Tsunami

Chapter 4: Resurfacing

Jacob Nussbaum's apartment, Morningside Heights. Sunday, July 2, 2006.

Henry was a caged tiger as he paced back and forth in the living room in Jacob's apartment. Sara wished he'd stop. His behavior reminded her of Neal's energy and also spoke volumes about the world of difference between the Neal she knew and the man now meeting with Jacob behind closed doors in the doctor's consultation room.

After a day in the hospital, Neal was pronounced physically strong enough to leave. Sara and Henry had stayed the night in the hospital room with him. She'd brought sweatpants and a t-shirt for Neal to change into. He'd docilely followed their instructions to dress, but his face was blank and expressionless. Neal was so robotic, it was eerily more terrifying than if he'd been agitated.

Peter met them in the morning for the short drive to Jacob's house. The university neuropsychologist lived in a brownstone south of Columbia, only a few blocks from June's mansion. Jacob's comfortable Arts and Crafts style apartment reminded Sara of Noelle and Joe's home. It put her more at ease although it didn't seem to have the same effect on the others.

Peter was as stressed as Henry. For the past several minutes, his gaze had been locked onto a painting on the wall as if willing it would turn into Neal.

"Henry, do you know much about the hypnosis procedure Jacob will use?" Sara asked, hoping to break through the tension threatening to smother them all.

Henry stopped short as if he'd collided with a wall. "Only that it didn't work when he used it on Victor."

"But as Jacob pointed out, Victor's emotional state was vastly different from Neal's," Peter said, appearing grateful for a discussion topic. Jacob had warned them that it would be at least an hour before he'd be ready for them.

Sara stood up to refill her coffee mug from the thermos Jacob had provided. She shouldn't load up on additional caffeine, but none of them were going to get much sleep till Neal began to improve.

"My only knowledge about hypnosis is from movies," Sara admitted. "The Ipcress File, The Manchurian Candidate, Zoolander—I hope they weren't realistic portrayals."

Henry grabbed a wood dining chair and placed it in front of her. "They're not," he said, straddling the chair and resting his arms on the back. "In any case, what Jacob is doing is hypnotherapy. The technique is sometimes derided by psychologists but it can be very effective. I trust Jacob's judgment. He said it didn't work for Victor because his emotional state had deteriorated to the point he couldn't be reached. If Neal managed to construct a rabbit hole, it will just be a matter of coaxing him out."

All of them were trying to stay positive. Jacob asked them to stay because he believed that Neal could eventually respond to their voices. Sara clung to that thought, but as the minutes dragged, all of them fell silent. She listened intently for any sound coming from the consultation room. At one point she heard a Japanese flute, the instrument used in the phone call Neal had received. Several minutes later they heard the theme music of Finding Nemo. Neal was fond of the song "La Mer" which the movie theme was based on. He told her Diana had played it during a surprise party when he and Peter were appointed to the Interpol art crimes task force. Neal had sung it for Sara in London. Would it now welcome him back to their world?

After close to two hours, the door opened and Jacob walked into the room. "Beyond the Sea" was still playing in the background. He closed the door quietly behind him and approached them. "We're to the point I'd like you to participate," he said, keeping his voice low. "Neal is making excellent progress. He's answering my questions. He's accepted me into the underwater cave he's been living in." A smile spread over his face. "I should warn you that I've taken on Gill's role."