by Black, Chuck
“Actually you are in much worse condition, Drew. You need to just sit tight and lie still for a while. As soon as we’re done with Ben, he can come see you.”
“Why can’t I open my eyes?” Drew tried to reach for his eyes again. He felt the touch of the nurse’s hand on his arm. Her hand was warm and firm. Every nerve that was in contact with her hand was alive.
“They’ve been badly burned. Just leave the bandages alone for now. Okay?”
That explained the pain, but … “When will I get to take the bandages off so I can see?”
The nurse’s hand left his arm. The silence gave him his answer.
“Your mother is in the waiting room,” the doctor said. “I’ll let her know she can see you.”
He heard the doctor’s footsteps fade, then a swoosh of the door. He was surprised that he could continue to hear his footsteps and realized that he could hear many things, even outside the door if he concentrated.
“Nurse?”
“Here,” came the reply.
“My eyes hurt. Is there something—”
“The doctor is giving you something for the pain through the IV.”
“Is the damage to my eyes permanent? Will I see again?”
“I think the doctor needs to answer that.”
Drew listened and could hear more footsteps approaching, hurried footsteps this time, and he knew Jake and his mother were coming.
The door opened, and Drew could feel them enter. It was strange. Something was different. The pain kept him from concentrating, but the longer he was awake, the more aware he became of everything happening around him. Everything seemed … well … more.
“Drew,” his mother said as she approached the bed. “I’m here, and so is Jake.”
Her voice was much too loud, and it was thick with worry.
“Hi, guys.” Maybe if he kept things light, it would ease their concern. “I can’t see, but I can hear just fine. Please don’t talk so loud.”
He felt his mother’s hand grab his. She squeezed way too hard. Her palm and fingers pressed into his hand in twelve places … strange.
“How are you feeling?” Jake asked.
“My head hurts, my eyes burn, and everything is way too loud. I feel strange.” It must be the drugs … “What meds do they have me on? Something’s wrong with my … my brain.”
“Everything a little fuzzy, huh?” Jake said. “That happens coming out of—”
“No, actually. Everything is too clear. Whatever it is, it isn’t a sedative.”
Drew tried to lift his hand again and felt the restraints around his wrist. “Can I please have these things taken off?” He opened the palm of his empty hand.
He heard the nurse approach.
“Of course. Just don’t touch your eyes, okay?”
He felt the straps release from his wrists.
“What did the doc say about my eyes, Mom?” He lifted his hands to his head and felt the bandages that encircled his head, covering his eyes and temples. “Are my eyes going to be okay?”
Once again, silence. She squeezed his hand even harder.
“It doesn’t look good. The ophthalmologist said there is a lot of retina damage.”
Drew could hear the quiver in her voice. She was a strong woman, she had to be, raising a son by herself. Drew squeezed her hand back.
“I’ll be okay, Mom.”
“What happened, Drew?” his mother asked. “The dean of the physics department was here earlier asking me a lot of questions. He seemed very upset. He spent a lot of time with Ben too.”
Drew hadn’t even considered what had happened to the lab and Dr. Waseem’s research. The realization of what they had done and what they had discovered started to come at him like massive waves. He swallowed hard. There was so much to consider, so much to think about. He didn’t even know what he dared say. Would anyone believe him? His head started to swim with questions and thoughts that went in a thousand different directions.
“I need to talk to Ben. How bad is he hurt?”
“It’s not serious,” Jake said. “He saved your life.”
“What? What happened?” The lab accident must have been worse than he realized.
“You were thrown, unconscious, and he had to drag you out of the lab away from the fire,” Jake replied.
“Fire? There was a fire?”
“The fire suppression system kicked in before it spread to the rest of the building, but the lab was pretty much destroyed. If Ben hadn’t pulled you out, it would have been much worse. And he was singed pretty badly in a few places too. Plasma burns are nasty.”
Drew didn’t know how to respond. The lab destroyed? What would that mean for Dr. Waseem’s research? What would that mean for Ben and him? “When can I see Ben?”
“Maybe the nurse can tell you.” Jake turned. “Nurse?”
“She’s just left,” Drew said.
After a brief pause, his mother spoke. “How did you know that?”
“I heard her leave just a minute ago. I must see Ben as soon as possible.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Jake left the room.
“Drew, the dean said that he wanted to talk to you as soon you were able. I’m supposed to call him.”
“You have to wait until I talk to Ben, Mom. Okay?”
“Were you supposed to be in that lab? The dean said the professor wasn’t there. Is that true?”
He lowered his chin, something he couldn’t help doing anytime his mother caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to. It started when he was four, and now even at twenty he couldn’t help it.
“It’s true, the professor wasn’t there.” He hesitated. He didn’t dare tell her everything, at least not yet. “We were trying to help the professor. He’s missing.”
“Missing? What’s going on, Drew?” Her voice was filled with anxiety.
“I’m not sure, Mom. Really. I need some time to sort things out.”
There was a soft knock on the door.
“Hello?”
Drew recognized Sydney’s voice. It was the nicest sound he had heard yet.
“May I come in?” Her gentle tone soothed his aching head.
“Hey, Sydney, come in.” Drew smiled, happy for the interruption to change the subject.
“I don’t want to interrupt anything,” Sydney said from the doorway.
“No, no.” Drew’s mother let loose of his hand. “Please come in. I’m Drew’s mom, Kathryn.”
Drew could tell by the tone of his mother’s voice that she was pleased to see Sydney. He was quite sure that she was already jumping to conclusions.
“Hi, Mrs. Carter. I’m Sydney Carlyle. I heard Drew was in the physics lab accident and wanted to see if he was okay.”
“He’s doing all right. The doctor says he will have to stay in the hospital at least a couple of days to make sure there’s no infection.”
Drew could tell his mom had turned back toward him by the direction of her voice.
“Drew, you didn’t tell me that you had such a lovely friend at school.”
“We’re just … well …”
“We’re just friends, Mrs. Carter. Drew was nice enough to go to a Bible study with me a few weeks ago,” Sydney finished for Drew, although not in the way he had hoped.
“Oh.” His mom looked from him to Sydney. “I can see there’s a lot that Drew hasn’t told me. I’ll leave you two and go check on Jake and Ben.”
“You don’t have to leave—” Drew started but stopped when he heard her footsteps retreating. He waited until she was clear of the door. There were a few seconds of awkward silence. It had been weeks since he’d last seen Sydney at the coffee shop.
“Thanks for coming to see me.” Drew couldn’t tell where Sydney was. She was the most soft-footed person to enter his room yet.
“I was concerned when I heard how serious the accident was. There are rumors flying all over Facebook.” She came to stand beside Drew’s bed, on his left. “Are you really o
kay, Drew?”
He smiled because of the pleasure he took in hearing her soothing voice. He had always loved listening to her talk, not because of what she said, but rather how she said it. And now it seemed so much more delightful. Why?
“I’m doing all right.” He reached up and touched the bandage around his eyes. “Sounds like I won’t be using these much anymore though.”
Why did he say that? Was he looking for sympathy? He wished he could take it back.
He felt the soft touch of Sydney’s hand on his own. In a strange but wonderful way, it warmed his whole body.
“I’m so sorry, Drew.”
“It’ll all work out. I’ll cope.” He tried to sound less vulnerable. “Might make school a little challenging though.”
“Can I pray for you?”
“Sydney, after what I’ve seen, I don’t think prayer is going to help one bit.”
“Why not?”
Such innocence in that question. Drew didn’t want to hurt her feelings. After all, she had made the effort to come and see him. “If you want to pray, then be my guest.”
He felt her fingers touch his bandaged eyes. Her little finger gently rested on his right cheek, and it once again soothed him.
“Dear heavenly Father. If there is any sin in my heart, please forgive me.”
Drew frowned. That was a strange way to start a prayer. How could someone as sweet as Sydney have any sin? She’d better start over and begin with his sins.
“I come before You on behalf of Drew. You know his condition. You know his pain. You know his heart. Please, Lord God, heal him completely. Heal his eyes that he might see again. Heal his heart that he might believe in You. Heal his spirit that You might live in him. You are the mighty healer. You are the merciful and the forgiver. You are the beginning and the end. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
It was a short, strange prayer, but for all that …
It affected him.
She left her hand on his eyes a bit longer and continued to whisper another prayer. He could feel her breath on his cheek and felt the closeness of her body. From her little finger, warmth flowed across his face and into his eyes. The ache from his eyes dissipated. She continued in quiet prayer until all the pain was gone. When she removed her hand, he just lay still and enjoyed the peace that he felt, ignoring the question nagging at the corner of his mind. He took a deep breath. The pain reliever must have just kicked in.
Yes, that was it.
“Your mother seems like a sweet lady.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty amazing.” Drew smiled. “She’d have to be to put up with me for twenty years.” He pictured Sydney’s face and could imagine her delightful smile framed by a perfect complexion.
“Was that your dad I passed in the hall on the way here?”
“No. He’s just a good family friend. My dad passed when I was twelve.” There it was again, the sense that he was somehow fishing for sympathy. He hated being weak. “Jake is a great guy … really helped out my mom and me through the years. He took me camping for weeks every summer.”
“Sounds like quite a friend. Where did you go camping?”
“Every summer was a different place. Alaska, Glacier National Park, the Badlands, the Mojave Desert, the Everglades, Tenne—”
“The Mojave Desert? The Everglades?”
Drew laughed as he imagined the surprised look on her face. He wished he could see it. “Yeah. These weren’t your typical camping trips. Jake was Special Forces, and he doesn’t believe in having normal fun.”
“How horrible!”
“Actually I loved it. Jake taught me a lot of things. I think I could survive just about anywhere if I had to.”
“Hmm. Well, when things get bad, I’m calling you then.” Sydney giggled.
Drew loved it, but stiffened when he heard commotion near the door. “Sounds like an army coming.” He turned his head slightly so his right ear could hear a little better.
He felt Sydney back away a little.
“I should be on my way.”
“You don’t have to go.” Drew liked having her near.
“I’m meeting a friend at the Blend in fifteen minutes. You take care, Drew Carter.”
She went to the door.
“Sydney.”
“Yes?”
Her voice was just the right volume, but too far away, and he already missed her. “Thanks for coming to see me.”
“I’ll be praying for you.”
Drew heard a short, polite exchange between his mother, Jake, and Sydney outside his room, but someone else had entered.
“Hey there. How are you feeling?”
“Ben!” Drew almost jumped out of the bed. “What’s going on? What happened?”
Ben sat in the chair next to his bed. “We made quite a mess.” His low voice was somber.
“The lab?”
“Pretty much destroyed. I told the dean it was all my fault.”
“That’s not true, Ben. I had just as much—”
“Drew, I am the one with access. I am—or was—Dr. Waseem’s assistant. I am the one who told you about his research. It’s my fault, and I’m sorry I got you into this.”
Drew knew there wasn’t much point in arguing. “How much trouble are you in?”
“Possible expulsion.”
“What? Did you explain what we were doing?”
“I tried, but I think that it only made it worse,” Ben said.
“Well, when Dr. Waseem shows up, he’ll stand up for you,” Drew said, grasping for some hope.
There was a long pause.
“He did show up, Drew. He’s dead. They found his car at the bottom of an embankment smashed into a tree.”
Drew didn’t know what to say. His mind went wild with speculation. What was happening? He sat up and leaned forward. “When?”
“They discovered his car last night. I found out this morning.” Ben’s words were emotionless, but Drew felt the pain radiate from him.
“I … I’m sorry.” Very few people had earned Ben’s respect and admiration like Dr. Waseem. The man was more than a teacher and a mentor to Ben. He was an icon of everything Ben hoped to be one day. Now …
Everything important to Ben had been wiped away in a day.
“They say his brakes went out.” Ben’s voice held an edge of skepticism.
There was a long silence. Drew knew Ben’s mind must have been filled with theories and conjecture for hours. He sounded tired.
“That equipment should have never exploded like that,” Ben said. “It doesn’t make sense, and neither does the professor’s accident.”
Drew didn’t dare speak. Everything that Ben had suspected was true. Although Drew couldn’t quite come to terms with thinking of the invisible man he saw through the LASOK as an alien, he had to admit he was at the very least an invader of some sort, whether of this world or of another. What if the invader he saw was standing in the room with them right now? Was anyone safe? Would he and Ben be the next “accidents”? How much power did the invader or invaders have over them already?
“What did you see through the LASOK, Drew? Tell me it wasn’t all for nothing.”
Drew felt the blood coursing through his veins. He heard Ben’s breathing. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“She sure is a sweet girl, Drew.” His mother spoke too loudly as she and Jake entered the room. “When did you meet her?”
“In high school.”
“Have you taken her on a date?”
“Mom, I’m not really her … type, I guess you could say.” Drew gave a crooked smile.
His mother engaged Ben in chitchat, and Drew knew it was her way of trying to help him feel better. Jake stayed silent through most of the conversation. Drew knew he was watching, analyzing, and absorbing the situation. His ability to discern danger was uncanny, and Drew was quite certain that he knew something more was happening.
After fifteen minutes, the nurse showed up to tak
e Ben back to his room. He was to be released today. Drew put his hand up for Ben to take, just like he had done three years ago when he reached out to the geeky statistician lying on the cafeteria floor. Ben took his hand, and Drew quickly pulled him in close until he could feel his friend’s breath on his right shoulder. His mouth was nearly touching Ben’s ear. In words more quiet than a whisper he spoke so no one could hear.
“You were right—be careful!”
He felt Ben freeze. The exchange was simple, but the meaning was colossal. Ben exhaled, and Drew could sense his friend’s relief and anxiety. How could two college students convince the world of the existence of invisible invaders, whoever they were? It sounded absolutely ludicrous, and yet Drew knew what he saw.
Would anyone besides Ben ever believe him?
11
MISSING A FRIEND
The next few weeks did not go well. Ben was expelled from the university and fell into deep depression. With no one to defend him and everyone to blame him, his chances of getting into graduate school at another university were nil.
Drew was released from the hospital and returned home to recover. When the bandages came off, he opened his eyes to precisely the world that the doctors said he would … one of utter darkness.
Drew would have to learn how to live life as a blind man.
He had no choice but to withdraw from the university. Once he settled back into his home with his mother and came to accept the reality of his condition, depression set in for him as well. He spent most of his time holed up in his bedroom. He tried to talk to Ben multiple times, but his friend had closed off the world.
One afternoon, while Drew’s mom was still at work, Ben’s father and mother showed up at Drew’s home asking if he knew where Ben was or where he might go.
Ben was missing.
Drew sickened with worry.
After a short exchange and a few questions, Drew tried to offer some hope.
“I’m sure he just needs time to sort things out. He’ll show up soon.” But as much as he tried to encourage them, his heart was heavy. There was every possibility that something very serious had befallen his friend.
Drew closed the door behind Ben’s parents and felt his way to the couch. He sat down and waited. He was next. He was the only one left now who knew the secret of the invader’s existence. It was just a matter of time.