Beyond the Sea

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Ch. 7
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If I Could Fly Like Birds On High

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Higgins walked back into the main house after parking the Land Rover in its garage. She was thinking she hoped Kumu wouldn't be at the Cultural Center. She had barely thought that when the older woman appeared in front of her.

"How is Thomas?" Kumu inquired.

"Concussed and badly bruised up, by design apparently." The British woman replied.

"What do you mean 'by design'?"

"Precisely that, Kumu. Thomas lost a friend recently in Afghanistan. On top of that, he has been seeing dead friends and family all over the estate the past few days. He seems a bit confused about why this is happening. So he went out last night…and, per Detective Katsumoto, this is a direct quote of what Thomas said, "I wasn't looking to resist. I just wanted the outside to hurt as much as my insides did." Apparently, he started a bar fight and wasn't fighting back, hoping that the pain outside would ease his inner pain."

Kumu frowned. "I don't know why he would find seeing dead friends and family all over the estate the past few days that confusing or disconcerting. From the moment I met him I sensed the mana was very strong in Thomas Magnum and he was surrounded by a 'cloud of witnesses'."

"I beg your pardon, Kumu," Higgins interrupted the older woman. "...what do you mean the mana was very strong with Magnum and by the rest of what you said?"

"Mana is a Hawaiian word for a person's spiritual life force. Mana flows between every living thing in the Hawaiian Islands, spirit, plant, animal, even lava. My grandsons' compare it to the Force in Star Wars, if that helps."

Higgins crinkled her nose, "Only slightly, although it would no doubt make perfect sense to Thomas and his friends. They are much more into that pop culture stuff than I am."

Kumu smiled at the British woman. "Don't tell me you have never seen Star Wars?"

"Oh, no; I'm not quite that obtuse. I've seen the first three...the ones with Hans Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia...Richard ensured that. Now, mind, I have only seen those three, but I get the gist. What did you mean when you said that Thomas was 'surrounded by a cloud of witnesses'?"

"Oh, actually, I said to Thomas that he seemed to be accompanied by a lot of ghosts and he replied that he preferred to think of them as a 'cloud of witnesses'...I asked him why and he quoted...I'm not sure I will get this right, but I think it was Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders..." so he called those around him his cloud of witnesses." Kumu smiled. "Somehow that reply made a lot of sense in light of the way he celebrated St. Patrick's Day this year."

Juliet smiled back at her. "It does fit Thomas' personality as you get to know him better, doesn't it? From what TC told me earlier, Thomas has always been aware he is 'accompanied', but he doesn't usually SEE them and INTERACT with them as vividly as he has been lately."

"Ah, if they have only started being visible to him and interacting very visibly and vocally, that can be a bit disconcerting at first. From what I have seen though, Thomas will adjust to it very quickly. He has a bit of a knack for that sort of thing." Kumu thought a moment. "I think my cousin Oki may be able to help Thomas with that. I'll speak with him."

"Thank you, Kumu; I thought you might know someone," Higgins replied.

"Anything I can do to help that man, I will do it. I have come to rather adore Thomas Magnum. He is a very special young man. He is generous and kind to a fault. I really admire him." The woman added, clearly. "I'm a bit protective of him."

"Yes, I've noticed that for a while now, Kumu."

"Oh, don't pretend you do not feel the same way, Juliet, because I know you do."

"I won't even try to deny that anymore. He gets under your skin rather quickly, our Thomas." The two women smiled in agreement at the sentiment.

"The quote you said you got from Detective Katsumoto…about just wanting the outside to hurt as much as the inside? One of my nephews told me that is why he used to cut himself. Self-injury or allowing others to injure us to try to make the outside feel like the inside is a thing I can somewhat understand." Kumu said softly. "I started exercising very severely about two months after my husband died. The pain from the physical exercise somehow made me feel more alive and helped counter the pull towards depression that I was feeling."

"For that, Rick has already called on Father Murphy. He knows Thomas well, and, if Magnum is feeling a bit depressed at losing the last person who was active in the SEALS from his and Nuzo's SEAL class, he thinks Father Mike can help him with that."

"Oh, I think I'll pick Thomas up a Corned Beef and some baby red potatoes when I go shopping tomorrow. He can make them up and make Father Murphy feel right at home when he comes by." Kumu remarked.

"That would be lovely, Kumu." Higgins chuckled. "Perhaps Thomas will share with us."

"Well, I wouldn't object," Kumu admitted.

"Nor I!" Higgins agreed. "The man is a wonderful cook! Though I don't know how much of an appetite he will have for the next few days, he's been quite nauseated courtesy of the concussion he has. Still knowing Magnum he'll be only too happy to cook it up to feed his friends who will be staying with him for the next couple of days to watch over him during the acute period post his beatings. The doctor wanted him monitored because he has a slight skull fracture and some bleeding into his brain."

"Really? And they let him come home?" Kumu seemed surprised.

"When both Rick and TC promised to stay the first 48 hours, the doctor went over things with them and was satisfied that those two knew what to watch for and to get him back there fast if certain things happened. I think I will recommend TC keep his chopper here, just in case." Higgins said thoughtfully.

"That would certainly get Thomas back to the hospital the most quickly in case it becomes necessary, which hopefully it won't." Kumu agreed. "He's lucky to have a friend like Rick who has the training and experience to monitor him here."

"Oh, luck has nothing to do with that. The teams always include people with medical know how to take care of their injured in the field, Kumu. TC and Rick are just continuing to fulfill the parts they played in their team back in Afghanistan. It's part of why the 'brothers' decided to stay together post being discharged. Which is a very good thing, I think."

"I quite agree," Kumu said.

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A/N: Well, I had my 2nd Interview for the job with AFLAC that I would really like to get, today. It went well, I think. We'll see if I get another call back for the 3rd interview. It's a process and, all in all, today was just another brick in the wall. I'm glad I was able to finish writing this chapter tonight. Tomorrow I will try and work on Magnum Family Traditions - EASTER. Hope you enjoyed this addition.