Heavenstone 01 - The Heavenstone Secrets

The doctor will be here soon, and he’ll make her better. Surely, it was all just a misunderstanding. I’m such a fool to panic like that. I deserve to be blamed, bawled out. I’m no doctor. Just because someone feels cool doesn’t mean she’s gone. Yes,
I convinced myself,
I made a mistake, a terrible mistake. It’s good that Cassie hasn’t called back yet. I’ll have time to do something, and then, when Mother shows she’s all right, I’ll call Cassie again and tell her not to worry.
    I leaped up, wiped my cheeks dry, and headed back to Mother’s bedroom. Seeing that she still hadn’t moved at all sank my heart again, but I charged forward and seized her hand to pump her arm and wake her.
    “Mother, it’s Semantha. I’m sorry I left you. You’ve got to try to wake up. Please, please.”
    I was shaking her whole body now, but she didn’t move. Her eyes remained opened, locked in that ghastly gaze. How could she be in a deep sleep with her eyes open? I asked myself, and then remembered seeing someone in a coma on television, a woman who had her eyes open. The medicine simply had Mother out cold. I had to get her to hear me, to come back. I dropped her hand to the bed and started to unwrap her sandwich.
    “Listen to me, Mother. You have to eat something. That’s what’s wrong. You lack energy. Just take a small bite. Please, Mother,” I begged, holdingthe sandwich close to her mouth. I stood there holding it for a few more moments, and then I nodded, imagining that I knew what was wrong.
    “Oh, I know. You don’t like what Cassie made. Yes, it looks dry. There’s some freshly made chicken. I’ll go make you a new sandwich. It’s no problem. I’ll be right back.” I charged out of the room, practically running down the hall and down the stairway to the kitchen.
    “Maybe I’ll cut it into the perfect four squares Daddy likes. You like it that way, too, sometimes, don’t you, Mother?” I muttered as I prepared the sandwich. “Cassie does it so well, but this doesn’t look bad. Oh, I’ll put a slice of pickle on the plate. You like that.”
    When I was finished, I held it out and admired it as an artist might admire his newest painting or sculpture.
    “Very good. As good as Cassie’s sandwiches, if I say so myself,” I declared, and went back up to her room.
    Cassie had still not called back to tell me about Dr. Moffet. I wished she would now, so I could tell her I had prepared a new sandwich for Mother and was making new efforts to get her to come out of her coma. I hurried to her bedside.
    “Look, this is a better sandwich, Mother. See the perfect four squares? You’re still not hungry yet? That’s all right. I’ll wait,” I said.
    I put the plate down and pulled a chair closer to the bed.
    “Actually, I’m glad we’re alone, Mother. I haveso much to tell you, things I’ve been a little afraid of telling you. I never told you everything about my first date with Kent Pearson and what happened. I wanted to tell you, but Cassie made me feel as if I had done a bad thing, and I was a little ashamed. I know we should have had more mother-daughter talks like this. I wanted them, but Cassie always seemed to be between us. She’s not here now, so we can talk. Oh, I have so much to tell you about school, about my crush on Kent, about … oh, about the car accident. I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but I’m fine, and I learned a lot from it. It’s not right to hide things from you, anyway, Mother.”
    I reached out and took her cold hand into mine, hoping mine would warm hers. As I held it, I went on and on until my throat ached. I don’t remember how long I sat there or what I actually got to tell her before I leaned forward and fell asleep holding Mother’s hand, but suddenly, I felt some strong hands waking me and lifting me out of the chair. I turned to see Daddy and Dr. Moffet. Daddy’s eyes were flooded with tears. Dr. Moffet rushed to Mother’s bedside and began to examine her.
    “Semantha,” Daddy said. Once again, I felt as if all the bones in my body had turned into jelly. I collapsed in his arms, and all went black.
    When I woke up, I found myself in my bed. The door was open, and I could hear the voices of Dr. Moffet, Uncle Perry, Cassie, and Daddy. There were strange voices, too. A short time later, I heard footsteps drawing closer and saw Daddy come in with a short, stocky man in a jacket and tie. Daddy lookedexhausted, so drained he seemed barely able to stand.