Heaven On Earth

by Constance O'Day-Flannery

  "I don't know, lady," another man answered. "A driver called in the 911 on a cell phone, but we haven't found anyone else yet."

  "No, he's got to be here," she insisted, terrified that she was alone in this madness. "Please, please, look around for him." She had to close her eyes against the painful glare of the lights. "I'm not leaving until… until…"

  She couldn't finish her words as the pain in her head seemed to wrap around her mind and block out all thoughts, save one. Where was he?

  No longer able to think, she clung to his image and surrendered to the darkness.

  This couldn't be real. It couldn't. It couldn't…

  Nineteen

  The hospital room was cold and frightening, yet not as frightening as what was racing through Casey's mind as she stared at her sister and wondered how in the world to answer her question.

  "Honey, please… tell me, what happened?" her sister pleaded, while clutching Casey's right hand. Casey's other hand had an IV in it.

  "I… I'm not sure," Casey muttered through the tightness in her throat. What could she say? Her brain was still trying to make sense out of her surroundings. She wondered if she was having a dream of being with her sister, and she would wake up in Luke's arms… or was he the dream?

  What the hell was time? Was it ours to play with, to make drag on or speed up? Was that what Luke had learned, what made him so… so real that everyone who met him recognized there was something about the man that made them want to be around him? Was Luke really a time traveler, or was she crazy?

  Amy stared into her eyes with a worried expression. "Casey, the doctors have told me you're all right. Don't be frightened. You were hit by lightning. Do you remember anything?"

  She could only nod. "Yes… something happened," she again muttered, for she found using her lips to make sounds was hard and annoying, taking too much effort.

  Amy reached out and stroked strands of hair off Casey's forehead and placed a kiss upon her skin. It felt warm and loving, and Casey found herself smiling at the familiarity. Her sister… She had been traveling to meet her sister. "Amy…"

  Amy came back into her line of vision. "Yes?"

  "I'm glad to see you, lady."

  Her sister finally really smiled, and something within Casey burst open as she squeezed Amy's hand. "Did… did they find anyone else? Was I the only one?"

  "Just you. Why? Did you see someone else? Maybe they were the ones who called 911."

  Casey sighed with the effort it took to make her brain work. She couldn't think about this right now. None of it made sense, and yet a deeper part of her, which she couldn't access right now, knew it did. Sensing she should answer her sister, she said, "I thought I saw someone else."

  "Oh, sweetie, you're going to be confused for some time. The doctors advised me about it. Just take your time, they said." Amy pushed her dark hair back and added, "But the good news is that you've been thoroughly examined and they can't find anything wrong with you." Her face brightened considerably. "They're calling it a miracle you came through that with no injuries, considering what happened to the car."

  "What happened?"

  "Well, I haven't seen it, but the police say the door was almost blown off the hinges. You're lucky to be here." Her sister became more serious.

  Casey found herself smiling and shaking her head. "Wasn't luck," she whispered. "I don't know that I believe in luck anymore."

  "What?" Amy chuckled, holding her hand tighter in a familiar bond. "I think I would legally change my name to Lady Luck if I'd just gone through what you did."

  In spite of the confusion and aches, Casey couldn't help chuckling, too. "It's good to see you, Amy. I've missed you."

  Again Amy kissed her forehead. "I've missed you too. And as soon as the doctors say it's okay, I'm taking you home and pampering you."

  "Sounds like a good deal to me," Casey murmured, suddenly very tired. "When I woke up I… I thought I had been dreaming."

  "Let me get a doctor and I'll come right back."

  "Amy…" she called to her sister.

  "Yes, I'm coming right back."

  "What day is it?"

  Amy looked confused for a moment, before saying, "August twenty-first, sweetie. The day you flew into Albuquerque. Though it's nighttime now."

  Casey could only stare blankly at her sister, who again grinned and quickly turned away. She watched Amy leave the room and then closed her eyes. Same day? How could that be possible? She had spent over ten days with Luke! She remembered him… Rosalinda… Juana… all of them. They were real. She didn't understand this, but she knew what Luke had said to her about being a time traveler must be true, for she couldn't deny where she had been. It had been every bit as real as this hospital room and her sister's kiss. Somehow, in the space of moments, timeless moments, she had been taught to live there, and escape time!

  Panic seemed to be bubbling right at the edges of her consciousness and she breathed deeply as Luke had taught her. She somehow knew she could go two routes… One was fear, as Luke had said, a heavy and dense energy. She knew that would only make it harder. Or she could stay in the middle of the child's seesaw Luke had talked about, which was teetering at the moment, and try to make a decision. Fear or love? To give power to fear would only make the situation much worse. To deny the love she had experienced would be insane, for she knew she was altered. The woman in that car before the lightning struck might have been able to deny it, but she just wasn't that woman any longer. There was more to her now. Love had changed her into something more.

  A time traveler…

  She would have laughed again, except her muscles ached. There was nothing wrong that rest wouldn't cure, plus Amy had promised to pamper her. She was going to hold her sister to it! She needed some space and time to integrate all of it.

  Luke was real.

  All of it was real.

  Casey O'Reilly. Accountant by necessity; time traveler by choice!

  To heck with the pain, she thought, letting out a guffaw. It was funny! And didn't she already know the best medicine was laughter? Thank heavens she could laugh at herself. It was quite a story she had to tell, if she ever did… and then she remembered Luke's firm advice to only speak of time traveling with other time travelers. What in the world was she going to tell Amy? Anyone? She would have to keep this to herself until she found Luke.

  She didn't doubt for a moment that she would be reunited with him. She might be the rookie, but he was a seasoned vet. He would find her. She felt it.

  If she told others, they would have her committed, and she couldn't blame them for their beliefs. Before she was hit with lightning, she, too, wouldn't have believed such an incredible story. But now she knew, because she had experienced it, and she couldn't go back to the old way of thinking any longer. She had been given an extremely rare gift: to travel through time, not once, but twice. She felt that was just too sacred to share with anyone who couldn't understand. What she had discovered about herself and love was far too precious to be judged by anyone. Now, somehow, she had to dance between two worlds, two times, the memory and the reality.

  Just accept where you find yourself and stop fighting it with fear.

  She remembered Luke's words to her when she'd fallen apart after her visit to the jail and had finally accepted that she was in 1878. And he'd been right. She'd had the time of her life after she'd allowed the fear to abate.

  Well, she might be a rookie, but she wasn't about to forget anything she had learned.

  He'd find her.

  It's an adventure. An adventure… she told herself. Sheesh, how had Luke ever gotten used to this?

  Closing her eyes, she was about to call out to him to hurry up when Amy rushed back into the room, followed by two doctors.

  "Here we are, Casey," her sister announced, as though she were now in charge. "The doctors want to examine you again."

  Casey watched as two men, one in his forties and the other looking like he was still in college, came fo
rward. The older one pulled out a penlight and smiled into her eyes while the younger one held a clipboard with her file.

  "I'm Dr. Woolery. How are you feeling, Casey?" the older man asked.

  "Tired," she replied, staring at a spot on the wall above the doctor's hair.

  "You're a lucky lady," he murmured, concentrating on her eyes as he shined the light into them.

  "So I've heard," she whispered back. "Thank you for all your help. And the paramedics too."

  "Well, we're all amazed. You seem to have walked away from this with no damage," he said, turning to her other eye and focusing his attention there.

  Casey smiled and repeated his last words. "No damage." She might have been a rookie, but she must have gotten something right. Luke was a good teacher.

  "Well, it appears you're just fine," he said, flicking off his penlight and holding her wrist to take her pulse. "You just need some rest, young lady."

  "Wonderful," Amy pronounced. "So I can take her home?"

  The doctor looked once more into Casey's eyes. "It's up to you. You can stay the night for observation if you want. Your insurance would pay for it. Your EKG and blood pressure are normal. We've checked every inch of you with exams and ultrasounds, and can't find a thing wrong even though your shoe was burned. Not even a blister, which is amazing in itself. No bruises, nothing…and you were thrown from the car. I've never seen anything like this."

  Casey could only stare into his eyes and smile.

  "Well, you can stay the night, or you can go home with your sister and see me in ten days for a follow-up. The choice is yours."

  Everyone was looking at her, waiting for her answer.

  "I'll go with Amy," she whispered, smiling at her sister.

  "Fine," Dr. Woolery pronounced, "but I want you up and walking to the bathroom before I'll release you. I'll call the nurse and have her help you. Remember, I want to see you in ten days for a follow-up. You'll have all the information on your release form. Your sister says you will be here for two weeks?"

  "Yes," Casey said, feeling stronger at the thought of getting to Amy's house.

  The doctor nodded and held his hand out for the clipboard. He started scribbling. "Headache?"

  She nodded. "Not bad, but yes."

  "Body aches?"

  "A little."

  "Blurred vision or speech? Anything?"

  She shook her head.

  "All right," he said, reaching out to shake her hand. "I'll have them remove this IV and then you can use the bathroom. And I'll see you in ten days."

  Casey smiled. "Thanks. I'll be there."

  "Rest and be gentle with yourself. Things may seem a bit confusing. That's normal after the jolt you received. Take your time and recover at your own pace."

  "Thank you, Doctor," Casey said, slowly placing her hand in his.

  The man shook it and grinned. "You're one lucky lady."

  She could only smile and nod her head. She didn't think he would understand that it wasn't luck, but love, that had pulled her through.

  "Ten days."

  "Ten days," she repeated.

  He gave the clipboard back to the younger man and walked toward the door. "Get some rest."

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I intend to."

  She had a lot to do now. And the first was to acclimate to being back in this time.

  "We're going home," Amy pronounced with happiness, after she, too, thanked the doctors.

  Opening her eyes, Casey grinned at her younger sister. "Looks like it."

  "That is, if you can stand up and walk over to that bathroom and pee."

  Laughing, Casey reached out her hand. "Help me sit up. I'll show ya!"

  Amy rushed to her aide. "Now, stay right there until the nurses come!"

  "Amy," she said with a strong voice, "you have no idea how long I have waited to sit on a damn toilet! Now help me up!"

  Giggling as if they were kids again, Amy pushed a button on the side of the bed. "Going up," she announced.

  "Slower!" Casey called out as her head swam with the quick ascent.

  Amy laughed nervously. "Oh, sorry. How's this?"

  "Fine," Casey answered with a giggle as she sat upright. "Now take this side down."

  "Shouldn't we wait for a nurse?"

  Casey almost glared at her sister. "Amy, I am about to burst. I am not waiting for anyone. If you only knew, you would just take down the damn side and not argue with me."

  "Okay, okay…" her sister conceded, fumbling with the metal bars. When she finally got the side down, she stood with her hands on her hips and added, "You're still hooked up to the IV. You'll have to wait."

  Casey looked up to the bag hanging on a hook. "It's got wheels. You hold it and walk with me."

  "Me?" Amy demanded. "You need a nurse."

  "I need help," Casey said. "You can do it."

  "Oh, jeez…" Amy muttered. "You are going to get me in trouble, just like when we were kids."

  "I never got you in trouble," Casey retorted, throwing back the sheet and slowly bringing her legs to the side of the bed. "I wasn't the one who had to go to summer school for too many detentions."

  "I was framed," Amy answered with a laugh as she gently held Casey's heels and placed them on the floor. "And don't you ever tell Sara that when she gets older. I'll lose all parental control."

  "Yeah, right… framed. Now, that's funny," Casey said, slowly sitting and finding her balance. "Okay, if you can help me stand, I'll be able to do something I've waited a long time to do."

  "Walk?" Amy asked with a chuckle, holding out her arm as Casey rose slowly.

  "No, sit on a toilet, you fool," Casey answered with a giggle. "And if you make me laugh again, you're taking care of any accidents. Now, move with me, girl. I'm a woman on a mission."

  The two of them struggled to find a successful arrangement and soon they were crossing the room, Casey holding on to her sister as Amy dragged the IV with them.

  "I forgot to ask. How's that handsome husband of yours and your gorgeous daughter?"

  Amy was breathing heavily. "Fine, everyone's fine. Let's just get you into the bathroom and then we can have a reunion. Right now I don't want to get caught."

  "Where'd we get that?" Casey asked, seeing her luggage on a built-in table against the wall.

  "Oh, the police brought it with you. They got it out of the trunk of the rental. No sense in going back there."

  "Right…" Casey muttered. At least she had some clothes.

  "Okay, now wait until I turn on the light," Amy said, letting go of the IV and flipping a switch. She pushed the door open and then, together, they entered the bright room.

  "Jeez…" Casey closed her eyes briefly. "It sure is bright."

  "Wait until you sit down and I'll turn them off."

  It was a comedy of errors as Amy held up Casey's hospital gown and she sunk onto the toilet seat. Sheltering her eyes with one hand, she used her other hand to cling to the metal support bar next to the toilet. "Turn off the lights and wait for me," she whispered.

  Amy did as she was asked just as a nurse came into the room and demanded to know what was going on.

  Sitting on the toilet seat, Casey lifted her hand from her eyes and squinted up to the older woman in white. "I'm in… heaven," she muttered, finally releasing the pressure and laughing at the sheer ridiculous joy of the moment.

  "And there, there! That's the Governor's Palace, right?"

  "How do you know all this? You've been reading maps or something?" Amy demanded as they crossed the plaza.

  Filled with energy from ten days of unabated pampering by her sister, Casey pushed the stroller carrying her precious niece and sighed. "I'm telling you, Amy, it's like I've been here before. I know all this."

  Shaking her head, Amy said, "Talk like that fits right in around here. Kinda weird, but I'm starting to get used to it."

  Wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, Casey breathed in the fresh air. "I know the La Fonda Hotel
is right down that road, and I know the chapel… Oh, Amy, is there a chapel on the other side of that big church?"

  Amy looked at Saint Francis Cathedral and nodded. "The Loretto Chapel."

  "Come on," Casey said with much excitement. "We have to go. There's something I have to see."

  Amy kept pace with her, asking, "Casey, what the heck is going on? Did you do research on this before you came? How can you know this?"

  "I can't answer that, Amy," she said, rushing past the plaza, past art galleries, souvenir shops, jewelry stores. "It's to the right, isn't it?"

  "Casey, what's wrong?" Amy demanded as they turned down the side street and she stared at her sister.

  Casey looked at the small building and stood perfectly still. It was real!

  "C'mon," she murmured, pushing the sleeping Sara toward the chapel. "We have to go in. Is the staircase still there?"

  "You know about that? Yes, it's there," Amy said, keeping up with her. "Will you please tell me what's going on? You've been acting strange ever since… well, ever since you were released from the hospital. All those days of sitting and staring out the window, and now this!"

  "I can't explain it now, Amy. I haven't figured it all out yet."

  Casey was astounded to find out that the chapel was now privately owned and you had to pay money to go in and see "the miraculous staircase." Walking into the chapel, she heard the story of the itinerant carpenter who came to Santa Fe, built an amazing staircase out of a single piece of wood that grows many miles away, and left without accepting payment or even recognition.

  Giving over the stroller to Amy, Casey sank down on a pew and stared at the still beautiful work of art. Someone had finished it by adding a railing. It was magnificent. How Luke would love this. Again, for the hundredth time, she called out to him in her mind and in her heart.

  Oh, Luke… come see this. Come find me. Please…

  "Casey, are you okay? You have your appointment soon. Should we leave?"

  Sara had awakened and Casey reached out to touch her niece as more tourists filled the tiny chapel where she had united with the most extraordinary being and now felt more married than she could have ever thought possible. It was as though he were away, a traveling salesman or something.