Page 70 of Nothing Less than Magic
“Chelsea, Chelsea, hold on.”
Strong arms wrap around me. Hoisting. Pulling. So warm. Knox. He’s kissing my face, crying and begging.
But in my heart of hearts, I know I have to leave him now. That it’s impossible for me to stay with him any longer.
The other side is calling.
Part 2
One who looks outside, dreams. One who looks inside, awakens.
—Carl Jung
Chapter 18
“Chelsea! Chelsea! Can you hear me?”
“If you can hear us, say something, honey.”
The lights are so bright, they’re blinding. I try to turn on my side, away from the glare, but there are wires in my arm.
Besides two voices, I hear the beeping and tapping of machines.
And my throat is so dry that I couldn’t talk, even if I wanted to.
“Do you know where you are, Chelsea?” Make that a third voice.
I try to shake my head, but it hurts too much, so I hold up my hand instead.
Someone takes it and threads their warm fingers through mine. “We’re so happy you’re back. You had us worried there, sweetie.”
It’s Uncle Sylvester. Although I can’t quite make out his face, I recognize the deep timbre of his voice. And the lemony scent of his aftershave.
“Can you give your uncle’s hand a squeeze?” This from the third voice, the one I don’t recognize.
I squeeze Uncle Sylvester’s hand, but the effort leaves me exhausted.
“She squeezed it! Did you see that? She squeezed it.”
“Hey, Chels, it’s me, Austin. Boy, did you give us a scare.”
I close my eyes, willing the bright lights and the voices to go away, wanting to sleep for a hundred years.
“Can you stay with us a few minutes longer? Just long enough for me to conduct a couple of brief tests.”
I open my eyes again.
“Do you know where you are, Chelsea? If you can’t talk or move your head, use your fingers. One for yes, two for no.”
I hold out my index finger, pretty sure I’m in a hospital.
“Very good. Do you know why you’re here?”
I make two.
“I’ll explain that to you. But for now, just a couple more questions.”
“Are you feeling any kind of pain?”
