Silverkey Crossing

Little Sister - Part II

Footsteps.  Footsteps.  Footsteps. 

Hazy and muffled.  Distant. 

No creaking.  More like clocking, clipping.  Clopping?  Do people feet clop?

It was the sound of shoes on tile.  Somewhere to the left, a phone rang.

Aiden felt like he was moving.  But he was sitting.  Voices passing by.  More phones ringing.  He couldn't see.  His eyes were open, but everything was oversized blobs of light and color.  The predominant color was white. 

Footsteps directly behind him as he moved along. 

"Ah, this must be young Mr. Keller.  Let's have a look at you.  See if anyone is in there."  The voice was female and rich, putting the picture of a big-boned black woman in Aiden's mind. 

A door closed.

Audible breathing. 

Click.

A bright light enveloped Aiden's left eye. 

Click. Gone. 

Click.

Then his right. 

"Can you hear me, Mr. Keller?"

Yes I can. popped into his brain.  But his wiring wouldn't carry anything from his brain to his mouth.  His body had become a box for his soul, a shell, and he was the soft mollusk hunkered down inside of it.

Something cold went down his shirt and pressed against his chest. 

"You have a healthy heart at least, Mr. Keller.  And your breath is good and clear.  Your parents should be on their way up here once I tell the doctor your vitals are done.  Just a few more things, here..."

Something tightened around his right upper arm. PFFT-PFFT-PFFT-PFFT...

Then someone pinched his wrist for a few seconds.

A door opened.

"He good?" It was a male voice.

"Good timing.  Just took the last stat.  Everything checks out okay.  As far as his body goes, he's a healthy, strapping young man."

The soul in the shell was trying every last lever and string to send a signal to them.  Not even his eyes would obey him when he tried to roll them around wildly. 

"Thorough and total shock," said the male voice.

"What scares the mess out of someone like that when they trying to sleep?  You must have some real nightmares, hun."

"I've never read anything about nightmares doing this much damage to a developing mind.  Once we get him back from wherever he is, he'll have a story or two for us.  Ring downstairs to send the parents up, would you?"

"Right.  Hold on, honey.  We gonna get yo' folks."

A strong hand grasped Aiden's as the door opened and closed.  The doctor's soft breathing ticked away the silence somewhere off to the side. 

The door again.

"...and here he is.  Hey!"

"Aiden, Honey!"  Mom's voice.  Something off about her tone.

"Can you hear me?"

"Talk to me, doc."  Alan's voice.  Shaky with concern.

"Severe shock.  And I do mean severe.  He's just a few qualifying factors away from what we would classify as psychotic break."