Chapter 13

Episode 1 - On the Brink

Brady’s exhausted senses picked up the slow tap of shoes and what sounded like the squeak of a wheel in the hall, but his lack of energy far outweighed any hint of curiosity, and he didn’t even bother turning onto his other side. The door whispered open, and the sounds came closer, then a soft hand was on his arm, squeezing it with a tight but tremulous grip. How was it possible to have missed someone so deeply when you’d known them less than a day?

“You’re not supposed to be up.” He hadn’t meant it to be a whisper. Clearing his throat, Brady pried his eyes open and finally managed to turn his head far enough to see over his shoulder.

“I’m being careful.” Rachelle motioned to the rolling walker she was currently sitting on as her thumb gently stroked his arm. Brady was pretty sure walking all the way down the hall when her room was so much closer didn’t exactly fit the definition, but he didn’t feel like arguing the point, and after a minute, Rachelle continued talking softly. “Dr. Mattox came down, but I didn’t guess you felt up to her brand of explanations yet.”

“She had some?” The idea of answers felt like it deserved sitting up at least, but the best he could do was to roll the few inches onto his back so he didn’t have to keep straining his neck.

“Not many.” Rachelle sighed. “Mostly guesses. Theories. You were right; the little boy was in bad shape. They’d tried a new medicine, and he’s apparently allergic, but he’d been crying all day, and the nurses had pretty much tuned it out. Didn’t notice the difference.”

“He’s all right?”

“Yes, they caught it in time. Well, you caught it. They know not to try that treatment again.”

“Not like I deserve credit. I wasn’t even controlling it.”

“I know.” The pressure of Rachelle’s hand tightened again. “Dr. Mattox’s going hypothesis is that your senses picked up on some miniscule change in the atmosphere, like the way some animals can sniff out cancer and things, and then they zeroed in hard on the source.”

It was a plausible theory, as far as he could tell—at least if you started from the premise that any of this actually worked in the first place. But something in her tone made his brow furrow just a little.

“You have a better idea?”

“Not one you could write up in a lab report.” Rachelle gave a quick little shake of her head. “I just…” She trailed off and raised her eyes to the ceiling for a moment before she looked back down at him. “I can’t help thinking there’s more to it, Brady. God put you here for a reason. And maybe…maybe this is part of it.”

“That’s—” Brady paused and swallowed hard. “That’s a lot to think about.”

“I know. And you’re tired tonight—no wonder. Don’t worry about it. If there’s something more to all this—well, it’s obvious you don’t have to look for it. He knows where to find you.”

“Guess so.” Brady closed his eyes, pulled in a deep breath, and let it out slowly before he met her gaze again. “How bad did I freak everyone out?”

“They’re fine.” Rachelle smiled softly. “And they get it. Dash is only a bulldog because he worries—not that he’d admit it. How are you doing? You’ve probably got a truckload of adrenaline working out of your system, huh?”

“Didn’t know it was possible to be so spent and still so keyed up at the same time.” He tried to return the smile, but the corners of his lips quivered, and Rachelle’s eyes clouded with sympathy.

“I should’ve come sooner. I hoped you were sleeping.”

“Don’t. You didn’t have to come at all. It’s not—”

“Shhh.” Rachelle reached to brush a stray piece of hair from his forehead with a feather-light touch. “I won’t feel bad that I wasn’t here before if you don’t feel bad that I’m here now. Fair?”

“I can live with that,” Brady mumbled. Somehow just having her close was draining the tension and pulling his eyelids down. They were nearly shut when someone tapped at the door and he realized with a little start that this time he hadn’t heard footsteps in the hall. What scientific explanation would the doctor have for the fact that Rachelle seemed to focus his senses better than he could do it consciously? On second thought, maybe he didn’t want to know.

Rachelle offered a quiet “come in” but thankfully didn’t try to stand, and the brighter light from the hallway gave a glow to Harper’s blue hair as she cautiously poked her head in.

“Dash and I offered to do the story and toothbrush bit, but she wants to say goodnight to Brady.”

Brady managed a tiny nod, and Harper pushed the door wide enough to admit Dash’s wheelchair, including Grace, perched on his lap with her thumb in her mouth.

“Come here, baby.” Rachelle nodded toward the bed. “Brady’s okay—just tired.”

Fighting against the ridiculous weakness, Brady scooted himself up just a tiny bit on the pillows and stretched out an arm, and Grace scrambled from her seat and onto the bed, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck.

“Hey, Gracie-girl.” He patted her back gently, searching for something he could say to reassure her. He was okay? Rachelle had covered that. This was normal? Even a little kid would see through the lie. He’d be better in the morning? Not if everyone else’s pattern held.

“Want a hero story tonight, baby?” Rachelle’s question rescued his floundering mind, and Grace wriggled her head around to face her.

“Can Brady hear too?”

“Absolutely Brady can hear.” Rachelle leaned back against the walker, and Brady noted from the corners of his eyes that neither Harper nor Dash moved to leave the room. Grace nestled into the crook of his arm with her gaze fixed on her sister, and Rachelle’s voice took on a soft, proud note as she began.

“Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was very, very sick. His family wanted to make him better, but nothing they tried helped. So they took him to doctors—lots of them—better and better ones, only none of the doctors could help him either. But they kept trying and kept trying, and one day they heard of a medical center where a doctor was trying new things that no one had done before.”

“Like here,” Grace whispered.

“Yes, exactly like here. So they came to the center, and the doctors tried more things, but the little boy was still sick—so sick that he cried and cried and cried. And everyone wanted to make him better, but they didn’t know how, so they kept trying more and more, but what they didn’t know was that one of the medicines they thought might help actually made him sicker.”

“Oh, no!” Grace gave a little gasp, and Brady’s heart warmed as her arms tightened around him.

“Oh, yes.” Rachelle nodded solemnly. “But God was watching out for the little boy, and He’d put a hero right there in the center—a hero who could hear when the little boy’s crying got sicker and sicker, even when the nurses couldn’t. And because the hero knew what it felt like to be sick and sad and wanted the little boy to get better, he told the doctor what was wrong, and the doctor got a new medicine to take the old one away and make him better again.”

“Is he all better now?” Grace asked, and Rachelle’s answering smile was tinged with sadness.

“He’s better than he was before he started the medicine, for sure. He’s not all better yet, but the doctors are still trying, and now they know what not to give him that will make him worse. Thanks to God and the hero He put here today.”

“I knew it was here.” Grace hummed happily as she turned and nestled her head against Brady’s neck again, then leaned up to whisper in his ear. “I’m glad you’re a hero, Brady.”

“How did you—” The lump in his throat choked his words, and Grace giggled.

“Cause we live in a place with lots of doctors, and you can hear everything!” She pushed herself up on the bed to survey him thoughtfully. “Does being a hero make you tired?”

“I guess so. Kind of funny, huh?” Brady offered her a wobbly smile, and Grace nodded solemnly.

“Then you need to go to sleep. And I’m gonna make you a hero picture for when you get better!”

“You need to go to bed too, Grace,” Rachelle warned softly, and Grace sighed.

“I know. I’m gonna draw it tomorrow. I draw lots of hero pictures at school. My teacher thinks it’s funny, cause I don’t tell her they’re real.” The little girl flashed Brady a mischievous grin and then scooted off the bed and back onto Dash’s lap with a yawn. “Night, Brady.”

“Night, Gracie-girl.” The words wavered, and Rachelle reached over to squeeze his hand.

“Can you let Dash and Harper get you ready tonight, baby? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“After Brady’s asleep?” Grace asked the question as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and Rachelle nodded.

“Probably. Or close to it. Even heroes need taking care of sometimes.”

“Uh huh. Lots of times.”

Brady couldn’t help thinking her perception of superheroes was a bit skewed, but he couldn’t argue with her perspective. And yet even with his limits, she and Rachelle and even Harper and Dash saw something of value—something to be cared for—something worth the effort they’d put forth to bring him into the team.

Dear Eden… The message began to compose itself in his mind as he let his eyes drift closed. I’m still not sure what exactly God’s planned for me here, but I’m going to stick around a while and find out. Oh, and I’m starting to make friends. I think you’d like them…

~ ~ ~

Thanks so much to everyone who’s joined me on this journey! It’s probably obvious, but Brady’s story isn’t over… My current plan is to give myself the month of January to get some plans in order and hopefully be back with the next episode starting in February.

In the meantime, I could use your help! I have a bunch of ideas for this series, but I need a lot more—especially unique ways for them to use these specific superhero skills to help others, keeping in mind that it’ll be usual for only one of them to have their powers at a time. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at contact [at] quietwaterspress [dot] com. You never know what kinds of inspiration can come from just a tiny spark! And if you feel led to pray for me through this process, I would appreciate that more than anything—this story is nothing if God isn’t guiding and directing every minute.

Thank you all again for your support; just knowing that there are people watching and waiting for the next chapter means the world to me! Oh, and while you’re waiting for the next episode, don’t forget to check out the bonus content (theme music, character portraits, fact sheets, interviews, and more) over on my website! See you again in February, Lord willing!