A/N: Again thank you for both the reviews and the alerts, they've been overwhelming. This is the final chapter.
Reconciliation in the Never After
A clash of noises, auditory pollution, a natural byproduct of any busy and prosperous city. Noises he'd heard all his life but paid little attention to because they weren't relevant to him. Noises that included bells. Bells clanging and janging, dinging and donging, pealing and chiming. Bells prompting punctuality, announcing beginnings, celebrating joinings, mourning passings, bellowing triumphants and wailing warnings. None of which meant much to him … until now.
Now, the tinny ringing is dopplering, four per cycle: strong, stronger, strongest, then fading, wheels tracking in a circle, a bell he knows, a bell that calls to him, draws him to right a wrong, to say a goodbye never said.
Swallowing the lump, "That's Ruben's bike bell," eyes filling at the innocent melody, "I gave it to him when he got his bike so he could be safe … let pedestrians know when he was coming up on them," squinting against the glare of the Big White Gate, searching, "Ruben, where are you?"
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"Lindsay, I'm right here. Give him two breaths and I'll start chest compressions."
Pinching and puffing, his nose and lips so cold, cold that seeps backwards, chilling her.
Lacing fingers together, pressing, forcing blood to travel through the veins, "Come- on- Messer-, you- sonofabitch-," hands poised, waiting, voice commanding, "Two breaths, Lindsay."
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"It's Ruben, I know it is. I gotta talk to him, tell him how much I miss him, you know say goodbye, give him a hug."
"No, you can't touch him."
"What are you saying? Why?"
"Because-"
Aiden elbowing, "C'mon Louie, do it!"
"Cool it Aiden, he deserves to know."
"Know what?"
"No, it will just screw things up because he'll let his emotions get the best of him."
"Screw it up or not, everyone deserves a second chance to set things right, ain't that right, Danny?"
"Yeah, yeah that's right Louie. You understand. I wanna make it right with Ruben."
"You're on your own; I can't be a part of this."
"Fine Aiden, have it your way but you know you'll have to answer to him if you bail now. We have strict instructions-"
"Since when did you care so much about following instructions?"
"Enough, you two! Just fuckin' tell me. Why can't I touch him?"
"Because it will break the time suspension."
"Time suspension?"
"Yeah, right now Ruben exists only in one finite moment but that moment is infinite."
"Wait, wait, wait, hang on," fingers sliding up under glasses, pinching, willing understanding, "Why?"
"To protect him from knowing the circumstances that brought him here. It is our, I mean his way of protecting the innocent – those who've come here before their time"
"And me touching him will break that … that time suspension? Oh I get it. 'Cause it was my fault he ended up here. I fuckin' knew it."
"Calm down, Messer, you egotistical ass! It isn't always about you and your misplaced guilt."
"She's right, it ain't your fault he's here – that's actually on someone else's shoulders," flinty eyes sparking at the coming disclosure, "It's because you ain't completely one of us yet. You're still a living."
"Hell, I don't even know what a living is. Can't I just talk to him even if I can't touch him? At least tell him how much I miss him? How sorry I am?"
"Sure, Messer, but he won't see or hear you."
"Ok, ok I get it. Then Louie set me up, wave your hand. C'mon, whaddya waitng for? I'm ready to set things right."
"Told you," Aiden, sing-songing under her breath.
"This ain't something I can do for you, Danny. You wanna give yourself up as a living, you gotta go have a little sit down with St. Peter over there," sweeping a bony hand towards the glare, "and then you can walk through the Big White Gate and make your amends."
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"Don, there's still no pulse," hands ricocheting from jugular to wrist, searching, "This isn't working," the chill settling deep, freezing hope.
"Where is that damn bus, we need paddles, now!" his bark hoarsened by the creeping sense of futility.
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"If I walk through how much time do I get?"
"An eternity."
"You mean like … in forever?"
"That's the deal, my son."
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"It's about damn time you guys got here, bring those paddles over here. It may already be too late but if there's a chance in heaven …"
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"But I don't need an eternity; I just need a few minutes."
"I'm just here to keep the rules, my son."
"How can I set things right if I can't even get him to see or hear me without ... without … spending an eternity?"
"Maybe you have it all backwards, about setting things right that is."
"But Louie said I ought to set things right."
"Yes, a worthy goal indeed, but did he perchance to say with whom?"
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"Clear!"
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God forgive me … I know what I have to do to set things right … but the bell … it calls … trying to get through … but the glare …blinding … can't see to get through …
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" Rogers, pitch the spotlight, higher, on his face, so I can get a read on his pupils."
"Done."
"Get that fuckin' light out of my eyes," hand flailing blindly but with determination, knocking aside probing hands and invasive glare.
"Ouch," the EMT, shielding his face with one hand, catching the spotlight with the other before it hits the pavement, "I'd say your man is going to be okay. We'll need to take him for overnight observation though, just to be safe. Rogers, bring the gurney."
"Danny, oh thank God. Don, he's come to," capturing the flailing hand, pressing it close to her heart, feeling the thaw, "Don't try to speak, just lay back and rest," bending over him the other hand fluttering to rest against his cheek.
"Eh, Messer, welcome back," Flack squatting, his wide grin shedding worry lines, "we thought you were gone for good."
"For good?" Struggling to sit up, panning the scene for concrete objects, mostly seeing blurs and shadows but reassured by the voices. "No, no, I had to come back … to make things right."
"Shush, plenty of time to talk later. The EMTs are going to take you in now."
"No, I have to say it now."
"Say what, Messer?" sidestepping to make room for the gurney, "That you've been an egotistical ass wrapped up in you own misplaced guilt?"
"No, yeah …" wishing for his glasses so he can make a positive id because it sounds like Flack, but, "but … but … how did you know?"
"It's what we've been saying all along, Messer, you just haven't been hearing us."
"Well, I'm hearing you now and I'm gonna make it up to both you even if it takes a lifetime," ending on a grimace as the EMTs shift him onto the gurney.
"With all the crap you've pulled, possibly costing me my career and Lindsay her life, I'd say it's gonna take you an eternity."
"Don't listen to him, Danny," squeezing his hand, dropping a humoring kiss to his forehead, "he's just ticked because he missed having an Irish Coffee with Angell tonight."
"No, no Flack's right, an eternity. I committed to an eternity."
"I'll hold you to that, Messer."
"No," grinning deliriously, unfocused eyes roaming, finger air-punching as the EMTs hoist the gurney into the bus, "St. Peter'll hold me to it," crowing to the closing doors.
"Don," relief slipping into her voice, "good thing St. Peter got through to him when he did."
Watching the white bus fade into the darkness, "Yep, or else we wouldn't have Messer back as a living again."
"And I couldn't live with that."
"Neither could I, Linds, neither could I," sliding his hand under her elbow, guiding, his smile inducing one of her own, "C'mon, let's get to the hospital before they order a psych eval for Messer."
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A/N: I'd like to say that partial inspiration for this piece came from Aiden Among Us by Peanut2lb.