Chapter 1: Beginnings, Again

Mid-February, 1986

“Charlie! Earth to Charlie! Mary needs you, she’s about to deliver your son without you!” Sarah was yelling and giggling whilst motioning me towards the birthing room.

“Oh shit, Oh God, okay, okay, I’ma comin’!” I babbled as I frantically ran into the birthing room, where I was assaulted by the scrub nurse, who was hurriedly getting me into my gown.

She looked strangely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on where I knew her from.

My soulmate, Mary was about to deliver our son!

Have I ever mentioned that I often ignore suggestions? Especially those offered by my best friend?

Greg had repeatedly urged me to stay ‘North of the Equator’ whilst in the birthing room.

Well, I just had to be the first one to see my son’s smiling face, so I positioned myself strategically, right behind the Doc. It was sooo cool watching his little head slowly being pushed out, then his shoulders, and his little body and, and ... all that blood, ... then ... Ohhhh...

The next thing I knew I was looking at the ceiling and the cute nurse who I thought I recognized smirked, “I remember you! Doc’ll take ‘em, I awake ‘em! He fetches, I catches. Don’t worry, everyone is doing great! You really DO need to listen to your friend, you know, I’m just glad he told me to put this mat down behind you.”

When I went into Mary’s room, only slightly the worse for wear, she had little CJ suckling intently on her beautiful, milk-engorged breast.

Mary insisted on naming him Charles Leonard Swenson, after me and Dad. ‘CJ’ was for Charlie junior.

Mary was smiling enchantedly as I leaned down to kiss her. She looked up, just beaming at me.

Sarah, 6½ months pregnant herself, giggled, “Are you up to burping your son before his nap?”

I’d gone through the entire Lamaze class with both Sarah and Mary. I’d practiced with a doll, so I felt I could do it. Making sure that I had his little head supported, I gently laid him up against my shoulder. I was gently patting his little back when he let out a cute belch that made me laugh.

I picked him up and looked into his sparkling blue eyes, “That’s a healthy burp there, little man! Your Uncle Bob would be proud!”

His little eyes twinkled and he was cooing and smiling.

“Gee, thanks Dad, it was nice being inside of Mama, but I’m sure glad to be out here now. Do you think Mama could give me some more of that sweet milk?”

I was stunned, “Mary, did you ‘hear’ that?” I asked her as I began laying CJ near her other breast.

She was smiling widely. For the first time in 6 months, I felt her flash “Do you hear me?”

“Oh my God, sweetheart! Yes, yes I do, and I can feel you too! Oh God have I missed having you in my head with me!”

Giggle, “Me too! Just remember you said that. I wonder what our son really thinks?”

Sarah was spellbound, “What just happened? Did little CJ really just communicate with us?”

I shrugged, watching my son once again nursing hungrily. “I don’t know, but I think the Spirits may have just given us another chance, through him. Did you catch what he said?”

Sarah gasped, “I think he said he was still hungry?”

I screwed up my face, “Huh? What exactly did you hear?”

“Well, it was garbled, but he like laughed and said he was still hungry! That’s it.”

CJ started fussing and Mary flashed, giggling, “I think he needs burping again. He must have been really hungry. I think he almost drained my left tittie.”

I picked him up and was just starting to rub his back when he burped and urped then started crying. I thought to him, “You drank too fast little man! Do you feel better now?”

“Tired, sleepy.”

I looked at him and he was nearly asleep in my arms.

I carefully laid him in the little bassinette and the nurse helped me tuck him in. When I looked at my wives, they were both smiling, and this time all three of us heard virtually the same thing.

Mary giggled, “We should tell everyone the good news!”

Oh yeah! We should tell them that CJ was born too ... Oww! Why did you hit me, Sarah?”

“Oh you know! I think CJ’s just a little more important than our communication being restored, you toad,” Sarah smirked.

I grinned, “Yes, my dear. I was just teasing.”

“I do love being back inside his little pea-brain, though,” Mary giggled.

Bob, Greg, Linda and Jamie were sitting in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting the news.

When I came out, smiling, they all jumped up and gave me congratulations. I tried ‘flashing’ them, but, it’s like it fell on deaf ears. “You guys didn’t hear us?”

Four blank stares.

Greg said, “Huh? What do you mean, ‘hear’ you? You haven’t said anything!”

It gave me pause. My glee at being able to communicate telepathically with Mary and Sarah and even CJ was short lived. I just assumed everything had instantly gone back to the way it was before I forced Sherman’s head to explode.

Now I wondered if things would ever get back to the way things had been before.

Linda, with her hands under her swollen belly, noticed my sudden melancholy. “Is everything okay with the baby, Boss?”

“Yes, oh God yes, he’s beautiful! He and Mary are sleeping right now, but we can all go in to see them in about another hour or so. You guys really didn’t feel anything?”

Bob scrunched up his face, “You keep asking us that. Just what happened in there? That cute nurse’s aide said you passed out. Did you hit your head?”

I wondered if I shouldn’t just keep quiet about Sarah, Mary and I communicating telepathically with CJ for now. I didn’t want the rest of my Family getting weird since they, obviously, hadn’t been ‘automatically’ re-gifted.

I heard giggling in my head.

It was Sarah, “They haven’t met your son yet, silly man! Why don’t you guys send in the girls, then go get some coffee?”

“Oh, okay.” I looked at the gang, “Sarah said the girls should go in and we guys should get some coffee.”

After some confounded looking stares, Linda and Jamie ran into the room, leaving Bob and Greg with me, still stupefied. (Something told me that Linda and Jamie may have just figured out what was going on!)

I started laughing as Bob and Greg were still totally lost. “Guys, somehow or another I was able to communicate with my son. It was strange, because the very first thing he said was like a whole sentence. But, when I asked Mary and Sarah, while they heard him too, they only got the gist of what he meant. Afterwards, all of us only got the gist of what he means.

“It’s like when I communicated with that little Russian girl on the boat, after rescuing those kids. Even though I didn’t understand what she said, I could understand what she meant. I can now also communicate with Mary and Sarah, just like I used to.”

Both of their mouths were wide open now. Greg gasped, “Charlie, did you get all of your abilities back?”

“I don’t know, give me a second and let me try.”

I tried to move the saltshaker on the table, but it never moved. I concentrated harder, but to no avail. “To answer your question, no. I just tried to move that saltshaker and it didn’t work. It seems as though communication is the only thing that came back.”

“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing,” Bob said. “Maybe we just have to learn everything all over again?”

“That could be. When I came out here I was just surprised that since Mary, Sarah and I could communicate, all of a sudden, that you guys couldn’t hear it too. I wonder if CJ is a catalyst?”

Before I could say another word, Bob and Greg were headed in to see my new baby. It only took a second to realize that Linda and Jamie had already regained their telepathic abilities. Linda was holding CJ, who was still sound asleep, smiling contentedly. Jamie flashed, “It’s good to be back! I think your son is the new catalyst!”

I could tell she was trying to flash Greg, then, like me earlier, frowned when he apparently could not hear her.

She walked over by Greg and Bob carrying CJ, then told them both to give him a kiss on his forehead. The second they did, it was like they got a small shock.

We all flashed each other for a moment, reveling in being given back our communication abilities. CJ opened his little eyes and was looking directly at Bob.

Bob was making goofy faces at him. CJ looked at me, grinned, then flashed, “He funny Daddy!”

Bob’s eyes opened wide and he flashed, “I’m your uncle Bob!”

We all started laughing when CJ silently said, “Bobo, Bobo”, then began giggling and trying to touch his face.

Greg just had to get in on the act. He put his face up to CJ, “I’m your uncle Greg!”

“Ug ray, ug ray” He giggled.

“Did he just call me ugly?”

We all broke down laughing. Just then, CJ grabbed a handful of Greg’s beard. “Daddy too?”

I put my face next to Greg’s and CJ grabbed MY beard. “Daddy too, daddy too!”

Greg’s eyes became moist, “I’ll be your daddy too if you want, my little amigo.”

“Meee-oh, meee-oh.”

Greg couldn’t hold back his tears, “I’ll always be your ‘mio’ little man, I love you.” He then kissed CJ on the cheek, eliciting a giggle.

Just as Linda started moving to return CJ to Mary, his little face scrunched up and it looked like he was holding his breath. Bob, Greg and I were just starting to wonder if he was okay when Jamie giggled, “I think your son just poo-pooed his diaper.”

CJ was crying loudly, “Poo-poo daddy, poo-poo.”

Linda was carrying him over to the changing table while giggling, “Is Daddy gonna change his first diaper?”

I was grimacing at the thought. Linda was laughing, “It looks like ‘Daddy’ is about to make poo-poo’s of his own!”

The outbreak of laughter brought in the nurse to see what was going on. “Oh, I see it’s time for a diaper change. Who gets the honors?”

Why were they ALL looking at me?

I smirked, “I guess I’ll give it a try. It IS the first time I’ve ever done it though.”

I heard the sniggers, but Jamie said sweetly, “That’s okay Charlie, I’ll do it. You should come over here and watch, so you can learn. Next time it’s YOUR turn!”

I watched intently. I was amazed that it didn’t smell very bad.

I looked proudly at the nurse, “Hey, this MUST be my son! His shit don’t stink! It is a strange greenish color though...”

The nurse was chuckling, “That’s because it’s a meconium stool. That greenish tint is from the leftover remnants of what he was getting from momma’s umbilical cord. Don’t get used to that smell, because it’s gonna change, trust me.”

After disposing of the diaper and cleaning his little bottom with a wipe, Jamie was hesitating putting the fresh diaper on.

“Whatcha waiting for? Won’t his little pee-pee get cold?” I asked concernedly.

Jamie looked at Linda and both of them started giggling. “You don’t want to be in too big a hurry with little boys, Boss.” Linda said.

“Why?” I asked, just before a geyser shot out of his little weenie.

“THAT’S WHY.” Jamie laughed, “I used to help change my little brother. After you get your first ‘face full’ you’ll learn to give him a minute or two!”

“Mama hungry!” CJ flashed, pointing towards Mary. Jamie gave him back to Mary and her waiting right nipple.

The nurse chuckled, “I see you’re getting the system figured out, Momma.”

Mary grinned, “Yep, it’s almost like he’s talking to me!”

The nurse was still chuckling as she left the room.

Greg smirked, “Just think, DAD, for the next year and a half, all he’s going to do is eat, sleep and shit!”

Jamie clocked him upside the head, “You’d better watch your language, future baby daddy, just remember, he CAN hear you!”

All any of us could hear was CJ hungrily slurping on Mary’s breast.

Mary sighed, “Have any of you called our parents yet?”

“Ooops, I’ll go do that right now!” I said as I headed out to find a payphone.

I quickly called both sets of parents with the good news. I’m not sure whether my mom or JoAnn, Mary’s mom, squealed louder. I think it was a draw.

After reporting back to Mary, assuring her that they were all on the way, the girls suggested that we guys go on home.

On the way home, I couldn’t help but wonder about everything that had just happened today.

All throughout these last 6 months when we didn’t have any of the abilities that we’d rapidly developed early last summer, we’d struggled coming to grips with it. They say that you never appreciate what you have until you lose it. Well, I don’t feel like we didn’t appreciate our abilities, but we certainly have missed them.

Now, in a matter of an hour or so, just as I thought they may have all come back, I discover that it isn’t like before. Regaining our telepathy, while welcome, still felt a little empty, at least to me. CJ’s communications were confusing as well. His first words seemed too ‘mature’ to come from an infant. What was worse, was that apparently, I was the only one who really heard it! Mary and Sarah only ‘heard’ the feeling that he was hungry.

Hmmm.

CJ’s First POV

Authors note: Before I get hundreds of messages saying this is impossible, let me state that I KNOW it is! Or at least, most of the so called ‘experts’ think it is. Just relax and go with it please. Keep asking yourself, “Am I SURE this isn’t how it really is?” I’m going to give you my feeble attempt at what it must be like to get your first conscious thought. Of course, no baby, let alone fetus, is able to have ‘intelligent’ thoughts that I’m about to say ‘Little Charlie’ is going to have. Nevertheless, it’s the ONLY way I, as a humble writer, can portray what I feel it must be like.

So, relax and have fun. I’m going to!

CJ - Late December, 1985:

Hmmm. Where AM I? WHO am I? This is very strange. I’m going to have to think about this...

(About a month later.) Whoa! WHAT IS ALL THAT RACKET? My head is being filled with this, this, whatever it is, it’s like my head is being filled with sounds? Ideas? My nice little place here is getting noisy. I can FEEL something, too. It’s like, information? I don’t know what it is, but, I feel happy. SOMEBODY is trying to make me feel good. I wonder what’s happening?

I’m going to have to think about this...

(Another few weeks go by.) Okay, I thought I was the only one in here? WHO is this strange looking dude dressed all funny? And what’s with all that straggly stuff all over his head? Wow! THIS guy is giving me something cool! INFORMATION! It seems like I need to give somebody called ‘Daddy’ this weird bunch of ideas after I’m born...

WHAT’S ‘born’? At least he told me where I am! I’m in my Mama’s womb. WHAT’S a Mama? WHAT’S a womb? I’m VERY confused.

I’m going to have to think about this...

(One week later.) Ughh, it’s getting REALLY tight in here. What are these two things here? (Hands) I can move them! This is fun, oh, I’ve got two more things down lower. (Feet) Hmm, I can move them too. Let’s see if I can move all four at once!

I better let somebody know I need a bigger place. I wonder if I can move around a little. I’ve been doing a lot more of that lately. Maybe if I ask this ‘Mama’ person, who’s been talking to me lately, she can help me...

Uh oh, NO! STOP squeezing me! I said I needed more room, not less! Whoa ... I seem to be moving...

Waaah, waaah! What’s with all the lights? Somebody DO something. I’m FREEZING! Please put me back? I was only kidding about needing more room, REALLY. PLEASE put me back? And what’s this strange feeling? I’m STARVING! Maybe if I pop my lips somebody will get the hint ... I NEVER had to do this before.

Ohhh, that’s better, that nice person just put this thing around me and at least I’m not freezing any more. Now, maybe if I keep popping my lips, someone will get the hint. Yeah! I feel Mama calling me! Why can’t I see anything? Ohh, that’s better. The nice person is laying me right on this warm spot and somebody’s hugging me! Is this Mama? Ohh, yeah, this looks interesting. This nice warm, soft thing fits right in my mouth. It tastes good too! Oh, maybe if I just suck a little harder ... Oh yeah! LUNCH!

Okay, so THIS is Mama. I love her already! YES, she’s sending me these nice warm thoughts that make me feel so good. YUM ... uh oh, I feel like I’m gonna pop. WHO’S this guy? He looks kinda like the other guy dressed in white I saw a while back, but this guy’s straggly stuff is nicer and not as long and scary.

Ohhh, this is my DADDY! I can feel him talking to me too! He’s rubbing my back. Ohh that feels good ... BURRRRP! Oh yeah, I feel much better now!

I wonder if he can feel me like mama did? Oh, yeah! I’m not sure who this ‘Uncle Bob’ guy is but I gotta give this Daddy guy one of my messages. “Gee, thanks Dad, it was nice being inside of Mama, but I’m sure glad to be out here now, think Mama could give me some more of that sweet milk?”

I have no idea what that all means, but I think this Daddy guy is taking me back to Mama! Oh, I think I love him too.

Oh, he’s telling Mama something. Oh goody, I hope Mama’s got two of those tasty things that I can suck on, and WOW, he understood me and is taking me back there!

Mmm, oh yeah! She DOES have another one! It’s strange that I seem to get full so fast, this tastes so good! I just wish I didn’t get full so fast. Oh, Daddy’s holding me and rubbing my back again, Uuurp, oh, that’s better, he seems to know just what I need. I really like this Daddy guy. Maybe I should tell him I’m tired. Yawn. Wow, he seemed to get the idea. He’s putting me down in this warm place. Maybe I’ll take a nap for a little while and think some more.

Yawn, oh, now somebody else is holding me. She’s nice too. Ohh, I can feel her making my head feel good too! I think I love her too! And somebody else is sending me nice warm feelings! I wish I could see better. She smells nice, though.

Whoa! Another feeling just happened in my head. Ohh, okay, now I can see him. He’s funny looking. He said he’s my Uncle Bob. I don’t know what that means, let me see if I can send it back. “Bobo, Bobo.” That didn’t come out right, oh well, it must be close enough. He’s sending me those nice feelings too.

Yikes! Another face. He looks kinda like Daddy. Uncle Greg? Hmm, let’s see if I can send him what I heard. “Ug ray, ug ray?” I don’t think that came out right either. Hmm, he looks like Daddy, so let’s try this, “Daddy too? Daddy too?”

I wonder why his eyes are leaking? Another word he just said sounds easier. “Meee-oh, Meee-oh.” Well, now he’s sending me some REALLY warm feelings. I like this guy a lot! I guess his eyes must just leak a lot. Oh, he just called me meee-oh too! Hey, I got one right!

Ughh, ughh, ughh. Now I feel something else. Maybe if I try squeezing really hard it will ... PFFFT. Yes! Oh that feels MUCH better!

What’s that cold greasy feeling on my bottom? I hope they don’t plan on leaving me like this. Somebody said, poo-poo. Well, if that’s what it takes maybe that’s what I need to say. “Poo-poo daddy, poo-poo.”

Daddy is holding me up to his face. I can hear these sounds that I don’t really understand, but I can feel his meaning. I’m not sure what everyone is saying, but this Daddy guy is taking me over to this other place. Oh good, they’re fixing that greasy feeling. Oh yeah, it feels better already.

Hmm, ANOTHER strange feeling. Ahhh, much better, but now I’m cold and wet again. Lucky for me this person is rubbing this thing all over me and putting something warm around my cold bottom. Daddy keeps sending me these warm feelings. His are the best, but I really like ‘meee-oh’s’ too. Wow, now I feel empty again, I wonder if Mama can feel what I need. “Mama hungry.”

Oh wow, I’m back by mama’s soft food place. Yummy! I can get used to this, I just wish I didn’t get full so fast.

I think I need another nap...

Back to Charlie:

Once we got home, we finished setting everything up for the baby. We had a playpen set up in the great room and his little crib set up in our bedroom.

We realized we hadn’t eaten anything all day, so Bob ran out to McDonald’s and brought back some burgers and fries. It was nice to be able to talk to Mary and the other girls, but I noticed it just seemed like they were further away. I had a feeling our range was extremely limited.