Mattie Mae Thomas - Dessie (great reads txt) 📗

of the box he had brought with him. “I have to show you something. These are the results from the monitor we have on Mark. They record any brain activity.” There were five stacks of papers. He opened each one to a place he had marked. “Each one is the same. Minimum activity except of the hour you are with him. Then they are off the chart. If I was to go just by the chart I would say he was awake during that time.”
“But he isn’t. I never see a change in him. Every day it’s the same. I feel as if I’m going nowhere.” Brie ran her hand through her hair. “I don’t think I am helping at all.”
“But you are. Whatever it is your doing, he is responding to it.” Dr. Lowe pointed to the hours he had underlined in red on the paper. “I tried everything I could think of, with no results. By the end of your hour with him, I would say he is almost awake. I want you to extend the hour. Monday, I want to try an hour and a half. Can you do that?”
“I’m willing to try anything Dr. Lowe. But I haven’t found what is stopping him from waking.”
“Brie, I have faith in you. Just keep doing what you do for a little while longer.” He reached across the table to pat her hand. “You can do it kid.” Clearing his throat, he gave Brie a questioning look. “One more thing and then I will go. Do you mind if I am there the last half an hour? I will be there just in case Mark decides to awake.”
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t mind at all. Maybe you can tell me when you start to see a difference in him. I am not looking at his face when I work on him. Right now I feel like I am at a wall I can’t get around.”
They set a time for Monday then Brie went home for the weekend to the rest of Mark’s family.
***


The weekend was perfect for the bake sale. You couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. By the end of the day there wasn’t a crumb left to sell. The jolly mood carried them home. As it was getting dark, Brie finally said it was time to head home. Mattie Mae didn’t want her to go.
“Can you please stay? I don’t want you to go.” She climbed into Brie’s lap and wrapped her arms around her. “Please Brie. Please stay.”
Grace gave Brie a smile as if in apology. “Come on Mattie Mae. It’s time for bed anyway. We have to a lot to do tomorrow. It is cleaning day at church.”
Mattie Mae gave Brie one last hug for goodnight. Then she went upstairs to get ready for bed. At the top she stopped and said, “Can I see you tomorrow Brie?”
Bob chuckled. “I think that girl is trying to sow herself to your hip.”
“I don’t mind at all. I love to spend time with her. Why not let her spend the night with me? I had planned on spending the day at the last tomorrow. She could show me around. We could have a picnic. It will be fun.”
Mattie Mae heard Brie. She came running down the stairs. “Oh, yes. Please, please, please!! Can I go?” She jumped up and down clapping her hand as only a little girl could. Everyone laugh to see her so excited.
“Ok. You can meet up back here for supper.” Grace held out her hand to Mattie Mae. “Come on. Let’s go get you ready and pack you a bag for the night.”
The little girl talked all the way to Brie’s house. Her excitement was infectious. Brie found herself laughing and playing along with her. In no time at all, they had both skipped their way to her front door. Bed time didn’t come for another couple of hours. Each sported newly painted fingers and toes, with braids in their hair. Lying on her bed, she read a story to the little girl. Mattie Mae had fallen asleep so she turned off the lights and snuggled down for sleep.
“I wish Daddy was here,” Mattie Mae whispered half asleep.
Brie gave her a small squeeze, “I do too, honey.” Mattie Mae never answered. She was asleep. Brie was awake for a little longer. How could that be? How could she be falling for a man she had never talked to? But she was. She cared for Mark almost as much as she cared for his little girl. Seeing his memories first hand and hearing the stories Grace and Bob told her, she felt as if she knew the man. He was a good man.
The next day they found them at Brookville Lake bright and early. Around midday they found a little inlet with a small beach. “This is a perfect spot for lunch. What do you think Peanut?”
Mattie Mae giggled. Brie started to call her peanut because she only liked peanut M & Ms. “Can we go swimming for a little while?”
“I don’t see why not. We can swim first then eat lunch.” Brie said as she stripped down to her swim suit.
By the time they were finish with lunch, they were both yawning. Stretched out on the sand with the warm sun as a blanket, they both took a nap. Brie found herself in the same dream as before. She was with the twins playing by the stream. Only this time she wasn’t alone. Mattie Mae was setting there with her. The child talked and talked. Mostly about her dad and all the things they used to do together. There was another thing different too. Mark would stop playing with his sister long enough to look over at them. Mattie was waving at them to jump over to their side. Brie didn’t want to try. She knew what would happen. But Mattie Mae pulled on her hand until they were running. At the edge of the stream hand in hand they jumped. When they landed Brie looked up expecting to see Mark and Mattie on the other side of the stream. She was wrong. They had made it over the stream. Mark was walking towards them.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Brie was startled out of the dream. How did she make it over the stream? What did she do different? Nothing the only thing different was... “Peanut” she said aloud.
“No Brie. I don’t want to wake up.” She groaned. “I want to play with Daddy.” But it was too late. The spell had been broken. She set up and smiled. “I had a nice dream. I was playing with Daddy. You were there too. And so was Aunt Mattie.”
Brie felt a chill go down her back as the little girl talked about the dream she had. Was it possible they had the same dream? Was Mattie Mae the answer to get Mark to wake up?
“Come on Peanut, it’s time to go. We have to meet your grandparents for supper.”
Back at the Thomas’ house Brie couldn’t stop thinking about the dream. Mattie Mae had to ask her twice if she wanted to watch her favorite movie. “Sure Peanut. We can watch it.” With a giggle at peanut, Mattie Mae started the movie. Brie thought she would be watching a Disney movie. She was surprised to see it was a home movie. Many home movies placed on one disc. It started with Mattie Mae as a baby. Again and again she watched Mark and Mattie Mae on the screen. You couldn’t miss the joy and happiness he had while being with his child. Her heart opened to him. Mark was a special guy. If she wasn’t in love with him before, there was no question of it after watching him for two hours on the screen.
She turned some ideas over in her head. And after putting Mattie Mae to bed she go up the never to ask Grace. “Grace, do you mind if I took a copy of the home videos of Mark. I want to play them in his room. I just had a thought. Maybe if he heard her voice for a while we might get a reaction.” She explained to Grace all that Dr. Lowe had told her about the response they received during the time she spent with Mark.
“I know all about that, dear.”
Brie was at a loss for words. “But…you never said anything.”
“He came to talk to us before he talked to you. We gave our consent.” She put her arm around Brie and handed her the home movies of Mark and Mattie Mae. “We knew his grandmother very well. And Sara Martin is one of my best friends. We had lost hope until you came here. If you think these movies will help, take them with our blessing. We had weeks of no response from Mark. Then you came along. Dr. Lowe said that every day you are with him he see more changes. You were sent to us, Brie. Not only is Mark improving but Mattie Mae has changed also. Watching her grieve was like watching Mark all over again after Mattie died. She was blaming herself just as he did. You were sent here to heal this family. No matter what happens we love you and have faith in you.”
Brie started to get excited. This was it. She knew how to help Mark. Would it work? It had to. “Grace, would you tell Peanut I won’t be going to church with you. I have to go to the hospital. Are you still going there afterwards?” At Grace’s nod she smiled, “Good. I will see you there.”
She didn’t even bother to go home. She called Dr. Lowe to tell him what she wanted to do. Fifteen minutes later she walked through the doors to find him waiting for her. She explained everything that happened that day, from the dream at the lake, to talking to Grace. “I think this will work. Mark feels it is his fault that Mattie died. And he feels as if it is his fault that Mattie Mae was hurt. I strongly believe he feel he should have died that day instead of Mattie. And the place he is in now is where he belongs. We have to change his mind. We have to show him he belongs here with Mattie Mae.”
They entered Mark’s room. Dr. Lowe but the disc into the DVD player as Brie went to the head of Mark’s bed. She didn’t bother with the massage. Touch was all she needed. Right away the images started. This time Mark and Mattie were older. She followed her