FIVE
"What's wrong?" asked Piper. "Why doesn't he remember us?"
"I don't know," said Alister. "His head injuries must have been worse than we thought."
"Leo, honey," said Piper, "you really don't remember us?"
"No, I'm sorry," said Leo. "Should I?"
'I'm your wife, Piper," said Piper. "These are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe.
"Wife?' questioned Leo. "I'm married?"
"Yes," said Piper. "We got married about a month ago."
"Leo," said Alister, "what do you remember?"
"Nothing before I woke up here," said Leo. "Dr. Reardon told me who I was and the accident I was in. But I honestly don't remember anything before I woke up in this bed."
"This isn't good," said Alister. "We need to get him out of here."
"Isn't this the best place for him?" asked Phoebe.
Alister pulled the sisters off to the side.
"Leo is a White Lighter," said Alister. "With normal White Lighter powers. What do you think is going to happen if he inadvertently orbs out in front of the staff? Or changes form? Or suddenly begins to levitate? He doesn't know he can do any of that. But he might do it subconsciously."
"Oh," said Phoebe, "I hadn't though about that."
"Once we get him home," said Alister, "his healing ability will return to full strength. Maybe that will restore his memory. Get him ready to leave. I'll go make sure we don't have any trouble from the nurses."
Piper had brought some spare clothes for Leo. His had been ruined in the accident. Leo had just finished dressing when Alister returned to the room.
"Okay," said Alister, "drive Leo back to the manor. Keep him inside until I get there. I'm going to check with the Elders. Maybe they know what's going on. I'll be there as soon as I can."
The sisters led Leo down to the car. The nursing staff didn't say anything about Leo leaving so late in the evening or so soon after his waking up. They simply smiled and told him to have a good evening.
"I wish I could do that little trick," said Phoebe as Prue drove them home. "Control peoples minds. It could be real handy."
"And dangerous," said Prue. "There's no telling how you might mess up their brain if you didn't know what you were doing."
"Still," said Phoebe.
Alister was already waiting for them once they got home.
"Well?" asked Piper. "What did they say?"
"They don't think there's any cause for alarm," said Alister. "Temporary loss of memory isn't uncommon with head injuries. Especially ones as severe as Leo's was. The Elders think that once his healing ability is fully restored, his memories will come back, too."
"What if they don't?" asked Prue.
"I can't answer that," said Alister. "There's never been an incident like this before."
"Will Leo still be a White Lighter?" asked Phoebe.
"Oh, of course," said Alister. "Loosing his memory doesn't affect that. Any more than your loosing your memory would affect you being a Charmed One. You just don't remember what your powers are or how to use them. But you can relearn. Just as Leo can."
"But he won't remember anything," protested Piper. "Nothing about his previous life, nothing of being a White Lighter, none of our plans, not even our wedding. He can't relearn those."
"Take it easy," said Alister. "This is all probably just temporary. Let's just wait and see what happens. In the mean time, don't say anything to him about being a White Lighter. It's going to be hard enough for him to accept the normal stuff. All of the supernatural things will just make it harder on him."
"Okay," said Piper, "but he'd better get his memory back soon. I don't want to try explaining to him why he can orb or levitate."
"Not to mention what might happen if a demon attacks," added Prue.
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," said Alister.
He didn't like being less than candid with Pier and the others. But the Elders had been very clear about not telling them everything just yet. That Leo may never regain his memory. If he didn't regain his memory in the next few days, they would have no choice. They'd have to strip his powers from him. He'd be at too much risk otherwise.
Alister hadn't exactly lied to Piper. For right how, Leo was still a White Lighter. But that might change in a few days. The Elders might be forced to make Leo mortal again for his own good.
"What's wrong?" asked Piper. "Why doesn't he remember us?"
"I don't know," said Alister. "His head injuries must have been worse than we thought."
"Leo, honey," said Piper, "you really don't remember us?"
"No, I'm sorry," said Leo. "Should I?"
'I'm your wife, Piper," said Piper. "These are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe.
"Wife?' questioned Leo. "I'm married?"
"Yes," said Piper. "We got married about a month ago."
"Leo," said Alister, "what do you remember?"
"Nothing before I woke up here," said Leo. "Dr. Reardon told me who I was and the accident I was in. But I honestly don't remember anything before I woke up in this bed."
"This isn't good," said Alister. "We need to get him out of here."
"Isn't this the best place for him?" asked Phoebe.
Alister pulled the sisters off to the side.
"Leo is a White Lighter," said Alister. "With normal White Lighter powers. What do you think is going to happen if he inadvertently orbs out in front of the staff? Or changes form? Or suddenly begins to levitate? He doesn't know he can do any of that. But he might do it subconsciously."
"Oh," said Phoebe, "I hadn't though about that."
"Once we get him home," said Alister, "his healing ability will return to full strength. Maybe that will restore his memory. Get him ready to leave. I'll go make sure we don't have any trouble from the nurses."
Piper had brought some spare clothes for Leo. His had been ruined in the accident. Leo had just finished dressing when Alister returned to the room.
"Okay," said Alister, "drive Leo back to the manor. Keep him inside until I get there. I'm going to check with the Elders. Maybe they know what's going on. I'll be there as soon as I can."
The sisters led Leo down to the car. The nursing staff didn't say anything about Leo leaving so late in the evening or so soon after his waking up. They simply smiled and told him to have a good evening.
"I wish I could do that little trick," said Phoebe as Prue drove them home. "Control peoples minds. It could be real handy."
"And dangerous," said Prue. "There's no telling how you might mess up their brain if you didn't know what you were doing."
"Still," said Phoebe.
Alister was already waiting for them once they got home.
"Well?" asked Piper. "What did they say?"
"They don't think there's any cause for alarm," said Alister. "Temporary loss of memory isn't uncommon with head injuries. Especially ones as severe as Leo's was. The Elders think that once his healing ability is fully restored, his memories will come back, too."
"What if they don't?" asked Prue.
"I can't answer that," said Alister. "There's never been an incident like this before."
"Will Leo still be a White Lighter?" asked Phoebe.
"Oh, of course," said Alister. "Loosing his memory doesn't affect that. Any more than your loosing your memory would affect you being a Charmed One. You just don't remember what your powers are or how to use them. But you can relearn. Just as Leo can."
"But he won't remember anything," protested Piper. "Nothing about his previous life, nothing of being a White Lighter, none of our plans, not even our wedding. He can't relearn those."
"Take it easy," said Alister. "This is all probably just temporary. Let's just wait and see what happens. In the mean time, don't say anything to him about being a White Lighter. It's going to be hard enough for him to accept the normal stuff. All of the supernatural things will just make it harder on him."
"Okay," said Piper, "but he'd better get his memory back soon. I don't want to try explaining to him why he can orb or levitate."
"Not to mention what might happen if a demon attacks," added Prue.
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," said Alister.
He didn't like being less than candid with Pier and the others. But the Elders had been very clear about not telling them everything just yet. That Leo may never regain his memory. If he didn't regain his memory in the next few days, they would have no choice. They'd have to strip his powers from him. He'd be at too much risk otherwise.
Alister hadn't exactly lied to Piper. For right how, Leo was still a White Lighter. But that might change in a few days. The Elders might be forced to make Leo mortal again for his own good.