Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort/Johnny Depp or their sexy bodies…though I wish I did!
AN: This story is almost over! I just thought I'd mention that I love my reviewers, I really do. They pick me up and make me feel so happy! Thanks a lot, everyone, and enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 14: Discoveries:
That Night: Kayla's POV:
Looking in the mirror, Kayla winced at her reflection. 'Oh, my God, am I trying to get a date with Alex?'
It was the tenth outfit she'd tried on, and she still didn't like the way she looked. It wasn't that she was trying to look nice for Alex; it was that she was trying not to look nice for their 'lunch-as-friends' tomorrow. The problem with that was that all of her clothes looked at least somewhat decent on her, and some even had the ability to be suggestive towards the opposite sex. Tomorrow, she just wanted to look professional for work, but okay enough for Alex to open up and talk to her.
"I guess the black top will have to do," Kayla muttered to herself as she went back to the closet.
Presently, her black cotton blouse with short sleeves seemed like the only thing that gave her the look she wanted, so it would have to do.
"I just hope that Alex doesn't get the wrong message tomorrow at lunch," she groaned, pulling out the top and putting it on the hat stand she had in her bedroom, placing it next to the black dress pants already there. "Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."
Mort's POV:
Never in his whole life did he believe that time could move so slowly. Honestly, it was as though time were moving against him, causing the day to go by in a cold imitation of a river of honey, drudging by so slowly it seemed to stand still. It had been bad when his separation from Kayla had first started, but now it was worse…if he didn't see her soon, Mort felt as though he might as well throw himself out a window just to end the meaningless days without her presence.
Rolling over in his bed, Mort felt as though his heart had become a block of ice, lying cold and heavy in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of the orderlies and fight his way to Kayla's side, but knew that it would get him nowhere (save for more time in the isolation ward). Mort never thought he'd feel so empty without human contact, but here it was, a gaping hole in his heart.
Sighing, Mort lay facedown on his bed to try and get some rest. He only hoped that someone would try and help him out of his situation before it was too late.
The Next Day: Kayla's POV:
After working her way through her stack of papers that morning, Kayla was not eager for lunchtime to approach. She'd rather eat live scorpions than eat with Alex, but if she wanted to sneak some information out of him, this was the only way. Kayla felt a bit guilty for using the man this way and taking advantage of his feelings for her, but it was the only way to help Mort and therefore help their love for one another. There really was no other way to do this.
'Well, there might be, but I'm not sure I want to go that far,' she thought, shuddering.
No, she'd much rather eat out with Alex and have a conversation than seduce the guy into telling things she might not want to hear…especially if the conversation might include things he wanted to do to her body. After that, she'd definitely have to hurt the man before having Mort carry out the rest of the ass-kicking. Chuckling at the idea of Mort beating up Alex, Kayla went back to work, a small smile on her lips.
Finally, the clock struck twelve, signaling the start of the afternoon lunch rush to the cafeteria, and Kayla took a deep breath to steady her nerves before leaving the desk.
Twenty Minutes Later: Kayla's POV:
Finishing her salad, Kayla nervously moved on to her roast beef sandwich. She'd been talking to Alex for only a few minutes (not counting the time it took to get their food), and it felt like it had been going on forever. She was a shy person by nature, but could easily open up to the right person during the right situation. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those situations; talking to guys always made her nervous and her hands sweaty…especially good-looking ones.
'Then why didn't those things happen when I was talking to Mort?' she thought to herself, inwardly sighing as she took a bite of her sandwich.
It was probably because Mort was so different from other men. He was so sweet, so desperate for her to like him that he was willing to do anything to even look at her that it had shocked her into talking to him. After all, it's hard not to respond to that sort of open desperation, and it was that desperation that had caused her to be so open to him. Talking with Mort was like talking to someone you felt like you knew all your life, and that made Kayla like him all the more.
'Too bad talking with Alex isn't that way,' she thought, taking another bite of roast beef.
Oh, dear Lord, how she wished talking to Alex was easy! With the exception of Mort, talking to handsome men was not her forte. It was sad, but true, and it was currently making things even more difficult in helping Mort. Her gut twisted as she thought about Mort being stuck here forever because of her nervousness and spinelessness. No, she had to do this, for Mort's sake, at least; he did not deserve to be stuck here because of some jealous staff member's selfish behavior.
Alex's voice suddenly broke into her thoughts.
"Kayla, are you okay?" His voice was filled with concern.
She jerked in surprise. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," she quickly replied, taking a quick sip of her soda to cover her embarrassment at being caught daydreaming during their "date-as-friends".
"You seem a bit preoccupied," Alex said, his eyes focusing on her face. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I'm fine, really." Kayla was relieved that she managed not to stutter or say anything embarrassing. 'Wow, this is harder than I thought. God, I wish I were talking to Mort instead!'
A burst of warmth flooded her as an image of Mort flashed through her mind. Quickly, she quashed it; she did not need to be distracted while trying to get info out of Alex! It was odd that thoughts of Mort would prove distracting when all she was trying to do something to help him, but that was how her weird little mind worked, so she did her best not to think of Mort's face while trying to talk to Alex. Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she gave Alex a small smile of assurance.
"I'm fine, really," she said again, stirring her soda with her straw to appear calm.
"Well it looked like you were thinking of something," Alex said, looking at her suspiciously. "Were you thinking about Mort Rainey?"
The question was completely unexpected and Kayla couldn't help but look at him in surprise, her mouth slightly gaping open.
"I thought so," retorted Alex, who proceeded to stab at a helpless tomato slice in his salad bowl. "You're worried about him, and it shows on his face."
"Well I can't really help it, Alex," she snapped, setting down her drink and ignoring her food in order to glare at the orderly across from her. "There's an innocent man lying alone and falsely accused in the isolation wing! How can I not think about him?"
"He's not falsely accused, Kayla," growled the man in front of her. "There was a witness to it!"
"If there was a 'witness,' then why isn't a female being punished for her alleged involvement with Mort?" she hissed at him, not wanting to cause a scene. "Sounds to me like this witness didn't see anything at all!"
"Yes, he did!" Alex ground out between his teeth, obviously trying to control his temper. "Or he overheard it, at least!"
"Then what did he hear?" Tremendous doubt crept into Kayla's voice. "An overheard encounter couldn't really count as witnessing the encounter, could it? It could have been anyone!"
'And how would you know if someone had overheard the encounter instead of seeing it, anyway?' Kayla silently thought to both him and herself. 'Especially when no one knows anything about the whole thing except Mort's accuser and Dr. Vincent?'
"It was Mort Rainey," Alex flatly replied as he angrily gripped his fork in a tight fist. "That voice is unmistakable, even through doors."
'Doors?' she thought. 'How would he know the encounter was behind a door, or know about doors being in the way of witnessing the encounter?'
"Believe me, Kayla, Mort Rainey did it, and there's no question about it," Alex said, going back to his lunch. "Let's talk about something more pleasant, shall we?"
Kayla merely gave him a nod and half-listened to his questions, nodding and giving brief answers. She didn't need to stay after Alex's unintentional confession, but it would be rude to leave.
Besides, she wanted to think about what his reaction would be after she told Dr. Vincent everything she knew and had learned.
One o'clock that Afternoon: Kayla's POV:
Knocking on the entry door to the office of the chief of staff can be nerve-wracking for anyone. However, knocking when you're trying to prove a mentally disturbed man innocent of a crime is even worse. Still, Kayla knew that she had to do this, even at the expense of her job. Mort didn't deserve this, and she was the only one who could help him. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
"Come in," called a male voice.
Kayla took another deep breath and walked inside. Dr. Vincent was seated behind his desk, a stack of papers in front of him. He gave a warm and welcoming smile when he saw her.
"Dr. Vincent?" she asked. "Could I speak to you for a moment? It's extremely important."
"Of course, Kayla." The tall doctor waved towards a chair. "Take a seat."
She sat and looked around the office nervously. "Um, I really don't know how to say this," she began, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Risking a glance up, she saw Dr. Vincent give her an encouraging look and felt a bit braver. "I'm here on behalf of Mort Rainey."
The head doctor and psychiatrist blinked at her. "You're here on his behalf how, Miss Baker?" he asked, suddenly very interested in her words.
Another deep breath. "I'm here to prove Mort Rainey innocent of the accusations against him."
Dr. Vincent leaned back in his chair. "I'm listening."
Twenty minutes later, Kayla had managed to blurt out her entire argument about Mort's innocence. She'd begun with how Alex wanted to have a relationship with her, and how the orderly was trying to frame Mort. She continued on to explain that the reason Alex would try and frame Mort was because he thought that Mort was standing in his way, especially since Kayla spent so much time together with Mort during their treatment sessions together. She also told of how she'd refused Alex's advances constantly, and believed that, since Mort was now 'out of the way,' Alex felt it was now safe enough to try and pursue her again.
After she'd finished describing the case and the situations leading up to it, she leaned back and waited to see what the man's reaction would be. In her mind, she knew that he would either believe her and let Mort go free, or dismiss her claims as something a desperate woman would say in an attempt to save a man she cared about. She held her breath as Dr. Vincent sat there, staring at a piece of paper in front of him and tapping a pen. A few minutes later, he broke the silence.
"What I don't understand, Kayla, is how you believe you 'know' that Alex is the accuser," he said, sitting up and leaning forward over his desk.
"Because he practically told me, sir," she replied, looking him right in the eye. "He told me that Mort has a very recognizable voice, one that could be evident even through a door. Everyone on the staff knows that the record is sealed and the only people who know the exact details of the encounter would be you and the accuser. Thus, the only people would be you and Alex."
Dr. Vincent chewed his lip. "It's still a rather far-fetched idea, Kayla," he said, looking at her with a grave expression in his eyes. "Do you have any proof of Alex falsifying these accusations?"
"You could ask any member of the staff, male or female, and they would tell you that such a thing is not above him doing," Kayla calmly replied. "Alex is not one to take 'no' for an answer, and when given such an answer, he's willing to do anything to change a person's mind…especially if it is a female mind that he has to change." She lifted her chin. "And I have no reason to lie other than to help a man whose one crime is that of wanting to be friends with the only people to treat him like a normal person."
Silence followed, and for several moments, Kayla felt her heart drop with each passing tick of the clock on the wall. She truly hoped that Dr. Vincent would see the truth, and that he would not think her story a made up one.
"I need to think on this for a little while, Miss Baker," he said, leaning back in his chair and forming a triangle by pressing his fingertips together under his chin. "I'll get in touch with you once I've researched this matter further. You may go." She stood up. "Oh, and why don't you pay a small visit to Mr. Rainey; he's missed you these past few weeks."
Kayla gave a few short nods before heading out the door towards the isolation ward.
Five minutes later: Mort's POV:
The sound of the door unlocking caught Mort completely by surprise. He'd been left alone by the staff for so long that a visit from anyone never crossed his mind. However, a spontaneous visit by the staff was not something he wanted by now, especially if it involved his treatment sessions or his medication. No, if it was something like that, he was fully prepared to tell the person to get the hell out of his room and leave him alone. Actually, he would probably just throw them out no matter what their business was!
As the doorknob clicked and began to open, Mort took a deep breath and prepared himself to confront the person and verbally throw them out. However, the vision that was presented to him shut his mouth and caused his mind to instantly go blank, such was the beauty of the angel in front of him.
"Kayla?" he gasped, reaching for her as though she were a mirage that would disappear at any moment. She smiled at him and his heart flipped in his chest.
"Its okay, Mort, Dr. Vincent said it's alright for me to visit you for a little while," she said, reaching out and patting his shoulder before looking back over hers. "Alone," she stressed, looking at the orderlies at the door. They frowned at her, but closed the door, leaving the two to their privacy.
Now that he was sure no one was looking, Mort literally threw himself at her, knocking her to the bed with a muffled 'thud,' his lips pressed hard against hers. The loneliness in his heart instantly fled the moment their flesh connected, his body suddenly going from cold and empty to hot and raging full of love and desire for the woman currently wiggling underneath him. Their kiss broke a moment later to allow air into their gasping bodies.
"Mort," she quietly panted, obviously trying to control herself. "We can't do this now, not with them outside the door!"
Mort reluctantly nodded, giving her one last brutal kiss before helping her up from the bed. "How did you convince him to let you see me?" he whispered to her, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her so close that it would take a first-class tornado to remove her from his grip.
Kayla gave him a soft smile. "I did a little detective work, that's all," she said, caressing his cheek, stroking it with her thumb when he nuzzled against her palm. "I found out who framed you, Mort, and I told Dr. Vincent about it. I gave him the whole scenario, and why someone would do that to you. He's currently thinking the matter over, but I'm…" she trailed off before continuing, "I'm not exactly sure what his final decision will be."
Mort sighed, his hand reaching up and pressing her hand flat against his face, never wanting the blissful physical contact to end. Suddenly needing to touch her, Mort began to stroke every inch of her body that he could reach, going from her back to her shoulders, trailing up to her neck and ending at the back of her head, where his fingers entwined themselves into the red strands of her hair. The feel of the individual silky strands around his fingers told him that she really was here with him, causing him to go semi-slack against her. Surprised, she barely had time to wrap her arms around his body to support him.
"Mort, are you alright?" she said, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. "Mort?"
"I'm alright," he replied, quick to reassure her. "I'm just making sure that you're really here with me and not some kind of dream." He gently kissed her mouth. "Yes, definitely real."
She chuckled before pulling away from him. "We've got to be careful, Mort, remember they're listening outside," she quietly warned.
Again he sighed, but did as she asked and pulled away, taking a seat in a chair while she sat on his bed. The sight of Kayla perched at the edge of his bed made his groin tighten, but Mort forced his desires down so that nothing could happen. Gulping, Mort fought to say something non-sexual to her, but couldn't think of anything at that moment.
'Damn it,' he thought, reaching up to rub his face in frustration. 'I finally get her to myself after all these weeks, and I can't think of a bloody damn thing to say to her! And I'm supposed to be a well-known and talented writer!'
His tongue still tied, Mort simply sat there and held Kayla's hand as she told him of her mission to help him. First, she told him how she had researched numerous members of the staff in her attempt to prove him innocent, and how she managed to get information out of them to eliminate them from the list she kept in her mind. Finally, she told him of her lunch with Alex, and how he had unknowingly confessed his secret accusations against Mort. Once she'd explained everything, Mort sat there and took it all in.
Even though he shouldn't have been, Mort was surprised at how determined she'd been to do all of this, just to help him. It made him love her even more, knowing that she cared so much about him that she was practically sacrificing her job here at the hospital to help him. When Kayla had mentioned her lunch with Alex, Mort did his best to control himself and not go out and kick the crap out of the orderly. He secretly pictured the evilest sort of beating and torture for the other man, but swore he wouldn't act it out. If he did, all of his treatment sessions would be for nothing, and prison was not something he wanted looming in his future!
Mort quietly cleared his throat. "So what happens now?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder towards the door and the orderlies likely standing outside of it.
"We wait," Kayla replied, also glancing at the door. "Dr. Vincent still has to think the whole matter over and question Alex about a lot of things." She gently squeezed Mort's hand. "All we can do is wait."
AN: I'm not sure what should happen to Alex. While I'm all for a good ass-kicking, I'm sure that nothing I write will please everyone. Plus, being truly evil is not really my thing, so you'll have to visualize it yourself if you don't like the punishment that I give him. Anyways, review!