Chapter 2:  New Troubles, New Friends

Time flew by and Hannah, Jonathan, and William spent each day after school at William’s house.  They spent their days together talking about their families and what they were like.

“I want to show you something,” William told Hannah, almost a year later.  Hannah followed William up to one of the bedrooms on the second floor.  “This was my daughter’s room.  Her name was Hannah.”

“Really?” Jonathan asked as he followed Hannah into the room.  There were two large windows, shuttered and heavy curtains were blocking the rest of the light.  There was a heavy, old-fashioned bed in one corner, a matching wardrobe across from it, and an oriental rug on the floor.  The walls were painted in a 3-D fashion with bookshelves that contained painted on books and toys.

“Wow, look at the ceiling,” Hannah said, staring up at the huge round window in the middle of the ceiling.  “I love this room,” she told William.

“So did my Hannah,” William said with a sad look in his eyes.  “That’s why I wanted to show it to you,” he said, looking at Hannah.  “You remind me of my Hannah.  She was so full of life and energy, she was beautiful and smart.”

“What happened to her?” Hannah asked, not exactly sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“She was out riding with her cousin Mary when she fell off her horse.  Her neck was broken and she died instantly.  Sarah and I were heartbroken but we had Mary to look after.  A few years later we were blessed with another child, Shawn.  Come,” William said, floating down the hall to another room. 

Hannah looked around the room.  The walls were painted in a pale yellow color and the hard wood floor was covered with a blue hand-woven rug.  There was only one window and it’s shutters were open, letting the sunlight pour in.  There was a wooden cradle, a rocking chair, and dresser in the room along with some toys.  There was a wooden train set and a rocking horse.

“Shawn was a blessing.  When he was born Sarah and I realized how much we needed children in our lives.   But our happiness was short lived.  Shawn caught the fever when he was just a year old, and died.  Sarah stayed with him the entire time and caught the fever.  She died a short time later,” William said, so sad that Hannah wished she could give him a hug.

“But you still had Mary,” Hannah said, trying to find some light in his dark cloud.

“Yes, I did,” William said as he began to fade away.  “I think you two need to be getting home.”

“William, don’t go,” Hannah pleaded.

“Hannah he needs some time.  He’s just reopened painful wounds,” Jonathan said, putting his arm around her shoulder.  “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“Don’t you think we should make sure he’s alright?” Hannah asked, hating to see people in pain.

“Come on, my mom’s waiting for us to have supper with her,” Jonathan said, leading her out of the house.

“Your mom?  I don’t think I’ve ever met her, have I?” Hannah asked Jonathan shook his head.

“She lives in Washington, DC.  She left me in my grandparents care when I was born.  She comes to visit me sometimes, and she wants to meet you,” he explained.

“Why, did I do something wrong?  I mean how does she know who I am?” Hannah asked.

“I told her about you, of course,” Jonathan said with a smile.  “Come on.”  The two ran to Jonathan’s grandparents house and Hannah met Jonathan’s mother, Jaime.

“Hello my dear.  You certainly are a beautiful child,” Jaime told Hannah.  Hannah smiled, shyly, and hid behind Jonathan.  Jaime smiled at Hannah’s shyness and turned to the kitchen where her mother was making supper for everyone.

“Are you scared of my mother?” Jonathan asked, looking at Hannah over his shoulder.  Hannah looked down at the ground and Jonathan knew she was.  “It’s okay, she’s really nice once you get to know her, promise.”  Hannah smiled and looked up from the ground.

“Dinner,” Mina called as she and Jaime came back into the room carrying steaming dishes of food.  Hannah and Jonathan sat at the table and soon everyone was eating and enjoying friendly conversation.

“William?” Hannah called as she and Jonathan ran into the house the next day, after school.  He didn’t appear like he usually did.  “Where is he?” Hannah asked franticly.  “I’m worried Jonathan.  What if something happened to him?”

“It’s okay.  I’m sure he’s fine.  Just don’t worry.  He’s probably just outside or upstairs and didn’t hear us come in,” Jonathan said, trying to comfort her and reassure himself.  Hannah ran for the stairs and called, “William,” as she went into each room and looked for him.  Finally she gave up and sat in the middle of the Oriental rug in Hannah’s room.  Jonathan laid on his back next to her on the rug and looked up at the clouds in the sky through the window.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Hannah asked laying down by Jonathan, her head resting on his stomach.

“I’m sure he is,” Jonathan said, putting his hands behind his head and smiling contently.  Hannah looked up at the sky and snuggled down into Jonathan’s stomach and fell asleep.

“What time is it?” Hannah asked, sitting up suddenly awake and surrounded by total darkness.  Jonathan sat up next to her, and looked down at his watch.

“6:30,” he said, still half-asleep.

“I was supposed to be home an hour ago,” Hannah whined, standing up quickly.  Jonathan stood up too. 

“I guess we should go then,” he said, running a hand through his mahogany colored, shoulder length hair.  Hannah stretched and yawned, while the moonlight shone on her from the window.

“Jonathan?” she asked, looking at him as he stared at her.  He shook his head and smiled while his cheeks reddened in the dark.

“Sorry, I’m still half-asleep,” he apologized.  “Let’s go before we get in too much trouble.”  Hannah nodded and they walked home together in the moonlight.  “Bye,” Jonathan called as he watched Hannah walk up to her door and disappear inside.

“Hannah, where have you been?” Lucas asked his daughter when she came in the house.

“I was out playing, and lost track of the time,” Hannah explained.  Lucas looked at Hannah for a long minute, took in her wrinkled clothes, messy hair, and all together sleepy appearance, and shook his head.

“Mina called and said Jon was missing.  He didn’t get home for supper, do you know where he was or is?” Lucas asked Hannah.

“We were playing,” Hannah said, shifting form foot to foot uncomfortably.   “What’s for supper?”

“I’ll make you a peanut butter sandwich, then you can go up to your room,” Lucas said, standing and going into the kitchen.  Hannah went into the kitchen and ate the sandwich her dad made for her and went to her room.  Lying on her bed Hannah looked up at her ceiling and started to fall asleep.  Around midnight she sat up, her head warm, sweating, and ran to the bathroom.  “Hannah?” Lucas asked, coming into the bathroom after knocking.  He found Hannah curled up on the floor, her eyes closed tight, and crying softly.

“I don’t feel good,” Hannah said with tears in her eyes.  Lucas felt her head and carefully picked her up.  Putting her in the car he raced to the hospital.

“Mr. Carter, your daughter is having an appendicitis.  They are preparing her now for an operation to remove it as soon as possible.  Does your daughter have any medications that she’s allergic to?” Doctor Morrow asked, waiting for Lucas’s answer.

“I don’t think so,” Lucas said, not remembering his deceased ex-wife ever telling him about Hannah’s medical problems.”

“Alright, I’ve got an appendix to remove,” Doctor Morrow said, going back to the OR.  At two in the morning Doctor Morrow and her team of nurses and other doctors were desperately racing to save Hannah Carter’s life.  “Mr. Carter we have a slight problem.  Hannah’s allergic to the anesthesia.”

“So what do you mean?  What are you saying?” Lucas asked, his breath caught in his throat.

“She’s in a coma,” Doctor Morrow said simply.  “She may come out, she may not.  Right now it’s hard to tell.  Didn’t you know she was allergic?”

“She never had surgery before, and her mother was the one that handled her medical information,” Lucas said, his voice sad and his look far away.

“Well there’s nothing you can do now.  If you would like to go home we’ll notify you of any changes.  There really is nothing you can do,” Doctor Morrow said, looking at Lucas, a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I should let my family know,” Lucas said, standing in the hallway, unmoving.  “If anything changes, let me know.”

“I will,” Doctor Morrow promised.  Lucas left the hospital, never even visiting his daughter.  Lucas drove home feeling nervous about Hannah, but oddly relieved.  Once home he called his sister, Hannah’s Aunt Bernice, his ex-wife’s brother, Doug, and sister Tina, and his son Jakob.

“William?!” Jonathan called, running into the house after school.  “Hannah?!” 

“What’s going on?  Where’s Hannah, isn’t she with you?” William asked, appearing before Jonathan.

“That’s what I was going to ask you.  She wasn’t at school today,” Jonathan said, breathless from running.  “If you see her tell her I’m looking for her, please,” Jonathan asked William and left the house before he could answer.  Running all the way to Hannah’s he rang the bell and stood on the doorstep panting and waiting.

“Can I help you?” a woman in her late forties, early fifties asked.

“Hannah…I’m looking…for…her.  Is she…okay?” he asked.  The woman’s face twisted into a pained expression.  “What?”

“She’s really sick dear.  She’s in the hospital,” the woman told Jonathan.  Jonathan’s face fell as a lump formed in his throat.

“Which one?” he whispered around the lump.  “Can I visit her?”

“Jones Methodist Hospital,” she said, her own voice sounding choked.  Jonathan didn’t waste anymore time and ran home.

“Grandma!” Jonathan screamed as he threw open the door and ran in the house.

“Jon, honey, what’s wrong?” Mina asked, coming to her grandson’s side.  “What’s going on?”

“It’s an emergency.  I need to get to Jones Methodist Hospital!” Jonathan said, his voice full of pain, his green eyes opened wide, and full of tears.

“Alright,” Mina said, grabbing her keys.  “Why the hospital?” she asked as they drove to the hospital.

“Hannah’s there.  I have to see her,” Jonathan said, barely able to sit still in the front seat.  Mina concentrated on the road and they were soon at the hospital.  “Hannah Carter,” Jonathan blurted out to the nurse at the front desk.

“107,” she said after checking the computer.  Jonathan raced down the hall, leaving his grandmother behind.  Slowing down he went in the room and found it empty except for Hannah who looked exactly like she did when she slept, except she wasn’t smiling.  When Hannah slept she always had a smile on her face, one thing that Jonathan loved about her.

“Hannah?” Jonathan whispered, looking at Hannah, all hooked up to machines and tubes.  “You don’t look so good,” he told her as he walked over to the bed and brushed her golden blonde hair behind her ear.  “Can you hear me?” he asked.  Climbing up onto the bed he curled up next to Hannah.  Cradling her head in his arm Jonathan ran his fingers through her long hair.  “Please be okay,” he whispered, kissing her cheek and fell asleep with her in his arms, protected from the world.

“What’s going on?” Lucas asked as he came in the room with his sister and Jakob.  “Jon?”  Jonathan opened his eyes and looked at the people in the doorway with sleepy eyes that only saw their shapes.  “What are you doing here?”

“She needs me,” Jonathan said, tears dried on his cheeks.  Please don’t tell me I have to leave,” he begged Lucas.

“Hannah?” Jakob asked, walking in the room toward the bed.  “Is she going to be okay, Dad?”

“I don’t know, I just don’t know,” Lucas said, staying in the doorway while Jakob and Bernice went to the bed.

“Hannah?  Can you hear me?” Jakob asked, picking up her hand.

“Mmm,” Hannah whined, rolling over and burying her face in Jonathan’s shoulder.

“Hannah,” Jonathan said, new tears forming in his eyes.  Hannah moved her arm, pulling tubes from it and her nose.  Lifting her head her cloudy eyes looked into his teary green ones.

“Hannah, you’re okay?” Jakob asked, turning her small frame so she was looking at him.

“Mmm,” she said, pulling away from him and turning back to Jonathan.  Lucas moved out of the doorway and into the hallway.

“Nurse,” he said when he reached the nurse station.  “I need Doctor Morrow in 107, now.”  Doctor Morrow rushed to the room and was pleasantly surprised to find Hannah awake.

“Alright, I need everyone to leave she told Lucas, Bernice, and Jakob.

“Can I stay?” Jonathan asked.

“Sorry,” Doctor Morrow said, helping Jonathan form the bed careful not to hurt Hannah.

“Jonathan we must go now,” Mina told her grandson.  “You can see Hannah when she gets home.”  Jonathan reluctantly followed his grandmother from the hospital and remained quiet during the entire ride home.  Once the car stopped in the driveway Jonathan jumped out of the car and ran up to his room.

The next few days dragged on for Jonathan.  He went to school, then to the house, then home.  Nothing was the same without Hannah.  William and Jonathan bid their time without her impatiently.  Racing into the house after school after a few days he found Hannah waiting for him.

“Hannah!  How are you feeling?” Jonathan asked, standing in front of the door.  Hannah shrugged as William materialized behind her.

“Did you miss me?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes!  Please don’t ever leave me again.  It’s too boring without you around,” Jonathan said, causing Hannah’s smile to brighten. 

“I’ll try not to,” Hannah promised.  “Come on, William promised to show the rest of the house to us.  Or at least some of it,” Hannah’s excitement and energy filled the house.  Jonathan watched Hannah race up the stairs and smiled, he really missed her spirit and zest for life over the last few days.  “Jonathan are you coming?” she called, looking down at him from the top step.  Jonathan nodded, shaking himself from his daze, and raced up the stairs to join her.

“Where’s William?” Jonathan asked as he reached the top of the wide staircase.

“He said he’d be back to wait for him,” Hannah said, going into Hannah, William’s Hannah’ room.

“So, how long till he comes back?” Jonathan asked, impatient.  Hannah shrugged as she sat on the edge of the bed and anxiously moved her feet about.

“Alright I’m back,” William announced as he appeared in the room with both kids.

“So what are you going to show us?” Hannah asked, excited as she jumped off the bed.

“Come,” William said simply.  Hannah obediently followed and Jonathan came after her.  William led them to a door of ordinary dark wood with a silver plated knob.  “Open it,” William commanded before he disappeared inside.

“Well, are we going in?” Jonathan asked at Hannah’s hesitation.  With no response she pushed open the door and entered the musty smelling room.  “Who’s room was this?”

“This was Mary’s room,” William said, sounding sad.  Hannah and Jonathan looked around the room.  It’s three spacious windows were closed off, the curtains drawn together and the shutters closed.  The furniture looked black and menacing in the dim light and the carpet on the floor was a deep, blood colored red.

“Mary liked this?” Hannah asked, sticking close to Jonathan.  William nodded.  Jonathan walked over to her desk in the corner and opened the drawers and shuffled through the contents.  “What happened to her?”

“To Mary?” William asked.  He thought about the question for a long time, unable to remember.  “I’m not sure.  The last I remember she was alive and well.  That’s when I was sick,” he said, his eyes shining with tears.

“Hey, look at this,” Jonathan said, holding up a picture he had found.  “Who are they?”  William looked at the people in the old black and white picture.

“Those two people,” William said, pointing to a tall slender man with dark hair, a cap in one hand, and a mustache and a shorter, gracefully slender woman with light hair piled onto her head in a bun.  “They were Mary’s parents.  Rebekah was Sarah’s sister, and her husband was James.  The two girls,” he said, pointing to two light haired girls, one in a flower print dress with pig tails, the other in a plain dress with her hair in a bun to resemble the older woman’s.  “Are Mary,” he pointed to the younger of the almost identical girls.  “And that was her older sister, Margaret.  Rebekah, James, and Margaret were killed.  That was why Mary came to live with us.”

“I wonder if Mary’s still alive,” Hannah mumbled as she looked at the picture.

“What?” Jonathan asked.  Hannah shook her head and looked around the room again.

“Where’d William go?” Hannah asked, noticing that he was no longer in the room.

“I don’t know,” Jonathan said, as he too looked for their disappearing friend.  “Why does he always do that?  Couldn’t he at least say he’s leaving?”

“Maybe he didn’t feel like it,” Hannah defended.  “William does not have to answer to you!”  Jonathan looked at Hannah, anger plain on her face.

“I know, I’m sorry.  I just wish he’d say bye before he left that’s all,” he explained.  Hannah continued to scrutinize him for awhile as Jonathan shifted his feet around, uncomfortably.

Hannah and Jonathan continued to come to William’s house after school, on weekends, and during the summer.  They were all fairly good friends.  It was obvious William enjoyed Hannah’s company and only tolerated Jonathan because he was Hannah’s friend.  It was also obvious that Jonathan only went because Hannah did, and he wanted to be near her.  It was obvious to everyone, except Hannah, now a teen.

“William I really like her,” Jonathan told William one day when Hannah wasn’t around.  “What should I do?  I can’t just go up to her and tell her that I like her,” he complained.

“If you really like her you have to let her know.  She’s not a mind reader,” William pointed out to Jonathan.  “Who knows, maybe she’ll like you too.”

“William!” Hannah said, coming in the room, previously unnoticed.  “Sorry to interrupt.  I’ll be out of here in a minute,” she told Jonathan who was blushing and avoiding her look.  “Is this you?” she asked, holding a book out to William.  William took a long look at the old photo and finally nodded.  “Is this your brother?”  William looked at the picture of a man named Logan Flanheart.

“Yes,” William said, smiling as memories of his brother came flooding back to him.

“Thanks,” Hannah said, standing and running out of the house, forgetting the book.

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Jonathan said, looking at William, his eyes held a glazed over look as he remembered past times with his sibling, Logan.

“Yeah, a younger brother.  My only sibling that survived to be over 15,” William said still distracted.

“I wonder what Hannah’s up to,” Jonathan said, looking through the book.

“She’s a very curious child,” William said with a smile.  Jonathan set the book aside and looked back at William.

“Do you think I should tell her?  I don’t want to mess up the relationship we already have,” Jonathan said, unsure.

“Only you can make that choice.  If I were you I would tell her, then you know how she feels,” William suggested, as he disappeared.

“I just don’t know,” Jonathan told himself, trying to decipher his decision from his head.

“Can I help you?” a nurse in uniform asked Hannah.

“I hope so.  I’m looking for Logan Flanheart,” Hannah said, growing nervous.

“Are you family?” the nurse with Anne written on her nametag asked.

“Not really.  I’m more of a friend of the family.  Can I see him?” Hannah asked, feeling the nurse’s curious look.

“Here, sign these forms,” Anne instructed, pushing some papers toward Hannah.  Hannah sighed in relief and quickly signed the papers.  “Follow me,” Anne once again instructed.  Hannah followed Anne down the sterile looking white hallway.  “You know you’re the only one to visit Mr. Flanheart.  The only visitor he’s ever had was the man who brought him here.  That was only to get his coat back.  Here you are.”

“Thanks,” Hannah said, standing outside of the door, her hand paused over the doorknob.  She inhaled deeply and opened the door.  As the door closed behind her she looked around.  Logan, or the man who appeared to be Logan was easily in his 90’s, his hair was fine and silver.  The wrinkles in his face appeared permanently etched in, and his small eyes were closed.  Afraid to wake the frail looking man Hannah looked around the room.  She picked up a picture, from the dresser, and peered intensely at the faces.  She recognized William and decided the others who were around him must have been Sarah, Mary, and Hannah.

“What are you doing?!  Put that down!  Kids these days, they’ll steal anything for a buck!” Logan yelled, nimbly jumping out of bed and grabbing the picture from Hannah.

“I wasn’t going to steal it,” Hannah insisted as Logan took the picture from her hands and returned it to its proper place.

“Of course not,” Logan said sarcastically, his big brown eyes, his only feature not impaired by age, roved over her as he tried to figure out what she was doing in his room.  “Thieves never admit they’re trying to steal something, especially when they’re caught in the act.  You can’t have anything, now leave!”

“Please,” Hannah stalled.  “I only came here to ask you about your brother.  I don’t want to steal anything, honest.”

“Get out,” Logan demanded in a voice that didn’t seem like it could have come from a man of his advanced age.  “I don’t ever want to see you again.  Go!” he moved closer and closer to Hannah, forcing her towards the door.

“Wait, please.  I don’t understand,” Hannah pleaded as she tried to hold her ground against the graying man of above 6’, and even at the age of 81, he still was a force to be reckoned with.  “I only wished to ask you what happened.  Why he hasn’t gone away and reunited with his family.”  Logan stopped, mid-stride, and looked at Hannah.

“What are you talking about?” he asked finally.

“Your brother, William, I only wished to know what happened to him.  After Sarah and Shawn died, what happened?  Why didn’t his spirit find rest and join them and Hannah?”

“Who are you?” Logan finally asked as he reassessed her.

“Hannah.  Hannah Carter,” she said. 

“How do you know about my brother?”

“He’s a friend of mine,” she said.  “He’s a ghost.”  Logan paled and quickly sat on the edge of his bed.

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking at Hannah, wanting only to know the truth.  “Are you lying to me?  Because I am old and gullible does not mean you can take advantage of me.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you Mr. Flanheart.  I only want to know what happened to William.”

“Why?  What good will it do to relive what happened?” Logan asked.  “It was a long time ago, we can’t change the past.  Just forget about it.  It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“But it does matter!” Hannah said, forcing herself to calm down.  She looked at him and took a deep breath before continuing.  “I want to help.  I want William to be happy and as long as he’s not with his family he will never be truly happy.”

“Help?” Logan scoffed.  “I wish it were that simple.  No one can help.  Not now,” his voice trailed off and the small grandfather clock on his dresser chimed 6.  Hannah jumped slightly at the sound.

“I have to go,” she said, remembering her father’s warning of be home by 6:30 or be grounded.  “But I’ll be back tomorrow.  Maybe you’ll feel like telling me about William if not what happened,” she asked, looking at Logan hopefully.

“We’ll see,” was all Logan promised.  Hannah was content with his answer, certain she could convince him to at least tell her about what William was like.

“Bye,” she called as she left the room.  She ran from the old age home and hurried to William’s house.  “William?” she called after bursting in the front door.  William materialized before her, Jonathan coming in the room not far behind.

“Where have you been?” William asked as she caught her breath.  Hannah avoided the question not wanting to tell him of Logan for fear he would ask why she had been there.

“I only have a minute.  I have to be home in 15 minutes.  I just wanted to let you know I can’t come tomorrow to visit you, so you don’t worry.”

“Is everything all right?” William asked.  Hannah nodded a smile forming on her lips giving her the look of a mischievous angel, or at to Jonathan thought so.

“I can’t explain now.  I’ve got to go.  See you both later,” she said and disappeared out the door.

Chapter 3:  Young William