Who's the Real Todd?, Ch. 36

Blair pulled into the emergency bay and Michael was there waiting. He checked Samuel's eyes and then had the orderlies transfer him to a gurney. "How long has he been out, Blair?"

"He's been out about 15 minutes. I called as soon as it happened. Michael, you think it's the implant, don't you? We've got to get him awake. I can't let him go into surgery this way. Please, Michael, I need to talk to him." Blair looked at Todd and knew she couldn't let him undergo surgery without making sure he knew how very much she loved him. She followed Michael and the gurney as they headed straight up to surgery.

"Blair, come with me," said Michael, he turned to his nurse and spoke a few minutes and she took Blair, led her into a room and helped her into a mask and gown, then she led her into the operating room. Todd was being prepped for surgery, but the nurses allowed Blair to get up close to his head so she could talk to him.

"Samuel, if you can hear me I need you to wake up. You can't leave me out here hanging while you face this alone, remember, we're a team. You swore we would do this together. You hear me, I need you to come back to me right now so we can talk." She reached and gently took his hand, "Don't let them beat you, come find me please."  

Todd's eyes began to open and he turned his head. "Hi Blair." she could barely hear him, but all activity stopped in the operating room as they realized he was conscious. "My head is killing me, I guess we overdid it today huh."  

She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Don't worry about that right now. I want you to remember this. I love you Samuel Toddman and we're going to come out of this smelling like roses." 

Todd smiled. "Not Roses, Wild Flowers"

Michael came up on the other side and said, "Samuel we can't wait, we're going to have to take the implant out now. Blair's going to be right here I'm giving you a mild sedative and I'm going to be asking you questions off and on. I want you to answer them as best you can." Blair continued holding his hand and the nurses anchored Todd's head to keep him perfectly still during surgery. As this was microsurgery only a small hole was drilled into his skull and Michael began working inside with miniaturized tools and cameras. Because of the scans taken earlier, Michael was able to pinpoint the precise location and as Blair watched, the camera picked up the small foreign object attached to Todd's brain.

Having located the implant, the delicate work began as Michael studied it from all angles with the camera. Michael was fascinated by the object. Each individual wire was anchored in a very specific place and Michael suspected that a couple of them were anchored to key neurons in the brain. The one he was most concerned about seemed to be attached to the nerves and currents that regulated the heart. Even as he debated taking that wire first the cardiovascular surgeon arrived. The doctor checked Todd's vitals and then conversed briefly with Michael. Once in agreement, Michael made the decision to tackle that wire first. Carefully he detached it from the implant, but now came the difficult part freeing it from the brain. At first, he simply tried to grab it and see if it would pull free. But alarms went off immediately. Tod 's hand clenched around Blair so hard she gasped and the heart surgeon told Michael to leave it. Todd's heart rate dropped back to normal and his hand unclenched.

Michael had hoped to get the most dangerous wire out first, but that wasn't going to happen so he looked back in and snipped a wire the led into the occipital lobe. Again he tried to grab it but it too resisted automatic removal. Still, this time no alarms went off. That didn't mean much except that it wasn't life-threatening. Michael had been hoping he wouldn't have to actually go into the brain but he had little choice now. He had to find out how the wires had been anchored. He carefully used the laser scalpel to cut through the brain tissue praying the small damage he was inflicting would not prove detrimental to Samuel. He followed the wire to its end and noted it had been designed much like a harpoon it was barbed so it couldn't be removed easily. After removing the barbs Michael carefully backed out of Samuel's brain pulling the wire free. He set it down on the tray and took a moment to check on Samuel. "Are you still with me Samuel. One of the wires is out. Samuel tell me what Blair was wearing?"

Todd thought it was a strange request. He looked at Blair. He answered slowly his speech a little slurred because of the sedative. "She has on a blouse and jeans."

Michael looked at Blair she was wearing a pale yellow shirt and blue jeans underneath the surgical gown. "Samuel, what color is the surgical gown?"

"It's a little dark maybe a dark blue or something." Samuel blink everything was a little fuzzy.

Blair looked in alarm at Michael. The surgical gowns were pale blue. He shook his head warning her not to speak. "Okay just take it easy, I'm going after another wire." Michael wasn't happy, Samuel's perception of color was skewed. He hoped it would only be a temporary setback.

Michael went to work removing other wires.  Each time he was forced to do minor damage and each time he would ask Samuel questions. He was working in the memory lobe, but so far Samuel had been able to recall his memories. Michel was sure he would only have trouble with some short term loss. Michael only had two wires left and he was unhappy with the location of both. One more wire extended into the occipital lobe and then he had to try getting the wire that was affecting Samuel's heart.

The first wire he had removed had had an effect on Samuel's vision it was minor and might correct itself but to have to do more damage in that lobe bothered Michael. First things first Michael cut the last wire free of the implant and began to carefully pull the implant from the brain, it had been in there for a number of years and Michael had to remove some scar tissue that had formed around the initial insertion. Even though there was no sound, when he pulled it felt like he was pulling his shoe out of a mud hole he could almost hear that sucking sound just as he freed the implant. With the small grabbing tool, he picked up the freed implant and carefully pulled it out of Samuel's head and laid it on the tray. It was an incredible piece of machinery and he would love to know what had powered it all these years.

Blair had been watching intently on the screen as Michael had removed the offensive chip, it was fascinating and horrific at the same time. She leaned over and spoke in a whisper to Todd. "The implant is gone, we have it now. You just need to hang in there a little longer. Michael just has two wires to remove and it's over." she squeezed his hand and he responded back in kind.

Todd gazed at Blair she was beautiful in a fuzzy way he couldn't get his vision to clear, but he figured it was because of the anesthesia they had given him. He felt disconnected from everything that was going on and he wondered how the rest of the guys were doing during this. Although he was fuzzy he decided to try calling to them. "Samuel, how are you doing, you guys still with me."

Samuel and the others were lying where they had collapsed when the chip had triggered in Todd's brain. They were all still there when Todd stumbled in to check on them. "Guys?" It was hard for him to focus, but he found his way to where they lay He couldn't help it, but he felt relief they were still there even if they weren't responding, he sat and just rested next to his fallen brothers. It was getting hard to see. It was like a shadow was clouding his vision he wasn't sure if he was losing consciousness or what. He blinked trying to bring Blair back into focus but she seemed to be receding into darkness. "Blair, don't go."

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere?" Blair clung to his hand worried. Why did he think she was going somewhere? She looked up at Michael and saw him looking down at Samuel like there might be something wrong.

Todd closed his eyes and held onto Blair tighter, something was wrong but how could he tell her. Opening his eyes again, he confirmed his suspicions, he couldn't see her any longer. He was able to make out some light but everything was mostly shadow. God was he blind or was this temporary? He didn't want to think about it. Would he never get a break? Suddenly his chest began hurting. Oh God not now!

Alarms started going off and Michael knew he had seconds to get that last wire removed working as quickly as he could without doing even more damage Michael severed the last prong and Samuel went into full-blown arrest. Michael pulled the wire-free and stood back as they got ready to shock Samuel.

Blair had vacated her seat quickly so the heart doctor could step in when the alarms went off the Doctor and the nurses slip the board carefully under Todd and brought the paddles out.

"Clear!" Nothing. Once more. "Clear!" Still nothing.

Blair screamed "Don't you die! I'm here, you've got to come back to me. TODDD!"

"He's back! Regular sinus rhythm You could finish Doctor. I'm not sure he can come back from another one." the doctor stayed next to his patient as Michael closed the surgical site. Michael looked at the tray with its eight wires and strange chip. Samuel was free of them but at what cost. Michael knew Samuel had been experiencing vision problems near the end, time would tell just what had transpired. The main thing was he had survived the surgery and they had their implant. Michael walked over to Blair slumped against the wall. "He's alive. I think he heard you. He didn't want to die."

Blair looked at Michael with tears in her eyes. "Thank you. He's free of it, but is he whole?"

"I won't lie to you Blair, there was some unavoidable damage done. I'm uncertain what effect all of it might have until he wakes up. But we can be hopeful that whatever problem arises might only be temporary. You and he will face it together of that I'm certain. You're definitely bound to him and him to you or you wouldn't have been able to get through to him. You remember that." He walked with her as they wheeled Samuel to recovery and set her close to Samuel. Michael did a quick check of Samuel's vitals.  He reached over and patted Blair's shoulder. "He's doing fine. " and left.

Blair took Todd's hand in hers, tears flowing because she had been so scared. "You sleep right now without dreams." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small jar holding the chip and those wicked wires. That something so small could have caused all that pain and damage was unbelievable but they had their tangible proof now and if she was correct Tea and Walker would have to go through the exact same thing to be free from it. They might have to find a different surgeon unless Michael could find it in himself to be unbiased towards Walker. But for now, Todd was her concern and she was grateful he was still with her. She reached up and smoothed his beautiful hair off his face. "I love you, Todd Manning. I'm here waiting for you. You just rest."

Blair waited patiently for Todd to rouse, the nurses came in and checked a couple of times but he remained unresponsive. It hadn't been that long ago since his last attack and the heart doctor had been on the phone with Samuel's Doctor in Llanview getting all his information and giving updates. The heart specialist had been warned by both Michael and Blair to stay mum about the brain surgery. Michael had informed him that Samuel was an important witness in an ongoing investigation and that it was imperative that no word of the brain surgery got out. He had given the surgeon his brother's name and told him to contact his brother if he had any questions. 

When he asked why all the secrecy when he was just calling the other Hospital. Blair informed him that they were pretty sure the hospital had been infiltrated by those being investigated and if word of Samuel's surgery got to them, he was a dead man. She remembered his look of surprise at such a dramatic phrase but he had seen how serious she and Michael were, so he had agreed. Blair reached over and picked up Todd's hand once more, she recalled a scene long ago, that occurred shortly after they had met when she had found Todd stabbed on the floor of his hotel room. Todd had looked much like he did now except then he had needed blood and it had turned out to be his rape victim Marty who had supplied it. She remembered her relief when Marty had offered it and she had been able to go back to Todd and tell him it was alright. She felt that same relief now. "It's all right Todd. That thing is out of your head and it can't hurt you any longer. You can wake up now we've got work to do."

"I'm gonna get him, Blair, he's made a mistake now. Just you wait." Todd said.

Blair leaped to her feet till she was by his head. "Oh, Todd, you're awake. How do you feel? "

Todd opened his eyes and saw only shadows. He knew where Blair was by her voice so he turned to look at her. Damn all he could make out was an undefined blob surrounded by light. He didn't want to scare her. "My head's killing me but I suppose that's to be expected," he said with a grin. "So Michael got the little bugger, huh." he saw the blob move she seemed to be reaching for something.

Blair had turned and picked up the specimen jar with the implant in it. She turned back to Todd and held it up for him to see. That's when she realized something was wrong. "Yes, it's right here. I can't believe how they could plant that in any man." She held it directly in front of her but Todd was looking elsewhere. "What do you think, it's diabolical, isn't it? Here, do you want a good look?" she reached the jar forward waiting for him to take it. His hand started to reach and then it dropped on the bed.

"Clever Blair, I didn't think I'd be able to keep you in the dark for long. Huh, in the dark, I guess that would be me. That old Lord luck has struck again." he laughed because he couldn't do anything else, as always fate had stepped in once again.

"It doesn't matter Todd. We'll work with it. We don't know how bad it really is. Let Michael have a look. He said there might be some damage. but he also said the problems might be temporary." Blair was almost crying.

Todd heard how distressed she was for him and he reached for where he was sure her face was. He found it and felt her tears. Wiping them he said. "Don't! Don't cry. You're right, I'm here and that's what's important right now. I've got you don't I, the most beautiful seeing-eye gal a guy could have."

Blair laughed and grabbed his hand holding it close. "You sure as hell have me and this might be a setback but we can work with it. I'm mad and it's time to get even."

"That's the Blair I know, take no prisoners. I'm through hiding Blair. With that thing removed I can go home. They're through manipulating me, Carlo and Kipling both. I'm not 100 percent but I have my wits and my friends and I have proof of what they did. I'm going to find them Blair and I'm gonna get them the way they got me. That's a promise. You better let them know I'm awake, but hold them off for a few minutes I need to check on the guys." He pulled his hand free and watched the blob move away. As he watched her leave, he realized the truth of what he had just said, he did have friends, something that had been lacking in his life. Ray was his friend and Kelly, and he was pretty sure he could count on John too. It felt weird but nice, his thoughts turned inward as he recalled seeing his brothers helpless before the heart attack. He went in search of them and suddenly realized he could see, he wasn't blind in his head as he made his way down the corridor to Samuel's room. As he suspected they were all gathered together waiting for him.

"Well, it's about time. Can we get this meeting started now, Samuel?  The man is here." Pete growled.