Earth Man Read Free Page B

darker blonde like Danny’s mother. Luckily Ray had his father’s body shape; he was naturally athletic even though he had no interest in any sports.
    “ Give it back Dad!” Ray said, snatching the hat back.
    Suddenly Morgan threw her arms around her father, squeezing him tight.
    “ I knew you’d wake up Daddy. I know you’ll always be there to protect us.”
    A nurse appeared in the doorway so Danny took the opportunity to break his daughter ’s choke hold.
    “ Doctor Rue is ready to see you now.” The nurse stated.
    The doctor entered the room as soon as nurse finished speaking and Danny wondered why he hadn’t just come in. Unless he was heading in their direction and the nurse had taken too long to tell them, Danny couldn’t think of any logical way the doctor could have entered just as the nurse said he would, unless he’d planned it that way. Either way, Danny didn’t like the dreamy young doctor already. When he smiled at them his gaze lingered too long on Helen and it made Danny furious.
    “ Is it okay to talk in front of the children?” the doctor asked.
    He flashed a big white smile like an actor in toothpaste commercial. Danny and the doctor were the same age and Danny suddenly felt inferior, especially now that he was apparently unemployed.
    “ It appears that Mr. Boyle had an idiopathic seizure,” the doctor said with a little too much enthusiasm. “The strain on his body caused him to suffer a heart attack, which occurred during his transfer here from Mills.”
    The doctor walked over to Danny and c hecked his temperature with the back of his hand, placing it gently against Danny’s forehead. Danny rolled his eyes at Helen.
    “ The good news is that there was no damage done, at least none that we can see at this point. His brain scans came up clean, his heart looks stronger than mine, all in all he’s in great shape.”
    Danny smiled until he realized the doctor was smiling at him.
    “So what’s the bad news?” Helen asked, fiddling with her fingers like she always did when she was nervous.
    “ What?” asked the doctor.
    “ What’s the bad news? You started with saying ‘the good news is’, that implies there is some bad news as well.” Helen said, narrowing her eyes.
    “ Oh, no. I mean we have to keep him here for another couple of days to run some tests. I am not sure why it took him so long to wake up and we have no idea what caused the seizure in the first place. Give me another 48 hours and then I’d say he is good to go home. That’s the bad news, I guess. Lots of tests to run.”
    “ Can I stay in a hotel? It’d be cheaper.” Danny stated.
    “ Take it easy, I’ll be back in a couple hours for some blood.” The doctor said as he shook Danny’s leg playfully before walking toward the door.
    Danny nodded and the doctor too k off, down the hall to another room where another patient waited. Danny wondered if that person had a story as bizarre as his own.
                  Helen and the kids stayed with Danny for a few more hours, but as much as they loved their father, the children grew restless. Danny felt fine while they were there but after Helen and the kids said goodbye the sounds started in the wall again. Anxiety began to build in his chest and when it got close to midnight a new noise started outside the window. It seemed like a dull vibration, a throbbing that grew in intensity every minute. Danny lay in his bed, looking at the curtains, wondering what was outside the window. His room was two floors up and even though it was making him nervous he had to see what it was.
    Breathing in d eeply, Danny worked up the courage to go toward the window. He stood there with his hands on the curtain, trying to calm himself down. Something banged against the window, sounding like a thousand tiny little hammers. He threw the curtains open and saw the largest swarm of bees he’d ever seen in his life. They moved as a swarm, banging against the glass repeatedly.