3 Can you be Friends?

John felt cold. He was lying on a stiff mattress. The place smelt suspiciously like a hospital with its heady smell of detergents and medicine. His body hurt as if a ton of brick had fallen on him. He shivered slightly and forced his eyes open.

An IV dripped into a tube attached to his arm.

"I'm in a hospital!" he exclaimed.

"No kidding. At least you have a body!"  A voice muttered.

"Who said that?"  John looked around. He was in an open ward filled with beds. He was also alone.

"I'm in your head, dammit! I thought that dratted Spar would have provided a body but of course not! He had to stick me in your head!"

"Odo! Stop your complaining. In case you haven't noticed I am here as well but I am not stupid enough to go about cursing something I can't change!" Another voice said.

"I know. That's why you never got to do anything other than talk big. You ruined all my work I've strived years to achieve with your holier-than-thou attitude!" Odo retorted.

"So it wasn't a dream?" John groaned. Somewhere deep inside him, there was this small flame of hope that the wntire experience had been a dream but it was doused by the cold truth of reality. Odo and Sajid was in his head.

"Obviously not!" Odo snapped.

"Shut up, Odo." The other voice said.

"Sajid, both you and I know that teaching this kid everything in a week is impossible!" Odo returned.

"Your behavior is not going to help. That's why I left you! You are too willful for a partnership. Every time I have to work with you, I am tempted to wring your neck!"

"Oh. In case you haven't noticed, I did far better by myself than I could have done with you!"

"That's because you never gave us a chance!"

"Ha. Did you really think I would listen to your soft-hearted approach for getting what we wanted while everyone else was playing dirty?"

"Where did that get you? Your successor gave away your 'hard work 'at the first opportunity he got"

"And yours did better? Look where that got your beloved country!"

"If you two are done, shut up because your raving is giving me a headache!" John groaned.

"Mr. Henry, I am so happy to see you awake, I was really worried when you weren't coming out of the coma. Who were you talking to?" A nurse bustled into the ward with a warm smile and began organizing the ward.

"How long have I been out?" John asked.

"Three days. Since we lacked proper equipment the doctor was contemplating forwarding you to Georgetown for further treatment." She continued to straighten the beds then came over to check his temperature.

"Hold still for a moment while I check your vitals." She said, proceeding to do just that.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked again.

John had sincerely hoped she would forget.

"No one." He said quietly.

"Mr. Henry, in order for me to treat you properly you need to be completely honest with me. Who were you talking to?" she asked again.

How do you tell someone there are two people existing in your brain?

"If you don't want to be labeled crazy, you need to lie." Odo warned.

Ha. As if I hadn't figured that for myself.

"Why lie when you can distract her with something else?" Sajid pointed out.

"Oh. Skirt the truth? What good did that do you? If I remember you were never really good at it" Odo said innocently.

"If I remember correctly, you were the expert. Help him come up with a good reason." Sajid came back.

"Do you really think I am going to play along to your rules?" Odo thundered.

"He is our responsibility you imbecile!" Sajid shouted.

"My head!" John grounded out.

"Mr. Henry? Which part of your head is giving problems?" The nurse inspected his face closely.

"Everywhere." John mumbled angrily.

"That is not good. In the accident, your head was injured however, if it is hurting we need to get you to the x-ray room. I am going to need assistance. " The nurse left.

"You guys really need to come to an understanding because you will drive me insane!" John scowled.

"We didn't choose to be here, so live with it." Odo came back.

"Odo. Shut up!" Sajid said.

"Teach me what you have to teach me then get the hell out!" John murmured.

"Agreed," Sajid said.

Odo remained silent.

A whooshing sound as if there was a tropical storm; filled the room. Suddenly, John found himself back in the forest. Odo and Sajid were standing beside him. Before them in the water, the Makanaima was standing, hands folded with a scowl on his face.

Uncle Spar stood before him just as furious.

"I have to heal you John. Stay very still. If this dratted assistant of mine had reminded me, we wouldn't have to waste such precious time with you in the hospital." The Makanaima growled.

Uncle Spar scowled

"Wait!"  Odo stepped forward. "Don't you think that we having physical bodies will be much more efficient when teaching the young man?"

"No. Now get back to Guyana." Uncle Spar created a portal out of dried leaves from the forest floor.

John felt a warm sensation as the portal enveloped his body.

Then he was back in the hospital. There was no pain. He opened his eyes. He was on a different bed in the same ward.

"Great. I am stuck here again with no body." Odo complained.

"We both are, Odo." Sajid said.

"If you two intend to give me a headache, I will take you back." John muttered.

"Great. Then I will be of assistance!" Odo proceeded to hum loudly. He was so terrible; it was hard to make out what he was really humming.

"Odo, in case you don't know, if we fail to complete this task, we will not be allowed to reenter the realm." Sajid warned.

"Well now, that will prove to be a problem. Okay, let's get to work then, shall we?" Odo said.

John got out of bed.

"Yes. Let's do it so I can finally have a peace of mind."

The nurse returned and stopped short at the sight of him standing.

"My word," she exclaimed, "you are a really lucky young man, Mr. Henry. Imagine our surprise when we checked your head just to watch the wounds mend as if by magic. Of course you were out for a few an hour after but that is understandable seeing the way you…."

John turned away from her. He walked over to a nearby window which was lacking curtains but provided a perfect view of the street below.

"I have to go now," he interrupted calmly.

"I'm sorry sir but I'm afraid that is not possible." She said.

He turned around to face her.

"What do you mean" he asked.

For a moment she hesitated, then squared her shoulders as she came to a decision, "A medical team from another country is coming to study you."

"Study me?" John sought clarification for what he had heard.

"You are a unique case. Your ability to heal surpasses all living creatures we have ever encountered. It is proving to be a phenomenon." She said.

"Right. I am a guinea pig now."

She shrugged helplessly but didn't reply.

"I need a moment to think this over. I need privacy." His words were clipped and demanding.