Bouquet: Sequel to 'In Full Bloom': The Trilogy of the Rose (Volume 3) by B. A. Beers

watched as she closed her eyes.  He drew in his breath, wondering if her actions were a response or was it just timing on his part. “Sami?” he asked softly.  Her eyelids did not move; they remained closed.
     
    “Anything?” Grandma Jo asked, coming up beside him and looking down at the comatose girl.
     
    “No,” Mark frowned.  “She is out.”
     
    “I must admit, I do prefer her eyes closed instead of the wide-eyed stare.  It was spooky looking,” Gus offered.  “She looks like she is asleep, instead of dead.”
     
    Mark cringed at Gus’ observation.  He had felt the same, but didn’t want to voice it.  “It might not last for long,” Mark offered, sighing. 
     
    “What?   Her current state or her closed eyes?” Grandma Jo asked.
     
    “Both,” Mark answered truthfully.  “There is no way to know.  The mind is a remarkable agent.”
     
    “Is she playing games with us?” Gus asked.  Both Mark and Grandma Jo looked at him intently.  “I had to ask,” he defended his questions.  “To me, it just doesn’t seem possible.”
     
    “What?  Withdraw into yourself or escape from reality?” Mark asked.
     
    “Yes,” Gus answered.
     
    “It is more common than you may believe.  It is extreme, I admit.  We are dealing with a disturbed mind — one mired in emotional turbulence.  Researchers are constantly exploring the capacity of the brain on not only the bodies’ requirements, but also the psychological needs. I understand the logic behind your question, but in a disturbed mind, logic is not a factor.  The simple truth of Adam’s survival was too much for her to process.  The body reacted by going into a protective mode. . . much like she did when the package arrived, Grandma Jo,” he educated them, looking at Grandma Jo.
     
    “Is she in a hypnotic state?” Grandma Jo asked.
     
    “No, this is different.  Under the trance, she reacted to me,” Mark answered.  Seeing Grandma Jo’s look, he continued, “When I moved her to the bedroom, she reached her arms around me, she reacted to my touch.  This time, she has not.  If she was playing games, as Gus had wondered, her body would respond.  Her eyes would betray her.  Her body would show signs of awareness.  Right now, she is unaware.  For example,” Mark offered, walking over to Grandma Jo’s knitting needles on the chair next to the couch.  Returning, he lowered the blanket to reveal Sami’s hands.  Taking the needles, he poked her right hand — not hard, but with enough pressure to have caused a reaction.
     
    Receiving no reflex movement to his action, he looked at Gus.  “An aware person would automatically flinch away from the needle,” he stated.
     
    “How is that possible?” Gus asked. 
     
    Mark shook his head and pulled the blanket back over Sami.  Placing the needles back on the chair, he replied, “Some say the brain releases a chemical to bring on this self-induced coma.  Others say the mind is so focused on protecting the psyche that there is nothing left.  Still others say that the spirit is in God’s hands.  I, for one, believe they are all correct.”
     
    “How do you get her out of it?” Grandma Jo asked.  “Molly brought her out before.”
     
    Mark looked at Molly and smiled.  “Yes, she did play a vital role, but it was Sami herself who brought her out of the trance.  This time is different.  A separate mental trigger is required; my goal is to find this trigger. I could pump her full of drugs to find the right combination to reverse the imbalance, but it could be more harmful than good.  What she needs is to heal herself,” he stated.
     
    “So, you are suggesting you do nothing?” Gus asked.
     
    “Far from it.  Her physical needs will need to be monitored and controlled, while we use every means possible to stimulate her mind,” Mark countered.
     
    “How?  She is unaware?” Grandma Jo asked.
     
    “Appeal to all of her other senses, primarily her