Braeland

Chapter 9. Coma

"Listen only to the sound of my voice and let yourself relax.  I will talk on for a while of lakes and grass and gardens and then I will begin to count.  Only relax.  Only listen," said Dr. Adolphus who had pulled his wheelchair next to the part of the bed where Prudence was lying.  She had looked at him once and he seemed to be reduced to a gigantic disembodied head but he had asked her to look at the ceiling. Eventually, she closed her eyes.  

This was the last place Prudence wanted to be but Jim had been so very insistent that she gave it a try.  "I'm not the type who can be hypnotized," she had argued and he had agreed that she was a little rebellious at times but he could see she was still having problems, still depressed and having sleep problems, so either hypnosis or medication would be needed.  "Well, I'm not taking any drugs, that's for sure," Prudence insisted.  

It was warm lying there, close to a sweating man and wearing her turtleneck sweater with a cardigan on top.  The doctor had suggested she make herself more comfortable but she refused because it was all a part of her contingency plan against revealing secrets to the old psychiatrist.  Peter had gone along with the plan without Prudence revealing the secret to him.  As she put on the medallion before leaving home she told Peter that she would tell more to him. He loaned her Parsnips who was now uncomfortably warm, hiding in the pocket of her cardigan.  If she had to sleep, and she still didn't think that she would, then she would get some use out of it and still keep the secret.

She tried not paying attention to the voice that was getting softer and softer, now reaching 92, but tiredness came on.  There was no fighting it.  Desperately, she pictured in her mind Rula's hut and, when sleep came and a period of darkness, she found herself close to the river in Greenwold with the larger Parsnips by her side.  "I'm glad we didn't land in a sea of ash and dust this time.  Ahhh . . . breathe in that river air!  Oh wait, I was hasty.  Isn't that a scent of oil and stinky fish?  I'm going to go right over and give those fish a talking to!" exclaimed the rodent.  

"Will you come with me to talk to Rula?  I have some questions to ask."  In fact, her last visit raised hundreds of questions in her mind but she had been too tired and there had been too much turmoil for her to ask.  

"Right.  I'll be with you every step of the way.  Duty!" announced Parsnips.

"We need to keep our voices down.  You were pretty squeaky there."

"Yes, shush's the word."

The door of Rula's hut had been repaired and it had even more latches on it.  Prudence knocked and waited.  Then she knocked again and said, "The river runs deep," and then she repeated this again. 

"She's not home.  You can knock all you want," a voice said from behind a tree near the hut.  A girl stepped out and started coming towards them.  At first she thought it was Charlotte but, no, this girl was younger and, although pretty, had a scowl on her face.  

"Hanging around with forest beasts.  That's low," said the newcomer.

"I know who you are.  You're Anne, Charlotte's sister."

"How do you know that?"

"Someone whose name I won't mention told me," said Prudence.  

"Well, I know who you are.  You're one of those harpies who met here in the night of the full moon.  Charlotte thought she was being so smart sneaking away but I followed her and then told father."

"Where is Charlotte now?"

"You tell me.  She's run off.  We're all looking for her and I bet that little witch who has this shack is hiding her somewhere.  When father finds her he'll give her another good one or too, you can count on that."

"Why are you so hard on your sister?" asked Prudence. 

"Oh, just go away . . . go find her if you can and go on an adventure with her.  She's always going on adventures.  Only I'm saying that father will have more to say about that.  He'll skin and roast that rat with you, too." With that, she went walking off towards the more settled part of Rivertown.  

"I'm not a rat," Parsnips said.

"I know.  You're more civilized than she is.  But . . . I think she is just jealous and afraid.  Come, let's take a quick search of the woods to see if we can find Rula and Charlotte, if they are together," Prudence said.  

They searched and called out for about half an hour.  Then, suddenly, Prudence began to feel not well.  The ground seemed to be shaking under her feet.  One of her arms went out of control.  She stopped but the mouse was scurrying ahead, calling out in his squeaky voice.

"Parsnips, come back.  We must return immediately.  Quick, our circle!"  Parsnips turned and ran back as fast as he could which was very quick indeed.  Every movement Prudence made was difficult.  They joined paws to hands.  

"What's the matter Prue?  You seem dizzy."

"I am but just concentrate.  Round and round, over the rough ground."

"Round and round," echoed Parsnips.  The light, which was streaking through the trees on this fine sunny day, began to darken.

The first voice she heard after waking was that of Dr Adolphus yelling, "She's coming out of the coma!" and around them was a scene of chaos.  Adolphus continued to shake her arm, as if that had brought her around and keeping it up was necessary for preventing her from falling back into deep sleep.  The little old woman from the front office was looking on and screaming, "Eek, a mouse.  Kill it!"

Parsnips scuttled over to Peter who picked him up and put him in his pocket, smiled sheepishly and said, "My pet."

Two paramedics had arrived and they had just finished untangling ECG cords and, seeing that Prudence was now awake, one of them said, "Now that you are awake Miss we'll just slip off your sweater and check your heart.  We have the stretcher ready to take you in but if you're OK you can just go home."

Prudence threw aside Dr Adolphus's grasp and jumped off the couch.  "I am fine.  Perfectly fine.  I just slept, that's all."

"No one sleeps like that.  I've been in this business for thirty years and I can tell you . . ."

"He has and he can," said the little old woman.

"I'm sorry.  I really am.  We can't explain . . ." said Prudence looking over to Peter.

"No, you can't examine Prue.  We'll put up a fight if you try," shouted Peter.

"Hmmm . . . what's going on here?  Defiance disorder. Brother and sister both in on it.  I think I will have to do a lot more work on these two," said Dr Adolphus, looking over at Jim who didn't respond one way or the other.  

"I guess we can go, sir?" said a paramedic.

"Yes, thanks for coming so quickly," replied Jim.  

When they got to the car the Jamiesons set off quietly.  "You know that wasn't very nice of you two.  Poor old Adolphus and his assistant were horrified," Jim said after they were half way home.  Peter couldn't suppress a giggle.  Then Prudence broke out with uncontrollable laughter and even Parsnips broke in with his squeaks.  Jim tried to look severe until he too began to laugh until he had tears rolling down his face and had to pull over the car.  "I guess that's the last trip we make to Doctor Adolphus," he said, chortling. They kept laughing for a long time.