End

Thomas re-awoke to bright lights. For some reason or another, the lights in his room were on full blast. He squinted in the light. The pain in his eyes (and his head) so preoccupied him that it was several moments before he realized that the rest of his body was also in pain.

It took him a few moments, also, to remember why he was in the hospital. To remember what had happened. He remembered that there had been a problem and he had tried to fix it. But he had failed. He groaned and shut his aching eyes.

"Thomas?" he heard a voice whisper, and he turned his head slightly to see his younger sister standing to his right.

"Hey," he whispered softly. She smiled back.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Terrible," he replied. "Everything hurts."

"Everything?" Joanne asked with alarm.

"Everything," he replied. "Where's Mom?"

"She went to get some food," Joanne replied, and he nodded, the first actual movement he'd attempted. He immediately regretted it when pain shot up his neck towards his head and down his spine. He didn't bother to supress the moan. "Want me to get a nurse or something?" Joanne asked.

"Yeah," he whispered back, the pain being to strong for him to want to speak loudly. "Thanks."

Joanne left the room in a hurry, and Thomas shut his eyes in an attempt to shut out the pain. But pain control was not one of his strong points, and he didn't accomplish much.

'Wish Dad was here," he thought to himself. 'He's good with pain.' But all his wishing wouldn't do much and so therefore he remained in excruciating pain.

"What's the paper say?" Mike asked. Peter looked down at the sheet of crumpled paper in his hand and began to read.

"Your instructions," he began. "Step One, find the rightful owner of the stone. You will need help. You have three ways to accomplish this. Stay where you are, go home, or go to a third place. Do not continue reading until you have done one of those things."

"Well, that was remarkably helpful," Mike snorted sarcastically. Peter nodded his agreement. "Only thing I understand out of it was that we need help. So lets get some."

"From where?" Peter asked.

"I dunno," Mike confessed. "But let's start with breakfast." He headed towards the hotel lobby. Peter stuffed the letter in his pocket and followed him.

Davy had just finished his third glass of coffee but was feeling no more awake than he had earlier. He shook his head and tried to force his eyes open.

Next to him, Micky was finishing off his third bagel with cream cheese, and it was he who alerted him when Mike and Peter entered.

"Hey guys, where ya been all night?" he called out when they entered.

"We had a few distractions," Peter replied as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. He and Mike explained what had happened with Mari and the stone.

Davy looked confused. "You okay, Davy?" Mike asked. Davy blinked and nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "Just tired." He shook his head. "Sounds weird," he commented after waking himself up.

"That's only the half of it," Peter told him. He handed him the crumpled piece of paper. Davy read it and handed it to Micky.

"Sounds like the person to help you who's here would be me," he replied. "But I don't know how exactly to help you."

"Why do you think it would be you, Davy?" Mike asked as he buttered himself a bagel.

"I don't know," Davy replied honestly. "I just think it would be. I mean, who else would it be?"

"He's got a point there," Micky commented as he handed the paper back to Peter.

"Well, you can find people," Peter commented. "Maybe you're supposed to find the stone's owner."

"Yeah but how?" Davy asked. "How can I find someone when I don't even know who they are?"

"I don't know," Mike told him. "But it's worth a try."

"Okay," Davy agreed. "After breakfast."

The others nodded their agreement as they began to eat.

"Don't forget everyone, we're leavin' here at noon to head back to California," Mike told everyone. "I've had enough of Indiana."

"Me, too," Micky commented. "I wanna get home."

"How long you think we have until we're home?" Peter asked.

"I dunno, Maybe two days?" Mike replied. "Depends."

Peter nodded. "I think I have a phone call to make before I pack," he said with a smile as he left the table.

"Feel any better?" Thomas heard his mother whisper. He opened blurry eyes and saw her looking over him.

"A little," he replied. "Kinda numb right now." She nodded. "At least no more pain."

"Any idea what caused this?" she asked gently as she sank into the seat next to him.

He sighed. "Not really. All I remember is that there was something I was trying to prevent, but I couldn't. I don't know what it was or why I was trying to stop it, though," he explained.

She nodded. "Do you know anything about who it had to do with?"

He shut his eyes momentarily and thought. "I think it might have had something to do with Dad," he replied after a moment. "But I can't be sure."

She nodded.

"Where's Joanne?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Staying with the Johnson's," she replied. The Johnson's were close neighbors. "I gotta get going, okay Thomas. I'll be back a little later."

"Sure," he replied. "I think I'll just sleep some more." Nicole nodded and turned to leave. "Mom?" he asked, stopping her.

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Dad, Okay?"

"Tell Dad what?" she asked.

"That I'm sick," he clarified. "Don't tell him I'm here, okay?"

"Why?"

"Just don't okay?"

"Okay," she agreed. She smiled at him. "Get some rest, okay?" she told him. He nodded.

Peter frowned as he heaved his suitcase on to the tour bus.

"What's the matter, Pete?" Micky asked.

"Nobody's home," Peter replied solemnly. "I know that's not a big deal, but I just have this bad feeling about it right now."

"She probably just went to the store or something," Micky tried to console him.

Peter glanced at him and thought. "I suppose," he replied as he flopped into his seat. "Man, if we never go on a tour again, I won't be too upset," he commented as he shifted around in his seat. Micky chuckled.

"Me either, Pete," he replied as he sat down. "Me either."

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