Craig hung up the receiver and turned to the guitar that leaned against the back wall next to the window. A beam of sunshine lit up the strings causing them to shine. Craig scowled. He was still staring at it when the phone rang a second time.

Craig shook his head at the instrument and turned his swivel chair to face the desk.

“Miller here.”

“Craig, it’s John.”

“What’s going on?”

“Bad news, it’s TCF. A count of 504.”

“I don’t know what that means, John.”

“Parts per million in her system. A count of 302 is lethal. There’s no explanation for how she could survive a count of 504. She should be dead.”

“Jesus,” whispered Craig. “What are we dealing with here?”

“I don’t know. I have the antidote. I’ll meet you in ICU.”

Craig hung up the phone and looked at Kelly Broden’s chart. “Jesus, kid. What’s going on?”

He got up and went to the window and removed the guitar before leaving the office. He pressed the button and patiently waited. The indicator above the doors showed the car was on its way up, already at the second floor.

The doors eventually opened and Elly and Maggy Broden stood behind them. Their eyes betrayed their surprise.

“Dr. Miller,” Elly said and started to step out of the car. Miller grabbed the doors and held them open. He glanced briefly at Maggy before addressing Elly.

“You’d better come with me,” he said quietly. He nudged her back into the car and pressed the button for the sixth floor.

“What’s going on, Dr. Miller? The woman on the phone said you had Kelly in surgery. How is she?”

“She’s upstairs. Your husband is with her.”

“Is she all right?”

Craig took his time to answer. He divided his attention between the two women. “I’m sorry. No, she’s not all right. At the moment she is in a coma–”

“Coma?” Maggy said. “She won’t–”

Craig turned to her. He read her concern.

“She is going to be okay?” Maggy redirected.

“We hope so, Miss Broden. We’re doing all we can for her,” Craig answered, slipping into the routine response and hated himself for it.

The doors opened onto the sixth floor and Craig led the women to Kelly’s room.

“What’s the guitar for?” Maggy asked him before he opened the door.

“Your father requested it. I don’t know why.”

Maggy nodded as Craig opened the door and held it open for the women to enter. Maggy’s perfume whiffed up at him as she passed by. She still had the power to make him nervous. He felt himself flush slightly. It was the same perfume and girl that tangled his emotions a year ago. Craig found himself wishing the circumstances were different.

Craig entered behind Maggy and went straight to Chief. He handed him the guitar.

Chief looked up and noticed his eldest and wife standing behind the doctor. He smiled for them, hoping there was enough courage in the smile to pass.

Then Chief turned to Craig just as the door opened a second time and Dr. John Reiner swept into the room. “Well? Is it what you thought?” Chief directed the question to both doctors.

Reiner nodded, his expression grave. “TCF. A 504 count.”

“I’m not sure I know what that means,” Chief admitted. “Can the antidote help?”

“What’s going on?” Elly asked from her corner.

Chief turned to her briefly. “Kelly’s been poisoned, El.” He returned to the doctor. “Well?”

“Poisoned?!” Elly remitted. “What do you mean?”

Again Chief turned to her. “It’s the cult. For some reason they want her out of the picture. I don’t know it all, but I’ll fill you in later on what I do know.” He turned to Reiner, his eyes re-asking the question.

Nurse Trever returned and looked about the room. Her eyes held remorse and empathy. She noticed Dr. Miller and directed her comments to him. 

“The technicians say the iron lung is ready. She needs to be moved soon, her pressure and respiration are falling, doctor.”

“Well?” Chief asked again, regaining the doctors’ attention.

“Chief,” Reiner answered quietly, “A count of 302 is lethal. By all rights your daughter ... Jesus, especially a child of that body weight, there’s no way she should have survived it this long. She should have died instantly.”

Chief rolled back in his chair. “But she’s not dead. She’s fighting it. What can we do to help her?" 

“You don’t get it–”

“I do get it,” Chief cut him off. “Whatever you’ve learned in school before, does not apply here. There are other forces at work. Or can’t you get that?”

The quiet in the room was deafening. It was eventually disturbed however by the child’s troubled breathing.

“Your doubt will cost my daughter her life,” Chief said. “Please, do something.”

Reiner pulled the hypodermic out of his pocket and removed the protective rubber tip. He looked at it carefully and flicked out the air-bubbles. He turned to Chief before continuing. He explained, “At large measures this drug could become as toxic as the TCF itself. There hasn’t been a lot of research on this poison, Chief. It’s too rare. Unfortunately this is all we have.”

“Give it to her,” Chief said as Maggy and Elly came closer.

Craig approached the bed, placing himself between his patient and Dr. Reiner. Chief could see the doubt in his eyes. The compassion for Chief and his family was also unmistakable. But above all else, was the concern for his patient. 

“Are you sure?” he asked Chief, glancing at Reiner. “This is the best we can do?”

He sighed and held out his hand, taking the hypodermic from Reiner. Craig extracted the child’s arm and brought up a vein. Chief watched as the needle sank into his child’s flesh and the clear liquid it contained was pumped out of the glass body of the syringe and into the body of his child.

“When will we know anything?” Chief asked Reiner, as Craig extracted the needle.

“If it does any good at all, we’ll see some indication, within the hour.”

“What do you mean if?” broke in Maggy. She moved closer to the bed and glanced at her sister. “She is going to be all right, isn’t she? What kind of a doctors are you?”

“Maggy,” Chief said calmly, his eyes holding her.

It was Reiner who broke their force. “No one’s ever treated a patient with a count that high. I had to guess at the dosage. I went a little light.”

“Why?” Maggy demanded.

“Because, the antidote is a toxin too. If we give her too much, it could do more harm than good.

“And too little?” Maggy asked.

“It won’t work,” he told her and returned to Chief. “I should also tell you, I no longer feel the coma was post-operative. I believe it was caused by the TCF, which means it is affecting her brain. Anyone with that much toxin in her bloodstream, in her lung tissue,” Reiner shook his head. “You’ll have to excuse me,” he whispered, “but this is too strange, even for me. Christ, 504.”

“You said that level kills.”

“That’s right.”

“She’s not dead.”

“But she’s comatose. Her system is saturated with toxin. Don’t you see?”

“Yes, but you told me upstairs that her symptoms are not normal. The mucous is actually saving her tissue from exposure. She’s fighting it, doctor. My daughter is not in a coma, ” Chief said surprising them. 

“What the hell do you mean–?”

“She’s in the Dead Place. Trapped. If she dies there, she dies here. That much I know.”

“Dead Place?” Reiner mulled the words over.

“That’s what she calls it.”

“Her alternate universe?” Craig sinterjected.

“She’s trapped there. We need to lead her back.” Chief noticed Elly’s expression was one of horror and disbelief.

“I’m not crazy, El.”

“But, what are you saying? It’s not real?”

“How do we know that? It’s real enough to her,” Chief answered indicating Kelly.

“How do you plan on leading her back?” Craig asked.

“That’s where this comes in.”

“The guitar?”

“Tell me something, doctor, when you told my daughter there was a power in music? Did you really believe that or was it just a load of crap you were handing her?”

Craig hesitated. He looked at the guitar and remembered what he had told the child. He remembered the life the music gave back to him after the loss of his mother and father. “I believed it, Chief. I would never sell a bill of goods to a child.”

“Did she believe it?”

At Craig’s hesitation to answer, Donna broke in, “Yes.”

Chief regarded her expectantly.

“At the beginning of the week she was suffering from those horrible nightmares. At the end of the week they were gone. I asked her about them, she told me the music kept them away.”

Chief nodded. “That’s what I wanted to hear.” Chief handed the guitar to Elly, “I can’t play this thing, and my singing would scare her away for good. Would you, El?”

“But.... What makes you think this will work? Bob this is crazy.”

“She’ll be able to hear it, El. We have to do something or I’ll lose her.”

“How do you know that? How can you be so sure? She made it this far.”

“Because,” Chief whispered, his voice so low that only she could hear him. “Katherine told me. She’s with her. Has been all along. She told me she’s anchored to her and if I lose Kelly, I lose her as well.”

Elly’s face drained of color. “But you must be mistaken.”

“No, El. I wasn’t mistaken, and I wasn’t drunk or hallucinating.”

“But–”

“Elly,” Chief said gently. “Please, trust me. It’s the only way to save my daughter. The antidote can only keep her from dying here. It won’t help her there. Please,” he implored. “Please, sing to my daughter.”

The color came back into Elly’s face. She looked closely at her husband, and nodded. “Okay.” She took the chair next to the child’s bed, and placed the guitar into her lap. “What should I play?”

“How about that lullaby Kate used to sing, when she was carrying Kelly. The one she swore the baby danced to.”

Elly smiled in spite of herself. She remembered Katherine vividly, rocking and swaying to the music she created. Her captive audience deep inside her kicked gently to the melody. 

“I remember it.” She began to strum the strings of the guitar and the melody poured forth. It started quiet and sad, but gained harmony and force.

Chief found himself carried away with the music as well. He let it take him, hoping it would take him to his daughter, hoping that through the music, he could cross over, into the Dead Place. He let his mind flow, concentrating on the child resting beneath the oxygen tent.

Elly was halfway through the lyrics when there was movement on the bed. She turned but did not interrupt her singing. She directed the song to the child that now stirred. The movement from the child increased, as did the labor of her breathing as she became aware of her inability to do so. Kelly started to choke. She bolted upright and coughed violently. Both Chief and Craig were at her side immediately. Elly moved out of the way to allow the doctor more room to work.

Craig pulled back the tent that separated him from his patient. His hand went to her back where he proceeded to pound to dislodge the heavy fluid that constricted the child’s flow of air. 

Chief went to the other side of his child to calm down her rising panic. “It’s all right, pumpkin.”

She continued to breathe too deeply, choking.

“Just cough it out,” Craig instructed. “It’s okay.”

Kelly did as he said and coughed the fluid from her lungs. It spewed forth in a thick, green-yellow mass of mucous as she strained and choked to free herself from it. When she completely cleared her lungs, she continued to gasp for air, a puddle of fluid in her lap.

“I’ll get a change of bedding,” Donna said and left the room.

Kelly panted on the bed, her attention on the ooze in front of her. 

Chief moved in closer. “Hey.”

When she wouldn’t look, he took her chin in his hands and pulled her attention to him. There were tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“If you don’t mind,” Craig broke in. “I need to do my doctor thing here.” 

Kelly's brow was heavily perspired. She breathed every breath as if it were a treat, not taking any for granted. She nodded.

Craig took her wrist in his hand and proceeded to take her pulse, checking his watch periodically. When he was through he checked her respiration with his stethoscope, repeating the procedure he used that morning. He continued to check all the child’s vital signs: blood pressure, temperature, and reaction to light. When he finished he stood back and regarded the child.

“Well?” Chief asked. “Is she all right?”

Craig continued to stare at Kelly, trapped in deep thought. He turned to the child’s father when the question finally made its way through his barriers. Then to Reiner. “There’s still a small measure of fluid in her lungs, but I think the antidote will knock that out in a few hours. Her blood pressure is only slightly elevated, but rapidly returning to normal. Temperature is normal for her, 99.1. No dilation of the pupils, and her pulse is normal. She’s going to be fine.”

“Chief?” Kelly asked from the bed, her voice quivered slightly.

“Yes, pumpkin?” Chief answered. He leaned closer to keep her from straining.

“I got stuck,” she said quietly. “In the Dead Place.”

“I know. But you’re back now. And you’re all right.”

“You were there,” she whispered and started to cry. “I was in a pit and they ... they kept filling it with blood, it was like the dream ... only you were there.”

“I had to be. I couldn’t let anything happen to you, pumpkin. I love you too much.”

“The music brought you,” Kelly said quietly. She yawned and leaned back against her pillow.

Chief noticed the child was fighting her fatigue. He smiled for her.

Donna returned with fresh bedding and Chief was forced to relinquish his daughter and allow the nurse to change the bed. Donna was skilled in this arena and had the bed completely changed within a matter of minutes without disturbing the patient.

Once the bed was changed Donna stood back. She surveyed her handy-work until her eyes came to rest on Kelly’s. She went into an involuntary smile. “All fixed.”

Kelly merely looked at her. Then she said as all the grown ups in the room stared at her, “Can I go home now?”

“I’m afraid not, kiddo,” Craig said from his place in the room. Kelly turned to him. “We’re going to keep you up here for the rest of today and if you continue to improve, we’ll move you back downstairs for an additional set of days.”

“But I feel okay.”

“You, young lady,” Craig informed her. “Had just come out of major surgery. We have to make sure you fully recover from that first.”

“You mean I got cut up?”

“That’s right.”

“How come? Cuz o’ the blood in my lungs?”

Craig glanced at Chief before answering. “You could say that.”

Kelly stared at him, then she said, “Oh.” Disappointment showed strongly in her face.

“Don’t worry, pumpkin,” Chief told her. “You’ll be home soon enough.”

The door to the room opened and Moss and Martha entered. Kelly turned in their direction and smiled.

“Hiya Uncle Mort!”

Chief turned to Moss, then to Martha. “Uncle?”

“They got hitched, Chief.”

Chief noticed both Moss ad Martha were flushed and stared at Kelly, their eyes wide with surprise. “When was this?”

Moss gave him an embarrassed smile. “Wednesday, after Martha was released from the hospital.”

“You didn’t say anything.”

“It was sort of spur of the moment. And we’ve been gone since. I guess we never got around to it.”

“I didn’t want to announce it,” Martha said. “I didn’t want a fuss, Robert. Especially the way I looked at the time; what with a swollen nose and the two shiners.”

“It’s really my fault. I didn’t want to wait any longer. I’d waited too long already.”

“Almost thirteen years,” Chief said and smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Moss said and turned to Kelly. “But how did you know?”

Kelly looked at him. It was apparent to all she was thinking heavily. She shrugged “I don’t know.”

“Really?” Moss changed the subject. “So I hear you had a rough morning.”

Again Kelly shrugged. “I was stuck in the Dead Place, Uncle Mort. But Chief got me out.”

Moss arched his brows. “Is that a fact?” Glancing at Chief,  “He was there, huh?”

Kelly smiled. “The music brought him.”

“Music?”

“I’ll fill you in later, Mort,” Chief said. “I think Kelly needs some rest now.”

“I agree,” Dr. Miller said, Reiner concurring.

To everyone’s surprise the child did not complain about being left alone. She lay against her pillows.

“Are you coming back soon, Chief?” she asked her father and yawned.

“Real soon, pumpkin. I’m just going outside the door to talk with your Uncle and the doctors. I’ll be right back.”

“You stayin’ here?”

“Yes,” Chief answered looking up Craig.

“I’ll arrange for a cot to be brought in.”

“Thank you,” Chief told him and kissed his daughter. “I’ll be right here when you need me, honey.”

Kelly smiled and closed her eyes.

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