Teach me
Stephen opened his eyes. Everything around him was blurry. He had no orientation. No memory to what had happened. The doctor let out a breath he had held for what felt like days.
“Good morning, Mister Strange”, a female voice said.
He tried sitting up but failed to. Stephen’s hands were wrapped into bandages. He looked around and saw a bald woman in yellow robes. He frowned and looked down on himself. Stephen was dressed in a red comfortable suit. He turned again.
“Who are you? Where am I?”
She smiled at him.
“Welcome to Kamar-Taj. You can call me the ancient one.”
Stephen raised his eyebrows.
“Oh fuck. Oh no. Oh shit. Was I kidnapped? This is a cult, isn’t it. Help!”
She was by his side in an instant, smiling at the man.
“Stephen. Look at me. It’s fine. You had a car accident and one of the best sorcerers here found you. We tried healing you as good as we could.”
Stephen’s eyes went wide.
“Sorcerer, huh? Ancient one. Healing. Help! Someone, please!”
She touched his forehead with her finger and he immediately calmed down.
“Will you listen to me before you disturb all the students who are meditating?”
Stephen wanted to reach out to her, get her finger away from his forehead but-
“My hands. What- I- My hands.”
Stephen’s eyes went wider and wider but the woman calmed him down.
“Your hands are alright. The nerves in your hands are damaged though.”
Stephen removed his bandages as quickly as he could and what he saw was mayhem.
“No. No!”
She intervened her fingers with his. He waited for the pain. Anything at all. But it didn’t come. She just smiled at him.
“Welcome to your new journey.”
The woman smiled and cupped his cheek.
“What- Stop. My hands, don’t you understand, I’m lost without my hands! I’m fully lost! My job. I’m- I can’t do my job like this!”
She lay her head to the side and let him ramble.
“Are you done? Good. Stephen, there is other things that can give your life meaning.”
“Like what, like this?!”
He shoved her hand away.
“This is the part where you apologize.”
“This is the part where I leave.”
Stephen tried to get up.
“Stephen. I dare you. I can’t watch you do this to yourself anymore.”
“You don’t even know me! You know nothing about me! Now you look at me with that pity in your eyes and you think you know it all because you’re some fucking cult leader or something. You care- So much! Don’t you?!”
“I do know you. I know you better than you know yourself. I know your deepest darkest pressure points. I know about your sister.”
He looked at her with rage.
“You think you see through me, huh? You don’t. But I see through you-“
Stephen didn’t even get to fully finish his sentence as he was touched by the woman and thrown into what felt like the most insane trip anyone had ever had. He started falling and flying and twisting and turning through bright colors. The surgeon was catapulted through butterflies and images of no meaning and just crazy and unbelievable dimensions. Until he found himself on a ground again.
Somewhere- Somewhere he didn’t know. It was bright. And just- unfathomable. It almost looked like-
“Hey, Stephen.”
He turned around and saw a young woman walking up to him. She grinned widely and bit her lip as she saw him. Stephen looked around again and approached her.
“Sorry, do I know you?”
She chuckled quietly and pushed her bangs out of her face with the backside of her hand.
“We’re- pretty close actually.”
“Because you’re-“
He looked into her angelic blue eyes.
“-Because you’re Donna.”
She let out a breathy laugh.
“Hey, big brother.”
“Donna. Wow.”
He looked her up and down a couple of times.
“I’m sorry.”
Stephen shook his head.
“I’m sorry, I must have made a mistake. Somewhere. I should have protected you more. I’m scared, Donna.”
“I know”, she nodded.
“I know, it must be tough for you to let go.”
She took his hands.
“I’m proud of you.”
Stephen let out a small sob.
“And sad. But also happy. I’m happy we had the time that we did. Okay? And that you were there for me. Until you couldn’t be.”
Donna smiled at Stephen and cupped his face. She mouthed I’m happy. I’m happy. Stephen managed to smile at her.
“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
She bit her lip again in her adorable way. She’d done that a lot as a kid when she held back emotion. Stephen had always told her to let it out. To let go. That it all was okay.
“I love you”, she finally said with a big smile.
Stephen pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek, closing his eyes. Then he quietly whispered into her ear.
“I love you 3000.”
Donna caressed through his hair.
“I know. I know, Stephen.”
A tear rolled down his face.
“You grew up. Why did you- grow up?”
She leaned against his head.
“Because I chose to grow up. I wanted to understand you. I wanted to understand. And Stephen, I am still your Donna. And- I’ll show you. One day I’ll show you all that’s up here. Including the angels.”
He let even more tears roll.
“One day.”
He pressed her close once again.
“But not today.”
And with that, Stephen fell. He fell and fell and fell until he hit the ground again, finding himself in front of the bald woman once more.
“Teach me. Teach me this.”
She smiled at him and wiped away his tears.
“No.”