She smiled, “I’m okay Todd, you’re not the only one who forgot. What happened? The last thing I remember, I was talking to you and John.”
Todd glanced around at the kids and then decided just to tell her the truth. “Um, you checked out on us for a while, Babe, but it’s all good. You’re back now. Look, I’m going to go get the nurse, don’t you go anywhere. Do you hear?” He gave her a quick kiss and left the room before Blair could stop him. Outside the door, he slumped against the wall trying to get his breathing under control.
Nurse Rogalla noticed him immediately and went to him. “Mr. Manning, are you okay?”
He looked up and chuckled. “I’m better than okay. It worked. I can’t believe it actually worked.”
“You lost me, Mr. Manning. Did something happen with your wife?”
“Our youngest son told me to kiss her and she would awaken like Sleeping Beauty.”
“I see, so you kissed your wife. Are you telling me she’s awake?”
Todd nodded his head. “Hell yes! Like I said. It worked. She’s in there awake and talking to her kids.” He pushed himself away from the wall. His breathing was finally getting back to normal. “I need to go find Dr. Wolek.”
“Let’s go back in and I’ll check on your wife. You should be with her. Was she talking?”
“Yes, she was fine.” He led the way back into the room, marveling at the sight. Blair was just hugging Sam as he scrambled up on the bed. She smiled at him over Sam’s shoulder. For a day that had started out so terrible, seeing her awake and alert set everything right. “Nurse Rogalla is just going to check you out, Babe.” He looked at Starr. “Why don’t you guys go get a snack or something. You’ve been keeping your mom company for a while now.”
Starr nodded and hauled Sam back off the bed. “Sure. We’ll be back shortly, Mom.”
Todd moved back in close to Blair’s side and waited for the nurse to do her job.
“Your blood pressure is holding steady. The baby’s heartbeat is also good. Is there anything I can get you?” Nurse Rogalla smiled at her patient.
“I just want to go home. Could you please get Dr. Wolek to come and see me?”
“Whoa there, Babe, you just woke up. Let’s get you fully checked out, please!”
Blair looked at Todd. She heard the strain in his voice and knew he was wound pretty taut. What had happened? “Okay, I’ll get checked out again. I think, you’re worrying about nothing. I feel fine except for my back being sore and Dr. Conklin said the baby was alright.”
“I’ll go get Dr. Wolek. “ Nurse Rogalla left but couldn’t help glancing sympathetically at Mr. Manning. She had seen him come near to losing it the afternoon before and knew how scared he had been for his wife.
Alone with Blair, Todd sat on the bed facing his wife and took her hands. “I’m sorry, all of this happened because of me. When you stopped talking and disappeared into yourself, I felt helpless. Hell, I lost it.”
Blair blinked as tears started to come.”What did you do?"
“I attacked John.” He smiled and shrugged “You know me. Act first, think later.”
She laughed softly. That’s my man. “Well, I guess he didn’t throw you in jail.”
“No, Larry knocked me out with a sedative.” She laughed harder and he joined her. Then he sobered up. “A lot has happened since.”
Before the conversation could go further, Dr. Wolek walked into the room.
“Blair, it’s good to see you back with us,” Larry said. Todd moved once again to let Larry give Blair the once over. “Nurse Rogalla told me you want to go home. I’m going to be honest with you. I believe you would be better off staying with us a few more days.” He saw her eyes narrow and he stopped her before she could object. “Dr. Conklin and I discussed your case before everything happened. She’s concerned about your blood pressure and we want to put you on bedrest for the rest of your pregnancy. I also think you should talk to someone professional about what happened.”
Blair looked at Todd. “I don’t need to talk to anyone, I just need to be with my family. I can stay on bedrest at home.”
Todd heard the pleading tone in her voice. Taking her hand in his again, he met her eyes. “It’s okay.” He then looked at Larry. “Let us talk, and we’ll give you our answer later. By the way, how’s Natalie?”
“She’s not doing too well. She didn’t know Vicki. Mitch appears to have really played with her mind.”
“Wait a minute, they found Natalie?” asked Blair surprised.
“Yeah, I’ve got a lot to tell you.” He didn’t expand and Blair got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
***
Mitch sat back with the brandy in his hand facing Carlo and Ivan. It was hardly the circumstances he had thought he was going to be enjoying after his wedding. He felt a little uncomfortable. “I can’t say I like the way you’re looking at me, Mr. Hesser. Just what seems to be your problem?”
“Mr. Laurence, I’m afraid you’ve dropped a big problem into our laps. The way I see it, something drastic will be needed to turn away all this attention you’ve just generated,” stated Carlo.
“What do you mean, drastic?”
Carlo took a slow sip of his brandy and smiled. “I’m afraid you have to die.”
Mitch stood up alarmed. “You can’t be serious! You’re going to kill me? I thought I was an essential part to one of your projects. Now you’re just going to do away with me?”
“Please, Mr. Laurence, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Thanks to Doctor Kipling, you’ve already lived longer than you were supposed to. Surely a man of your beliefs can understand the miracle that occurred. But this latest endeavor of yours has gotten the police and the feds all riled up and my clients like to keep things, shall we say, under the radar. You, sir, have now become one of America’s most wanted and that is a lot of attention suddenly coming into this area again. I need to stop the interest before it can gum up my projects. You understand, it’s only business.”
“You’re mad, I won’t stay here and let you kill me.”
“Let me kill you? Don’t you realize you could already be dead?”Carlo looked significantly at his drink and back to Mitch’s hand. “If I want you dead, you will be.”
Mitch backed away and looked at the drink in his hand. He felt chilled. Carlo had hinted at poison. I’m a dead man.
Kipling spoke. “Carlo, I think you made your point. Mr. Laurence has been truly chastised. Mitch, my dear fellow, calm yourself. We’re not going to really kill you. We’re only going to make the authorities believe it that you’ve died. Think of yourself as Jason Vorhees.”
Mitch had relaxed a little bit on hearing Ivan’s comment to Hesser. Then he wrapped his mind around the rest of what Ivan was saying. He grimaced. “If my memory serves, Jason ended up very dead. I don’t like where this conversation is going.”
It’s really quite simple. I’ll give you something to simulate death and one of my colleagues will issue a fake death certificate. Now have a seat. and we’ll discuss this further.”
***
Vicki watched through a window as the doctors thoroughly examined Natalie. John had also remained. Bo had called and so far they had been unable to find any trace of Mitch Laurence.
“Mom?”
Vicki turned as Jessica along with Brody, Ryder and Liam approached her.
“How’s she doing?” asked Jessica.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t know me. Larry thinks the drugs she was given caused amnesia. She’s very confused.”
“So she doesn’t know any of us?’”
“That seems to be the case. She reminds me so much of a young girl I knew once. All she talks about is the Messenger. Here comes the doctor maybe he can give us some more information.”
“Mrs. Banks, your daughter is going to need all your support. The blood test results show a high concentration of thorazine and another drug used to control the will of the person ingesting it. We can wean her off these drugs but it will be dangerous given her condition.”
“What condition? What’s the matter with my sister?”
“She’s pregnant, about nine weeks into her first trimester.”
Vicki gasped, “My poor Natalie, what did that man do to her?” Jessica hugged her mother. “Brody said, Natalie believed Liam was Mitch’s son.” She looked over at the doctor, “Would it help her if she saw Liam?”
“I don’t believe that’s wise at this time. Liam is part of her current delusion. If we can clear her system of the drugs and try to control the effects that will occur when she comes off them, we might be able to save the babies. Under no circumstances will she allow us to abort them. This is going to be a trying time for all and you’ll need to be patient.”
“Can I go back in and see her?” Asked Vicki.
“You may but she’s highly confused. I would ask that just you go in Mrs. Banks. She’ll need to get used to all of you all over again and we don’t want to overwhelm her at this time. Give us a couple of days to get her off the drugs. I’ve seen something like this before. This combination of drugs works to make the subject compliant and easy to manipulate. It also causes amnesia. There’s a very good chance her memory will improve and return.”
Inside the room, Natalie sat wringing her hands. The door opened and the Doctor and the woman claiming to be her mother entered. “I don’t understand why the police brought me here. there’s nothing wrong with me. I demand that you let me go. I need to get back to the compound. Liam is waiting for me.”
“Natalie dear, I know you don’t remember me but I’m your mother. I’m asking you to stay and let the doctors help you. You’ve been given a number of drugs and they’re not good for the babies. Surely you don’t want to harm your children. If you stay, they can clear the drugs from your system and you won’t be so confused.”
“I don’t want to hurt my babies. The Messenger gave them to me. I should go back to the compound, The Messenger would want me to return home.”
“I understand, but I think we should help the babies first. If you stay here I’ll see that Liam is brought here in a couple of days. I’m sure someone at the compound is taking good care of him for now. After all, you went to the wedding. You trusted someone there to take care of him didn’t you?”
“Oh yes, Melanie also watches him from time to time. He’ll be alright with her, I guess. I don’t know how I got any drugs in my system, I eat very well at the compound. Dr. Kipling has been giving me vitamins to take for my babies. But if the doctors insist, I’ll stay to get them out.. My babies are the most important ones in my life after The Messenger.”
“Thank you, Natalie. I’d like to come to visit you while you’re here if you’ll let me.”
“You say you’re my mother, I’m sorry I don’t remember you. You seem like a nice lady. But if you want to visit it’s alright with me. You will bring Liam, right?”
“I promise.” Vicki left before she started crying, it wouldn’t do any good for Natalie to see her upset.
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