Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

D evon's hand swiping across her back did little to comfort her as Paige counted her mother's heart beats, wondering which one would be the last.

As she sat back in her seat, using another tissue to wipe away her tears, the doctor quietly slid into the room.

"We're just going to grab some blood to see where we're at, okay? Did you want to step out?"

"No," Paige said with a wave of her hand. "No, I'll be okay, go ahead."

The doctor bobbed her head as she slid a needle into Reed's elbow and drew out two vials of blood.

"How long until you have the results?"

"Shouldn't be long, and I'll let you know as soon as we have them where we're at."

"Thanks," Paige said with a nod.

The music box's song died down, and she reached to wind it again. "Do you think she's getting close?"

"We'll know soon, Paige," Devon said with a pat on her shoulder .

Paige flicked her gaze to Dewey. "You're probably starving."

He offered her a weak grin. "I couldn't eat. I'd like to stay to support you."

"Wow," she said with a chuckle mixed with a sob, "you turning down food. What has the world come to?"

"Right?" he asked with a weak laugh.

Silence stretched between them as the heart monitor continued to beep rhythmically. Paige chewed on her thumbnail as she waited for the test results, wondering if it would be time or if they'd have another few hours of a reprieve from it.

Finally, footsteps approached the room, and Paige's heart ramped up, thudding against her ribs.

The doctor entered the room, flipping through the papers in the file.

Paige held her breath, waiting for the results.

"How does it look, doctor?" Devon asked.

The doctor's brow furrowed, and she licked her lips. "Ahh…"

Paige's gut twisted, and she pressed her teeth together to stop her lower lip from trembling. "It's time, isn't it?"

"Uh, no, I'm very sorry to have given you that impression. It's…just…I'd like to repeat the test. Something is off with these results."

"Off?" Drucinda asked.

The doctor bobbed her head. "Yes. Off. These numbers…well, they've improved and there is no way that should be happening."

Paige's eyes widened. "Improved? Could the serum be working?"

"The serum has already left her system. There's no evidence of it in her bloodstream. That's what's even more puzzling. She had no reaction to it, but now…well, inexplicably, she is improving."

Paige glanced at her mother, her eyebrows furrowing.

"So, I'd like to repeat the test, so we have a clear idea of what's happening here."

"Yes, of course," Paige said with a bob of her head. "Yes, please do it."

The doctor set the chart aside and proceeded with another blood sample collection.

As she left the room, Paige let her gaze scan the others. "Well, do you think there's any hope?"

"Miracles do happen, Paige," Ronnie said with a nod. "So, let's hope the doctor comes back with good news."

Devon rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah, we're all hoping for that."

"But…you think it's just a flawed test," she said, studying the doubt in his eyes.

"No, no," Devon said with a shake of his head. "Let's just wait and see."

Paige paced the length of the room as they waited for the second test results to come back. After another thirty minutes, the doctor strolled back into the room.

"Well? Did this one show anything different?" Paige asked, breathless.

"No," the doctor answered. "No, it was the same. Actually, that's not true. She was even more improved than she had been before. At this point…I'd say there may be a chance that she wakes up."

"What would be the reasoning for the about face?" Drucinda asked.

The doctor shrugged, her eyelashes fluttering. "I…don't know. This is highly unexpected and unusual. There's no reason her numbers should be improving. But we'll check back in a few hours and see where we're at. "

Paige chewed her lower lip as she stared at her mother. "Are you trying to come back to us?"

They spent the next several hours pacing, taking turns at Reed's bedside, and finally ordering food to keep them sustained. As they ate, the doctor reappeared, taking another vial of blood for tests.

When she returned, her features were pinched. "This time she's had a bit of a setback. Not much, but she has slid backward again."

Paige's shoulders slumped as she set her takeout container aside. "Come on, Mom. You've got to fight."

"So, could the last set of numbers have been a rally before…you know?" Drucinda asked.

The doctor sucked in a breath. "It could have been her body's last ditch effort to climb out of this. We'll keep monitoring her to see."

Paige eased into the chair next to her mother, sliding her hand around Reed's. "Come on, Mom. You can pull out of this."

"Keep talking to her, Paige. Maybe she hears you. Maybe that's what she's responding to."

Paige's forehead creased. "Maybe she likes the music box."

With a sniffle, Paige rose and twisted the knob, allowing the lilting music to fill the air again.

The tinkling sound continued to play until the doctor returned for the next blood draw.

"Does it look like she has more color in her cheeks?" Paige asked as they waited for the results.

"Maybe," Dewey answered. "Could be a little rosier."

Drucinda shifted her weight. "Hard to say. Let's hope the test results show a clear direction."

The doctor strode into the room with the printouts in hand. "Well, we have another improvement. A big one, this time. I have no idea what's causing this, but it looks like we're trending in the positive direction."

Paige's heart filled with hope at the news. "Come on, Mom. You can do this."

Ronnie shuffled over to the bedside table, glancing at the music box. "Where did you get this?"

"Oh, uh, from a woman named Althea. She gave it to me and said her granddaughter didn't care for it."

Ronnie lifted it, studying it before she glanced at the bottom side, gasping.

"What is it?" Drucinda asked.

Ronnie flashed the underside of the music box at them, her finger tapping a red stamp.

"Is that…"

"Wow," Devon said, running a hand through his hair.

"What? What am I missing?" Paige asked.

Dewey's jaw fell open as he poked a claw at it. "That, my dear Paige, is a Harmonia Enchanted music box."

"Okay?" she asked.

Dewey's shoulders slumped as he shook his head. "Sometimes, Paige, sometimes."

"It's a brand of magical music boxes crafted by Edwin Harmonia, a master of weaving magic and music," Drucinda answered. "His music boxes can do everything from soothe a broken heart to…"

"Heal someone," Devon said.

"Heal someone?" Paige repeated, her eyes going wide as they fell onto her mother. "Do you think…"

"It certainly explains the numbers," Drucinda answered.

Ronnie twisted the screw and set the music box on the table. "Which means we need to keep this playing. It's healing her."

Paige's heart skipped a beat at the words. "Really? "

"We can only hope," Ronnie answered. "Let's hope this is the miracle we've been waiting for."

Paige wrapped her arms around her midriff as she stared at her mother, hope filling her heart again, though it was tempered with a twinge of disbelief.

After everything they'd been through, would a magical music box, one given to her by chance, really be the answer to her prayers?

"Wow, we really hit it lucky with that lady giving us that music box, huh?" Dewey said. "I mean, what are the odds?"

"Well, if we're book characters–" Devon said.

"Please stop with that nonsense," Drucinda answered with a sigh and a shake of her head.

"What?" Ronnie asked, her nose crinkling.

Paige slid into the chair next to her mother's bed as the music box tinkled along. "Dewey thinks we're all characters in a book. Like our lives are controlled by some puppeteer author."

Ronnie furrowed her brow. "Why do you think that, Dewey?"

"Because when we went into the Shadow Slayers book, one of the characters had a book with a cover that eerily resembled Paige with a tiny teal dragon perched on her shoulder that looked nothing like me, but close enough, if you know what I mean."

He fluttered into the air. "A quick glance through the first few chapters painted a picture frighteningly similar to the circumstances under which Paige and I first met."

Ronnie's lips parted as she stared at Dewey. "I don't know what to say about this. I don't feel like a book character."

"Well, that's the thing…neither do the Shadow Slayers. They insist they are real. They balk at the very notion that they are merely puppets in a show," Dewey said .

"Huh," Ronnie muttered. "That's…well, we'll look into it. See if we can find a creator portal or something."

Paige wrinkled her nose. "Really? You actually believe this?"

"No," Ronnie said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. "No, but…I mean, anything is possible."

Paige let her gaze fall on the music box. "I guess we just traveled into fictional worlds and brought back a magical music box, so who knows."

Her fingers curled into fists. "But if this is true…I mean…how dare this woman manipulate our lives like this."

Devon's hands fell onto her shoulders, giving them a quick rub. "I don't know. I'm kind of happy with the result."

"Of course, you are, Lover Boy. You were the roguish hero that all the women are swooning over."

Devon offered him a dimpled grin. "That's sort of awesome if it's true."

"If we're book characters, Paige is the quirky, klutzy yet lovable main character, I, of course, am the snarky, wise, lovable, awesome, show-stealing side kick. Devon is the hunky love interest, and Drucinda is– "

"I'd argue I'm the show-stealing…wait, I'm not a sidekick. I'm just the show-stealer period."

"Show-stealing? I mean maybe I'm just…the show."

The others in the room exchanged glances before they burst into laughter.

Dewey fluttered over and settled onto her shoulder, patting her on the head. "It's okay, Paige. But that's definitely not the truth."

Paige shifted in her seat, her features pinched. "Whatever."

"Oh, come on, Paige. I'm sure people like you, too. But…some of us just…are built to be the stars. "

"Oh, really? Then why didn't Nellie write you as the main character? Or Drucinda?"

"The books wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining without all your stupidity, that's why. She's probably a comedy writer."

"So, you're admitting that I'm more entertaining than you," Paige answered.

"Obviously not. If she wrote about me, they would be taut, gripping thrillers, though my uncanny ability to excel at everything may have made it a bit dull."

Drucinda waved a hand in the air. "Picture it. Would cliffhangers even work in a chapter end? Drucinda facing certain death? Readers would laugh. Drucinda would never face certain death. She'd easily battle her way out. Therefore, the thrillers wouldn't be quite as thrilling."

"But you," she continued, "well, readers definitely would turn pages to see if you're going to live because there's a good chance you'd die."

"Well, I'm still living."

"Thanks to Nellie's good graces," Dewey answered. "Let's hope she likes your mom, too."

Paige heaved a sigh as Ronnie spoke. "Let's put a moratorium on the ‘we're book characters' discussion and file it away for later. We should focus our energy on Reed."

"Right," Dewey said with a nod. "Definitely."

"How long until the next check?" Drucinda asked.

Ronnie glanced at her watch. "Should be within the hour."

They waited, tension filling the room, until the doctor drew more blood for another check. When she returned, she stepped into the room, grinning. "Things are looking good. With the progress she's making, I…I don't want to get your hopes up too high, but I'd expect to see her wake up in a few hours. "

Paige grabbed Devon's hand, squeezing it as her heart thudded against her ribs.

"That's great news," Ronnie said with a grin. "We'll keep our fingers crossed."

"We really can't explain it but– "

Ronnie held up a finger with a grin. "I think we can."

She skirted around Paige's chair and held up the music box. "This is a Harmonia music box. This could be healing her."

The doctor's jaw unhinged as she leaned forward to study it. "It well could be. If she does awaken, would you mind if we took a closer look at that music box? It could be very useful."

"Of course," Ronnie said, sliding it back onto the table. "But for now…it stays right here."

The doctor nodded. "Let's hope it continues to help her."

As the doctor left the room, Paige twisted back to her mother, grabbing her hand. "Come on, Mom, just a little more fight."

She rubbed her arm for encouragement as her muscles tensed. Every breath her mother took was one step closer to her waking.

They waited for over an hour before Paige gasped. "I think she moved. I think she moved her finger."

"I'll grab the doctor," Ronnie said, hurrying from the room.

Paige's heart hammered out a frenetic beat against her ribs as she stared expectantly at her mother, hoping to see some change.

The heart monitor ratcheted up, the spikes coming faster and faster.

Paige rose from her seat, her hand clutching Reed's. "Mom?"

Paige glanced at the monitor again, wishing the doctor would arrive soon. She wasn't certain the latest developments were good news or not.

"Reed?" Drucinda asked. "Are you trying to come back. Open your eyes, darling."

Drucinda stroked Reed's red hair as she clutched her other hand.

Seconds later, Reed's eyelids slowly slid open. She stared at the ceiling unmoving as Paige's heart skipped a beat. Was her mother finally awake?