Leap of Faith
M opened the door to her flat and let out a long sigh ash she turned and waived to her driver before entering, flipping on the hall light and depositing her keys on the table. She was in the process of removing her coat when her phone began to ring. Letting out an annoyed grunt, she looked at the screen and hit the answer button.
"Mr. Tanner, miss me already? "She asked in a sarcastic tone
"Ma'am, sorry to interrupt your evening, but we need you to come to medical as soon as possible" said Tanner in an unusually serious tone
"What is it Tanner? I've just literally walked thru my front door?" she grumbled as she draped her coat over the banister at the foot of her stairs.
"It's Bond Ma'am, he's been involved in some sort of accident"
"What's has he gone and done this time?" she asked
"He was brought in about an hour ago. The cause of his injuries have yet to be determined..."
"How bad is it?" interrupted M, her tone suddenly changing from annoyed to concerned
"He has three broken ribs, multiple contusions and…"
"And what?" she asked as she picked up her coat and keys
"I think you should see for yourself Ma'am" replied Tanner hesitantly
"Is he conscious?"
"In a manner of speaking"
"Tanner, would you stop beating around the bush and just tell me, is he alright or isn't he?" she demanded
"It all depends on how you define alright"
"I'm on my way!" she snapped "And Tanner, this had better be more than a few cuts, bruises and a bump on the head or so help me I will have your head on a platter"
"Yes Ma'am" replied Tanner as he hung up and turned back toward the room containing the famous 007
"She's on her way" said Tanner as he approached the doctor treating James
"And she is aware of the situation?" replied the doctor
"In a manner of speaking, yes she has been briefed"
"And I assume she is aware of the severity of the situation?"
"Not entirely, I thought it would be best to let you explain further" replied Tanner
"I see, well then, let me know when she arrives"
Tanner began pacing the floor outside James room, occasionally glancing in while the medical staff attended to James. He knew that he should have warned her, given her some sort of idea as to the nature of James' injuries, but something told him the even if he had warned her, this was something she was going to have to see to believe.
M stormed thru the door with a face like thunder on her way to the medical department and headed straight for Tanner.
"Well where is he?" she asked impatiently
"Right thru there" replied Tanner as he motioned toward the door "But Ma'am, there is something you should know"
"And that would be?"
"He isn't quite himself at the moment" replied Tanner uneasily
"Not quite himself?"
"No, if fact it I didn't know him…"
"Can I see him?" she interrupted
"I think you should talk to the doctor first" replied Tanner as he gently guided her down the hall.
M was able to glance in the room on her way down the hall, and what she saw caused her to stop suddenly and gasp.
"Ma'am?"
All M could do was stare into the room at James, who was sitting in the bed with a terrified look on his face and the sheets clutched tightly to his chest with one hand as though they provided some sort of invisible protection while the other hand was handcuffed to the bed.
"Tell the doctor I wish to see him now!" said M sharply as she turned and entered the room.
James' eyes were darting around the room and she could tell he was in full panic mode, much like that of a frightened child. When he saw her a momentary look of fear crossed his face as she slowly walked toward the bed.
She reached out her hand to him and he stared back at her with a degree of fear in his eyes she had never seen before as he pulled away from her causing her to become alarmed. James was perhaps the bravest man she had ever known, staring down terrorists and psychotic killers, fear was an emotion she had never associated with him.
"Excuse me Ma'am, may I have a word" said the doctor quietly as he stood in the doorway.
"Yes, of course" she said softly as she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her
"I assume by the look on your face that you have questions" said the doctor as he motioned to a nearby conference room
M nodded as she entered the room and took a seat, with Tanner by her side as the doctor sat across from her. Several moments passed as the doctor scanned thru James' medical file before he began to speak.
"What we have here is a case of Amnesia…"
"Amnesia?" interrupted M
"Yes Ma'am, but not your ordinary run of the mill amnesia. In addition to the beating he received, he was given some sort of neural inhibitor, something similar to Sodium Pentothal only this was a homemade concoction and we are still trying to determine all of the active ingredients that were used in the processing…"
"What you are basically telling me is that some armature chemist mixed together God knows what and injected my best agent and then proceeded to pummel him until he was unconscious, then left him in a heap in an ally," snapped M
"That about sums up the situation Ma'am" replied the doctor
"Does he have any idea who his assailants were?" she asked
"Ma'am" said the doctor in a rather condescending tone, "He doesn't even know who he is let alone who his assailants were"
"I see" said M as she closed her eyes and began gently massaging her temple
"That's not all"
"What? You mean you have more good news" replied M sharply
"The part of his brain that governs his ability to determine appropriate behavior also seems to have been effected"
"In short Ma'am, 007 has become a threat to National Security" said Tanner quietly
"Nonsense" snapped M "Jame…007 is no more a threat to National Security than I am! Look at him! Cowering behind a blanket as though it possessed some sort of magical power of protection, afraid of his own shadow… and why is he chained to the bed?"
"007 has been experiencing sudden and massive personality changes. One minute he is passive, afraid and quiet, and the next he is aggressive and full of rage. The handcuff is there for his protection."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"I would like to keep him here for the time being for observation"
"I see" replied M as she rose from her chair "May I see him?"
"Yes, but try to be brief, he needs to rest" warned the doctor
M made her way back across the hall and stood at the door, taking a deep breath before she entered
"Do you want me to come in with you?" asked Tanner as he stood beside her
M looked up at him with a look that nearly took his breath away. He knew that M had a special place in her heart for Bond, and although she had no reservations when it came to giving him the formal dressing down he deserved after nearly every mission, he honestly felt that the two of them rather enjoyed the endless bickering and banter that they shared.
"Thank you Tanner" she said as she placed her hand on his arm "But I think I will be fine"
"Right then, I'll wait for you here, just in case you need me" he replied as he covered her small hand with his, giving it a light squeeze.
"Shall we?" asked the doctor as he put his hand on the door handle
M nodded, and then followed the doctor into the room.
James was sitting in the bed, leaning back against the pillows when M and the doctor returned. She could tell immediately that he was different from before, there was a certain cockiness about him. He seemed agitated and restless, a vast difference from the cowering, frightened man she had seen not thirty minutes earlier.
"James, how are we feeling?" asked the doctor as he approached the bed
"WE are feeling fine!" snapped James "And it would be much appreciated if you could remove this bloody handcuff!"
"Now James, as I told you before, the handcuff is there for your protection" replied the doctor as he attempted to examine James' head
James pulled away, tossing his head back and forth causing the doctor to take a step back.
"James, do you know who this is?" he asked as he motioned to M
James narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a moment. He cocked his head to the side and then an odd smile formed across his face.
"She is the big boss, and a beautiful one at that" said James
"Yes, but do you know her name?"
"Something in her eyes tells me that I cannot answer that question"
"I need you to answer the question James" said M as she took a step forward "Do you know my name?"
James stared at her as though he were boring a hole thru her with his eyes as he tried to answer the question. His frustration was clearly evident, his breathing had increased to where he was nearly hyperventilating while his eyes began to fill with tears and he finally turned his head to the side in anger.
M took a step forward and slowly reached out to take his hand. The doctor leaned over to stop her, but she shot him an icy glare as she proceeded to take James' hand.
"He will not hurt me!" she said firmly
The doctor took a step back, clearly unhappy with her comment. James' behavior was unpredictable at best, and given that he was a trained killing machine for MI6 along with the fact that currently he had no idea of who he was, there was no way to be sure that he would not hurt the diminutive head of MI6
James took her hand, pulling her closer as he held her hand against his chest while he searched her face, desperately trying to remember.
M reached out with her other hand and gently palmed the side of his face, causing him to collapse against her. She put her free arm around him and cradled him against her as his breathing slowly began to even out a bit and he began to relax again. He may not be able to say her name, but James knew that she was someone he trusted. He took his free hand and snaked it around her waist pulling her closer to him, causing the doctor to become alarmed, but M waived him away as she continued to hold James to her, rubbing soothing circles on his back as she placed a soft kiss to his forehead.
"It's alright James, you are safe now" she said quietly
James maintained his hold on her for several moments and it was clear to M that he had finally relaxed enough for her to safely untangle herself from him
"Where are you going?" he asked as she pulled away. The confusion in his eyes, nearly breaking her heart
"I need to speak to the doctor" she whispered as she lightly kissed his forehead
"Please don't leave me" he said in a shaky tone
"Don't worry James, I'll be right back"
M headed toward the door, motioning to the doctor to follow. Once outside the room she turned to Tanner and shook her head as she wiped away a tear.
"Are you alright Ma'am?" he asked
"I can't leave him here" she said quietly
"All due respect Ma'am, but we really do not have much of a choice…"
"Mr. Tanner is right Ma'am" interjected the doctor "He is too far unstable to be released. We have no idea when his personality will change again, and there is absolutely no way to tell if he will become violent…"
"ENOUGH!" snapped M "007 will not hurt me, he has already proven that, and although I understand why you want to keep him here, I think that it would be in his best interest for him to be around things that are familiar to him" she said calmly as she glanced back into the room at James
"Ma'am, you…you are not suggesting that he be released?" said the doctor with a look of disbelief
Tanner rolled his eyes as he looked away in an attempt to conceal a smirk. He knew what was coming. No one in their right mind would ever question M's decision, especially when her mind was clearly made up, and certainly not when it involved a certain 007
"Mr. Tanner" she said sharply "Make the necessary arrangements for 007's release"
"You can't be serious!" shouted the doctor
"I have faith in him doctor" she said confidently "I know him better than anyone, and I know that what he needs right now is to feel safe, and clearly he does not feel safe here" she snapped
"But Ma'am, I cannot stress enough the risk you are taking by letting him go home alone" retorted the doctor angrily
"He will not be alone. My staff and I will personally stay with him until this crisis is over" she replied "Now if there is nothing further, would you please see to it that I have all the necessary documentation and medication he will need"
"Yes Ma'am" replied the doctor angrily "but again I cannot stress the risk you are taking"
"Duly noted. I will have him back in the morning so that he can be reevaluated" she said as she turned and headed back into the room.
"You're back" said James with a hint of surprise in his voice
"I said I would be back" she replied as she came to sit on the edge of the bed
"What should I call you? Clearly you are not my mother" he said with a smile
"Why don't you call me M"
"Alright M. Any chance of getting this thing off my hand?" he said nodding toward the handcuff
"Yes, as a matter of fact, the guard should be in shortly to remove that"
"Why is it that you trust me when everyone else here clearly does not?"
"Because I know you, and I believe in you" she said quietly "I also know that you would never hurt me" she said with a weak smile
James reached out and took her hand, pulling her toward him until she lost her balance and landed on his chest. James grimaced in pain as he reached out and cupped her cheek, pulling her face closer so that he could rest his forehead against hers
"Thank you" he whispered
"Come on, let's get you home" she replied as she sat up and retrieved his clothes
To Be Continued...