Chapter 46

Seacouver

An efficient woman ushered Anne Lindsey into Joe's house and then showed her into his bedroom. Joe was sitting up in bed looking tired but relaxed.

"Well," Anne offered with a smile, "It looks like you are settling in very well. How do you feel?"

"Better now that you're here. At least I'm off the morphine." Joe laughed and then held his breath a moment before smiling at her once more. "So how do I rate a house call on my first day home?"

"Not a house call... a friendly visit. I thought maybe I'd see your daughter here." Anne looked around.

"Amy had to get back to work," Joe replied. There was something about the way he said it, though, that made Anne wonder.

Behind her Mrs. Hutchinson, the home health nurse cleared her throat. "His vitals are strong doctor. I'm off to fix a bit of dinner." She turned and was out the door.

Joe leaned back his head and shook it, "Atilla the Hun! If you were gonna hire me a nurse couldn't you have found me a young and pretty one?"

"Well I tried, but it seems your reputation preceded you. All the young pretty ones said they'd pass." Anne pulled up a chair and had a seat by his bedside. "Let me see how you're healing." Expertly she examined his wounds. After re-bandaging them she smiled. "They look fine. I just wanted to be certain nothing was ripped in transit."

"Well I was on a gurney from the time I left one bed to be put in this one. Atilla won't even let me into my chair. Bed-rest only! Doctor's orders! Hell she won't even let me have my computer!"

Anne was silent a moment. "Where is it?"

Joe grinned. "Over there." He pointed to his desk.

Anne glanced at the laptop and smiled. "You are a very persuasive man."

"One of my many charms, darlin'."

"All right... I'll put it in the orders that you can have it... tomorrow."

Joe's face fell and he looked hurt.

"Tonight... you visit with me... and then you get some sleep." She settled back in the chair and found herself gazing at the computer.

"Your records of Duncan and the others are on that... aren't they?"

"Yeah, Anne, they are," Joe said simply.

Anne rubbed a hand across her forehead and shook her head. "Why do I let him do this to me? Every time I think he's out of my life... I see him again and it all comes back to me." Tears stung her eyes.

Joe watched her silently. Anything he might say at this point would not help. He knew how she felt. Duncan MacLeod had a way of inspiring loyalty and love in his friends. No one knew that better than the Watcher.

"I knew when I broke up with him... that it was what I needed to do. I'm a doctor... I save lives. Now I'm a mother... I want a better world... a peaceful world for her to grow up in. I want sunshine and roses... and clear blue skies... I don't want to live in a world where I have to hope the man I love can kill other men to keep us safe... to survive. I just can't!" Anne's voice rose slightly and she caught it... glancing at the door... wondering if Mrs. Hutchinson had heard anything. She lowered her voice and continued. "I did the right thing... but then I see him and suddenly... it all comes back... and I miss him and I miss what we had... what we might have had."

Joe nodded, "I know how that is." For a moment he thought about Ellie as Duncan called her... and smiled.

"I mean..." Anne continued, "I know he's moved on... I did meet Amanda... but when he's here and he smiles and he makes me wish..."

"You were in his world."

"Yeah... but then I wouldn't have Mary if I were an immortal. And I don't think I'd last very long. Not like Amanda. She and Duncan belong together."

"Tell you a secret. Something I've never told another living soul." Joe smiled sadly. "After 'Nam... after my accident... When I first learned about immortals and began to study their lives... I wished I were one."

Anne's eyes widened.

"You see... my thinking was this. If I'd been an immortal... I'd have just died there in the jungle and been reborn... my legs would have healed. I could have walked out of that jungle a whole man and into a new life. It was such a wonderful dream. There were days I thought how unfair life was to let me know that such creatures as immortals could exist and that I wasn't one. But then I saw how they lived, Anne. I saw their loneliness. I saw their pain. I saw how in living forever under the threat of death by beheading drove some of them crazy. I saw how burying everyone they ever loved could make them bitter. And then I met Duncan MacLeod. In watching him I discovered that life was precious to all of us... mortal and immortal alike. I realized how much better off I was than they'd ever be. And I realized how blessed I was to know of their existence."

"So you don't still wish you were an immortal?"

For a moment a shadow passed across Joe's face as he thought of a girl with green eyes. Then Joe grinned, "Hell no! Now about my laptop?"

"Where is he Joe? Where is Duncan these days?"

"Paris... last I heard."

Anne rose and brought him his laptop. "That explosion there yesterday?"

"Nothing to do with him," Joe lied. "Just some accident... a gas main they think."

Anne nodded and handed him the small computer. "No more than one hour tonight... and I will tell Mrs. Hutchinson. Doctor's orders!" She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Kiss Mary for me too." Joe said with a smile.

"I'll do that." Anne left then, calling to Mrs. Hutchinson on her way out about the computer time.

Behind her Joe sobered. He turned on the computer and began going through the files. Amy hadn't seen anything... but Amy hadn't studied these records for over thirty years. He would run them all and look for the patterns of change... the ones they knew and the ones who had recently vanished. There was far more to the immortal chronicles than what was on the database... and Joe had made it a point to study on his own as many as he could. The database gave him current locations and Watchers... but it was the knowledge in his head that made the database a helpful search tool.

By the time Atilla made him turn it off and take his "meds" before turning in... he'd made a start. He hadn't learned who it was... but he had a good idea who it wasn't. By process of elimination... he'd get the answer... tomorrow perhaps... or the next day.