The next two days past in a bleary haze for Joe Mannix as almost every waking moment was filled with pain. The nightmares continued unabated, but quickly left him as his eyes opened. Slowly he forced his heavy eyelids open and realized he was no longer in the ICU unit. Three people were in the room with him and from the raised head of his bed he was able to see the haggard features of each one. His father was slumped in one of two softly cushioned chairs, Peggy Fair in the other. Art Malcolm's long body was stretched out on a single chair.
He didn't want to wake them and slowly closed his eyes once more. 'What happened?' he thought and tried to grasp the illusive memories. His whole body hurt, but the worst was the headache. A deep thunderous drumbeat, reverberating loudly inside his head as he tried to remember what happened to put him here. 'Damn,' he thought as he lifted his left arm and tried to rub at his temples, groaning as the board holding the IV in place struck the bandaged area on his head.
"Joe?"
He opened his eyes once more and smiled weakly at her. "Hi, Peg," he whispered a hint of a smile on his pale face.
"Oh, Joe," she cried as tears fell from her eyes, pent up emotions finally took over and she sobbed uncontrollably.
"It's ok, Peg," he told her as Malcolm and his father joined them by the bed.
"It's not ok, Joseph! Look at you! Look at what they've done to you!" Stefan snapped, his voice filled with anger at the damage done to his son. "I told you playing detective was not a good job."
"Pa, not now, okay?"
"Joseph, I want your promise that you will give up this dangerous life and come back to Summergrove with me."
"I can't do that," the detective said as he watched the hurt and fear in his father's eyes. "I'm sorry, Pa, but this is what I do. It's who I am."
"What you do is dangerous and you were nearly killed."
"Pa, please, we can talk about this later," Joe groaned as he struggled upward on the bed, his injured ribs, shoulder, and leg protesting the small move. "Damn, Pa, look I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about it now."
"Joe do you want me to get the nurse?" Malcolm asked.
As if on cue the door opened and a robust raven haired nurse stepped into the room. She shooed the three people away from the bed and looked at her patient. "How are you feeling, Mr. Mannix?" she asked.
"Lousy," he told her as lights exploded behind his eyes. "F...feels like my h...heads about to explode."
"I'll be right back with your shot. Lunch is just coming around and I know there's a tray for you."
"Okay," he said, keeping his eyes closed in hopes that the increasing pain would stop before his head really did explode. Pictures flashed behind his eyes, reminding him of scenes from a movie, but these were memories of things being done to him. He tried to concentrate and bring the images into focus but only succeeded in making his headache worse. A low moan escaped his throat and he knew he was going to be sick. He turned his head to the side, bright lights once more flashing behind them as he fought the nausea churning in his stomach.
"Easy, Joe," Malcolm placed his hand on his friend's left shoulder.
"H...heads k...killing me, Art," he groaned.
"I have something that'll help with that, Mr. Mannix," the nurse said as she re-entered the room. She injected the medication and checked the patients pulse, finding it just a little fast. "I want you to relax and let that take affect. You guys can stay but I don't want you upsetting him in any way. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Cindy," Malcolm smiled as he read the nametag on her uniform.
"It might help if you keep your eyes closed, Mr. Mannix," she said softly as she closed the blinds and turned out the overhead lights.
"Will he be alright?" Peggy asked softly.
"With plenty of rest and a lot of care he should be fine. He's suffering from a severe concussion and that can affect him for weeks to come. Just let him rest as much as he can. It's the best thing for him right now," she explained. "I'm going to bring in his lunch tray, but don't force him to eat if he doesn't want to. His stomach is probably still upset and he doesn't need to be throwing up with those broken ribs."
"Thank you, Cindy," Peggy told her as the nurse hurried out of the room. "Joe," she said as she noticed his slightly open eyes.
"Y...yeah."
"Why don't you do as Cindy said and get some sleep?"
"I w...would if this h...headache w...would go away," he gasped.
Peggy Fair ignored the two men standing behind her as she gently rubbed the injured man's temples, smiling at the sigh that escaped from his lips.
Joe felt her warm hands on him, sending strength through their softness, soothing away the pain from his body better than any pain medication could ever do. A soothing balm in a sea of agony as he quietly slipped toward sleep.
"Peggy?" Art took her shoulders as a soft sob escaped her throat.
"I'm sorry, Art, I...I..."
"I know, Peggy, he'll be all right."
"My son will only be all right if he gives up this dangerous work. If you care for him as much as you say, you'll help me convince him of that."
"Joe loves what he does, Mr. Mannix," Peggy told the older man, a hint of anger in her voice.
"But it is dangerous."
"Yes it is. Joe is good at what he does. Actually he's the best I've ever seen," Malcolm said sharply. "If you try to force him into something he doesn't want to do it'll be like taming a wild horse. The only way to break it is to break his spirit. You can't do that to him."
"I'd rather his spirit be broken than his body. Look at him. He's been hurt so bad and we don't even know who did it."
"We'll find out," Malcolm told him as he held the trembling woman.
"It's already too late for that," Stefan said as he hurried out of the room.
MANNIX-MANNIX-MANNIX
The lights were on and he knew they were back. He groaned as something sharp slipped into his shoulder. A hand gripped his chin and forced him to look up. His eyes opened and he tried to see the face before him. He struggled against the clamps that held his arms and legs to the chair. 'Joseph, I thought I could make something out of you but now I know you'll never amount to anything!" a female voice whispered in his ear.
MANNIX-MANNIX-MANNIX
"No! C...can't do this a...anymore."
"Joe, what's wrong?"
'Not her! Get away, Peg, they'll kill you,' he thought as he felt hands on his shoulder. He shivered as he thought of the woman he believed was touching him, the face that invaded his dreams turning them into nightmares. He groaned and tried to move away from the hated touch but was prevented from doing so as pain washed over his body in a giant tidal wave of agony.
"Come on, Joe, wake up. It's going to be alright. You're safe now."
"Peggy?" He opened sleep laden eyes and looked at the woman standing beside his bed. The nightmare slowly receded and the face that caused him such pain was replaced by the one that always brought him comfort. The face that was there whenever things got bad for him. She'd been there when he'd lost his sight, she'd been there when he'd been poisoned and so close to death. She'd been there through all the hard times, all the times he'd been shot or beaten he could count on her getting him through.
"Oh, Joe," she said as she fought the tears threatening to slide from her eyes.
"It's ok, Peggy, I...I just," he gasped as he tried to sit up.
"Lay still, Joe," Peggy ordered gently but firmly. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Please," he said and was rewarded by a straw being placed between his lips. He sipped from the glass his eye never leaving the woman before him.
Peggy removed the glass and looked down at the man on the bed. The man she'd come to respect over the years she'd worked for him. Their relationship had grown from being boss and employee and the incredible friendship they shared would probably lead to higher plains if they both gave into their feelings. She shook her head as she heard him call her name. "S...sorry, Joe, I was thinking. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Peggy."
"Sure you are, Joe," Peggy smiled at the usual answer from Joe Mannix. It was almost an automated response to the question and she knew he'd never change. He'd always deny how much he was hurt; always try to sugar coat the truth in an effort to assuage the fears of his friends.
"Help me sit up," he asked as he tried to get comfortable.
"Hold on, Joe," she said as she pressed a button and slowly raised the head of the bed.
He waited for the waves of dizziness to pass before opening his eyes and looking around the private room. "T...thanks," he smiled and Peggy saw some of the haggardness leave his face.
"You're welcome, Joe," she smiled back at him and pulled the table toward him. "Do you feel like eating?"
He smiled at her as he looked at his immobilized right arm and the board taped to his left hand. "I would but at this point I don't think it's possible."
"Oh, Joe," she wasn't sure if she was going to laugh or cry.
"Hey, it's ok, Peg," he tried to reassure her but the sharp intake of breath as he moved seemed to undermine his words.
"Joe?"
"Just a sec, P...Peg," he told her as he waited for the pain to stop. "S...sorry."
"You've got nothing to be sorry for," she said. "Now let's see if we can't get you fed," she said as she started feeding him the liquid lunch the doctor ordered. By the time she'd fed him half the lunch he was exhausted and sombre. "Joe, what's wrong?" she asked as he turned away from her.
"I...I need to know what happened to me, Peg. I can't seem to remember anything."
"What's the last thing you remember, Joe?" she asked worriedly.
"R...remember talking to Art and leaving to pick you up, but everything after that's a blur. I c...can't seem to make the images clear," he said as he closed his eyes. The headache, so mild since waking, loomed dark and ominous as he tried to gather his memories.
"It'll come back to you, Joe, just give it time."
"Will it, Peggy? I f...feel like I'm lost. Feel like something's been taken away from me and I'll never get it back," he held his breath as his stomach churned violently. "I c...can see a...a w...woman but she's staying back in the shadows."
"Do you know her, Joe?"
He swallowed the fear threatening to overpower his senses and tried to reach for the memory, groaning as his head pounded once more. "I...I c...can't. Dammit, who are you?" he cried out in anger as the illusive woman's image refused to clear.
"Joe."
"Oh, God, Peggy," he gasped as his body was once more assaulted with the pain he'd been trying to ignore. He trembled on the bed and his body lurched as it convulsed and slammed back to the bed.
Peggy Fair pressed the button on the wall. "Help, please he needs help," she shouted. "They're coming Joe," she sobbed as she watched the pain etched on the handsome face.
Louis Marseilles and a nurse came running into the room. "Mrs. Fair, you'll have to leave," the doctor ordered as he lowered the head of the bed.
"N...no, stay, p...please stay," Joe gasped as he tried to regain control of his trembling body.
"All right, Joe, she can stay but you need to calm down."
"A...am c...calm. Just m...make this stop."
"We're going to make it stop, Joe," Marseilles said as he injected a sedative into the man's IV. "That should help in a couple of minutes."
"Okay," Mannix gasped as he waited for the violent convulsion to end.
Peggy let the tears roll down her cheeks as she watched Joe's body writhe on the bed. Her eyes met the doctors and she could see the concern and caring this man had for his patient. After what seemed like an eternity Joe's body relaxed back on the bed and he closed his eyes.
"T...tell me that's n...not going to h...happen again."
"I can't promise you that, Joe," Marseilles said as he watched the tired eyes open again.
"N...never happened b...before. W...hat's causing it n...now?"
"I think you were injected with some kind of drug. It showed up in your blood work, but it seems to be working its way out of your system."
"Do you know what it is?" Mannix asked, slipping into the routine questions he normally asked on a case.
"The lab boys haven't seen anything like it. We've just got to hope that once it's completely out of your system there'll be no more of these. What I want you to do now is get some rest and let yourself heal."
"What I want to do, Doc, is find out what the hell happened to me," Mannix snapped, apologizing immediately as he realized his anger was directed at the wrong person.
"Joe," Marseilles said softly. "After the severe trauma you received you may never remember everything that happened to you."
"I'd better, Doc, because I don't think it's over yet," Mannix muttered. "I have a feeling things are only just beginning." He closed his eyes and turned away from the people in the room. He felt himself slipping toward sleep once more, dreading the dreams he knew he'd find there, and knowing he needed to find out what those dreams held for him.
"He should sleep for a while now, Mrs. Fair. Why don't you get some rest?"
"I will, Doctor, I just don't want to leave him alone," Peggy said as she sat next to the sleeping man once more.
