After some coffee, he and Snow returned to the hospital, where he checked on his mother and Carrick while Snow sneaked a peek at Jordan’s chart. There had been no changes overnight, which at this stage was to be taken as a good sign.
But Jude couldn’t sit around the hospital and simply wait. Something had to be done.
So, they tracked down the last close friend of Jordan’s that Jude did know about at the mall.
The place was largely a ghost town for the middle of the day just a couple of weeks into the new year. Most of the time he enjoyed strolling through the mall with Snow, window-shopping and people-watching as a way to spend a couple of relaxing hours out of the house and away from work.
But today, the people annoyed him. They seemed painfully oblivious to the world around them and the dangers that lurked, waiting to steal their lives away. Jordan was lying in a hospital bed right that second, hooked up to machines and tubes to keep him alive. He was lost to a coma, and they didn’t know if or when he would wake up.
“Do you know where the hat store is in here?” Snow asked. “I can’t remember the last time we came to this mall.”
“It’s down by the Macy’s, but I can’t recall if it’s on the first or second floor.”
Snow grunted and they started off past the food court that smelled of cinnamon, sugar, and fried rice. Jude glanced inside to see a handful of people scattered across a number of tables, eating fast food with their heads down, eyes locked on their phones. They passed a few shoppers with kids, but most of the stores were empty. The overhead skylights revealed gray, overcast skies as the temperatures lingered near freezing. After a mild December, winter had finally moved into the area, though they had yet to see any snow accumulation.
They paused at the center of the mall where there was a huge opening to the first floor. In that space was a children’s play area and a few kiosks set up selling candles, sunglasses, and other random knickknacks. But standing at that railing, Jude remembered another time.
The mall had been decorated for Christmas, and a long line snaked out of a North Pole setting. Parents and children patiently waited for a chance to talk to the big man in the red coat and white beard and get their picture taken.
Jordan had been three that year, and he was so excited to see Santa. The screams of little children echoed through his mind, and Jude remembered dreading the moment that Jordan was placed on Santa’s lap. He’d cried the year before and regardless of his excitement, Jude was sure that Jordan was going to cry again.
That following January, Jude was turning sixteen. He had so many other places he wanted to be other than in that line with all the little kids.
Carrick hadn’t been much better, terrified that anyone from school might spot him. But they were there because their mana demanded that they be there for a family picture. As soon as they were done with Santa, he and Carrick would be allowed to prowl the mall on their own for a couple of hours while Mana shopped with Jordan.
When they finally reached the front of the line after what felt like an eternity, Jordan was lifted up and carefully placed on Santa’s knee. For a moment, Jordan’s chin quavered and his breathing became short little pants as he stared up at the strange man in red and white. Jude had sighed and shifted from one foot to the other, preparing for his little brother to break out in an eardrum-shattering scream. Santa asked in a low, gentle voice if Jordan had been a good boy. Jude was surprised when Jordan managed a small nod.
Santa then asked what Jordan wanted for Christmas and leaned closer to hear what Jordan whispered into his ear. Anna grabbed Jude’s arm for a second and then started snapping a bunch of pictures. It was a damn cute image. Carrick loudly sighed beside him, and Jude gave him a nudge to pull his shit together.
“You want a car?” Santa asked suddenly.
Jude’s eyes snapped back to the scene to find that Jordan was now pointing at him. Jordan had asked Santa to bring him a car. The little guy had heard him talking about it to his mana and just about anyone who would listen. He planned to get his license as soon as he could the next year. He’d been working odd jobs for years and giving their mother part of his earnings to help support them, but now he wanted to keep it all so he could buy a car. Mana had said no. Another car in the family was an extra expense they couldn’t afford.