A Dream Unfolding (61 page)

Tears pooled in Hannah’s eyes at the news.
 
He may never wake up.
 
Would she lose the second man she gave her heart to?
 
Was she cursed?
 
She dismissed the thought quickly.
 
She knew God had not abandoned her.
 
She prayed he would not abandon Will either.

Hannah woke, stiff and sore.
 
She had fallen asleep kneeling next to Will’s bed, his hand in hers.
 
She begged God for Will’s life.
 
She pleaded.
 
She sobbed until she had nothing left.
 
It was a week since he was thrown from his horse, left to wander the unconscious realm.
 
And Hannah barely left Will’s side.
 
She couldn’t.
 
She wouldn’t.

Last night she got into an argument with Ben over the subject.
 
Ben tried to order her to rest in the other bedroom while he cared for Will.
 
She refused, screaming hysterically at him.
 
Eventually she got her way.

Hannah was utterly empty, drained of all emotion now.
 
She had nothing left.
 
She hoped that it was true—that the Holy Spirit would really pray when she couldn’t—because she couldn’t any more.

She checked Will’s head injury, relieved that the swelling had not returned.

She was so tired, having barely slept in a week.
 
She would just sit in the chair next to his bed for a moment.

Hours later, she woke to Martha Murphy shaking her.
 
“Hannah, Hannah,” Martha repeated.
 
“I’ve been trying to rouse you for several minutes now.
 
You look terrible.
 
Come with me dear.”

Half dazed, Hannah followed Martha into the adjacent bedroom.
 
Pushing her toward the bed, Martha commanded, “You lie down now and rest.
 
Dr. Murphy’s orders.
 
We’re here now and will see to Mr.
Colter’s
care.”

Too tired to protest, Hannah complied.

Sometime later, Hannah shot upright in the unfamiliar bed.
 
She heard strange murmurings from the room next door.
 
She eased out of bed and walked towards Will’s room.
 
Cracking the door open, she saw Dr. and Mrs. Murphy and Reverend Read surrounding Will’s bed.
 
They each had a hand on his arm or head and were praying fervently for healing.
 
Relieved that he was in good hands, Hannah returned to bed.

Again, she woke with a start.
 
As the fog lifted, she saw Martha hovering over her.
 
“Hannah, come eat some supper with us after you freshen up.”

Hannah stood, seeing Martha laid out a fresh dress for her.
 
Pouring some water into the wash basin, she cleaned and changed clothes.
 
When she entered the room, she saw Martha, the doctor, and the reverend already seated around the table.
 
How strange it felt to be dining with a group of people in Will’s home without him.
 
At the thought, she looked towards his closed door before sitting in the remaining chair.

“Mrs. Anderson,” Dr. Murphy started.
 
“You have done a marvelous job of caring for Mr.
Colter
, but at your own expense.”
 
Martha’s glare didn’t deter him.
 
“If you don’t care for yourself as well and let others help, I will send you back to Lancaster’s.”

Her head snapped up at the seriousness of his tone.
 
She nodded compliantly.

“He’s right.
 
Mr.
Colter
is in the Lord’s hands, not yours,” added Reverend Read.
 
“You must let God do the work.”

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she turned her head to look away from the group.
 
Martha grasped her hand and tenderly patted it.

“Hannah, I know it’s hard, especially when you love someone so deeply and have been hurt before, but trust God.
 
He is working on mending Will.
 
You will not lose him.”

Hannah wished she could believe Martha.
 
She ate in silence as the others carried the conversation.
 
She felt great remorse for not having told Will she loved him.
 
She remembered their conversation by the lake.
 
When she told him she dreamed of being a wife and mother, she also dreamed of him by her side.
 
Now he may never know.
 
He could die without ever knowing.

After the three visitors left, Hannah opened the door to Will’s room.
 
Ben was sitting in the chair next to the bed, his head bobbing up and down as he slept.
 
She wasn’t the only one worried.

Not wanting to disturb Ben, she knelt next to Will on the other side.
 
She placed her face on his hand, tears falling softly on his skin.
 
She stayed like that for a moment, before standing and leaning close to his ear.

“I love you, Will
Colter
,” she whispered in his ear.
 
“I love you more than anything.
 
Please don’t leave me.”

She kissed his forehead, before running from the room overcome with despair.

Chapter
33

Will looked around, frightened.
 
He was somewhere in pitch black darkness.
 
Holding up his hand in front of his face, he could see nothing.
 
Where was he?
 
He tried to cry out, but no sound would move past his lips.
 
His limbs felt heavy, weighed down.
 
He could not move.
 
Panic started to rise.
 
Again he tried to call out, but couldn’t.

What was that?
 
He thought he heard a sound.
 
A woman’s voice.
 
Someone who meant something to him.
 
Who was it?
 
Who are you?
 
He wanted to shout.
 
Where was he?
 
What was going on?
 
Why couldn’t he see anything, say anything?

A door slowly creaked.
 
Bright white light filled the opening.
 
It hurt his eyes and he squinted.
 
There was a figure standing in the doorway.
 
Who was it?
 
Was that a man?
 
A woman?
 
He couldn’t tell.
 
The bright light was making it difficult to distinguish.

He saw a face flash before his eyes.
 
Smiling.
 
Strawberry blonde hair.
 
He knew this woman.
 
Then it was gone.
 
Only the figure in the flood of white light remained.

“Who are you?” finally Will could speak.

No answer.

“What do you want?
 
Where am I?”

Still no answer.

The woman’s face flashed before him again.
 
Who was she?
 
She was someone important to him.
 
His mother?
 
Sister?
 
Wife?
 

It hurt to think.
 
A constant pounding was beating between his ears.
 
Had he fallen?
 
Was he hurt?
 
What was going on?

The ghostly figure just stood in the doorway.
 
Not saying anything.
 
Not moving into the dark room, nor moving away from the room.
 
He noticed that none of the bright light was shining past the doorway into the room.
 
It was as if the light was swallowed by the darkness at the threshold.

Still the pounding.
 
It hurt.
 
He couldn’t think.

There, again, he thought he heard a woman’s voice.
 
It was dim and in the distance.
 
What was she saying?

“I love you, Will
Colter
.”

There was more, but it was muffled by the drumming beat in his head.
 

Who was she?

Again, she spoke.
 
“I love you more than anything.
 
Please don’t leave me.”

She loved him.
 
Who was she?
 
She didn’t want him to leave.
 
He wasn’t going anywhere.
 
He couldn’t go anywhere.
 
He tried, and his limbs were still immovable.
 
Who was she?

He felt a moist drop of water—was it a tear, her tear—on his face.

The drumming beat threatened to extinguish the fleeting recognition.
 
Who was she?

Hannah.
 
It was Hannah.
 
It was his love, Hannah.

What did she mean, don’t leave?
 
Where was he going?
 
Why couldn’t he see her?
 
Why was that figure standing in the doorway?

The figure started to come into focus.
 
It was a man.
 
Something was very familiar about the man.
 
Where did he know him from?
 
He had always known him—at least that is what Will thought.
 
No.
 
Not always.
 
Since he was a young man.

Who was he?
 
Who introduced him?
 
Was this man his father?
 
No.
 
It was his father that had introduced him to this man.
 
Who was he?
 
The drumming in his head hurt so bad.
 
Make it stop.

Hannah.
 
Why couldn’t he talk to her?
 
To tell her he loved her?
 
Would she be able to hear him if he shouted?
 
He opened his mouth desperate to tell her.
 
No sound would come.
 
He kept trying.
 
Hannah.
 
Hannah.
 
Never will I leave you.
 
I love you.

The figure moved forward into the room with startling swiftness.
 
Who is he?
 
He was certain he knew this man.
 

Yes, that’s who it was.

“Don’t take me with you,” Will pleaded.
 
“I can’t go with you yet.
 
Hannah needs me.”

The figure said nothing, but gently cupped his hand behind Will’s head.
 
Instantly the drumming stopped, the figure departed, and he was left in pure darkness again.

He heard the woman again.
 
Hannah.
 
His Hannah.
 
She was crying.
 
She was holding his hand.
 
Why was she crying?
 
What was wrong?
 
Hannah.