| Title: Touch Someone Author: Janman "We'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight and being here to witness and share the miracles of Sharon's powers and the joy it's brought to the lives of so many..." The voice of Amanda, her manager, faded as Sharon wearily trotted through the backstage area to her dressing room. She was exhausted. The national tour was in its third week of five. Once they crossed the country and finished up in Seattle, they'd head up to Canada, and then tour Europe after a two-week vacation. Curling up with a pillow on the small sofa in her dressing room, she picked up the framed picture of her little 8-year-old brother Daniel. She missed him terribly. She loved the tour and the work she was doing, but she always worried that she might come home to find Daniel all grown up and she'd have missed it. Amanda came into her room, still flushed from the heat of the spotlights. "Hey Sharon, how're you feeling?" "Weary," She replied, setting the picture back on the small table. "Amanda? ....Do you think it will ever stop? I mean, this is great and all what I'm doing, but I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss being able to just go out to a movie or something once in a while." Amanda smiled wistfully. "Sit up here," She said quietly. Sharon dragged herself up to a sitting position and Amanda sat down beside her and started to massage her shoulders. "Well, that's what I'm here to help you with, hon," Amanda said. "You do have an amazing God-given ability. I mean, not everyone can heal with just a laying-on of hands, but I'm here to make sure you don't kill yourself in the process. Now, you've got two weeks after we're done Canada, and we'll go home then, and once we're done the six-week Europe tour, you'll get a whole two months before you hit Africa." Sharon stood up and stretched. Outside the room, the crew could be heard busily taking apart the setup and packing it up for another night on the road to the next performance. She went over to the small portable stereo and hit Play on Track 2. The piercing guitar of "Chi" filled the small room. How appropriate, Sharon thought. So many times on the road, only the sounds of Korn could nudge her to keep going, it drained so much out of her. "In the meantime," Amanda continued with a small grin on her face, "I'm working on setting up a little surprise for you in California that'll boost your spirits." Sharon turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "A visit to Jack Rudy's parlor?" She asked. Amanda laughed gently. "No, that's a bit pricey. Besides, you know the deal we made. No more tattoos until after Canada!" Sharon giggled. "This will be a bit more special," Amanda added, talking more to herself than to Sharon, as Jonathan Davis' voice reverberated off the faded peach wallpaper. Amanda's cell phone bleated. She quickly left Sharon's room, she was expecting this call and she didn't want to let the cat out of the bag. "Hello?" "Hey Amanda, it's Caco. Everything's all set up; the guys will be there. No problem." "That's terrific! Thank you so much, she's going to love this!" "Oh, and just one thing.." "Yes?" "David would like to know if she could have a look at his wrist. It's been keeping him off the drums for quite some time." "Of course, I'm sure she'll be more than willing. Thanks again, Caco." ********** "And-and guess what else: I got first place in the go-karts race yesterday!" "That's great Danny, I'm so proud of you! I told you you could do it!" Amanda burst into the room with a huge grin on her face, and motioned impatiently for Sharon to get off the phone. Sharon stuck her tongue out and took her time, enjoying talking with her little brother. After they hung up, Amanda immediately grabbed her hand and tugged at her. "Come on, I've got something to show you," She said excitedly. "Is this that pesky little surprise you were talking about?" Sharon asked, acting indifferently just to egg her on. "Yes yes! Now come on, get your ass up here!" Sharon chuckled at her manager's antics and followed her out of the room and down the hallway. They wound their way through the mess and chaos of the backstage area, playing Dodge Man with the busy crewmen that were cleaning up the set in the San Jose arena. Down another small hallway, Amanda stopped at an unmarked door and knocked four times. The door opened a crack and a man peeked out at them. Sharon frowned; there was something about his face that was vaguely familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Amanda?" He asked. "Yes, it's me, and this is Sharon," She replied, motioning over her shoulder to her. The man smiled at them both and opened the door wider. "Come on in," He said. Amanda stepped in, looking back at Sharon with a beaming ear-to-ear grin. Sharon followed her, laughing at her manager's _expression. "Cripes woman, calm down before you-" Her voice caught in her throat as she suddenly saw who was in the room. Sitting on a pair of old sofas sat Munky, Fieldy, Head, Jonathan, and David, all looking directly at her. She struggled to find words. "Um...uh..." She stammered. "Hi. It's ok, we don't bite...unless you ask." Jonathan said with a mischievous grin. She giggled nervously, rooted to the spot, as Amanda prodded her in the back. "Well, you're always whining about how you want to meet them, so go meet them." She said, pushing her forward towards the guys. "Okay okay fine, piss off," Sharon said, fussing at Amanda's pushing hands. She approached them the way you'd expect someone to approach Hannibal Lecter. Head stood up and held out his hand. "Good to meet you, Sharon," He said with a smile as she gingerly reached out and shook his hand. Just as she began to pull it back, his grip suddenly tightened. "Now!" He yelled. The other four guys suddenly lunged up out of their seats and dogpiled on Sharon in a monster group hug before she had a chance to react. Amanda and Caco stood on the other side of the room, watching their respective charges laughing and goofing around together, each feeling a small twinge of parenting instinct at the childish behavior in front of them. "Wanna go get something to drink?" Caco asked. "Sure, why not," Amanda answered and they left the room unnoticed. The six of them spent the next little while just sitting around chatting, relating various adventures of life on the road and life as a celebrity. "God, I'll bet you all five of us will get arthritis from the sheer volume of autographs we do," Munky commented. "Ha ha, not me! Everyone just wants me to touch them. And you wouldn't believe where sometimes!" Sharon piped and they all laughed. There was a knock at the door. Fieldy got up and opened it a tiny crack to see who it was, then threw the door open. "Fred man! What's up, brother?" They all turned and looked to see Fred Durst standing in the doorway. Sharon's jaw dropped. Limp Bizkit was another one of her favorite bands, though not as much as Korn of course. "I'm doin' good. Got treats for y'all!" He said, reaching back behind the door and pulling out three 6-packs of Coors. "Kick ass!" Munky jumped up and took one of them, ripping a can away for himself and tossing the others to Head. "Oh man, they're ice cold too! You fuckin' rock, Fred!" Head cried as he pulled one off and passed the remaining four to David. Sharon and Jonathan just looked at each other and smiled. "You want some?" David offered the cans out to her. "Um..no, that's ok. I've gotta do two 4-hour performances tomorrow and an interview. I don't really feel like doing it with a hangover." David chuckled and took one, setting the rest down on the small coffee table in front of them. "Well well, so this is Sharon," Fred said, approaching her. "Stand up here girl, I've been wanting to meet you for a while." "Really?" She asked, getting up. "Yeah. I mean, you seem to be one of the rare few out there that are genuine. So when these guys told me you'd be in town the same time as me, I couldn't pass it up." He said, wrapping his fully-tattooed arms around her. She returned the hug, taking the opportunity to practice a new skill she was developing - the ability to detect illness or ailments with touch. Fred was fine. She stood back with a satisfied smile on her face, relieved that she hadn't had any flashes either. She'd never told anyone but sometimes, when touching someone, she would also get flashes of ESP. She would see vivid images connected to the person; what they were thinking, happy memories, sometimes-horrible things they'd done or that had been done to them. For that reason, she was afraid to touch Jonathan. She really didn't want to see particular people from his past. "Can I get a closer look at these?" She asked, motioning at Fred's well-decorated arms. "Sure," he said, plucking a beer for himself as they sat down together on one of the sofas. The seven of them sat around and chatted some more, and as the beer got consumed, the talk got rowdier and funnier. Sharon savored it, cherishing her luck. She couldn't remember the last time her energy levels had been so high. Caco popped his head in the door. "Just a reminder, guys - we gotta head out in another 20 minutes or so." Sharon's face fell and her heart sank. Jonathan saw the slump. "Hey don't worry, it's not the last time you'll ever see us. We'll hang out together some time again," He consoled her. She smiled at him as he reached over and touched her shoulder. The flames licked and lashed all around and the putrid smoke nearly choked her lungs. The heat scorched at her face. Somewhere in the smoke, she could hear someone choking and crying. A little boy. "Mommy, help me! Mommeeeee!" The smoke cleared for a second and she could see him, curled up in the corner of the room, the flames singeing his small Family Values t-shirt and blistering his tender arms and face. "MommeeeeeEEEEE!" Sharon gasped and recoiled in horror. "What? What's wrong?" Fred asked her. "It's Nathan....I think I saw Nathan..." "What? What do you mean, you saw him? What was happening?" Jonathan leaned forward, concerned. "There was a fire, he was trapped and it was burning him!" "What, you're psychic too now?" Fieldy asked, a hint of skepticism showing in his voice. Jonathan gave him a slight glare and got up, walking hurriedly over to his jacket by the door and digging his cell phone out of the pocket. Dialing, he prayed that he remembered Renee's cell number right. "Hello?" A teary voice squeaked through the long-distance static. "Renee? Where are you?" Jonathan said, raising his voice to be heard over the white noise. The rest of them sat perfectly silent, listening intently to his end of the conversation. "I'm..." She broke down into sobs then quickly recomposed herself. "I'm at the hospital. There was a fire in our house.... Oh God, Jonathan, I tried to reach him, I tried to get to him-" "Renee, it's okay, it's gonna be okay..." Jon struggled to calm her down as well as keep his own panic in check. "Hey, where you going?" Head asked as Sharon bolted out the door. She didn't answer. Sprinting through the now-clear backstage area, she raced back to her own room and burst in. Amanda and Caco jumped in surprise and pulled back away from each other at the same time. Amanda's hair was messed. Sharon paid that no heed. "We're going with Jonathan." She said firmly in the voice she used when she wasn't to be argued with. By the time they got to the hospital two hours later, at about 10 p.m., Renee had fallen asleep in her chair in the emergency room's waiting area. She smelled smoky and singed and her face was greyed and tearstained. Jonathan gently shook her shoulder. She stirred and as soon as she saw him standing over her, she began to weep again. The rest of them sat down a few seats away to give the couple some time alone together. Amidst the commotion, their words couldn't be heard, but it didn't take half a brain to guess what was being said. "Um, Sharon?" David asked quietly. "Yeah?" She responded. "While we're waiting...would you mind maybe...having a look at my wrist?" She smiled weakly and switched seats with Munky so she could sit beside him. "Let's have a look," She said. He gingerly held it out; it looked perfectly normal. "How does it feel right now?" She asked. "It was hurting a bit on the way here but it's mostly just weak now." "Just weak, huh?" She chided softly, curling her fingers gently around it. Closing her eyes, she focused the power down into the flesh in her grasp. They sat motionless like that for a moment, then she opened her eyes and let go of his wrist. For a second, he stared at his hand, unmoving. Then, slowly, he began to lift it, twisting and bending his wrist in all different directions. "Holy shit," He whispered in astonishment. "Feel better?" She asked, chuckling. He nodded dumbly and spent the next ten minutes totally fascinated with the easy and painless motion of his own hand. After a little while longer, a nurse came out and approached Renee and Jonathan. "Are you the parents of Nathan Davis?" She asked. They both nodded. "You may go in and see him now, I'll show you to his room." They stood up together, and without being asked, Sharon stood up and joined them. The nurse looked at her. "Are you family?" "Um, no.." Sharon mumbled. "Can she come? Please? She's very close to us," Jonathan asked. Renee made no comment. Obviously he had explained to her about Sharon's ability. The nurse pursed her lips. "Well, okay, but no more than two people at a time," She said brusquely and started down the hall to the ICU. The trio nervously looked back at the rest of the group in the waiting room. Fieldy gave them a thumbs up of encouragement and Fred waved. They followed the nurse down the corridor, weaving past wheelchairs and gurneys, some empty and some occupied. A little girl wracked with leukemia in its late stages lay curled up on a bed, sniffling and grimacing in pain. Sharon made a mental note to come back and spend a moment with her. They came to a room in intensive care, containing two beds. The first bed had its curtain draped fully shut, its occupant very still and quiet. And then, there was Nathan. The light over his bed was out and only the fading sunlight from the window outlined his small figure in the bed. As the nurse left, all three of them entered the room. Jonathan crept up quietly to his son's bedside. "Nathan?" He whispered. "Nathan, are you awake?" No answer. He reached up and pulled on the cord, turning on the fluorescent light. Renee gasped and Sharon winced, biting her lip. Jonathan stood motionless, a stony _expression on his face. The burns spanned all the way from the boy's lip and left earlobe down to his midriff and engulfed his entire left arm. In some places, the skin had been totally cooked off. The blackened flesh was dried, crusty and flaking in places. An IV full of saline and codeine solution dripped steadily into his tiny right wrist. "Oh my God..." Renee whispered, shuddering and buckling at the knees. Sharon put an arm around her and helped her over to a chair, then looked over at Jonathan. He was on his knees at the side of the bed, his hands over his mouth, unable to pull his dark gaze away from the terrible sight. "Jon? Are you alright?" She asked him quietly. He looked over at her, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please help him," He said, his voice cracking. She nodded. Renee slowly pulled her chair around to Jonathan's side of the bed, and they clasped hands as Sharon slowly eased herself onto Nathan's bed and got herself comfortable beside him. "Nathan," She whispered, "I know you can hear me. My name is Sharon. I'm going to help you get better, okay? Your mom and dad are here too, they're right beside you." Renee sniffled and wiped her red eyes. Her voice is so soothing, Jonathan thought to himself, watching in a daze. "Now, I'm just going to touch the top of your head, okay Nathan? You might feel some warmth or tingling, and that's okay." Sharon went on as she gently touched Nathan's right hand. Leaning over, she gently brushed a few ash flakes out of Nathan's dark hair and carefully placed both hands on top of his head. The moment stretched for what felt like hours, although it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds. Lifting her hands away, Sharon turned to Jonathan and Renee. "It will take a couple of days to notice much difference, but instead of spending months in here getting painful skin grafts, he'll probably be discharged in two or three weeks. He might have a few scars on his arm, that part got it the worst," She explained. Renee started to cry again, but it was different this time. Tears of relief, tears of joy. Jonathan put an arm around her and Sharon reached over Nathan and put her hand on theirs, still clasped tightly together. "He'll be alright," She said with a smile. Suddenly remembering the little girl back in the corridor, Sharon got up and excused herself from the room, leaving Nathan and his parents to heal together. Heading downstairs and trying to retrace her steps, she eventually came to the spot and stopped. The girl was gone. Sharon looked both ways down the corridor and in the nearby second waiting room but she was nowhere to be seen. Frustrated, she headed back to the main triage. Amanda and Caco had arrived, but they were no longer as friendly with each other as before. Caco was busy on his phone trying to renegotiate tour dates to allow Jonathan a few days at home. Munky and Fieldy had fallen asleep, slumped up against each other. Head was doodling on a magazine while Fred and David were playing Crazy Eights with a ratty deck of cards. She smiled. All's well that ends well, she thought to herself. Amanda saw her and stood up, stretching as Sharon approached. "Honestly girl, you gotta stop doing these side road healings or we're never gonna finish the tour," She scolded lightly. Sharon rolled her eyes. "Amanda, this is what I do. A healing is a healing, regardless of whether or not it fits a schedule. Remember that." She responded. "Besides, it's the least I can do for them considering what they've done for me." The End (c) Copyright Janman, "Touch Someone" Spring 2000. |