Chapter

62

“Shit, I knew something this crazy had to go wrong,” muttered Farnsworth, still caught up in the quiet fear of peep-holing.

Pressman quietly answered the Doctor, his eyes still glued to the screen.  “I’m not going to let anything go wrong...just wait...there...it’s starting.”

Charles started weaving side to side in his chair.

Mathews’ eyes slowly opened.

Charles started humming a dissonant harmony of sounds.

Mathews, appearing now to be completely conscious, raised his body and turned to Charles, whose humming was gradually becoming less dissonant...more of a grunting chant. “Are you with Charlie or Charles now?”

“Not… sure,” he murmured.

“I knew it,” said Pressman.

“Knew what?” asked Farnsworth.

“On all the journal tapes, Mathews always addressed the recalls as Charlie’s recalls. Now he’s asking for either.”

“Simple case of...”

“You may be wasting your time with ‘splits’ or ‘fugues’ now, Doctor. I think we’re way past that. Mathews is tripping us into his ‘boiler room’...all his.”

Mathews was now sitting directly in front of the bowed head of Charles. He extracted another birthday candle.  This time from beneath his bushy hair on top.  Lighting the candle with the almost extinguished flame of the first candle, he placed it in the melted wax  directly in front of Charles. “Open your eyes, now. Tell me where you are.”

He opened his eyes, fluttering at the new candle that spiraled its flame toward him. “Jungle...leaves...palm leaves...night...fire and dancing...fire and dancing.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know...jungle...dark jungle.”

“Can you see yourself? Is there anywhere to see yourself.  A reflections?” whispered Mathews. “Fire and dancing...fire and dancing.”

“Water...is there any water by you?” Charles’ swaying suddenly stopped.

“Shit,” said Farnsworth, holding his breath. Pressman turned the sound up on the monitor.

Mathews closed his own eyes, swayed and emulated the grunting chant. Suddenly, Charles muttered, “Yes.”

“Water?” asked Mathews, still swaying.

“Yes. By the river. Day...water. Leaning down... holding his head.” “Whose head?”

“Native... he’s holding my wrist as I let him go under the water.” “Can you see yourself in the water? Look into the water.” “White...white band around my neck...robe and white band.” “Who is it? Tell me who you see?”

“Me... Oh, my God.  It’s me.”

“Who are you? Tell me who you are.”

“Randall...Father… Father Randall Stevens...His head is under water now ‘In the name of the Father and Son and The Holy Ghost’...my God...my God.”

“My...God,” said Farnsworth, his face only inches away from the screen now. “Yes...perhaps only God knows,” said Dr. Pressman as he took a much-needed breath.

“You’d do well to grab some air too, Doctor. You don’t look so good.”

Dr. Farnsworth sat back as Dr. Pressman moved forward, resting his head on his folded arms, peering into the screen. “He was right. That’s his patient and he’s only sharing him with us.”

Mathews’ session was over. He had now brought Randall back to his full conscious state. Still kneeling in front of him, the candle behind him on the table, he asked, “Who are you?”

Randall’s shoulders rolled upward toward the face that for the first time in all these months wept. Beneath his own tears, Charles felt a sense of identity, a sense of belonging, a sense of gratitude to the man that had climbed inside his mind, running the risk of sacrificing his own. “I’m Father Stevens.”

“Where do you come from Father Stevens?”

“I don’t know.” He tried to lift his arms to hug Mathews. “I’m so tired.”

“It’s okay...Father. It’s okay,” said Mathews as he helped him to his feet and took him in his arms. “We’re half way home now.”

Dr. Pressman’s eyes were all but flooded as he watched the monitor. “Yes...now maybe we can learn about the brother.”

Farnsworth hadn’t moved from his pushed back and slumped position. “Brother?

Twins?”

“It’s always been a possibility,” offered Pressman.

The monitor showed Mathews turn, his arm around Father Stevens’ shoulders and his look straight into the hidden camera. Raising his voice slightly, he said “Doctors...it’s okay now. As you can see, we’re making progress.”