by John Charles
Shortly before eleven in the morning, Alex gripped Reade and Gena's hands tightly, took an extremely deep breath, let it out slowly, and lay still. "What is it Alex? What can I do to help you?" asked Reade as he continued to hold Alex's hand.
Alex looked in Reade's eyes and moaned. When he felt Gena's hand squeeze, he turned to face her and moaned again. The duty nurse took his vitals and said, "I think he is awake. Look at the monitors; they show he is no longer in the dream state."
Again, Alex moaned, then turned to Reade and tried to say hi, but his words were slurred. "You came back! Oh my god, we've missed you so much. And I have so much to tell you, too," said Reade. He leaned in and planted a kiss in Alex's lips, to feel his lover kiss him back.
Alex's progress was remarkable for his first day. He was aware of his surroundings. His moans turned to whispers. He smiled at Gena and Reade. He let the duty nurse know he did not want to be poked and prodded anymore. He was indeed back.
Reade told him about his own awakening; how he told his father off, his mother's divorce proceedings, and his new business venture. Alex listened, smiled and whispered his delight at Reade's enthusiasm.
Gena watched the two as they began down the path of learning about each other all over again. Alex was back; her son had rejoined the living.
Later in the day, Gena broached the topic that was on everyone's mind. "We know you were dreaming. Do you remember anything from those dreams?"
Alex went completely silent as if his mind was deep in thought. He nodded his head and said yes, he did remember them. Then he looked away as tears flowed from his eyes once again. Reade held him close, kissed his lips, and let the man he loved have some private time.
Reade and Gena decided to let Alex sleep. "You've had a busy day. We'll be back in the morning. I love you so much," said Reade. Gena leaned down, kissed her son and walked out of the ICU with Reade.
Alex lay in his bed thinking. Was it possible that he had only been in a coma? How could he have lived such a rewarding life in a dream? Was it just a dream? He remembered everything, his life, his career, his love for Terry, the way Sherry loved him even after he told her he was gay. How could it have been a dream?
The following morning, Reade walked into the ICU to see Alex sitting up in bed with a cup of tea in his hands. It took both hands to hold the cup since his muscles had weakened during the period he was in the coma. He would need therapy to regain his strength, but he was back.
When Reade walked into the room, Alex greeted him with a smile. "You look happy this morning. That is something I've wanted to see in you since we first started dating." Reade was happy. He had his love back, had a new life and could not imagine anything better.
Gena walked in as if she were floating on a cloud. "How's my son this morning?" She asked as she leaned in for a kiss.
Shortly after eleven, the duty nurse walked in with a box addressed to Alex. "This came by messenger. It has no return address," she said as she handed the box to Alex.
"Wow, a secret admirer?" joked Reade.
Gena noticed that Alex stared at the box as if he had seen it before. "Do you want some privacy?" she asked.
He shook his head and started to open the box. When he lifted the cover, he started crying, not weeping — crying, deep heavy sobs. "What is it Alex? Whatever it is, you can tell us."
Alex handed the box to Reade. Inside the box were two books. One appeared to be a journal, the other a leather-bound book the size of a reference dictionary. On the cover were the words
Lane Duwalt
Thirty Years of Research
Reade opened the larger book to find a picture of Alex with a man that looked very much like himself. The picture was signed by Terry Wattenberg. Reade looked from the picture to Alex and back several times. "Lane?"
He handed the book to Gena and opened the journal, read a few entries, and almost dropped the book. Oh my god, were his only words as he passed the journal to Gena.
Alex hugged himself tightly with both arms and sobbed.
Gena skimmed through the journal taking breaks to look at her son then Reade. She was overcome by what she read and had to stop several times to compose herself.
Reade leaned down next to Alex and whispered, "It's okay. It's okay."
When Gena got to the last entry, she gasped and stared at the page. "What is it?" asked Reade.
Rather than explain, Gena read the entry.
My Dearest Lane,
If you are reading this entry, then you will know that your dreams were probably right. You had the feeling that something might take you away from this life. Now you are gone. It all seems so wrong, that a drunk driver could take your life and not even get a scratch himself. I am numb and so are Sherry and Abram, and frankly so is everyone who knew you.
From the time you almost ran me down, in the hotel, I knew you were the one. It has been over forty years since that day and I still feel the same as I did back then. You were an amazing man that has helped thousands of people with your research and inventions. You were the best partner anyone could have asked for. You loved me with all your heart, gave everything you had to give, and never asked for anything in return.
My tears are falling as I write so the words might be a little smudged.
You affected a lot of people, Lane. We had to extend the wake to three days and even after that, we had to shut the doors. People kept coming! The funeral was much the same. I put the book I had bound of your research with this journal into your coffin to help you in your next life. I figured you could start from where you left off in this life. Sherry thought I was nuts when I put the box into your coffin, but if you're reading it now, I guess I was right.
I just finished reading your journal for the first time. In all the years you kept it, I never even opened the cover. Wow, is all I can say. Your dreams were more vivid than you led me to believe. Whoever this Reade guy is, I hope he understands what he has in you. And Gena seems like a wonderful mother. I do hope that Reade figured out how to get around Harrold and starts having a life of his own. You both deserve it.
Sherry and Abram are lost without you. She has asked me to step in and manage your research institute until we can find someone with enough smarts to take on the position. No one can fill your shoes, my love — no one!
I will miss you Lane. You were more than my other half — you were my life. I will close this entry and let you move on. Be well. Live your life fully as you did here, and Love with all your heart.
Until we meet again,
Terry
Gena closed the journal, looked at her son and Reade as they held each other and cried.
A personal message from the author:
I sincerely hope you enjoyed In Death He Lives.
Like most authors, I depend on feedback from my readers. In fact, I love hearing from you about my stories. Now that you finished reading this book, please post a review on the site where you purchased this e-book.
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John
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