The next couple of days were pretty much like the ones prior to them. Jeremy had a few wakeful moments, but not many. When he was awake, he was very weak and talked little. The vigil continued at his bedside.

"Want some coffee?" asked Candy. It was very late, around two in the morning and she needed something to help her stay awake. She supposed Joshua felt the same way too.

"No thanks, Candy," answered Joshua, "think I'll wait a while."

She nodded at him and poured herself a cup. She sat down in the chair beside Jeremy's bed. She quickly placed it on the bedside table when she heard Jeremy moan. Joshua rushed over to him as well.

"Candy?" Jeremy whispered, his voice still weak.

"Yes, Jeremy, I'm here."

Jeremy didn't reply just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Jeremy?" said Joshua, "can you see me?"

Jeremy opened his eyes slightly and tried to focus on his brother. After several moments he did, Joshua felt comfort in the recognition he saw in his brother's eyes.

"Yeah, Josh, I see you," Jeremy replied.

"Are you doin' okay?" asked Joshua.

"Been better, I think," he answered and grinned just a little.

Candy reached forward and lightly stroked his face. "You're doing just fine, just rest, don't try to talk."

"I want to talk to you..."

Candy glanced up at Joshua and he understood to give his brother and his bride some privacy.

"See you in a bit, Jeremy," said Joshua and he left the room.

Candy turned back to Jeremy and smiled at him. "What is it, Jeremy? What do you want to say?"

"I love you, Candy..." he weakly squeezed her hand in his.

"I love you, too. Please don't say anymore. Just rest, please..."

"I have to make sure you know...make sure you know...I love...." His voice faltered.

"Jeremy, you're going to be just fine, just fine, you hear me?"

"I know it, Candy. However it turns out, I'll be fine..."

His words alarmed Candy and she called to Joshua, who had not strayed far from the room. He now came rushing back in and over to his brother. With wide, frightened eyes he looked to Candy.

"He's starting to talk...like he's not going to..." she started to weep.

"Get Allyn," Joshua instructed.

Candy stood up to hurry out of the room, but Jeremy's soft voice stopped her. "No, Candy, I'm all r-right,"

"Jeremy, brother, you're scarin' everybody to death around here," Joshua warned him.

"Don't mean to, Josh," Jeremy swallowed hard, his throat was dry. "Josh, she's so pretty..."

Joshua grinned a little at his brother. "Yes, your new wife is very pretty."

"Yes, she is," Jeremy glanced over at Candy, "but I was talkin' about Momma."

"Momma?"

"Yes, she's so pretty, Josh. She's young, like when we were kids...she's wearing that pretty d-dress with the flowers..." Jeremy stopped speaking as his body forced him to give into exhaustion.

Candy looked to Joshua, chin quivering and tears spilling down her cheeks. "Josh, what's going on? Why does he keep talking about your mother?"

Joshua said nothing, just stared at her. Candy shivered as she smelled the scent of lavender.

000

"She loves you, Jeremy," said Jenny.

Jeremy turned to look at his mother. They were back in the house where she had grown up. She stood at the window, looking out.

"I know," he answered, "I think you would like her, Momma."

Jenny walked over to her youngest son and took his hands in hers. "I do like her, Jeremy, she's what you need now." She smiled at him, and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.

000

"He's waking up!" Candy exclaimed.

"There now. Take it easy," Jason said, but it was to Jeremy he spoke. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"All right," Jeremy replied groggily...

Josh hurried around the curtain and yelled for Allyn. She ran quickly from the front room to where Jeremy was.

"Jeremy?" Allyn said his name in a soft, low voice. "How are you? Are you in much pain?"

Jeremy looked at her for a few moments before answering. He glanced around him and saw his brothers and Candy. His eye caught Candy's and he smiled weakly at her. Candy reached out and squeezed his hand affectionately.

"I don't hurt much, Dr. Wright."

"Good, let me examine you...."

"Wait.., Jason?" asked Jeremy.

In a flash, Jason was at his brother's side. "Yes, Jeremy?"

"Where is she? Where did she go?"

Jason looked at the others confused. He leaned over closer to Jeremy. "Who, Jeremy?"

"Momma," he answered simply. "Momma was here...where did she go?"

"Get some rest, Jeremy...we'll talk later." Jason knew he was not giving Jeremy a sensible answer. But then again, Jeremy's question made no sense to him. Jeremy obediently closed his eyes and seemed to drift back off to sleep.

Candy watched worriedly as Allyn, examined her husband and changed the dressing covering his chest wound.

Jason stood, staring out the window of the medical clinic. Joshua walked over to him.

"Jason," Joshua whispered. "Jeremy was talkin' like he did after he was shot. You know, talkin' about Mother!"

"I know Josh, I know," Jason answered, worry clouding his eyes..

"Well, what does it mean?" Joshua continued. "He was shot days ago!"

"But he hasn't been conscious much up until now...I'm sure it doesn't mean anything...."

"Whatever you say, Jason," Joshua turned to walk back to Jeremy's bed. He stopped abruptly and turned back to Jason. "Jason...?"

"Yes, Josh?"

"Do you smell that again?"

"What ?"

"The lavender, Jason....just like we smelled the day Jeremy was shot...just like what Mother used to use...."

"I smell it, Josh, I smell it too..." Jason looked at Joshua and then glanced at Jeremy. He frowned. He couldn't shake his worried mood. It brought his heart no comfort to hear Jeremy asking for their dead mother.

000

Jeremy's physical condition slowly improved and his family started to relax. Ever-present in his brothers' minds, however, was the concern about what Jeremy had been saying as he'd laid near death. They discussed it between them only briefly though, because both of them hoped that it was just the ramblings of someone gravely ill and not something that they would have to deal with later.

Jeremy's new wife was not as complacent; she never had been. Candy had overheard some of the conversation between her brothers-in-law, as well has her husband's mumblings. She asked Jason about it, but he brushed off her question saying that there were more important things to worry about at the moment and that he'd discuss it with her only if it became an issue.

Candy decided to talk to Joshua about it. She arrived at the brothers' cabin a good half hour before Joshua and she were supposed to take their turn watching Jeremy. Joshua invited her in, but was wearing only pants and his flannel undershirt. He didn't look fully awake.

Normally, Candy would have left under these circumstances and returned later, but she was determined to find out what the Bolts had avoided telling her. And normally, Joshua would have been more wary about why Candy had arrived so early, but he hadn't slept well ever since the shooting. So, Candy caught him at the ideal time.

Joshua motioned her to sit down and headed over to the basin to splash some cold water on his face. As an afterthought, he turned to her and said, "there's a pot of coffee, if you'd like."

"Thank you," his sister-in-law responded. "Would you like me to pour you some, too?"

Joshua nodded and resumed washing his face. Candy poured two cups of coffee and waited patiently (for her) as he pulled out a freshly-laundered, red-checkered shirt. He kept his back turned to her as he tucked it in his pants and buttoned it, and then he grabbed his suspenders from the bedpost. Candy waited until he'd attached them and sat down. Just as he reached for his coffee cup, she spoke.

"Mr. Bolt..."

Oh, no thought Joshua to himself. Aloud he said," don't you mean my brother?"

"No, Mr. Bolt, I mean you. I need some answers." Candy did not give him a chance to interrupt. "Mr. Bolt, my husband nearly died a few days ago and since then I have heard you and Jason voicing concerns about what Jeremy may or may not have been saying. That is my husband in there, and I want to know what you and your brother are so upset about. I hear you mentioning a lavender smell..., well, I have been smelling it, too, and I want to know what it all means."

Joshua sat back in his chair, ignoring his coffee and regarding his sister-in-law. He had always liked Candy. Her spiritedness had caused a few problems, but she always pushed for what she believed in. And she had been good for Jeremy; her love for his brother had helped Jeremy shed his self-consciousness and let him become more independent.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

Candy was stunned that he didn't appear defensive. "Well, everything...just what is it you are concerned about? Jeremy is getting better."

Now, Joshua took his coffee. Candy thought he would drink it while thinking how to approach her questions, but again he surprised her, by holding it to take a sip, but speaking before drinking. "Just how much do you know about our parents? Especially our mother's death?"

"Not much. I know they died years ago and that Jeremy..., your mother died first. "Her face changed as she realized the connection. "You don't mean...you're not saying...you mean?"

Joshua set his coffee cup back down and looked at her somewhat amusedly. "Well, we don't know for sure, Candy. That's why we haven't wanted to discuss it."

"That-that lavender smell...your mother's perfume?"

He nodded, allowing her the chance for the realization to sink in. Candy sat back in her chair, looking bewildered. She looked at him and realizing he was perfectly serious, asked, "do you think she--your dead mother--was with him back there?"

"I don't know...what do you think?"

She hesitated and then said, "I don't know what to think."

"Exactly," Joshua smiled empathetically at her.

000

Candy dipped the cloth in the basin of tepid water. She squeezed out the excess and gently placed the cloth on Jeremy's forehead. He groaned slightly and opened his eyes.

"Hey, there..." she said softly. "Are you okay? Did I wake you?"

"I'm all right, Candyónot really sleepin' anyway."

Candy sat down in the chair beside the bed. She intertwined her fingers around his.

"I love you..."

"Love you too..." He moved his head around on the pillow, trying to become more comfortable. "Not much of a start to our married life..."

"Shh...as long as you get better, that's all that matters. We have the rest of our lives together."

"It won't be easy Candy..." said Jeremy.

"What do you mean?"

"Life s-seldom is."

"Jeremy, why would you say that...who told you that?"

"My mother," he opened his eyes fully as he spoke. Candy could see as she looked in them, that he was perfectly serious.

"Jeremy, your mother has been dead for years..."

"I know.. But I saw her, Candy, I did...I know I did. We talked and she held me...I told her about you too..."

"Jeremy, you must have had a dream." Candy answered. She felt unsettled with their conversation.

"No, not a dream, not a dream, Candy. I saw her, and you know what else?"

"No, what?" Candy's eyes glistened with tears as she looked upon her husband.

"I don't miss her so much now, like I d-did before..." Jeremy, exhausted, drifted off to sleep.

Candy stroked his cheek and wiped away the single tear he had shed.

000

"I'm concerned about him, Allyn."

"Why's that, Jason? His wound is healing up nicely."

Jason wasn't sure how to explain his uneasiness. He picked up a book from Allyn's desk and set it down again. Allyn sensed Jason's frustration and said, "Jason, it was a serious injury. It's going to take him quite a while to recover."

"That's not what's bothering me.... It's just not like Jeremy. I can't quite put it into words, but he's always been a fighter. Now, he's just laying there and there doesn't seem to be the ...the energy or whatever it was that he used to have." Jason's voice rose as he tried to explain to Allyn.

The doctor smiled and walked over to him. Jason was uncharacteristically frustrated and she wanted to soothe his nerves. She laid her hand on his arm. "Jason, it's not unusual. I don't know if you realize how close to death your brother came. It's good that he isn't fighting. It will help give his body a chance to recover."

When Jason looked at her, she saw something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. There was a sadness that surprised her. He stood up and placed his hands gently on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Doctor... Allyn, that is my brother in there. I have never seen him so.. so passive before. It's like he doesn't care what happens to him. And he's changed, too. I can't quite put my finger on it.."

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

Jason looked down at Allyn and gave her a sad smile. "If I do, then I am acknowledging something that I don't think I can."

She looked at him in surprise. In the time that she had known Jason Bolt, she had never seen him so conflicted before. He'd always been the strong, sure one. "Jason, you have been under a lot of stress through this. It's starting to catch up with you. You need to let go and relax; there are things that even Jason Bolt can't control, and one of those things is time. It's going to take Jeremy plenty of time to recover from this and he may be changed from it." She tried to give a little laugh to lighten her admonition.

Allyn wasn't sure Jason heard her; his mind seemed to be off in the past.

"When my brother was a little boy, our mother's death was quite a shock. It affected him deeply...changed him forever..."

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jason looked startled as her question brought him back to the present. "No. Thank you." He stood up, looking a bit embarrassed, but quickly recovered. "I think I'll go look in on Jeremy quickly. Thank you, Doctor."

000

"Hey, Jeremy," Jason called as he walked over to him. "Feeling better?"

" 'Bout the same, Jason...tired, really tired," answered Jeremy.

"Well, maybe some day soon, you'll be getting out of here."

"I guess..." he replied quietly.

"Jeremy, I was thinking. Well, I was thinking that when you do get discharged you should come back to the cabin with me and Josh. What do you say?

"I say, Candy will have a fit!" Jeremy looked at Jason and chuckled. Jason laughed as well, it felt good to see his brother smiling.

"I just thought you'd be more comfortable in our cabin...your own bed...and Josh and I can, well, we can help keep an eye on you."

"Think I need watchin', brother?" Jeremy asked, arching his left brow.

"I just think you've had some confusing times recently...Candy might not know how to react to it all..."

"You mean me seeing Mother."

"I mean the dreams you had, yes, " Jason stood up and paced around the room.

"They weren't dreams, Jason. How c-come you can't believe me?"

Jason walked back over to the bed and spoke quietly. "I do believe that you are certain what you experienced was real."

Jeremy looked away; he was too weak to argue the point with Jason. "All right, I'll talk with Candy about me stayin' back at our cabin."

Jason nodded. "Goodnight then, Jeremy."

" 'Night, Jason."

000