Author's Note: I want to apologize for how long it takes me to update this story. Before I tried writing fan fiction I would read other people's fan fiction and never understood why it took so long for them to update... I now understand. I want to thank all of you who have been faithfully reading this story and reviewing it really means a lot as this is my first multi-chapter fan fiction. I am not going to make any promises I cannot keep but know that I have the rest of the story/chapters planned out so hopefully it will not be too terribly long before I update again.
When Mary first broached the topic of leaving Misselthwaite to join the war effort, she expected it would be the first of many arguments with her uncle, considering all the arguments he had with Colin on a much similar matter. However, although she saw the fear and sadness behind his eyes she did not receive the negative response she was expecting.
"I was wondering when you would ask this." He said with a sad smile.
"You knew it was coming?" Mary asked nervously.
"Honestly, I am surprised you waited this long to ask. How could you be content while your two closest friends are gone?"
"I just cannot sit here and worry anymore… not doing anything to help… I may not help Dickon or Colin directly but I will be helping someone's cousin and someone's friend and hopefully somewhere someone is helping them." Mary's voice trailed off.
Her uncle gave a sad chuckle, "I wish there was something these old bones could do to help to but my days of traveling are over… I don't want you to go. I want you here safe with me but although you would be physically safe here I fear emotionally you would break." He paused before asking, "You know it will not be easy?"
She simply nodded her head.
"My niece, you always were independent and stubborn. No matter what the difficulty I know you can handle it." And with a sigh he finished with, "You have my blessing to go."
With his blessing Mary left the next day without much of a plan. She was a bit unsure where to go, so she boarded the train to London. As the train was pulling out of the station she realized she had no idea what to do when she arrived. All she knew was she was going to search for Dickon. So on the train began to plan her first steps as best she could. When she arrived in London her first stop would be the hospital where Colin went to identify the man with two tags.
But when she arrived at the hospital it did not go as easily as she expected. She felt like a fool just expecting to walk into a hospital simply to look for her friend, Dickon Sowerby. It was his name that eventually opened the door for her. They allowed Mary to see the man with two tags. They told her she was very lucky to arrive when she did as he was being moved to a hospital in the country by the end of the week. So the nurse led Mary through a small corridor but before they entered the room the nurse turned to her.
"I don't know what you expect to hear but I can tell you it won't be much." The nurse began, "He has been in a foul temper ever since that navy man came to identify him."
And with that she led Mary into the room. Mary had never seen anything like it and suddenly she wished she were back home in the garden. The room was large and filled with men as their beds lined the walls. It smelled like a combination of medicines and blood and she hated hearing men crying out in pain.
"We don't like keeping men here long. This here hospital is mostly an emergency hospital so once a man's condition is stable we send him somewhere else to recuperate." The nurse said as she led Mary to the back of the room.
The nurse touched the man's shoulder saying, "There is someone here to see you."
Then she turned and left Mary with the man. When she saw him her heart broke as she noticed he had a nose very similar to Colin. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat and she had no idea what to say.
"Um… Hello, my name is Mary." She stuttered.
"I don't remember anyone named Mary. But then again I don't remember anything." He said with a tone filled with bitterness, fear and anger.
"Well, you don't actually know me this the first time we are meeting." She replied hesitantly.
"And what have I done to deserve the honor of your visit me lady." He stated his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I am just looking for answers."
"And you think I can give you answers. Me! I couldn't even remember my name; they had to bring some stupid sailor to identify me." He said with an angry chuckle.
"That sailor happens to be my cousin!" Mary huffed trying to keep her temper in check as the man spoke of Colin.
"Oh and so you want to know how I ended up with two tags and what happened to your friend, well guess what lady I DON'T KNOW, I don't know anything anymore." He replied frustrated.
A younger Mary would have raised her voice back at the young man in the bed; calling him an Indian rajah. After all that was exactly what she did when she first met Colin. But despite how they looked alike, they were not the same person. She could tell by looking into this man's eyes that fear was driving his rage. This man was young and should have been full of live but the horrors of war had left him empty, confused, and afraid.
"Look I don't expect you to give be answers but I am feeling lost like you and this was the only place I knew where to start." She calmly replied.
Mary wanted to help this man. She looked in his eyes and knew he needed hope. Something to distract him from the pain he was in; from the knowledge that he was missing his memories. He needed something outside himself to hope in. So she began to tell him her story and the story of the man whose name was on the other tag. She started by telling him about India and the transition to Misselthwaite Manor. She told him about her first meeting with her cousin and her first meeting with Dickon. She told him about the secret garden and finding the door and key.
"When I first stepped into the garden I thought it was dead; that there was no hope for that forbidden place. But then Dickon came and showed me that the garden had wick."
"What is wick?" The man interrupted.
"Wick is the life hidden deep within the plants under what appears dead it shows hope. If something has wick it will grow no matter how dead it might appear." She answered.
She paused as she looked into the man's eyes the anger had left and although there was still fear she saw something else which prompted her to say, "I see wick in you as well."
"How could you possibly see wick in me I am not a plant." He scoffed.
"I see it in you just as I saw it in my cousin Collin when he was bedridden with the misdiagnosis of a crooked back. Just like I am sure Dickon saw it in me. It is the strength found underneath the quiver in your voice and in the determination behind the sadness and fear in your eyes. You may not feel it but I can see it. There is hope in you. You will become something beautiful again."
And the wounded man believed her.
She continued her tale, telling of Colin's returning health and the return of her uncle. She also mentioned the growth of her love for Dickon.
"Well, now Colin is in the navy and you probably know as much as I do about where Dickon is." She said ending her tale.
"I hope you find him, I hope you find your Dickon." The soldier said.
"And I hope you regain your memories." She replied as she stood to go.
The man grabbed her arm and looked at her and said, "Look I don't remember much, not anything really. But I have this dream about the gas where my mask crack and I panic but there is always a man who comes to me. I don't know who he is but if I have to guess it would have to be your Dickon. He is a hero."