Dr. Lillian Monroe entered the conference room adjacent to the special neuro unit, where the parents were waiting, famished for updates.
Dr. Gus Baten was the first to notice that Monroe arrived. His gaze followed her until she sat down at the table, and then he said, “So, what about our kids? What did you find out about this mass in their brains?”
Monroe took a deep breath. “It’s something none of us have ever seen before. We’ve consulted with every major university throughout the world. At least three hundred world-renowned neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroscientists have analyzed the scans we took. They all say the same thing.” Her gaze scanned the room of worried eyes. “We just don’t know what this mass is.” She looked down at her hands and sighed. “But we’ll find out what it is. We won’t give up on your children.”
“How is this thing affecting them?” asked Louis.
“Can’t be sure since they’re in a deep coma,” said Monroe. “For now, as long as the mass doesn’t increase in size, the kids seem to be OK.”
“How are they now?” asked Tom. “Are you waking them up from their coma?”
“We’re worried about beginning the coma reversal given this brain mass. We need to study and understand this thing first.”
“We’re all eager to see our kids awake and well,” said Gus.
“I understand,” said Monroe. “We have a special lab set up to handle this situation. We’ll keep a close eye on them. On a positive note, your children were completely healthy prior to coma induction. My team and I will be with them at all times as we go through this process. You’ll be able to visit them anytime you’d like. We’ll hope and pray all will go well.”
“Dr. Monroe,” said Tom as he held Madeleine’s hands tightly, “how much danger are our Valerie and the other kids in? What are the chances of major complications or bad outcomes? Can they die from this?”
“Unfortunately, bad things can come of this,” said Monroe. “There is some chance they will end up with irreversible brain death. And yes, death.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
The parents entered the large hospital room. There were a number of impressive and complex machines against the walls behind each bed. Each couple walked to their teenager’s bedside, tears cascading down some of their faces.
Tubes exited from each of their tracheostomies, holes created surgically in the front of their necks into the windpipe. The teens’ chests rose and fell with the swish of the respirators. Intravenous lines pierced their arms, providing alimentation. Nursing and medical staff scrutinized the monitors constantly.
“Ellie looks so peaceful,” said Louis.
“Do you think she’s aware of anything?” asked Jane.
“I don’t think so. The coma’s very deep.”
Valerie’s bed was several feet away from Ellie’s. At Valerie’s bedside, Tom had his arm around Madeleine.
“Those bastards left this thing in the kids’ brains,” said Madeleine. “That is definite proof they are hostile creatures. They should pay!” She tightened her jaw muscles. Tom remained sad faced and silent.
The IV tubing carrying liquid food into the kids’ veins kept dripping. The heart monitor sounds came asynchronously, throwing random rhythms of beeps into the hospital room.
Nurses walked from here to there and back, like busy bees, gathering needed equipment, their watchful mission seemingly unending.
After about an hour, Dr. Monroe and her medical team arrived.
“If I can please ask all the parents to walk out to the conference room,” she said. “We need to do a thorough examination and repeat the brain scans. I will fill you all in about their status in an hour or so.”
The parents sat in the conference room, with few words exchanged. Now and again there was a sniffle.
“We’ve analyzed the new scans,” said Monroe, entering the conference room and sitting down at the table with the others. “Unfortunately, I do have some bad news to share with you.” The tension in the room escalated, the parents now sitting on the edge of their seats. “The unknown substance appears to be a very complex molecule. I have a team of neuroscientists dedicated to the study of this new undiscovered protein. I will keep you informed.”
“Substance? Protein?” asked Madeleine. “Most of the people in this room are either medical doctors or medical scientists, but I’m just a damn lawyer. What the hell is a brand new undiscovered substance, and what the hell is it doing in my daughter’s brain? What does that all mean to my Valerie?”
“We don’t know much yet, Mrs. Rovine,” said Monroe. “This thing has the ability to generate an extremely high-frequency signal, and we believe it was how the aliens communicated with the kids in dreams. Beyond that, I simply don’t have any more answers for you at this time. Just rest assured that we’ll work as hard as humanly possible to learn about this and how to get rid of it.”
“Is it invasive?” asked Leona. “Is it harming their brains in any way?”
“It doesn’t appear to be invasive. Not at this time. I wish I could tell you more, but we need time to study it.”
Louis’s face was contorted with fear, curiosity, and disgust. “Where in the brain is it?”
“The parieto-occipito-temporal junction on the left side,” said Dr. Monroe. “The part of the brain we believe is involved with generation of dreams.”
“What are your initial thoughts?” asked Tom. “Can this thing pose any danger to the kids?”
Monroe thought for a moment. “Anything in the brain that doesn’t belong makes me nervous.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Monroe had put together a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroscientists from all over the world, the best minds in the field. The group had studied the brain scans and examined the teenagers, and their conclusion remained that they were dealing with an undiscovered complex protein that unfortunately was now showing signs of expansion. The unknown protein mass in their brains was growing. It seemed every time they scanned the teens’ heads, this thing was bigger, infiltrating more brain tissue. Countless hours had gone by, the team poring over computer simulations, graphs, reports from previous studies, textbooks, and endless theoretical discussions among them. Through videoconferencing, the elite team consulted many other experts all over the globe.
And now it was time to discuss the grim reality of the situation with the parents.
When Monroe entered the conference room where the parents waited nervously, she felt her throat tighten with unceasing nervous tension.
“Each time we scan their brains, we see that the mass has enlarged a few millimeters more,” she said. “At this growth rate, we fear the mass will begin to encroach upon and damage their brains within a week.”
The parents gasped and sat even straighter at the edge of their seats.
“What can be done about it?” asked Gus.
“The brain scan we did today shows the protein has enlarged yet again,” said Monroe. “We have run out of ideas. We have done everything we can, but nothing we’ve done has made any improvement. Surgery is the last resort, as it would be very high risk since we know nothing about this mass and its interaction with the brain matter. But it may come to—”
“Take it out now!” commanded Madeleine. “I want this thing out of my Valerie’s head.”
“I’m sorry, none of us are advising surgery at this time,” said Monroe meekly. “Except for the group at Harvard. They are advising a very aggressive approach, but they’re the only ones. After numerous consultations over the Internet with scientists all over the world, the bottom-line advice is that we should continue to watch it for now and—”
“I’m not happy about this, not one little bit.” And with these words, Madeleine stomped out of the conference room.
“I have a theory as to why the mass keeps enlarging,” said Louis, his eyes in a squint. “Hawthorne effect.”
“Sorry, Dr. Januardy?” said Monroe. “I’m not familiar with—”
&n
bsp; “The observer of a natural event changes the event they wish to observe,” explained Jane. “Interesting thought, Louis.”
“You think the brain scans are causing the protein to enlarge?” asked Tom.
“We don’t know anything about these aliens,” said Louis getting up, renewed enthusiasm in his voice. “They may be evil creatures, but if they wanted to harm us, they have had the power to do it and plenty of time to do it in. But they haven’t.”
“We strongly believe they’re here to help us,” said Jane. “General Narrows told us that our children, who have been in the middle of all this from the beginning, refer to these beings as travelers. Not aliens or invaders or any other menacing name. We believe our Ellie believes these extraterrestrials are good and are here to help us.”
“If that’s the case, why would they leave this protein in our children’s brains?” asked Tom. “Maybe I’ve been hanging out too long with my wife, the attorney, but part of me wonders if Madeleine isn’t right. I can’t believe they’re here to help us. All they’ve done is create chaos.”
“Well, let’s hope you’re wrong,” said Louis. “If you’re right, we’re all in big trouble. But assuming for a moment you’re wrong,” he looked at his wife and then back at the group, “they must not have anticipated this protein would expand.”
Jane resumed his sentiments. “The brain scanners you’ve designed to help our kids is brand-new MRI technology, isn’t it?”
Monroe nodded. “You’re supposing that the new technology is causing the expansion of the brain protein. And that the travelers didn’t anticipate us having this new technology…” Her words dissipated into thoughts, and the room was overcome by silence for a moment. “That’s the best theory I’ve heard all day. I’ll put a complete stop to the brain scans with the new system. Unfortunately, the older technology won’t pick it up at all. But we’ll devise another way to test your children for this mass effect. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have more information.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Even though it was after dinner and all were full, the group remained hungry for information—information about their children, information about this thing in their brains.
“We’ve identified some methods to indirectly give us an idea about the mass in the kids’ brains.” Monroe smiled, reassuring the parents. She seemed more at ease now. “Best we can tell, the mass, it’s size, seems to have remained stable.”
“What else can you tell us about it?” asked Tom.
“Not much more, I’m afraid,” said Monroe. “Now that we can’t visualize it, our hands are tied behind our backs.” She shook her head and faked a smile. “We need more time to study its properties and discuss some management options.”
“We’re eager for you to resume the process of coma reversal,” said Tom.
“We’ll begin soon but plan on proceeding very slowly as we observe the mass in their brains and its effects on your children.” Monroe smiled. “We’re monitoring all aspects of their brain function as we go. We must all have patience. This will be a very slow process.”
“Besides this complex protein, what else is there to worry about?” asked Mary.
“This deep a coma and for this long is totally uncharted territory for us, Dr. Smithson,” said Monroe. “We all feel that a slow reversal is best, while we watch closely for all possible eventualities.”
“We understand,” said Louis. “Please keep us informed.”
Monroe nodded and sighed. “You can see your children now.”
When the parents walked into the room where the four patients lay comatose, each couple walked to their teen’s bed. All vital signs were stable. Swishing sounds expanded then deflated their chests. This and the beeping of the heart monitors were the only outward signs of any life in those young bodies. Nurses and techs paced back and forth as they performed their vigilant caregiving.
“I’m not so sure these aliens are such good beings,” whispered Madeleine in Tom’s ear. “They wouldn’t leave this protein in our kids’ brains if they were so benevolent.”
“We simply can’t know,” he murmured back. “But you may be right.”
“And this cockamamie idea that the scanners are creating the protein expansion doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“Time will tell if that is the case.”
“I want to take Valerie out of here.” Madeleine’s eyes glowered at Tom’s.
“Where would you take her?”
“Harvard, of course!” she hissed. “They’ve been the only ones with enough balls to recommend action be taken. I don’t like this wait-and-see attitude.”
“No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” said Tom. “Dr. Monroe and her team are—”
“They are not helping Valerie at all. She’s been here for over a week now and remains in a coma. We have to do something different!”
“No, our daughter will remain here with the others and—”
“If you feel that way, I’ll get an injunction,” she said, no longer whispering, provoking stares from the other parents. “I’ll get a judge to rule you as an unfit father and give me full custody. I’ll take her out of here by myself.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Within eighteen hours, Madeleine Rovine, Esquire, had twisted enough arms and cashed in enough favors that the courts had officially granted her custody of Valerie. Within a few hours of her obtaining the necessary legal documents, a team of four paramedics and three police officers arrived to take the comatose girl away from Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Monroe and the other doctors pleaded with Madeleine not to move Valerie, given all the unknowns of her present neurologic condition. But this was to no avail.
“You can either come with us and do as I tell you,” she told her husband, “or I will have the police arrest you for contempt of court. What will it be?”
And with that, head down, Dr. Tom Rovine accompanied his comatose daughter, Valerie, as her stretcher was pushed into the ambulance en route to the airport. There, they would be airlifted to Boston’s Mass General Hospital, where she would be met by a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons with the intent of saving the Rovine girl from her present condition.
As soon as she arrived, the group went to work.
“I’m sure the doctors here will save our daughter,” said Madeleine, as she and Tom sat down in the waiting room. “When they do, we’ll let the other parents know how they did it, and the other three kids can be rescued as well.”
“Madeleine,” said Tom, “I know you have the best intentions for Valerie, but you are being your usual impetuous person, following your impulses as they come with no forethought of the big picture.” His face deepened further with sadness. “I hope to God you’re right!”
Meanwhile, back at Memorial Hospital in Indiana, Brent, William, and Ellie persisted in their comatose stage. Their parents waited for the passage of time to see if the mass in their brains would cease to grow. Since strict orders had been given to turn off the newly developed MRI scanners, no true imaging of the mass had been possible. Examination by older technology continued to show stability of the brain structures, reassuring the doctors and parents somewhat.
When Monroe entered the area of the cafeteria where the parents dined, Louis spoke first. “We’ve been talking about the surgical options, especially if the mass returns to a growth phase.”
“Since we know nothing of this tumor, I am not advising surgery at this time.”
The doctors in Boston had opposite opinions. “Dr. and Mrs. Rovine, we feel the best approach is to operate on your daughter’s brain immediately,” said Dr. Moffett. He was tall and scrawny, with light-brown hair and a two-day beard. His small stature was 180 degrees apart from his considerable confidence.
“The doctors back in Indiana feel we should not operate yet,” said Tom. “Because we know nothing about this substance in their brains.”
“Because we know nothing about this substance in Valerie’s brai
n is exactly why I’m advising urgent surgery.” He smirked and took a sip from his coffee. “We have a saying in surgery: When in doubt cut it out!”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brent, Ellie, Valerie, and William took a collective deep breath and simultaneously opened their eyes. They scanned their surroundings and realized they were lying down on the floor of a familiar place.
“Wow,” said William. “We’re back on the Traveler Space Station.”
“That means we’re not awake yet,” said Brent. “That means we’re dreaming!”
Ellie nodded her head as she sat up. She looked around the large laboratory. “I thought the travelers were leaving. Put our normal lives back on schedule.”
“Something went wrong!” said Brent. “Remember the four of us were placed in a deep coma to avoid communication via dreams with the soldiers.”
“Maybe the soldiers are on to us,” said Valerie.
William got up from the floor. The others got on their feet next.
Ellie said, “If we’re back on the Triloptia Star System, the travelers are communicating with our brains again. Let’s find out who is sending and receiving our dream signals.”
“Doesn’t that also mean we’re coming out of our induced comas?” asked Brent. “The coma was designed to avoid us sending or receiving dream signals to the travelers.”
“Who is communicating with us?” repeated William. “Traveler scientists, soldiers, both?”
“Guys,” said Ellie. “Look at your eLocators. Zack and Mackenzie, are back on the planet, in the locations they came from. Of the four Terrae Virentian youths, Brent, Ellie, and William are where we left them, but the one named Valerie has been relocated.”
The Traveler's Return (Traveler Series 3) Page 11