Page 26 of Haunted By the Mountain Man
"I'm managing his diabetes, heart medication, blood pressure, and dementia symptoms," Shane rattled off. "I've got IV supplies for emergencies, all his prescriptions, regular monitoring. I'm a paramedic, Kevin. I know what I'm doing."
"Medically, maybe," Tonya said. "But legally? Financially?”
"I know,” Shane said tiredly. "Why do you think I finally called you? Last night he had an episode. He thought the lodge was burning down again. His blood pressure hit dangerous levels. I realized if something happens to him, or to me, he's got nobody."
"He's got us now, too" Neil said simply.
"So what's the plan?" Kevin asked, already shifting into problem-solving mode. "Long-term. We can't leave him here indefinitely."
"For now, we keep him stable and safe," Shane said. "His condition is deteriorating. The anniversary of the fire is in three days—November third. His episodes always gets worse around then."
"Which might explain why the activity is increasing," Sam said. "Anniversary hauntings are well documented in paranormal research."
"You believe in this?" Neil asked his brother.
"I believe in keeping an open mind. Plus, this is the most interesting thing we've done in months."
"But what happens after?" Kevin pressed. "When this anniversary passes? Winter's coming. You can't keep him in an unheated lodge."
"I have a generator for the worst nights. And I tell him the lodge is closed for maintenance and bring him to my cabin when it’s really bad."
"That's not sustainable," Kevin said firmly but not unkindly. "Shane, what's the real plan here?"
Shane's jaw clenched. "I don't know. I've been taking it day by day for two years."
“Do you think this ghostbusting thing is going to help?” Sam asked.
“The what now?” Kevin turned to him.
After bringing Tonya and Kevin up to speed, we all sat down in a circle with the chairs we scavenged from other rooms.
"Walt talks about Rebecca and Jimmy constantly,” I said. “He carries enormous guilt about their deaths. If there's even a chance they're here, trying to communicate, don't we owe it to them to listen?"
"Who are they? I’ve never heard of them.”
"Walt believes they were the two people who died in the fire, and that the owner—a Mr. Carlson—had the fire set for the insurance money. Walt said Rebecca discovered the plan and she and Jimmy died that night trying to find proof."
"And now they're haunting the place?" Neil asked.
"Or it's wind and old building noises," I admitted. "But my equipment's picking up something."
"Plus, her subscribers will go absolutely batshit for authentic ghost hunting content with actual paranormal activity," Sam added cynically.
"I won’t let this place become an urbex must see sight and I won’t put Walt at risk," I said.
"So we're doing this?" Tonya asked. "We're actually ghost hunting on Halloween?"
"That’s what we’re here for, right Shane?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah, among other things,” he admitted.
“I’m glad you finally asked for help,” Sam said.
“And if there are really ghosts here, we find out what they want," Kevin said.
"And if there aren't?" Neil asked.
"Then we still gave Walt's memories the respect they deserve," Kim said. "We still honored Rebecca and Jimmy, even if they're not here."
