Chapter Thirty-Six

Wakr smiled genuinely for the first time in months. Today was the first day Taylr had actually spoken to him of his own free will, which caused a tremendous emotional hang-ups to be lifted off his shoulders. For so long he wanted to make Taylr understand how difficult it was for him to deny his son the woman he wanted and that he had to give the girl to Zac. He wanted Taylr to see how much it killed him when he knew his son was hurting.

Seventeen-year-old Taylr smiled back at his father, whose eyes always maintained that wise sparkle. His father’s eyes seemed to always hold such unattainable brilliance within them. When he was little, he’d always stare at his reflection in the lake to see if his eyes had that same sparkle. Then he’d come back crying and tell his father that he would never be good enough to lead because his eyes were so weirdly blue and therefore would never be able to hold that ever so vital sparkle.

Zac had always told him he was an idiot.

Last summer was the first time he’d ever doubted, even for a second, the absolute rightness of his father’s decisions. His once infallible father was suddenly all too fallible. It’s always so hard to think your father is perfect when you’re young and then grow up to do nothing but find faults and resent him for them.

But it was time to forgive him. Holding onto hate until it consumed him was not the path he wanted to take. It would only make him bitter and angry until he became someone unrecognizable... someone comparable to Zac.

Isakk, who was standing on the other side of his father, felt a warm glow as he noticed Taylr and Wakr smile amicably at one another. To watch his family being torn apart by a woman was almost unbearable. He longed for the time when his second younger brother would join them on a friendly outing.

“It’s been too long since I’ve had time to spend with my boys,” Wakr began, haven’t feeling this elated in a while. “I’ve missed this. And there is so much going on in both of your lives...” He trailed off, his vision suddenly blurring. He stopped walking and closed his eyes tightly. When he reopened them, his vision was once again normal.

“Dad?” Isakk asked, eyeing him closely. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, fine,” Wakr replied, starting to walk again. “I think my age and the intensity of the sun is starting to get to me.” He noticed Taylr’s concerned expression and quickly added, “But I’m fine now. Nothing to worry about.”

“Do you want to stop and take a rest?” Taylr suggested. They’d really only just started their walk so for Wakr to be tired was definitely abnormal. While he might not be in the prime of his life anymore, he was still a strong hunter and a physically adept man.

“No, I’m fine son,” Wakr replied, waving his hand carelessly. “Really. So, Taylr, how are you handling the responsibilities of having your own cave?”

Taylr shrugged. “It’s not so bad. It keeps me busy and I try not to hang around the cave too much. Too much togetherness with Lana isn’t good.” He tried to chuckle. He didn’t want to mention how lonely his nights were when he was trapped with his unwanted wife. The last thing he wanted to do was to bring down everyone’s spirits with his own marital woes.

“Wives sure know how to nag, don’t they?” Wakr asked, remembering how awkward things were for he and Diana when they’d first gotten married. They’d hardly even known each other then. “Don’t worry though, they make up for that in other ways.”

Taylr grinned. Anna made up for that in many ways.

“Speaking of wives...” Wakr exclaimed, darting a mischievous look in Isakk’s direction.

“Oh, no…”

“Oh, yes,” Taylr teased. “It’s about time you tied the knot. You’re my big brother! Shouldn’t you be burdened by children now?”

“What about that girl I’ve seen you with every once and a while? What was her name... Cella?” Wakr questioned, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “She’s a pretty girl, don’t you think, Taylr?”

“Oh, yes, very pretty.” Not as pretty as Anna. “I think perhaps we need to make some arrangements with her father, don’t you agree Dad?”

“Excellent idea!” Wakr exclaimed, excitedly. He started cracking his knuckles, hoping that would alleviate the irritating numbness in his hands. “I shall speak with him tomorrow.” He accidentally stumbled over a rock, making him nearly fall on his face.

“Have a nice trip, Dad?” Taylr asked, laughing. He helped steady his father once again.

“Wise guy,” Wakr muttered, rolling his eyes mostly at himself. “I’m sure Faldo would be more than ecstatic for her daughter to wed Isakk.”

“I don’t think I’m quite ready to settle down yet,” Isakk mumbled, uncomfortably. To be perfectly honest, he wasn’t sure that marriage was the ideal institution for him. Faith was his true calling and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to devote the time necessary to provide for a family. A partner might be nice but children were something he wasn’t sure if he had the time for. Krull had managed to maintain a family life along with his spiritual calling, but Krull was more skilled, more naturally proficient than he was with everything. With a great deal of work and devotion, he hoped to be half the maharishi Krull was.

Taylr couldn’t help but snort. “When was the last time you’ve gotten laid?”

Isakk choked. “Do we really have to talk about this?”

“All men have sex, Isakk, it’s not like you have to be embarrassed about it,” Wakr added, wrapping a beefy arm around his son’s small shoulders. Isakk may have been the oldest of his sons, but due to his lack of physical work he was easily the smallest. But Krull had almost the identical slender build so there was nothing weak about him.

“But talking about it with my brother and father makes it incredibly uncomfortable for me,” Isakk proclaimed, doing his best not to whine like a child.

“Please, Isakk, we’re family,” Wakr exclaimed, wishing that the numbness would go away already. It was starting to get a little painful. But, there was nothing, not even some weird, unexplainable numbness that was going to stop him from enjoying this greatly needed outing with his sons. He’d waited too long for everything to be okay between them once again.

“Come on, Isakk, I want to hear all the sordid details of your sex-capades!” Taylr teased, poking his brother in the ribs cheekily.

Wakr fell to the ground suddenly, causing both Isakk and Taylr to jump a mile. Everything on his left side felt numb and for some reason he couldn’t understand a thing they were saying to him. He could hear his sons shouting frantically to him, but it was as if everything was muffled and garbled. He tried to tell them that he was okay but he suddenly forgot how to speak.

“DAD!” Taylr shouted, crouching next to his father. Wakr’s eyes kept squinting, as if he was trying to see something that wasn’t there. “We’re right in front of you, Dad!” He turned to Isakk terrified. “What’s happening to him?”

“I don’t know!” Isakk exclaimed, all of the color draining out of his face. “It’s as if he can’t see or hear us. Dad! Please, focus on my voice!” But it was no use, Wakr could only shake his head and rub his eyes as they blurred uncontrollably.

And then he passed out.

“Is he dead?” Taylr asked, his eyes so wide Isakk thought tears were going to spill from them at any moment. Isakk leaned his head on his father’s chest, hearing a soft heartbeat.

“Not yet,” Isakk explained. “But his heartbeat is slowing. This is all over my head. We have to get him back to Krull immediately.”

Taylr nodded and moved toward his father’s head. “You grab the legs and I’ll carry the upper body.” Taylr couldn’t comprehend what had just happened but sheer terror and the driving need to save his father told him to act now and think later.

~~~~~

“Krull, Isakk, what happened?” Taylr asked, his hands trembling. “What happened to him?”

Krull looked to Isakk, who was too pained to speak. “Something happened to his brain. We don’t know what triggered it, but it looks as though it kind of stopped or something. This is beyond our knowledge.”

Anna, who was rubbing Taylr’s back soothingly, heard his breath hitch in his chest. She’d been visiting with Krull and Eva when Isakk and Taylr had come rushing in with an unconscious leader in their arms. From the information given, she knew exactly what had happened to the leader. He’d suffered a stroke. And without the treatments of a proper hospital, he would die from it. But she couldn’t tell them that. Not only would they not understand but she didn’t want to cause any of them more grief than necessary.

Her stomach bulged slightly through her wrap, letting anyone who saw her know that she was with child. She was five months along now and seemed to be gaining weight like nobody’s business. She touched her stomach lovingly, silently thanking God for such a miracle. She only prayed it was Taylr’s.

“His life is up to Reina now,” Isakk whispered, desperately fighting back tears. “There is nothing we can do to help him.”

Anna sucked in a breath. If there was one thing she learned from living with Krull, it was that the most mystifying, unexplainable things seemed to happen wherever “Reina” was concerned. She would never verbalize the thought, but she was certain there was an almost magical power within the maharishi, something that was too lost to be found in her people of the future.

“I am so sorry,” Anna murmured, as Taylr stood up.

“I need to take a walk or something,” he stated, his voice cracking.

“Want company?” Anna asked, softly.

Taylr shook his head and walked out of the cave. He couldn’t stand to be sitting around while his father fought for his life. He couldn’t watch Krull and Isakk fight back their tears for each other’s sakes. His father was the perfect leader and now he might be taken away from the people who adore him and need him. Just when things were starting to be like they used to be between each other something tragic had to happen. But wasn’t that the story of his life these days? His childhood had been so perfect and charmed but now his life was becoming a nightmare.

“Please save him, Reina,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “I beg you, please.”

~~~~~

FOUR DAYS LATER

“ANNA!”

Anna’s head shot up from her basket as Zac ran into the cave like a madman. He hurriedly sat down beside her and took the unfinished basket out of her hands. She gazed at him expectantly.

“What is it?” Anna asked, curious.

“My father...” Zac began, out of breath. “He’s alive! He woke up today! I just ran into Isakk and he said that Dad opened his eyes!”

“I cannot believe it,” Anna exclaimed, dumbstruck. He should be dead. “That’s wonderful news. I’m happy for you.” Taylr must be beside himself with relief.

“It’s a miracle!” Zac exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m going to Krull’s to see him tomorrow. I’d visit him today but then I’d risk running into Taylr and I think I should avoid him for a while.” He stopped and grinned. “I cannot believe he survived.”

Anna couldn’t either. While it was common for people to recover from strokes in the future, it was because of technology and hospitals and medicine. It was because of neurological examinations, blood tests, CT scans, MRI scans, Doppler ultrasound, etc... What had saved him now?

Without making it look too obvious, Anna disappeared into the evening to find out just that.

~~~~~

“Anna! It’s good to see you!” Krull exclaimed, moving towards her slowly. Old age was once again taking its toll. “Have you heard the good news?”

“About Wakr being alive?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “As a matter of fact I have.”

“Is there something wrong?” Krull asked, confused by her behavior. While it was no secret that Wakr and Anna were not exactly fond of one another, he knew Anna wasn’t the kind of person to wish someone dead. Especially when that person happened to be Taylr’s father.

“Nothing’s wrong exactly,” she began, slowly. “Are we alone? I mean, can I be perfectly honest?”

“Yes, we’re alone. Wakr is resting and out of earshot regardless,” Krull replied.

“Don’t get me wrong, Krull, I am so relieved that he is alive, especially for Taylr’s sake, but I don’t understand how it all happened,” she babbled, as Krull brought her to the fire to sit down. She took a greatly needed breath. “I know we’ve had a great many talks about where I’m from and you said you believe me when I said I think I’m from the future...”

“Yes, Anna,” Krull said, smiling. “What does this have to do with Wakr’s condition?”

“We have places for healing with technology so advanced that we can see the insides of people’s bodies without cutting them open,” Anna began, trying her best to make this as understandable as possible. Krull nodded, understanding, encouraging her to continue. “And only with all of that stuff can we actually help save people’s lives. Without that kind of intervention, people in Wakr’s condition would die.”

Krull raised an eyebrow. “You know about his condition?”

Anna nodded. “I don’t know much but my grandfather had a stroke when I was eleven.”

“You call it a stroke?”

“Why, what do you call it?”

Krull shrugged. “I don’t really know what happened in his brain so I wouldn’t know what to call it.” He peered at her inquisitively. “Can you tell me more about this disease? Perhaps your knowledge will help me.”

“I know facts here and there,” Anna insisted, sadly. “I am not trained to know how to save people, especially without technology. I doubt what I can tell you will help you in any way but I’ll tell you what I know anyway. A stroke is a blood clot in the brain. A blood vessel bursts and causes blood to spill around the brain.” She grew very quiet. “Without special intricate medical attention, people die. Wakr should have died yet he didn’t. How is he still alive?”

Krull bit his bottom lip. “Reina works in mysterious ways.”

“What does that mean, Krull?” Anna demanded, angrily. “Stop being so secretive already! I know you know why he’s still alive and you won’t tell me! Damn it, spare me this crap!”

“Don’t you ever have faith?” Krull asked, his voice calm and easy.

“Faith?” Anna exclaimed, frustrated. “Faith doesn’t stop people from dying of strokes. Faith doesn’t magically fix all the badness in the world. It doesn’t make life fair, believe me I speak from experience.”

“You asked for the truth and I have given it to you,” Krull replied, shrugging. “It is a shame your people are so disconnected from the spiritual world that faith seems so farfetched to you. Doesn’t the lack of faith leave you with emptiness, Anna?”

“Life fills me with emptiness,” She whispered. “Is this what you do, Krull? Do you really speak to God? Do you get to ask Him favors?” She shook her head. “Can you ask why He’s forgotten about me?”

“Anna, not everything in this world revolves around you,” Krull scolded, standing up. “My work is a secret from everyone, Anna. What I do is private because it is supposed to be. Reina blesses us all in so many ways. With her all things are possible, even saving a man’s life when it seems hopeless.” He stopped and took a sip of some broth he’d made himself. “You say you’ve had someone in your family who’s recovered from a stroke? Do you know how to care for them?”

Anna bit her bottom lip as Krull guided her into a small room where Wakr was sleeping on dozens of soft furs. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, but Anna knew how hellish life would be once he woke up.

“He’s going to be different,” Anna whispered, sadly. All of the anger and hate from the past vanished as she watched him take deep breaths. She saw Krull hang his head in grief. “When my grandfather came home from the hospital, we had to put him in a home for people with specific needs. He needed trained people to help him recover because normal people couldn’t do it properly. This is going to be a very delicate time for him. Everyone’s going to expect too much from him too fast.”

“What can I do for him?” Krull asked, as they both watched a once fearless leader sleep innocently.

“You’ll have to take care of him as if he were a child,” she replied, ruefully. “He’ll need to be bathed, fed, escorted everywhere like an infant. He might not be able to speak properly and he might never be able to walk by himself again.” She felt the tears start to sting her eyes. “He might be mentally handicapped, Krull.”

“There’s no way Diana will be able to care for him with all the small children she has,” Krull stated, filling with hopelessness. “It’s a terrible thing to say but it would have been better for him if he’d died. To be incapacitated like that will torture him everyday for the rest of his life. He’ll remember who he was and how proud and strong he was and it’ll kill him.” Krull took a deep breath. “The people are going to be devastated.”

“I am so sorry,” Anna murmured, enfolding Krull in a tight hug. This was all so tragic for the entire family. She dreaded telling Taylr the horrible truth. “I wish I could make things better. I wish I could help.”

Krull backed away and looked at her hopefully. “There might be something you can do to help.”

“What is it?” She asked. “I’ll do anything I can.”

“Can you take care of him?” Krull asked, pleadingly. “I know that is a lot to ask but you’ll be home all of the time because of your pregnancy and there is no way Diana can handle the extra responsibility of taking care of him. Especially now that her workload has tripled because of his absence. And I am too old and weak to do everything he needs. Between you and Zac, I know Wakr will be well taken care of.”

Anna didn’t know what to say. She did want to help but this was a lot to ask. She didn’t know the first thing about helping someone in this kind of condition. All she ever did was visit her grandfather in the hospital and at the rehabilitation center. How could she possibly handle all of this AND be pregnant?

Easy. She could do it for Taylr.

“I’ll do my best,” she replied, quietly. Krull wrapped his arms around his daughter and cried in thanks on her small shoulders.

“Hey!” Taylr exclaimed, rushing into the room. “I heard he was awake! That’s great!” He stopped and kissed Anna sweetly on the cheek. “What are you doing here, baby?”

Anna was about to open her mouth when Krull held up his hand.

“Taylr, we need to talk,” he whispered, ruefully. “Would you please come outside so we can speak privately?” Taylr nodded and shot Anna a nervous look before following Krull outside of the cave.

Anna knew better than to be offended. Frankly, she was relieved that she wasn’t the one who had to tell him the heart-wrenching news. She couldn’t bear to see the unabashed pain in his eyes the instant he discovered his dad would never be the same.

A long while later, a red-eyed Taylr reemerged into his father’s room. He bent over his still sleeping father and kissed him respectfully on the forehead. A few minutes later, he walked toward Anna and looked straight into her curious blue eyes.

“I-I’m leader now...”

With that said, he wrapped himself around Anna and sobbed fitfully in her arms for the rest of the night.