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Can You Feel Me? : Chapter 9
The circle was broken. One by one, the four friends around the bed
retreated back to their places in chairs and sitting on edges of dressers.
The only one who remained was Brian. He sat silently, holding the still
hand between his.
The light around Nick softened and the chorus filling his ears faded until
it was a whisper, but didn't disappear completely. He knew that Brian was
still praying for him. He looked at Katya sitting on the other side of the
room, all by herself. He wondered if the reason why she looked so sad as
his friends prayed for him was that she had never been prayed for like that.
She intrigued him. If she wasn't an angel, she sure did seem to know the
ropes. He knew there was a story behind her and he wanted to find out what
it was. But, he knew if he asked, that she would not answer him. She
needed to tell it in her own time.
She noticed his eyes on her and rose from where she was perched on the chest
of drawers. "Walk with me. I have something I'd like to show you." She saw
him hesitate and a small smile caressed her features for a brief instant,
"Don't worry, Brian will still be here when you return, and so will your
body. It's not like it's going anywhere without you."
He gave one last look at his friends and followed her out into the hallway.
It was just as busy as before, people rushing from one place to another.
Nick kept behind Katya, staying out of the way of people walking towards
him. After his experience with Brian, there was no way he was going to
through it again with a total stranger. Katya moved ahead, people passing
through her, and she seemed to take no notice.
She led him through the corridors of the hospital, his eyes watching
everyone, noticing that those people who were in the hospital as patients
seemed to have lights that shone a little brighter than everyone else. Like
the light was trying to do it's part to strengthen the sick bodies they
surrounded. Nick thought to how bright the light was around Brian, so much
more brilliant than anyone else's. Maybe it was the strength of his faith
in something greater being out there, he didn't know.
Katya slowed as she approached a set of doors, waiting for Nick to catch up.
When he did, she simply stepped right through the doors and looked at him
from the other side.
Nick just stood there, afraid of what would happen. He didn't want the same
thing to happen with the door that happened with Brian. Or worse yet,
getting stuck in the door somehow.
Katya felt his reluctance and reached through the door, yanking him through
it before he could react.
Nick let out a sigh of relief, it was nothing. Like walking through air.
Katya looked over her shoulder, "It's only the flesh and blood things that
do that, Nick. Man made things have no soul."
She started walking again and Nick looked around at the quiet ward. He read
a sign that designated it as the Palliative Care Unit, for those that were
here for long term care or who were dying of terminal diseases. Nick
followed Katya. He looked into the open doors as he passed them. Some of
them had the glow around their bodies as they laid in their beds, others he
saw standing beside their mirror image, waiting.
The glow around all of them was brighter than normal. Normal. That word
made him smile. He was actually getting used to this if things like
ethereal glows around people were starting to seem normal. Katya was ahead
of him a little and she stopped in front of one door, standing there
watching what was going on inside.
Nick stopped beside her and looked in. There lying on the bed was a boy not
much younger than him. He was gaunt and it was apparent that he had been
sick for quite some time, but he was hanging on for all he was worth to
life. The glow around him was unnaturally bright. Something about it made
Nick uncomfortable, like something was nagging at his mind.
Katya watched the boy, staying quiet. Nick watched as the glow got brighter
and small orbs of light seemed to rise to the ceiling from him. Katya
watched them, "You've heard that saying "Go into the light" ?"
Nick nodded, not moving his eyes from what was unfolding in front of him,
"Yeah."
She shook her head slowly. "It's not quite right. What happens is you see
your soul, your light, for the first time. You become your light When you
are your light, you have no need for the shell that you've been in since
birth. The weight is dropped and you are free. It's why babies cry when
they are first born, their souls are not used to being in a shell."
Nick nodded, watching as the light got brighter and the orbs of light left
more quickly until suddenly the light was gone. He was dead. He leaned
against the doorway, surprised that he didn't fall right through it. They
both stood silent and still for a few moments, taking in what they had just
witnessed.
The silence was broken by Nick, "Do they hear it when they die?"
Katya shrugged, the sadness back in her eyes, "I don't know, Nick."
"Have you ever heard it, Katya?"
She looked up at him, looking at him, staring almost, before she slowly
shook her head. "Let's go back."
Nick nodded and walked beside her. Now more intrigued than ever what her
story was.
They walked slowly, each lost in their own thoughts. Nick looked into each
door as they passed again, trying to figure out what was so unsettling about
the lights around everyone in this ward. He mulled it over in his mind and
suddenly his feet stopped dead. His heart, if he'd been in his body would
have stopped cold.
He now knew what was so unsettling about the light in this place, it was the
same intensity as the light that surrounded Brian.
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