A Stranger In Texas

The doctor led the way down the hall to the room where Hannah lay so quietly. His voice was level as he told the stunned husband, “While your wife’s organs were oxygen-dead, most of Michael’s vital organs can be used. We call it organ harvesting. This is something for you to consider. You can allow Michael to give the gift of life to other people. Think on this.”

Then steadily the doctor told Zach, “We know what you’ve gone through. We understand your situation of decisions. It’s a tough place for anyone to stand. If we can help you in any way, ask us. We are all here for you.”

It was Paul who stood silently with his hand on Zach’s shoulder. But Zach went alone to sit by his wife. Once he asked her, “Is Mike with you? Is he here?”

There was no reply m the silence.

Zach finally left the room and didn’t even notice that Paul had waited and then followed Zach only to the door when he went to his son.

Michael looked as peaceful as Hannah. Zach resented their peace. How could they leave him there…alone? To have been a family, one of three for so long and now to be alone.

But they had been so badly hurt. How could he resent their escape? The air bags hadn’t worked with the slant of the car crash. Hannah had hit her head on the window. A neat, lethal blow.

With the companionship they’d shared for all those years, she’d left him without a word. How would it be to again be alone?

At least the two would be together. Zach leaned and kissed his son’s forehead.

Zach left the room, and Paul was still a shadow.

Paul said logically, “We need some milk to soothe us. Let’s go to the hotel and get you signed in.”

It was almost six o’clock, but there in the hotel lobby office was Jessica Channing. She came to the empty desk and said, “I’m substituting for Vera. What can I do to help you?”

Paul smiled, but Zach didn’t even see Jessica. He was going into something similar to shock. His heart pumped and his breathing picked up. It was a form of delayed panic.

Jessica said to Paul, “Is this Zachary Thomas?”

“Yeah, he’s had it.”

“I understand. He needs to walk for a while. We’ll get him a glass of milk.”

Paul asked, “Could you walk with him? He needs somebody along. I’ve got to check in at home.”

“Rick said you found them. I called Sue. The kids are wild, and you need to go home. I’ll go with him.”

Zach understood nothing. He was not only in some panic but in shock. Things had happened that he couldn’t prevent. He couldn’t stop them. He’d flubbed it. They were both…gone! How could they be?

Someone came silently with the glass of tepid milk. Paul took it and handed it to Zach, who didn’t pay any attention because his mind was in a distraction of disorientation.

He drank the milk down and set the glass on the reception counter, and Jessica said, “Let’s walk.”

They went out of the hotel and across the entrance road to the sand. They turned north along the wet, solid beach just above the receding waves. They didn’t speak at all. They walked.

The surging waves were soothing. There weren’t too many people around. The breeze was fresh. It played in their hair and ruffled their clothing. The sun was low in the western sky. Around Zach the air was silent of voices and no decisions pushed at him. He was free.

Helping people in shock was one of the things the town of Sea View had learned. Of course, there were a few people who didn’t volunteer at the hospital. To the rest, it was interesting and they helped. They were that kind of people.

The shocked man with the woman stranger at his side didn’t walk far. Jessica knew better than to exhaust a person in his position. But he was then outside and free. It gave the feeling of control to the man. Lured into walking, in his shock, he now felt walking on the beach had been his idea. He was in control.

By then, they were back at the hotel. He was given a sedative to take if he chose. Paul’s note said the doctor recommended it. Zach needed to rest. Tomorrow would be a tough day.

Zach read Paul’s note and looked at Jessica. “Paul has been a rock for me this afternoon.” His own voice sounded apart from him. “I don’t know how to thank him for all that time. For that support.”

“You can tell him tomorrow.” Jessica told Zach that so easily. She knew what a hell of a day the next day would be. The boy had no chance at all. The harvesters would gather from the airport with their little ice buckets. They would be sober-faced, earnest and grateful.

They would harvest bone, heart, kidneys, eye lenses and skin. The harvesting was generally within the state. Michael’s gifts would help people all over TEXAS.

Jessica told Zach, “Do take the pill. It will help your body relax. You need the rest.”

And Zach said, “Take me to my room. I’m not sure I can make it on my own.”

Jessica looked at that man. How many times had she heard something similar?

He was serious. He was wrung out.

Even later, she considered that she could have easily gotten someone else to take him to his room. He wouldn’t turn a hair because his request had been so vulnerable. He was not a lecher.

She looked at the clock on the wall. Vera would be back in about ten minutes. Jessica told Don, “Watch the desk?”

Don eyed the man beside Jessica with gradually diminishing suspicion. “Sure. I’ll call Vernon to take up his luggage.” Don looked around but there was none.

Zach replied, “It’s in the car and the car’s probably been hauled to someplace else. I was in a wreck.”

Only he. Only he was wrecked. The others had survived in a different way. They’d escaped from life. He was alone.

Or—had he died, too, and was he just around as a haunt? He hadn’t wanted to die, and his mind had prevented it? He would come to his ghost’s limit in time, and he’d just…leave? Why hadn’t he gone with them? Why was only he there? Was he alive?

He looked at Jessica. She was probably his imagination. She was unreal, she was so beautiful. He’d drawn her from adolescent dreamings. Hannah had been the real woman, a good friend; this one was a dream.

Jessica collected a shaving kit and a shirt from the gift shop. She found socks and underwear. She brought them back to Zach. He heard himself say, “Put it on my bill.”

And she replied, “We’ll see.”

His eyes slitted as he studied her in the half light of the fading day. Yeah. She was a dream. He was probably at the side of the road… in the wrecked car…still.

He asked the iridescent woman, “Are you real?”

And she realized he was in shock. He was working on only half a brain. She said soothingly, “We all are.”

Not all.

She said, “Come.” And she led the way to the elevator. She had the key and carried the other things she’d gathered for him.

He followed, observing her walk. She had a good walk. She barely moved but her skirts did. They swayed. He blinked and looked away from her. The evening lights were dimmed by the setting sun. The hazed atmosphere was ethereal…It was weird.

They were the only ones in the elevator. As in a dream, they were alone. Such isolation was a part of a dream. The redhead would disappear… when they got to his bed.

People weren’t going to their rooms, they were going down the elevators to the dining rooms, but it seemed a dream to Zach.