LOST - PART I
HEALING LAUGHTER
Chapter 14
Almost a week after his unique "treatment" Adam was lying in his bed, looking out the bow window at the flowers in Thea's garden again. Just like he had done so many weeks before. But this time he was not despairing over his situation. Instead, he was feeling thankful that everyone had pulled together to help him through his withdrawal from the morphine.
He knew something had been done that caused him to turn the corner and recover, but Nate and Dr. Charles were refusing to discuss it. After one look at Nate's horrified expression and David's barely veiled amusement, he decided that maybe it was best if he didn't know...at least for now.
He was still smiling about that when the bushes to the left of the open space began to shake violently. Slowly sitting up, he leaned over as far as he could to see when Nate suddenly popped out. The tall, wiry man trotted to the center of the open space and stood there with a solemn expression for a second, then bowed. When he straightened up he held his left hand out and to the side with a sweeping gesture. Adam's smile widened.
Thea emerged out of the same bushes and came skipping up to him. She was dressed in boy's clothing and Adam's gaze sharpened wondering what the hell the two of them were up to. After she took Nate's hand, they bowed to Adam together. Then they separated, turned sideways and each one backed up, widening the distance between.
They stood there for a moment then Nate clapped his hands. Thea ran right at him and when she was a few feet away, she launched herself into the air, slapped her hands down on his shoulders, and flipped over his head. She landed lightly on her feet behind. Adam's mouth fell open.
The two jumped around a bit, bowing to Adam and then to each other, making grand gestures as though inviting applause for the other person. Their captive audience burst out laughing at how ridiculously dramatic they were being.
"Glory!" he shouted shaking helplessly with laughter. "Come here! You've got to see this!" She came running into the room, her expression anxious until he gestured toward the window. He was gasping for breath.
Nate smiled to see Glory standing there then turned back to Thea when she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. He went down on one knee, his side toward the window and held a hand out to her. She took his hand, stepped up on his bent knee, then up onto his shoulders. He wrapped his hands around her ankles as she slowly straightened up. Then he very carefully stood. Glory was laughing by this time too.
When Nate was standing, he widened his stance for stability then carefully let go of her ankles. The two people watching held their breath, waiting to see what she would do. Then they gasped when she suddenly bent her knees and launched herself up into a double flip.
Both Adam and Glory started applauding then burst out laughing when the two of them suddenly went down on one knee and threw their arms out wide. They could see and almost hear them calling out "Tadaaaa!"
They both quickly stood and Nate stepped back while Thea trotted off to the left. Nate was watching her carefully when she came running and did a cartwheel. Then they returned to their original positions. This time she did a one-handed cartwheel, with Nate hurrying to stay close to catch her if she started to fall. She didn't. When they took those positions again, Adam and Glory glanced at each other wondering what was next.
Thea had backed off a little further than before and this time she came running fast to do a "no hands" cartwheel. But this time Nate must have been a little too close and it looked like she clipped in the head with a foot. He went down and Thea dropped to her knees next to him. Glory gasped and stepped toward the window with one hand over her mouth.
Nate sat up and shook his head while Thea seemed to be checking him out carefully. In a moment she stood, holding a hand out to him. He took it and she pulled as hard as she could to help him to his feet. He swayed for a moment then suddenly smiled a huge smile at the people on the other side of window before throwing himself back down on the ground in a perfectly executed pratfall.
Thea turned her head to look at Glory then threw herself down on the ground too, and began to roll around shaking with laughter. The kick in the head and his fall had all been part of the act. Glory and Adam were laughing so hard they were leaning into each other weakly as the two in the garden rolled to their feet and dashed off into the bushes to the left.
"Something tells me the show's over," Adam gasped, then burst out laughing again when Thea came running past the window at full speed with Chester close on her heels. Then the two came running back with Thea chasing the dog this time. The three of them kept running back and forth with the line- up changing each time, until the final dash with Thea chasing both Chester AND Nate until the dog stopped abruptly and Nate tripped over him. She stumbled over and dropped to the grass next to the dog, laughing helplessly.
The two in the garden lay on the ground for a while breathing heavily and getting their faces licked in turn while Adam and Glory tried to stop laughing.
"Glory," he finally managed to ask, "where the hell did she learn how to do that?"
She was drying her face with her apron when she fell into another short burst of giggles. "I'm not sure," she gasped, "but I think it was while they were living in China."
Shaking his head, Adam fell back wearily against the pillows. "Good Lord, what the hell will she come up with next to try and cheer me up? And the funniest part is I don't NEED cheering up."
"I know," Glory said breathlessly, still sitting on the edge of his bed. "But your recovery is all up to you and Mother Nature now. This just lets her feel like she's doing something to help."
"I see," he said and chuckled one more time before they heard Nate and Thea coming. When the two entered the room, Adam and Glory applauded enthusiastically until Nate darted forward to grab Glory around the waist and began to dance with her around the room.
Adam was watching them when Thea suddenly plopped herself down on the edge of the bed. He turned to look at her and his smile widened at the way her fine hazel eyes were sparkling. Neither one noticed when Nate and Glory danced out the door.
"I'm very impressed," he said quietly as he took her hand and she blushed. "What else do I not know about you?"
Thea shook her head. "I'm not telling. You'll just have to find that out for yourself," she teased.
"Ah! A challenge," he teased back, giving her his wicked grin. "I hope you realize what you're letting yourself in for," he continued and her smile slowly faded as she met his eyes with her own intense stare.
"Oh, I think I do," she said softly.
Adam's eyes narrowed and their gazes locked. Then he moved over to give her room to stretch out on her side next to him. He slid one arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They stayed that way for a long time, talking about everything and nothing until the bright afternoon sunlight left the room and twilight slipped in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Nate was sitting on the double steps in the gymnasium in back of the gardens a few weeks later. Somehow, Adam had talked him into going through the exercises with him every day and the blonde man was worn out. He just couldn't keep up with the grueling pace Adam set for himself. He shook his head - just watching was making him feel even more tired.
Finally Adam finished and he came to throw himself down on the floor in front of Nate, and began to towel off his sweaty, heaving chest.
Nate sat there carefully considering his heavily breathing friend.
"What?" Adam asked.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" the blonde man asked, feeling the time was right to get a few things out in the open. The situation with Adam and Thea was getting on everyone's nerves.
When his breathing was close to normal Adam responded. "I have to get on my feet and find a way to pay Thea back."
Nate blinked in surprise, "Pay her back? For what?"
Adam rolled his eyes. "For everything she's done for me."
"You know that's not necessary and will be a moot point eventually anyway."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Yes you do."
"No I don't," Adam stubbornly insisted and gave his friend a dark look when he laughed.
"Adam, she's in love with you."
"I know."
"And...?"
"And what?!" he was starting to get irritated now.
"Sweet Jesus, save me! YOU are in love with HER."
Adam looked away and his jaw clenched.
"Come on, admit it," Nate prodded then started laughing when Adam still refused to respond. "You're just cranky because you've realized you can't leave now!"
Adam made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat. "Alright! Yes, I can't leave now!" he burst out with and fell back to lie on the floor. "What the hell am I going to do, Nate?"
Holding back another laugh, Nate tried to be matter-of-fact. "You're going to marry that woman and then the two of you will stop irritating the hell out of the rest of us."
"We're irritating?" Adam said with true surprise as he sat up again.
Nate had to resist the urge to throw himself on the floor and laugh hysterically. "Good Lord yes! The tension and the arguing between you two is driving us all nuts. Even Abner, and he's the most easy-going person I've ever met."
Adam chuckled slightly. "I wasn't aware we were annoying everyone."
"Well, you are. Both of you - equally."
The two men fell silent for a while. Adam was still staring down at the floor when he finally spoke again.
"What makes you so sure she'll say 'yes'?"
"She probably won't at first," Nate said seriously and the man on the floor sighed.
"That's what I thought."
"But I can't see you as someone who would take 'no' for an answer and give up."
"Why do YOU think she'll say 'no' at first?"
The blonde man smiled. "Because I know Thea and how independent she is. You'll have to convince her. AND I've heard some of the things you've shouted at her during some of your arguments. Of course, I've also heard some of the things she's yelled at you."
Adam winced. "This is true."
"But I've also noticed she's doing most of the yelling now."
Nodding, Adam sighed. "How can I ask her to marry me, Nate? I have absolutely nothing to offer her. Not even a last name."
"You could always take hers..." Nate said and waited for the explosion at his outrageous suggestion.
"Have you lost your mind!" Adam was glaring at him until the other man burst out laughing. "Oh, very funny."
When he was over his laughing fit, Nate's expression became serious. "Then it would seem to me that the first order of business is for you to find some way of making a living."
"I've been thinking about that," Adam answered. "I just wish I knew what I used to do." He paused, "I know I've done some blacksmithing."
"How do you know?"
"That brick building beyond the barn is a smithy and I remembered so many details of doing that kind of work I must have done it in the past."
Nate sat there thinking for a minute, and then cleared his throat. "That would take some time to build up wouldn't it?" Adam nodded.
Deciding he might as well forge ahead, Nate asked, "In the meantime I've been wondering if you would consider working down at the men's club with me."
Adam's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. "Men's club?"
Smiling, Nate nodded. "It's really a bar, but you have to have a membership to get in. Most of the Pinkerton detectives spend a lot of their free time there. Especially the older ones."
"Do you think they'd hire a man without a last name?"
Nate laughed. "They'd hire a man with one eye and wooden leg if he was honest. And I know YOU are."
"Thanks," Adam answered and laughed himself. "Well, at least it would be a good start."
"I think so," Nate answered as they both stood. "Besides, who knows, we could both end up being Pinkerton detectives some day."
Adam laughed again, "Oh sure, I can see that happening!"
"Look on the bright side. If that DOES happen you can hire yourself to find out who you are."
Still laughing Adam opened the door. "I think I've been spending too much time with you Nate. That actually made sense to me, and I find that to be deeply disturbing..."
HEALING LAUGHTER
Chapter 14
Almost a week after his unique "treatment" Adam was lying in his bed, looking out the bow window at the flowers in Thea's garden again. Just like he had done so many weeks before. But this time he was not despairing over his situation. Instead, he was feeling thankful that everyone had pulled together to help him through his withdrawal from the morphine.
He knew something had been done that caused him to turn the corner and recover, but Nate and Dr. Charles were refusing to discuss it. After one look at Nate's horrified expression and David's barely veiled amusement, he decided that maybe it was best if he didn't know...at least for now.
He was still smiling about that when the bushes to the left of the open space began to shake violently. Slowly sitting up, he leaned over as far as he could to see when Nate suddenly popped out. The tall, wiry man trotted to the center of the open space and stood there with a solemn expression for a second, then bowed. When he straightened up he held his left hand out and to the side with a sweeping gesture. Adam's smile widened.
Thea emerged out of the same bushes and came skipping up to him. She was dressed in boy's clothing and Adam's gaze sharpened wondering what the hell the two of them were up to. After she took Nate's hand, they bowed to Adam together. Then they separated, turned sideways and each one backed up, widening the distance between.
They stood there for a moment then Nate clapped his hands. Thea ran right at him and when she was a few feet away, she launched herself into the air, slapped her hands down on his shoulders, and flipped over his head. She landed lightly on her feet behind. Adam's mouth fell open.
The two jumped around a bit, bowing to Adam and then to each other, making grand gestures as though inviting applause for the other person. Their captive audience burst out laughing at how ridiculously dramatic they were being.
"Glory!" he shouted shaking helplessly with laughter. "Come here! You've got to see this!" She came running into the room, her expression anxious until he gestured toward the window. He was gasping for breath.
Nate smiled to see Glory standing there then turned back to Thea when she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. He went down on one knee, his side toward the window and held a hand out to her. She took his hand, stepped up on his bent knee, then up onto his shoulders. He wrapped his hands around her ankles as she slowly straightened up. Then he very carefully stood. Glory was laughing by this time too.
When Nate was standing, he widened his stance for stability then carefully let go of her ankles. The two people watching held their breath, waiting to see what she would do. Then they gasped when she suddenly bent her knees and launched herself up into a double flip.
Both Adam and Glory started applauding then burst out laughing when the two of them suddenly went down on one knee and threw their arms out wide. They could see and almost hear them calling out "Tadaaaa!"
They both quickly stood and Nate stepped back while Thea trotted off to the left. Nate was watching her carefully when she came running and did a cartwheel. Then they returned to their original positions. This time she did a one-handed cartwheel, with Nate hurrying to stay close to catch her if she started to fall. She didn't. When they took those positions again, Adam and Glory glanced at each other wondering what was next.
Thea had backed off a little further than before and this time she came running fast to do a "no hands" cartwheel. But this time Nate must have been a little too close and it looked like she clipped in the head with a foot. He went down and Thea dropped to her knees next to him. Glory gasped and stepped toward the window with one hand over her mouth.
Nate sat up and shook his head while Thea seemed to be checking him out carefully. In a moment she stood, holding a hand out to him. He took it and she pulled as hard as she could to help him to his feet. He swayed for a moment then suddenly smiled a huge smile at the people on the other side of window before throwing himself back down on the ground in a perfectly executed pratfall.
Thea turned her head to look at Glory then threw herself down on the ground too, and began to roll around shaking with laughter. The kick in the head and his fall had all been part of the act. Glory and Adam were laughing so hard they were leaning into each other weakly as the two in the garden rolled to their feet and dashed off into the bushes to the left.
"Something tells me the show's over," Adam gasped, then burst out laughing again when Thea came running past the window at full speed with Chester close on her heels. Then the two came running back with Thea chasing the dog this time. The three of them kept running back and forth with the line- up changing each time, until the final dash with Thea chasing both Chester AND Nate until the dog stopped abruptly and Nate tripped over him. She stumbled over and dropped to the grass next to the dog, laughing helplessly.
The two in the garden lay on the ground for a while breathing heavily and getting their faces licked in turn while Adam and Glory tried to stop laughing.
"Glory," he finally managed to ask, "where the hell did she learn how to do that?"
She was drying her face with her apron when she fell into another short burst of giggles. "I'm not sure," she gasped, "but I think it was while they were living in China."
Shaking his head, Adam fell back wearily against the pillows. "Good Lord, what the hell will she come up with next to try and cheer me up? And the funniest part is I don't NEED cheering up."
"I know," Glory said breathlessly, still sitting on the edge of his bed. "But your recovery is all up to you and Mother Nature now. This just lets her feel like she's doing something to help."
"I see," he said and chuckled one more time before they heard Nate and Thea coming. When the two entered the room, Adam and Glory applauded enthusiastically until Nate darted forward to grab Glory around the waist and began to dance with her around the room.
Adam was watching them when Thea suddenly plopped herself down on the edge of the bed. He turned to look at her and his smile widened at the way her fine hazel eyes were sparkling. Neither one noticed when Nate and Glory danced out the door.
"I'm very impressed," he said quietly as he took her hand and she blushed. "What else do I not know about you?"
Thea shook her head. "I'm not telling. You'll just have to find that out for yourself," she teased.
"Ah! A challenge," he teased back, giving her his wicked grin. "I hope you realize what you're letting yourself in for," he continued and her smile slowly faded as she met his eyes with her own intense stare.
"Oh, I think I do," she said softly.
Adam's eyes narrowed and their gazes locked. Then he moved over to give her room to stretch out on her side next to him. He slid one arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They stayed that way for a long time, talking about everything and nothing until the bright afternoon sunlight left the room and twilight slipped in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Nate was sitting on the double steps in the gymnasium in back of the gardens a few weeks later. Somehow, Adam had talked him into going through the exercises with him every day and the blonde man was worn out. He just couldn't keep up with the grueling pace Adam set for himself. He shook his head - just watching was making him feel even more tired.
Finally Adam finished and he came to throw himself down on the floor in front of Nate, and began to towel off his sweaty, heaving chest.
Nate sat there carefully considering his heavily breathing friend.
"What?" Adam asked.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" the blonde man asked, feeling the time was right to get a few things out in the open. The situation with Adam and Thea was getting on everyone's nerves.
When his breathing was close to normal Adam responded. "I have to get on my feet and find a way to pay Thea back."
Nate blinked in surprise, "Pay her back? For what?"
Adam rolled his eyes. "For everything she's done for me."
"You know that's not necessary and will be a moot point eventually anyway."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Yes you do."
"No I don't," Adam stubbornly insisted and gave his friend a dark look when he laughed.
"Adam, she's in love with you."
"I know."
"And...?"
"And what?!" he was starting to get irritated now.
"Sweet Jesus, save me! YOU are in love with HER."
Adam looked away and his jaw clenched.
"Come on, admit it," Nate prodded then started laughing when Adam still refused to respond. "You're just cranky because you've realized you can't leave now!"
Adam made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat. "Alright! Yes, I can't leave now!" he burst out with and fell back to lie on the floor. "What the hell am I going to do, Nate?"
Holding back another laugh, Nate tried to be matter-of-fact. "You're going to marry that woman and then the two of you will stop irritating the hell out of the rest of us."
"We're irritating?" Adam said with true surprise as he sat up again.
Nate had to resist the urge to throw himself on the floor and laugh hysterically. "Good Lord yes! The tension and the arguing between you two is driving us all nuts. Even Abner, and he's the most easy-going person I've ever met."
Adam chuckled slightly. "I wasn't aware we were annoying everyone."
"Well, you are. Both of you - equally."
The two men fell silent for a while. Adam was still staring down at the floor when he finally spoke again.
"What makes you so sure she'll say 'yes'?"
"She probably won't at first," Nate said seriously and the man on the floor sighed.
"That's what I thought."
"But I can't see you as someone who would take 'no' for an answer and give up."
"Why do YOU think she'll say 'no' at first?"
The blonde man smiled. "Because I know Thea and how independent she is. You'll have to convince her. AND I've heard some of the things you've shouted at her during some of your arguments. Of course, I've also heard some of the things she's yelled at you."
Adam winced. "This is true."
"But I've also noticed she's doing most of the yelling now."
Nodding, Adam sighed. "How can I ask her to marry me, Nate? I have absolutely nothing to offer her. Not even a last name."
"You could always take hers..." Nate said and waited for the explosion at his outrageous suggestion.
"Have you lost your mind!" Adam was glaring at him until the other man burst out laughing. "Oh, very funny."
When he was over his laughing fit, Nate's expression became serious. "Then it would seem to me that the first order of business is for you to find some way of making a living."
"I've been thinking about that," Adam answered. "I just wish I knew what I used to do." He paused, "I know I've done some blacksmithing."
"How do you know?"
"That brick building beyond the barn is a smithy and I remembered so many details of doing that kind of work I must have done it in the past."
Nate sat there thinking for a minute, and then cleared his throat. "That would take some time to build up wouldn't it?" Adam nodded.
Deciding he might as well forge ahead, Nate asked, "In the meantime I've been wondering if you would consider working down at the men's club with me."
Adam's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. "Men's club?"
Smiling, Nate nodded. "It's really a bar, but you have to have a membership to get in. Most of the Pinkerton detectives spend a lot of their free time there. Especially the older ones."
"Do you think they'd hire a man without a last name?"
Nate laughed. "They'd hire a man with one eye and wooden leg if he was honest. And I know YOU are."
"Thanks," Adam answered and laughed himself. "Well, at least it would be a good start."
"I think so," Nate answered as they both stood. "Besides, who knows, we could both end up being Pinkerton detectives some day."
Adam laughed again, "Oh sure, I can see that happening!"
"Look on the bright side. If that DOES happen you can hire yourself to find out who you are."
Still laughing Adam opened the door. "I think I've been spending too much time with you Nate. That actually made sense to me, and I find that to be deeply disturbing..."