NIMR

Chip made it to work just in time and made his way out of the elevator.

"Morning Chip" Janet said

"Morning Janet" he replied going straight into his office. When he didn't stop for his morning chat with Janet it left her slightly unsettled and she got up and walked into the office to check that nothing was wrong.

"Is everything ok?" she asked almost nervously as she could see that something wasn't right; Chip was looked exhausted.

"Yea I'm sorry for the tornado entrance. I've been awake most of the night" he replied rubbing his eyes to try and help keep them open

"Oh yeah I forgot how did Lynsey enjoy her trip?" She asked with a hint of mischief to her voice

"I honestly don't know" he replied

"Oh yes…" Janet replied with the glint in her eye "Did you two not get round to much talking last night?" she said teasing him

"If only. The furthest I got last night was to the bathroom to hold Lyns' hair back"

"I'm sorry …can we start this conversation again because I have got really lost with its direction"

Chip went onto explain how Lynsey was suffering with food poisoning thanks to Janet's restaurant suggestion.

"Oh my gosh. I feel just awful!"

"Come back in twelve more hours after no sleep then you may have an idea of how I am feeling at the moment" Chip replied as he picked up his phone. "Janet can you tell Lee and the admiral I will be along in a minute. I just need to change and call to check on Lynsey"

"Of course" Janet left Chip to get ready closing the office door behind her and went to find Lee. She walked down the hall and knocked on the door of his office.

"Come in" Lee replied

"Morning Janet" The admiral replied as he sipped coffee with Lee as they sat ready to start their meeting

"Morning Admiral, Lee. I just came to tell you that Chip will be along in a minute"

"Thanks Janet. I was beginning to wonder where he was" Lee replied

"He just arrived he has had somewhat of a rough night" She replied

"Really?" The admiral asked

"Lynsey has food poisoning. Chip has been up all night with her"

"Is she ok?" Lee asked concerned

"I don't really know much to be honest" she replied

Chip then walked into the office putting his shirt collar down round his tie. "Morning all I'm sorry to keep you waiting"

"Janet was just telling us about Lynsey. How is she?" The admiral asked

"I just got off the phone with her. She says she feels a little weak but better than last night. It was a long night" he replied taking a seat at the table

"Well let's hope she is on the mend" Lee replied as Janet left to get on with her work leaving the officers' to have their meeting.

After the meeting Chip had gone down to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast as he hadn't had time this morning while Lee joined him to fetch another cup of coffee. As they made their way back upstairs Lee asked Chip when he was planning on speaking to Lynsey about everything.

"Well I had planned to do it last night however that idea went south with everything else" Chip replied

"Of course. You couldn't tell her when she was ill"

"I have to do it this weekend. She isn't due back on duty until Monday"

"Well it might be a good idea, a weekend at home is what you may both need before you start with the therapy. When is your first appointment?"

Chip pulled his diary from his pocket and checked. "It's Monday afternoon. I'll need to find some excuse to get past Janet"

"Leave that to me. I can keep her busy for a while"

"Thanks Lee. Listen, I know and appreciate what you are doing but can I ask you another favour?"

"Go ahead"

Chip hesitated slightly as he didn't want to appear rude "Can I ask…" he stopped

"Chip? Its fine ask away"

"This weekend…" he started again

"Say no more. There will be no visiting this weekend from me or Janet"

"Thanks" Chip sighed in relief. It's not that he didn't enjoy the company of both of them but he needed this time with Lynsey to talk with no interruptions. They both went back to their offices and continued working well into the afternoon.

Morton Residence

After Chip had called Lynsey had gone back to bed and woke up around lunchtime. The medication Jamie had given her earlier had helped and she hadn't been sick since. She lay in bed for a while and watched some TV as she texted back and forth with Chip. In the early afternoon she decided that she should try to have a shower to freshen up and get dressed. She wasn't planning on going anywhere but she couldn't lie around all day.

After she showered and dried her hair she went back downstairs and noticed the table that Chip had obviously set for her return. There was a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting in a vase of water and the table looked lovely. She felt so guilty that she had spoiled his plans and she didn't have the heart to clear the table. Maybe this weekend they could have the romantic meal that he had made as they had no major plans. Hopefully just a nice quiet weekend at home.

Lynsey turned her attention to unpacking her things from the trip and tidying up the house a little. Chip was a tidy person but sometimes he had a tendency to leave things lying round like his running shoes which were by the door as well as his jacket which hung over the stair bannister. She smiled as she lift the trainers and jacket and made her way back upstairs. A piece of paper fell out of the jacket on the stairs and she picked it up seeing the hospital logo in the corner of the letter. Why was Chip getting a letter from the hospital? As far as she was aware he had had all of his checks from Jamie and now declared fit for all duties including working aboard Seaview.

As she opened the letter her heart stopped as she read the words Schedule of rehabilitation therapies and when she read the department of neurology at the top of the letter she began to panic. What was this doing in Chips pocket? It had his name and rank number on the form so it wasn't a mistake. She then realised that Chip had been lying to her and she was now fearing not only for Chips health but the lack of trust in their marriage. The tears began to fall out of fear and anger as she sat down on the bed reading the letter over and over again.

"Hi honey. I'm home….. Where are you?" She heard Chip calling and lifted herself off of the bed. Her legs felt like jelly as she made her way downstairs to meet Chip in the hallway and as he turned around, he seen her holding the letter in her hand. He felt the colour drain from his face to match Lynseys ghost like pallor.

"What's going on Chip?" she asked. He could see how hurt and upset she was fighting back her tears.

"I think you better come and sit down Lyns"

As Chip made his way into the kitchen he sat down at the island and waited for Lynsey to join him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and made her way into …God knows what. What was he going to say?

She held the letter in her hands and took a seat opposite her husband and waited. The silence made for a very tense atmosphere and it was all about she could bare before he started to talk.

"The first thing that I want you to know is that I never intended to keep this from you" he began

"I don't believe you" Lynsey replied quite strongly surprising even herself. "The letter is dated from the day after you returned to work. That's almost two weeks Chip"

Chip could see that she was angry not from the loudness of her voice as that was very calm and controlled but with the force in which the words came across.

"I know and I can explain that" He said trying to reach across and take her hand in his. She pulled away from him. Although they sat less than a couple of feet apart the distance at that moment seemed endless.

"I think you better" She replied wrapping her arms round her side feeling that if she didn't she may fall apart.

"I don't know where to start" He said getting up from the seat and walking across to the dining table.

"How about at the beginning Chip? Why are you needing therapy? You are cleared for full duty…or have you been lying to me about that as well?"

"San Francisco" he replied

Lynsey was puzzled. That was almost a month ago "What about it?"

"That's when it…this all started"

"When what started? Chip…you aren't making sense"

"When we were in San Francisco I noticed that I would miss parts of the conversation. It wasn't because I wasn't paying attention; I was zoning out"

Lynsey sat there and thought back to their honeymoon. She couldn't think of what he was referring too. Had she just not noticed?

"At first I put it down to the medication. You know how I was with it; I wasn't me and I had terrible concentration" He reminded her and Lynsey could agree. She felt at times like she was having the same conversation three of four times a day when he first got home but like him she put it down to the cocktail of drugs.

"I started to notice other things especially that first day back. Forgetting passwords, procedures, things I have done every day for years. So I went to see Jamie" he continued. As Lynsey sat and listened to what he was saying she could see that he had been smart to go and visit Jamie and she was so glad that he had.

Chip continued on to tell her about the tests Jamie had carried out and how they had developed a schedule as he pointed to the letter she still held in her hand.

Lynsey wasn't angry now but there was one thing she still needed to know. "Why didn't you tell me Chip? I don't understand why."

"After I left medbay I realised that I would have to tell you everything and Lyns you have to believe me; you have to" he pleaded" I had every intention of telling you that night" he said sitting back down beside her.

Lynsey cast her mind back and she realised "That was the night I came home and told you about Chicago" he nodded "I knew that I couldn't take away that opportunity for you. You have supported me with my career and I wanted to give you the same. Five more days wouldn't make a difference and you would have worried or worse not gone at all"

She looked at him and she honestly believed in what he was saying. She thought long and hard before she replied "Maybe you should have told me…at least I wouldn't have gotten food poisoning" They both chuckled softly relieving the tension of the situation.

"Where do we go from here?" She asked

"I have to attend the therapy sessions and continue with the brain training I started last week. Lee is going to help me get to the sessions without having to explain where I am going"

That statement had opened up a whole new issue for Lynsey.

"Wait…are you telling me that Lee knows all about this?" She asked

"Yes he does, not because I volunteered the information Lynsey"

"Oh I'm sorry how does he know then? Did he and Jamie have a nice beer to discuss it?" She asked almost yelling now which Chip had never known her to do. She had never raised her voice and that alone was scaring the living daylights out of him

"Of course not I had to tell him"

"Because he is your boss I suppose?" She replied

"No because he could see something was wrong when we met on Sunday"

"And me being your wife couldn't see anything wrong! How silly of me" She replied now pretty angry with Chip. She picked herself up from the chair and snatched the car keys from the holder.

"Lynsey where are you going?" He asked shocked at her sudden departure and the fact he didn't get a chance to explain

"I have to think Chip" She said as she turned her back on him and left the house leaving Chip to walk out onto the deck and sit by the ocean. He wondered how he was ever going to fix this; has he just lost the love of his life?