The Tomorrow People are the creations of Roger (Damon) Price and are "borrowed" with love, but without permission.
The excerpt from "The House at Pooh Corner" is the work of AA Milne and is also borrowed without permission.
This vignette takes place in between "Revenge of Jedikiah" and "One Law".
Feedback of all sorts welcomed at epsteinb@carleton.edu. I'd appreciate even
just a line or two as that way I'll know if people are actually reading it.
Beth
"Tyso?"
Tyso sits staring out at the stars; he seems to be a million miles away.
I wonder if he's spirit traveling again. The Trig doesn't seem to agree with his gypsy upbringing.
"Tyso?" [Tyso!] I try first my voice and then telepathy to bring him back to Ear-- to get his attention.
Tyso jumps. "Oh, hi, John. I didn't notice you."
He's not noticing much, lately. Brooding. Too much.
"It's 3 AM, what are you doing up?"
"Thinking."
That's what he always says.
It's time for a more direct approach. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?"
"What ever's bothering you."
"Nothing's bothering me John, I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You've barely slept since we left Earth."
"I'm sorry I woke you." Tyso tries to change the subject.
Why must teenage boys be so difficult? Teenage? That described me not too long ago.
"You didn't wake me. I--" shouldn't tell him I had a nightmare and was about to check on him and Stephen. "--felt something."
"Oh." Tyso turns back to the portal.
Well, I know which of them needs me, at least.
He looks like a little boy, staring out to wish upon the stars. Believing it still helped.
It must be those Adonisian pajamas Carol brought him; he's the same size as an Adonisian five year old (they grow rather fast) and they have these weird animals on them that look rather like if Paddington and Tigger were genetically crossed.
I suddenly realize, it's not the clothes. It's what caused the dream. Tyso is frightened, insecure. But why?
It's no time for being subtle. (Liz is better at that stuff, anyway.) "What's frightening you, Tyso?"
He shrugs, indecisively, but doesn't deny it.
I sigh. Well, if he's going to be that way about it.... I thin the walls about my mind and reach out gently towards his. Tyso's barriers slam into place.
He turns his head and glares at me.
"Then *talk* to me, Tyso."
He sighs. Looks out the window. "It's not so bad when I'm at the school, but here.... It's so quiet. There aren't lots of kids milling about. No forest to run through...."
"Would it help if we got off the Trig more often? Or if Stephen and I ran around making lots of terrible noises?"
Tyso cracked a grin. Briefly. "I think.... that's not quite it. I miss my mum. I'm worried about Evergreen. Tricia says she was so frightened when we left..."
"I'm sure she's all right now. Your folks are home from the festival..."
"But I should *be* there. That's where I belong. With my family. In the woods. Not cooped up in this stuffy ol' tin can, eh?"
"You're homesick." Maybe the actual word will help a bit.
"I guess. I love the school. I love not having to look all around before I jaunt or not 'aving to be careful not to let on that I'm telepathic. It's just..."
"You miss your family."
Tyso nods. He's trying to choke back tears, but it's probably better if I pretend not to notice.
"In a way," I begin quietly, "the Tomorrow People are a family. We have to look out for one another, make sure we all make it...."
That helped somewhat. Tyso seems less upset, but still wound up enough to be awake for hours. I'm half tempted to just hug him, but not quite able to bring myself to do so. I doubt he'd let me, anyway.
I ponder the best way to help him calm down, wishing I'd had time to bring books-- Peter Pan, Paddington Bear, Winnie- The-- then I remember, Carol somehow obtained "The House at Pooh Corner" for me.
I go back to my cabin to get it. I open the drawer and pick up the hard-bound book. I wonder how Carol got it- this wasn't on the list of Earth books that she asked Stephen and me to obtain for her when she first found out she was pregnant. How did she manage to get a brand new copy of a hard bound book from a closed world? I don't think I want to know.
I return to the living area and sit down on a couch.
"What's that? The book Carol brought you?"
"Yes."
"Were you going to read it to me?" Tyso is emanating eagerness, but trying to sound nonchalant.
"If you like." I respond ambivalently.
"Yes, please." He sounds as if it were dinnertime and I'd asked if he wanted more grue.
I open the book and start to read. "Chapter 1. In Which a House is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore. One day when Pooh Bear had nothing else to do, he thought he would do something...."
As I read, Tyso leans closer. He's trying to make it look like he wants to look at the pictures.
I find the courage to put an arm round him. He snuggles closer, the tension and fear start slowly ebbing away. I keep reading until all I can sense from him is warmth, security. He's found his peace, I think.
Tyso yawns.
Liz and I have been considering taking the boys to Adonesia to spend the weekend with Carol and her husband. They're vacationing at their cabin out in the woods; it'll do Tyso some good, but I think we'd better let him sleep later than we planned.
"I think it's time you went back to bed."
Tyso nods, gets up, then nearly bumps into a coffee table.
I smile, and put an arm round his shoulders again. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."
We go into the next room. Stephen shifts slightly in his sleep, then settles back down. I pull back Tyso's covers as he slides, gratefully, into the lower bunk.
I smooth the covers over him, then run a hand over his hair.
"Sleep now, all will be well."
I sit next to him, rubbing his back until he falls into a sound sleep.
****
end