Mark walked into the doctor's lounge feeling a little better. A good
night's sleep had done him good. He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down
on the couch. Jesse walked in.
"Hey, Mark. How are you?" Jesse looked concerned.
"Hey, Jess. I'm feeling better after some sleep." He paused, uncertainly, as if deciding something. Finally, he looked back up at Jesse who was now seated next to him with a cup of his own. "Last night…" He trailed off.
"What, Mark? What happened?" Jesse turned to his friend.
"I was sitting on my balcony and I saw someone moving outside in the shadows… It looked so much like Steve. But when I went down, he had already driven away."
"Oh, I'm sorry Mark. It couldn't have been Steve, though." Mark looked up with a question in his eyes.
"Why not, Jess? Why couldn't it have been Steve?"
"Because Steve wouldn't have left. He would have come back."
"If he had a choice."
"Then when can I?" Steve had been trying to convince Carl to let him "repay" Sloan and his friends for half an hour. Carl's resolve was weakening. He gave an "I give in" sigh and nodded.
"Tomorrow night. May I suggest you go after Dr. Travis and Dr. Bentley first? What worse grief is there than watching your friends die and knowing you're next? It's what he did to you," he said, seeing the brief flash of horror in Steve's eyes. A moment later there was only steel blue determination. Steve nodded once.
"Tomorrow night," he confirmed.
Carl directed Steve to Doctor Bentley's house the next night. Steve got out of the car. As he turned to close his door, he was surprised to see Carl getting out. He doesn't trust me. He doubts I'll do it, thought Steve. His mouth twisted into a wry smile. What a way to win someone's trust.
He walked up the drive and knocked on the door as planned.
"Just a moment." He heard her voice and a few muffled thuds followed by a stifled "Ow!" Finally the door opened. Bentley gasped in surprise. "Steve?" The name was the barest of whispers. Carl had told him about this, too. He'd preferred Peter.
May I come in, Amanda?" He slipped easily into the scene he had rehearsed with Carl. Soundlessly, she nodded and stepped aside. "What's the matter? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
Peter watched form his seat on the couch as Amanda paced in front of him.
"Why didn't you come home? Where were you? Didn't you realize how this would affect us? What about Mark?" She would have continued but Peter interrupted swiftly.
"Amanda," the one word, most likely his voice alone, quieted her. "I lost my memory. I didn't know who or where I was. I just found out and I was closer to your house. I thought you'd be glad." Puppy dog looks. They always work! Amanda sat next to him.
"Of course I am, Steve! I just think you should see Mark as soon as possible. He is your dad." Peter stiffened. Carl had told him these people were delusional. That they'd make up a whole life for him…
"Amanda, could you make me some coffee?" He relaxed before she noticed any change in his demeanor.
"Of course." She went into the kitchen. Peter stood and followed her, slowly drawing the cord from his pocket. He walked silently up behind her. He brought the cord around her neck as fast as he could and she gasped, clutching at it. "Steve?" Her fingers found the cord and she struggled to pull it off her throat. As she began to relax, Peter leaned close to her ear and whispered two words.
Steve hopped into the passenger's seat and Carl drove away.
"What did you whisper to her?" Carl's question came as they pulled into his driveway. Steve smiled.
"That's between me and her."
"Hey, Mark. How are you?" Jesse looked concerned.
"Hey, Jess. I'm feeling better after some sleep." He paused, uncertainly, as if deciding something. Finally, he looked back up at Jesse who was now seated next to him with a cup of his own. "Last night…" He trailed off.
"What, Mark? What happened?" Jesse turned to his friend.
"I was sitting on my balcony and I saw someone moving outside in the shadows… It looked so much like Steve. But when I went down, he had already driven away."
"Oh, I'm sorry Mark. It couldn't have been Steve, though." Mark looked up with a question in his eyes.
"Why not, Jess? Why couldn't it have been Steve?"
"Because Steve wouldn't have left. He would have come back."
"If he had a choice."
"Then when can I?" Steve had been trying to convince Carl to let him "repay" Sloan and his friends for half an hour. Carl's resolve was weakening. He gave an "I give in" sigh and nodded.
"Tomorrow night. May I suggest you go after Dr. Travis and Dr. Bentley first? What worse grief is there than watching your friends die and knowing you're next? It's what he did to you," he said, seeing the brief flash of horror in Steve's eyes. A moment later there was only steel blue determination. Steve nodded once.
"Tomorrow night," he confirmed.
Carl directed Steve to Doctor Bentley's house the next night. Steve got out of the car. As he turned to close his door, he was surprised to see Carl getting out. He doesn't trust me. He doubts I'll do it, thought Steve. His mouth twisted into a wry smile. What a way to win someone's trust.
He walked up the drive and knocked on the door as planned.
"Just a moment." He heard her voice and a few muffled thuds followed by a stifled "Ow!" Finally the door opened. Bentley gasped in surprise. "Steve?" The name was the barest of whispers. Carl had told him about this, too. He'd preferred Peter.
May I come in, Amanda?" He slipped easily into the scene he had rehearsed with Carl. Soundlessly, she nodded and stepped aside. "What's the matter? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
Peter watched form his seat on the couch as Amanda paced in front of him.
"Why didn't you come home? Where were you? Didn't you realize how this would affect us? What about Mark?" She would have continued but Peter interrupted swiftly.
"Amanda," the one word, most likely his voice alone, quieted her. "I lost my memory. I didn't know who or where I was. I just found out and I was closer to your house. I thought you'd be glad." Puppy dog looks. They always work! Amanda sat next to him.
"Of course I am, Steve! I just think you should see Mark as soon as possible. He is your dad." Peter stiffened. Carl had told him these people were delusional. That they'd make up a whole life for him…
"Amanda, could you make me some coffee?" He relaxed before she noticed any change in his demeanor.
"Of course." She went into the kitchen. Peter stood and followed her, slowly drawing the cord from his pocket. He walked silently up behind her. He brought the cord around her neck as fast as he could and she gasped, clutching at it. "Steve?" Her fingers found the cord and she struggled to pull it off her throat. As she began to relax, Peter leaned close to her ear and whispered two words.
Steve hopped into the passenger's seat and Carl drove away.
"What did you whisper to her?" Carl's question came as they pulled into his driveway. Steve smiled.
"That's between me and her."