For RebaForever15, Prosper the XVIII, GreenVelvetCurtains, and everyone else who has been kind enough to review. Thanks for all of your support. I sometimes forget to respond to the reviews, but I wanted you all to know how much they are appreciated.
M had simply refused to leave Canterbury until she had some answers as to what had happened to James, and when the hospital called with the news that a man matching James description had been brought in by one of the local farmers she broke nearly every land speed record to get to the hospital.
"Where is he…the man that was brought in by the local farmer" said M anxiously to the nurse at the desk
"I'm sorry ma'am but we're not allowed to give out that kind of information" replied the nurse in a very condescending tone
"I am well aware of the rules on patient information young lady, but in this particular instance my authority supersedes your rules so I will ask you again, where is the man who was brought in?" demanded M who was anything but patient at the present moment.
"I am sorry ma'am but hospital policy states that…" the nurse began to explain before M cut her off
"I don't give a tinkers damn about your asinine hospital policy at the moment. Do you have any idea who I am?" shouted M
"Ma'am let me have a quiet word" said Tanner as he gently pulled M back away from the desk
"Miss In the interest of not causing a scene I would suggest that you tell us what we want to know. I realize that it is hospital policy not to release patient information to the general public however we" he said motioning to M, Kincade, Joanna, Eve and himself "Are not the general public. She is the Head of MI6 and we are her support staff and unless you would like to find yourself stuck cleaning the loo's in the train station I would highly recommend that you bend your precious rules" concluded Tanner calmly
"Just a moment while I get the head nurse" said the girl behind the desk coolly as she walked away.
A few moments later a rather tall sullen looking nurse appeared along with the doctor who had been treating James.
"Ma'am I understand that you are here to inquire about the man who was brought in this evening" said the nurse in a slightly irritated tone
"Yes, that's right" replied M in her usual no-nonsense tone the frustration clearly beginning to take its toll on her
"And you are?" she asked
"I am…I am…I am his fiancée`…no his boss well I'm his boss and his fiancée`" replied M flatly
"I see." Replied the nurse suspiciously as she looked at M
"If you don't mind I would like to see him" said M rather impatiently
"Ma'am you must understand that the gentleman in question may not even be who you are looking for" said the doctor as he stepped out from behind the annoying nurse.
"Well we will never know unless you let me in the bloody room now will we!" snapped M
"As you wish Ma'am, but I must warn you, he seems to be having trouble with his memory so don't be alarmed if he doesn't recognize you immediately. Once we have established whether he is or isn't the man you're looking for then I can go into more detail on his condition"
"I understand" said M quietly
"Alright then if you will follow me" said the doctor as he turned in the direction of the exam room. M, Kincade, Joanna, Eve and Tanner all began to follow along before the doctor stopped and turned around. "I think it would be best if only two of you come at the moment" he said looking directly at M
"I agree, Mr. Kincade will you come with me?" asked M apprehensively
"Yes of course Emma" he replied
"The rest of you can wait for them in the family area" said the doctor motioning to the small room near the entrance
As M and Kincade followed the doctor down the long hall, Kincade noticed that M's breathing was becoming more and more erratic with every step she took. He always knew her to be en extraordinarily strong person under normal circumstances but this was different, this wasn't just another agent, this was James, her James and her fear of the unknown was beginning to get the best of her. Kincade gently put his arm around her and held her close as they stopped in front of the exam room door.
"Is he…does he… will he look" she started to ask but couldn't really find the words to complete the sentence
"Aside from a few nasty cuts and bruises it should be fairly easy to tell if he is who you are looking for" replied the doctor in a reassuring tone. "He was asleep when I left him a few moments ago, which is probably best in the event that it isn't him"
As the doctor slowly opened the door M braced herself for what she was about to see. As soon as she looked at the sleeping man lying before her, her tears began to flow uncontrollably down her cheeks and she began to shake with such force that Kincade literally had to hold her up as he helped her across the room to stand by the bed. She gently took his hand in hers and leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cheek. It was the kiss to the cheek that caused James eyes to fly open only to find the most beautiful blue eyes staring back at him.
"James" M finally managed to say in a rather strained tone as the tears continued to flow freely down her cheeks
James just stared at her blankly for a moment before glancing at Kincade and then the doctor with a look of total bewilderment
"Sir, Do you know who this woman is" asked Dr. Williams inquisitively
James shook his head no as he continued to stare at M with almost no expression on his face
"Doctor, why isn't he answering?' she said turning to face him with a mixture of fear and panic written across her face
"Perhaps we should talk outside" replied the doctor as he motioned toward the door
M reluctantly let go of James' hand and allowed Kincade to lead her out of the room and into a smaller more private conference room across the hall.
"I take it he is the one you are looking for" said the doctor quietly
"Yes" was all M could manage to say
"What the bloody hell is wrong with him? Why doesn't he answer" asked Kincade taking a seat next to M
"First of all does our patient have an actual name" asked the doctor as he flipped open the chart he had been holding
"It's Bond. James Bond" replied M
"His occupation?"
"It's classified. Look are you going to answer us or not? What is wrong with him?' asked M in a more demanding tone
"Mr. Bond has suffered a severe blow to the head and has two broken ribs and four cracked ribs, multiple cuts and bruises…"
"He's had blows to the head before and he has never once lost his memory so why is this time any different?" interrupted M as she glared at the doctor
"All due respect ma'am the blow to the head is not what's causing the problem." Replied the Dr. Williams calmly
"Well if it isn't the blow to the head then what it is?" asked Kincade as he put his arm around M sensing her need for support and comfort.
"While we were examining Mr. Bond, in addition to the usual injuries you would expect to see in an attack such as this we also found a spot on the back of his neck suggesting that he has been injected with some sort of drug"
"And you think this drug is what is causing the memory loss" said M weakly as she found herself now leaning into Kincade's embrace
"We will know more when we get the toxicology report back from the lab" replied Dr. Williams
M just sat there for a moment and let the doctors words sink in.
"May I see him again for a few moments?" she asked quietly
"If you like, but only for a few minutes." Replied the doctor as he rose to escort them back across the hall
When they reached the door M slowly turned to Kincade and taking a deep breath let go of his arm.
"I think I would like to go in alone if it's alright with you?' she said, her voice just barely above a whisper
"Of course Emma. I'll be right here if you need me" he said giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
M walked back in the exam room alone and slowly went to stand beside the bed.
"You've come back" said a rather sleepy James
"Yes" she replied as she gently placed her hand over the top of his
"I get the feeling that you know me?" he said as he pushed himself up go get a better look at her
"Yes, quite well in fact" she said desperately fighting back her tears
"I see" he said as he continued to hold her gaze
"I should go and let you get some rest" she finally said as she started to pull her hand away
James could see the pain in her eyes as he quickly reached to grasp her hand pulling her back.
"Please don't leave me" he said softly as the combination of his exhaustion and the medication he had been given began to take effect.
"I will never leave you" replied a tearful M as she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead "I will never leave you"
TO BE CONTINUED...