7:27am Sunday Day 4
Amanda awoke quickly—with a start she sat up and looked around.
Lee felt her move and was awake and alert, but he didn’t move. “Amanda, you awake?”
“Lee?” She looked around and then focused on him in the bed next to her. “Lee!?!?! What the sam hill?!?!...”
She jumped out of the bed and looked for her robe. She found Lee’s robe and put it on—it was way too big for her.
“Lee, what’s going on here? Where the heck are we? What are you doing in bed—um—ahh—what’s going on?”
He spoke soothingly, “Amanda, calm down. Just relax.” He sat up and revealed he was wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants. “Ahh, you have my robe there,” he gestured to her.
“What? Oh. Here.” She handed him his robe and found her robe and put it on.
“Thanks,” he got out of bed and put his robe on. “Amanda—how do you feel? Are you hungry?”
“Lee, you’re changing the subject—what’s going on here? Where are we—what is this place—why are you … here …?”
Lee sighed. “Amanda, you’ve had a bad experience. Do you remember being kidnapped? By the Romanians?”
“Kidnapped? Which time? Boy, that’s a heck of a thing to say—which time? Most people never get kidnapped in their entire lives and I’m asking about which time.” She was speaking in her usual fast ramble.
Lee smiled, ‘At least that’s never going to change,’ he thought. “It’s Sunday,” he said. “Last Thursday we were supposed to meet TP in the park, do you remember that?”
“TP? Yes, I remember TP—in the park by the cannon—but he wasn’t there—some strange men were there—and they hurt me… Oh. I’m remembering now.”
“OK, they drugged you and interrogated you and hurt you, but you’re out of there. It’s over. You’re here and you’re safe.”
Amanda looked slowly around the room. “Where is here, Lee?”
“This is a hospital facility. You need to recover from the effects of the drugs they gave you. That’s why we’re staying here for a few days. So—do you want some breakfast?”
She thought a moment, then asked, “Were you hurt, too?”
“No Amanda, I’m fine.”
She thought for a moment more, “So why are you here?”
He took her hand, “I’m here to help you get better.”
“Oh.”
Lee moved to the door, “I’ll just go shower and get dressed—your bathroom is over there,” he indicated the bathroom door. “Your clothes are in the drawers. Call me if you need anything, OK?”
“OK. Where are your clothes and stuff?”
“It’s all over in the other bedroom—across the way. I’ll leave you alone to get showered and dressed.”
Lee showered and dressed in record time. He used the phone and called for some breakfast for Amanda. He noticed Amanda’s bedroom door was shut—he put his ear to the door and heard the shower running.
He sat on the couch and read, waiting for Amanda. After a while she came out of her bedroom, dressed in sweats again.
She looked around, “Lee, are you here?”
He got up and moved toward her, “Yes Amanda, I’m here.”
Just then the door to the hallway opened and a nurse wheeled in a cart with their breakfast on it.
Amanda started and moved as far away from the nurse as possible, ending up in the far corner of the room. “Who are you—what do you want—leave me alone!” she sounded panicky.
Lee stepped forward and took the cart and ushered the nurse out of the suite. Amanda ended up huddled in the corner farthest from the door, her knees drawn up against her chest and her arms around her knees. She was shaking.
Lee spoke soothingly, “Amanda, she’s gone. It’s just us. You’re safe.”
Amanda’s voice was shaky, “Who was that strange woman?”
“She’s a nurse. But she’s gone now. Do you want some breakfast?” He laid the food out on the table. “There’s eggs, toast, juice, fruit, milk, all sorts of good things. Come and eat.”
Amanda slowly stood, but stayed in the corner. “She’s trying to poison me,” she accused.
“Nobody’s trying to poison you. Here—I’ll taste everything if that will make you feel better.”
“You never eat breakfast—just coffee.”
He was determined, “I’ll taste this food if it will get you to eat. How about it?”
He walked over to her standing in the corner and held out his hand to her. She slowly placed her hand in his, then he slowly led her to the table. “C’mon, have a seat and have some breakfast. It sure smells good.” He smiled reassuringly.
“You taste the eggs first,” she said in a suspicious tone.
Lee took a fork and ate a mouthful of eggs. Amanda watched him closely. After a few minutes, she took the fork from his hand and started eating hungrily.
Lee served her juice, toast and milk. He wished vainly for coffee, but Amanda couldn’t have any so he took a small glass of juice for himself.
Amanda looked over the food, “Where is the coffee?”
Lee replied, “We don’t have any coffee today. How about some melon?”
“You’re gonna be grouchy if you don’t get your coffee, Lee.”
“I’ll be fine.” She shot him a look. He tried to look nonchalant, “Really.”
She looked dubiously at him.
Once Amanda finished breakfast, Lee piled the dishes on the cart and moved to the door. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Pfaff entered. He pushed the cart out into the hallway and came into the suite. Amanda spotted him, and retreated back to the far corner.
Dr. Pfaff was cheerful, “Hello, Amanda, Lee. I thought I’d drop by and have a chat if that’s OK.”
Amanda’s voice was panicky, “Lee, make him go away. He’s a doctor—he’s gonna hurt me like that other doctor.”
Dr. Pfaff was concerned and spoke soothingly, “What other doctor? Amanda, can you tell me about it?”
Lee moved over to Amanda—she grabbed his hand and pulled him to stand between her and Dr. Pfaff. “Lee, make him go away,” she pleaded.
“Doc, I think maybe you should go.” Lee tried to be conciliatory.
Dr. Pfaff persisted, “Amanda, please—let me help you—can you tell me about the other doctor? How he hurt you?”
“Leeeeeee…” she wailed. She was shaking and Lee pulled her into his arms.
He stroked her hair, “Shhh, it’s OK. He’s going now, aren’t you doc?”
Lee gave Dr. Pfaff a pointed look. Dr. Pfaff shrugged and nodded.
Pfaff spoke clearly, “I’m going now—I’ll leave you two alone.”
He walked to the door and it opened for him. He left with a look at Lee. Lee shrugged and held Amanda close.
Amanda was still trembling. Lee ran his hand up and down her back—he stroked her hair—he murmured words of encouragement.
After a few minutes she stopped trembling and relaxed in Lee’s arms.
“You feeling better?” he asked her. She nodded against his chest.
He tried a diversion, “How about we play some cards?”
She mumbled against him, “Cards? Like what?”
“We could play gin rummy,” he suggested.
She looked up at him, “Yeah, gin would be fun.”
“Let’s sit on the couch, and I’ll get the cards and a scorepad.”
They spent the morning playing cards and chatting.
12:15pm Sunday Day 4
The phone rang and Lee answered it.
It was Dr. Pfaff. “Lee, your lunch is ready, but after this morning I think you should come out and bring it in.”
“OK,” he answered, “I’ll go now.” He turned to Amanda, “I’m going to get our lunch now, OK?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “That sounds good. I’m hungry.”
Lee walked to the door and it opened as he got there. He stepped out into the hall and the cart was waiting for him, with Dr. Pfaff.
“I’d like to try talking to Amanda again, later this afternoon.”
Lee wasn’t pleased, “Well, I think you should wait until tomorrow. She’s still pretty paranoid—give her another day.”
Pfaff nodded, as if he expected that answer. “Try to get her to exercise, it might help.”
“I’ll see what I can do, doc. Just stay out until tomorrow, OK?”
Dr. Pfaff smiled, “Fine, whatever you say.”
Once Lee had taken the cart into the suite, Dr. Pfaff moved to the nurse’s station.
He pulled a phone over and called Billy Melrose.
“Melrose here.”
“Hi Billy, it’s Dr. Pfaff. I have an update on Mrs. King.”
“Go ahead.”
“She didn’t have a quiet night. They had dinner, then watched The Sound of Music, then he put her to bed with milk and cookies. Very cozy.”
“Go on, Pfaff,” Billy said dryly.
“At 1:42am Amanda awoke with a nightmare. She was hallucinating about the Nazis coming to get them. Her and Scarecrow.”
“What did Lee do?”
“He was asleep on the couch. He awoke and went in to calm her. It took a while, but he did get her calm enough to sleep.”
“That’s good, right?” Billy sounded optimistic.
Dr. Pfaff was guarded, “Yes and no. First, she is still reacting to the drug—taking the situation from the movie and transposing it to her current surroundings shows this drug is very powerful. Almost 42 hours after administration and she is still hallucinating. That’s not good for a long-term prognosis.”
“Anything else?”
“She would not go to sleep without Stetson in bed with her. She has indeed fixated on him as being safe, but I’m worried it will go too far. We need her to be able to operate on her own—if she’s totally tied to Stetson, she won’t be effective and neither will he.”
“Give her time,” Billy reassured the doctor, “It’s only been two days, things could get better.”
“Oh undoubtedly they will, but I’m concerned about the emotional ties between those two. They’re close—much closer then I had suspected before.”
Billy was wary, “Are you telling me they are intimate?”
“I don’t think so—there’s still a level of physical modesty on her part—and his—that counter-indicates it. But it may just be a matter of time…”
Billy was firm, “We’ll deal with that when—if—it comes. We need her over the drug first. You were the one that recommended he stay with her through this. Should we separate them now?”
Dr. Pfaff was decisive, “No, that could be damaging—to her certainly and probably to him as well.”
“I see,” Billy said. “Anything else?”
“Yes, she is still very paranoid. She reacted negatively to the nurse who brought in her breakfast and to me afterward. It probably will subside. I wanted to try talking to her again this afternoon after lunch, but Stetson convinced me to wait until tomorrow.”
“Stetson made that call?” Billy was incredulous.
“I let him. He’s so close to her in this—and if he’s upset, she’s upset. This is a tough one for both of them. They will both need help dealing with this and distancing from it—and each other.”
Billy was angry, “What are you insinuating, Pfaff?”
“We need them to be partners, but not necessarily lovers. This situation may forge deeper emotional bonds between them than we want.”
Billy cut him off. “Pfaff, did you ever consider that these emotional bonds were there before all this happened? Think about it—he went through a hell of a lot to get to her and keep her alive—and is seems it was her concern for Scarecrow and faith in his ability to rescue her that allowed her to resist the first drug.”
“Are you saying that she used Scarecrow as her mantra?” Dr. Pfaff was surprised at this revelation.
“From what Lee said, and after listening to the tapes, yes, it seems so. They were damn close before this—I knew about it. And they are my best team. I don’t want you screwing around in their heads if that will make them less effective.”
“But Melrose, we need our agents to have their objectivity—emotional attachment blurs that objectivity.”
“Before Mrs. King came along you said Scarecrow was too detached and dangerous to himself and possibly others. Now he’s not detached enough. You can’t have it both ways. Personally, I like him better now—he’s more careful, more thoughtful and a better agent for it.”
“Be that as it may…”
“No,” Billy cut him off, “this is my call. Until Amanda King is fully recovered we’ll let the two of them work it out in their own way. Talk to her certainly, and help her deal with the drug and the kidnapping, but leave her relationship with Stetson alone. Hands off on that—you got me?”
“OK, I get you. I trust I may express my concerns to you, if I have any.”
“Of course. I’ll listen—but I won’t guarantee I’ll act on them. Melrose out.”
Back in the suite, Lee and Amanda ate lunch and played cards for another hour. Then Lee suggested they exercise for a while. “We have this nice bicycle and treadmill—whatcha’ say?”
She thought about it, “OK, but I don’t know how long I’ll last.”
“Just go as long as you feel like.”
Lee changed into sweats, and made sure they drank a generous amount of water before they started to exercise. Amanda took the stationary bicycle, and Lee jogged on the treadmill.
He noticed she didn’t go too fast—just slowly but steadily. She cycled for nearly an hour, then stopped.
“I’m tired. Is it OK if I stop?”
Lee shut the treadmill down. “Whatever you want. Let’s get something to drink.”
“Yeah, I’m really thirsty. Can I have some soda?”
“We have water, juice or milk—which do you want?” Lee was at the refrigerator.
“Juice, I guess.” They drank.
“Amanda, I’m going to go shower and change.”
“That’s a good idea, me too.”
They met back in the main room of the suite. Amanda looked over the games and reading material. She chose a couple of magazines and sat in one of the easy chairs. Lee picked up his book and sat on the couch.
6:22pm Sunday Day 4
The phone rang, and Lee answered again. It was Dr. Pfaff.
“Dinner is ready, why don’t you come out and get it? I want to talk to you a bit.”
“OK, I’ll be there.” He hung up the phone. “Amanda, I’m going out to get our dinner. I may be a couple minutes, but I’ll be back. Is that OK with you?”
“Hmmm? Sure Lee.” Amanda didn’t look up from her magazine.
Out in the hallway Lee saw Dr. Pfaff and Dr. Kelford.
Dr. Pfaff spoke, “Lee, tonight stay away from anything that might upset her. No movies with frightening content.”
Lee felt like he was being treated like an idiot, “I figured that out, already doc. I thought we’d try some of those documentaries. There’s one on the building of Rome and other ancient cities.”
Dr. Kelford was mollifying, “That should be good. There’s popcorn for the microwave, and candy if you want it.”
Lee looked at Dr. Pfaff, “What, no ice cream?” he asked innocently.
Dr. Pfaff sounded enthusiastic, “Good idea. I’ll see what I can do.”
Lee shook his head, “Anything else?”
Dr. Pfaff was persistent, “Try to prepare her to see me tomorrow—I do want to talk to her—try to get her to process what happened.”
Dr. Kelford spoke next, “And we do need to examine her and draw blood to check the drug levels in her system.”
Lee grumbled, “Yeah, I know, I know. OK, I’ll do what I can.”
He took the cart and went back into the suite.
“Here’s dinner, Amanda.”
He looked over and saw that she was asleep in the easy chair. She looked so peaceful. ‘God, she has to get through this OK. I need her back with me. I don’t think I could go back to working solo all the time. Its nice having a partner I can trust. Someone I can talk to.’
She stirred. “Mmmm, I smell food. Is that our dinner?” She stretched.
Lee laid the food out on the table and they ate, chatting about small things during dinner.
Once dinner was cleared and the cart returned, Amanda went to the shelf and started looking through the available tapes.
Lee tried to grab the documentaries, but she playfully batted his hand out of the way.
“Hey, watch it!” he exclaimed in mock pain.
“Lee, look! Here’s My Fair Lady—oh I love Audrey Hepburn in that!”
Lee tried for a diversion. “Amanda, don’t you want to watch these interesting documentaries about the building of Rome?”
“Not really. I want to have music and pretty dresses and Rex Harrison.”
Lee frantically tried to remember if he had ever seen the movie, and what it was about. ‘Oh yeah, musical version of Pygmalion—Shaw. No Nazis, no gunfights, no doctors or needles. How bad could it be for her?’ He asked her, “Are you sure you really want to see that one?”
Amanda had already loaded the tape into the VCR, turned on the TV and had settled on the couch with the remote. Lee shook his head, ‘Oh well, I tried. Maybe I can talk about having the doctors in tomorrow sometime during the evening.’ He settled in next to her on the couch, his arm across her shoulders, and they watched the movie together.
At the intermission, he suggested they stop the tape and take a break, make some popcorn and get more drinks.
While they prepared their snack, Lee tried to talk to her about the next day.
“Amanda, you’re doing better—I’m so glad.”
“Me too. When can I go home? I miss the boys and mother must be frantic.”
Lee was pleased, it was the first time she had mentioned her family since they got to the hospital. “They think you are out of town on an open-ended shoot. They aren’t worried at all.”
“Did Mr. Melrose arrange that?”
“Yes, everything at home is taken care of. You don’t need to worry about that. Look about tomorrow…”
“What’s going on tomorrow?”
“Dr. Pfaff and Dr. Kelford want to check you out tomorrow.” She looked unhappy. He reassured her, “I can be there—you don’t have to be alone with them.” Lee didn’t think they would approve but he was improvising and if they wanted his help, he’d try to get on his terms, and that meant he wanted Amanda as comfortable with the situation as he could get it. And that meant he would stay with Amanda if she wanted it.
“Oh.” Amanda looked down. “Ummm…will they want to…uh…examine…me?”
“Yeah, but I can be there if you want.” Lee quickly reassured her. She shifted uncomfortably. Then the penny dropped for Lee. “Oh, I don’t think…” He tried to dig himself out of the hole he had gotten himself into. “They will just probably check your eyes and reflexes and draw a little blood. You won’t have to get undressed or anything…” He was assuming an awful lot—but he didn’t want to have her feel intimidated about it—or him.
She looked relieved, “Oh well, if that’s all it is…Wait, you said draw blood? With a needle?” She started backing up. “I don’t like the sound of that—they’re gonna hurt me—needles are bad, Lee.”
“OK, OK, no needles. Not if you don’t want it. But can they come in and talk to you? Check you out? Ask you a few questions?”
She had stopped backing away, but looked dubious. “I don’t know…”
“Can you think about it? They only want to help you get better. You will have to see them sooner or later. Please? Can you try?”
She looked at him incredulously. “Lee, you hate doctors. You complain and get all angry, you won’t go on your own. You sound like me trying to get you to go see a doctor.”
Lee chuckled, “Well it worked on me more than once if I remember—so I thought I’d return the favor.”
She hit him playfully on the arm, “Real funny Stetson. Let’s go back to the movie.”
“Please just think about it, OK? For me?” He smiled at her and did his best to look cute and harmless.
She put her hands on her hips and adopted her ‘mom’ face. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, I want to see the rest of the movie. If you keep bugging me like that I’ll just say ‘No’.”
Lee smiled and shook his head. She was starting to sound more like his Amanda. He held out his hand, “Let’s go finish the movie.”
When the movie was over, the phone rang and Lee answered. It was Dr. Pfaff again.
“We have your ice cream.”
“OK, I’ll be out to get it.” He turned to her, “We have a treat waiting for us. I’ll go get it.”
“Sounds fun!”
This time the cart had several kinds of ice cream with toppings and whipped cream.
Amanda looked it over and was somewhat overwhelmed, “Oh my! We can’t eat all of that!”
“I think we can just have what we want. They’re giving us a lot of choice here.”
She investigated further, “Lee, look! Bananas! We can make a banana split. You wanna share a banana split?”
Lee grinned, “Sure, why not? You wanna do it traditional or get creative?”
Amanda looked at the selection, “Lee, there’s no chocolate. You can’t make a traditional banana split without chocolate!”
“So we’ll be creative. You get started. What flavors of ice cream do you want?”
They settled on French Vanilla flanked by Strawberry Ripple and Blueberry Cheesecake, with strawberry, caramel and pineapple toppings and a generous amount of whipped cream on top. Lee finished it off with half a dozen cherries crowning the creation.
“Why so many cherries, Lee?” Amanda asked.
“I like ‘em, and I want to make sure we each get some, OK?”
They each got a long-handled spoon and sat side-by-side eating the gooey concoction. When it was finished, they sat back.
Amanda was animated, “We’re never gonna get to sleep with all that sugar in our systems. I’d never let the boys have that much sugar right before bedtime.”
“It’s one of the perks of being an adult. You get to do things like that now and again.”
“But you always pay for it in the end.” Amanda sounded responsible.
“Not always, Amanda. Sometimes its fun to be bad—and you do get away with it once in a while.”
“You should know, Scarecrow, you’re an expert at ‘getting away with it’.”
Lee smiled and shook his head. “Let’s clean this up and I’ll get the cart back. Then we can read a bit before we go to bed.”
“Sounds good, I’ll help.”
They read for a while, then they changed for bed in their respective rooms. Lee came over in his sweats and robe, and tucked Amanda in, kissing her on the forehead. She was OK with him going to sleep across the way, but they agreed to keep the bedroom doors open in case Amanda had another nightmare. By 11:30 both were peacefully asleep in their own beds.
1:13am Monday Late Day 4
“No, you can’t make me leave! I won’t go! You can’t make me!”
Lee was out of bed, had his robe on and was halfway to Amanda’s room before his mind registered he was awake. He turned on the light in her bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She was thrashing in her bed and fighting the bedclothes she had gotten tangled in. He tried grasping her shoulder, but she fought him off.
“Amanda, wake up! You’re having another nightmare. Wake up!”
Her eyes opened and she looked at him. “You’re so mean to me! You never give me any credit. I’m an equal partner here—you don’t give me credit—it’s not fair!”
Lee was baffled, “What are you talking about? I’m lost here.”
“Oh sure, you’re lost! You have no idea what it’s like to be ‘Scarecrow’s pet’ and treated like someone who is remedial and will never get any credit or appreciation. You’re just like him. He was so mean and when she did so well at the Embassy ball and he never even said anything nice to her at all. You’re so…mean and unappreciative!” She stared at him accusingly.
“Amanda, what’s that about Scarecrow’s pet?” This was something new to Lee.
“Oh sure, pretend you don’t know all about it.”
“I don’t know about it—please tell me.”
She stopped and looked at him. Really looked into his eyes as if she was trying to read something there. He tried to communicate his concern and his regard for her.
He spoke more softly, “Please Amanda—help me here. I want to know what’s going on. Has someone called you Scarecrow’s pet?”
“Not directly—it’s just stuff I’ve … well ... overheard. Not that I’ve been eavesdropping or anything, that would be rude. But people sure do talk, and occasionally I hear things when people don’t know I’m around.” She was still pulling at the sheets and blankets, trying to get untangled.
Lee reached over to still her hands. “Amanda, why don’t you relax? We’ll get you untangled and then you can explain all this to me.”
“You’re avoiding the issue again.” She glared at him.
“No, I just think that you’d be more comfortable untangled and sitting up. I’m not avoiding anything. I promise I’ll talk it out with you.”
She stilled and allowed Lee to help her get untangled from the sheets. He handed her her robe and they moved into the main room. They sat at opposite ends of the couch, facing each other.
He started, “OK Amanda, what’s this about Scarecrow’s pet?”
“People call me that behind my back. They’re nice to my face, but they don’t really think I belong at the Agency. They think you keep me around for amusement. They don’t think we’re really partners.”
Lee was concerned, “Who said this, Amanda?”
“Francine and Fred Fielder and then David Benson made a few remarks and then there was…”
Lee cut her off, “Benson? Nightlight? That was over two years ago and he was a mole!” He was steamed.
“Well yeah…” She looked a bit intimidated by his anger.
He made an effort to calm down. He took a calming breath. “Amanda, has anyone said you were Scarecrow’s pet recently?” he was careful to speak quietly.
She thought about it, “Well, no. Not recently. Not for over a year. Not since Scotland Yard wrote that nice commendation about catching the Mongoose.” She changed back to being accusatory. “But you don’t give me any credit, you can be so mean and grouchy and then you hit me…”
Lee cringed. That last was all too true, and he deeply regretted it. He spoke softly and sincerely, “I know I hit you and believe me I am so sorry for that—there’s really no excuse—Amanda, I would never hurt you—I don’t want to hurt you, ever—I’m so sorry for that.” He hung his head.
“Oh Lee.” He felt her hand on his shoulder. “I know you were just playing your cover, and I do forgive you. I did at the time. It’s just sometimes so frustrating… But I don’t think I should leave the Agency. Really.”
He looked up at her, “Who said you should leave?”
“Well, I did quit to work for Byron Jordan—but he was murdered and then I got rehired with a nice raise—so that was OK—well, not for poor Byron…”
“I was glad you came back. I missed my partner while you were gone.”
“I wasn’t gone for that long, Lee. Just a few days.”
“It seemed longer to me. I guess I’m just used to having you around.”
“Accustomed to my face?”
He grinned and shook his head. “Something like that. But Amanda, who said you should leave the Agency?”
“Francine is always mean to me—I try to just let it roll off my back but sometimes it just gets to me.” She sounded frustrated.
“Did Francine say you should leave?”
She paused to think, “Not for a long time. But I still haven’t gotten the training I have asked for...”
“You went through Station One—twice. And you have had Leatherneck show you some things.”
“Yeah, but I still don’t know how to hit.” She slumped down with her arms crossed over her chest.
Lee shook his head, “You do pretty well with lamps and your purse and a baseball bat.”
“Leeee-------“
“Look, you’ve been through a lot since I handed you that package. You might not have all the training, but you’ve got smarts and incredible instincts.”
“Blind through a blizzard at midnight.”
Lee nodded, “Harry trusts you, Billy trusts you—hell, Billy’s been on your side from the start.”
“Longer than you have, for sure!”
“A—man—da!” Lee paused to think. “Well, that’s fair, I’ll give you that. It took a while for me to … get used to you.”
She grinned, “You kept trying to get rid of me and weasel out of working with me.”
He nodded, “Yes I did—but that was a long time ago. You’re my partner now.”
“Except when you work solo.” She sounded disgruntled.
“That’s not always my call, Amanda. And you’ve done things solo—courier assignments…”
“Little stuff.”
“Your “little stuff” led to breaking up a major counterfeiting ring and uncovered a traitor in the Agency.”
“Lee, do you really think I’m your partner? You aren’t just saying that?”
“Amanda, you’ve saved my butt so many times—and I don’t know anyone I trust more than you—and in this business you can’t afford to trust too many people. And you’re a good friend—you’re my best friend.” He reached over, took her hands in his, and looked her in the eye. “You. Are. My. Partner.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you—that means a lot to me. I haven’t exactly has a normal career with the Agency—but I really appreciate your support—and Mr. Melrose, too. I guess those other people were just jealous.”
“Yeah, jealous of your instincts, and your courage, and your smarts. You are one amazing woman, Amanda King. I’m lucky to have you as my partner.”
“Thank you, Lee. I’m lucky to have you to be partners with.”
They smiled at each other. Then Amanda yawned.
“You think you want to try to sleep some more?” he asked gently.
“Maybe we could have some warm milk.”
“What about hot chocolate with marshmallows?”
“I don’t think we should have any more sugar after all that ice cream.”
“OK, warm milk it is. I’ll heat it up for you.”
Lee filled a mug with milk and heated it in the microwave. He tested it to make sure it was the right temperature, then brought it over to Amanda.
“Thank you, Lee.”
“My pleasure.”
She sipped the milk and seemed to be thinking.
“Lee, what’s happening to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes I feel, well … normal … but then sometimes things get all weird and jumbled in my head. Like that nightmare—now I know it was just remembering what it was like when I first started at the Agency—but it seemed so real…so… recent. Like it happened yesterday. Then when we were talking and you asked me about it then I remembered it was a couple years ago—but I didn’t remember that at first—what’s going on with me, Lee?”
He sighed. “It’s the drugs they gave you. One was an experimental hallucinogenic.”
“Hallucinogenic? Like LSD?”
“Well, not exactly, but it can mess up your head while it’s in your system.”
She thought a moment. “Is this all normal? What usually happens with that drug?”
Lee hesitated—but it was best to be straight. She trusted him to help her and lying wouldn’t help. “We don’t know. You are the first person the Agency has come into contact with who has been given this drug.”
“Is that why the doctors want to examine me?”
“Partly, yes. They want to see how the drug runs its course. And they also want to help you deal with all of this—the kidnapping, being drugged and interrogated, and the rest.”
“What rest?” she finished the milk.
“Um, well, they hit you—hurt you—tied you up—that stuff.”
“Oh. Does that count as torture?” She looked pale, wide-eyed and frightened.
Only Lee’s training prevented him from reacting strongly to her question. ‘She was tortured—but I can’t tell her that—she’s an innocent—this shit shouldn’t be happening to her.’
He reached over and took the mug from her hands. He set it carefully on the coffee table, and pulled her into his arms. “Amanda, you were hurt—we just want to make sure you are OK—but also that you work through it all and can be an effective agent afterward. You really need to talk to Dr. Pfaff. He can help you with this. Better than I can.”
She looked up at him, surprised. “Lee, you hate the shrinks. Are you actually admitting they can help?”
“Well…” he looked uncomfortable, “In this case … for you … yes. It’s that damned experimental drug.”
“Will I get better?”
“You have to get better. I need my partner back in the field with me.” He stroked her hair. “We’re all here to make sure you get better.”
She snuggled into him, rested her head on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Lee. That means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me too, Amanda. You’re my partner and best friend.” ‘And so much more… Better not go there, Stetson, you’re under surveillance. Nice excuse, coward.’
“Lee, I’m scared,” her voice was small and quiet.
“What are you afraid of?” he continued stroking her hair.
“I don’t know—I’m just scared—it’s like something’s out there waiting for me—I don’t know what it is—but there’s something big … something nasty…”
He pulled her more tightly into his embrace. “Amanda, the paranoia is an effect of the drug. It will pass as you flush the drug out of your system. Just keep forcing fluids—and a little more exercise might also help—but only time will really do it. Another day or two and you should be feeling better. You are lots better than when you got here.”
“Really? You aren’t just saying that?”
“Really. If you can let the doctors check you out tomorrow—talk to you—maybe draw a blood sample—that will be a big step forward.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, I can try. They just want to help me, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“OK, I’ll try.” They were silent for a few minutes. Amanda resting against Lee, and Lee stroking her hair.
“Lee, will you just hold me for a while? I’d like that. I feel safer when you’re with me.”
He kissed her head, “Of course I will.”
They settled in comfortably on the couch, Amanda resting her head on his chest, his arms around her.
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