Monday, November 27, 2006
Chapter 1B-Recovery
Tobal heard someone move near his uncle and felt something tug at his arm as the nurse injected something into the IV tube fastened to his wrist. He felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him and barely heard the creak of his uncle's wheelchair as it left the room.
He awoke to the smell of violets in the room.
"It's about time you woke up," came Fi's cheery voice from the edge of the bed.
He moved his head cautiously and opened his left eye. Fi was sitting in a chair near the hospital window. She set down the magazine she had been reading and moved closer.
"How are you doing," she asked in a concerned tone? "I've really been worried about you."
She reached out and gently touched his arm. He pulled it away. Fi was the last person he wanted to see right now.
"I don't know," he mumbled. "I just woke up."
He looked around the room for the first time. There were flowers and get well cards. The room felt hot and made his skin itch.
"Is my uncle here?" He asked in a more friendly tone and tried to smile but winced instead.
"Oh," her hand involuntarily leapt to her mouth. "Are you alright?" She rose out of the chair and came toward the bed with her arms out to enfold him in a hug.
He roughly pushed her away, feeling a pang in his chest and a burning in his eyes.
"I'm fine," he said bitterly. "I just want to be left alone, ok?"
There was a hurt and wounded look in her eyes and the beginning of tears.
"Can I come back later then?" She pleaded. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I came yesterday but you were in surgery and then sleeping. Maybe I can come over to your Uncle's and we can talk." She smiled bravely.
"Uncle Harry doesn't like visitors." He lied weakly. "Maybe we can get together back at school after Christmas break. How does that sound?"
"Sure, back at school," she said softly and reached for her purse. Tobal didn't see the tears in her eyes or hear the break in her voice as she turned away. "Take care of yourself Tobal."
He watched as she left the room. All he knew was that he wanted to be left alone. It never occurred to him how rude he was being until much later and then it was too late. He never saw Fiona again. He never even said goodbye.
A few hours later Uncle Harry came and took him home to the estate. In the weeks that followed he got cards, letters and emails from his friends and schoolmates, invitations to parties and dances. He threw them all away without bothering to even look at them. It was vain and shallow but he had always depended on his looks. Now he felt afraid and unsure of himself. He didn't know how his friends would react when they saw him. He hadn't seen his own face yet and he was not sure that he wanted to.
Thanksgiving came and went. There was no real celebration in the Kane household unless it was a private celebration held by the staff. His uncle was an embittered cripple and widower confined to a wheelchair. It was only Tobal's injury and depression that prompted his uncle's apparent interest now.
Tobal knew that it would not last. Uncle Harry was his only living relative. His parents were dead and he had no brothers or sisters. There was a time he had felt much closer to his uncle but that was long ago. It seemed Uncle Harry was as preoccupied as Tobal was.
"I don't understand what the Federation wants with a cripple," he snarled at dinner.
Lt. Col. Harry Kane was being re-activated and he was not happy about it. "I need to go away for a few days and see what they want. Can you handle things around here by yourself? Maybe you could have some friends over. How bout that girl friend of yours?"
Tobal squirmed uncomfortably and felt his face flush with heat. "We, ah, broke up," he said lamely.
His uncle snorted in disgust. "Well suit yourself." He turned and wheeled himself out of the room. "I've got to get ready."
Three days later his uncle returned and Tobal hardly recognized him. Overnight his uncle looked ten years older. His shoulders were more stooped and bags had formed under his eyes giving him a haunted look. It didn't take long to realize his uncle was avoiding him. The tension in the house was unbearable.
Other times Tobal tried to deliberately avoid his uncle. As the days passed he never knew if his uncle was in the house or called away on some important military business and he hardly cared. They had never been that close. His only curiosity over the years had been how a simple Federation Officer had managed the nearly impossible feat of enrolling him in Tavistock Educational.
One day he asked his uncle at dinner about it. "It was what your parents would have wanted," was all uncle Harry would say. Tobal never knew if his parents had moved in such high circles or if it was his uncle. It never seemed important before. He didn't know why it seemed so important now. All he knew was he didn't want to go back.
Serialadventures Have a serial with your breakfast! This is a listing for new serials being posted on the internet today. If you are an author publishing a serial get it listed here! If you are a reader interested in serials, ebooks, and books in general check this listing out. Serialadventures is a service for authors to showcase their work and find new readers. Books and the internet do go together! This list is just starting and will take some time to grow. We need your support.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?
Anarchist Knight:Apprentice is a fiction story based upon survivalism values and principles. Survivalism is not fiction! It is real and the challenges we face in today's world require self empowerment training. This ebook is available as a download!
OAK:Foundations-a serialadventure gives the basics for modern survivalism and self empowerment techniques. Empower yourself today!
OAK:Tarot of Love and Romance is about the energy dynamics of love and human relationships. Why love sparks and why it sometimes dies. Can any of us really survive without love?
OAK:Magister Templi shows how modern science and chaos theory are compatable with advanced metaphysical concepts. Science is not in conflict with paranormal and supernatural activity.
OAK:Magick,Mystery and Madness is my own personal book of shadows. If you are interested in magick and energy work this is the place!
Alligator Alley:Modern Survivalism places the ancient knowledge of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons into modern context. Universal truths can be restated many ways but remain valid.
Today's suggested survivalism site is:
DragonDoor is the premier Health and Fitness resource on the web! They have the World's Most Effective Methods for High Performance, Radiant Health and Peace of Mind.
Anarchistic Knights Technorati Tags : adventure, books, books on line, ebooks, outdoors, fantasy, sci-fi, teens, science fiction, fiction, survivalism
