25. Cade

25

CADE

M y mouth was as dry as sandpaper. My tongue felt swollen.

I coughed, then tried to move, but a painful tug on my arm prevented me from moving.

"Oh my God, he's awake," a voice said. "Go get the nurse."

I knew the voice. It was my sculpted god, my gym rat, my Jay.

"His eyes are opening," Uncle Gally said.

"Here, help him up," a woman said.

Gentle hands held me as people swarmed around me. Pillows were propped up behind my neck and back. A warm and tender hand slipped itself into my beastly paw.

"It's okay, Cade. We got you. You're in good hands."

I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by my family. Uncle Gally, Kav, and Andy stood at the foot of my bed. Selina and Charity were next to Jay. They had hands on his forearms and shoulders. Jay was crying.

"I thought we'd lost you." He sniffled, trying to hold back an obvious swell of emotions.

"What happened?" I said, but my voice croaked. My neck was so stiff, and my chest hurt like hell.

"You died, Cade. We couldn't get you back, and then…after Sam did his thing…you were with us, but it was rough. You almost didn't make it." Jay squeezed my hand.

"Okay everyone, I think visiting time is over." Sharon strolled into the room, taking command. "Cade still needs a lot of rest."

"Where am I?" I glanced around, not able to pick up on the most basic of cues. Sharon was in her white lab coat with her stethoscope hanging around her neck, her hospital badge pinned to her coat pocket. I should have known, but my brain was so foggy.

"You're in the hospital, Cade. We rushed you here."

"Where's Sam?" I asked, thinking of the little guy with his big responsibility.

"He's at school. He's fine."

"How long…?" I exhaled a monster breath. Damn, I was exhausted.

"You've been here for a week." Jay smiled.

"What?"

"And he hasn't left your side. Not once." Uncle Gally chimed in. "I'm glad you're back, kid." He patted my leg. "Alright, everyone, you heard the doc. Out." Gally shooed everyone out the door. They all turned to me and individually said their goodbyes and promises to come visit.

I closed my eyes for what I thought was just a second. A brief moment.

Waking up again, my head lolled to one side. Jay was asleep on my arm. I smiled.

"Jay," I said. "Sweetie, wake up. You're pinching my arm."

"Huh? What?" Jay's head snapped back, and then he sat up in the chair.

"How long have you been here?" I said, my throat still raspy.

"Haven't left. I couldn't." Jay's hand had mine locked in a death grip, like if he let go, I'd be gone forever. "Do you want some water?"

"Yes, please!" He handed me a glass with one of those bendy straws in it. I took several sips, but he pulled it away before I was done.

"Sharon said just little sips for a bit. You've been out for a long time, and your stomach has been empty for a while. Too much and you'll feel sick."

"What happened?" I asked, still a touch groggy, but it was then I noticed that the shock lock on Jay's head had spread. Both sides of his head had turned white, and one of his eyes had lost it's colour. One was the enticing hazel green I remembered, but the other was ice blue. I stared at him.

"Yeah. A lot has happened. But most importantly, we have you back."

"How is Sam?"

"He's fine. Back to being a regular kid. But occasionally, things stop for a heartbeat, and he stills, and I know he's doing his thing." Jay said, a touch of sadness shadowing him.

"When can I go home?"

"As soon as Sharon discharges you. She wants to make sure you're in tip-top form." Jay frowned a little.

"What's the matter?" I squeezed his hand back.

"You scared me, Cade. The worst fright I've ever had. I don't ever want to go through that again."

"Aww. It's okay. We're okay."

"Are we? Are you?"

"If you're asking if I still want to be your boyfriend, that answer is a resounding yes. If you're asking about me physically? No, I feel like shit, but I imagine that will get better over time."

Jay let out a big sigh. He nodded and let go of my hand, only to stand and kiss me.

"I want you out of here. I want a week of staying by your side. I want everything you have to offer, Cade Ivanov. Even if it means the dead are all over the place." Jay beamed at me. "You in a hospital bed for a week clinging to life… I want you. And I need your help with Sam."

"I think that's a deal." I kissed Jay.

But it was then that I realized…it was just us. There was no one else in the room, and in a hospital, that was odd.

I must have looked confused, because Jay became quiet and concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"It's gone." I said.

"Please, no more archaic riddles. What do you mean?"

"We're alone, Jay. It's gone." I smiled.

"I don't understand."

"Jay, get me into a wheelchair and take me for a spin."

"I don't think—" he started.

"No, don't care. I need to know."

Jay ran to the nurses' station, found an abandoned wheelchair, and came running back to the room.

It took several minutes for me to get situated, but as soon as I did, and gripping the IV rack that held a couple different bags of solution, Jay wheeled me out into the hall.

Doctors in coats walked past, nurses in scrubs stood charting at their computers. A couple exited a patient room and walked to the elevators.

But no ghosts.

No blue halos.

Nothing.

"Jay, there are no ghosts. I can't see them."

A few days later, Jay escorted me from the car to my newly purchased witch cottage. Being dead took a toll out of a person. I was still stiff and recovering from a couple of broken ribs. Sharon had got a little too enthusiastic with her CPR skills, even though, in the end, between the drugs and the resuscitation efforts, they did manage to bring me back.

Somehow I think Corey, the reaper, had something to do with it. I was gone for over five minutes. Enough time for there to have been some brain damage. And yet, here I was and for the most part, right as rain.

It was odd to be so numb. To not see the vestiges of life. Haints were no longer my problem. Unfortunately, they were now all Sam's to deal with. Something both Jay and I had vowed to continue supporting him. His eleventh birthday was just around the corner. No child his age should have to do the task he had been given. But he did.

Jay held me as we walked through the front door of the witch cottage.

I stood in the entryway, gobsmacked.

The furniture had all been set, the place decorated, and all boxes and bags cleared out.

"How?" I asked.

"You have to ask." Jay shook his head. "Who do you think?"

"Well certainly not the uncles. None of them have enough taste or designing skill to put this together. Had to be the girls."

"Good guess." Jay winked. "Do you want to go to bed?"

"Do I ever! You're gonna get naked and come to bed with me, right?"

"Nope. Sharon said no excitement for at least another two weeks. The amount of stimulus your heart got…needs time to recover." Jay swatted my butt. "I meant do you want to nap?"

"No, although I'd risk the excitement." I said as I raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me, I'd love to, but not now. I want you healthy."

"Phooey."

"I have a couple of appointments this afternoon. I have two houses that need to be listed, and then I have to coordinate a house inspection. I can do some of that from the spare room, but I really do want you to rest up. I don't really want to leave you alone. I called Gally, but he's working. So, your cell is all charged, and you will use it if you feel weird, or dizzy, or overly tired. Anything. Since I have to be out and about for a little while, I can stop and pick up some dinner, grab Sam from school, and then we can all chill out tonight and watch a movie.

"Or, you can have the house to yourself. Your call."

I smiled. "No, I think I'd rather have you and Sam with me."

"You want overnight guests? Or do you want us to go home after we're done visiting? Again, your call. Everyone wants you rested and healed up."

"I'd like it if you stayed the night."

"Absolutely. I'll make sure we pack an overnight bag then too." Jay smiled. He had walked me down to my bedroom, and as we finished the conversation, I was seated on my bed. I couldn't believe how exhausted and winded I was. "You look like you should rest. Climb in. I'll tuck you in, but then I'm off. We'll be back later. Text me if you need anything."

"Not gonna argue. I am tired," I said.

Soon after, Jay left, and I was accosted by the heavy silence of the home across the highway from a graveyard.

"What a couple of weeks." As I lay my head down, memories flashed before me. Good and bad, but mostly of Jay.

Thinking of his rock-hard body, I drifted off to sleep with the heavy sound of nothing to lull me away.

No ghosts, no voices.

Finally, solitude.