by John Charles
"One thing we do know is that Alex continues to have intense dreams. We have run scans and have found the same activity in Alex as a person might have when in a deep dream. You can see his rapid eye movement and now his head moves as well."
Over the past week, the trio noticed that Alex seemed to be more physical than in previous weeks. His eyes moved more, and now several times each day he opened his eyes as if looking around the room. The breathing machine remained as did the feeding tubes, but the IV's had been removed the prior week. Alex seemed well enough to be fully awake, yet he remained in the coma.
"What does all this mean? If Alex is dreaming why doesn't he wake up?" asked Reade. "Do you think he is lost in a dream state and can't find his way back?"
"Or it could be the other way around," said Jason as everyone looked at him. "What if he knows what happened and has decided he'd rather stay in the dream than come back and face this life again?"
Dr Jenkins looked from Jason to Gena and said, "I do know of cases where the comatose patient said their dreams were vivid. A few said they were like nightmares, others related wonderful experiences while in their coma. I would not rule that out, Jason. The key thing is to figure out a way to bring Alex back to this reality."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Gena asked, "How can we do that if he is having one of those good dreams?"
"Gena, I'd like your permission to do a special test on your son. We have used it in the past to stimulate brain activity in coma patients. With Alex, I am hoping it will do more. I'm hoping it will stimulate him to wake up."
Gena looked to Reade then Jason for input. Jason not being a member of the family said, "Look, I'm here as a close friend and supporter. I think the decision has to come from you and Reade."
"How dangerous is the procedure?" asked Reade taking Alex's hand. "Could it make things worse?"
Dr. Jenkins looked at each then said, "We don't know. It has helped some severely comatose patients in the past, but I must tell you, the procedure is somewhat controversial."
Gena was first to respond. "If you think it will bring Alex back to us, I'd say okay. What do you think Reade?"
"I'd agree with Gena under two conditions. The first is that we are here when you run the procedure. The second is that you stop immediately if we feel it is hurting Alex in any way."
Dr. Jenkins said, "I'll do one better, I will bring in the region's best neurologist to assist. If you or he feels the procedure is not working, we'll stop."
They discussed how the procedure was performed, how it affected previous patients, and when he could make arrangements. Once everyone was satisfied, Dr. Jenkins said he could do the procedure two days later.
Reade and Jason left together after hugging Gena and saying goodbye to Alex. In the elevator, Jason said, "I'm glad you were able to see through your issues. I know it was hard, but I do think it will be better for both you and Alex in the long run." Reade appreciated how Jason managed to get him to do some serious thinking about his life. Between Jason and Gena, Reade felt like he had the family he never had before.
"I'll ask a buddy to cover for me so I can be here when they perform the procedure," said Jason as he and Reade walked from the hospital. "I'm on duty starting tonight so I'll see you in two days."
Reade was busy establishing the co-op and handling personal issues with his mother, but always found the time to visit Alex. He walked into the ICU at 6 daily for his morning visit before going to the office and said good night to his lover every evening at 9. It became his ritual the minute he walked out of Calan's executive offices.
He blocked the entire day of the procedure from his calendar. He wanted to be with Alex, especially if this procedure worked. Gena usually met him at 7 each morning. She wanted to give Reade some alone time with her son. She really liked the man and hoped that their life together would be better than it had been so far.
The morning of the procedure found the trio sitting in the room, coffee in hand, waiting for Dr. Jenkins and the neurologist. They were nervous and had little to say to each other. Dr Jenkins and his associate Dr. Whitcom did their best to ease their nerves as they set up the equipment. "We're ready to begin, so unless you see something to be concerned about, please remain as quiet as possible."
The doctors started the system which, as they explained, sent minor shocks through Alex's body in hope the brain would be stimulated enough to help him regain consciousness. From the start, Alex seemed to react to the shocks, but not in the manner they hoped for. His breathing became irregular, his eyes shot open several times, and his brain activity actually slowed.
Suddenly Alex's eyes shot open, his head moved rapidly from side to side, and then his breathing stopped. He went into cardiac arrest. The heart monitor showed a flat line. The breathing machine forced air into his lungs without his help. He was dead.
"No!" screamed the trio in unison. "Get him back. Do something," shouted Reade.
Nurses and doctors standing outside the room rushed in to assist. Jason jumped to Alex's side and began administering heart compressions while the doctor prepared paddles to shock his heart. The first two attempts to restart his heart failed. Jason would not give up. "Again," he shouted. "Do it again!"
The third time, showed a minor flicker in Alex's heart rhythm, but it failed to develop into a full heartbeat. "Do it again," shouted Jason as he continued CPR. "I mean it. Don't you dare stop. Do it again!" he shouted.
Repeated shocks brought minor heart rhythm. On the sixth attempt, the breathing machine indicated that Alex was assisting and the heart monitor showed a steady heartbeat. Only then did Jason stop CPR.
Dr. Jenkins saw the anger in their eyes. He didn't attempt any apologies. He just took his equipment and left the room. Dr. Whitcom spent a few minutes assessing Alex's neurological condition. "From what I can see, his brain activity is returning to the state it was prior to the treatment. I'll make sure Alex's regular neurologist has a full report." He looked from one to the other, nodded his head as if to acknowledge their pain and left.
Gena and Reade hugged Jason. "Thank you for saving my son, again," whispered Gena. Then she pulled back, looked Jason in the eyes and said, "We have a lot to thank you for. I'll never forget what you've done for us."
Reade broke the hug and sat next to Alex. Taking his hand, Reade said, "I know you can hear me. I'm glad you came back. I don't know what I would do if you decided to leave us now."
Chapter 17
Terry opened his eyes knowing something was not quite right. The room was dark but he could see the outline of Lane's body sitting next to him. "You have another dream?" he said as he sat up and hugged his man. "Want to tell me about it?"
Lane rested into Terry's hug. After a few minutes, he said, "Yeah, after I enter it into my journal." He picked up the book from the side table and began to write.
Terry had encouraged Lane to begin a dream journal shortly after Lane started having vivid dreams. He bought a leather bound journal and gave it to him wrapped with a bright red ribbon and bow. Since then, Lane kept the journal on his bedside table and found he posted entries at least once every week.
After finishing, he closed the journal, turned off the light and cuddled into Terry's arms. "This one was extremely vivid, Terry. I am able to see people more clearly now and they are the same people in each dream. There's a guy named Reade and someone named Harrold who I think is Reade's father. From what I can tell, Harrold is not very fond of his son."
Lane rested his head on Terry's chest listening to the heartbeat beneath his ear, while Terry held him close. Terry woke in the same position three hours later, Lane still on his chest breathing slowly, still sleeping. He knew their day would begin shortly but didn't want to wake his lover. He gently rubbed Lane's back and kissed his hair.
Turning to face the man he loved, Lane smiled, planted gentle kisses on his lips and said, "Good morning. I like sleeping in your arms; it makes me feel so safe." Both of their alarms sounding at the same time broke t
he bliss. "I guess it's time for us to make our appearance in the world out there," whispered Lane after shutting his alarm.
"You okay?" questioned Terry. He didn't have to expand his question as both knew what he meant.
"Yeah, the dreams are getting vivid but they're not nightmares anymore. It seems as if I am watching something unfold just under the surface of my waking mind." Having spent over thirty years of his professional life working with people's brains, Lane knew more about thoughts, memories, and brain function than most neuroscientists did.
"Do you have these dreams when you are awake or only while you're sleeping?" asked Terry as he, too, got out of bed. "You've told me that some of your patients have waking dreams. Do you?"
"Not anything like waking dreams. More like a feeling or intuition. I'll be driving some place and suddenly I'll see the road from the passenger seat of a car rather than from my position as the driver. Or I'll be in a restaurant for the first time and seem to know I've been there before."
Terry was worried when Lane first mentioned his dreams. Back then they were nightmares that scared him to the point of being afraid to go back to sleep. Eventually the nightmares turned into vivid dreams that seemed to have a story to them. Lane had been diligent keeping his dream journal and would sit reading it as if he were reading a novel.
As the two got ready for their workday, Terry said, "You know this is the third time you are receiving an award from the ISHS. Isn't that some kind of record?" he teased knowing that Lane, still thirty years later, hated the fanfare.
"It's the third time for me, but the first for you!" Lane teased back. "I can't wait to see you squirming in your seat as they read off the reason you're receiving the award. Then walking up to the mike; wow your legs will be wobbling and your heart thumping so strongly you think the world can hear it. Then you're alone at the mike, just you and a few million people watching to see if you make a fool of yourself. Yeah tonight should be momentous!"
Terry had developed a technology firm from the ground up to the point that it was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He never took it public even after the years of pressure from his silent partners, until they used their combined shares at a board meeting and forced his hand. The IPO was one of Wall Street's best in decades, raising nearly a billion dollars for Terry and his partners in the first week alone.
The firm continued to grow under Terry's leadership, but it was not what he had always dreamed of. He enjoyed the challenge of developing technology, not the political requirements of the CEO of a major public company. After thirty years at the helm, Terry stepped down allowing his younger protégé to take the reins.
He also loved Lane's research company and saw how it helped thousands of people with the products it developed. Lane often complained about the difficulty he faced when he first started. One of his most challenging trials was getting capital for research. Most people or investors wanted a sizable share of the company and a fast turnaround for their investment. Lane always refused saying his research was not for sale.
Now that Terry was nearly a billionaire, he had the money to invest in Lane's research, but Lane suggested he do more with it. So Terry started a private angel-investment company whose sole purpose was to help technology start-ups specializing in health research. The ISHS found out about Terry and his angel-investing firm and watched. When they were satisfied he was indeed helping, not raping those start-ups, they voted to present him with their meritorious business award.
Tonight they would receive their awards together. Lane for thirty years of unyielding research that has helped untold thousands of people with spinal and brain disabilities, and Terry for his near philanthropic aid to the health research industry.
"See you later," said Lane as he hugged Terry. “I only have one meeting this morning, and then Abram, Sherry and I will pick you up. Remember this is a black tie affair," Lane teased. In all the years since they first met, Terry had teased him about how hot he looked in a tux. Now it was Lane's turn to tease back.
Sitting in the audience, while accolades were read, drove Terry crazy. While he wasn't against fanfare, as Lane was, he didn't like people touting him as some kind of hero. He witnessed firsthand the miracles that health research offered. He had the money to invest and felt it was his duty to do so.
When it was time for Terry and Lane to approach the stage, Lane whispered in Terry's ear, "breathe, you look like you're going to faint." Pulling Terry with him, Lane stood and made his way to the podium. What Terry didn't know was that Lane had the honor of presenting the award to his partner.
The audience roared with laughter as Lane related horror stories about his partner. To Terry it was more like a roast than an award ceremony. When Terry finally received the plaque from Lane, he felt his face couldn't be redder. He accepted the award, gave a remarkable speech, considering he didn't remember a word of it, and turned to see Lane staring off into the distance.
Suddenly, Lane collapsed. There on the stage, where just a few minutes before he was joking about his partner, Lane was down. Terry dropped the plaque and rushed to the man he loved. Cradling his head, Terry looked toward the seat he just left to find Abram, Sherry and several doctors running to the stage. The audience gasped in horror as one of their idols went down. The lights came up and the announcer asked that everyone stay calm.
Someone rushed an emergency medical cart to them and stood by waiting for additional instructions or requests. Abram ripped open Lane's shirt and using the stethoscope from the cart, listened for a heartbeat. When he found none, Abram asked for the defibrillator. The young man knew what to do; he gave Abram the paddles, and switched on the machine, watching for the signal that it was fully charged.
When the signal came, the doctor assisting Abram yelled "clear" and pushed the button to send the current to the paddles. Lane's body bounced from the shock to his chest then settled down. The defibrillator indicated that Lane's heart was not beating. Both the doctor and Abram started the process again. When the signal came, the doctor shouted "clear."
Sherry knelt next to Terry and hugged him as they watched the man they both loved near death once again. Neither said a word. On the fourth attempt, the shock had its intended effect. Lane's heart began beating again. He was alive.
Paramedics arrived as Terry held his partner. They put him on a gurney and rushed him to the waiting ambulance. The ride to the hospital was quick and uneventful. By the time they removed Lane from the ambulance, he was beginning to regain a level of awareness. "What happened?" he whispered when he saw Terry walking next to him.
"They think you had a heart attack. I guess the award ceremony was more stressful than you thought it would be," he said. "You're okay now, just rest." Terry held Lane's hand as they took him to the cardiac ICU for emergency care.
Sherry and Abram arrived a few minutes later and insisted on being admitted to the ICU. Since they were well known in the hospital, they were admitted without argument. When they reached Lane and Terry, they found that nurses had removed Lane's clothing and doctors were connecting various monitors to his body. One doctor, who knew Lane quite well, looked into his eyes and said, "Lane you have to trust me. I know what I am doing so please listen to Terry and relax, everything will be alright."
They took turns sitting with Lane as he slept. Doctors and nurses took his vitals every hour, but Lane was so exhausted, he never noticed. He just slept.
When morning arrived, Lane awoke to see his partner's head lying on the bed next to him. Lane pulled Terry's hand into his and squeezed. When Terry turned his head to look, Lane smiled and said, "Hello my love, I'm back."
Abram and Sherry, sleeping in the side chairs, awoke when they heard Lane. Smiling, Sherry said, "For a guy who hates fanfare, you certainly managed to create some." They all laughed, at Lane's expense but were quite relieved that he was awake and doing better.
Lane felt fine. He had energy and couldn't believe what had happened to him. Test results showed him to be in perf
ect health, yet a few nights prior, he lay dead.
Both he and Terry were surprised to find several of their closest friends waiting for them when they arrived home from the hospital. "We had a party planned for the award night and decided to do a smaller one today. Welcome home Lane," said Sherry as she hugged him.
The afternoon was perfect. Lane felt fine and enjoyed the company of his closest friends and colleagues. Everyone became quiet when Terry approached Lane with a large box in his hands. Lane's eyes widened as if asking what was in the box. "I was going to give this to you on the award night, but a few things got in the way." He handed the box to his partner and guided him to a table. "Open it, please."
As Lane unwrapped the large, heavy box, he asked. "What do you have in here, it weighs a ton?" When he removed the cover, he saw a bound book the size of a reference dictionary. Etched with gold foil, the title said:
Lane Duwalt
Thirty Years of Research
Everyone crowded around Lane and Terry to see what Lane held in his hands. Several said, “Open it. Lane, open it." When Lane did, he found a picture of Terry and him standing on the summit of Mount Washington. They were looking out in awe of everything in front of them. The inscription on the picture read; Always Remember and was signed, ‘with all my love, Terry’.
Lane flipped through the pages — thousands of them, to see his thesis, research studies, and hundreds of letters of thanks from people whose lives he changed, that he restored. Lane put the book down, reached up and hugged Terry as he shivered with overwhelming emotions. Tears flowed from his eyes.
One by one, the people present looked through the book. "This brings back so many memories," said Sherry. Abram agreed as he too was struck by the impact they had on so many people. Others on the team congratulated Lane and thanked Terry for his continued support. They knew Terry was the man behind Lane's happiness.