D.A.R.Y.L. - Back Where He Belongs
by David C. Chipman
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's from the original Paramount Pictures film "D.A.R.Y.L." (or the novelization of an early draft script, adapted by N.H. Kleinbaum) . Any other characters I choose/need to add are mine.
Surprise Visit Request
As the morning went on, Daryl occasionally listened to the children practising their piano playing. Someone was ringing the doorbell.
"Daryl! Can you answer the door please?", Joyce called from downstairs.
Daryl quickly got up, and ran downstairs and opened the front door, looking out on an empty front step, "Nobody's here, Mom,"
Joyce put a hand on the arm of the little girl sitting beside her on the piano-bench, "One second, Polly," then she got up and went to the front door, finding something on the welcome-mat, "What's this," she asked, reading the envelope after picking it up, "'The Richardson's'", Joyce opened the envelope and found a single sheet of folded lined paper, she took took from the envelope, and started to read…
"Mrs. Richardson?" Polly said, still sitting on the piano-bench.
"I'll be there in a sec, Pollyanna," Joyce said, somewhat distractedly.
"What is it, Mom?" Daryl asked.
Joyce held out the paper to Daryl, "It's from Dr. Lamb. She wants to meet with us as soon as possible,"
Daryl took the paper from Joyce's hand, "Is there something for me?"
"She says she needs to see you, as well," Joyce said.
Daryl didn't hide his surprise, "I thought she was done, at the hospital, this morning!"
Joyce quickly put her hand on Daryl's shoulder, "Look, we'll find out what all this is about, but I have some other things to do right now. OK? Now don't worry,"
Daryl noticeably relaxed, "OK, Mom,"
"Alright, I'll call you down for lunch in a little while, OK?"
Daryl nodded, "OK, Mom," as he headed back upstairs.
Joyce returned to working with Polly.
Daryl returned to watching videos and reading.
After a while, Joyce was calling from downstairs, "Daryl! I've made lunch for you! Come and get it!"
Daryl was soon pounding down the stairs, "Thank you, Joyce,"
"Oh, no problem Daryl,-" Joyce said, slightly taken aback at hearing him using her name again, "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Joyce,"
"Um, Daryl, you've been calling me 'Mom' all morning, now you're using my name again. What's wrong?"
Daryl shook his head, "Nothing, Joyce,"
"Daryl… Something isn't right, that's for sure. Why are you using my name, all of a sudden?" Joyce said, putting an hand on Daryl's shoulder.
Daryl shrugged, "Nothings wrong,"
Joyce sighed, taking her hand away, "OK, Daryl. Maybe Dr. Lamb will be able to explain…"
Daryl shrugged, "Maybe,"
Joyce nodded, "Well, have your lunch, then I'll call Dr. Lamb, OK?"
Daryl nodded, "OK, Joyce," then he took a bite from his sandwich.
Joyce tried to ignore her feelings of unease at how Daryl was speaking to her, as she started eating her lunch, across the kitchen-table from Daryl.
Daryl and Joyce quickly finished their lunches.
Joyce got up, and headed out into the hall, "Time to call Dr. Lamb, see why she needs to see us so badly," Joyce said over her shoulder.
Daryl nodded, getting up, and taking his dishes to the sink to start washing them, "OK, Joyce,"
Joyce simply acknowledged Daryl's reply with a nod, as she started dialling the number on the note, dropped through the mail-slot:
555-1313
Somebody was on the line in a moment, the person at the motel's front desk, "Hello, Barkenton Inn, how may I redirect your call?"
"Extension #4, please," Joyce said into the phone mouthpiece.
"Thank you, Ma'am," the operator replied.
Joyce nodded, not saying a word.
Soon Dr. Ellen Lamb's voice could be heard on the line, "Hello?"
Joyce thought she recognized the voice from somewhere, "Oh, hello, Dr. Lamb. It's Joyce Richardson, Daryl's adoptive mother. You left a note for us this morning, saying you needed to meet with us, as–soon–as–possible?"
Dr. Lamb could almost be heard nodding over the phone-line, saying somewhat earnestly, "Yes, Mrs. Richardson. There are some things I need to see you, your husband, and Daryl about—and the sooner–the–better, especially for Daryl,"
"Oh my goodness!" Joyce exclaimed softly, "What's the problem?"
"I don't know if I want to be explaining about it over the phone, but can I see the three of you this evening?"
"Daryl has been acting strangely for about the past half-hour or so,"
"How has he been acting?"
"Well, when he got home, he was calling me Mom, the way he did during our visit to TA-"
"Don't mention it!", Dr. Lamb said urgently.
"What?" Joyce was genuinely surprised.
"The place where we created him. Don't mention it, please!"
"What–on–Earth?—" Joyce didn't hide her sudden confusion.
"Please, your phone isn't a safe way to communicate about these things—I'm sorry, but it isn't,"
"But you know what I'm talking about, right?"
"Yes, I certainly do. It was while watching you, your husband, and Daryl's friends' interaction with Daryl, in our lab, that I realized that he was more than we had originally created—or even intended to create,"
"He was living in a lab?—his 'bedroom', where we visited him, was just a laboratory?"
"Well, part of one—Now, how has he been acting, again?"
"Well, when I called him down for lunch he had stopped calling me 'Mom', he was using my first name again, like he did when we first had him, but he didn't seem to notice,"
"Oh…," Dr. Lamb said, almost absent-mindedly.
"Doctor?" Joyce asked Dr. Lamb, wondering about the importance of what she was saying.
"How soon can I meet with you, at least you and Daryl?" Dr. Lamb asked, with urgency slowly creeping into her voice.
"What about my husband?" Joyce asked, not quite understanding.
"I hope I can rely on you to pass any information along to him," Dr. Lamb said, "It won't be anything too complicated, I assure you,"
"Oh?"
"No, just simple instructions that I need to give you and your husband about Daryl—but please, how soon?" Dr. Lamb asked somewhat impatiently.
"Well, I have piano students coming all afternoon… How about five-fifteen?"
Dr. Lamb sighed, evidently disappointed, "Alright, five-fifteen it is then,"
"Anything I should do before?" Joyce asked, but unsure as to why.
"Make sure Daryl has an early supper. This is probably going to be an early night for him,"
"Oh?" Trying not to let her confusion seep into her voice.
"I'll explain everything when I get there—please, don't worry," Dr. Lamb said, trying to sound as reassuring as she could.
"Alright… Dr. Lamb. I guess I can look forward to seeing you late this afternoon then," Joyce said, "Good–bye,"
"Good–bye, Mrs. Richardson," Dr. Lamb hung–up her end of the phone.
