7:15am Tuesday Day 6
“Lee, wake up. Lee!” Amanda was calling softly to him and shaking his foot. Lee started and woke suddenly.
“What? Amanda?”
“Lee, you were sleeping in the easy chair. What’s the matter—something wrong with your bed?”
‘Yeah, you weren’t in it. Uh oh—not again…’ Lee stared at her with a bewildered look.
“Lee, you awake?”
He roused himself, “Yeah, just a bit fuzzy. I didn’t sleep well.”
“Well, I did. I didn’t even have a nightmare. Boy, I feel lots better today!”
Lee smiled, “That’s great, Amanda. I’ll go shower and change and order you some breakfast.”
“See you in a bit, Lee.”
They met back in the main room of the isolation suite and Lee brought the breakfast cart in. After Amanda had finished and Lee had his glass of juice, he returned the cart.
Dr. Pfaff was waiting in the hallway.
“Good morning, Stetson. She had a quiet night. That’s good.”
“Yeah. I didn’t, but then you know that, too.”
“Give it a day or two and you’ll get back to normal also.”
“Whatever you say, doc,” Lee looked at Dr. Pfaff suspiciously.
“We’ll start with Dr. Kelford at 9—she wants to do a thorough examination of Amanda in her bedroom. If you have to come in for the blood draw, we’ll save that for last.”
“I think it’ll be OK, but I’ll let Amanda know, just in case.”
“After that, Billy wants to finish the debriefing. I’m looking forward to hearing Mrs. King’s account of what she remembers of her day while under the drug’s influence.”
“She isn’t excited about it, but she’ll get through it. Just try to go easy on her, huh? She’s been through a lot, here.”
“Yes she has. But she’s also done remarkably well. She didn’t give anything away under the influence of the first drug and she is recovering well. I’m optimistic she will make a full recovery.” Dr. Pfaff was pleased.
Lee was surprised, “You really mean that?”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. Her progress is nothing short of remarkable.”
“Thanks—that means a lot. Hey—could you let her know that? It should help her.”
“You tell her for me now, and I’ll tell her again when I see her after Dr. Kelford is finished.”
Lee reentered the suite. Amanda looked up from reading the book she had started earlier. “So Lee, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Well first, Dr. Kelford will be by to give you a full checkup. She wants to see you in your bedroom this time. Can you be in there with her? Just the two of you?”
“Yeah, that should be OK. Will she want another blood sample?”
“Yes, but if you want we can do that last out here, and I’ll be with you. Does that sound OK to you?”
“Well, as long as its just blood out—I’ll be OK. But I’d feel better if you were there with me.”
“Then I’ll be there.” He smiled.
“Is that it?”
“No. After the exam, Billy and Dr. Pfaff will be in to finish your debriefing.”
“Yeah. I figured that would be next. I’ll try, but I really don’t remember a lot about that day. More like a bunch of weird dreams.”
“Whatever you can give them—they’ll just have to take it. Mostly they’re interested to find out how much you remember about the drug’s effects. I already told them what happened—so your impressions will be compared with mine. It will help to get a profile of this new drug and how it works. Maybe help them devise a strategy for dealing with it if someone else manages to get unlucky and have it used on them.”
“Well, I hope nobody else goes through this. It was pretty horrible.”
“But you made it through OK—Dr. Pfaff said he thinks you’ll make a full recovery.”
“Really, he said that?” She looked eager.
“Yes he did. And he’ll tell you himself, once he gets here with Billy.”
“Oh Lee, I’m so glad. I was worried—I felt so awful these past few days. But today I really feel a lot better.”
The door opened and Dr. Kelford entered the suite. “Good morning, Amanda, Lee. How are you feeling this morning?”
Amanda sounded enthusiastic, “Lots better, doctor.”
“That’s good. Are you ready for your exam?”
“Yeah. Can we do the blood sample last with Lee?”
“Of course. I have a gown here—if you’ll change in your room—you can let me know when you are ready and I’ll come in.”
Amanda took the gown and went into her bedroom to change. Dr. Kelford went in when Amanda was ready and Lee was left alone in the main room of the suite.
He got his book and sat in an easy chair, but he was too tense to read. He ended up pacing for the 70 minutes Amanda and Dr. Kelford were in her bedroom. Then the door opened and Dr. Kelford walked out into the main room.
“She’s just changing. We’ll draw the blood sample in here again.”
Lee waited on the couch until Amanda came out, fully dressed.
Dr Kelford asked her, “Do you want to sit on the couch again?”
“Sure, that’s fine.” She sat next to Lee and he took her hand and smiled reassuringly.
“Everything OK in there?” he asked.
“Oh yeah. Dr Kelford said I was doing great.”
“That’s wonderful.”
This time Amanda sat next to Lee, and they held hands. She didn’t watch, just closed her eyes and leaned into Lee as Dr. Kelford took the vials of blood. It was quickly over.
“There, that’s done.” Dr. Kelford packed away the equipment and samples. “I’ll get these analyzed, but I think you will be cleared for coffee and chocolate. We’ll wait another few days for alcohol, though.”
“Oh gosh, just having coffee will be wonderful. And Lee will be happy, too. He’s been really good about it, but he’s grouchy in the morning if he doesn’t get his coffee.” She smiled at Lee.
“I told you, partner—whatever it takes.”
“Well, you made the supreme sacrifice for me.” She teased. “And I’m really grateful. It must have been very difficult for you with no coffee in the morning.”
“I’d do it all again if it meant you were all better. Partners take care of each other, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
Dr. Kelford left the suite.
Out in the hallway, Dr. Kelford met with Billy Melrose and Dr. Pfaff.
“How is she, doc?” Billy asked.
“She’s doing remarkably well. She had no problems with the exam, though she preferred to have Stetson with her for the blood draw. But it’s a world of difference. I don’t know whether it’s the drug level down or a good night’s sleep or the debriefing yesterday but she seems back to normal.”
Dr. Pfaff was pleased. “I concur—I think she’ll recover fully.”
Billy smiled, “That’s great. Now what about Scarecrow?”
Dr. Pfaff replied, “He had a restless night. But it’s not uncommon for a person who has been a caretaker to be jumpy for a while after their charge has recovered. He should settle down in a day or two. This is new territory for him—he’s not used to being a caretaker and we all know how difficult he can be when he needs medical attention.”
“So what do you recommend?” Billy asked.
Dr. Pfaff and Dr. Kelford exchanged looks. Dr. Pfaff spoke, “I’d keep them here another night at least. I also want to try to talk to Stetson—see if I can get him to process what he and his partner went through.”
“Yes,” Dr. Kelford added, “I’d like to examine Mrs. King tomorrow morning as well and draw more blood. She should take it easy for a couple more days—that bruise is bad—desk work only if she’s up to it.”
Billy was decisive, “I’ll give her the rest of the week off. This was a tough one and she could use the time off.”
“If you give her time off, you need to let Scarecrow have that time off as well.” Dr. Pfaff added.
“Explain,” Billy retorted.
“We’re now talking about long-term emotional effects. I think Mrs. King will do just fine. I’ll schedule a session or two with her just to make sure. But Stetson—as I said before—he’s in uncharted territory—he nearly lost his partner—again—and he was instrumental in caring for her—something he just isn’t used to. Add to all that the strong emotional bonds between those two and he is going to have some work to do to process all this. I’ll try to talk to him—but I’m not optimistic.”
“I could make it an order,” Billy replied.
Dr. Pfaff looked rueful, “Getting him in and making him open up are two different things. Certainly, order him to see me—and if you explain Mrs. King will be seeing me also—he should take it better. But I expect he’ll take a few days to get back to a normal sleep pattern. And he needs to adjust to not being with his partner 24/7. He will experience some separation anxiety and that needs to be worked through.” Dr. Pfaff chuckled, “In the end, I think she’ll straighten him out better than any of us can.”
Billy smiled and nodded “She does keep him in line. OK—they’re both off until Monday. They’ll stay here for the night—get checked out in the morning—and we’ll let them go home tomorrow if everything is OK. Agreed?”
“Yes.” “Of course.” Dr. Pfaff and Dr. Kelford agreed.
“Let’s go, I want to get this over. Maybe they can have a quiet afternoon if we finish this before lunch.” Billy and Dr. Pfaff entered the suite.
A few minutes after Dr. Kelford left, the door opened again and Billy and Dr. Pfaff entered the suite.
“Good morning, Scarecrow, Mrs. King—I hear from Dr. Kelford you are doing much better today.” Billy smiled at Amanda.
“Yes sir. I feel rested and pretty good.”
“Amanda, “Dr. Pfaff spoke up, “I know Lee told you, but I wanted to tell you myself, from what I have seen and Dr. Kelford has said, I think you will end up recovering fully—no long-term effects from that experimental drug.”
Both Lee and Amanda visibly relaxed.
“Thank you, Dr. Pfaff,” Amanda said. “Lee did tell me but its sure good hearing it again from you.”
Billy spoke up, “Oh by the way, you are both off the roster until Monday.”
Lee and Amanda looked surprised but pleased.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Yeah, thanks, Billy.”
Billy continued, “You both probably need the time off—so I expect you to relax and rest this weekend.”
They nodded happily.
“Well Amanda, are you ready to resume the debriefing?” Billy asked.
She looked at Lee, who nodded encouragingly.
“I guess so, but like I told Lee, I don’t think I remember much—it’s more like a bunch of weird dreams.”
“Whatever you can tell us will be helpful. You can sit on the couch—and Scarecrow, why don’t you sit in the easy chair.” Billy pointed.
Billy and Dr. Pfaff got chairs from the dining area and sat across from Amanda like before, and Lee sat in the easy chair again. He wasn’t as apprehensive as the day before, but he was not relaxed either. He was, however, curious to hear Amanda’s account of her experience with the experimental drug.
Once they were all settled, Dr. Pfaff spoke, “Amanda, I know this may be difficult for you. You’ve done really well so far. I understand you may not have clear memories of what happened—but we are interested in whatever you recall—however you recall it. Lee has already been debriefed so we have a fairly accurate account of what happened. We are more interested in your impressions and feelings while under the drug’s influence. What you can tell us will help us learn more about this drug and if anyone else is given it we may be able to help them get better.”
“OK, I understand. I’ll do my best.” Amanda looked determined.
“I know you will, Amanda, you always do.” Billy smiled encouragingly. “Now Amanda, you said you remember being given the injection by the doctor—can you start from there?”
“Uh, yeah. Right.” She sat thinking for a moment. “I was tied up in the chair—it was starting to get light but I don’t think the sun was up yet. I really hurt—my face hurt—I had a bad headache—I was really thirsty and my side hurt. I just really ached all over like I had the flu or something.”
She continued, “The men ate and they were arguing. The mean man threatened the doctor—he said ‘This had better work or there might be two dead bodies at the end of this.’ The doctor didn’t seem upset—he just said ‘I have to monitor her as the drug cycles—and your job is to ask the questions. Maybe you didn’t ask the right questions yesterday.’”
“Then the doctor gave me the shot and it hurt so much—like acid in my veins—it burned the inside of my veins. I felt it going up my arm and go into my heart—my heart hurt and then it was burning all over inside my body. It burned and burned. I was scared I would die because of the burning. Then I was so tired—and I couldn’t stay awake. That’s all I remember about that part of it.”
“OK Amanda, what do you remember next?” Billy asked.
“Um—it was like a dream. I was floating on the ceiling—I could look down and see the room—I saw the two men and someone was in a bed. Then the door opened and Lee came in—the mean man shouted and the doctor just ducked out of the way. The mean man tried to shoot Lee but Lee shot him first.”
“Do you remember more details about that?” Billy asked.
“Lee shot the mean man twice. The mean man got a shot off but his gun was pointed at the floor so Lee was OK. I was really relieved about that. The mean man fell down and Lee moved to kick the gun out of his hand. The doctor had made it out the door and was running away.”
“Lee made sure the mean man’s gun was out of the way and he looked for the doctor—then he checked the mean man. I guess he was dead because Lee checked outside. Then Lee came back in and went to the person in the bed and said ‘Oh God, Amanda.’”
She started, “Oh! I guess the person in the bed was me! How did I get in the bed?”
Dr. Pfaff gently prompted her, “What happened next?”
“Um—I saw Lee look through the whole cabin. I just stayed on the ceiling, but I saw him go from room to room. He pulled the mean man’s body into another room and then shut the door. He saw blood on the floor and put a rug over it. He looked guilty. I wonder why? I was glad he killed the mean man. Then Lee checked out the cabin again. He found a backpack and filled it with medical stuff. Then he found a tape recorder and some tapes. He played a tape but I couldn’t hear what was on the tape. It sounded garbled and so I just concentrated on Lee. He looked upset and angry. Then he looked at the person on the bed and his face got sad—then he looked—well—different.” She shifted uncomfortably.
Lee wondered if she wasn’t holding back—which considering how he felt at the time was for the best. ‘She’s protecting me—even now. I don’t deserve her, but I’m sure glad I’ve got her.’
Amanda spoke more decisively, “Then he stuffed it all in the backpack. Then I don’t remember much more. It’s like I fell asleep or something.”
She thought for a few more moments, “I remember some strange dream—Lee and I were in a playground—we were laughing and singing—sharing nursery rhymes and poetry and stuff. Then we were dancing. It was really fun and I was awfully glad Lee was there with me. Then I was on a swing and Lee was pushing me—I went higher and higher and then I just launched myself off the swing and flew through the sky. I flew and flew and then I was falling. I got scared because I was falling and I was scared it would hurt when I hit the ground—but then Lee was there and he caught me and I was OK.”
“Boy, that sure sounds weird, doesn’t it?” She looked uncomfortable to be sharing such trivial recollections.
Dr. Pfaff reassured her, “If that’s how you remember it, then that’s OK with us, right Billy?”
Billy spoke quickly, “Of course. What do you remember next?”
“Um—I felt really sad. I remembered when daddy died and when Grandpa West died and when Grandma Mabel was sick and then died and when Pinto died and then when Joe finally wanted the divorce.” She started to cry. “I need a tissue.”
Dr. Pfaff handed her the box of tissues and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
She continued. “That was a really bad dream. But I do remember mother was holding me and kept telling me it was OK and that it would be better. So it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I could have been alone.”
She looked small and lost as she focused on the unpleasant memories. Then she gathered herself and looked up. “Then I had another flying dream. I flew higher and farther than before. I felt really free—almost like I could fly all the way to heaven. But then I remembered there were people here I had to care for—so then I started falling again. I was really scared this time because I was falling very fast and I knew I’d hit really hard—but Lee was there again and he jumped up and caught me and it was like floating—so soft and slow and I knew he would protect me and I was safe.” She smiled at Lee and he smiled back at her.
“Let’s see, the next thing—I think I remember Lee bringing me some food—toast and a banana and juice. Boy, that sure tasted good. But I was really tired and I ached all over. I remember Lee and I talked some—I asked him why Mr. Melrose hadn’t sent anyone else—why was Lee alone—he seemed surprised at that—but he said it would be OK—we would stay overnight and go back in the morning. I was pretty confused, but I figured Lee knew best and I was safe with him so it was OK. I remember it was dark—I guess the sun had set. I was just so tired. I guess I fell asleep again or something.”
“Then I had more bad dreams—but I don’t remember much. I do remember a long walk in a dark forest—I was with Lee and we walked and walked for—gosh—it seemed like days. I was so tired but Lee wouldn’t let me rest—he kept making me walk and walk. Then he carried me and we were at his car and he put me in the seat and he buckled me in and I was tired but it sure felt good to stop walking.”
“Then I was back at the cabin and the bad men were there again and they were yelling at me and sticking me with more needles—I kept calling for Lee but they just yelled at me and stuck more needles into me—it hurt and I was scared and Lee was gone. I tried to escape but they hurt me—I fought hard but they held on to me and tied me up again.”
“Then Lee was there and he made the bad men go away and he saved me—I knew I was safe and it would be all right.”
“Then I remember waking up and smelling food and Lee was there and he said that they brought some dinner and I should get dressed and come out and eat. It sure smelled good and I was real hungry so I found some clothes in the dresser and I got dressed and we ate dinner.”
“Then we watched a movie—The Sound of Music. I love that movie.”
She stopped and looked at Billy and Dr. Pfaff.
Dr. Pfaff looked pleased, “That’s quite a lot you remember. Can you think back—maybe there’s something you missed? Is there anything else you recall between getting that injection and watching the movie?” He looked hopeful.
She thought about it, “There were bad dreams, floating on the ceiling, flying and falling twice, about remembering everyone dying and being so sad, the dark forest and walking and walking.”
“Wait—I remember a couple of times—Lee wouldn’t let me get out of bed. He pushed me back—did he hold me on his lap? Was that real?” She looked at him—Lee tried to be neutral and not give her a clue—but she seemed to read something in his face. “Oh yeah, I guess it was real. I was scared—very frightened. It was like the bogey man was waiting to pounce on us. I couldn’t see anyone else—but I knew it was there. Lee held me and said it would be OK—but it wasn’t. I was so scared. I wanted to run away.”
She paused, “It’s so weird—all this is so unreal—like dreams—but more weird than dreams even. But the feelings sure were strong. Gosh—I don’t know what I’d have done if Lee wasn’t there with me. And they aren’t really fading—y’know like dreams fade if you don’t think about them? They still feel like dreams but I can remember all the details. Like flying. That was so nice… The falling part was bad but flying was sure fun.”
She smiled at that memory. “Then I remember being cold too, really cold—like I was in a freezer or on ice. It started at my feet and went up. I felt like a giant popsicle at the end. That sure sounds strange—a giant popsicle. I was really trapped in a freezer with Francine once and it did get cold, but then it was cold all over—not from my feet and moving up. That dream hurt—it was so cold and scary. Oh, and I remember a tea party—me and Lee and Lois Ann—she was my doll when I was little—and Debbie Ann Macabie. We had tea and it was in a garden. Tea in a garden. That one is like a picture I can look at. Just a picture of a tea party in a garden. I don’t think anything happened, just a picture of a tea party. Wow!”
She thought for a while. “OK, I think I’m done remembering. Do you want me to go on after the movie?”
“No, that’s all we need for now. How do you feel?” Dr. Pfaff asked.
“Um, tired and I have a headache. I guess that’s from trying to remember so much. I’m thirsty, but I’ve been talking for a while so that’s not surprising.”
“I’ll get you something, Amanda,” Lee got up and brought her a glass of juice.
“Thank you, Lee. “She drank the juice.
Dr. Pfaff and Billy exchanged looks. Billy spoke, “I think we’re done here, Amanda.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“But Amanda,” Dr. Pfaff spoke up, “if you end up remembering anything else—please let me know.”
“Should I expect that?”
“We don’t know. I’m just trying to cover all the bases.”
“OK, I’ll do that,” she nodded.
“Oh,” Billy spoke up, “you both need to schedule appointments with Dr. Pfaff in the next few days. Just routine, but” he looked straight at Lee “consider it an order.”
“Billy,” Lee was annoyed, “I wasn’t drugged or anything, why do I have to go?”
“Because I’m ordering you to go. Any more questions?” Billy asked in a tone that indicated he expected none.
Lee grumbled, “Fine—I’ll go but I really hate the shrinks.”
“Yes, Scarecrow—we all know that,” Dr. Pfaff sounded amused.
Amanda put her hand on Lee’s arm, “Lee we’ll both go—so it will be OK.”
“Hey, I’m just glad you’re going to be OK.”
They smiled at each other. Suddenly Billy and Dr. Pfaff felt like they were intruding.
“We’ll get going,” Billy said. “I have a field unit to run.”
“Yes, we’d like you to stay another night, Mrs. King—Dr. Kelford wants to examine you again tomorrow morning. Then I think you can go home.” Dr. Pfaff smiled at her.
“What about me?” Lee asked.
Dr. Pfaff and Billy exchanged looks.
“What about you, Scarecrow?” Billy asked.
“Well, do I stay or are you going to leave Amanda here all alone?”
“Oh Lee, I’ll be fine. Really.”
“Do you want me to stay?” He turned to her.
“Not if you don’t want to—I’ll be fine.”
“I said I was in it for as long as it took—Billy I don’t want to leave until Amanda is cleared to go.”
Billy pretended to be surprised at Lee’s statement. “I thought you hated hospitals. Fine—stay the night. We’ll see you both in the morning then.”
Billy and Dr. Pfaff left the suite.
Outside in the hallway, once the suite door had closed, Dr. Pfaff turned to Billy. “You would have made a fine psychiatrist in your time, Melrose.”
“I feel like that’s half of my job—juggling the personalities. But thanks for the compliment—I think.” Billy shook his head. “I’ve gotta go. Keep me informed if anything comes up.”
Amanda smiled at Lee, “That’s sweet Lee, but really you don’t have to stay just to keep me company.”
“I want to stay, Amanda. Especially now that you’re back to being yourself again—now that the drug is mostly out of your system.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re staying. Boy, I’m hungry—is it lunch time yet?”
As if on cue, the door opened and a nurse brought the cart in with the lunch—Lee took it and the nurse left.
“Oh boy, something sure smells good. Let’s eat!” Amanda sounded excited.
They ate lunch and Lee returned the cart. As he reentered the suite, Amanda was looking at the games on the shelf.
“Hey Lee, why don’t we play Monopoly?”
He quickly made his claim, “I want to be the car.”
“Figures. I’ll take the hat.” She grinned at him.
They spent the afternoon playing Monopoly and chatting about office gossip and inconsequential things. Lee felt more relaxed and greatly relieved now that Amanda had gotten a clean bill of health.
‘She’s going to be OK. I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t recovered fully. But she has. Now I’ve got to decide if I want to be more than just her partner and best friend. Well, I want it. But how involved does she want to be? I need her in my life. If we’re just friends—that’s OK I guess—but I sure would like more. My Amanda’s one in a million—it just took me three years to figure it out. I can be patient, too. I’ll take it slow and easy—Amanda’s already used to having me around. Now I plan to be around her a lot more. Not just at work but evenings and weekends as well. I need to let her know how special I think she is. Get her to want to be with me—because I sure want to be with her—now and forever. Yeah—that feels good—now and forever. I guess I needed to think about what I’d lose before I could accept it…’
“Lee—you in there? Lee!”
He jumped and realized Amanda had been trying to get his attention for some time now.
“Yeah, I guess I drifted off a bit. Sorry.”
“You were a million miles away! You OK, Lee? It’s been a tough couple of days for you.”
He shook his head, “Only you, Amanda King, after being kidnapped, drugged and interrogated would worry about me having a tough time of it.” He smiled and took her hands. “Yeah, I’m OK. Better than OK. I have my partner back, you’ve recovered fully and we have the whole evening ahead to relax.” He checked his watch. “It’s almost 6—what do you say we order up some dinner and then watch a movie together?”
“You’re just saying that because you’re losing so badly.” She smiled at him.
“I admit it—if we ever need a killer Monopoly player—you’re my first choice.” His thumbs rubbed the backs of her hands. He tied to communicate his newly realized feelings for her without alerting the personnel that were monitoring them.
“Thanks—that’s sweet Lee.” She blushed and ducked her head.
He took her chin and lifted her face so they could look into each others’ eyes. “I mean it—I’m really grateful you’ve recovered fully. I need my partner. I’d be lost without you, Amanda.”
Her eyes widened—then she squeezed his hand. “Lee, I couldn’t have made it here without you. You’ve been there for me for the past three years, and I plan to stick around for as long as you’ll have me.”
“In that case—I think we’ll have a long and beautiful partnership.” He kissed her fingers. They enjoyed a few minutes of companionable silence. Then Lee spoke, “Let’s get that dinner going. Then I get to pick the movie tonight, OK?”
“Sure—I trust you Lee—in everything.” She gave his hand a final squeeze and began to clean up the game.
Lee called out and let the hospital personnel know they were ready for their dinner. In 20 minutes there was a knock at the door and it opened—a nurse wheeled the cart in and left them to eat their dinner together.
After dinner was over and the cart was wheeled out—Lee chose his movie. “I saw this when they gave us new movies and I love this one. It’s about time we had some good laughs.” He put the tape in the VCR and sat on the couch.
“What movie did you pick, Lee?”
“The Court Jester—Danny Kaye—it’s a musical but as much a comedy as a musical.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen that one.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.”
They settled in on the couch and watched the movie.
Once the movie was over, Amanda was quite animated. “That scene about the chalice and the poison was so funny…” she exclaimed.
“It’s a classic, Amanda. Somehow it reminds me of someone else I know.” He looked innocently at her.
“Oh you!” She playfully pushed him away.
He grabbed her arm and they wrestled briefly on the couch—they ended up close together—Lee pressing her back into the couch—his body partially over hers—they both froze and their eyes locked.
“Amanda…” he said her name in a low tone.
“Lee…” she whispered his name in reply.
Then Lee remembered where they were and that they were under surveillance. He pointedly glanced upward to communicate that to her. She nodded.
He said, “Let’s call out for ice cream.”
“Yeah, that sounds good—ice cream.” They shifted to sit side-by-side on the couch. She jumped. “Hey, ask for chocolate—Dr. Kelford said I could have chocolate.”
“And coffee—boy, will that be good in the morning!”
“I know you missed it more than you let on.” She teased.
“I meant it—I’d do it all over again if it means you’re OK in the end.”
The ice cream was wheeled in and there were several types of ice cream with chocolate and chocolate syrup as well.
Amanda made herself a small sundae with mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate syrup. “This is the last night for ice cream—then I have to watch it or I’ll be in trouble.” She laughed.
They finished their ice cream, wheeled the cart out and read until 11 when Amanda went to bed in her bedroom. Lee tucked her in with a kiss on the forehead, and went across to his bedroom and read for a few minutes before he turned out the light and went to sleep by himself.
2:46am Wednesday late Day 6
Lee was walking through a dark forest—trees were everywhere and the path was getting less and less distinct. He knew what he wanted was ahead—he had to keep going to get it. But the undergrowth was getting thicker: ferns, bushes, tree branches and vines were all over. At first it wasn’t too bad, but as he went on it got thicker and more difficult to move through. He wished for a machete and suddenly he had one at his side. He unsheathed it and hacked at the plants—cutting a way for himself through the thick undergrowth—but it was still getting thicker. He looked back and saw that where he had hacked a path through the undergrowth, the plants were already growing to close the gap—and they kept growing—thicker and thicker. Soon he had to keep hacking just to keep a clear space for himself—he was no longer moving forward and he couldn’t go back either.
Then he felt it—the vines started creeping along his feet—he jumped—could plants really grow that fast? He kept hacking—but the vines were growing faster now—they had his feet enveloped and were growing up and around his legs, then waist—then his arms were captured in stringy clinging vines. Around and around him they grew—he was being strangled—suffocated—he had to get out—he had to find her—where was she? He needed to save her—no, she needed to save him. He needed his Amanda—he was trapped—he knew everything would be all right once she was with him. Where was she? He tried to call her name but he couldn’t make the words come—they stuck in his throat—he tried again to call her name—and again and again—it was getting tough to breathe—the vines were pressing on his chest—he struggled—he tried to cry out—he was helpless—he hated feeling helpless—he was choking—he couldn’t breathe—he would lose her—he couldn’t get to her—he had failed her—he would never see her again—his life was over …
Lee sat up in bed with a cry—his heart beating hard and breathing quite heavily. He was sweating and panting—disoriented and afraid. Where was he—what had happened—where did those vines come from? He discovered he was twisted in the bedclothes.
Suddenly the light came on.
“Lee?” Amanda was standing in the doorway in a robe and nightgown.
Relief coursed through him. She was there—he hadn’t lost her after all. He fought to get free of the entangling sheets, leapt out of bed and pulled her close in his arms. She was there—she was real—he could feel her—he could smell her perfume. She was alive and OK. His life was saved.
“Oh Amanda, you’re OK,” He breathed into her soft hair.
“Lee, you were yelling—you had a nightmare.”
“Yeah,” he stroked her hair, “I couldn’t breathe. But I’m OK now.”
“Your heart is pounding—it must have been some nightmare.” She was rubbing his back gently.
“Oh yeah, some nightmare.” He was holding her close—stroking her hair, just drinking in her presence, her nearness. ‘My Amanda. My love.’ Slowly his heart rate slowed—his breathing evened out.
“Lee, are you OK now? Do you want to tell me about your nightmare? It might help.” She spoke softly and encouragingly.
Lee was quiet for a few moments—still holding his Amanda—still reveling in the relief of her presence.
“Vines,” he said finally. “There were vines—they were strangling me.”
“How did that happen?”
He tried to reply and couldn’t think of what to say.
She gently pulled back from his embrace and got his robe. She offered it to him, and he put it on. She offered her hand, “Let’s sit on the couch, OK?” She smiled and led him to the couch in the main room. They sat facing each other, holding hands.
“Are you sure you want to hear this? It’s pretty stupid.” He looked hesitant.
“Lee, you had me worried—I called out to you a couple of times—you were still yelling. You helped me when I had my nightmares, it’s time I returned the favor.”
“Partners,” he said simply.
“Yeah, partners. We watch each others backs.”
He took a deep breath, “OK, I was in a big forest and following a path trying to find … something.” ‘Can’t give too much away.’ he thought. “And the plants were growing to close the path up—and then the vines started growing up and growing around me—I was being strangled by the vines.”
“Couldn’t you do anything to get free?”
“I had a machete—it helped for a while but the plants grew too quickly—I was trapped and I was afraid I’d lost … what I was trying to find.”
“What was that?”
“Something wonderful, something valuable, something precious, something I knew I couldn’t live without.” He looked deeply into her eyes—part of him wanted to tell her, to let her know how he valued her. And part of him was wary and cautious. In the end, the caution won and he stayed silent.
“Well you’re awake now, it was a bad dream. You’re OK—no vines here. And maybe now you can get whatever it was you were looking for. Do you know what it was or was it one of those dreams where you don’t even know what you were looking for?”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “I know what I was looking for, Amanda. And I’ll do my best to make sure I do end up with it.” He was feeling better. It was still surprising how good just talking to her could make him feel. “Let’s get back to sleep. You still have to see Dr. Kelford in the morning.”
“Yeah, and you have to talk to Dr. Pfaff.”
“I don’t know why he bothers. I get a lot more out of talking to you than I ever did with him.”
She smiled and stroked his face, “I’m glad I can help. Good night.”
He kissed her on the forehead, “Thank you, Amanda. Good night.”
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