“And you headed in the direction of little Ryan Walker,” he said. “I can see why you’d want to throw a dash of hope into the mix after dealing with Zachary.” His brows rose. “There is hope for Ryan, right?”
“Oh, I have plenty of hope. You never let go of hope no matter how many times you get knocked down and have to pick yourself up. But it’s not as if it will be a slam dunk. He’s been very close to catatonic. It might be a process of years before I’m able to help him.” She shrugged. “I think I might have found a way to stage a breakthrough, but it could still go either way.”
“But you’ll keep searching and fighting,” he said quietly. “He’s lucky to have you on his side.” He pulled into the studio parking lot. “And someday he’ll realize it.”
“Maybe. If he doesn’t, I will. That’s what’s important.” She got out of the car. “I’m on time. You may now say I told you so.”
“Not for such a tiny victory. I save that for more stellar triumphs. How long is his session? Do I only have time for coffee, or a couple drinks at the bar down the street while I watch the hockey game?”
“Neither. I can call a Vroom car to take me home.”
“A couple drinks and the game,” he answered himself. “Call me instead. We’ve already discussed this. The studio is your home turf and he knows it.” He was pulling out of the parking lot. “Good luck with Ryan. See you…”
She watched him drive away and then turned to unlock the door. She should have argued with him, but it was always exhausting to argue with Lynch. She was going to need all her strength and stamina to deal with Ryan this afternoon.
The studio is your home turf and he knows it.
She felt her shoulders and neck stiffen as Lynch’s words came back to her. Stupid. She almost felt as if she could feel Zachary watching her. Her imagination was working overtime.
Forget him as she had fully intended to do today.
Forget about death and only remember she had a chance to save a young boy, she thought, as she shut the door.
She started down the hall and then stopped and turned around and came back.
She quickly locked the door again.
CHAPTER
12
“THERE’S BEEN NO CHANGE,” Janice Walker said as she looked through the glass windows of the observation room at Ryan huddled in his wheelchair in Kendra’s studio. “I know you warned me that tiny response might have been a fluke, but I hoped you were wrong.” She moistened her lips. “Oh, how I hoped you were wrong. I wanted it so badly, Kendra.”
“I know you did,” Kendra said gently. “And that’s why I warned you. I couldn’t have you breaking down. You’re too important to us.”
“Not to Ryan.” Janice’s eyes were glittering with tears. “He hardly knows I’m with him anymore.”
“He knows you’re there. The pain is just too great for him to break through to you. We have to find a way to do that for him. Did you bring what I asked you?”
“Yes.” She reached into her bag and pulled out an SD memory card and handed it to her. “It’s about two and a half minutes in.”
“Good. Thanks. I know it must not have been easy for you.”
“What do I care about that? Nothing’s easy for Ryan these days. Do you think I don’t watch him hurting from the minute he wakes up in the morning?” She paused. “But you failed last time.”
“And I might fail this time. Another warning, Janice. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying. We just go on until we find the magic formula.”
“Should I go in with you this time?”
“Stay here. It’s better if you leave it to me.” She looked down at the SD card. “No, if you leave it to us.” She grabbed her guitar and headed for the door leading to the studio.
The next moment she was crossing the studio to stand before Janice’s son. “Hello, Ryan.” She smiled, ignoring his lack of response. “It’s good to see you. I’ve been thinking about you.” She went around the room making adjustments. “I feel like singing today. How about you?”
No answer.
“Or we could just start playing first and then make up our minds as we go along.” She sat down on her regular stool in front of his chair. “I know your mom would like to hear you sing. She says she misses it.” She started plucking the strings. “I’ve always liked ‘Forever Young,’ don’t you? I remember Rod Stewart singing it with that cute, red-haired boy.” She started softly playing the melody.
No sign of response.
She went on to play “I Hope You Dance” and then crooned “What a Wonderful World.” A slight sign of alertness during that last song …
Time to go for it.
“I told your mom that sometimes when everything looks dark, you have to keep trying until you find the magic formula to make the darkness go away.” She started strumming softly, beginning to integrate the melody. “Because there is magic in the world, isn’t there, Ryan? You know it, you’ve seen it.” She let the melody grow. “You’ve been shown the magic.” She started to sing softly, “Puff, the magic dragon…”
Ryan’s eyes were suddenly riveted on her face, watching her lips move as she sang the tale of magic and love.
Yes.
“You used to sing that song with your daddy,” she murmured as she continued to play the melody. “Remember? Your mom said that you loved it. It’s a wonderful song about a dragon and a little boy, and love and friendship and memories. You loved that song, but you were always sad that the little boy left Puff in the end, because he grew up. Your daddy knew that, didn’t he?” The melody drifted through the studio. “And one night he told you that he’d looked up the poem on which the song was based. He’d found there had been another verse written that had never been put in the song. It told how Puff helped other little boys with the magic after his friend grew up. That way the love would go on and on … But that verse somehow disappeared, and maybe that was also magic. Because you and your daddy knew how the song really ended. And your mom said you knowing your daddy had gone out and found it for you made you very, very happy.” She smiled and coaxed, “Would you like to sing it now?”
He didn’t answer.
But he was listening, she thought. He was hearing her.
“Maybe a little later.” She looked down at the guitar and pressed a button as she continued to play softly. “Because someone else loved Puff, too. He believed in the magic. He wouldn’t want you to forget it.”
Suddenly, as she continued to strum the guitar, a man’s soft, tenor voice came out of nowhere. “Puff, the magic dragon…” Then he continued to sing the entire song as Kendra accompanied the recording on her guitar.
Ryan was sitting bolt upright in his chair. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Kendra.