Morning Star by Randy Mixter Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Randy Mixter
didn't make sense to me either but that's the message. Oh yeah, one other thing. She said let our girl ride the horse. That's it. Let her ride the horse."
Jeffries took a step closer. "Sorry to hear about your daughter. Katy's with you on this. She's with you all the way and so are your parents. Gotta go now and so do you."
Dave Jeffries began to fade away, and when Nate could see the jungle through him, his friend said one final thing.
"I still see Rosie every day, Nate."
19
----
He stayed perfectly still when he woke. His blinking eyes the only movement. He turned his head to the right. Cindy lay there sleeping. He turned to the left. The alarm clock by the bed read 3:10 a.m.
Nate eased himself out of the bed. He did not want to wake Cindy. As he walked to the open window, he could see the clear, star filled sky illuminating the warm, night air.
His eyes moved to the corral. The horses were gone from the area, tucked away in their stalls. All but one. Morning Star stood at the corral's gate. The horse seemed to be staring at the house. Nate squinted. The animal appeared to be peering at a window on the second floor, Dannie's room.
Let her ride the horse. What was meant by that? The dream had been so real. The jungle, his friend, the words. This wasn't like his other dreams, his other nightmares. This was different somehow. He rubbed his eyes and wouldn't have been surprised if Morning Star had disappeared when he opened them. But he was still there looking up at the window where his daughter slept. He heard Cindy murmur something and move under the sheets. He needed to be strong now. He had to get his mind in the right place. No more flashbacks, no more nightmares. People needed him here in this world. He stared at the solitary horse in the corral. Whether real or imagined, he was needed here.
He crawled into bed, hoping he wouldn't disturb Cindy. She slept lightly, shaking him awake from time to time if she heard him talking in his sleep.
The phone rang at 8:30 in the morning. Nurse Edmonton answered it on the third ring. Cindy had left for work and Dannie was again visiting Morning Star at the corral.
"Walker residence," she said.
"Martha?"
"Yes."
"Mike Fleming, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing good Doctor Fleming, and you?"
"Just fine Martha. I'm glad you answered. I'm checking up on our young patient. How is Danielle doing?"
"She's coming along nicely," the nurse said.
"You sound like you're referring to something in the oven. Details please."
She looked outside the window. The doctor would not like the next part.
"She seems healthier. In good spirits." She hesitated. "Walking with her father."
"Walking with her father?" The doctor asked in a surprised voice.
"It was against my advice of course, but the girl seems to be getting a little stronger."
The doctor sighed into the phone. "Listen, we all want little Danielle to get better. We start to perhaps imagine things, see things the way we'd like them to be and not the way they actually are. Danielle's condition will get progressively worse. End of story. She might be in a better mood because she's back home. But she will never get better and she will never again walk on her own."
Doctor Fleming hesitated for a moment. It sounded to Martha Edmonton like he took a drink of something, coffee probably.
"I'm afraid Martha, that, despite your optimism, Danielle's glass will always be half empty, never half full."
The nurse looked out the window. Nathan Walker squatted on the ground a few feet from the corral. Dannie leaned against the wooden fence, facing him. The horse they called Morning Star watched from the corral, directly above her. Her father held out his arms and motioned to the girl. She hesitated and then, in slow staggering steps, walked the short distance to her father's waiting arms.
"Dear God," the nurse whispered.
"What was that, Martha?" came the voice from the phone.
"You are wrong, Doctor Fleming," she said into the
Jeffries took a step closer. "Sorry to hear about your daughter. Katy's with you on this. She's with you all the way and so are your parents. Gotta go now and so do you."
Dave Jeffries began to fade away, and when Nate could see the jungle through him, his friend said one final thing.
"I still see Rosie every day, Nate."
19
----
He stayed perfectly still when he woke. His blinking eyes the only movement. He turned his head to the right. Cindy lay there sleeping. He turned to the left. The alarm clock by the bed read 3:10 a.m.
Nate eased himself out of the bed. He did not want to wake Cindy. As he walked to the open window, he could see the clear, star filled sky illuminating the warm, night air.
His eyes moved to the corral. The horses were gone from the area, tucked away in their stalls. All but one. Morning Star stood at the corral's gate. The horse seemed to be staring at the house. Nate squinted. The animal appeared to be peering at a window on the second floor, Dannie's room.
Let her ride the horse. What was meant by that? The dream had been so real. The jungle, his friend, the words. This wasn't like his other dreams, his other nightmares. This was different somehow. He rubbed his eyes and wouldn't have been surprised if Morning Star had disappeared when he opened them. But he was still there looking up at the window where his daughter slept. He heard Cindy murmur something and move under the sheets. He needed to be strong now. He had to get his mind in the right place. No more flashbacks, no more nightmares. People needed him here in this world. He stared at the solitary horse in the corral. Whether real or imagined, he was needed here.
He crawled into bed, hoping he wouldn't disturb Cindy. She slept lightly, shaking him awake from time to time if she heard him talking in his sleep.
The phone rang at 8:30 in the morning. Nurse Edmonton answered it on the third ring. Cindy had left for work and Dannie was again visiting Morning Star at the corral.
"Walker residence," she said.
"Martha?"
"Yes."
"Mike Fleming, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing good Doctor Fleming, and you?"
"Just fine Martha. I'm glad you answered. I'm checking up on our young patient. How is Danielle doing?"
"She's coming along nicely," the nurse said.
"You sound like you're referring to something in the oven. Details please."
She looked outside the window. The doctor would not like the next part.
"She seems healthier. In good spirits." She hesitated. "Walking with her father."
"Walking with her father?" The doctor asked in a surprised voice.
"It was against my advice of course, but the girl seems to be getting a little stronger."
The doctor sighed into the phone. "Listen, we all want little Danielle to get better. We start to perhaps imagine things, see things the way we'd like them to be and not the way they actually are. Danielle's condition will get progressively worse. End of story. She might be in a better mood because she's back home. But she will never get better and she will never again walk on her own."
Doctor Fleming hesitated for a moment. It sounded to Martha Edmonton like he took a drink of something, coffee probably.
"I'm afraid Martha, that, despite your optimism, Danielle's glass will always be half empty, never half full."
The nurse looked out the window. Nathan Walker squatted on the ground a few feet from the corral. Dannie leaned against the wooden fence, facing him. The horse they called Morning Star watched from the corral, directly above her. Her father held out his arms and motioned to the girl. She hesitated and then, in slow staggering steps, walked the short distance to her father's waiting arms.
"Dear God," the nurse whispered.
"What was that, Martha?" came the voice from the phone.
"You are wrong, Doctor Fleming," she said into the
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