital. Gabe’s mother inquires at the front desk after a patient, and gives Jonathan’s name. After checking the computer the attendant informs them that Jonathan has been admitted and gives them a room number.

Gabe and his mother look at each other, not sure what to do next with this information. The attendant says, “The elevators are right over there,” indicating the correct direction.

“Okay, thanks,” Gabe says, taking control and swinging with his crutches towards the elevators.

Brenda cautions him in the elevator, “Honey, I don’t know if we’re going to see him. He might not be allowed to have visitors.”

“Whatever,” Gabe says. “Even if I don’t get to see him I have to know how he is.”

When they exit the elevator on the correct floor, they look around to orient themselves and locate the correct room number. As they approach, they see Jonathan’s father exit the room. He walks along the corridor towards them, but doesn’t see them until they are right next to him and Gabe blurts out, “How’s Jonathan?”

Brad looks up. “Oh! Hi,” he says. He looks haggard with worry and exhaustion.

Brenda says, “Sorry to disturb you, but we were just at the urgent care and Gabe really wanted to come and check on Jonathan.”

Brad looks at Gabe and registers the crutches and cast for the first time. “Oh, yeah, they said that you had fallen too. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Gabe says somewhat impatiently. “How is Jonathan?”

Brad scratches his chin, and rubs his hand across his head. “Um, they don’t know. He won’t wake up. They don’t know why. All the test results are negative.”

Gabe’s chin quivers. “Can… can I see him? Just for a minute? Please?”

“Um, yeah, I guess. Just wait a sec, okay, while I check with Stefanie.”

“My darling, your friend is being treated by the doctors as best they can. You will see, he has no injury. Be calm, my dear, you will see him soon,” I whisper to my dearest boy.

Brad goes back into the room and quietly tells Stefanie that Jonathan’s friend is here to visit. Stefanie nods, wipes her eyes, and stands up from her son’s bedside.

Brad goes back to the door and beckons to Brenda and Gabe. They enter, somewhat apprehensively, not knowing what they are going to see.

Gabe goes at once to Jonathan. He is lying utterly still, wearing a hospital gown, tucked under a blanket. His face is peaceful, but somehow empty. There is an i.v. attached to the back of his hand, but otherwise there are no medical interventions apparent.

His Guardian is nowhere to be seen.

Gabe’s face wrinkles with distress. He leans on his crutches and touches the back of Jonathan’s hand, the one without the i.v. needle. He stands silent vigil by his side.

Natalie’s

“My dear, Gabe has arrived in Jonathan’s room and is visiting at his bedside. Jonathan is completely still. Gabe is very distressed to see his friend in this state, but is relieved to at least know what is happening.

The children have finished their lunch, and are sitting side by side waiting the few more minutes until the bell rings signaling the end of their lunch period. Natalie had no appetite and barely ate a bite of her food.

She relays the information to Timothy. Timothy wishes to know more about the situation in Jonathan’s room. I oblige, wishing to bring comfort to the children in any way I can. “Jonathan’s parents are also present in the room. They are quietly talking to Natalie’s mother, telling her what the doctors have told them. Gabe is standing quietly next to Jonathan’s bed. Gabe is leaning on his crutches, and touching Jonathan’s hand. Jonathan has not moved.”

Timothy’s expression shifts, to the intensely focused one that I have often observed when he is formulating an experiment. Natalie senses this as well, and eagerly waits to see what he will say.

“I want to do an experiment,” Timothy says. “Aaron and Lady will need to help.”

I relay this information to Gabe and Brenda’s Guardians.

“Yes, Timothy, they are willing to assist in any way you request.”

“Our hypothesis is that what is wrong with Jonathan is that his guardian is missing, right?”

Natalie nods.

“Well, there are some other guardians there. I know it isn’t his guardian, and they aren’t sharing his soul, but maybe if the other guardians try to talk to Jonathan, it will help him? Like, can you ask Aaron and Lady to say something to Jonathan? See if anything happens?”

Guardians never speak to humans who are not their own. There would be no cause to do so. Only our own humans, the ones who hold our souls, receive our communications. The presence of our Seer has created the only known exceptions to this rule, as her desire to engage in dialogue has caused all of the Guardians in our family to converse with each other and even with other humans.

I cannot imagine this experiment succeeding, but of course we will always oblige Timothy’s wishes.

“Of course, Timothy.” I relay Timothy’s request to the other Guardians, and wait for their report.

“They both did as you asked, Timothy, and whispered words of encouragement and healing to Jonathan. It had no apparent effect. He remains still.”

“Ok, next step of the experiment. Please ask them to use energy to talk to him. Just a tiny bit, just a little more than they normally use when talking to their humans.”

This piques my interest. We have been guided by this child before into important discoveries. Will this lead to more?

“Very well, Timothy. Aaron and Lady have begun to whisper to Jonathan, again words of encouragement and healing, but they have elevated their use of energy in speaking to him.”

“Have them use a little more if that doesn’t work.”

“Very well. They will increase their efforts.”

Gabe

I’ve been standing here with Jonathan for a few minutes. Our parents are all talking quietly on the other side of the room, leaving us alone. I’m glad about that. I just want to be with him. I’m telling him silently how sorry I am that he got hurt, and how much I want him to wake up.

Suddenly, his hand moves underneath mine. “Jonathan?” I ask. The adults look over, but seeing he is still just laying there, they go back to their conversation.

But I can tell something is happening. I don’t know how, but I feel it. I grab his hand, and start squeezing it tighter. I feel an energy in the air. I don’t know how the adults aren’t noticing anything, but that’s fine, I don’t really want them to.

I lean down closer to Jonathan, squeezing his hand. Come on, come on, I think to him. You can wake up.

And he does. His eyes open. He looks right at me.

Brenda’s

Gabe’s Guardian and I have incrementally increased our use of energy in whispering to Jonathan, as directed by Timothy. “Sweet child, come back to us, dear, you can reawaken if you choose. Nothing is preventing you.”

Gabe, newly aware of the presence of his Guardian, and having been touched by the energy being blasted by all of us earlier at the playground, starts to have a vague sense of our efforts. It is not nearly as pronounced as Timothy’s ability to sense Guardian, but Gabe begins to feel the energy flowing towards his friend.

Gabe adds his efforts, silently exhorting his friend to awaken.

Aaron and I increase our attempt again, delicately adding to our use of energy. This time, the profound silence within Jonathan’s mind is pierced, and he first shifts slightly, then opens his eyes.

Gabe gasps, and the parents look up from their conversation. “Jonathan?” his mother exclaims, rushing to the bed. His father ducks into the hallway to summon a nurse.

Jonathan is gazing directly into Gabe’s eyes. Gabe asks him, “Jon? Are you okay?”

It takes a moment for Jonathan to respond. His mind is clouded, fuzzy. His soul, normally so vibrant, barely glimmers. “Hey,” he says to Gabe, finding it more difficult than normal to use his vocal chords. The word comes out in a whisper.

I immediately report the success of Timothy’s experiment to Angel. Natalie is overjoyed at the news.

As the room fills with medical personnel, Brenda pulls Gabe aside. She whispers to Brad, “We’re gonna get going. Please call and let us know how Jonathan is doing later.” He nods, hands to his mouth and staring at his son, overwhelmed with emotion.

Natalie’s

The report from Lady is both joyous and puzzling. As Jonathan awakens, he is able to speak, and respond to the questions of the doctors. He has no apparent physical or mental symptoms resulting from his period of unconsciousness.

However, the Guardians can sense that his mind seems very different from before. To the doctors he appears weak, and they suggest to his parents that he simply needs more time to recover. But it is not his body that is weak. It is his soul. His spirit. He regards the room, and the people within it, with an uncharacteristic passivity. The spark within, the dominant personality, the eagerness to experience life, all have dwindled. Jonathan is there, but it is as though he is only a shadow of himself. He is awake, but detached. He seems empty.

Timothy’s hypothesis must be correct. It is the absence of his Guardian that is causing Jonathan’s condition. The efforts of Lady and Aaron were able to awaken him, but not restore him. Clearly, Jonathan needs Demon to return. He needs Demon to be himself.

However, his Guardian continues to be utterly absent. The other Guardians and I continue searching, stretching our perception to our extreme limits, to no avail. Although Jonathan’s soul is still present, and therefore his Guardian must be somewhere, he is nowhere that we can discover.