The Two Worlds of Billy Callahan

by Richard Friedman

  “Isn’t there an oath you doctors take about ‘not doing harm’? Locking him up will do more damage than good. He’s been a hostage here long enough. He was trapped inside his own head for almost fifty years!” Greg exclaimed.

  “Mr. Miller, I understand your objections. You’re going to have to give us time. We’re dealing with a situation that has no precedent. It’s reasonable for us to be cautious. Can we agree on that?”

  Greg turned to Corley. He knew she was a compassionate soul. It was the reason she entered the nursing program at the University of Akron in the first place. She studied his face and offered a suggestion.

  “I want to transfer to Balcher II. Can we do that Doctor?” asked Corley. She winked at Greg, hoping this would calm his fears.

  Davidson shook his head in agreement, “Absolutely, that’s a great idea; continuity with the patient could be helpful. I’ll insist on it.”

  Greg voiced more concern. “That’s very kind of you nurse. I still don’t like it, but I can’t stop you. I’ll be staying at the Marriott. You can reach me there anytime. I’m sticking in town for a while. I have a few meetings tomorrow, but I’ll be back to see him. I’ll see myself out, thank you. Please call me if there are any changes in his behavior.”

  “I promise, Mr. Miller,” said Dr. Davidson.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Mr. Miller, thank you for coming. It’s been a difficult few days. Billy insisted that he wasn’t going to talk to us without your presence,” said Corley.

  “I want to be here. I’m trying to teach my own son about how important it is to support friends, especially in tough times.”

  The two of them proceeded down a long dark corridor. Forty years ago the Keller Institute opened their doors to the needy. Budget cuts hindered the board of directors from keeping up routine maintenance protocols. The public places remained freshly painted and capably appointed, but the bowels of the building belonged in a penal colony from somewhere in Peru in the 1750’s instead of the hi-tech modern design of the rest of the building.

  “I can’t believe anyone lives here. This is horrible. If I’d have seen this earlier I may have tried harder to have Billy moved elsewhere,” said Greg.

  “The schedule calls for a remodel later in the year, if the budget holds. It’s on the list every year, and things happen, and the repairs wait for next year. The rooms aren’t dreadful, but the exposed pipes overhead, and the paint peeling off the walls, it’s not the first stop on the tour. Before we go in there, I want you to remember that Billy is essentially a child. The knowledge that you’ve learned since 2012 is entrenched in your head. We don’t think about it, we just know things from our life experiences. His education stopped long ago. We’re in the fledgling stages of ascertaining what he recalls. His verbal skills are intact and that’s encouraging. He’s a juvenile at heart, even though his appearance is that of an adult.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind,” said Greg.

  They entered Billy’s room while he slept. Corley checked his vitals and gave him a nudge to rouse him.

  He awakened and saw his two staunchest advocates leaning over him, smiling.

  “Hello, Billy,” said Greg.

  Billy uttered a quiet hello. He reached over to the nightstand and poured room temperature water into a glass and guzzled it.

  “I am always thirsty.”

  “Probably still thirsty from that trip in the Negev,” said Greg.

  “I want to tell you what happened to me. The last time I spoke, that doctor ordered a needle in my arm. Is that going to happen again?” asked Billy.

  “If you remain calm, nobody is going to stick the needle in your arm, I promise,” said Corley.

  “Is my father really dead?”

  “Yes, he died in Israel,” said Corley.

  “And Brit?”

  Corley bowed her head, “She’s gone too.”

  She checked her panic button. It was in her front pocket and a quick press would send a signal to the guard supervising the lower two levels. Billy was the lone patient in Balcher II. If needed, help would be seconds away. Corley subtly turned on the video monitor to record the visit. Dr. Davidson and Director Gallagher watched the live feed from the director’s office on the second floor.

  Corley returned her attention to her patient.

  “The last time we spoke, you mentioned aliens. Can you tell us more?”

  Billy was eager to tell his story. “They ruined the land. It was full of poison and nothing would grow anymore. They had to leave. At least that’s what the teacher told me. They were fighting about what they removed from the earth. I’m not sure what material it was. They had these giant machines, and they took stuff to the factories and —”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay. I care about the machines, but for now, please start from the beginning,” said the nurse. While Billy gathered his thoughts, Corley shot Greg an anxious glance.

  In the room on the second floor, Director Gallagher had his own view of the proceedings.

  “Clearly he’s certifiable. We should lock him up and toss away the key.”

  “Can we give the man more than 72 hours to get his bearings? Imagine the synapse’s firing in all directions inside his brain, missing and clicking by micro-seconds,” said Dr. Davidson.

  In the basement, Billy continued his explanation.

  “This metal thingy, there were two of them, and they recorded major events around the world as they happened, and I saw what they recorded. Hargudus called it an orb. The teacher was my guide when the aliens ruined Tenegraw.”

  “Who was Hardugus? What’s Tenegrow?” asked Greg.

  “He was the first leader of the group that colonized Earth. That was eons ago. And they called earth T-E-N-E-G-R-A-W, not Tenegrow.”

  Corley and Miller remained silent. Their eyes spoke volumes.

  “I can tell you don’t believe me. You think I’m lying. The teacher told me this would happen. My dad told me not to lie. Greg, you know me, did I ever lie to you?”

  “Once you said the ball I hit in your backyard was a foul ball. I was sure it was fair, but no, I don’t recall you being a liar.”

  “Thanks. So you believe me?” asked Billy.

  Greg glanced at the nurse, and back at Billy. “I’d say at this point I believe that you believe what you’re saying is true. I can’t honestly say that with all the scientific data we have that a man named Hargud was the first man on the earth. You’ve been in this building…I’ve visited with you. You never left this building.”

  “It was Hargudus. I clearly said Hargudus.”

  “Okay. Sorry. Hardugus. Tell me about him.”

  “He was trustworthy at first. The longer he stayed in power he got greedy, and then the people kicked him out, and he got in a bunch of trouble. Did I tell you that the people stood over seven feet tall? The women were a little shorter.”

  “You did not mention that,” said Greg. What little hope he had for getting his pal back was shrinking with these new proclamations.

  “Yeah, real tall. I stood next to them. I was there, but not there. I could see what was happening, but the people couldn’t see me. The teacher would let me wake up in the morning for a fraction of a second, I was okay, and in an instant, I was gone and I couldn’t speak. I heard what you were saying, but I couldn’t speak or anything. Once you told me about getting divorced. That was hard to understand. Tiffany? Was that her name? Then, like in a second, I was back with the teacher, watching.”

  “What were you watching?” asked Corley.

  “It was all going on inside my head,” said Billy.

  “See!” said the Director. “I told you he understood that! He knows it didn’t happen. You heard him say it. He said it was all in his head.”

  “Shhh doctor…he’s still talking,” said Dr. Davidson.

  Billy continued to explain.

  “I witnessed it. I was on this ship once and it kept circling the earth. There was one land mass. There was
water everywhere else. I couldn’t see Australia or Europe. I remember my dad telling me last year…I suppose last year is wrong, he told me that long ago about how the land mass broke apart and that’s why he’s found dinosaur bones all over the world. The dinosaurs lived on that single land mass, and when it split, that’s how the continents formed, but from space I could see what he meant. When Hargudus landed, they had a party. They drank weird colored drinks and they started laughing.”

  “So Hargadus was the first drunk on the planet?” asked Greg, “I wonder if they had Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.”

  Billy frowned, “He wasn’t drunk. It’s not funny. Please don’t make fun of me. He helped build the world. They had these giant ships that brought electronic gear from the orbiting spaceship. They said that this was one of many planets that they landed on. They said they had done this 15 or 16 times. I was flipping out, but it was no big deal to them. I wanted to ask them questions, but my mind wouldn’t work right. I was invisible to them. I keep telling you about the teacher. He was, eh, I don’t know if he was a ‘he’, but he took the form of a boy about my age. I think it was to make me comfortable with what was going on, but trust me; there was nothing comfortable about it. The teacher took over my brain. He insisted I see what happened. It took thousands of years for it to finish. They want me to warn our leaders about what happened to them, and what might happen to us.”

  “Thousands of years? Did you hear that?” asked the director.

  “When we see highlights of the Olympics, they don’t show each race. They show the highlights. Billy saw the highlights,” said Dr. Davidson.

  “You’re speaking as if you believe him.”

  “No, I’m pointing out my impression of what he’s trying to say.”

  “He’s unstable, beyond a shadow of a doubt. His body held up in ways that are unexplainable, but he’s suffering from mental atrophy. His brain lacked stimulation. He has invented an imaginary companion who tagged along with him. Listening to him talk you’d never believe a short time ago he was unable to speak for fifty years. That had to take a toll,” said the director.

  This was the first time the director had shown any compassion.

  Greg paced the room. The old Billy was gone. He knew that, but he thought he owed his friend time after all he had vested in his recuperation.

  “What you’re saying is hard to fathom, or understand. Tall people landing on the earth? Drinking? A tour guide? I hoped you’d wake up and be your old self. I want to go back and play football in your backyard.”

  “I remember that,” said Billy.

  Greg remained skeptical of Billy’s story. “Giant people never lived here. We’d have seen records of their presence here. Heck, your dad would have found their remnants. Did he find any bones of a giant human being from a zillion years ago? A city? How long ago where these people here anyway?”

  Billy’s face dropped. He slumped back in his bed and buried his face in his hands.

  “How long ago?” Greg repeated.

  Billy started to cry, “It was ages ago and I don’t know why my father didn’t find any their bones. Maybe they were too brittle to last? How should I know? I’m a kid, or was a kid. All I know is what I saw, and what I felt, and what they told me. You can’t take that away from me. That’s one thing I know for sure.”

  “Go easy on him,” urged Corley.

  Greg nodded. Billy continued.

  “There were lots of things that were familiar. That guy I was telling you about…Hargudus. I remember being in his house once,” Billy paused to wipe his nose with his hospital gown, “Eventually he was sent back to the ship and I never saw him again.” His expression gave way to disappointment.

  Corley interrupted, “How could you have possibly gone to this man’s house?”

  “I don’t know. I was there! Why doesn’t anyone believe me?” Billy’s anger startled his guests. Sweat poured from his body and his heart raced. The monitor attached to his vital signs tripped an alarm.

  “Easy buddy, easy does it,” said Greg.

  “You’re not my buddy! I don’t have any buddies. I’m alone and nobody believes me. How can I make you believe me? demanded Billy.

  Greg fought back his own tears and turned to the window to regain his composure. Satisfied he could continue, he used all his strength to keep Billy calm.

  “I am your oldest friend in the world and I will always be there for you. I didn’t come back to Cleveland all those times to give up on you now. That’s not what friends do for each other. If had a problem, I know you’d have found a way to help me. That’s the type of kid you were and I know you can be again.”

  Billy did not respond.

  “Let’s take a break, we’ll come back later,” said Corley.

  They left without saying goodbye.

  They headed up the dark passageway and took the elevator to the second floor for a consultation with Dr. Davidson and Director Gallagher.

  “I guess that’s it,” said Greg.

  “What?” said Corley.

  “You saw it. That’s not Billy Callahan. He died long ago and I wasted my time imagining him as my golf partner on Sunday mornings at the club. At first I thought my trips would help him. I knew in my heart it helped his step-mom, but after a few visits, I figured he was never snapping out of it. I talked to him for hours. He never blinked or moved. It was all so senseless. It was about me. I see it so clear today. My marriage, my job, that damn job with FOND. I was using him. He was the one person in the entire world that would listen to my trivial problems. Go figure. What a waste of time. Back and forth to Cleveland. For what? Pizza? He’s a mess. Is there a chance I’ll get my old pal back to normal? Was he here before the dinosaurs? After the dinosaurs?”

  The door opened and Greg marched away. Corley stopped him. “Please don’t go. Don’t you owe him a chance to comprehend his new world? This is all new for you, too. You have to give yourself a chance to adapt to what your friend has become after all these years.”

  Greg replied, “You’re a special person. I can’t imagine how much time and energy you’ve put into his care and I can’t thank you enough for that. I’m going go back to the hotel. I don’t know, I thought he’d pop back up and we’d be 12 years old again. Silly me. I have to reassess my expectations. This is my first experience with mental illness, and it’s apparent I have a lot to learn. I’ll be back in the morning.”

  Nurse Corley walked with Greg down the hallway, out of Billy’s listening range. “Greg, I know this is a lot to process, but you and I are the only constant things in his life. I’m not throwing in the towel, and I don’t want you to give up on him yet either. Is that a deal?”

  “Deal. I’m not giving up on him. I meant what I said to him. I’ll stay in touch, promise.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Billy spent two weeks reviewing the status of the world that he missed. Greg spent up to eighteen hours a day teaching Billy about the two wars in Europe, The Israeli-Iran War, two rounds of global recession, and periods of drought, along with the revitalization of Africa. He told Billy of the near world-wide disaster from the Carmen-Matheson Meteor that missed the moon by seventy-five thousand miles in the spring 2040. Those and many more tales of joy and misery brought him up to speed with current events. When Greg headed back to Colorado, Billy was disappointed, but understood he would see his friend “sooner, rather than later,” as Greg described it.

  The staff at the Keller Institute were able to keep Billy’s revival out of the press until Mrs. Donley came to visit her father, bumping into Billy in the lower level of the building. “Oh heavens, I must be in the wrong spot. Do you live here? It’s so dreary?” she asked him.

  “This is where I live. I’m the one that spent decades in a coma. Aliens stole my mind and I saw their time on Earth. I was seeing it in my head. The teacher told me I must to warn the people how we live in this world. I’ve seen a few clips on the computer, and you know what? I think he was right. The aliens were here befor
e us and I had a chance to stand next to the man in charge of the landing party. He had plenty of responsibility, but nobody appreciated his efforts. He entered politics and it ruined his life. Doesn’t that suck? I was in “Negev Monster” earthquake in Israel in 2012. That was scary.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Mister. I’m searching for my father,” Mrs. Donley feared she had ventured into a dangerous area of the institute, namely the wing where murderers and rapists lived, hoping for a stray victim to wonder into their lair. She couldn’t have known that Billy was the sole resident in that wing.

  She scrambled out of the hall and scooted up the steps at a pace that brought back memories of 9 th grade gym class. Her rear-end wobbled as she ran, taking the steps two at a time until she reached the first floor, where a janitor moved his bucket to continue cleaning the floor.

  “Where’s the closest exit?” she asked, panting heavily.

  He pointed to the red exit sign located at the end of hallway. He didn’t ask why she was in such a rush or why she could barely breathe. She toddled hastily to the spot. When she found the safety of her car, she locked the doors and sped away.

  Her exchange with Billy prompted her to an internet search, where she read all about Billy. She called the local newspaper to question if this old man could be the same boy from the earthquake in Israel.

  While life continued outside Keller, Billy stirred in his basement room, not pleased with his current accommodations.

  When Corley checked on him later in the day, he unleashed a verbal assault on her.

  “What exactly is the plan here? How long do you plan on keeping me hostage in the basement of this cesspool? Yea, I said ‘cesspool’. One of the nurses called this floor a ‘cesspool’. I don’t what that word means, but it sounds crappy and I know what ‘crappy’ is. You say you’re my friend. You’re not my friend. You work here and you probably wish I’d go back to the way I was. Silent and not bothering anyone. I have catching up to do in this world and I don’t want to spend another minute here. I must tell our leaders to stop fighting and stop making a big mess of the world. Can you tell Dr. Davidson that for me?” said Billy. His eyes reddened with tears, his cheeks flushed with anger. Nurse Corley never dreamed that her patient could transform from the silent Billy to this man who had admonished her with a vitriolic attack. She tried to choose her words wisely, knowing Billy was angry and frustrated.