Noble Memoirs
by Nicol Leoraine
Chapter 4
When Nick woke, Derek was gone. It was soon, the sun just started it´s way on the sky and Nick was tempted to return to sleep, but then he realised what a day it is. He´s going home! Out from this hospital, to the house where he lived the last several years. He was going home, but didn´t have a clue as to where it was, or how did it look. Just the empty feeling in his stomach and the distant fear of ambush. Why was he thinking about ambush, anyway? He was afraid, but knew that Derek meant no harm. He felt it. But he also felt the warning bells and the insecurity his loss of memory brought.
The trip to the bathroom, a really cold water on his face and the cobwebs residing in his mind were gone, at least he hoped so. When he returned to the room, the nurse was just putting up his breakfast table. Nick changed a smile with her, then frowned, looking at the contents of his "breakfast".
"You trying to kill me" he asked, only half joking. The nurse blushed, her eyes sparkling.
"Doctor´s orders. You should eat this if you want to get released."
"No kidding"
"Nope. So sit down and eat. Dr.Goddard will be there in half an hour."
"Just great" muttered Nick and pushed at the white mass on his plate. He had a distinct feeling that the nurse is smiling behind his back, but didn´t turn to make sure. Only when he heard her steps retreating, Nick asked:
"Where´s the man that was there last night"
"Ah, Dr. Rayne. He is with Dr. Goddard, at breakfast."
Nick´s eyes widened.
"You´re telling me they´re eating something "edible" while I´m waiting there for them to release me" Nick said, disbelieving. The only response he got was a small laugh and the doors closed.
"Just great" he sighed and pushed the tray away.
"You know you should try to eat it" Gerry said, appearing mere inches from Nick, who jumped, startled.
"Man, don´t do this to me, or they´ll rush in with crash cart" Nick exclaimed and took few steps away from the ghost. Gerry laughed at that, and idly picked at the food. Of course, the fork didn´t move and Gerry left it, frustrated.
"Ah, what the hell. I don´t need to eat" he sighed.
"Hey, are you jealous for that stuff"
"Nah, doesn´t look good. I would just like to have a chance to turn it down, you know."
Despite the headache Nick nodded. Gerry looked downbeat, more than yesterday.
"Did something happen" Nick asked and felt ridiculous about his concern for Gerry. The man was dead, for Christ sake, and he was concerned about him? As if Nick didn´t had enough problems of his own.
"I was in New Orleans" Gerry stated and with a sigh sit down into the chair by the hospital bed. Nick sat opposite him, his eyes never leaving the ghostly face.
"You were checking out your family"
"Yes. First I stopped at the House. They didn´t saw me, but I felt... God, I never thought they would mourn me, Nick. I mean, I knew they love me, that they were my family, but I didn´t think..." his voice broke and Gerry shook his head, brushing away the unexisting tears.
"The worst thing is, they don´t know what happened. I was standing right before Eric, and I couldn´t tell him that it wasn´t an accident. You know what I fear the most"
Nick shook his head.
"That they´ll think I did it on my own. That I commited suicide. Crap."
"Man, you can´t think like that. If they know you, they won´t believe it. I won´t believe it, and I know you only for a day."
Gerry grimaced, then snorted.
"But that wasn´t what really got you, was it" Nick asked, eyeing the man quietly.
"No, it wasn´t."
"You saw your wife"
Gerry nodded and wondered how did Nick knew that he was married. Nick, as if reading his mind, pointed at his left hand. Gerry almost laughed.
"You didn´t lost it. You have the ring even after your death." The golden ring glittered and Gerry closed his hand into fist.
"Mandy was already sleeping, Kyle next to her. He wasn´t sleeping in our bedroom after he turned two, but now they were together. I lie down, next to them. You know, I almost felt Mandy´s skin under my fingers, and I could swear she felt me, beause she leaned closer" Gerry was smiling slightly, remembering the moment.
"How old is Kyle" Nick asked quietly.
"Five. You should know it, you was on his christening."
Nick´s face darkened and Gerry cast him an apologetic glance.
"Sorry, I forgot."
"Not more than me, Gerry. Not more than me" Nick sighed.
"I´m just afraid he won´t remember. That he will grow up without father. Without someone to teach him play baseball, or tell him about girls. He´s too young, Nick. He won´t remember me." This time the tears rolling down his cheeks glistened and Nick could swear that if he´d touch them, he could feel the wetness. But he didn´t and Gerry turned.
"Your friends will take care of him" Nick tried to assure him, though he didn´t had a clue as to who Gerry´s friends were.
"Yeah, they will. And Mandy will too. I´m sorry. Bet you didn´t think ghosts can get so emotional" Gerry joked, trying to ease the tension.
"No kidding - I didn´t even think ghosts are real."
They both smiled and the doors opened.
"What´s so funny, Nick" asked Dr. Goddard, perplexed by the fact that he heard Nick talking, though there was no else n the room. Nick blushed and Derek coughed, glaring at Gerry. The ghost just shrugged.
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about this thing you call food. You know, it can be taken as a danger to me" Nick joked, trying to avert the doctors attention.
"Well, maybe it´s that way so our patients are more focused on healing so they could leave and eat some good stuff."
"Yeah, that´s it"
"So, how are you doing this morning Nick" Derek asked and Nick turned serious.
"Still the same. I´ve got some really wild dreams, but can´t remember them."
"That´s good, Nick. It means your subconsciousness is trying to cope with the situation."
Nick only snorted.
"Okay, your vitals are good, scans got back quite normal. I don´t see a reason to keep you there anymore" Dr. Goddard said after finishing his exam. Nick let out a relieved sigh and looked at Derek.
"Can I get my clothes"
Derek nodded and handed him a duffel bag. Rachel brought them this morning. Yours were a little - dirty."
Nick only nodded and took the bag, ruffling through it´s contents and glad to find some jeans and a shirt with black sweater. At the bottom were a pair of socks and running shoes.
"Okay, Nick. Here are your medications, you don´t need to stop by pharmacy. Change those bandages regularly, don´t strain your hand and rest. Plenty of rest. If anything, get yourself checked out. Otherwise, I´ll see you in four days for a check up. Understood"
"Yes, sir" Nick answered, almost salutting, then frowned. Dr. Goddard nodded at him, and left to get his release papers. Derek had a weird smirk on his face.
"What" Nick asked, frustrated that he couldn´t remember what it meant.
"Nothing. Some things never changes" was the cryptic reply and Derek left the room, giving Nick the privacy for getting dressed.
"What about you, Buster" Nick growled at Gerry and the ghost laughed, disappearing in the air. Once alone, Nick dressed and waited for the cavalry. It didn´t took long and he was sitting in the car, listening to the radio and watching the road. It looked familiar, but also strange. Nick would be able to find the place they were at on the city plan, but couldn´t really say where they´re going. Just that it was out of the city.
"Where are the others" Nick asked after a moment and wondered if they´re going out of San Francisco. Wondered if perhaps he was mistaken and Derek really wasn´t who he said. But the older man looked at him, smiling and Nick couldn´t imagine that this could be some set up.
"Alex and Philip are trying to find our attacker. Rachel is home with Kat, she caught some stomach flu."
"Who´s Kat"
"Katherine Corrigan" Derek said, realizing Nick didn´t really "know" her now.
"She´s Rachel´s daughter, ten years old. Cute girl, intelligent."
"Anyone else I should know about"
Derek thought about it.
"We have a buttler, Mitchell. Of course, there´re some people doing the cleaning and all..."
"Whoa - a buttler? Just how big a house is this"
"It´s big" Derek confessed with a grin and Nick thought he heard Gerry laughing.
"I don´t get it, man. I´m living in a big house with a buttler and - you? That´s weird."
"And Alex. Rachel and Kat have their rooms there also, of course, but they´re living in the city, it´s closer to Kat´s school and Rachel´s patients. Philip used to live in the house too."
"Why didn´t I get some apartment"
"You´re our security chief, Nick. You live in the house so you can guard it. We have some exponates there. And I think you like it" Derek added in a moment.
Nick was just about to ask where the house is, when they stopped by the ferry.
"Just in time" muttered Derek and they drove up.
"I think I´ll look out, take some air" Nick mumbled and get out of the car, breathing in the salt air and watching the riddles from the ferry on the water surface. He knew what he´ll see, he saw it hundred times before, at least it was how it felt. The Alcatraz was towering ahead of them, looking awesome and scary at the same time. But nothing prepared Nick for the sight that came when they get out of the ferry and drove up the island. The house was huge. No, bad word. Not the house, the castle! Nick eyed first the castle, then Derek.
"How can I not remember this" He asked in a whisper and Derek sadly looked up.
"It´ll come back to you, Nick. It has to."
"Or what" Nick wanted to ask. He felt that Derek was more than concerned by his amnesia, and Nick had a growing suspicion that it wasn´t just for Nick´s sake. Something else was going on, involving him. But what? Nick didn´t ask, because he knew the answer he would get.
"Wait. We will wait, and if you won´t remember, then maybe..." he almost heard Derek say it. But what then? What will happen then?
xxxxx
Okay, I know this one was short and nothing much happened there, but I decided to post shorter chapters, more often. I think it´s better that way, and it´s easier for me. Hope you´ll stick with me till the end-) I promise there will be some action, soon.
Don´t forget to review, please...
