The Donors

by Jeffrey Wilson

  “Are they gone?” Jason asked.

  You know better, young Jedi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Hi,” he said.

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

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

  And maybe Mom would still be here.

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

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

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

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

  * * *

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

  “Mom?” he called out softly.

  No answer.

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

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

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

  “Ouch,” he said.

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

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

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

  The trick worked.

  “Tah-duh,” he said with a giggle.

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

  “Wow,” he whispered.

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

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

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

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

  Something is going to happen. Something bad.

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

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

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

  I need you to come here, Jason.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  I might be too scared.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  “Power Up,” he said.

  * * *

  “Excuse me—can I help you?”

  Jason wondered how it had not occurred to him that it might look strange for them to arrive on the Pediatric Ward in the middle of the night. He wore street clothes and Jenny sported her ICU scrubs and jacket, but with floppy, oversized rubber clogs stolen from the OR locker room. She looked like she had bright blue clown feet. They both looked worse for wear, Jenny’s hair dirty and plastered to the side of her head and Jason’s standing at impossible angles. Jason guessed they looked like they woke up under a bridge and then put on clothes they had stolen from a clothesline somewhere. He struggled for a response when Jenny saved them.

  “Hey, Janice, it’s me—Jenny from ICU?”

  “Jenny?” the nurse clearly found it hard to believe this hobo was someone she knew. Then her eyes widened. “Jenny! My God, are you alright?”

  Jenny forced a smile and took Jason’s hand. “It’s been a tough day,” she said without elaborating. “Dr. Gelman just wanted to check real quick on one of his patients before we head out of here.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Dr. Gelman. I didn’t recognize you in street clothes.” Janice the nurse looked him up and down. It was clear to him that she had no idea who Dr. Gelman was, but wanted to cover the bases in case she should know.

  “No problem, Janice,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure I’ve looked better.” He pulled Jenny along to end the conversation before the nurse could ask anything else. When he reached out for the door to Nathan’s room, he heard a sigh of recognition.

  “Oh, you’re seeing the Doren boy. That’s great. I just saw him and he’s up. Is there anything I can tell you or help you with?”

  “No, we’re good,” Jason answered.

  “Well, he’ll be glad to see you. He woke up and his mother had stepped out and I think he got a little nervous.”

  “Thanks, Janice,” he called back and they pushed into the room and closed the door behind them. Where the hell had Sherry gone in the middle of the night? It was probably a good thing that she felt comfortable leaving him for a while and it certainly helped them out tonight. Still, getting her to head home for a shower had been like pulling teeth.

  Strange.

  “Nathan?”

  Hand in hand he and Jenny went to the bedside. Nathan lay on his side with the sheet pulled up to his neck and his face half buried in the pillow. Poor guy had to be exhausted.

  Yeah. Must take a lot of energy to light up like a firecracker and float to the ceiling, huh?

  For a moment he thought about letting him sleep, but knew if Nathan woke up and hadn’t seen them he would be scared. Best to let him know everything was okay before getting him back to sleep.

  Then we can go take care of Jazz, if he’s still alive.

  Jason sat on the edge of the bed and Jenny put her hand on his shoulder. He smoothed the boy’s hair and lightly touched his forehead, which felt cool to his fingers. Something felt wrong and Jason tensed up.

  “Nathan?” he said, a little louder than he meant to. No sense startling him awake. God knows what he might do by accident. Nathan didn’t even stir.

  “What’s the matter?” Jenny asked with a quiver in her voice.

  Jason took Nathan by both shoulders and rolled him on his back. “Nathan come on—wake up.” He could hear the panic in his own voice. Nathan’s lifeless body rolled over, face pale, mouth slack and eyes open and unseeing. He stood up and fumbled for a pulse in the boy’s neck, unconsciously feeling along his breastbone with his other hand for his xiphoid, ready to begin CPR.

  But the pulse was there, strong and fast.

  He pulled one of Nathan’s eyelids up farther and the eye continued to look without seeing. He looked like a comatose patient—in fact he looked like Jenny had looked only a couple of hours ago in the waiting room.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Jenny asked. One hand dug into Jason’s arm and the other went to her mouth.

  “I don’t know,” Jason said shortly. “Give me a minute here.”

  He must not have made it back from the cave—but why? Everything had seemed fine. In fact he had seen Nathan shimmer and disappear moments before he and Jenny had left. Jason waited for the other-him to answer some of the questions, but now that he needed to hear something, the voice remained silent so only the questions echoed in his head. He turned to Jenny, who had become very pale. He took her arms and gently eased her into the big chair with Sherry’s covers still in a ball beside her.

  And just where the hell is Sherry? Hell of a coincidence that she’s not here the one time something is terribly wrong.

  Jason felt his tenuous grip on control slip a little more. He smiled at Jenny and tried to look reassuring. “Everything is going to be fine,” he said. “Just give me a minute. I need you to be real quiet for a minute or two.”

  Jenny nodded and he closed his eyes tightly. He listened as hard as he could, but heard nothing from Nathan. He hollered out in his mind.

  Nathan? Nathan, it’s Jason. Where are you, buddy?

  Jason kept his eyes closed through the pause that felt like forever. He was just about to tell Jenny he had to go back to the cave when he heard the voice from far off. At first he thought it might be a trick of his imagination, like a subject pushing the little button in the hearing test and finding out they stopped putting the little tones in your headset ten minutes ago.

  Jason?

  Nathan! Where are you, buddy?

  I have to save my mom.

  The words cut Jason deeply and he fought off the flood of memories—images of his own mom, thin and wild eyed in the hospital bed. Darker images of the Lizard Men tearing apart Steve. He saw a flash of his mother’s dull eyes when he left her in the cave to run and hide. He felt his throat tighten and stifled a sob. It wa
s way too late to undo his failure—but he could help Nathan save his mommy.

  Where are you, Nathan? I’m coming to help you.

  No!

  The boy’s voice held panic that Jason didn’t understand.

  You can’t. Please find my mommy on that side—like you did for Jenny. My voice said I have to do this part alone.

  Why did the little boy have to be all alone in that shitty place? He had to help somehow.

  I’ll be right back, Nathan.

  Jason opened his eyes and saw that Jenny stared at him in confusion and fright. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s okay for now,” he told her. He didn’t have time to explain how that worked—even if he could. “We have to find Sherry, his mom.”

  Jason searched his pocket for his cell phone to see if he had programmed the number in, but his pockets were empty. He needed the number so he could call the house. Maybe she would answer and be fine and he could bring Nathan back.

  You know a lot better than that, Jedi.

  He ignored the voice and searched again in the pockets of his jeans. Nothing.

  “Can you go and get me his chart?” he asked Jenny. It would probably help her to have something to do in any case. Jenny headed out the door to the nurse’s station.

  Jason looked at Nathan’s small shape beneath the covers. He smoothed his hair and pulled the covers back up over the cool body. The skin felt waxy.

  Jenny returned a moment later with the chart.

  “They wanted to know if you would be writing any orders,” she said. That gave him an idea. He would write an order.

  Jason looked at the face sheet in the front of the chart and found the Doren’s home phone number. He dialed nine on the bedside phone to get an outside line and then punched the number in. He might have waited longer if he really believed she might answer. Still, he listened to at least ten ring tones before he hung up.

  You know where she is, Jedi. If you want to help Nathan, then help him here. Find his mom.

  Jason wrote a quick order to cancel all of the vital sign checks and that Nathan should be undisturbed until Dr. Gelman checked back. The order would only be followed until shift change, but that gave them a few hours. If they couldn’t have Nathan back by then, they would have much bigger problems than the nurses not being able to wake him. He closed his eyes.