Angus woke to darkness, then confusion. He couldn't move. Where was he? He tried to move again but felt like something was holding him down.
"Easy there. Try not to move."
"Who are you?" Angus was even more confused because it sounded as if the person was lying beside him.
"It's Betty, sweet boy. Don't move. I'm holding your soul in your body right now. If you struggle, I might not be able to keep hold of you." Betty sounded so close.
"I don't understand." He tried to blink but didn't feel like he did.
"Just stay calm and try and tell me your last memory. Please don't move or struggle. I'm not sure if my hold is enough to keep you here."
Here? Where would he go? He focused on his last memory. It took a bit to come back to him. "Was at dinner. What happened? Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. You had a serious injury," she told him.
"Wait, how am I hearing you? Am I dead?" A rush of panic started to hit him, and he struggled to sit up.
"Easy, don't move. You're not dead. The surgeon saved you, but you're still not in the clear. Stay calm and let me explain." Betty's voice was soothing.
The fact he could hear her at all made him nervous. He didn't hear ghosts. He'd never heard Betty despite growing up with her around. "Lance?"
"He's okay. He's waiting for you. Everyone is okay. Don't worry about them. We have to focus on your healing."
"How bad?"
"You almost died. When I saw your spirit start to leave your body, I jumped at you and forced it back into your body. The cord wasn't fully broken. I was able to hold it together and keep you alive, but just barely. Had I been a second later, you'd be dead."
"Cord?" Angus was so confused. He didn't know what she was talking about.
"Yes, there is a cord, a rope that holds the spirit to the human body. When it breaks, the soul is released from the physical being and you become a spirit. Your cord was fraying as you rose from your body, but I managed to grasp it and hold it together. I'm still holding it. I'm afraid if I let go, it would break. You need to stay still until it mends," Betty told him.
"Wait. You're in my body with me?" Was that even possible?
"I am. Don't ask me how it happened. I'm not sure. I just reacted when I saw your spirit leaving your body. I wasn't even sure it would work, but I had to try. Now we just have to let that cord heal and hopefully, you'll be as good as new."
"Will it heal?" Angus asked.
"I don't know. I've never seen this done before. I wasn't even sure I had the power to push you back into your body," Betty told him.
"Why can't I see anything?"
"You're used to seeing with physical eyes, not your spirit. I can see you just fine. We're going to be like this for a while. Maybe in time your soul will see. Right now, you need to rest. Your physical body has been through hell tonight."
"What happened? How bad?" Angus asked again.
"There was an explosion of some kind. I don't know much because I've been with you, and I can't interact with the outside world while I'm inside you. I can sometimes hear them talking, but you've been in surgery. I haven't heard much. I heard Jeremy and Eve talking. That's how I know everyone else isokay. I think your dad has a broken leg, but I could have heard wrong. We'll know more once they move you out of recovery to a hospital room."
"My injury?" Angus asked.
"You had a large section of the window embedded in your neck. The glass cut deep and they had to remove it. If I wasn't holding your cord together, you would have surely died. Even now, you're not strong enough. I'm afraid to let go until you heal more. I don't know how long it might take."
"Why can't I wake up?"
"I heard them say they were going to induce a coma to keep you from moving. They are scared of you tearing the stitches in your neck. I'm worried about you tearing your cord. Just try and stay still. I won't leave you." Betty's words were so soft and calm.
"I'm scared," Angus admitted.
"So am I, baby, so am I. I've never done anything like this before. I want you to live a long life. I want to keep you alive for your mother, for Lance. I'm not sure if this will work, but I had to try," Betty told him.
