Seeing is a Curse

Erik must have made a noise because Kevin’s eyes suddenly snapped open and his gaze shot to Erik in alarm. He quickly checked the machine behind Erik’s bed and sucked in a huge relieved breath when he realized there was nothing seriously wrong. Straightening, Kevin groaned as he awkwardly untangled his limbs. He stood and dragged the chair, closer to Erik’s bed, wincing at the noise the feet made against the floor tiles.

He gripped Erik’s hand tightly as he ran his along Erik’s face, his eyes scrutinizing him carefully. Kevin scanned the machines making noise around them once more before returning his attention to Erik. Erik smiled reassuringly up at Kevin and only then did Kevin lose his serious expression. He literally melted in front of Erik, softly returning Erik’s smile.

“How are you feeling?” Kevin gently asked him.

Erik did a quick internal self-examination. Other than feeling like he had the worst flu ever, not too bad actually.

“Meh.” Erik cleared his throat. “Better,” he said hoarsely. “W-what-?”

“Happened?” Kevin responded finishing Erik’s question.

Erik nodded.

“I’m sure you’ve already figured out that you are in a hospital, what with you being a brilliant detective and all.”

Erik snorted a laugh which made Kevin grin. Movement over Kevin’s shoulder caught Erik’s attention and he raised his head to get a better look.

“W-who?”

Kevin frowned then followed the direction of Erik’s gaze. An elderly woman leaned on a cane in the open doorway to his room.  Kevin rose to his feet and slowly approached her.

“Can I help you ma’am?” he asked her kindly.

“Please…could you?”  Her voice was frail and hopeful. “I’m so lost.”

Kevin put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she paused, glancing up at Kevin. As Erik watched Kevin interact with the woman, he noticed Kevin wasn’t actually touching her. His hand hovered in the air, about an inch above her shoulder. In fact, she didn’t seem to notice the lack of actual contact between them.

“I was supposed to meet my husband but I got turned around and now I can’t find him. I’m afraid that I’m quite lost.”

Without breaking eye contact with the elderly woman, Kevin extended his other arm towards the wall, his hand open, fingers pointed up at the ceiling, palm facing the wall.  Erik’s breath caught as a small point of bluish white light formed on the wall and steadily grew in size until it stretched from floor to ceiling, it was at least five feet wide. He could almost make out movement through it. In fact, the more Erik stared, the more familiar the swirly mist became, like he had seen something like this before. But, where?

“What’s your husband’s name, ma’am?”

“Simon, Simon Wilcox.”

Arm still extended, Kevin now pointed into the heart of the glowing blue white void.  Kevin frowned for a second as if he were concentrating then smiled.

Seconds later, Erik started as a stoop shouldered elderly man, wearing an old-fashioned military uniform, stepped from the heart of the mist.

“Edna?”

“Simon!” She cried before tottering unsteadily to him, cane forgotten.

“Edna! I’ve been waiting and waiting.” He clasped her tenderly to him. It was then that Erik realized the elderly woman was also dressed in old fashioned clothes.

“Oh, my love, I’ve been so lost.” She cried into his chest then lifted her face to his. As his lips met hers, their age seemed to wash off them like a bleeding watercolor painting until they both were young once again. The strains of a big band orchestra began to drift quietly around the room. The music was definitely coming from within the glowing mist on the other side of the…what? Doorway?

“Come on, sweetheart,” he said as he stared lovingly down at her. He offered her his elbow. “I believe they are playing our song.”

“Yes, my love, I believe they are.”  She slid her arm though his, and together they moved towards the light.

They paused just before they entered it and the man peered over her head back at Kevin.  “Thank you, Sentinel.” He looked back down at her, eyes shining. “Thank you for finding my Edna and returning her to me.”

Kevin nodded, smiling widely at the couple. “You are very welcome, Simon.”

“Let’s go home, dear heart,” Simon said to Edna.

They resumed walking, staring deeply into each other’s eyes, everyone else forgotten. The mist closed about them and as soon as they vanished into the white void, Kevin closed his fist. The music, the mist, and the doorway winked out all at the same time. Kevin dropped his arm to his side, then with a satisfied sigh, turned and froze. The smile instantly wiped off his face as he caught sight of Erik’s expression.

Erik was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open, his eyes probably big enough to envelop his entire face. He swallowed to get moisture into his dry throat as he struggled to understand what he had just witnessed.

“What…the hell…just happened?” The words were rough but still clear enough to be understood.

Kevin opened and closed his mouth a couple of times doing a wonderful impersonation of a fish.

“MOM!” Kevin yelled into the air.