CHAPTER 16
Can you fill me in?
Let me know what's up
-Craig David, "Fill Me In (Part 2)"
Once inside the kitchen, Rafe unloaded his arms, placing the muffin box on the room's wooden table.
"Have a seat," Ian offered, placing Danny back in his highchair.
The baby immediately resumed eating his Cheerios.
"Lucy's upstairs with Christina," Ian explained, "but she'll be down in a minute. I don't know what Alison's doing... Can I get you a cup of coffee?"
"Uh, sure," said Rafe. "Thank you."
Ian removed a mug from one of the kitchen cabinets and filled it halfway with the dark liquid. He handed it to Rafe and then seated himself across the table from the youth.
"I'm sorry," Rafe began nervously, "but are we related? I mean, I don't think I have any Irish relatives..."
He thought for a moment, scratching his chin.
"...but I didn't think I had any in America either, did I?"
Rafe laughed nervously. Ian didn't.
"No, we're not related," the older man said, deadpan. "Danny and I, we're just friends of the family. I work with Kevin at the hospital."
Rafe's ears perked up.
"Oh, are you a doctor, too? I was hoping maybe Kevin could check me out, you know. I thought he might be able to give me a little insight into my 'condition,' as you called it."
Ian was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Uh, Kevin's not here right now, but maybe I can help you. Alison said that you had some sort of amnesia."
"Yes."
Rafe nodded emphatically, his eyes glued to the doctor.
"Well, what do you remember?" questioned Ian curiously.
"Well..."
Rafe smiled.
"I know who I am, Rafe Kovich. I can remember everything - I think - 'til early 1991. After that, it's just a blank."
"Rafe," said Ian gently. "You do know this is 2002, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah."
Rafe nodded again.
"I know that it's May, 2002. That's about all I'm sure of at the moment."
He scratched his head, his brow furrowing in thought.
"I went to a doctor about a week ago, uh, a Dr. Francis Porter. He took a look at me and said I should just keep a low profile, you know, stay in and try to relax. He thought that, if I just gave it some time, my memory would come back on its own."
"Really? You don't say," Ian murmured thoughtfully.
"Why? What do you think?"
Rafe leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop. He was anxious to hear Dr. Thornhart's opinion.
Noticing the young man's concern, Ian tried to calm him.
"Oh, it's nothing. I've heard of Dr. Porter before. He's a good man, a fine doctor. It's just... Why did he tell you to stay in? If you were my patient, I would have advised you to go and seek out every place and every person missing from your memory. I probably would've even suggested you see a specialist just to make sure everything checked out okay."
"Hmm..."
Rafe pondered this new information carefully.
Livvie took him to see Dr. Porter. She spoke with the doctor about what sort of treatment he should receive. Rafe just did what she told him...
"Rafe, you're here!"
The young man's honey-blond head snapped toward the kitchen door. There stood Lucy, with little Christina in her arms.
"Oh, Rafe," Lucy gushed, depositing Christina on the chair next to him and then throwing her arms around his startled neck. "Cousin, I've missed you!"
Can you fill me in?
Let me know what's up
-Craig David, "Fill Me In (Part 2)"
Once inside the kitchen, Rafe unloaded his arms, placing the muffin box on the room's wooden table.
"Have a seat," Ian offered, placing Danny back in his highchair.
The baby immediately resumed eating his Cheerios.
"Lucy's upstairs with Christina," Ian explained, "but she'll be down in a minute. I don't know what Alison's doing... Can I get you a cup of coffee?"
"Uh, sure," said Rafe. "Thank you."
Ian removed a mug from one of the kitchen cabinets and filled it halfway with the dark liquid. He handed it to Rafe and then seated himself across the table from the youth.
"I'm sorry," Rafe began nervously, "but are we related? I mean, I don't think I have any Irish relatives..."
He thought for a moment, scratching his chin.
"...but I didn't think I had any in America either, did I?"
Rafe laughed nervously. Ian didn't.
"No, we're not related," the older man said, deadpan. "Danny and I, we're just friends of the family. I work with Kevin at the hospital."
Rafe's ears perked up.
"Oh, are you a doctor, too? I was hoping maybe Kevin could check me out, you know. I thought he might be able to give me a little insight into my 'condition,' as you called it."
Ian was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Uh, Kevin's not here right now, but maybe I can help you. Alison said that you had some sort of amnesia."
"Yes."
Rafe nodded emphatically, his eyes glued to the doctor.
"Well, what do you remember?" questioned Ian curiously.
"Well..."
Rafe smiled.
"I know who I am, Rafe Kovich. I can remember everything - I think - 'til early 1991. After that, it's just a blank."
"Rafe," said Ian gently. "You do know this is 2002, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah."
Rafe nodded again.
"I know that it's May, 2002. That's about all I'm sure of at the moment."
He scratched his head, his brow furrowing in thought.
"I went to a doctor about a week ago, uh, a Dr. Francis Porter. He took a look at me and said I should just keep a low profile, you know, stay in and try to relax. He thought that, if I just gave it some time, my memory would come back on its own."
"Really? You don't say," Ian murmured thoughtfully.
"Why? What do you think?"
Rafe leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop. He was anxious to hear Dr. Thornhart's opinion.
Noticing the young man's concern, Ian tried to calm him.
"Oh, it's nothing. I've heard of Dr. Porter before. He's a good man, a fine doctor. It's just... Why did he tell you to stay in? If you were my patient, I would have advised you to go and seek out every place and every person missing from your memory. I probably would've even suggested you see a specialist just to make sure everything checked out okay."
"Hmm..."
Rafe pondered this new information carefully.
Livvie took him to see Dr. Porter. She spoke with the doctor about what sort of treatment he should receive. Rafe just did what she told him...
"Rafe, you're here!"
The young man's honey-blond head snapped toward the kitchen door. There stood Lucy, with little Christina in her arms.
"Oh, Rafe," Lucy gushed, depositing Christina on the chair next to him and then throwing her arms around his startled neck. "Cousin, I've missed you!"