The woman screamed in pain, gripping her husband’s hand so tight he feared she might break it. He gently mopped the sweat off her brow with his free hand and tried to speak words of encouragement, even praying to try and calm her down and make the pain go away, trying to be helpful through this process that was so foreign to him.

                “Dear Lord,” he began, but faltered as he noticed her scowling at him. “Father God, protect your children, born and not yet born-“

                “Shut up!” she screamed as another contraction hit. Her body tensed up and she gripped his hand again. “God’s not listening to our prayers!”

                “Shhh…” he said softly, “don’t say that, God’s always listening to his children.” He knew his wife was in pain, but didn’t want her to go to hell for her blasphemy from her pain. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, starting to get frustrated.

                “Get someone who will listen,” she growled, relaxing against the bed as best she could, given the difficult labor she was experiencing.

                Without another word, he left her side, finding a phone book. It was too late to call any doctors office, and he knew that would piss her off more since she had tried to plan an “all natural birth.” God, how those words pissed him off. If he had known a natural birth meant watching his wife endure all this pain, he never would have allowed it.

                He began thumbing through the phone book in the medical section when an ad for a metaphysical healer caught his eye. In desperation, he called the number, not knowing what to expect, but figured they would still be what his wife insisted on as “natural.” He nearly dropped the phone when he heard a voice on the other end.

                “Isis, house of healing,” the bored voice droned.

                “My wife’s in labor…” Hoke whispered, sounding defeated.

                “We don’t-“

                “Please, you have to… She won’t let me call a doctor and she says God isn’t listening. Please, I’m afraid I’m going to lose her,” he said, finally admitting his worst fear to himself.

                “I honestly don’t know what to do, we usually refer people-“ the salesperson started.

                “”Who do you refer?” Hoke asked, sounding desperate.

                The sales guy put Hoke on hold while he looked up the phone number, “Her name is Ynes, and she is the local olorisha” he said then gave the guy the number to reach her at. He was about to say something else when he heard a click on the other end of the line.

                Hoke didn’t hesitate, dialing the number right away.

                “I’ve been waiting for your call,” a woman said as she picked up the phone.

                “I think you’re expecting someone else…” he trailed off.

                “Hoke?” the woman asked kindly.

                “How- how did you know?” he stammered.

                “I told you, I was waiting for your call. Has the time come? Is she in labor?” the woman asked.

                “How-“ he started to stammer the same question again, his mind swimming with questions.

                “There are a lot of things you have yet to understand. Where are you right now?” she asked.

                He muttered the address and could hear the woman’s smile on the other end. “I will be there shortly.”

                With that, the woman hung up and he returned to his wife. “Help is on the way,” he said softly, kneeling next to her.

                Paula was too weak to respond, her lips starting to turn blue and her skin looked paler than a sheet of blank white paper.

                Hoke began to panic, trying to figure out what to do, starting to wipe the perspiration off her cold brow, then trying to slap her cheeks to wake her up, finally feeling for a pulse. God, why hadn’t he insisted she see a doctor and have a normal delivery in a safe hospital, where nurses would make sure she and the baby were safe?

                It felt like an eternity later when he heard the doorbell sound. He ran to answer it, not wanting to leave Paula’s side for long, but hoping the woman could actually help.

                Hoke opened the door and the woman stepped inside without an invitation. A large tote bag was slung over her shoulder and she looked around quickly, “Well? Where is she?” Ynes asked curtly.

                He pointed down the hall towards their bedroom and watched as the woman began walking towards it. She looked over her shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow, “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help save your wife’s life?”

Hoke followed after the strange woman and stood in the doorway, watching as she began pulling strange items out of her bag. He began wondering just who he had called when crystals, bones, and vials were placed on his bedside table.

                Ynes looked up at him, “Can you undress her please? I need to cleanse her…”

                Hoke began to comply without questioning the other woman, but silently wondered at what time he should ignore his wife’s wishes and simply call the hospital.

                “That won’t be necessary,” he heard the woman say. “The hospital… It won’t be necessary. Besides, they would be useless now anyway, doctors aren’t any good at bringing the dead back to life.”

                Hoke’s question about the woman being psychic evaporated in his mind when he heard her talk about the dead. “Who’s dead?” he asked frantically, his eyes looking at his wife, trying to see if he could see her chest rise and fall still.

                “The baby…. Which is why he can’t be delivered yet,” Ynes explained.

                “So what do we do then?” he asked all worries about this woman flying out of his head. New fears flooded his mind, thinking if the baby was dead, would his wife be next?

                “Thoughts like that kill people, stop… Stop it now… and get me hot water and towels,” Ynes ordered the man who was just seconds away from a meltdown. She needed to keep him busy to keep his mind off his dead son and focus him on the fact his wife was still alive. The thoughts of life were what would bring his child back.

                While Hoke was gone, Ynes set everything up for what she would need to do. This was olde magik- Santeria, to be exact- and it wasn’t to be taken lightly or rushed. She picked up the poor woman’s hand, cutting into her finger and holding an empty vile up to the dripping blood until the vile was full. Only then did she rip apart a clothe to bandage the girls fingers and stop the flow of blood.        

                Hoke came back and saw the all ready blood soaked bandage on his wife’s hand. “What the hell happened?” he asked, panic written all over his face.

                “Put the water over there,” she said, pointing next to her bag. “When you’re done, come over here and help me.”

                Hoke didn’t even realize his question had been ignored as he moved to follow the orders. He watched as Ynes grabbed what she would need and began chanting, ''Moarte va vine in viata.” He listened to the foreign words, wondering just what she was saying and what it all meant. He tried to simply focus on her words, repeating them again in his head, hearing her words get louder and louder as time went on.

                Hoke didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon he saw Paula moving and realized her contractions had started again.

                Ynes looked up at him, “Don’t just stand there, help me deliver your son! Ugh, useless man!” she muttered before telling him what needed to be done.

                Minutes later, his son was born, and he briefly wondered how Ynes had known it would be a boy since he and Paula didn’t even know.

                He looked at the woman as she held his silent baby, and the question was out of his mouth before it had finished forming in his mind. “Isn’t he supposed to be crying?”

                “Only babies that are alive cry,” she responded. “Now stop interrupting and let me work!” she took the vile of Paula’s blood and placed some on her fingertips before smearing it in the still infants mouth, repeating, ''Moarte va vine in viata.”

                Hoke spoke the words quietly with the woman and watched as his baby began to change from deathly pale to a healthy pink. He slowly began to fuss, and then finally cry.

                Ynes kept a hold of the baby, the words she was chanting changing now, “Protect this child with all your might, oh Goddess gracious day and night!” before finally lighting a bundle of herbs and letting the smoke surround the child. “Thrice around the circle’s bound, sink all evil into the ground…” she said, continuing to chant until the smoke dissipated completely.

                After several moments of silence, Ynes spoke again, “Child born of death, take your first breath. Live your life, don’t suffer the strife. Be protected from harm until you lose this charm. Then slowly return to death, no longer needing breath.” Once the spell was cast, she place a leather bound crystal on the baby’s skin and looked up as Hoke asked another question.

                “What does that mean?” he asked softly, watching her hold his son, hearing her chanting again.

                When Ynes was quiet again, she looked at Hoke, “Keep this hanging over his bed until he turns 16, then he needs to wear it from dawn to dusk, every day. If you don’t follow these instructions, or this charm gets lost, well… I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you.”

                Hoke was going to ask more but was distracted when he heard Paula speaking. He knelt by her, reaching for her hand and simply heard her whisper, “Baby…”

                He looked up at Ynes who simply nodded and handed over the infant with a smile. “Be well,” she said before putting everything away, leaving the charm and the vile of blood behind. “You will need this,” she said, handing the vile directly to Hoke, “You will know when…”

                With that, the woman disappeared, leaving Hoke and Paula to fuss over their new son.

“Howard!” Paula screamed out the window. The living room looked like a bomb had exploded and feathers from destroyed pillows were still dancing in the air.  “Howard Dwaine Dorough!” she screamed again, “You have until the count of three, or so help me God-“

                “What?” a timid voice asked behind her.

                Paula turned around, her hands in the air, “What? WHAT?” Look around you, Howard!”

                He looked around, his lower lip quivering, “It was an assident!” He said as tears started to fall.

                “Don’t try that with me, young man! An accident is a hole in a pillow. Intent is all of my mother’s pillows ripped to shreds! What were you even doing? I was in the kitchen for no more than ten minutes!” she asked, looking around again.

                Howie could do nothing more than shrug his shoulders and wipe away his tears on the sleeve of his shirt.

                “Room! Now!” she said, pointing up the staircase.

                Howie sniffled as he shuffled past his mother, going up to his room. He flopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his feet tapping against the wall.

                “Howard!” Paula screamed again, causing him to no longer play with the wall.

                Howie huffed and reached for the crystal hanging next to his bed and threw it up into the air before catching it again. He did this repeatedly until he heard his mom coming upstairs and dropped it before scrambling into a sitting position.

                Paula walked into the room, having calmed down over the last several minutes. “Do you have anything to say to me?”

                “I’m sorry mama,” he said sullenly.

                Paula nodded and moved to sit with him on his bed, pulling him into her lap. “Those pillows are important to mama. Luckily, I can fix them, but be gentle with things Nana gave us, okay?” she asked softly.

                Howie simply nodded, curling closer to her and reached a hand up to twirl a lock of her hair around his finger. She kissed the top of his head and the sat in the sweet embrace until she finally pulled away. “Come on, someone needs to help me clean up the mess unless he wants to be grounded.

                “I’ll help!” he said, jumping out of her lap and quickly running downstairs to try and save himself from being grounded.

********

“Didja get into lots of trouble?” Kristie asked the next day.

                Howie shook his head no as he started to play wall ball with his friend.

                “Didja tell on me?” the girl asked softly.

                “Course not, I’m not a snitch!” he said, scowling at her.

                “What did you tell her?” Kristie asked.

                “That it was an accident, which it was… I just left you out of it,” the young boy said with a shrug. “Besides, you ran away really fast. I never knew girls could run that fast!”

                Kristie chuckled, “I’ll race ya any day!” she hit the ball and stepped back so they could continue playing. “Thanks for not telling your mom about out pillow fight…” she said before running for the ball again.              

                “It’s ok, my mom just made me clean it all up, and she’s remaking the pillows… Next time, we can’t play with the nice pillows, or better yet, we will just play at your house,” he suggested, letting Kristie win.

                “Deal!” she said and spit in her hand before shaking his, sealing the deal, before leaning over and kissing his cheek quickly.

                “Ew!” Howie said, wiping her cooties off on his shirt. “Whadja do that for?”

                “Cuz you didn’t tattle!” she sang before skipping away.

                Howie smiled and watched as his friend moved on to another game with someone else.

                “Howie and Kristie sitting in a tree! K-I-S-“ Josh began singing at Howie.

                “Shut up!” Howie said before turning to find who was singing and shoved the boy hard enough that he fell down.

                Kids laughed at the scene, but luckily it didn’t last long because the bell rang a few minutes later.

Chapter 4

                Howie made his way home after school, and started to make his way to the kitchen for a snack.

                “Your father is in your room,” Paula said as Howie set his bag down in a chair.

                How knew without being told what that meant and looked up at his mom, trying to see if that meant he was, in fact, in trouble for yesterday. He simply nodded when her expression didn’t offer any hints, then began to make his way upstairs. When he reached his room, he knocked softly on his door before stepping inside his own room.

                Hoke turned to look at his son, “Where is it?” he asked, pointing to the empty spot on the wall where Howie’s crystal usually hung.

                Howie looked at his dad and shrugged, “I unno… I dropped it yesterday…” he explained.

                “You dropped it?” his dad asked, his voice rising. “Where?” he asked, falling onto his knees to look around for it.

                Howie tried to relive the moment when it fell and could only shrug again. “I don’t know. I was playing with it-“

                “What do you mean you were playing with it?” He nearly shouted, grabbing Howie by the shoulders. “Where were you playing with it?”

                “On my bed…” Howie said, wondering what the big deal was. “It’s just a rock, I can find another one…” he said softly.

                “No, you will clean your room until you find it. It was a very special present given to you the day you were born, and you cannot lose it! Do not come out of this room until you have found it!” Hoke left the room, slamming the door behind him and started back downstairs.

                Paula looked up from her cooking and simply perked an eyebrow. “What did he lose this time?” she asked. She was used to Howie losing things- he was eight after all, and couldn’t be expected to keep track of everything. That was why she refused to buy him expensive gifts for his birthday and Christmas, she knew it wouldn’t last more than a week or so, anyway.

                “His crystal, the one over his bed?” Hoke said, trying to jog her memory.

                “Oh, the ugly rock on the leather string?” she asked, trying to clarify. “I’m glad it’s gone…” she said honestly. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it disappear for years now!” she chuckled.

                “Don’t say that… He needs to keep it,” Hoke said emphatically.

                “Why? I mean, if it means that much to you, we can just buy him a new one, Hoke… It’s not a big deal...” Paula said, trying to calm her husband down.

                “No, we can’t just buy him a new one, or find him a new one,” he said, taking a deep breath. “There’s something special about that stone.”

                “You say that every time we talk about it. What is so special about it?” she asked, urging her husband to sit down and talk to her.

                Hoke looked at his wife and realized he could no longer keep the secret of their son’s birth from her. He slowly sat down and reached for her hands. “I have to confess something to you, but you can’t be upset. Understand right now that everything I did was for you and our son…”

                Paula laughed softly, “Oh come on, Hoke. Whatever you have to tell me can’t be that bad…” she honestly couldn’t think what was so serious and what that damn rock had to do with anything.

                Hoke laced their fingers together, his thumbs playing across the palms of her hands. He drew a nervous breath, and then told her the details he could remember of their son’s birth. It had been a little over eight years since that night, and aside from the haunting dreams he had about it, he tried not to think of it, ever. He couldn’t bring himself to look his wife in the eye as he recounted all the details he could remember, until he was telling her about Ynes leaving the vile of blood with him.

                “I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it… but I still have it… and that rock…. That’s what we can’t lose…. I’m afraid of what will happen to Howie if we do…” he whispered, choking on tears, refusing to let them cry.

                “Wait…. You mean our son was dead when I delivered him? Why didn’t I know this?” she asked, trying to pull away from Hoke, but his hands tightened on hers.

                “Yes, he was… and she said something that made him come back… and you were so worn out… I was afraid I would lose you, too…” he whispered, “I’m sorry… I didn’t know what to do, I was so afraid of losing you…”

                Paula was finally able to loosen her hands from his grip and stood up without another word, turning to leave.

                Hoke’s shoulders sagged as he watched her walk away from him, feeling as helpless as he had been the night his son died.

Paula made her way upstairs to her son’s room, knocking softly before opening the door slowly, “Hey,” she said softly, trying to smile at her son, but wasn’t able to make the expression go fully to her eyes. “Need some help?”

                Howie shook his head no, “Dad said I have to clean until I find a stupid rock…” he said, angrily throwing some paper away.

                Paula moved to sit in the middle of the room and started to help her son clean, “It must have been kind of scary; He’s never yelled at you like that before,” she said sympathetically.

                “He’s never slammed a door, either,” he admitted softly, reaching up to wipe away a tear with the back of his hand before concentrating on cleaning. “I don’t even know what the big deal is about a rock…”

                “It’s a very special rock, and I have to agree with your father on this one.” She turned to look at her son, “Once we find it, we will return it to where it should be, and now you know it’s not something to be played with, correct?” she asked softly, tossing the clothes on the floor into the corner for her to take downstairs to do the laundry later, once they’d found the crystal.

                Howie nodded softly in agreement and continued to clean for several minutes in silence.

                Paula also didn’t feel the need to speak, using the time to process everything that her husband had just told her. Howie was dead? She glanced at her son, letting her gaze linger probably a second too long. She shook her head no and began cleaning again with her son. Hoke must’ve been exaggerating… But he seemed to believe what he was saying and she had never known her husband to exaggerate anything before. She sighed softly, trying to figure out how her beautiful boy had been dead, and yet here he was, cleaning his room like any other eight year old boy. Yesterday he’d gotten in trouble for the pillows downstairs, something else every eight year old boy went through as well. Little boys were meant to be getting in trouble… but hers had died… Was he actually alive, or did that woman Hoke told her about cast a spell so he was walking around fully dead, yet still acting alive?

                She reached up to wipe away her own tears before starting to fold up his clean clothes she’d delivered upstairs earlier that day.

                Howie looked over at her, misunderstanding her tears, “I’m sorry mama… I won’t do anything bad again…” he said, taking a moment to crawl into her lap and wrap his little arms around her neck.

                Paula chuckled softly, “Yes you will, Howard, dear… It’s your job to get into trouble, and it’s my job to make sure you still know I love you even while I’m teaching you not to do something again.” She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer and kissing his forehead before gently moving the curls off his forehead.

                Howie sighed and eventually pulled away from her, lying on his stomach and pulling things out from under his bed. Paula watched her son, starting to put his toys back where they belonged for him. It took the two of them probably an hour to get his room clean, and still no sign of the crystal. Paula looked around before slowly pulling his bed out from the wall.

                “Howie, can you look under the bed again?” she asked softly.

                Howie got back down on his stomach and shimmied under his bed, coming back out a few seconds later, a huge grin of triumph on his face, clutching the crystal in his hand, “FOUND IT!” he exclaimed, jumping up and down in celebration.

                Paula chuckled and pulled him in for a hug before taking the crystal from him and hanging it up where it belonged. “Now, I shouldn’t have to say this, but your room’s a mess,” she chuckled. “Can you keep it clean now that we just cleaned it up and it’s all spotless now?” she asked ruffling his hair again.

                Howie nodded softly, “Yes, mama, from now on, it’ll stay clean…” the young boy promised.

                Paula smiled softly and kissed his forehead again, “Good… Dinner will be ready shortly. I expect your homework to be out until I call your name?”

                Howie nodded softly and found his school bag, pulling his homework folder out and sat down at his desk, starting to work before she even left the room.

                When Paula made her way back downstairs, she paused when she saw her husband before walking over to him, her fingers caressing over his neck, “We found it…” she said softly

                Hoke nodded and pulled Paula into his lap, “You didn’t have to help him…”

                “Something that important? Yes, of course I did… You said there were dire consequences if it got lost… I for one do not want to know what those dire consequences are…” she said honestly. “He’s promised not to play with it again, either. You scared him earlier… He doesn’t know why it’s important, but at least now he knows it’s important…” She drew a breath and whispered, “Is he alive now?”

                “Of course he is,” Hoke said, looking up at her. “Of course he’s alive. If he weren’t, he’d have a tombstone with his name on it…” he kissed her shoulder softly. “Don’t ask that again… He’s fine, we’re fine… we have nothing to worry about.”

                Paula nodded softly, fighting tears before slowly standing up and heading into the kitchen to finish dinner. Her fears as a mother were now magnified, but she tried to return to some semblance of normalcy so Howie wouldn’t know anything was wrong. She wanted to make sure that no matter what, he was still allowed to be a child.

                She was suddenly more thankful for him, though, now that she knew the truth.

Eight years later

“Happy birthday to yoooooou!” Howie’s friends and family sang, finishing up the classic birthday song.
       “You look like a monkey, and you smell like one, too!” Kristie
finished, the smile on her face growing as she saw Howie scowl at her.
       Howie huffed at his friend before closing his eyes to make a wish,
then blew out all the candles. He managed to get them all in one blow,
which caused his mom to laugh, “I guess he really wanted his wish!”
       “Or he was just showing off,” Kristie chuckled, teasing her friend.
       “Well I do like to show off,” Howie teased, reaching over to mess up
Kristie’s hair.
       Hoke cleared his throat before starting to cut the cake and serve
everyone, trying to make sure the two kids didn’t suddenly start to
wrestle. He was used to that after the first few times Howie dared
mess up the poor girls hair.
       Howie’s friends surrounded him, all enjoying themselves and just
generally making fun of the birthday boy. Finally, Paula got
everyone’s attention by whistling sharply. Once everyone was looking
at her, she smiled, “It is my understanding that birthday parties
typically include birthday presents, correct?” she asked, pretending
to have to ponder that question. She laughed to herself as everyone
scrambled over to the table where all the gifts were, and his friends
began to declare which one he needed to open first.
       Kristie hung back, her gift hidden in another room- Howie’s bedroom,
actually, hoping she could get him alone to open it by themselves.
Howie looked for her as everyone sat down and simply perked an
eyebrow, silently gesturing to the seat next to him with a nod of his
head. She shrugged and slowly made her way over to him, sitting down.
Now that she was closer to the gifts, she began handing him each gift.
       The minute her hands landed on one gift, someone would yell at her,
“No, the blue one! Give him the blue one, first!” Josh demanded.
       Kristie scowled at Josh and shook her head no, continuing to reach
for the closest one. “He will open all of your presents, don’t worry,
I won’t let him forget anything. I promise, I won’t let him leave this
room until all his presents are open, ok?” She proceeded to hand Howie
the presents while everyone explained why they had found the perfect
present for him.
       Howie soon grew tired of the “My present is better than everyone
else’s” game, and was thankful when it was the last present. He
realized Kristie hadn’t said which was hers, so smiled at her as he
shook the box, “Is this one from you?”
       Paula smiled softly, “That’s from your dad and I.” She looked over at
Hoke and the parents shared a secret smile as their son began
unwrapping the box, only to find another box wrapped up inside it. The
poor kid had to unwrap 15 boxes before her found the treasure, a key
on a new keyring.
       Howie’s eyes looked at the key as he reached for it then looked at
both his parents, “What’s this?”
       “It would appear to be a key…” Paula said, grinning.
       “No duh! But a key to what?” he asked, looking at his dad, who wasn’t
any help either.
       Josh looked out the window, “Maybe it’s to that?” he asked, pointing
to a 1965 Ford Mustang that looked like it had seen better days.
       The only 3 people in the room who didn’t run outside with everyone
else were Paula, Hoke, and Kristie. Instead of running, they walked
after everyone, watching Howie’s reaction as the key slid into the
lock and unlocked the door. He looked up at His parents, “Seriosuly?”
       Paula laughed, “Seriously,” she nodded, encounraging her son to open the door.
       “It won’t start,” Hoke warned his son. “That’s your job. You need to
work on this until it runs and passes inspection.”
       Howie nodded enthusiastically, “I will! I promise! I’ll work on it
every day after school!”
       The other kids soon got bored looking at a car that didn’t work and
they all started back inside to keep the party going, dispersing among
the rooms where various activities were set up.
       Soon, Paula and Hoke disappeared, letting the kids have fun
with the video games, movies, games in the back yard, and other
activities for the kids to enjoy.
       Once people had decided what they wanted to do, Kristie tapped
Howie on the shoulder, "Can I talk to you?" she whispered in his ear
before heading up to his room.
       Howie excused himself and followed after Kristie, surprised
when he saw her go into his room. "What's up, Kris?" he asked softly.
"Everything okay?"
      Kristie nodded and offered him a little, "Yeah." She cleared
her throat and smiled, "I just wanted to give you your present. It's
kinda dorky, and I didn't want everyone else to see it," she
explained.
      Howie shook his head no, "Whatever it is, I highly doubt it's
dorky, Kris."
      Kristie chuckled softly and looked up at her friend, "I guess
we shall see." She carefully lifted a box up that had been carefully
gift wrapped and set it on the bed.
      Howie picked it up, trying to see how heavy it was and to shake
it, and nearly dropped it. "Christ, what's in it?" he asked, carefully
setting it on the bed. "Didja fill it with rocks or something?" he
laughed.
      "Yes, that's exactly it, Howie, because you rock!" she said,
rollin her eyes. "Now shut up and open it," she laughed, watching him.
      Howie grinned and began to unwrap the box, finding four smaller
boxes inside. "Which one first?" he asked, thankful it wasn't just one
more box, like his mom and dad had done.
      Kristie reached for a thin rectangular box, handing it to him
without a word. Howie quickly unwrapped it, looking at a picture
frame, reading the "gift certificate" inside. "20 hours of labor?" he
asked, perking an eyebrow.
      "At least. I figured you might need help building the car, and
I may not be the best mechanic, or hell, even know what I'm doing, but
I can learn, and I can help. I mean, I'll need rides around town and
you're now my only friend with a car, so if I help you, you might feel
guilty and help me," she rambled, finally shutting up when Howie began
to laugh.
      "It's ok, Kris, of course I'll drive you around- within reason,
and until you get a boyfriend with a car. Then, it's his turn," he
chuckled. "So, what's next?" he asked, looking in the box again.
      "Doesn't matter, just save the small one for last," she said,
sitting down on his bed.
      Howie reached for the largest box and lifted it out, unwrapping
a ratchett set, followed by a complete tool kit.
      "The guy at the shop said if you need any other tools other
than what you now own, you're doing something wrong," Kristie
explained.
      Howie set the tools aside, "I would ask how you knew to get me
all this," he started, but was interrupted by the girl.
      "Oh, I asked your mom for ideas, and she told me like a month
ago what she and your dad were doing. She suggested the ratchet set,
but I figured you can't take your dad's tools, he's kind of attached
to them." The girl chuckled, knowing how possessive his father was
over his tools. "One left," she said, reaching into the box to get the
smallest gift.
     "Oh, right," Howie said, reaching for it. He unwrapped it
carefully, revealing a green velvet jewelry box, lifting the lid
slowly. Inside, he saw a medallion and flipped it over to see the
inscription of St. Joseph, patron saint of men.
      Kristie looked at Howie, biting her lip. After a few seconds of
silence, she finally cleared her throat before asking, "That's your
saint, right? I remember you lost your medallion in gym a month ago."
      Howie looked up at Kristie and nodded, "Yeah, it's the right
one. Did my mom pick it out for you?"
     Kristie shook her head no, "You've worn the same medallion since
your first communion. I just happen to pay attention the little
details. I told you, it's dorky."
     Howie shook his head no and pulled his friend into a hug. "It's
not dorky at all, These were the best, thank you." He squeezed her
gently before slowly pulling away.
      "You're welcome, just let me know when you want to get started
on your car," Kris said as she stood up and made her way back
downstairs.
      Howie gently pulled his medallion out of the box, playing with
the chain as he thought that Kristie probably put the most thought
into her gifts. He eventually put his medallion on, looking in the mirror, seeing it sitting on his skin next to his crystal. He was still wondering why his dad told him that morning he had to wear it now, not just let it hang on his wall, but he shrugged off the thoughts and went to rejoin
the party.

                Kristie slid out from underneath the car on Howie’s skateboard, wiping sweat off her brow. “All right, I think all the belts are tightened, or at least as tight as I can get them,” she said, standing up.

                Howie grinned softly, “I’m sure they’re fine,” he said, trying to reassure his friend. He had been leaning over, tightening a few nuts and bolts which were holding the carberator in place.

                Kristie nodded and set the towel down, glancing at him, “Thirsty?” she asked, reaching for a towel, wiping her hands off so Mrs. Dorough wouldn’t kill her for getting oil and grease all over her kitchen.

                “Yeah, I am actually,” he admitted. “A little hungry, too.”

                Kristie started towards the door and glanced back at him, “Any requests?”

                “Nope,” he said, leaning over the car again, starting to work again.

                When he heard the door close, he snuck under the hood, tightening all the belts, hoping to be able to get them all done before Kristie came back outside.

                It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the help. Aside from his dad, Kris was the only one even willing to help him rebuild his mustang. It had honestly surprised him how many “friends” were blowing him off when it came to working on the car. He figured as soon as it was done, that would be when his “friends” would pay attention to the fact he had a car, begging him for rides. He was generally a nice guy, willing to bend over backwards for people he cared about, but he made himself a promise: Kristie was the only one he would give rides to. It was only fair since she was the only one who had been helping him this past month.

                He heard the door open then close and ice tinkling in the glasses before he saw feet walking towards the car. He briefly wondered if he had enough time to slide out from under the car but saw Kristie’s face in the gaps of the machine leaning over, looking straight at him, and knew he couldn’t.

                “Tightening the belts?” she asked, perking an eyebrow.

                “Uhh-“ he couldn’t think of an excuse to be under the car fast enough.

                “How much of my work have you had to redo?” she asked, frowning a little.

                “Uhh-“ he started again, not wanting to admit to fixing almost all her work.

                “I see,” was all she said and put her foot on his shoulder, pushing him so he slid out from under the car. She walked around to where he was not sitting on the skateboard.

                “Kris-“ he started, looking very apologetic.

                “Do you even want my help?” she asked, sitting cross legged in front of him and handing him the lemonade his mom had just made.

                “Of course! I swear, all I do is tighten bolts  so they don’t fall off while I’m driving!” he explained to his friend. “Kris, you’re my best-friend, and I love hanging out with you here.  Besides, your hands are small and can get into places I need to but can’t. Please, don’t stop helping me,” he pleaded gently.

                “Are you sure?” she asked, searching his eyes.

                “Positive,” he smiled. “Cross my heart,” he finished, crossing his fingers over his heart to show her how serious he was.

                “Hope to die?” she whispered, looking up to see Howie’s nod. “Okay…” she took another sip of her lemonade before standing up and getting back to work. “You know, if you had tried to lie I would’ve seen right through you.”

                “Curse of being the best-friend,” he chuckled. “You realize you’re the only one who’se been helping?”

                “What about Dan? Or Josh?” she asked, surprised he didn’t count them.

                Howie shook his head no, “They keep saying they will, but then things keep coming up.”

                Kristie nodded, “So even though you have to fix everything I do, you don’t want to get rid of me… I see, I’m in a position of power now, it seems.” She looked over at him,  smirking.

                “You’re female, that auttomatically gives you power,” he said honestly.

                “I can tell you’ve been paying attention to what your mom’s taught you, good boy,” she laughed, ruffling his hair before getting back to work.

                “Hey! Watch the hair!”he laughed before snapping her ass with a towel.

                She shrieked and tried to cover herself from future attacks while running away from him at the same time. She dropped her wrench with a loud clatter, which made Howie laugh.

                “Think that’s funny?” she asked, scowling at him. She reached for her own towel, twirling it before snapping it at him.

                The car was forgotten as the two teens just played around before Howie’s mom came outside. “Hard at work, I see,” she chuckled. “Howie, dinner’s ready,” Paula smiled, picking up the lemonade glasses.

                Howie nodded softly and turned to Kristie, about to say goodbye. The words died on his lips as he heard his mom say something else.

                “Kristie, you’re always welcome to join us. There’s always plenty of food left over,” Paula smiled at the young woman.

                Kristie smiled at the older woman. “Thank you, Mrs. Dorough. I’m never afraid of being poisoned when I eat here,” she laughed. “May I use your phone to let my parents know?”

                “Of course you may,” Paula smiled, starting towards the door. “I trust you know where it is by now? Maybe after dinner you can help Howie with his homework? He’s been struggling in chemistry lately,” she said before going inside, kicking the door shut behind her.

                Kristie looked at Howie, “Why didn’t you tell me? I can always help you with your homework, it’s no problem.”

                Howie nodded and smiled at his friend. “I’ll have to remember that,” he said before snapping her with the towel one last time.

A few more weeks passed, and finally the car was almost ready to take its maiden voyage.

                Howie sat in the backseat, cleaning the windows, while Kristie sat up front, cleaning the dashboard and seats. They were both waiting for Hoke to come out and take them to the mechanic shop, to see what else needed to be done.

                Total Eclipse of the Heart came on the radio, and Kristie chuckled, “Oh! Sing with me! It’s your turn,” she grinned, knowing how much he hated that song. She was graced with a scowl before she began singing, “Every now and then I get a little bit lonely…”

                “Oh, please,” Howie said, leaning over the front seat and flipping the radio to something- anything else.

                Kristie pretended to pout, “Oh come on, Howie. It’s a good song, you just don’t want to admit it.”

                “Yeah, sure,” he said, getting back to work, singing along to the Sphynkter song that was currently playing.

                Hoke came out a few minutes later, “Ready to go?” he asked both the kids.

                Howie nodded and looked at Kristie, “Want to go with us? It’ll be boring, I mean, it’s just an inspection…”

                “Sounds real fun,” she said sarcastically, before ruffling his hair. “Love to. I wanna hear how good we did,” she grinned.

                Howie nodded and climbed out, wiping his hands off before grabbing the keys off the counter. Kristie climbed into the backseat so Hoke could sit up front. “Giving me shotgun?” Hoke asked, climbing in.

                “Only fair, you are the adult, after all,” she smiled.

                Howie drove carefully, almost nervously, to the shop. He was trying to get used to the sounds his car made, hoping every hum and clank was supposed to sound like that. The only person who spoke along the way was Hoke, giving his son pointers in how to handle the car and how to drive safely. When they finally arrived, everyone climbed out and waited for the mechanic. Hoke spoke to the mechanic once he actually arrived, explaining how the kids had worked on rebuilding the car. He gave the keys to the guy and let him get started, glad when the mechanic allowed the kids to watch the inspection.

                The mechanic popped the hood, “Well I can tell you did a halfway decent job at least. I mean, you got here without smoke or a break down, so that’s something at least. Let’s get to work, though, and make sure you won’t have any problems.”

                The kids watched the mechanic work, jot down notes on the car, and tighten a few things here and there. Finally, after nearly an hour, the mechanic pulled the trio aside. “Everything looks good. I just had to tighten a few things here and there for your safety. Otherwise, you all did a great job. As long as you can keep up with the oil changes and routine maintenance, this beauty should last you a long time.”

                Howie smirked and looked at Kristie, high-fiving her, “See! Told you we could do it!”

                Hoke disappeared to pay the mechanic and get the inspection report before returning to the kids. “So, where’s the first stop after you drop me off?”

                “Kristie’s house, to drop her off. Then? It’s just me and the open road,” he said, moving his hand through the air like he was driving on a curvy road.

                “Oh, I see how it is,” Kristie said. “Use me to build your car then dump me before the firsst real drive. Classy, Howie,” she said, leaning over to mess up his hair. “Jerk!”

                “Hey! The hair!” Howie said, dodging away from her.

                Hoke laughed at the two kids, “Feeling used and abuseed, Kris?”

                “Yes, Mr. Dorough,” she admitted, glaring at Howie who simply laughed in return.

                “How about this: I don’t want to be in the middle of a lovers quarrel-“ Hoke started.

                “We’re not lovers, dad!” Howie frowned.

                “-so I’ll walk home,” Hoke said, ignoring his sons interruption. “You two figure out what you’re doing, and Howie? Home no later than ten, and make sure Kristen isn’t out past her curfew,” he said, giving his son the look that every father gave his son when regarding females and making sure their son respected the girl.  With that, Hoke turned and started to walk home.

                “I’m not far from here, either,” Kristie said to him. “Enjoy the “open road,”” the girl said, mimmicking his earlier motions, before turning to leave.

                “Where ya goin;, Kris?” he asked, reaching for her hand before pulling her back towards the car. “I was just teasing ya. Of course I want you to come with me for the first drive. Besides, if we break down on the side of the highway, who else can help me fix her?”

                Kris grinned and walked with him back to the car and perked an eyebrow but stayed silent as he opened her door for her.

                Once they were both in the car, Howie drove right out of town, just wanting to get away for awhile. The two kids didn’t speak, just listened to the radio until eventually Howie pulled off the highway and began following dirt roads. After another ten minutes of driving, he pulled to a stop on the edge of a meadow.

                Kristie climbed out of the car and looked around, smiling. “I haven’t been here in forever. The last time was probably-“

                “when your parents took us on a picnic?” he asked, chuckling when Kristie nodded. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, “I remember we got rained out. Your parents retreated to the car, while you and I hid under the trees.” Howie grinned, watching Kristie as she leaned over, beginning to pick some flowers.

                “Umm, if I remember correctly, you hid in the trees while I tried dancing in the rain.” She chuckled softly and stood up straight, smelling the flowers in her hand. There were a lot of memories she shared with Howie, and she was grateful for his friendship. She honestly didn’t know what she would do without him in her life.

                “You always want to dance in the rain. Ever since we met, you always try,” Howie laughed.

                “Maybe one day I will meet someone who will dance with me,” she said, walking around the meadow some more.

                “Hopefully. You deserve at least that, Kris,” Howie said. He sat down, watching her awhile longer.

                They stayed in the meadow reminiscing for a few hours, before Howie stood up, “Come on, let’s head home.”

                Kristie followed him back to the car, smiling over at him, “Thank you.”

                Howie looked up at her and perked an eyebrow, “For what?”

                Kristie simply shrugged, not answering as she slid into the car, waiting for Howie to start driving.

“What do you mean you didn’t know Sphynkter was in Colorado Springs? It's only thirty minutes away, how could you not know they were coming by?” Kristie shrieked. The band was Howie’s favorite, and had she known sooner, she would have saved up to buy tickets to go with him.

                Howie shrugged, “I was focusing on the car, what can I say?”

                “But it’s SPHYNKTER, Howard! You keep saying you’re going to play guitar for them after high school,” she sighed. She walked with Howie through the halls of the school and finally outside into the afternoon freedom.

                Howie shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, no one would go with me anyway.” He looked at his friend wondering if she would take the bait.

                “You know that’s not true, D. I would go with you,” she said as he unlocked the door for her.

                “Good, because I have two tickets,” he grinned, opening her door.

                Kristie shrieked and threw her arms around his neck, laughing. Howie, in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up off the ground. As he spun her around, he leaned down, his lips landing on hers before gently setting her down.

                The kiss deepened before both kids suddenly stepped away. It wasn’t necessarily a shock they shared a kiss, though it was a shock they both enjoyed it as much as they did.

                Kristie cleared her throat and pulled away from Howie. “Sphynkter!” she yelled, laughing.

                “Sphynkter!” Howie chuckled in return. “Come on, your parents won’t let you go unless your homework is done,” he said, holding her door open again.

                “You all ready asked them?” she asked, mildly surprised.

                “As soon as I bought the tickets,” he said, closing the door. He moved to his side of the car, unlocking the door and climbing in.

                Kristie perked an eyebrow, a bit shocked because Howie talked to her parents, and her parents had agreed. Her parents were not that cool. Plus, she could usually tell when they were hiding something from her, but this time, she had no clue.

                Kristie climbed out when Howie dropped her off. She leaned over, looing at him through the door, “What time are ya picking me up?” she asked, double checking her watch.

                “Six, and don’t eat dinner. I figure we can grab something on the way,” he smiled.

                Kristie stood up straight and readjusted her bag on her shoulder, “See you at six, then!” she closed the door and headed inside,t urning to wave at Howie before he drove away. She then headed upstairs and started on her homework.

                Howie honked the horn a few hours later. He had been running a few minutes late because his dad had to review the rules with him, again: Call if you’re going to be late; don’t get into trouble; follow speed limits; no drinking; make sure Kristie stays safe… The rules kept coming, and eventually Howie told his dad he was going to be late. That was the only reason his dad let him go. Howie knew the rules, they were the same rules he’d been hearing since he started driving. Howie briefly wondered when his parents would stop lecturing him, but realized that would never happen.

                Kristie came running outside in a skirt that was entirely too short, and Howie couldn’t remember her ever wearing anything that short. He glanced at her again and fought to keep his jaw from dropping. Cleavage. Kristie had cleavage. He was speechless as the girl opened the door and slid into her seat.

                “Drive! Go! Hurry, before my mom comes out to see what I’m wearing!” she said, fumbling with her seat belt.

                “What are you wearing?” he asked, following her demands and starting to drive away.

                “You don’t like it?” she asked, looking over at him.

                “I’m just not used to you in skirts,” he said weakly, hoping she bought that.

                “Well it’s Sphynkter!” You can’t go to a Sphynkter show in just anything, D!” she laughed, relaxing in her seat the further they got away from her house.

                “If you say so,” he said, glancing at her again. “They’re going to confuse you with the groupies,” he chuckled.

                “Laugh now, Howie, but we will see who gets the last laugh when I get us invited backstage,” she teased.

                “Yeah, we will see,” he smirked, continuing to drive. He pulled into a parking lot a few minutes later, looking up at the building. “It’s not fancy, but it’s quick,” he said as she looked up at the golden arches.

                “I would have been shocked had you gone anywhere else. I know how much you love your big macs,” she smirked, climbing out.

                “Oh shut up,” he laughed, climbing out and heading inside.

“Oh! My! God!” Kristie laughed, “That was amazing!” Kristie walked with Howie as the crowd slowly made their way out of the arena. “I still can’t believe they sang the encore in their underwear!” Kristie laughed, knowing the memories from tonight would be imprinted on her mind for the rest of her life.

                “They had no other songs to sing, they’d sung them all in the show. What else were they supposed to do but sing songs again, this time in their underwear?” Howie pointed out.

                “You’re such a buzzkill,” she said, smacking his shoulder, hoping it hurt. In reality, though, she knew it didn’t.

                It didn’t phase Howie, but he reached up to rub his shoulder anyway, trying to make her feel better. “Whatever, I’m the buzzkill that brought you with me,” he pointed out.

                “And for that, I’m forever grateful, Buzzkill,” she smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

                “Whatever,” he said, reaching up to mess up her hair.

                Kristie dodged out of his reach, forgetting how many people were surrounding them. Howie instinctively grabbed her hand, not wanting to lose her in the crowd.

                Kristie felt a jolt at his touch and looked down at their hands before looking up at Howie. Her eyes held his, and he simply shrugged, but didn’t let go of her hand. In all honesty, he didn’t want to. Howie was enjoying the feel of her small hand in his entirely too much.

                Once the teens passed through the exits, the crowd thinned out significantly. Howie loosened his grip on her hand, but didn’t let go. He figured if she wanted to let go now, she could.

                Kristie didn’t let go.

                In fact, when Howie’s grip loosened, hers tightened a little. She smiled up at him, “Thanks a lot for tonight, D. It means a lot to me that I’m the one you wanted to bring.” She squeezed his hand gently, following him to the car.

                “What time do you have to be home?” he asked softly.

                “My parents told me they don’t care what time I get home, so long as I get to school on time,” she said. “They also said not to get used to not having a curfew, that tonight is an exception,” she chuckled. She walked slowly with Howie towards where he had parked.

                Howie liked that answer and smiled, “I just need to call my parents and let them know I’ll be late. Want to find some pie?” he asked, figuring Village Inn should still be open.

                Kristie nodded softly and pointed to a pay phone, “There’s a phone over there,” she said. She started in the direction of the pay phones, pulling Howie behind her.

                Howie thought it was a good sign she found the phones, figuring it meant she wanted to spend more time with him. He knew going from best-friends to something more could be tricky and awkward, so he made a vow to himself to not let that happen.

                Kristie walked hand in hand with Howie, and only when he began digging for change did she let go of his hand. She crossed her arms over her chest, standing just behind Howie while he made the phone call.

                Howie dialed the number and smiled at Kristie, waiting for one of his parents to pick up. He heard his mothers usual salutation. “Mom?” he asked. “No, everything’s fine… Yes, the concert was great... It just got out, and Kris and I are hungry… Yeah, is it ok if we get something to eat?” he paused, listening to her response. “Well, Kris’ parents only said she needs to be at school on time… Uh-huh… Okay, thanks,” he said and hung up.He turned to Kris and smiled, “I believe I promised you pie.”

                “I believe you did,” she smiled, starting back towards his car. She shivered a little as the breeze hit her exposed skin.

                Howie noticed her shiver and shrugged out of his flannel and placed it on her shoulders without a word. Kris smiled up at him and slid her arms into the sleeves before her hand sought his again.

                Thanks to have to make the phone call, the line of cars out of the arena wasn’t very long. A few minutes after getting in the car, the kids were on their way to the restaurant.

                Howie was driving carefully, but nothing he did could have prevented the drunk driver who ran the red light.

Hoke groaned as he reached for the phone. He didn’t know what time it was, he simply knew it was too late for anyone to be calling, especially teenage sons asking for another extension on curfews.

                “No, you can not stay out any later. Get Kristie home and get your ass to bed,” he answered the phone, not bothering with any polite salutations. He started to hang up, having said his peace, but paused when he heard a stranger on the other end.

                “Mr. Dorough?” the voice on the other end asked.

                Hoke lifted the reciever back to his ear, “Who is this?”

                “I’m Detective Connor. There was an accident earlier, and I’m afraid I’m going to need you to come down to the hospital,” the voice on the other end said.

                Hoke sat up quickly, “What kind of accident?” he asked, starting to climb out of bed and struggling to get dressed while still on the phone.

                “I can’t go into details over the phone, sir, but I will tell you what we know when you get here,” the detective said.

                Hoke hung up without another word and reached over to wake up his wife. “Paula, get up. We have to go.”

                Paula woke up slowly and stretched before looking at the clock. “It’s two in the morning, Hoke. This isn’t funny,” she said, starting to lay back down.

                “Paula, get up. We have to go to the hospital,” Hoke said, pulling  a shirt on. He was ready to go, but something told him there was something he was forgetting. As his wife frantically got dressed, he reached into his sock drawer for a vial that he had been holding on to for sixteen years, but had nearly forgotten about.

                A few minutes later, the worried parents were speeding through town, on their way to the hospital. They arrived just as Kristie’s parents were walking towards the entrance. The two mothers held each others hand for support, hoping for the best yet fearing the worst.

                It was Hoke that took command of the worried group. He walked over to the nurses station, waiting for someone to acknowledge him. When one finally looked up at him, he cleared his throat, not realizing how dry it had become. “I’m Hoke Dorough. Detective Connor told me to come down.”

                The nurses expression melted from a stone cold bitch instantly. Tears sprang to her eyes and she nodded softly, “Detective Connor is in room 315 with Ms. Herrington. Are her parents here as well?”

                Hoke nodded quickly, “They arrived the same time we did.”

                The nurse stood and wiped her eyes before asking him to follow her.  Hoke got the attention of the others, and together they all followed the nurse.

                Hoke hung back with Paula, latting Kristie’s parents in the room first. The detective looked up at the parents and cleared his throat, starting to stand up. “Mr. and Mrs. Dorough?” he asked, looking between the two sets.

                Hoke nodded, starting to raise his hand since his throat felt like sand paper. He wanted to speak, but no words were able to get past his throat.

                “Follow me, please,” the detective said, starting out of the room.

                Paula looked back at Janice and Dane, “We will be back.” She smiled softly, trying to reassure the other parents.

                Hoke wrapped his arm around his wife and paused  at the doorway to let the doctor in. They both glanced over their shoulders, hoping their friends would receive good news regarding their daughter. They were also hoping for good news regarding their son, but with each step they took, hope slowly began to fade. The detective eventually led them to an unoccupied office, sitting on the desk. He signalled for the Doroughs to sit and was about to speak when Paula finally opened her lips.

                “Where is my son? Why didn’t you take us to Howie?” she asked, gripping Hoke’s hand as she looked at the detective.

                “There was an accident, Mrs. Dorough. A drunk driver appears to have run a red light and collided with your sons car,” he stated, very matter of factly. “Unfortunately, the main impact of the collision occurred on the driver’s side of your sons car.”

                “So what are you saying?” Paula asked, wanting the detective to get to what he was trying to say.

                “He’s dead, Paula. Howie’s dead,” Hoke said, looking up at the detective. “Aren’t you supposed to ask us to identify the body now?”

                The detective was shocked at how blunt the other man was and simply nodded. “Yes. Whenever you both are ready,” he said, standing up.

                Paula looked between the men, “No!” she said, raising her voice. “No! You can not ask me to identify the body! That is my son not a body! My baby boy! Do you hear me?” she asked, looking between the two men.

                Hoke sighed, knowing he had been the one to call Howie nothing more than a body. He looked at the Detective apologetically before reaching for Paula’s hand. “You’re right, Polly… Let’s go see our son.” He wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders, leading her after the detective.

                The mourning couple were silently lead to the elevator, then taken to the basement, where the morgue was.

                “I should warn you, he was hit head on by the driver. It- HE,” the detective corrected himself and cleared his throat. “Your son may not really resemble himself,” he said. Or a human the detective finished silently.

                Hoke looked at Paula, “I can do it by myself, if you want me to.”

                Paula shook her head no, reaching a hand up to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. “I want to say goodbye to my son,” she said strongly.

                Hoke nodded and reached for his wife’s hand before looking at the detective, “We are ready.”

                The detective nodded,  leading the parents in to a table with a body on it, draped in a white cloth. He looked at the two, realizing this job never got easier. He took a breath and pulled the sheet back, revealing the head. Paula let out a sob and fell against Hoke who instinctively wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from falling to the ground.

                Hoke looked at the hair he knew so well, the crystal that his son had his entire life haning around his neck, the nose that was always slightly crooked but wouldn’t look the same any other way. He nodded and could barely choke the words, “That is our son, Howard Dorough.” Paula could barely hear the words, but they were loud enough for the detective to nod. He began to put the sheet back over the rest of the body, but Hoke shook his head no, stopping the other man. “Can we have a minute?” he asked, looking at the detective.

                Detective Connor nodded and moved to step out of the room, allowing the parents some privacy during this difficult time.

                Hoke watched the other man leave then turned to Paula, “I need you to trust me…” When his wife slowly nodded, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a vial of a red and yellow liquid. He opened it and tilted the vial into his sons mouth. He held his breath, hoping for the best.

Hoke held his breath, his eyes fixated on his son, hoping something would happen. Yes, he was praying for a miracle and he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to happen.

                After several seconds, the realization set in.

                Nothing was happening.

                “What-“ Paula started to ask, but was quickly interrupted by her husband.

                “Shh!” Hoke hissed, still watching his son.

                “Hoke! What was that?” she asked, looking up at her husband.

                His shoulders slumped and he sighed, shaking his head no. “Nothing,” he said, not wanting to explain it since the vial was obviously useless. “Let’s go see when we can make arrangements.”

                Paula frowned, wondering what her husband was keeping from her. She looked back down at her son and leaned over to kiss his forehead, tears falling from her eyes and falling onto Howie’s skin. She slowly straightened up and followed her husband out of the cold room to find the detective again.

                Hoke did most of the talking, and was told that the official autopsy still needed to be conducted, but they should be able to plan something for about a week from then. The two men shook hands and as the detective turned to leave, Paula turned to Hoke.

                “We need to go check on Kristie,” she said firmly.

                Hoke new better than to argue with that voice. He nodded and led Paula over to the elevator, silently guiding her up to Kristie’s room. He  couldn’t believe he had hoped the blood would work. Hadn’t the woman said he would know when to use it? What better time to use it than when his son was dead? Hoke couldn’t help but rack his brain, wondering if there was an occasion over the last sixteen years that seemed more appropriate. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had missed the opportunity to save his son’s life.

                The first tears finally started to fall down Hoke’s cheeks as the elevator doors slid open. Hoke robotically made his way through the maze of hallways back to where Kristie and her parents were. Hoke knocked softly on the door before opening it, letting Paula in first.

                Paula quietly walked over to Janice, laying a comforting hand on the other womans shoulder. Janice looked up with a sad smile before she reached up and wiped away her tears. “The doctor said she’s in a medically induced coma. They decided having her oblivious to the pain was better for her to start to heal, rather than have her trying to suffer through it.” She sighed softly and reached for Kristie’s hand, gripping it tightly. “But she’s a fighter, she’ll pull through and wake up when she needs to…” She wiped away more tears and looked up at Paula again, seeming to just now remember that Howie was in the accident, too. “How is Howie doing?” she asked softly. “I don’t think the doctor remembered to tell us,” she looked over her shoulder at her husband. “Dane, did the doctor mention how Howie is doing?”

                Kristie’s father shook his head no, “I didn’t hear him mention Howie.”

                Janice turned back to Paula, “So, how is he?”

                Paula drew a deep breath and looked at Kristie, “He will be fine.” She knew it was a lie, but knew that Kristie’s parents needed to concentrate their prayers on their baby girl. She didn’t know yet how she would explain it, but she figured she had a couple days at least to figure it out.

                Hoke looked at his wife, who simply shook her head no. He looked at Dane and whispered, “Need any coffee? I can run and get us all some,” he suggested.

                Dane nodded, “Yeah, I’ll help you.”

                The two men left the mothers behind. As they approached the elevator, Dane turned to Hoke, “What is really happening with Howie? I saw the look you gave Paula when she said he was fine.”

                Hoke couldn’t speak, his throat had closed up on him again, and it took everything to simply concentrate on breathing.

                “I can get coffee. You should go be with your son,” Dane said softly. He knew Hoke was the kind of guy that needed to be told the obvious sometimes.

                Hoke nodded and turned towards the staircase. He wasn’t even sure he was allowed down in the morgue on his own, but Dane was right. He needed to be with his son.

                He was surprised at the lack of security in the basement. There were no card readers to unlock doors, or hell, even locks on doors. He walked right through the swinging doors and in to the cold room. He found the table his son had been laying on before, lifting the sheet to make sure Howie was still there and hadn’t been moved.

                Hoke’s throat finally let a sound escape as he jumped away from the table, letting the sheet fall to the floor.

                Eyes searched the room, blinking slowly. When they fell on hoke, the man heard a small sound that sounded a lot like, “Dad?”

                Hoke stepped back over to the table and looked down at his son. “I’m here,” he said, his eyes searching Howie’s face, looking for the cuts and bruises that were there just moments ago.

                “Where am I?” the scared voice asked.