Page 137 of Sapphire Spring

Occasionally he traded shifts with Mason’s neighbor Shirley.

Throughout the night, Naser dozed, dreaming fitful dreams ofwalking hand in hand with Mason through the Back Bay as they watched planesfrom John Wayne Airport climbing toward a dome of cornflower blue.

When Mahin showed up the following morning, thermos ofcoffee in hand, she insisted Naser come home with her for a shower and a changeof clothes. Pete said he’d stay, then head home for the same once they wereback.

During the brief trip, she gave him details.

The Lexus had killed Chadwick instantly.

His mother, who he’d threatened with a gun the day before,was now in hiding from the media, who wanted to know why she hadn’t reportedher son to the police the day before he’d opened fire in a public park.Chadwick’s disastrous professional life had been laid bare before the world.The patient who claimed he’d partially paralyzed her face through drunkenincompetence had expressed her sympathy for Mason’s loved ones and made clearthis was not how she’d wanted to receive justice.

Then it was back to the hospital and time to relieve Pete ofhis vigil.

Mahin stayed for a while, then Pari came to relieve her,bearing bags of food for them both.

When Pete came back an hour later, he was holding a tatteredhardcover in one hand. The cover was adorned with fading illustrations ofbright, pastel-colored flowers,A Natural History of English Gardening.“He loved this when he was in high school, but I made fun of him for it so…”Pete pulled his chair close to the bed and began to read aloud about thepioneering naturalist Gilbert White.

His voice sounded stilted and strained, but Naser wasn’tsure he would have given a better performance while reading about soil samples.

But still, Mason didn’t stir.

Again, Naser lost track of time and dozed in the chair.

Shirley woke him next and explained that one of her friendsfrom AA, a man named Hugh, was there with several of his other sober friends,and they’d gotten permission from the nurses to bring Mason an AA meeting.Apparently, Mason had done the same for Hugh the month before when he’d beenlaid up in the hospital for injuries he’d suffered during a relapse.

Naser stepped outside to give them privacy and watched asthey linked hands over Mason’s comatose body and said the Serenity Prayer.

Night fell outside.

The end of their second day.

Then he was waking up to the smell of his mother’s perfume,felt her hand caress the side of his face, and when he opened his eyes, he sawshe was beautifully dressed and there were others in the ICU suite with them.His sister, his cousin Shaya, who’d driven up from San Diego, and her husbandPasha, and their teenage daughter Tara. “Wake up, Naser-joon.It is time for Nowruz.”

He’d forgotten the holiday entirely.

His family hadn’t.

He blinked and saw Mason still unresponsive in the bed.

They’d brought a low table into the room and covered it witha shimmering cloth bearing one of his sister’s designs. A goldfish swam in asmall bowl. The barley looked fresh. The bottle of oil gleamed. It was thehaft-sintable Pari always set up in the living room of their mother’s house. They’dtransported it here along with cartons of food that covered over all thehospital smells with scents fragrant with memory and warmth.

He checked the time—almost four in the morning. The springequinox would arrive in minutes. At the same momentallacrossthe world, in Iran and Turkey and countries throughout the West,Persians would gather and dine together and read Hafez together and mark the arrivalof a new spring, a new year.

His mother had brought his Nowruz outfit from home. He’d hadalterations done, and it was still in the plastic covering from the drycleaner. Never worn, as was the custom. He changed in the tiny bathroom, andwhen he emerged, his sister was standing at the room’s single window, thecurtain pushed back in one hand. “Nas, come here.”

He could see them before he reached the windowsill. Candles,a sea of them. They seemed to be floating, but he realized people were holding themand they were standing on the roof of the nearby parking structure. Herecognized Shirley and Pete. He saw Connor and Logan and even Jonas and Gloria,along with others he didn’t recognize.

“They are from his meetings,” Pari whispered. “And rehab. Somany people.”

“They all came for him?”

“They came for both of you. Both of you, together.” Shecurved an arm around his shoulders.

He and Mason were going to spend Nowruz together after all.

He assumed they’d use paper plates, but his mother hadbrought her bestchinainside giant Ziploc bags, andthey ate off their laps. The delicious smells drew the attention of the nurses,who’d allowed them to break the rules regarding the number of visitors. Quickly,his mother doled out plates ofsabzi polo mahito all of them, takingcare to scoop the rice across the fish, reminding them to bring her goodchinaback when they were finished.

And for the first time in hours, Naser laughed.

---