What does Mrs. Bradford remember, if anything at all?

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Chapter 11. Try To Remember

"Amnesia's a funny thing, especially this kind." Cameron smiled. "Sometimes people never remember what happened, and other times it comes rushing back in complete, gory detail. At least Mrs. Bradford isn't badly injured."

"What if she hadn't been found so soon?" Rachel stared at her untouched food.

House shrugged. "She'd probably be dehydrated by the time we found her, but not much worse than she is now. Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to her plate.

She shook her head and pushed it toward him.

"It doesn't really help to play the 'what if' game," Will told his daughter. "Just be thankful the doctors found your grandmother when they did." He turned to House. "So what were you doing there? I don't mean at the site but in the woods nearby."

House and Cameron exchanged a glance. What could they say in front of an impressionable teenager? "We'd been walking around the trench, but it was very hot by then, so we were looking for some shade." Cameron knew it was lame as she said it, but hoped Will wouldn't press the point.

He studied them and nodded once.

"When your wife comes back, why don't you take Rachel in to see her grandmother?" Cameron suggested.

Will snickered. "I'm not her favorite person."

"She probably likes you better than either Cameron or me." House smirked.

When Sharon returned from seeing her mother, she looked relieved, but she was still frowning. "She really doesn't know what happened. Rachel, did you want to see her? You don't have to, Sweetheart."

"No, I want to. I want her to know that I'm worried about her and hope she gets better soon." The teen rose.

So did her father. "I'll take her. I know your mother probably doesn't want to see me, but I guess we're family, and that counts in my book."

Sharon put her hands on his arms and kissed him lightly. "Thank you, Will." She watched them go, then sat again.

"You should eat something." Cameron pushed Sharon's plate toward her.

She nodded. "I think I can now. I don't know what I expected, but she's the same as ever. Demanding, ordering everyone around." She forced a chuckle. "Guess that blow to the head didn't knock any humility into her."

When Rachel and Will entered Pamela Bradford's room, he hung back at the door while his daughter approached her grandmother.

"Mom says you're going to be just fine." The teen smiled. "I'm glad." Her eyes fixed on the bandage covering a section of her grandmother's head. "Does it...does it hurt?"

"They shaved my head! Can you believe it? They cut my hair and shaved the right side of my head."

"That'll make it easier for the wound to heal. They had to clean it and treat it. Don't worry. Your hair will grow back. It's such pretty hair."

Mrs. Bradford ignored her and glowered. "If I ever get my hands on the hooligan who did this to me, they'll pay." Her eyes shifted to Will. "You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"

"Mrs. Bradford, you're Sharon's mother and Rachel's grandmother. Even if I was motivated to do something like that, I couldn't. I didn't have to see my wife's face or my daughter's when they heard the news to know that they care about you."

She grimaced. "Very pretty speech."

"Grandmother, Dad was with us. Besides, he isn't the kind of man who's capable of hurting another person."

Will smiled slightly and squeezed his daughter's shoulder. "You're lucky the docs found you when they did. You could have been lying there for days before anyone else did."

"Docs?"

"Doctor Cameron and Doctor House found you," Rachel explained. "Didn't anyone tell you? You were buried in the woods near the site of their new house."

"What was I doing all the way out there? I wouldn't put it past that man to have attacked me." Her voice was a growl.

Rachel's brow scrunched. "Why would he do that?"

"So his little girlfriend can run for my seat on the council, of course." Mrs. Bradford waved a finger. "Don't think I haven't heard the rumors!"

"You think this has something to do with the town council?" Will scratched his right ear.

"What else could it be? And if it's not you, or Dr. House, what are they doing to find the hoodlum? More important, when can I get out of this place?" She pushed herself up a bit and looked around as if for answers to her questions.

"The doctor wants to keep you overnight." Rachel only knew the answer to the second question. She pushed her grandmother back against the pillows. "It's only a precaution. We can come for you in the morning, right Dad?" She looked at her father.

Will nodded. "Meanwhile, get some rest. They'll bring you some food in a little while, but is there anything that you need?"

She eyed him with suspicion. "I need to get my hands around the neck of whoever did this."

"I'm sure the police chief is doing what he can to find whoever's responsible." He hesitated, then asked, "Who do you really think would have done this to you? Was there anyone in particular who hated you that much?" He shook his head. "I don't think a seat on the town council would be enough motivation for anyone."

She stared at him through slitted eyes. "I've also heard that you might be running for Mayor. Is that right?"

Will swallowed loudly. "Yes, it is." He shrugged. "Someone has to fill the seat with Cosgrove leaving town."

"Grandmother, were you planning on running?"

"Me, child?" The innocent look on Mrs. Bradford's face couldn't have fooled anyone. "I have toyed with the idea."

"You never answered my question." Will glared at her. "Who hates you enough to do this? Who has sufficient motivation? You must know of someone."

Mrs. Bradford's face closed up. "I'm feeling tired. I think you should go."

Rachel and her father looked at each other. "We'll see you tomorrow morning." The girl kissed her grandmother's forehead. "I hope you feel better."

Will put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, again, and the two of them left.

As they walked toward the elevator, Rachel asked, "Do you think Grandmother knows who did this?"

"I think she has her suspicions. Otherwise, she would have insisted that it had to be me or Dr. House."

"I still don't know why she dislikes you so much. Doesn't she realize how much that hurts Mom?"

"I don't think it ever occurred to her. She's always assumed that your mother and everyone else around her would agree with her views on everything, and everyone."

"That's so sad." She pushed the button for the elevator. "I think it's time I did something about this."

Will shook his head. "Rachel, don't get your hopes up. Nothing you can do will change your grandmother's disposition. A conk on her hard noggin didn't do it."

"Well, I have to try." The elevator arrived and they joined the crowd of visitors on it.

When they reached the cafeteria again, Sharon looked at them expectantly. "How's my mother?"

"Same as ever." Will took the same seat he had before, but his daughter remained standing.

"She said she's tired. We promised to come for her tomorrow." Rachel frowned. "I want to bring her something, but I don't know what."

"How about a broom? It's all she's lacking." House couldn't help himself.

"Dr. House, this isn't a joke."

"I know, Rachel." He sighed. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I say things without thinking."

"But there's always a bit of truth in what you say, or at least it reflects what you think." The teen crossed her arms in front of her and pursed her lips.

House smiled faintly. "Don't clench." He turned to Cameron. "Where have I seen that before?"

Rachel's eyes narrowed.

Cameron chuckled. "I used to get annoyed with him the way you are right now, and that's exactly the stance I took. Rachel, Dr. House has a habit of being glib. Sometimes there's truth in what he says, and sometimes he's only spouting the first thing that comes into his head."

House grimaced. "I know your grandmother isn't a witch, but she is easy to ridicule."

"Why?" Rachel stared at him.

"She's such a caricature of the dominating middle-aged woman who thinks she's right about everything and expects everyone to agree with her." He turned to Sharon. "There's more to your grandmother than the face she shows the world."

Slowly Sharon nodded. "She wasn't always like this, but I guess it worked for her, so she reinforced the persona she developed."

"Remind you of someone?" Cameron smirked at House.

"I'll admit I'll go to extremes to support my reputation."

"So what does all of this have to do with what happened to Sharon's mother?" Will set his coffee cup down.

"I think she's hiding something." Rachel licked her lips. "When we asked her whether she could think of anyone who might have done this to her, she kind of evaded the question. She accused Dad, and even Dr. House, but she let that go pretty quickly. It was as if she knew you didn't do it. Like she has an idea who did, and maybe even why."

Will nodded. "Maybe when we come for her tomorrow we can work on her, get her to talk."

"You know Chief Anderson won't hesitate to grill her about what she does remember, even if the doctors tell him she has amnesia," House pointed out. "And he'll be looking into her finances and personal life. Anything any of you know about that?"

Sharon shook her head. "You know my mother and I have not been on the best terms, well, not since I married Will. We're not close enough that she'd ever confide in me."

"Who would she confide in?" Cameron asked gently before House could badger the woman.

"I guess her best friend is Cindy Cosgrove."

"The mayor's wife?" House sounded surprised. "Interesting. She's almost as young as you are."

"Did your mother ever say anything about how she feels now that the Cosgroves are leaving...?"

"Why all the questions?" Will cut Cameron off.

"I caught the bug from House." Cameron smiled. "He's got a new puzzle and he's going to figure it out with or without any help." She looked at House, who's eyes sparkled.

"Well, I guess I've told you all I can." Sharon looked down at her barely touched food.

"Mom, what about your suspicions that Grandma might have a beau?" Rachel sipped her soda as she waited for her mother to answer.

Sharon looked up, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "That's right. Rach and I talked about that when we were away last month. I'd almost forgotten."

"Any idea who it is?" House asked.

Sharon shook her head. "It was only an impression I had. I might have been completely off base."

"She's obviously not hurting financially, so maybe it was a romance gone wrong." House started to speculate.

"Or it might have something to do with the Mayoral race," Will added.

"Or both," Cameron finished for them all.