“Oh, come on, Clara,” David said. “He didn’t pass out. He just fell asleep.”

  His tone said, “Don’t be ridiculous,” but David was gripped by uncertainty and anxiety, too, and his denial was more an attempt to convince himself than his wife that everything was OK with Dan.

  “If he just fell asleep, he would have woken up when you carried him inside,” Clara protested. “Something is really wrong with him, isn’t it?”

  David’s stomach clinched, and his pulse thudded in his ears.

  “Now, Clara, I’m sure he’ll feel much better after a good night of sleep,” he said.

  She pursed her lips and looked at him with wide-open eyes, appearing almost angry.

  “And then,” David continued, “we’ll get him to the doctor first thing in the morning. Deal?”

  Clara hesitated. “I guess so,” she said, giving her husband a sheepish look. “Dave?”

  She only called him “Dave” during very personal or trying moments, and he felt protective of her as her eyes pleaded with him.

  “What, honey?”

  “Would it be weird if I slept in the chair next to his bed tonight?” she asked. “You know, just in case he wakes up in the night and needs me for something?”

  David squeezed her hand and stood, stepping to her side.

  “Nope, not weird at all,” he told her. “In fact, I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

  —

  After a few bouts of fitful sleep, David woke up on the floor of Dan’s bedroom, early rays of sunlight winking through the venetian blinds and splashing across his eyelids. He rubbed his eyes and rolled onto his side to look toward the rocking chair next Dan’s bed. Clara waved to him and whispered, “Good morning.”

  Even in the low light, David could see his wife was brooding. He looked at the motionless lump on Dan’s bed and stood with a start, rising to his feet in one motion.

  “What’s wrong?” David whispered hoarsely. “Is Dan OK?”

  Clara stretched her arm across gloom, reaching for her husband.

  “He hasn’t moved since we put him down last night,” she said, looking to Dan. “But he’s breathing regularly.”

  David rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?” he asked.

  “It’s 6:30,” Clara told him. “He’s been out for almost 11 hours now, David.”

  David leaned forward and put his palm on Dan’s forehead, then he caressed the young man’s cheek and squeezed his shoulder. Dan did not flinch.

  “Well, he feels cool enough, but you’re right: he’s not moving at all,” David told her. “I think we need to get him to the doctor.”

  Clara shook her head. “We don’t need to go anywhere yet, Dave,” she said. “I called Dr. Parks during the night, and he said he would come over as soon as he could. Should be sometime this morning.”

  David hesitated, staring intently at his son. After several seconds, he said, “Well, he does seem to be breathing fine, so there is probably no real harm in waiting a bit longer. You want to have breakfast with me at Chez Hodges?”

  Clara gave him a quizzical look, missing the reference. “We can’t go anywhere now, David!” she scolded.

  “Not even to Chez Hodges?” he repeated, before adding, “Otherwise known as ‘Our Kitchen’? I’m cooking.”

  She managed a mild smile and nodded. “Alright, then, as long as you’re cooking, I guess I can’t refuse. Can you make the coffee first?”

  David nodded.

  “And make it strong, OK?”

  “You bet. Just as soon as I call in to work to let them know I won’t be in for a while.”

  —

  David and Clara had just finished off their first pot of coffee and a light breakfast of toast, eggs sunny-side-up, and juice when there was a knock at the door. David dropped the last scoop of grounds into the coffee maker and fired it up again, then walked to the front door. Dr. Parks was standing on the stoop, and he waved at David through a side panel.

  David swung open the door and greeted Parks with,“He’s in the bedroom, doctor. He hasn’t moved since we brought him home last night.”

  “OK,” Parks said, not acknowledging the lack of social niceties. As he passed the kitchen, Clara joined him, and the three walked down the hall to Dan’s room.

  Parks knelt by Dan’s bed, using his stethoscope to listen to the young man’s chest, neck, arms, and legs. Next, he clasped Dan’s wrist in his hand and took his pulse. Finally, he pulled out a penlight and used it to examine Dan’s face, pausing on his eyes. After his examination, Parks stood and motioned the Hodges into the hallway.

  “How is he, Doctor?” David asked.

  “First off,” Parks began. “I want you to understand that Dan does not appear to be in any kind of distress. I don’t think he will die, in other words.”

  Clara gasped, and David cringed at the callous words. “You don’t think he will die?!” David exclaimed.

  Parks held up his hands in a “stop” motion, and said, “I’m sorry … I’m sorry. That must have sounded crass. I just wanted to emphasize that Dan’s condition does not appear to be life-threatening.”

  He looked from David to Clara, then continued once he was satisfied they were a bit calmer.

  “However,” he went on, “all of his external symptoms seem to indicate he is heading back toward a state of hibernation.”

  “What do you mean?” Clara asked, “What symptoms?”

  “Well, he’s obviously sleeping soundly,” Parks said, “and his pulse is very slow.”

  “How slow?” David wanted to know.

  “At the moment, his heart is beating only about 25 times per minute,” Parks said, a grave look on his face. “That alone would make it nearly impossible for him to maintain consciousness, but I suspect his hormone levels are spiraling again, as well.”

  David pulled Clara close to him and kissed the top of her head.

  “But,” Parks went on, his voice lightening.

  “What is it, Doctor?” David asked.

  “I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high, and it’s no guarantee … of anything … but his eyes did react to the light when I shined it on them.”

  “Is that good?” Clara asked, pulling her face out of David’s chest.

  “Yes, yes,” Parks said. “It means he is not yet completely, um, comatose.” He hesitated to use that word, but it was the one that fit. “What’s more, once I perturbed him, Dan went into REM sleep.”

  David and Clara looked at each other. “What’s REM sleep?” Clara asked.

  “REM stands for ‘rapid eye movement’,” Parks explained, “and it’s the stage of sleep where we dream the most. It usually happens shortly after we fall asleep, and then periodically throughout the night. When Dan was hibernating last winter, he exhibited no REM at all.”

  “So does that mean Dan is waking up?” Clara wanted to know.

  “It appears that he at least might be capable of waking up,” Parks said. “It does seem to be, at least to some extent, a reaction to my flashlight, but the presence of REM sleep means Dan’s unconsciousness is not quite as deep as it might appear. I believe Dan will wake up at least one more time … but the overall trend in his condition over the last few weeks point to a pending hibernation.”

  “You’re telling us we’re going to lose our son again, aren’t you, Doctor?” David asked, defeat in his voice.

  Parks’ shoulders slumped. “I’m afraid that appears to be the case, David. We will need to take some blood to be sure, and I would like to transfer him to the hospital.”

  “Can we wait until he wakes up, at least?” Clara asked.

  “I think that would be OK,” Parks said. “Besides, it will be easier to move him when he’s awake. I would like to go ahead and take the blood sample now, OK? That way, I can get the tests going yet this morning and we can build a treatment plan.”

  Clara nodded and squeezed close to her husband again.

  Parks stepped back into the bedroom and emerged again two minutes later, fastening his medical case.

  “I’ll get these to the lab, stat, and you let me know the moment he wakes up, OK?” he said to the Hodges, who nodded. “I’ll be in my office the remainder of the day if you need me.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Parks,” David said and walked their visitor to the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Alive on Opening Day?

  David and Clara spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between watching Dan sleep and pulling themselves out of his room to let him sleep as soundly as possible. It was a strange position to be in, because they desperately wanted their son to wake up, but they felt like they shouldn’t disturb his slumber.

  “Can’t we just wake him up?” Clara asked her husband at one point.

  “I don’t know that we could, honey,” he responded. “And besides, I don’t know that we should. Maybe we should wait to hear back from Dr. Parks and then ask for his advice. He’ll know more soon, I’m sure.”

  “OK,” she said in a whisper.

  Both Hodges were encouraged to some extent by Parks’ earlier report that Dan’s eyes were moving — David was familiar with REM sleep from a psychology course he took in college — but they were eager to see him fully awake. If Parks’ assessment were to be believed, Dan might not be with them for long, so the sooner they could speak with him the better.

  Late in the afternoon, David called work again to let his boss know Dan’s status and to confirm he wouldn’t be coming in to the office that day. He needed to be home in case Dan woke up, and he needed to support Clara. He didn’t know if he would be in on Thursday, either, but if Dan’s situation didn’t change soon, David would miss at least the morning hours.

  Luckily, David still had most of his vacation time left, and his boss understood about the short notice. It was more of the equity David had earned through years of hard work and dedication to the company.

  Around 5 pm, the Hodges checked on Dan again and, noting no further developments, headed to the kitchen to make some sandwiches for dinner. They had called Gabbie to give her an update on Dan’s condition, and she was planning to come over around 6 to eat and to sit with Dan for a while, and to let David and Clara spend some time with Troy.

  All in all, it was a quiet evening at home, the sort that would have made them all happy under different circumstances. With Dan lying unconscious in the next room, though, and a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the small family, the mood was somber and matched the darkness creeping around the edge of the trees outside the Hodges’ home. Sitting at the dinner table, the three adults made small talk, all of them avoiding the serious discussions they needed to have. Little Troy helped in those efforts and gave them all something to focus on when he cried or fussed or pumped his baby fist as his nervous system tried to figure out its optimal motor pathways.

  Finally, when dinner was done and the dishes were cleared away, Clara and David settled in on the sofa, and Gabbie slid Troy from her arms to Clara’s. The young lady straightened her spring dress, combed her hair with her fingers, and walked toward the bedroom in silence.

  David and Clara had been playing with Troy for about five minutes, an elixir that brought them some semblance of peace, when Gabbie shrieked from the rear of the house.

  “He’s moving!” she called.

  David sprung to his feet, and Clara struggled to be gentle as she rose, careful not to jar Troy. David put a hand under his wife’s elbow and applied just enough pressure to help her stand. Then the three of them hurried down the hall toward Dan’s room.

  “Come on! He’s moving,” Gabbie yelled again just as the Hodges reached the doorway.

  “Shhh!!” Clara shushed, remembering her earlier conversation with David.

  “But he’s moving!!” Gabbie enthused.

  David squeezed his wife’s shoulder and pointed toward the bed. There, under the sheet and blanket that had lain in the same configuration for nearly 24 hours, Dan was not just moving, but thrashing about. He kicked at his covers with his feet and struggled to pull his hands out from underneath. It was evident he wanted to be free of his covers, and David moved forward to help in that effort. As he leaned to grab the top of the sheet, Dan’s hand popped out from the darkness and clasped his father’s wrist.

  “Dad!” Dan said. “What’s going on? Why are you all in my room?”

  David jerked, startled by his son’s clutch and voice, and broke into a wide smile. “Welcome back, sleepy head!” he teased.

  “Dan!” Clara gasped and nudged past her husband with her hip.

  “Hey, no pushing!” David teased her. She pushed harder.

  “Mom, hi,” Dan said.

  “You scared us, young man,” she said.

  “I did?” he asked, and looked at the bundle in her arms. “Hey, you have Troy! Can I hold him?”

  “Well, he is your son,” she said. “Can you sit up, or do you need some time?”

  “I’m fine, mom,” Dan said, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He weaved back and forth a couple of times, his eyes unfocused. Gabbie grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

  “Thanks, Gabbie,” Dan said, placing his hand on hers. “I think I’m OK now. Come sit by me?”

  The young girl stepped around the end of the bed and settled onto the mattress beside Dan, uneasy but feeling a warmth grow in her chest. The two had been together for a few years, but it had been really hard to go through the pregnancy on her own, and their relationship had been strained since Dan woke up in the spring. Still, he was Troy’s father, and she loved him and was afraid to lose him again.

  She threw her arm around his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek as Clara bent to place Troy in Dan’s arms.

  David tapped his wife on the shoulder and motioned toward the hallway with his head. She nodded and said, “We, um, need to finish cleaning up the dinner dishes. We’ll be back in a bit.”

  And then, even if for just a little while, Gabbie, Troy, and Dan were a family.

  —

  David and Clara drove Dan to the hospital later that night, where Parks met them and ordered another series of tests. By the next morning, he had pulled in Dr. Rayburn, an endocrinologist from Terre Haute, and the two of them were able to confirm that Dan’s hormones were slipping again and that his profile was similar to where it had been during the previous winter.

  From all appearances, Dan was on the verge of hibernating.

  He managed to stay awake, with the help of a pot of black coffee and some stimulant drugs administered intravenously, throughout most of Thursday morning. By that afternoon, however, he was groggy, and Clara called Gabbie to the hospital, just in case something happened. Gabbie arrived with Troy around 7 pm, and there was just enough time for her to see Dan for a few minutes before he blacked out.

  His sleep was even deeper than it had been on Tuesday night, and he didn’t wake up again until late Friday. When he came to, Dan sensed several people around him, but he zeroed in on the wide face at the end of his bed. It was coach Croft.

  “Sleeping on the job again, eh, Hodges?” the coach teased.

  “Hi coach,” Dan rasped.