The coin activates in his hand...

Richard looked more than a bit surprised when he revisited Paul's hospital room several days later.

The tubes and IV lines were removed, most of them anyway, and though Paul still looked worse for the wear, he would not hear of any discussion on his health and instead looked at him with the glint in his eye that told Richard that the old man had something important to say. That and after years of knowing him, the important thing also carried something rather playful in it. The last time he had seen that look was when the two of them had gone to the hardware store and Paul had bought him his first toolset. It had been a small beginner's set but the look of wonder on Richard's 10 year-old face as he held in his hands had been enough to mollify Jolene. The hours he had spent afterwards just staring at the set made a definite impression on the young boy.

"Richard, do you know that coin that I showed you?"

Richard nodded. "The one that you said you had found in an antique store in New Orleans? Yea, I remember it."

"You said you were interested in it?"

He nodded again. "It looked neat, I've never really seen it before."

Jolene slipped it out of her bag and handed it to him. "Now, I don't want you to say that you can't accept it, okay? You know Paul, he's made up his mind on this."

Richard blinked a few times as he held it, the hard plastic case felt unnaturally warm despite having sat in a bag. Upon her urging, Richard opened the case and slid the coin into his hand. Almost unusually warm for a coin, it had a soft, faint glow to it, and he looked at the top half, then flipped it and slowly looked closer at the bottom. "I don't recognize these markings..."

Paul exchanged a knowing glance with Jolene who was smiling now warmly at Richard, taking and giving each other's hands a squeeze. "I don't know much about coins. The woman who sold me the coin said that it was a living coin, it was asleep until it came into the hands of the right person. I would know that person when I saw him or her and I should give the coin to them." He loved a good embellishment to the story and laughed softly as Richard continued to hold the coin in his hand. "I didn't put much faith in voodoo stories and the like...she seemed to tell us something else..."

Jolene took her cue and playfully brushed her husband's wispy white hair. "You coot...the woman said that the true person will feel the coin radiate a strange warmth and it would grant that holder, and only that holder, with wishes to improve their life." She laughed at that, which Richard had interpreted as a laugh of silly disbelief. "All these years and we finally found you to give this to."

Richard wasn't sure he bought the story either but looked at the two people now looking up at him with playful smiles. "You think it works?"

Paul shrugged. "It was always cold in either of our hands so we couldn't try it. It's hot in yours, though, yes?" Richard nodded. "Then why don't you try it on one of us first?"