Rise of the Death Walkers (The Circle of Heritage Saga) (35 page)

This table was being chaired currently by my grandfather. Through our frequent communication with our minds he was able to keep me informed. One after another the leaders of the European lands were realizing they could not face the danger alone. The actual suggestion to combine Europe under on centralized government came from the members of the European Union itself.

When the conference, which was taking place in Berlin, started getting members of various Asian countries my grandfather realized just how scared the people were getting.

My grandfather began the process of consolidating all of the Governments in Europe to one form of government with the main seat in Germany. We had learned as a world full of individual governments we were wide open to an attack from any enemy. The new nation was named the Pan-European Alliance. Many people began to shorten the name to Paneuro and soon that became the widely known name for the new country.

Chapter 27 - Return from the Abyss

I lay in a condition that drifted between consciousness and unconscious for several weeks after the conclusion of the operation. The attack from Xilis had been deep and devastating. It took time for my mind to recover from the attacks. They hardly left my side during the time I lay there. I was fed through tubes and they performed exercises to insure that my muscles did not collapse from lack of use.

The experience must have been frustrating for Katie because she usually showed up in the times I was not conscious.

On the day I began to emerge from the depths of confusion, I heard Katie’s voice first. “Oh my loving husband Jason. You need to get out of the hospital. Your daughter Mia needs you and you have a young lady you need to get married to.

Mentally I was scrambled and her words came to me slowly and distorted. I felt pressure on my hand which she was holding and tried to find the right mental command to squeeze my own hand and return the pressure. I was terrified when I could not find it. I felt as if I was swimming in frozen molasses and all mental facilities were sluggish. I lay there attempting to concentrate on regaining the link between my brain and my body.

I was there and not there at the same time. My mind seemed to be disconnected from my body. I heard Mimi talking to my family trying to explain what was likely to happen. “The final attack from the Xilis/unknown merge seem to have disconnected Jason’s mental facilities completely and no attempt I have made to communicate with him has succeeded.”

“What are the chances he will recover from this? “I heard Irma asking.

Only silence was the reply she received. Then I heard Katie say. “Jason will recover Irma, You have to believe that. I know of nobody who has a stronger in the will to survive than Jason. He will come back to us it’s just a question of when.”

Mimi began. “Katie I don’t think....”

“NO, “ Katie shot back forcefully, “Jason will come back to us. Of that, I’m sure.”

I tried to find the mental commands to speak but there were lost in the scrambled quagmire that was my brain. I wandered through my mind looking for the way out of it and listened to everything that happened in the outside world. I began organizing and collecting the components of my brain and placing them in the correct order. After what seemed to be an eternity I finally managed to find the proper commands in my brain to move one finger. Irma was there that night. When I moved my finger she screamed to the others to come. “Move it again baby” she said after a while and I did as she requested.

The next thing that happened could only be described as total chaos in the room. There were so many of the family in the room I was hard to sort out what was going on. I felt Mimi, and Katie attempting to communicate with me in mind - speak but I could not reply because I had not found the way to do that yet. I wandered some more and over the next few weeks I recovered much of the control over my upper body.

Irma was in the room when I managed to regain control of my speech. I could talk manually but still could not mind-speak. “Water please.” I requested in a harsh whisper. My throat was as dry as the Sahara desert.

Irma looked up from the book she was reading.”Did you just say something Jason?” She leaned closer to me.

“Water please.” I repeated this time slightly louder than before.

“Oh Jason!” She exclaimed. “Of course you can have water. She reached over and pressed the call button for the nurses. Then she walked over to the sink and got me a glass of water.

The nurse rushed into the room and said. “Yes Irma, is there something you need?”

“Yes, call General White and tell him that Jason is speaking. I am sure he will alert the rest of the family. And bring a lot of ice water Jason will need it to soothe his raw throat.”

“Ok, I will be right back,” the nurse replied.

Irma returned to my side with the glass and held it for me as I drank it. I drank the whole glass and then a second one she got for me before I attempted to speak again. “I hear you need a groom for an upcoming wedding. Is the position still open for me?”

She squealed in delight as I said that and said. “It’s always been yours love. It’s so good to hear your voice again.”

I smiled at her and reached for the glass to drink again. My fingers were not strong enough to hold the glass and it slipped from my fingers shattering on the floor as it hit. “Oops. I guess I have a lot of work to do.”

Irma laughed and said as she started to clean up the mess I had made. “That’s ok, Jason. You have been away for a long time. It’s natural for your body to be so weak. I am just so happy you are back with us.”

“How long was I out of it?” I asked.

“About four weeks.” a new voice I did not recognized said. “Allow me to introduce myself. Doctor Albert Smith. I am the physician in charge of your recovery team.”

“Recovery team? Who needs... Is someone sick?” I was having trouble maintaining focus on what was being said.

I noticed Mimi and Katie exchanging glance. But then I forgot who they were.

“Who are all these people? Why am I here?” I started getting aggravated.

Suddenly everything was clear again.

“I have a team of doctors taking care of me?” I asked confused.

“Well General White insisted that his grandson have the best care. We have doctors of various specialties working here from several different nationalities.” Dr. Smith replied. He glanced at Mimi and shook his head.

“Seems like I am a bit out of touch.” I replied.

“Well Pasche if you insist on sleeping for weeks that tends to happen. Next time ask for a vacation before you wander off in your mind.” Grandpa Sam entered the room with a big grin on his face. “Welcome back Jason we were worried you might not be able to find the way back to us.”

I struggled to place the face of the new person who entered the room. I felt like I should know this man. I started to remember some things.

“Did the mission fail?” I asked with some apprehension.

“No lad. We managed to clear the vermin out of the European theater. Which is now under a centralized government known as the Pan European Alliance or Paneuro, which in itself is confusing since we have all of the Asian nations under the same umbrella. People finally realized just how foolish it is to be separate. We still have the North American, South American Continent and Africa to clean up but the buggers are all gone from here.”

“I thought we had failed because of me.” I said mournfully.

Grandpa Sam reached out and lightly cuffed me on the shoulder. “Jason enough of that. If anyone else had been the focal point of the merge we would have lost them to the attack that Xilis leashed on you. You managed to hold his attention long enough for us to extract the information that we needed before he was transported out of our reach. We did manage to begin the process of mind burning him so I believe it will be a long time before we hear from him again. But we have a greater worry now. The enemy leader of the North American Coalition is a merged being known as Klnet.. This Klnet is supposed to be worse than Xilis was. We are getting reports or atrocities being committed on the population there that make even my stomach turn.”

“I have to get out of this bed so we can continue. We can’t let them get too entrenched in the region.” I tried to swing my feet out of bed only to get caught in the covers. “Can someone help me get this blasted blanket off my legs?”

“Whoa son slow down there you have a lot of recovering to do before you get sent anywhere. We have to solidify our control on this area first before we can move out to any other region. As of now you are on paid medical leave until the doctors clear you for duties.” Grandpa Sam cleared his throat and started again. “Son, you are not going to like this next piece of news. We lost Moevin in the operation.”

“What!” I exclaimed. “How did this happen?” The tears began rolling down my cheeks, streaming from my eyes. Moevin was someone special to me and I could not believe she was gone.

“When Xilis focused his attack on you and Moevin saw you mentally collapse, she took her group in and shielded you from the worst of the attacks for a while. She saved your life by sacrificing hers. Once she was in shielding you she broke the merge from her group and took the brunt of the initial attack. When she fell, he returned his attention to you and by then we had extracted the information from him and began to mind burn him he was snatched from us. I can only assume the enemy has some form of long range transportation available and they risked us discovering this information by trying to save Xilis. I don’t think Xilis is of much used to them right now because we mind burned seventy percent of his mind before they got him away from us.”

“Who is this Xilis you keep talking about? Is he a friend of mine? Who tried to save him?” I struggled to make sense of all the information I was being given. I knew there was something important I should be doing.

I remained silent for a while and then remembered that a close friend had died. “I want to see her.”

Grandpa Sam cleared his throat and said. “That is not possible Jason. their race burns the bodies the next day after death. They do not preserve the body the way many cultures here on Earth do. There was a ceremony which was taped that you can watch later if you so wish.” While Grandpa Sam and I were talking, the doctor had been examining me. Grandpa Sam turned to the doctor and asked. “Well Albert what’s the prognosis?”

Doctor Smith looked at Grandpa Sam and shook his head. “Right now we have seen nothing that would impede a full recovery for Jason. We will need to get some MRI’s and CAT Scans before we can be sure that there is no organic damage.”

“Who’s Jason?” Why couldn’t I remember things properly?

I looked at the armband that the hospital apparently put on me. I read the name Jason White. That must be me. Now I remembered.

“Oh great I have to stay in this stupid hospital again, being poked and prodded by anyone who has a sharp instrument in their hands.” I grumbled.

“That’s right. You will stay right here until the doctors agree that you can be released.” Katie’s voice came from the door.

My heart leapt in joy as it usually did when Katie was around. Don’t get me wrong I loved Irma for sure but Katie was my first love and my wife and she could wrap me around her fingers any time she wanted to. “Hi, baby.”

She smiled and came over to me. She bent down and kissed me. Then she snagged Irma and pushed her toward me. Make sure you greet your fiancée properly.” I did so and she smiled again. “That’s the proper way to greet your intended Jason. Mia is outside and once we clear the room of bodies you can spend some time with her.”

“That my cue to get out of here Jason.” Grandpa Sam chuckled., “Don’t want to wake the wrath of the angry squaw today.” Katie swung at him and he ducked quickly out of the way. “I am not too old that I can’t out maneuver an angry squaw woman.”

“I’ll give you angry squaw you old misbegotten excuse of a man” I heard the smack of flesh against flesh before I saw Mimi in the room.

“Dangit woman you didn’t need to put English on it you damn near stripped the hide off of me.” I heard the smack of flesh again flesh and then Grandpa Sam was out the door running down the hallway with Mimi chasing him, like a hound dog on the scent.

“Come back here you old useless bag of bones I am not finished beating you!!” Mimi squealed in the hallway.

The room was filled with laughter at the antics of the two old people. Katie stepped outside and came back with an armful of squirming one year old Mia. She deposited her on the bed and said. “There is your daddy Mia. You have been wanting to see him so go to him.”

Mia sat on her hands and knees and looked at me. She cocked her head and then launched herself into my arms. “Daddy!!”

As soon as Mia landed in my arms things were clear to me again. There was something about Mia that made me forget everything else. I could feel my thought process go from murky to clear in the short time she had been in my arms.

“Hey baby girl. Daddy has missed you.” I started crying again since holding Mia in my arms opened all kinds of emotions in me. “Have you been a good girl while Daddy was away?”

“Yes..Mommy Irma plays with me all the time Daddy.” Mia replied.

I was surprised at her command of the English language at her young age then I realized she would be two and a few months. I raised my eyebrow when she made the last comment. “Mommy Irma?”

“Well she will be soon Jason.” Katie spoke up. “It nice to have help with her because she is really a handful.”

“I can imagine that if she has any amount of her Momma in her, since her momma is a handful too.” I ducked as Katie swung at me and everyone in the room burst out laughing again.”Well since I am on medical leave I guess we can hold a wedding now but the honeymoon might have to wait for a while.”

“Momka has everything ready we just need to set the date.” Irma replied as she blushed. “Don’t worry about the honeymoon we have plenty of time for that when you have recovered.”

I looked over to the doctor and asked. “How about it Doc? Do I have to remain here while you poke and prod at me or can I come back for the tests you wish to make?”