On a Beam of Light (13 page)

He complied. I checked his pulse and coughed loudly. There was no reaction.

“How do you feel?”

“Okay. “

“Good. All right, Rob, we’re going to go back in time now. Imagine the pages of a calendar turning backward, backward, backward. You are slowly becoming younger. Younger and younger. You are thirty, twenty-five, twenty. Now you’re a senior in high school. It’s March 1975. Almost spring. You have a date with your girlfriend Sally. You’re picking her up now. Where are you going?”

“We’re going to a movie. “

“What movie are you going to?”

“Jaws. “

“Okay. What is Sally wearing?”

“She’s wearing her yellow coat and scarf. “

“It’s cold outside?”

“Not too cold. Her coat is open. She has on a white blouse and a blue skirt. “

“Are you driving or walking?”

“Walking. I don’t have a car. “

“All right. You’re at the theater. You’re going in. What happens next?”

“I’m buying some popcorn. Sally loves popcorn. “

“You don’t like it?”

“I’ll have a little of hers. I don’t have any more money. “

“Okay. There’s Robert Shaw being eaten by the shark. Now the movie is over and you’re leaving the theater. Where are you going now?”

“We’re going back to Sally’s house. She wants to talk. “

“Do you know what she wants to talk about?”

“No. She won’t tell me till we get to the house. “

“All right, you’re back at Sally’s house. What do you see?”

Robert seemed to become edgy. “It—it’s a big white house with dormers in the roof. We’re going to sit on the porch and talk for a while. In one of the swings. “

“What is Sally saying to you?”

“Her head is on my shoulder. Her hair is soft. I can smell her shampoo. She tells me she is pregnant. “

“How does she know that?”

“She has missed two periods. “

“Are you the father?”

“No. We’ve never done anything. “

“You’ve never had a sexual relationship with Sally?”

His fists clenched. “No. “

“Do you know who the father is?”

“No. “

“Sally won’t tell you?”

“I never asked her. “

“Why not?”

“If she wanted me to know, she’d tell me. “

“All right. What are you going to do about it?”

“That’s what she wants to talk about. “

“What does she think you ought to do?”

“She wants to get married. Only—”

“Only what?”

“Only she knows I want to go to college. “

“How do you feel about it?”

“I want to get married, too. “

“And give up your career?”

“I don’t have much choice. “

“But you’re not the father. “

“It doesn’t matter. I love her. “

“So you told her you would marry her?”

“Yes. “

“What’s happening now?”

“She’s kissing me. “

“Do you like it when she kisses you?”

“Yes. ” His reply sounded strangely matter-of-fact.

“Has she ever kissed you before?”

“Yes. “

“But it never led to anything further?”

“No. “

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. “

“All right. What’s happening now?”

“We’re going inside. “

“It’s too cold to stay on the porch?”

“No. She wants to go up to her room. “

“Is she ill?”

“No. She wants me to go, too. “

“Tell me what you see. “

“We’re going up the stairs. Trying to be real quiet because they squeak. It’s dark except for a hall light. Everyone else has gone to bed. “

“Go on. “

“We’re tiptoeing down the hallway. It’s still squeaking. We’re going into Sally’s room. She’s closing the door. I hear it lock. We’re taking off our coats. “

“Go on. “

“We’re hugging and kissing some more. She is pressing herself against me. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I put my hands under her skirt and lift it up. “

“Go on, Rob. What’s happening now?”

“We move toward the bed. Sally falls down on it. I’m on top of her. No! Please! I don’t want to do this!”

“Why not? Why don’t you want to have sex with Sally?”

“It’s a terrible thing to do! I have to go to sleep now. “

“It’s all right, Rob. It’s over. It’s all over. What’s happening now?”

“I’m getting dressed. “

“How do you feel?”

“I don’t know. Better, I guess. “

“What is Sally doing?”

“She is just lying there watching me button my shirt. It’s dark but I can see her smiling. “

“Go on. “

“I put my coat on. I have to go. “

“Why do you have to go?”

“I told my mother I would be home by eleven-thirty. “

“What time is it now?”

“Twenty after eleven. “

“What’s happening?”

“Sally’s getting up and putting her arms around me. She doesn’t want me to go. She isn’t wearing anything. I try not to look but I can’t help it. “

“What do you see?”

“She’s naked. I can’t look. I’m unlocking the door. ‘Bye, Sally. I’ll see you tomorrow. ‘ I’m tiptoeing along the corridor. Down the stairs. Out the door. I’m running. I run all the way home. “

“Is your mother waiting up for you?”

“No. But she hears me come in. She asks if it’s me. ‘Yes, Mom, it’s me. ‘ She wants to know if we had a nice time. ‘Yes, Mom, we had a very nice time. ‘ She says good night. I go to my room. “

“You’re going to bed now?”

“Yes. But I can’t sleep. “

“Why not?”

“I keep thinking about Sally. “

“What do you think about her?”

“How she smells and how she feels and how she tastes. “

“Do you like those things?”

“Yes. “

“But you can’t go all the way?”

“No. “

“Rob, can you tell me about anything that happened when you were younger that would make you dislike sex? Something that hurt you, or frightened you?”

No response.

“All right. Now listen carefully. Imagine the calendar again. The pages are turning rapidly, but this time we’re coming forward. You’re getting older. Twenty, twenty-five, thirty, and still you are getting older. You are thirty-eight years old. It’s September 6, 1995, the present time. Do you understand?”

“Yes. “

“Good. Now I’m going to count backward from five to one. As I count, you will begin to wake up. When I get to one, you will be fully awake, alert, and feeling fine. Five… four… three… two… one—”

“Hello, Dr. Brewer. “

“Hello, Rob. How do you feel?”

“You asked me that a minute ago. “

“You’ve been under hypnosis. Do you remember?”

“No. “

“All right. May I ask you a few more questions now?”

“Sure. ” He seemed relieved it was over.

“Good. Rob, you were only five when your father was injured at work, weren’t you?”

“Yes. “

“Did you visit him in the hospital?”

“They said I was too young. But my mother went to see him every day. “

“Who took care of you while your mother was at the hospital?”

“Uncle Dave and Aunt Catherine. “

“They came to stay with you?”

He began to fidget. “No. I stayed with them for a while. “

“How long?”

He answered slowly, almost in a whisper, “A long time. “

“During that time, did anything happen that you want to tell me about?”

“I don’t know, gino. I wasn’t there. “

“Doggone it, prot. Couldn’t you have given us a few more minutes? Where’s Robert? Is he okay?”

“Bearing up remarkably well, I’d say, under the circumstances. “

“What circumstances?”

“Your relentless—how you say eet?—browbeating. “

“Is he coming back?”

“Not for a while. “

“Prot, what can you tell me about Robert’s Uncle Dave and Aunt Catherine?”

“I just told you—I wasn’t there. “

“He’s never told you anything about them?”

“Never heard of any Uncle Dave or Aunt Catherine. “

“All right. Have some fruit. “

“Thought you’d never ask. ” He grabbed a cantaloupe and bit into it.

I watched him devour rind, seeds, everything. I was still annoyed with him, but there was no time to waste. “As long as you’ve barged in—Dr. Villers asked me to sound you out on your TV appearance. “

“Sound away. “

“Well, are you willing to do it?”

“Who gets the money?”

I thought: Spoken like a true Homo sapiens! “Why, the hospital, I suppose. You don’t need money, do you?”

“No being needs money. “

“What do you suggest we do with it?”

“I suggest we let the network keep it. “

“Otherwise you don’t show up?”

“You got it. “

“I don’t think Klaus is going to like that idea. The main reason you were going on was to raise money for the new wing. “

“He’ll get used to it. “

“Do you want to be on TV?”

“Depends. Why do they want to know what a crazy person has to say?”

“You’d be surprised who goes on talk shows. Actually, they might try to make a fool of you. “

“Sounds like fun. I’ll be there!”

“All right. I’ll tell Villers about your decision. “

“Anything else, doc?”

“The trip to the zoo has been scheduled for the fourteenth. That okay with you?”

“Yep. What a place!” He took another huge bite of melon.

I declined to pursue this comment, which could have meant anything. Instead, I seized the opportunity, while I could, to discuss the patients with him. “I saw you talking with Bert this morning. “

“How very observant. “

“Do you know what he’s looking for, by any chance?”

“Sure. “

“You do?? What, for God’s sake?”

“Ah, gene. Do I have to do all your thinking for you?”

“Please, prot. All I’m asking for is a tiny little hint. “

“Oh, all right. He’s looking for his daughter. “

“But he doesn’t have a daughter!”

“That’s why he can’t find her!” He went for the door.

“Wait a minute—where are you going?”

“I don’t get paid for overtime. “

I called out: “Anything you can do for Frankie?” But he was already gone.

First thing next morning I called Chakraborty and then went looking for prot. On the way to the lounge I ran into Betty and told her what he had said about Bert. Her response was typical: “Prot is really something, isn’t he? Maybe you should give him an office and bring all the patients in to see him. “

“We’ve already considered that, ” I told her resignedly. “But he doesn’t want the job. “

I found him in the lounge surrounded by his usual entourage, including Russell, who was now insisting that the end of the world was imminent I asked them to let me speak to our alien friend for a moment. There was a lot of grumbling, but they finally backed away.

“Prot, Dr. Chakraborty is ready to take a little blood from you. “

“I shall returrrn, ” he promised his followers. “Count Drrracula awaits in the crrrypt. ” Without another word he headed for the door. I started to call out, but I realized he knew exactly where he was going. Suddenly I had the uncomfortable sensation of being surrounded. Someone said, “You’re trying to get rid of him, aren’t you?”

“Prot? Of course not. “

“You’re trying to drive him away. Everybody knows that. “

“No—I’m trying to get him to stay! For a while, at least…. “

“Only as long as it takes to make Robert better. Then you want him to die. “

“I don’t want anyone to die. “

Russell shouted, “If you do not wake up I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know the moment of my coming!” While everyone was pondering that pronouncement I made a hasty exit.

Giselle came in late that afternoon to report on prot’s meeting with the anthropologist and the rain-forest chemist.

“First, ” I said, “any sign of Robert?”

“Haven’t seen him since Labor Day. “

“Okay. Go on. “

“They turned out to be brother and sister. Hadn’t spoken in years. I don’t think they like each other much. “

“What did he tell them?”

“The chemist seemed suspicious of prot’s knowledge and abilities. He demanded to know the names of all the plants that produce natural products that could be used in the fight against AIDS. “

“And?”

“Prot just shook his head and said, ‘Why must you humans label everything a “fight”? The viruses mean you no malice. They’re programmed to survive, like everyone else. ’”

“That sounds like him. What happened then?”

“He rephrased the question. “

“And did prot give him the information he wanted?”

“No, but he told him where to look for one. “

“Where?”

“Somewhere in southwestern Brazil. He even described the plant. It’s got big leaves and little yellow flowers. He said the natives call it ‘otolo, ‘ which means ‘bitter. ‘ The chemist took this all down, but he still seemed skeptical until prot told him there was a substance good for certain kinds of heart arrhythmias in another plant found in the same region of Brazil. The guy knew all about that drug. In fact, he was one of its co-discoverers. He actually kissed prot’s hand. By then his time was up. He took off like a bat. “

“What about the anthropologist?”

“Prot told her there were probably several ‘missing links’ on Earth. She wanted to know where to find them. “

“Don’t they already know that?”

“Nope. They’re not in Africa. “

“Where, then?”

“He suggested she go to Mongolia. “

“Mongolia? How did they get from there to Africa?”

She gave me a look of prot-like exasperation. “They didn’t have cars, Dr. B. They probably walked. “

“So I suppose she’s off to Mongolia?”

“She leaves next week. “

“You realize, of course, that it will be a long time before we know whether prot was right about any of these things. “

“No, it won’t. We know now. “

“How do we know that?”

“What does he have to do to prove to you that he knows what he’s talking about? Everything he’s told Dr. Flynn so far was right, wasn’t it?”

“Maybe. But savants like him only know what is already known. He can’t deduce something that nobody knows yet. “

“He’s not a savant. He’s from K-PAX. “