As Eggsy walked down the cobbled road the only noises in his ears were that of his oxfords hitting the wet stones and the violent patter of heavy rain on his umbrella. He carried on like that for quite a while before he heard Merlin's voice.
"I hope you're not going where I think you're going," the Scottish man spoke in his ear.
"I thought I was free for today. Why are you still monitoring me Merlin?"
"I had a feeling after today you might go and do something idiotic. I was right."
Eggsy sighed. It had been a difficult mission for him. Of course he was feeling lonely, of course he wanted someone to talk to. Of course there was someone in particular he was missing.
"I'll only see him once I promise. And that's all. I won't talk to him either, just see him, then I'll go. Just this once." It sounded more like pleading than Eggsy liked to admit.
"You know what the doctors said Galahad. He needs to recover without any triggers of his past life. It could jeopardize his recovery. Do you want that Eggsy?" Merlin's voice was authoritative as ever but it lacked a certain drive. He knew this battle was already lost for today.
"Merlin I know, but I can't stand it! I know it's selfish but I need to see him. I promise it'll only be once," he repeated. Merlin sighed on the other end of the line.
"Don't be late tomorrow. You take after him more than I'd like."
After that Eggsy knew Merlin was gone. He had just reached his destination as well.
Holding his umbrella in one hand he reached up and took off his glasses before slipping them into his suit pocket. After he was knighted Merlin saw to it that they had several other suits made to fit him. Today he wore the light grey one with a pink tie.
As his came to a halt, Eggsy glanced up at the old but well taken care of building. Dark reddish brown bricks were covered in manicured ivy while pristine white painted wood surrounded windows and the main door.
Eggsy remembered screaming at Merlin when he'd explained they were putting him in a care home. Why couldn't he stay at the Kingsman HQ? Or his home and have caregivers come in? Anything would be better than leaving him surrounded by a bunch of strangers in a place that smelled like sick old people. Merlin went on to tell him the delicate situation his injury had put them in and that this really was the best option. After he was all screamed out and his throat painfully hoarse, Eggsy just felt an overwhelming sadness that weighed on his mind, heart and every limb. The dreary look of the care home in front of him and rain slipping down his umbrella to drop onto the cobbled drive underneath him illustrated that sadness painfully.
He took the final steps to the painted white doors and shook off his umbrella before walking fully inside. There immediately inside the doors was a small foyer with a wooden reception desk behind which sat a woman who's nametag that was pinned to her soft pink uniform shirt read "Marie."
"Hello sir, may I help you?" Her gentle voice wrapped in a Welsh accent asked.
"Yes," Eggsy began putting on his best posh accent, "I am here to see Harry Hart."
On a day like today, but for the rain, Harry would have enjoyed being out in the courtyard garden. He liked the flowers. Or at least he thought he did. He didn't know for sure if he had always liked flowers or he just now enjoyed the colour they brought to his otherwise boring life. In fact he didn't know anything for sure. Not even his name. They'd only told him his name was Harry Hart after he had woken up in a bed in the Willenshire Hospice. That and not much else, only that his care was being paid for by some very rich people (whose identity again was a mystery to him), and that he had no family to speak of so he shouldn't expect any visitors. Which is why it was a surprise to hear a voice from behind him.
"Harry," the young man said. Harry turned from aimlessly staring out the window to facing his visitor. There was a silence as greenish-blue eyes appraised him in awe. After a moment and realizing the other wasn't going to say more Harry spoke.
"Do I know you?"
The young man's jaw tightened slightly before he shook his head.
"No, you don't. My name is E- Gary." Gary extended his hand. Harry shook it.
"You already seem to know my name. Still it is good to meet you, Gary. Is there a particular reason why you have come to see me?" Harry had hoped he'd been a relative or friend or at least somebody who knew who he was and could give him some answers. Unfortunately this Gary, although he did know Harry's name and perhaps more than he was saying, seemed to be a man of few words.
"I am employed by the people who are paying for your stay. I just came to see how you were doing." His prim accent made him seem all business but there was something that was making him uneasy.
"I'd be doing a lot better is someone would tell me what the bloody hell is going on and who I am." Harry's aggressive comment seemed to surprise Gary but he recovered quickly.
"I'm really sorry but I can't tell you anything. Because of the nature of your injury any premature revealing of any information of your previous life could-"
"'Send me into some sort of shock and ruin my recovery.' Yes I know, that's what they've been telling me," Harry finished before he continued babbling about Harry's 'delicate recovery process.' The words sounded rehearsed, for both of them.
"I really am sorry," Gary said, a sadness in his voice unmistakable. Perhaps there was someone out there that was worried about him. The thought stirred in Harry's chest.
"Yes well, there's nothing that either of us can do about it," the older man sighed.
"So," Gary started cautiously, "You really do remember nothing?"
"I remember waking up here, and a doctor telling me my name was Harry Hart, I had a severe brain injury and that was all he could tell me. That, and spending every day since here, with no visitors or contact with the outside world. Well until now."
"It could be worse," the younger man said with a joking tone, "you could be dead!"
"With my current situation, perhaps that would have been better." He didn't mean it, but he was so frustrated with the blank page that was his memory and the fact that no one would tell him anything.
Gary's tone had fallen flat and he returned to a serious stance.
"Well I'd better be off then. You probably won't see me here again, but it was good to see you recovering Harry."
With that the young man turned and began to walk back to the main doors. Harry turned back to face the drenched and drooping garden. Gary had said he wouldn't return but even though he couldn't tell Harry anything more than he already knew, it was a good change to have a visitor. The thought of someone out there missing him fluttered around his mind again. He hoped the young man was wrong.
