We never thought that anything could ever bring Jonathan Quest down. He was the kind of person that nothing ever could happen to- the world's safety depended on him all too much. That's what he thought, too, and Race Bannon, and Benton Quest. As well as Jessie Bannon and Hadji Singh. Untill the day when the car he was riding in came to the end of the line...."Blind Man Walking" By Jessie A. A boy's struggle with sudden blindness, the hardship on his family, and the strength that binds them together. (Disclaimer: I don't own Jonny Quest: TRA, because if I did, God knows, we all know, there would be an infinate number of seasons!) _____________________________________________________________________________________ Part One: Lost
Wind rushing through his hair, Jonathan Quest seemed content. It was a cool spring day- after what seemed like an eternity, the leaves on the trees were finally recieveing the greenish-tint they so greatfully deserved. The once bare branches that slithered over that hilly section of Maine were slowly but surely being replaced with full, lavishing ones. Jonny leaned back in the seat of his father's new car. A red convertable, designed entierly by himself. The roof came up over his head in a style similar to Race's car, but it didn't give off such a dark, mechanic feeling. Once the roof was up, you were not able to tell if it was even a convertable. Leaning back, Jonny glanced over at Race, who seemed to be just as relaxed as he was. One hand on his leg and the other on the wheel, Race drooped his shoulders that were so often held higher than the adverage man could carry them. Reaching over, Jonny stopped himself. He was going to have to get used to voice-activation on nearly everything in the car, including the radio. "Radio on," he smiled to himself as the inner green light of Dr.Quest's car radio came on. *Dad even knows what stations to pick,* Jonny grinned as he turned the volume louder. He didn't want voice- -activation to take over his whole life. It was imbarrasing enough when he called for the shutters to open during the middle of his Algebra class. He did not want to make the same mistake twice. Leaning back once more, his seat-belt dug into his kneck. *aawh, this bites,* he thought as he removed the restraignt from around him. "Jonny, put your seat-belt back on, now !" Race growled, glaring over at Jonny. "Oh, come on, Race. Dad put enough safety-equiptment in here, I don't need my-" "I don't care whatever the Doc put in this car- while I'M driving, you're going to have to wear that thing!" "But Race!" Jonny whined as he slowly pulled the seat belt back around from behind him. "I REALLY don't feel like-" Jonny's body lunged forward as the car spinned, and came to a jolting halt. Jonny looked up to see pieces of glass being flown at him in all directions. Right as his head smashed against the dashboard, an exscrutiating pain drilled through his left eye, then his right, all the way to the back of his head. Moaning, he tried to open his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, they seemed to clamp shut. Dizzy, weary of what exactly was going on, he let his hand, still clutched to the seat belt, fall beside him. From there on, everything went blank.
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"Does that mean-" "I'm afraid so. But don't worry, Dr. Quest. You're lucky the boy's even alive after that collision." Jonny lay there, still- but, where was he? He could faintly make out his father's voice, but just barely. It seemed to be muffled. Quite frankly, he could hardy make out anything at all. Struggeling to open his eyes once more, he became discouraged.
*What's goin' on? Where am I? Would somebody at least have the decency to tell me what' s goin' ON!?!*
He slowly turned his head from left to right, trying to remember what had happened, but the pain slicing through his head prevented him from doing so. "Dad?" he moaned, as Benton came rushing to his side. "I'm right here, son." Jonny could make out his father sitting down beside him, and squeezing his hand, but could hardly make out what he was saying. "Dad, what happened? What's goin' on? I can't really hear you, and I can't-" "It's alright, Jonny. Just rest. We'll talk about it later." "No- tell me now. I was in the car with Race. We were ridin' down I-95, and then somethin' happened. How come I can't hear you? I can't open my eyes, either, Dad! Just tell me what's goin' on! Dad!" "Jonny- just calm down. There was a drunken driver, and you had a head-on collision." "Yeah- with the dashboard!" Jonny smiled, but it quickly faded once another striking pain rung through him. "Jonny, I know. You're in the hospital. We're going to take care of you, Jonny." "Take care of what!?! What's wrong! Please tell me what's going on!" Dr. Quest sighed as he glanced over at the doctor beside him. Fairly young, tall, with a discouraed look strewn across his face. "Jonny, we're going to try to fix this, but..." Dr. Quest took a deep breath and coninued. "There was some glass that cut through some of the nerves located behind your eye, as well as slicing your retna and cornea." "Well, that's all great, Dad, but what does it mean!?!" Becoming annoyed, Jonny would have normally rolled his eyes. "We're hoping surgery will repair your eyes, but..." Benton choked back on his words and ran his fingers through his son's hair. "You mean I'm- no. No, I- I just can't be. You mean I'm...blind?" Dr. Quest lowered his eyes to the floor, even though Jonny couldn't see him do so. "Jonny- we're going to try to fix this. Don't worry, we're going to help you." "Dad, you don't have to keep this from me. I get it. I'm blind, right? That's all I wanted to know." Jonny's weak voice became even weaker as the realisations came flooding in. He would never be able to see again. Never watch the sunset from the lighthouse like he did so many times, wishing his mom was still with him, never race Jessie on his hoverboard again, never play in QuestWorld again, but, most of all, never be able to see Katie's gentle smile again, her light brownish-red hair and jade eyes.... Jonny pushed his thoughts aside as he tried to hear Benton. He really could only make out half of what he was saying, and knew that when he spoke, he spoke twice as loud as he normally would. "Dad- there's something else. I can't hear you very well, either." "I know, son. There's reasons for that, too. See, some of the glass cut through to your auditory canal, as well as your cocheta." "Co-whatcha? That seems to be more like Spanish than anything else." "Jonny, please. We're working on getting your hearing back all the way." Dr. Quest placed his hand on Jonny's once more. "Sorry, dad. But can I ask you a favor?" "Anything, Jonny." Dr. Quest looked at Jonny's face- he had bandages around his head, covering his eyes. The gauze was blood-stained, with old and fresh oozing. He quickly looked away and focused on his son's hand- cold, clammy from the lack of blood. "Don't tell anyone that I'm... you know. Not yet." "I understand, Jonny. You can tell them when the time is right. I made Jessie, Kate and Hadji stay behind at the compound because I when the nurse called me, I had no idea of how servere your injuries are and-" "Whoa, Dad, calm down. It's okay, Dad. I understand. Where's Race?" "He was fortunate. I had installed a driver's seat airbag and not a passanger's side because, if anyone trying to hurt us, such as Anayah or Malanah, was in the car with one of us, they most likely would be sitting in that seat. He ALSO was wearing his seat belt." Dr. Quest's voice lowered, and Jonny could deffinetly make out an altercation. "Yeah, well, I, um..." "There are NO EXSCUSES for you to just... DISREGARD safety precautions, no matter what car you're in!" "Dad, I'm sorry! I learned the hard way! Please, just don't make me feel any worse!" Jonny's face reddened, and, he knew, he would have let a tear escape from his eye that time, but there were no tears to let go. "Well, anyway, he's here because the doctors just wanted to treat a few of his cuts, that's all." "Oh, okay..... Dad, I'm really sorry." "I know you are, Jonny. And I"m afraid you have learned this the hard way." "No duh. But, what are you talking about fixing this- surgery?" Jonny suddenly got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. "They were talking about it- but in probably a few months. You see, the muscles of your eye are very delicate now- too delicate to operate on. So, we'll have to wait and see." "I hate waiting." Jonny sighed as he sulked deeper down into his hospital bed. He had no idea if he was in a regular room, or in an ER, and he desperately wanted to know. He wanted to open his eyes, and look all around him. He wanted to see his dad, the doctors, the room, the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the bed, and everything around him. For the first time in his life, a feeling of hopelessness overcame him, and as he reached over for his dad's hand, he grasped onto the bedrail, trying to sit up. "Jonny- don't try to sit up. The doctors want you to stay lying down." "Dad- get me a phone." "Why, son?" "I need to call Katie."
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"AArgH- hellouu?" A weary voice came over the other end of the reciever. Jonny grasped onto the phone as hard as he could, though it was a struggle to even try to keep it by his ear, for he had hardly any sence of his surroundings. "Um....Katie?" Katie Valasquez's eyes began to sparkle as she realised instantly who was at the other end of the line. "JONNIIIEE!!!!! OmiGod- JonnyJonnyJonny! What happened!?! Dr. Quest wouldn't let me go to the hospital with you and oh, God, what is going-" "Katie, just calm down!" Jonny smiled, and Katie could tell that he was from his voice alone. "Yeah, sorry. But what HAPPENED?" "Alright- Race and I were in an accident, and..." Jonny's throat started to tighten, and he didn't go on. Katie was starting to become worried, though she wanted to know every little detail of what was going on. "Yeah? Go on..." "Well, Race n' I're okay now." an immense sigh of relief filled up Jonny's ear, though the volume on the reciever was cranked up to help him hear Katie better. "That's.....good." Katie laughed as she sat up on the couch and turned on the light. "Sorry- kinda' got a headache and fell asleep. I was so worried, and-" "Um..Katie, I really need to see- um...can you please come down to the hospital?" Jonny's voice started to crack and Katie could sence that something was not right. It seemed to be a sixth-sence she obtained. "Yeah! I'll get over there right away! Don't worry, Hadji, Jess and I'll be there in a few!" Katie hung up the phone with a feeling of uncertainty in the very pit of her stomach. She knew something was wrong. Jonny just wasn't letting on to it. Besides, she seemed to know Jonny better than he knew himself. ******************************* "Dad, what am I going to tell Katie when she gets here? I really don't want her to be worried about me, and I don't want ANYBODY to know about my eyes!" "I know, Jonny. But it's one of those things that she's going to have to find out about sooner or later." Dr. Quest glanced over at a nearby clock mounted atop the wall. It had been half an hour since Jonny called Katie, and since then he had complained about not knowing what he was going to tell the three teens upon arrival. They should have been arriving any minute, and Jonny's palms started to sweat. Benton knew Jonny didn't want anybody to know about his condition, but that he couldn't tell them. Jonny had to be the one. "Jonny, you have to tell them. I know it won't be easy, but-" "No- DAD! I can't tell them! I don't even want them to know! I wouldn't have wanted Katie to come and see me like this if I didn't miss her so much!" Benton sighed and lowered his head. He knew how it felt to miss someone he cared about so much... "I know. But it's the best thing. Just be greatful that you weren't killed." "Yeah- so I could live the rest of my life like-" Jonny heard a door creek open. Knowing that it was his, he lowered his head, starting to regret that he had asked Katie to come. He really didn't want her to see him like this. He didn't want to scare her. None the less, he knew what he had to do. "Katie? Is that you?" As he felt her arms wrap around him in an embrase, he was certain of who was there. "Jonny- I was so worried! Kinda' wierd for me to fall asleep, but I was just so worried! I mean, you and Race in an accident and- omiGod- why do you have that around your head!?! You told me things weren't that bad! Oh...my...God. Your HAIR!" Katie laughed as Jonny's hands whipped up from under the covers and straight onto the top of his head. "What!?! My hair!?! DAD! You didn't tell me anything about my hair!!! KATIE! What's wrong with my hair!?!" Katie doubled-over, in hysterics. "Sorry. Sick joke. There's just a little bit of blood in it." Smiling, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Not too much. But what I want to know is why you've got that thing around your forhead." "Yeah, that's what we'd all like to know." Jonny could faintly make out the voice of Jessie Bannon, then Hadji Singh's. "Jonny, I never dreamed of anyone being so accident-prone!" "Well, now, that mekes me feel a lot better. Thanks, Hadj'." Jonny was basically yelling what he was saying, and a puzzled look overcame the three teens. "Jonny, we're all right here. You don't need to yell," Katie remarked. "Jonny, you aren't telling me something. There's more than you're lettin' on to, isn't there?" Katie's stomach churned as she sat beside Jonny on his hospital bed and placed an arm around him. "Um..you guys, can we-" "Of course, Katie." Dr.Quest slowly stood, rubbed his eyes and sighed as he escorted the two other kids out of the ER. "Jonny, what is it? Why is that around your forhead? And don't try lying to me. I can see through it. You know that from experience. Please, just tell me. That's not around you because you cracked your head open or somethin', is it?" "Nawh, guess not." Jonny sighed as Katie swung her legs up onto the bed so that she was basically in the same position as Jonny. "Then...what is it?" Jonny's cheeks reddened along with Katie's. It had to be serious for him not to tell her. He told Katie everything. "Katie, when I was in the accident, well, there was some glass and.... Katie, don't be mad, but," "How could I be mad at you? Just tell me." "I can't hear you that well. Something about something else along with another something in my ear getting banged up. They want me to have surgery to fix it." "Jonny- that's not too bad! You could have told me. I understand. And you thought I was going to be mad- but, what about your forhead?" Katie voice faded to a whisper on the last syllable and Jonny took a deep breath, and cryed invisable tears. "Katie? I can't see. My God, I'm blind! I'm blind! And I can't do anything about it! Oh, my, God, what am I going to do?" Jonny leaned over and rested his head in Katie's lap, and she hunched over, crying. Stroking his hair, she whispered the words, 'I love you,' though they were not loud enough for him to hear.
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"Dr. Quest, what's wrong with Jonny?" Jessie Bannon strugggled to see Jonny through the small window in the door that led to the actual ER, though his bed was pushed over too far for her to do so. "Somethin's not right." "You're right, Jessie. It's hard enough for Jonny to tell Katie. Though it's against my better judgement, well, I suppose that I should tell you." "Tell us what, Dr. Quest?" Hadji looked over at Jessie, than at Dr. Quest, worridly. Hadji wasn't one to express his emotions, but Jessie could tell how he felt by his eyes, that no longer sparkled. He knew something had happened to his best friend, and was probably more worried than his two accompanients put together. "Well, when he was in the accident, there was a lot of glass and scrap metal, which cut through to a part of his ear. That's why he can't hear us very well." "That would have meant that the metal cut to his auditory canal, right, Dr.Quest?" "Yes, Jessie. But there's more. It also sliced his cocheta and endolymph. The only way to restore his hearing- partially, if at all, is with correctional surgery." "Oh, my, God. When is he going to have the surgery?" Jessie's knees started to weaken. She certainly hadn't prepared herself for this kind of news. "I haven't told Jonny yet, but the doctors as well as the surgeon want it to take place as soon as possible." "Which would be.....?" Jessie became more relaxed as Hadji put his arm around her, and Dr. Quest replyed. "Tomorrow morning. But there's also the matter of his eyes..." Dr. Quest trailed off and looked down at his cocoa-tinted shoes. "What's wrong with his eyes? We thought that it was his forhead!" Jessie exclaimed, and took a step closer to Dr.Quest. "What's wrong with his eyes?" "Some of the glass cut to his cornea, his retina...." to both Hadji and Jessie, at that point, the words bled together into one-seemingly- everlasting hum. "Dr. Quest, does that mean that Jonny is...blind?" "I'm afraid so, Hadji. Though I gave him the impression it will be in a few months,they're going to try to fix his eyes when he's in surgery, too. But chances are, he'll never see...Jessie, Hadji, you have to be there for him. We're all he's got now." A tear rolled down Dr. Quest's cheek, and Jessie started to cry, as well. Dr. Quest hugged Jessie and Hadji in an embrase, and the three wiped their tears away as they struggled to hold back more. "Dr. Quest, what are we going to do? If the surgery doesn't work, I mean-" "It has to work, Jessie. It just has to. So many things depend on Jonny. He's always pulled us out and onto the top. He's saved us all too many times for this to happen. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for him." "But why does this stuff always have to happen to us!?! He never got hurt like this before- and he was in worse situations! All because of a stupid drunken bum." "I know how you feel, Jessie. But let's just be thankful that he wasn't killed." "Why does this stuff always have to happen to us!?!" Jessie sobbed as she rested her head on Hadji's sholder, and he stroked her hair back. "I do have one explination. He's Jonny Quest. And he's the only person wit the bravery and capability of doing the things that he's done for us all. Jessie- it's because of who he is. It's because he's Jonny Quest."
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"It'll be okay, Jonny. Don't worry- everything'll be just fine. I'll stay here at the hospital with you." "Thanks, Katie. But, you just don't understand. I'll never be able to see again. Won't be able to watch the sunset from the lighthouse with you, never be able to ride on the hoverboard with you, never be able to see you again. You can't understad." "Jonny, you're right." Katie sighed and took a deep breath. "I don't understand. I can't understand. But I'll do my best to. I'll do my best to be there for you. You don't have to worry about anything. And if I know you as well as I think I do, I mean, Jonny, you don't have to worry. You'll walk out of here hearing the birds sing, and we'll go down to the beach when we get home and watch the tide roll in and the sun set. I promise." Katie continued to stroke his hair and a small amount of blood escaped the gauze and bled onto her hand just as Dr. Quest walked in. "Jonny, Jessie, Hadji and I are going to go see Race. Is it okay if Katie comes, too?" Katie looked down at Jonny, then back up at Dr.Quest, teary-eyed. "No. I'm sorry, but I need to stay with Jonny. I'll go see him later. I think it's really important that I stay here with Jonny for now." "I understand, Katie. Just call the nurse if you need anything." Stepping out, Katie got a good look at the room. It was about the size of three regular hospital rooms, and curatin-dividders separated them from everyone else in the Emergency Room. "Jonny, I'll make a deal with you. If you promise, promise not to give up, untill you get your eyesight back, I'll be your eyes." "What?" Jonny remained still, bewildered. "You tell me what you want to see, and I'll describe it to you. Fair enough?" Jonny sat up and faced the direction from where he could make out Katie's voice comming from. "Fair enough." Katie looked once more at the gauze across his forhead. She couldn't believe that this had happened- just couldn't. So many things had happened to them, too many. She was surprised that they had stayed together through it all, and then again she wasn't. From Surd brainwashing her to Anayah and Melanah kidnapping her, their faith in each other held firm. *If we could have gotten through that, we can get through this no problem.* Katie lunged forward into Jonny's arms, without any warning, in an emmense hug. "We can do this, Jonny. We can get through this. Don't worry. Everything will be alright. I'm never going to leave you. We'll stick together through it. We have in the past, and we will now. You can count on me. I've always counted on you, so now it's your turn to count on me." "I guess I don't have much of a choice now, do I?" "You really don't, Jonny. You really don't!" Katie laughed as she held him close. It had just been the day before that they were chasing each other throughout the compound. She shoved him into the pool, and in return he yanked her in. Then, the duo had jumped out and Jonny chased Katie up to her room, where she locked herself in, chanting, "You will NOT get me, Jonathan Benton Quest!" Jonny swiftly pulled out a master key and thrust open the door.
"Oh, yeah?" He smiled with his lopsided grin. She could see him, he could see her. The whole world seemed to revolve around the two. It just seemed as if nothing could have gone wrong- nothing at all. That everything would always be perfect. And as Jonny kissed her that day, that was proven to be true. Nothing could have gone wrong. Untill now. ************************* Part Two: Day to Day
It had been three weeks since Jonny's operation, and he was home. Though the operation hardly did any good. Some muscle tissue was repaired, but that was all the surgeons could do. All Jonny was able to do was listen to the light showers that April morning. Still recovering, Jonny was not yet allowed to return to school- though he didn't seem to care. He didn't seem to care about anything. All day he sat in his room, as if there was nothing to live for, untill Katie came home. She tried to stay home from school for Jonny, but couldn't. Faking sick didn't do much help, either. Jonny felt alone. Alone in a world that so seemingly cut him out. Shut him out. Turned away blocking any vision of anything- At the sound of the front door swinging open and slamming shut through the intercom, Jonny jerked is head up. His bandages were off, and the air rushing on his forhead felt almost refreshing. Quite aware that his forhead was not the most plesant site to see, he felt his way around to the side of his bed, and yanked on a Patriots hat. At least his hearing was better- the intercom beside his bed was turned up to enable him to hear his dad at any time. As the faint sound of a bookbag dropping beside his bed met his ears, Jonny smiled and sighed. All he had heard all day was his Dad, Race Bannon, and the rain. At least now there were three more voices for Jonny to divide from the others. "And you know what else?" Kate continued. It was apparent that she had been talking to him longer than he had heard. "Mr. Torpey gave me a D! Do you believe that? Jonny? Jonny, are you listening to me?" Jonny replied 'yes', as Katie sat beside him on the bed and continued. "Okay. You just seemed....I don't know, sidetracked, I guess. Anyway, he said that my effort was inconsistant and that my schoolwork should have come before everything else! Ooh, he makes me so mad! I mean, what kind of a teacher does he think he- oh, sorry, Jonny. I haven't shut up long enough for you to talk." "That's ok. I really don't have much to talk about anyway." "SURE you do! How was your day? Enjoying the rain? Actually- it's really pretty out. There's a rainbow starting, and-" Katie stopped herself and quickly changed the subject. "Everybody's asking about you at school. Just ask Jessie! They all seem to be pretty worried." "No they aren't. Why would they be?" Jonny sighed and turned his head to the opposite side of the room. "What's gotten into you, Jonny? I mean, you've never got anything positive to say, you're just moping around like a worthless heap, and, and- you know, Jonny, I'm REALLY sick of your attitude! You just stay up here all day and don't even talk to me anymore! What's your problem? At least I talk to you! I'm sick of it! Just quit it, okay? Be the Jonny I remember again! Be the Jonny I fell in love with!" "Look, Katie! It's not exactly that easy being like this, okay!?! You think I LIKE being this way!?! It's HELL!" "I KNOW THAT! I NEVER SAID IT WASN'T! I NEVER SAID YOU LIKED BEING THIS WAY!" "BUT YOU'RE ACTING LIKE IT! I'M not the one who has a problem! YOU came in here all happy and giddy expecting me to be all happy, too, like nothing's happened! Something DID happen!" "AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT! BUT YOU COULD MAKE THE SITUATION A HECK OF A LOT BETTER!" "YOU DON'T GET IT! NOBODY CARES ABOUT SOME MESSED UP TEENAGER! THEY IGNORE YOU! THE ONLY REASON ANYBODY CARES ABOUIT ME IS BECAUSE I'M JONNY QUEST!" "They care about you because of who you are, not just because of your name. And if you can't see that, then, there IS something wrong with you. And there is no exscuse whatsoever for you to treat me like sheer crap when I come in here trying to cheer you up." And with that, Katie jolted up and left Jonny's room, slamming the door behind her. "Katie, what's wrong?" Katie brought her attention to Dr.Quest, feeling her face was flushed. "Nothing. Jonny's just being so...so..." "Impossible? Yes, he has been. But give him time and he'll get out of it. " Dr.Quest put his hand on Katie's shoulder and sighed. "Just give him time. I'm afraid that that's all we can do right now." "But it's so frustrating! All I want to do is have a half- decent, no- not EVEN a half-decent conversation with him. He won't even give me that. He seems like he's, I don't know, lost, I guess." Dr.Quest and Katie continued talking about Jonny's behavior- and Katie realised that it wasn't just her he seemed to be ignoring. He was shielding himself from everyone. But what Benton was about to say next made Katie fall over. "There is a very good reason that he won't get up." "Yeah. He doesn't want to. Big whoop de doo." "No- Katie, it's not that. It wasn't discovered untill his..." "His what, Dr.Quest?" Dr.Quest explained to Katie what was wrong, and she fainted. Before the surgeons were able to able to operate on Jonny, they had to preform a cat-scan to make sure they would not damage any nerves they wouldn't, and to find exactly what other factors could have triggered his blindness. Instead of just finding out where his problem was with his eyes, a heretitary problem was located. Thank God for the cat scan, otherwise it could have been too late once this was identified. Jonny had a brain tumor.
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The instant Katie came to, non-stop questions emmited from her mouth. "How could he have gotten it? Who would have given it to him? Why does this stuff have to happen to Jonny? Why didn't anyone tell me? COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN!?!" Gasping for air, Jessie and Hadji made their way over and helped her into a nearby chair at the kitchen table. "Katie, cool it! What're you talking about?" Jessie looked from Dr.Quest to Hadji, to her dad who just entered the room, and back to Katie." "Jonny had a cat scan preformed," Dr.Quest started. "That revealed something inherited from him by Rachel. It's the same thing she died of-" "OMIGOD JONNY'S GONNA' DIE!!!" Katie started to break down and Race flicked off the nearby communicator. "KATIE! Get a hold of yourself! He's not going to die." Race went over to Katie and held her hand, while Hadji and Jessie stared in bewilderment. They both were aware of what Rachel had died from. "You mean, Jonny's got a....brain tumor?" Jessie choked on her words and tried to force them out as best she could. "As Jonny would say, 'this is too strange for school,'"Hadji remarked. "Yeah," Kate sniffed. "AND NOW HE'S GONNA' DIIIE!!!" She grabbed the corner of a napkin and blew her nose in it. "Please, Katie. He won't die. They have a lot more technology then they did then. He's going to make it." Dr.Quest turned to Race, then back to Katie, but she had already raced up to Jonny's room. Katie burst through the doorway and into Jonny's arms, sobbing. "Jonny I'm so so so sorry about what happened! I didn't mean to yell at you." "Yeah. I guess I owe you an explenation. I just didn't want you to worry about me. I didn't want you to know that I-" "I know, Jonny. I know. You don't ever have to hide anything from me." Between her sniffing and her voice cracking, she knew she sounded like a wreck. "Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked him. "Yeah. Just stay here with me." "I'll do that."
************************* Part three: Golden Lights
Since the day Katie found out about Jonny's tumor, she couldn't get it out of her head. Determined to spend every minute with him, Katie stayed home from school and had her work brought home by Jessie for her. Because of the severity of Jonny's condition, the school let her stay out untill summer vacation. She spent her days on the edge of his bed, and her nights in the chair beside his bed, untill Race moved her stuff into Jonny's room. They could all see Katie wasn't about to leave Jonny. Along the course of the summer, many of Jonny's friends wanted to visit him, but Jonny didn't want to be seen. That wasn't the only thing that happened over the summer, though. Slowly but surely, Jonny's health started to decline. One night in late August, he was hospitalised due to abnormal breathing. Katie saw the past comming back to haunt her. Fast. The last time his breathing was abnormal and he was in the hospital was because of Surd, and he nearly died. He came home the next day, but had to be kept a close eye on. Once school started, Jonny was even worse and had to stay in the hospital. Katie and Dr.Quest stayed with him, but Katie was forced to go to school. Therefore, she came directly to Maine Memorial after school and slep there. The doctors said that there was hardly anyting that they could do, other than prey. It was now late December, and the halls of the hospital were brightly decorated with garland, and in front of every nurse's station was a Christmas tree. All Jonny seemed to do each day was sleep. Bandit was brought in occasionally to see him- it was a new program that used dogs and cats for "mental healing". Jonny loved to see him, though was too weak to throw a ball. The tumor was eating away at him, untill her was almost nothing. Every time Katie looked over at Jonny, her heart filled with ache.Numerous times she asked herself why it had to be this way, and why nothing ever seemed to go right for Jonny. Knowing she would never get an answer, Katie let herself fall into a depression. There was Jonny, hooked up to breathing and heart monitors, ready to die because the doctors 'couldn't do anything more', and there she was, feeling alone, as if the one person she cared about more than anyone else was going to abandon her at any second. Jonny was too week to even talk those days. The days where each one got increasingly colder and shallower, more painful and discouraging. Those were the days Katie wished she had never been born. "God, if there is a God," she would prey, "Just keep Jonny here....a little longer. If you have any compassion at all, any..I don't know. I mean, if there is a God, why would you take away Jonny- of all people?? Why Jonny? Why him? You don't understand how much we need him! I mean, if you're as wonderful as we all say and think you are, why are you doing this? Please help me, God- I'm........I feel like I'm loosing my faith. A faith that held me through thick and thin is slipping between my fingers. Can't you help me? Isn't there anything you can do!?!" It was nights like that Dr.Quest would come in and find that Katie had cryed herself to sleep. It was December twentieth, Jonny's birthday, though he was not as happy as everyone had hoped that he would be. He just said that it was another 'painful day', another day where doctors would pierce needles into him and preform tests. "Jonny, the least you could do is smile for me." "Katie, I wish I could, but there's nothing for me to smile about." "Oh, yeah?" At that remark, Katie reached under the bed and pulled out her violin, case and all. She knew Jonny loved to hear her play- and the rest of the Quests as well. She won first place in the county regionals- she was the youngest player ever. Looking over at Jonny, she played an irish jig that slured into a fast, high-pitched rendition of "Happy Birthday". For the first time in months, Katie looked over at Jonny and saw him smile. "What THAT all it took to make you smile?" she kidded. "Okay- now what?" "Play somethin' Christmasey!" Jessie laughed as Katie put the bow to the bridge and esquisetly played "Joy to the World," "Emanuell God With Us," "O' Come all Ye Faithul," and finishing with "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," each song slurring into one another with grace. "Geeze, Katiee, you didn't have to-" "Yes, I did." Katie interupted. "Because it made you smile. And that's what you needed." Reaching over and hugging him, Jessie and Hadji let out a scarcastic aaww. "Quit it, you guys." Katie hugged onny ever tighter- maybe even a ltiile too tight, but she knew Jonny didn't mind. She saw it in his eyes. "You heard her!" Jonny smiled one of the widest grins Katie could remembr once Hadji and Jessie started laughing. "That's what we like!" Dr.Quest interviened and placed a hand on Jonny's shoulder. "Yeah." Leaning back, Jonny let out an immense sigh, and didn't stop smiling. "Now that I can- I don't think I'll stop!" He laughed. "Jonny.......I have a little problem. I couldn't figure out a present for you!" Katie laughed and handed him a QuestWorld viewer. Turning it over and over in his hands, Jonny traced the outline of the little back object. "Why'd ya' hand me this?" Jonny asked, bewildered. "This is a.......group present. We developed a program that not only pinpoints where the parts of the body are- but its' surrondings, projecting an immage into the mind. Feel up onto the top of the viewer. There's this little pointey thing. That's where the sencors come out and flood up the room with blue light. You'll see." Logging Jonny into QuestWorld, his surroundings were unlocked onto him. "Oh my God- Katie, this is incredible! I can see you! And Jessie, and Hadji, and Race, and Dad, and Bandit!" Jonny would have gone on to name the charts, the counters, but he quickly tired. "Calm down, Jonny. We're going to leave that on you so that-" Katie was stopped short when Jonny leaned over and kissed her. "Okay, I'll shut up!" The other members of the Quest Team turned away as Jonny held Katie in an embrase. After Jonny got his final look around, visiting hours had come to an end. Looking out the window, Jonny saw the snow, the cars, the passerby on the streets below, and-just everythng! He was estatic.Untill he saw his heath chart and realised his health was rapidly declining. He told himself he was too happy to worry, and became glad-as always- when Katie told him she could spend the night with him again. The air inside the hospital room became cold and Jonny looked around for another blanket. After reaching over onto a chair and pulling it onto him, Katie got up and flicked off the light, seating herself in the chair next to the pull-out couch Dr.Quest and she took turns sleeping on. Once the lights were off and everyone else seemed to be asleep, Jonny looked around at his surroundings once more. They...looked normal. But something seemed different. Shrinking down inside the covers, the monitors once attached to him were.....gone. The large window let in a rush of cold air, but, it wasn't open.White silk curtains swayed around the window, but, there were previously only blinds. How could this be? Where did they come from? Suddenly, Jonny was blinded once more by an intense bright white light. Jonny couldn't feel himself, hear himself, he reached out to grasp onto his rail- but nothing was there nor around him. And as he callled out the names of his father and soal mate, no answers came to him. Panic, afraid, feeling alone, Jonny brought his hands up to his face, searching for the viewer. But it wasn't there. He didn't feel as if he was there- an undescribable feeling. As the last rush of panic overcame him, he suddenly felt calm. He felt whole again, not tired, there was no pain, and at peace. He was not in his, bed, or in the hospital room. As a slight breeze came through the now milky-white colored emptyness, Jonny fellt as if he was being pulled away, out of something. He felt as he was floating into an oblivion. The faint outline of an image appeared, and he could not make out what it was. Slowly, colors were pulled from each site of him and filled in the outline. A young woman of about thirty with silk floating and strands of short, blonde hair whisping about her. "Mom?" ******************* The sound Katie never again wanted to hear abruptly brought her to her feet. "Jonny!?!" Rushing over to Dr.Quest, then smashing her hand down numerous times on the 'call nurse' button, Katie ran to Jonny's side. His heart and breathing monitors had gone blank. ******************* "Jonny- my Jonny. Jonathan Benton Quest. How I have missed you." "You're- you're my mother, aren't you?" The glowing figure laughed as she made her way towards Jonny, hands clasped in front of her. "Yes, Jonny. I am." She kissed him on the forhead, and took him by the hand. "I'm sorry to admit that you have been through a lot, haven't you?" Her voice was so calming, gentile. For the first time in eight years, the longing feeling in Jonny was satisfied. Satisfied with the feeling of immense joy, that he had never quite experienced since his mother left him at age six. He was rejoined with the person he missed the most. "Yeah. Ma'- where are we? What's going on?" Rachel didn't answer. Instead, she led him ahead to what appeared to be the bright light she first came from. Once through the light Jonny had shielded his eyes from, he examined his surroundings. Everything appeared to be made out of glass- dripping with crystal-clear water. He found himself standing in the middle of a garden. A garden of glass whose colors drained out with each drop of rain and flushed back in with the next. The flowers were the most magnificent he had ever seen, nor had he ever experienced such immense colors. Looking around, the only things around the garden was the marbelish-appearing ground the leaves and flowers so majically appeared from, a whicker fence, and the most incredible sky he had ever seen. It wasn't bright blue, but a cool, refreshing teal-grey. The wicker fence with glass vines spun up to toutch the sky dragged Jonny's attention away. Slowly walking to it, he asked his mother about it. "Jonny, that is made up of all the goodness in you. It will never become dirty, or rust, and the paint will never peel, or crack. That is, as long as you stay pure. This whole garden is made up of you." She extended her arms, gestureing to all the surroundings of the two. "It is what you are. It symbolises your thoughts and your innermost feelings." She walked over to one particular branch that stood out from the rest, and lifted Jonny's hand onto it. The glass branch that- unlike the other light green ones- was a light blue, started to melt in his hand. "What's going-" Rachel hushed him, and motioned for him to look into the crystal puddle of water forming from the vine. It showed a picture of his family, quivering with each new drop of vine that continued to form the rest of a person. Katie was in the midddle, with Jessie to her left and Hadji to her right, and Race directly behind Jessie with his hand on her shoulder, Benton to the right of Race. "Those are the things in your life that ment the most to you. Come." She walked towards the other side of the garden, though Jonny was hesitant. "What- you don't trust your own Mother?" after that remark Jonny hurried right up. She walked over to the one part of the fence that was not strung with vines. Toutching it, the fence glowed, and dissapeared. At first all Jonny saw was a dark navy, but then, in the middle of all he could see, was a ring of golden light spinning about. The most incredible music reached Jonny's ears- a combination of violins and harps. Making his way to the flashing light, he looked back at his mom, who simply nodded. Placing his hand on the circle, Jonny felt better than he had ever had felt- a rush of energy entered him, and he felt himself begin to glow. "What is it?" "That, Jonny, is something only the most special people can experience. The people who have a heart of gold, the people who would never want to harm anyone, or anything. And those, my son, are the people who become Angels." "Wait- Mom, you're saying that I...." "Yes, Jonny. You are a very special person- they need one such as you." "Who's they?" Stepping towards Jonny, Rachel told Jonny lo look into the very center of the light. He saw Katie, standing in the corner of his hospital room, with Dr.Quest's arms around her. She was crying terribly, and could hardly stand. Benton had to support her. "Katie.......why's she crying? Why's she so upset!?! Mom! What's going on? Why is she-" he stopped himself when he saw a team of doctors step away- "Wait- that's- that's me. But, it can't be. I'm right here. I mean, that can't be me. I look so... frail. Lifeless. Like I'm.... no! Mom- I can't be! I just can't be! I don't want to die! Mom! I'm fifteen! I"m too young! Please, Mom! Don't tell me I'm dead! Mom! I don't want to live! I want to be with my family! I want to be with Katie! Oh, God, don't do this to me!" Jonny just continued to stare into the circle. "This can't be happening. I have to go back. It's not my time! Katie needs me! I need Katie! We, I mean, and-" "Jonny, please. It was your time. You need to understand that." Rachel went up and put a hand on her son's shoulder. "It is your time. You are needed here more than you are there." Jonny didn't say anything. He just continued to stare into the light. "Mom, do you believe in miracles?" "Miracles happen when special people need them." "Well, you said I was a special person. And I need one! If I can't go back- all I want- I just want to be with Katie for Christmas. That's all." Rachel walked over to the light, then put her arm around Jonny. "Jonny, you can't go back the way you want to. But there is a way you can see her again- that or she can some to be with you. Do as I say. Step into the very center of the light." Jonny did as told, and he became visable to himself. He was in a long white robe with white pants he, quite frankly, thought were pretty cool. A circle of gold light formed from the center of the circle, and formed a halo. As Jonny came out, his mother explained to him, "As an Angel, you may travel from this world to the other. Some people may see you. Some people may not. That, is your decision. Who will, who won't. Make the right decisions. Just do as you did a few moments ago and you may decide." Jonny lept into his mother's arms, then stood in the center of the light. Sparks of silver shone about him like small fireworks, and he dissapeared. Jonny felt himself falling, but couldn't see anything. He thought to himself where he wanted to go, and who he wanted to see. "Let's just hope that this works." ******************* "Dr.Quest- Jonny's gone!" Katie bueried her head in his arms, and continued to stand in the hospital room. The doctors had wheeled what was left of Jonny out of the room. "Katie, please sit down. I'm going to go across the hall and call Race." As Dr.Quest left the room, sparks started to fall from the ceiling, then a beam of golden light rushed in and filled the room. Squinting, Katie made out the shape of...someone.... "What? What's going on?" Before she was answered, she felt someone's arms wrap around her. As the light dimmed, the person came into view. "J-Jonny? Jonny! OmiGod Jonny! Jonny!" Katie started to cry even harder and he brushed her hair aside. "Please, Katie. No one can see me but you." "What? No- you're an-" "Hey, you always called me an Angel. This just makes it official." "But- how'd you get here?" "I saw Mom. She let me come down. And I have a feeling she'll let me stay....." "Stay? For how long? Jonny- but- it's..it's you!" She let her hands fall along the creses of his white robe, and suddenly felt at peace. "It's really you, isn't it?" "Yep. And I can stay with you as long as I want- or as long as you need me. But, the truth is, Katie, I can't stay forever. And forever isn't even long enough." "Yeah." Placing her arm around Jonny, she got this- intense feeling of contentment. "Come with me," Jonny smiled. "om hasn't told me everything, but ever since I came down here, everything has become clear. I have one miracle and one mirace only. That is- for each person I am an Angel to." "So..you're an Angel?" Katie smiled and hugged Jonny once more. "Yeah. Come with me, Katie. Please. We can always be together. I know it sounds stupid, but...." "Jonny, nothing you've ever said has sounded stupid in any way whatsoever. I love you, Jonny. I want to be with you forever. I can't wait. I want to come with you more than anything else." "Really?" "Yes." And with that, Jonny placed his arm around Katie's waist, and pulled her upwards. Upwards into a golden light. Upwards to a place where Jonny and Katie could be together forever. 1997 ::sniff:: Katie "Jessie" A.