The Reincarnation

The motion of driving finally rocked David to sleep, even as cramped as he was in the back seat of the Bug. He found himself dreaming about the planet he visited in the dreams he had of the theater. He and John had just shaken hands, and John was disappearing before his mind’s eye. Except John didn’t disappear. His image flickered – it was as if the dream were a film, and the machine playing the film was jamming. After John’s image flickered, it became whole again. David stared at him. And behind him.

The tombstones that littered the hillside they were on came to life – or so it appeared. As David surveyed the graveyard, he saw a young boy stand up behind one of them, and start walking up the hill. Behind another headstone, a tall, gangly man came out. David realized immediately that there was no way he could have fit behind it. He, too, started up the hill.

Then another – an enormous young woman. And another – a large, bearded man. And another. People were climbing out from behind the headstones that covered the hillside of the cemetery.

They were all walking up the hill to where David and John stood.

Dr. Persey sat down at the table, his arms spread out at his sides, his hands resting on the table as he explained the phone call. “Seems our work is important, doctors. And not just to Ralph Senior. His son has asked to be brought here, and his father is coming with him.” There had been nothing Dr. Persey could say to Bishop that would calm him. He was determined to accompany his son to the Lab.

“Good show, Jack,” Dr. Torrence responded. “I always knew you’d make a big bang in the medical profession.” Dr. Torrence stood up and walked behind Dr. Persey. He held a dinner plate up behind his head. Dr. Persey spun around, wondering what he was doing. He saw the plate, dirty, behind his head. He looked around the room. Twelve men.

“After all, Jack, you are resurrecting the dead,” Dr. Torrence joked. “The man who has finally, fully, bridged the gap between science and faith.”

In unison, the doctors shouted, “Glory be to God!” They did it so quickly Dr. Persey didn’t know how to react. When he did, it was slowly, his mind still stuck on the explanation of the difference between a lion and a leopard, and the image of the leopard’s eyes staring into his own. He muttered, “Glory be to God,” after the others had already stopped chanting. It came out as a mumble.

He stood up, uncomfortable with the situation. “Well, doctors, let’s get to our patients.”

The men left their dinner plates on the table in the cafeteria and filed out.

“Here’s one. Barbara Ann McKee. Have you been concentrating like I asked you to, Barbara?” Dr. Persey addressed the woman coldly. The doctors surrounding him hardly noticed his disregard for the patient. They, too, were used to treating their patients like broken machines.

“You see, doctors, I failed to have the first one concentrate at all. So I’m seeing what happens when they do,” Dr. Persey added.

“Yes, doctor. I’ve been concentrating. But I still don’t understand what for.”

“Just concentrate. That’s all I ask. If you have a feeling, go with it. Just do whatever comes naturally, and hold the thoughts that come to your mind.”

“Okay, doctor. Whatever you say.”

Dr. Persey lectured the doctors as if she weren’t there. “Only one of the patients is on solid food so far, but they all can’t wait to eat – like that’s some big deal to them,” he explained. “And they seem to come around quicker if we revive them at night. They’ve all been sleeping a lot – and dreaming. They seem to have crazy dreams, and weird memories when they first come out of it. And they’re all coming around quicker than the first one – I still don’t understand why he took two weeks. Anyway, doctors,” Dr. Persey commanded, “let’s go, and I’ll show you the procedure in the flesh.”