The Armageddon Boy part III: Another Special Child (standard:fantasy, 1674 words) [3/3] show all parts
Author: Frank N. Stine	Added: Jun 28 2002	Views/Reads: 2549/1982	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The third installment of the 'highly' popular Armageddon Boy series - find out why the Shephards needed another child.

The Armageddon Boy Part Three: Another Special Child 

In the months that followed the fire of Dandelion Close, Mr. and Mrs.
Shephard argued often over what to name their fostered child - since 
his real mother had not had time to name him.  To Mrs. Shephard he was 
the saviour who had delivered her from the fiery hell of their home; to 
Mr. Shephard the jinx who was responsible for the fire. 

Finally, some two months later, they hit a compromise on the name Jacob.
 This satisfied Mrs. Shephard for it was a name featured in the good 
book, and Mr. Shephard for he could always shorten it to Jake which did 
not sound at all religious. 

It was about this time that she first took the child with her on her
regular hospital visits.  Their two year old son had fallen from a 
window some six months earlier, and a blood clot in his brain had 
caused him to slip into a coma.  Since then he had been kept alive by 
the grace of a life support machine that breathed for him and kept his 
blood pumping at a steady rythm.  The doctors doubted he would ever be 
able to do those things for himself again.  They doubted he would ever 
wake up from his long sleep. 

Mr. Shephard doubted it too.  He had come to accept that little Isaac
was beyond their reach, that he was already dead.  The doctors had told 
him that his brain was dead, and that was all the convincing he needed. 
 But he didn't know how to convince his wife of this.  She believed in 
a soul that possessed all people, to her his brain had very little to 
do with it.  He knew she was waiting for a miracle that would never 
come, and while she waited other children, in need of the machine that 
was keeping their son's body running, may well be dying.  But they 
could not turn the machine off until both he and his wife said so.  He 
was willing, but she would never say yes. 

At least, that was how he understood it before it happened.  One fateful
evening in March soon changed everything. 

Mr and Mrs Shephard sat in the hospital room filled with shards of
blood-red evening light that broke through the blinds and striped the 
room.  As always, she was busy reading over Isaac, muttering her 
favourite psalms.  Mr Shephard was watching Jacob very carefully in 
case he should pull any of the tubes or wires attached to Isaac. 

Jacob was quite well developed for his age.  He was already walking and
had a full head of blond hair.  And now he was standing fascinated by 
the plastic pump that rose and fell beside Isaac. 

When a doctor entered and whispered to Mr. Shephard that he would like a
word outside, Mr. Shephard was almost too afraid to leave Isaac in the 
presence of Jacob and his mother.  He did so after a few minutes though 
and joined the doctor in the corridor. 

After asking the standard how are you questions, the doctor said: 'There
is an issue that is concerning me, but it is difficult for me to say.' 

'You can't keep him on this machine forever,' Mr. Shephard offered. 

The doctor's mouth dropped.  'I wouldn't choose to put it that way.' 

A grim smile spread across the father's face.  'But it's true, I know,
I've told her.  She's just difficult to reason with.  If it were up to 
me I would have switched it off months ago.' 

'So it's your wife I should be speaking to?' asked the doctor. 

'You could try, and I wish you every luck, it's just that -' 

He was cut off by a high pitched squeal that echoed down the corridor. 
A flashing red light came on over their heads.  The doctor glanced up 
at it and took a walkie-talkie from his belt. 

'Room three-seven-eight, code blue.  Room three-seven-eight code blue.' 

'What's happening doctor?' 

But the doctor did not stop to answer.  He pushed the door and entered


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