The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 20.1

"But no one has ever said it with such belief in their eyes that I really wanted to make it true." He squeezed her hand. "We are family, Sabrina. Not because of any adoption decree, and not because we choose to be—because those things can be reversed. But just because we are. It's that basic."

She looked at him for a long time, finding truth in his eyes, and strength in that truth. Then she closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "Will you come with me while I do this?"

"Yes." He helped her out of bed.

"And...you won't laugh at my singing?"

Ford chuckled. "Only if you laugh first."

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So she went back into the room where her brother faded in and out, and sang. She sang everything she could think of, including commercial jingles, some of which she could tell, from the look on Ford's face, that she was going to have to explain later. She tried well-worn jokes, some of which Scotty could actually supply punchlines for. He seemed to be able to keep up with her for a short time, but then he would get lost again. He did better if he actually began singing with her.

Once she thought she'd done it, when she started to sing the Air Force anthem and then realized she didn't know the words, beyond some facetious lyrics Cynthia had once made up to the tune—and after Ford's difficulty keeping a straight face during "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog," she was not going to treat him to Cynthia's brand of humor. But Scotty picked up the lyrics where she left off, and sang it through to the end while Sabrina watched, afraid to breathe.

Ford jumped in as soon as he finished, trying to get Scotty to make a simple association. "Scotty, where'd you learn that?"

Scotty frowned. "I—we sang it at—" He trailed off into perplexed silence, then looked at them and said, "Sabrina? Who's that with you?"

Sabrina slumped against Ford's shoulder, leaving him to introduce himself yet again.

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Later, they met with Dr. Renkayta to assess the situation and decide what to do next.

"It appears," Renkayta said, "that his memories exist, in retrievable form, and with some coherence. However, he cannot seem to process them in any meaningful way, or relate one to another. None of the re-learning techniques we know have helped him."

Tirqwin said, "You don't think he can be helped, do you?"

"Not by anything we know to do," she replied. "We can keep trying if you like, but frankly, I think the chances of repairing his mental processes are negligible."

Tirqwin frowned, glancing at Sabrina. She sat with her head bowed, staring at the table, silent and quiescent. "Then you have no objection to our taking him back to Praxatillus?"

Renkayta looked surprised. "No. But I am unsure as to the legal ramifications of releasing him—"
"I have looked into this," Tirqwin informed her. "Scotty has been formally declared a ward of House Yanklozhquar, and is my responsibility."

"Well then, it is entirely your choice," Renkayta said. "I take it you intend to see whether the Guardian can help him?"

"She has asked to do so, if no cure could be found here," Tirqwin said.

Renkayta nodded. "I understand that very little information about the Guardian's activities is ever released, but I would appreciate being informed of at least the outcome of her efforts."

"I think we can arrange that," Tirqwin said. "We intend to leave immediately, if that will not inconvenience you."

"No. I will have Scotty sedated for transfer," she said. "I am sorry we were not able to do more. But at least we have gained a great deal of information about memory processes in humans and human/Wayfarer hybrids. Not useful in general, perhaps, but if you should ever need to access it, it will be here."

"Thank you," Tirqwin said. "And thank you for your efforts. We appreciate all your hard work, and that of your staff."

Renkayta nodded as she left. Tirqwin turned to Ford. "You had better get started; you will have to go through more checkpoints than Khediva and I."

Ford grimaced, then turned to Sabrina. "I'll see you at home—"

Tirqwin interrupted him. "No, Sabrina goes with you."

Sabrina looked up. "What? No, I'm going with you and Scotty!"

"We will have our hands full with Scotty. You are better off with Niavar. You can get some rest," Tirqwin told her.

"But—"

"Sabrina, the sooner we quit arguing about this, the sooner Mara can help Scotty."

Ford pulled at her arm. "Come on, Sabrina. You can use the break; admit it and let's go."

Sabrina sighed, hugged Tirqwin good-bye, and followed Ford out.