Chapter II
Con un cavallo
Vanno avanti
In questa grande
Oscurita
With a horse
they progress
through this immense
Darkness
Pine Valley Hospital, Pine Valley, PA
Alex was sitting in her office, going over a pile of charts once more. She was frustrated at how one of her test cases had gone from promising to dismal, when the autoimmune responses of her lab mice had suddenly and inexplicably deteriorated, when, out of nowhere, Dr. David Hayward stormed into the room and broke her concentration.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" he asked. He looked annoyed and Alex suspected it was because of her presence. Because it meant he was unable to retreat into the quiet privacy of what he firmly believed was his office and his alone. When Alex had returned to Pine Valley, and, consequently, to the Andrassy Foundation, he had reluctantly agreed to, once again, share an office with her. Luckily, she spent most of her time in the laboratories in the basement of the hospital, so they seldom saw one another.
"I work here," she said, barely acknowledging him, her attention back on the papers in front of her.
"I forget sometimes. You're almost never here," he spat back, sitting down at his desk and stretching his limbs after what Alex assumed was probably a grueling operation.
"I'm sure the fact that I rarely use this office is not all too upsetting to you."
"Oh, Alex," he yawned loudly. "One of these days we're going to go out for a drink and purge ourselves of all this animosity." Hayward looked too tired to go another round in their endless series of verbal sparring.
Their working relationship had always been complicated, to say the least.
Alex despised him for what she believed was his role in her former roommate's death, and he hated the fact that she couldn't see past their history and acknowledge him for the brilliant physician he was.
Although she hated his ethics, Alex had to admit she had a grudging respect for him as a surgeon who was a leader in his field, and he in turn, occasionally admitted to her genius in the lab. But she also knew that reluctant mutual respect was as close to civility as they would ever come.
"Actually, maybe it's a good thing you're here," David admitted. "I was thinking of putting my latest patient on one of these three combination drug treatments." He handed Alex a manila file folder, "Tell me what you think of these. I'm almost certain the second option is the best one but I guess another opinion couldn't hurt."
She raised her glasses and stared at him, "You're actually asking me for my opinion?"
He frowned, "Spare me the sarcasm. Contrary to what you may believe, my patients well-being is the only motivating factor in any decisions I make."
Alex read the charts in front of her, "Poor thing. She's only eighteen?"
David nodded, "Yes, but she's a fighter. She was born with a congenital heart defect. According to most doctors she shouldn't have lived to see her tenth birthday."
"I agree with you," she told him.
"About what?" he asked.
"The second option. It's the most aggressive course of chemical treatment you could do in her case, and at the same time you're minimizing the potential side effects and maximizing her quality of life."
David smiled, as she handed him back the folder, "So you actually have the capacity to be objective. You never cease to amaze me, Alex."
"Now look who's sarcastic." She hated his smugness and how it seemed to define every one of his remarks. "If you don't think I'm capable of leaving my bias against you away from a crucial situation like this, then don't ask me for my opinion again."
He observed her, "Just kidding, Dr. Marick. Surely, your seven year absence didn't leave you without a sense of humour?"
"What can I say? You just don't amuse me, David." She got up from her chair, and when she did she felt like something knocked the wind out of her. It was difficult to get air into her lungs and she held on to her desk for support.
David rushed over, putting his arms around her so she didn't lose her balance. "What's wrong?" he asked, and for a moment Alex thought she heard a trace of genuine concern in his voice.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the lightheadedness to pass, "It's nothing. I'm fine." She did know what it was but didn't feel like explaining it to Hayward.
David helped her walk over to the couch, making her sit down. "You look pale as a ghost and it seems like you can't get any air into your lungs." he observed. "Something's obviously wrong. Are you going to tell me what it is or do I have to drag it out of you?"
Alex frowned. He as persistent as he was smug. "Look, I have anemia, and, sometimes, when I get caught up in my research, I forget to take my iron. That's what happened today. It's my own fault."
He looked at her, as if debating whether she was telling him the truth, "Anemia? What kind?"
"Acquired hemolytic."
"Since when?" Hayward pressed.
"Four years ago. I had an accident where I lost a lot of blood, I think that triggered it," she told him.
"Do you have your iron pills with you?" he asked her.
She nodded, "They're in my purse."
He got up, poured her a glass of water, and retrieved the container from her purse. He looked at the label, "This is a high dosage," he remarked, "You must have a very low red blood cell count." He made her swallow the pill and lie down. "I don't think you should drive home like this. Why don't I call Dimitri and ask him to pick you up…" David walked towards his desk.
Alex grabbed his arm and stopped him, "No. Don't do that. Really, I'm fine. Once the iron's in my blood stream, the lightheadedness will pass, you know that."
"But you're still having trouble breathing. Obviously the flow of oxygen's already been compromised."
She gave him an irritated look, "Listen, I'm supposed to fly to a remote native reservation in Canada's Northwest Territories in two days. If you give Dimitri cause for alarm, and in this case it would be a false alarm, he'll insist that I don't go."
He ignored her admonition. "Maybe he's got a point. Besides what in the world are you going to do up there anyway?"
"It's a settlement close to Dimitri's diamond mine. At the moment there's not a single doctor there. They've had a contaminated well that's caused a breakout of illnesses as a result. Dimitri asked me to send someone from the Andrassy Foundation up there, but you know how it is, they're all researchers. Most of them have never practiced."
"So you volunteered yourself. How noble."
"Yeah, well, that makes one of us."
"You could have asked me to come along," he pointed out, pretending to be offended.
"Right. As if Dr. David Hayward would have time for such trivial medical missions."
He laughed at her choice of words, "Unlike a lowly physician such as yourself? I'll tell you what Alex, I have another major surgery scheduled for tomorrow, and then it just so happens that my slate is clear for the rest of the week. I would love to join you as you help the world's poor and downtrodden, St. Alex."
"Lucky me." Alex sighed as she watched Hayward move over to his cabinet and pull out a stethoscope. "What are you doing?" she asked.
He sat down next to her, "You're breathing as though you just ran a marathon. I want to check your heart rate. Humour me."
She eyed him with unease, as she began undoing the top buttons of her blouse. He moved his stethoscope to her chest and undid another two buttons himself. She tried to stop him.
"Don't be coy, we're both doc…" he started but then stopped himself in mid-sentence when he saw the knife scars on her chest.
Alex turned away, unable to meet his gaze and David watched uncomfortably as she closed her eyes.
He gently ran his fingers over the scars, spotting another one further below on her stomach. "I'm sorry," he said softly, letting her know he meant it.
"What happened?" he asked, the smugness gone from his voice, as he measured her heart rate.
Alex hated the fact that within the span of a few minutes, David knew of some of her most intimate secrets. Knew about the reminders she wouldn't ever be able to shake from her years with Charlotte. Things that she didn't want anyone but Dimitri to know about. "One of Charlotte's agents was reluctant to let me leave," she said, as casually as her voice allowed.
"I see," he mumbled, not pressing her for more this time. He took his time examining her, checking for any irregularities in her heartbeat.
"Well?" she asked him impatiently, "Am I going to live?"
"I think you should do a blood test, just to be on the safe side."
She sat up and buttoned her blouse back up. "I'm fine, really. I'm touched by your concern, I truly am, or maybe 'shocked' is a better word, but I am fine."
"You're an impossible patient, that's what you are…" he removed his stethoscope; brushing aside his thick, black hair in the process.
She was anxious to get off the topic of her health. "So are you serious about coming with me to Canada? Or was that a reflex suggestion?"
He smirked. "Sure I'm serious. Why not? It'll look good on my resume, when I apply for Chief of Staff. It's about time that dinosaur, Martin, retires."
Alex took an odd comfort seeing the smugness back where she expected it. "Of course…you, of all people, would see a self serving opportunity in a trip like this."
He grinned, "I'm an opportunist, Alex. But you knew that. Make sure we take along a camera to bear testimony of my good deeds."
She was about to leave the office when she noticed him picking up his jacket and following her. "What are you doing now?"
He opened the door for her, smiling and showing off his impossibly white teeth. "What do you think? Since you won't let me call Dimitri, I'm driving you home. That way we can discuss our upcoming trip."
Near Cardiff, Wales
Nigel Hawthrop looked out the windows of Brynn Wydd and watched as the gates opened and a black Bentley entered the grounds.
Unlike the previous grounds, near Swansea, this new compound had much tighter security and no one would be able to enter without an initial authorization from the guard at the gates. Even though they were no longer located near the village of Brynn Wydd, Charlotte had decided to keep the name, as a tribute to the original location. Nigel watched, as Charlotte got out of the Bentley, unable to walk without the help of a cane. There was a light drizzle outside and Dr.Lewellyn, who had been traveling in the car with Charlotte, moved to cover her with an umbrella.
As she entered the building, Nigel walked downstairs to meet her. "Good morning, Ms.Devane."
She gave him a pained, irritated expression, "That remains to be seen."
"I've got a fresh pot of tea ready for you in the office," Nigel told her.
"Are you my butler now?" she snapped at him. She knew he didn't deserve her rudeness, but the constant pain she was in could make her snappy and irritable. "I would think I pay you too well to waste time preparing me tea. Surely you have better things to do with your time."
Nigel nodded, unaffected by her outburst, "Sometimes, I find my greatest moments of inspiration whilst doing the most mundane of tasks."
The fact that her new co-director didn't miss a beat made Charlotte smile. She led him into her office and they both sat down.
She didn't waste time as she approached the subject at hand, "I called you in here today for one and only one reason, because I need your help to carry out a very important yet very personal task."
"Since waking from my coma five months ago, the only thing that mattered to me was getting Brynn Wydd back on track. Of ensuring that I would remain in business with the blessing and protection of Her Majesty's Government. I've done this, Nigel, and I've also dealt with the repercussions of Justin Black's murder at the hands of Dimitri Marick. Brynn Wydd is now fully relocated and financially we are doing even better than I had hoped. Now it's time to make those pay that made me suffer."
Nigel nodded, "Of course. I understand."
Charlotte's eyes pierced his, "I'm not talking about killing Alexandra, or Heidi or even Dimitri. That would provide me with only a momentary satisfaction. What I want is for them to suffer in the same way that every minute of every day since I've been shot, I have suffered. So I ask you, Nigel, what's worse than killing someone?"
He barely hesitated before responding, "You take the one thing that's most precious to them and force them to live without it. Every day for the rest of their lives."
Charlotte smiled gleefully, exceptionally pleased with his answer, "Exactly."
"So where do we start?"
"For Heidi, we start by eliminating Philip, and for my daughter, well…it's obvious, isn't it? We take her son."
