Book of Dreams (10 page)

As Kyle smiled broadly at the suggestion and Zoe’s unexpected defence tactic, he glanced past her to see Charlie change his course and head back to the fireman.

‘Should we question them?’ Charlie inquired of the fireman, who smiled and shook his head.

‘They might be aware of a fire,’ the chief commented, ‘but it ain’t the kind we’re looking for.’

‘G’night Charlie,’ Kyle yelled across to his friend and gave him a wave with his free hand.

‘You kids okay?’ Charlie asked now that he had their attention.

‘Just a little wet, that’s all,’ Kyle assured him.

‘No kidding.’ Charlie chuckled and returned the wave.

‘I think that fire alarm is faulty, hey? You should have it looked at,’ Kyle suggested. ‘That’s the second false alarm this week.’

‘Yeah, we know.’ Charlie sounded exasperated. ‘Will do.’

Kyle was feeling considerably woozy as they exited onto the front steps. ‘You stayed?’

Zoe smiled at him to hide her concern for his wellbeing, as he was getting heavy and difficult for her to support. ‘I rarely do as I’m told.’

‘Then we have something in common,’ Kyle said softly, his large brown eyes seeking her affection. ‘Nice kiss, by the way,’ he ventured to say, figuring that she was hardly going to hit him in his present condition.

‘That wasn’t a kiss,’ she scoffed, pretending not to have been deeply moved by the experience. ‘
This
is a kiss.’

Her lips touched his so tenderly, and with such heartfelt longing, Kyle’s senses went into overdrive.

‘Extraordinary,’ he mumbled, smiling deliriously in the wake of her attention. ‘How can something so wonderful leave me so cold?’ Kyle’s smile fell from his face as his sight blurred. ‘It’s so cold.’

Just then, Matt came rushing up the stairs to help his mate to Zoe’s waiting car. Kyle’s eyes rolled back into his head. ‘Kyle!’

Far off in the distance, Kyle heard his name being called, but he could not shake the cold darkness now besieging his body.

A hospital was out of the question. If Nivok reported the night’s events, Kyle would end up in the slammer; or there was the possibility that Nivok wouldn’t report the incident to the police and opt to let his own security force take care of the matter. Either way, Kyle would be a sitting duck in a hospital room.

‘I’ll take him to my Uncle Max. He’s a GP.’ Matt informed Zoe of his intended destination, as he drove through the quiet city streets.

‘A GP!’ Zoe panicked. ‘Matt, I think Kyle needs a surgeon. There’s blood everywhere back here. We have to get him to a hospital.’

‘If we do, then we may as well take him straight to jail.’ Matt tried not to sound frustrated with her argument. ‘And believe me, Kyle would rather die than be institutionalised again.’ He knew that much for certain.

Zoe gasped as the full realisation of their tragic circumstances hit home. ‘This is all my fault,’ she mumbled, dissolving into tears. ‘How could I have been so blind —?’

‘Hey,’ Matt cautioned her gently, ‘let’s just focus on one drama at a time. Okay? I really need you with me on this one.’

With a deep inhalation, Zoe swallowed her grief and nodded in agreement.

‘Besides, if anyone is to blame it’s me.’ The car skidded as Matt turned a sharp bend in the road. ‘My big story could cost me my best mate’s life!’

‘No, it won’t,’ Zoe insisted, realising that Matt was more distressed by Kyle’s injury than she was and that it was up to her to keep him focused and positive. ‘It’s a good plan, Matt. How long until we get there?’

The turning of the car into the driveway of a covered gatehouse answered her question. In the headlights of the car a large set of double gates blocked their passage to the house.

Matt wound down his window to speak into the intercom.

‘Surgery is closed,’ a sleepy male voice advised them through a speaker in the wall of the gatehouse on the driver’s side. ‘I will be available for consultation from nine o’clock Tuesday morning,’ he yawned, before saying, ‘This is a recording.’

Matt slammed a finger down on the intercom button. ‘Uncle Max! It’s me, Matthew. I know it’s late, but I’ve just come from covering a big story. One of my workmates has been injured pretty badly and I was kind of hopin’ you might patch him up for me?’ Matt paused and took his finger off the button to give his uncle a chance to respond. When silence followed, Matt pressed the button once more. ‘Uncle Max, please! I know you’re there.’ Matt held his breath, praying his uncle
was
still there and that he wasn’t wasting time pleading with a recording.

‘Matty, it’s like this …’

Matthew breathed easy again, when he heard his uncle’s voice.

‘ … I have a beautiful woman in my bed and we’re leaving to go away for the weekend in less than two hours … a hospital is what you need, my lad, and there’s a perfectly good one just around the corner.’

‘The crooks who shot my friend are still at large and he’s the only one who got a good look at them,’ Matt explained. ‘I’m afraid if I take him to a hospital, they’ll try and finish him off.’

Silence.

‘Uncle Max? I’m begging here. He’s my
best
friend …’ Matt’s voice faltered in desperation, but before he could summon the words to beg again, the gates parted before them. ‘Thanks, Uncle Max.’

They drove up the drive and parked at the front door, where a handsome middle-aged doctor stood waiting for them in his bathrobe and slippers.

‘Book?’ Kyle stirred momentarily and called out as he was lifted from the car by Zoe and Matt.

‘Now that’s the last item on earth I thought Kyle would be calling for in a delirium,’ Matt commented to Zoe, who was very pale and upset. ‘Well, he’s still with us, so he’s going to be okay.’ He conjured a smile of reassurance.

‘Holy shit, Matthew!’ His uncle observed the patient, while relieving Zoe of Kyle’s weight. ‘Your friend needs a surgeon.’

Matt looked at his uncle with a knowing and desperate expression on his face.

Max didn’t have any children of his own. Matthew was his favourite relative because of his happy-go-lucky attitude to life, and he couldn’t bear to see his nephew so distraught. He served Matt a wink of encouragement. ‘Luckily for you and your friend, the finest surgeon at that hospital around the corner is currently in my bed.’

‘You’re kidding?’ Matt’s spirits soared. ‘And Kyle thinks I’m a lucky son-of-a-bitch!’

‘But … this is a hell of a situation you’re putting us in.’ He felt he had to warn Matt against taking his lady friend’s involvement for granted. ‘If your friend here doesn’t pull through to sign a release form, we could both be in a lot of shit!’

‘Then let’s get moving,’ suggested the beautiful brunette who had appeared in the doorway and was now holding the door open for them with a concerned look on her face.

‘Quickly,’ she urged. ‘If your clothes are anything to go by, he’s lost a lot of blood.’

Time began slipping into the past for Kyle.

Zoe’s kiss filled his senses, as it was the only instance of true tenderness that his soul-mind could recall; this moment of pure bliss preceded a great release and then a short uncomfortable, excited period as their lips parted. ‘This is a kiss,’ Zoe said invitingly.

The fear of love that lodged in Kyle’s throat grew in intensity. The ardent look in Zoe’s eyes shocked this fear back down to his heart, where it had been at home so long.

Zoe scoffed and smiled once more. ‘That wasn’t a kiss.’

She cares for me,
he thought as his consciousness was ripped away from Zoe and catapulted back through his friendship with Matthew, which had brought a little of joy and hope into his life.

Back beyond the day they’d met was a long, dark stretch of life that Kyle had suppressed from living memory. Yelling foster parents and siblings mingled with the lectures of doctors and social workers into a noisy, unpleasant montage that sped rapidly by, and so Kyle was spared reliving every beating, and every long period of dulled pain from the heavy drugs fed to him to subdue his angry outbursts and suppress his fantasies.

From the harrowing halls of foster homes and orphanages his being travelled outdoors. There, in a large rolling field, way back in his early youth, Kyle sat chuckling at the antics of the unique otherworldly creatures surrounding him. ‘Ron, Ron,’ he cheered, as Kyron demonstrated how a boomerang was thrown. When the weapon was returned to the creature, it was presented to Kyle as a gift: ‘From your people.’

The boomerang.
This had been something so sacred to Kyle as a youngster that he’d kept it a secret, locking the item in a metal box and throwing away the key to ensure that no one could destroy, steal or otherwise take it from him. He’d carted the box around with him for so long that he’d forgotten why, or even what it contained. He still had the box somewhere, hidden amongst the relics of his long-suffered past.

All visual perception faded; the sound of a beating heart and the chant of a ritual gathering became the centre of his focus. He felt powerful beyond measure in this darkness, and filled with higher purpose, until a bright, persistent flash of light lulled him into a state of feeling nothing more than warm and content.

A deep red mist inflamed the darkness and a familiar foul odour caused a cold dread to besiege Kyle’s being.

‘Game over.’ The green winged devil appeared before him. ‘You lose!’ The other demons echoed the ringleader’s laughter as they manifested around their ex-patron. ‘We’d offer you a drink in condolence, but …’ the demon gestured at Kyle with both its hands, ‘ …
no body
.’

Kyle’s consciousness drifted down and did a full three hundred and sixty degree turn in search of himself.
I’m nothing more than a ball of consciousness.

‘Afraid so.’ The demon raised both of its hairless eyebrows. ‘Your subtle bodies probably burnt up during descent,’ it theorised and shrugged. ‘Well, that’s death for you.’

Death!
Kyle objected.
I can’t be dead. There’s too much going on in my life! I’m finally starting to piece it all together … I can’t die now!’

‘Don’t complain to us.’ The green devil folded his arms. ‘If you’d listened to me you’d still be living. But no … you had to go put your faith in those
natural
elementals. Who, just for the record, have all
abandoned
you.’ It grinned. ‘And as we are now forced to find ourselves a new source of sustenance, we’re also going to piss off and leave you.’

Do you know if there’s a way back? Just answer me that.
The appeal sparked a round of laughter.

‘We don’t owe you anything.’ The fat, greasy demon protected the huge burger it was stuffing into its mouth.

‘Can’t help you, kid,’ said the grey demon, casually blowing smoke rings out its ears.

‘Dead is dead, dude,’ the staggering drunk belched in conclusion.

‘And as you never dragged your consciousness out of the rubbish dump, you can now stew in the marvel of your accomplishments.’ The demon held wide its green-winged arms admiring the vast wasteland. ‘Enjoy the fruits of your labour.’ The demon vanished with a wave, as did the others, one by one.

Did my selflessness in death count for nothing?
The thought had great volume, though only in his mind. The atmosphere around his being remained undisturbed, which seemed to confirm the demons’ claim that he no longer held any sway in the outcome of creation, for better or worse.

‘
There is no way back.’

In retrospect, Book’s parting words seemed more like prophecy. Kyle realised how much he’d been enjoying Book’s wise tutelage, but felt that the unexplainable gift from the cosmos had been wasted on him. He’d never fully appreciated or believed in the magic that had been his to wield since birth. He’d beheld and befriended an entire world of beings that no one else seemed to know existed. Others had made his otherworldly talent seem like a curse because they feared or envied him, and he’d been stupid enough to surrender his own judgement and believe that the majority must be right.

Just as I am doing now,
he noted, when from within himself came a mournful howl, which yet seemed worlds away. It was Kyron and the beast sounded restrained and panicked — like he wanted to come to Kyle’s aid, but was unable to do so, and thus howled out a plea for help.

I don’t believe it.
This thought had a defeated overtone, but as it echoed through his consciousness Kyle realised what a profoundly powerful statement it was.
And why would I believe a pack of life-sucking killjoys? They’ve been hacking away at my self-esteem for most of my life, encouraging me to be less than I am. Well, I don’t believe I am powerless to decide what is to become of me.

A mild tremor rumbled forth from Kyle’s present location and, despite the disquiet that it caused him, Kyle was relieved to discover that he was not without influence after all. Still, anger wasn’t going to get him where he desired to be. If anything would pave the road back to the land of the living it would be the will to love and nurture.

A curious idea began to play with his consciousness and Kyle became preoccupied with this premise: Did he possess the will to create, just as he possessed the will to destroy? Could he heal this place with his good intentions, just as he had damaged it with his outbursts and detrimental desires?

Kyle focused on a small crack in the parched ground, imagining a green stalk sprouting forth. When this did not eventuate he entertained the notion that there was a certain due process in nature that needed to be adhered to; that it was simply unrealistic to believe that lush vegetation could grow in such a situation.
Due process,
he resolved. He then imagined a small cloud growing and that the cloud was his spirit filled to overflowing with the desire to honour and protect all life.

This desire rained down to feed the seed of his mortal self and grow it anew. After this storm had flooded the landscape and dispersed the red haze, rays of sunlight burst through the cloud, shining love and strength upon the seedling of himself.

A green stalk sprouted from the moistened ground, and around it green stalks reared their heads in all directions. So clearly did he see this happening that Kyle could not define the event as real or imagined. A great forest grew from his one tiny seed, and the enormity of the vision caused an explosion of pride and joy in his being. All trace of any hellish existence had been smothered and Kyle now beheld a landscape of rare beauty.

‘You
can
make it happen.’ A woman stood beside him, one whose face was now familiar.

Mother.

She smiled fondly, although her expression reflected regret: ‘You must go back and see to it.’

With this encouragement his mother vanished in a wash of white light, submerging Kyle in the awareness of having form once again.

Pain! The throbbing ache in his side was so intense that it caused Kyle to stir; it felt like his whole upper body was bruised and pinning him down. He was very stiff and very cold. The blinding white light of his vision didn’t disappear as he parted his eyelids, but then a shadow appeared and slowly sharpened into an image.

Zoe’s weary expression lifted as she noted his eyes upon her. ‘He’s awake,’ she whispered, but her gaze and broad smile did not waver from the patient. ‘It’s about time … you had us worried.’

Matt, who’d been dozing in a nearby chair, snapped to life and came to stand beside Zoe. ‘Hey there, 007, how’re you feeling?’ Matt smiled, but the dark rings around his sunken eyes betrayed his anguish.

‘I died, didn’t I?’ Kyle knew without question that he had — he remembered everything.

The smile slipped from both Zoe and Matt’s faces, and Matt nodded as his uncle stepped forward. ‘This is my Uncle Max … he’s a doctor, remember? You’re at his place and no one else knows you’re here.’

‘Except for this lovely lady.’ Max referred Kyle to the surgeon. ‘Dr Frederica Urov, whom you have to thank for reviving you and patching you up.’

‘You can call me Fred,’ the surgeon advised, as Max stepped in to give Kyle a quick check.

‘How long was I dead?’ Kyle inquired calmly.

Matt was discomforted by this seemingly morbid question, but he was straight with his friend. ‘The longest five minutes of my life.’

‘Mine too.’ Kyle realised that it had seemed longer.

‘How do you feel?’ Frederica asked. ‘You lost a lot of blood, but lucky for you the bullet passed right through you without hitting any bone or major organs.’

Kyle felt great, despite his injuries. Reborn even. ‘I’m good,’ he replied, ‘although my chest is a bit sore.’

‘I gave you a transfusion; that would have done wonders.’ The surgeon confirmed that he was doing as well as could be expected. ‘Your chest is probably a little bruised from the resuscitation. You’ll be fine in a few days, but no strenuous exercise for a while, or you might split those stitches.’

His friends did not appear to be faring as well as Kyle was in the wake of the ordeal. ‘I’m really sorry for whatever I put you guys through last night.’

‘No problem,’ Matt’s mood lightened. ‘Just don’t do it again.’

‘If you’ll just put your autograph on these release forms, which state that you won’t sue us for helping you, Fred and I will be happy about our part in your misadventure.’ Max handed Kyle a pen.

‘Well, considering I was dead, I can hardly complain!’ Kyle would have laughed if it wasn’t agony just thinking of it, and he was happy to sign his name on the forms.

‘Right, then.’ The doc took his lady friend by the hand to lead her from the room. ‘We’ll be back to check on you a bit later.’

‘Sorry about your weekend away, Uncle Max.’ Matt trailed them to the door.

‘Not to worry,’ said Max, ‘there will be other weekends. But you can stop calling me Uncle Max. It makes me sound like a senior citizen.’

‘Fair enough, but … I haven’t told you the whole truth about what happened last night.’ Matt felt he should come clean with Max, after all his uncle had done for them.

‘Oh, really,’ Max exaggerated. ‘Matty, I don’t want to know.’

‘But the police —’

‘The police?’ Max inhaled deeply and then waved off the warning. ‘If anyone comes here looking for your friend, I’m pleading ignorant. I was just doing a favour for my nephew,’ he emphasised. ‘It’s up to you to explain to the police, and your parents, what happened. Fair enough?’

Matt nodded solemnly.

‘Your friend will be all right to move in a day or so … so see to it.’

Yes, Unc — I mean, Max … I will.’

‘Then all’s well,’ Max concluded. ‘But you owe me one.’

‘I know it,’ Matt assured him. ‘I owe you big time.’

Max and Frederica departed, and Matt returned to watch over Kyle.

Zoe was biting down on her lip to restrain her tears as she gazed down at Kyle, yet she needed to satisfy her curiosity. ‘You remember dying, Kyle?’

‘Every second.’ Kyle looked up at her, and as raising his left arm obviously pained him, Zoe gently took his hand in both of her own. ‘You were the first thing I saw in the afterlife.’

The comment made her laugh and cry at once. ‘Perhaps that’s because I was holding you when you passed out.’ She raised his hand to her face and caressed it against her cheek.

‘Or perhaps it was because I needed a good reason to come back,’ Kyle retorted and wanted to cringe when he considered how confused Matt would be by the sudden attraction of his best mate to his would-be girlfriend.

Zoe strained to smile through her tears. Matt was clearly feeling uncomfortable, so Kyle quickly switched subjects to one more pressing. ‘We have to warn Burke.’ The realisation ripped through him like a bullet. ‘Get me up.’ As he moved to raise himself, the pain made it impossible. ‘Ouch!’

‘You’re not in shock any more and the drugs are wearing off.’ Zoe readjusted Kyle’s bedclothes like a fussy nurse, when she noticed he was shivering. ‘The ordeal your body went through to shock your being back into your body is going to take some time to heal.’

‘I’ll warn Burke,’ Matt impressed on him. ‘You’ve done enough.’

Kyle frowned, shaking his head in protest. ‘Not as much as I should have.’ He wasn’t going to risk losing his father before he ever got the chance to meet him.

‘
Rubbish
,’ Matt objected. ‘That bullet was aimed at me and don’t think I don’t know it. Me and my big ideas. I’ll handle this investigation from here on in. It should never have become your problem.’

As Matt gathered his things, Kyle resigned himself to his lot, not yet ready to explain his own reasons for being so involved. Although he strongly suspected that Timothy Burke was his long-lost father, the
Book of Dreams
had yet to confirm this for sure.
Book!
Kyle was gripped by another fear. ‘My bag. Do you still have it?’