Long Ago and Far Away

Chapter 2 – Wake Me

"Dammit Thomas have you lost your mind? You remember what Orville was like when we came back." TC glared at him, "You shouldn't have even asked him."

"Well, you wouldn't do it and I needed someone in there." Magnum pouted. "Rick wanted to help."

"He could get into all kinds of trouble in there."

"Rick will be fine. You worry too much." Thomas smiled, "Besides, I'll be checking on him every day."

"Every day?"

"Well, pretty often."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm pretty busy, I have to give Brooke, Mrs. Metcalf an update on the case."

"I've seen Mrs. Brooke Metcalf," TC grumbled, "and that better be all you're giving her."

"I'm a professional TC, and I never let my feelings for a woman get in the way of a case." Magnum protested.

"Uh huh."

It's easy, just talk to her and find out what she knows. Magnum had said. Yeah right. What if she won't talk to anyone? Rick was so caught up with trying to figure out a way to talk to her that he didn't watch where he was walking. He stumbled and his breakfast tray slid from his hands; most of it crashed to the floor, the tall glass of ice-cold juice hit Mia on the shoulder, the contents spilling down the front of her blouse. She didn't say anything, didn't even blink as he apologized profusely and tried to wipe the liquid off her with his handkerchief.

"Don't worry about it Mr. Wright, I'll take care of her," said Julie. "Please, go ahead and sit, Marcus can bring you another tray."

Rick stared into Mia's eyes, the emptiness in them cut into him and he couldn't bring himself to walk away. Julie's hand on his arm gently but insistently encouraged him to move and he reluctantly took a seat at the next table.

Marcus brought him another breakfast tray and he picked at the food, frequently glancing at Mia who was being fed something that resembled grey applesauce through a tube.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's catatonic. She's been like this for almost a year after she saw her father murdered."

"Oh." It seemed to him that there was a flare of emotion in Mia's eyes for a moment.

"I'm sorry."

"We hope that she'll eventually recover, Dr. Harrison is trying a new therapy with her that seems to be having some effect."

Rick smiled, "That's good, it must be terrible to be locked up inside yourself."

Julie paused for a moment, then smiled at Mia, "Yes. To be locked inside yourself must be the worst kind of prison."

Rick wasn't really hungry but he picked at his food for a while longer, leaving the dining room shortly after Julie took Mia outside.

Back in his room he debated on whether to call Magnum or not, he didn't have a whole lot to report. He wasn't a doctor, but to his eyes Mia was not a threat to anyone, more likely a victim of whoever was behind her father's murder.

The sound of the phone ringing startled him, the tone was harsh and tinny.

It was Magnum, checking on him.

"How are you doing?" Thomas asked.

"Okay, I guess. It's pretty quiet here."

"Quiet huh?"

"Yeah, really, really quiet."

"So how about I come and see you?"

"You don't have to do that today Thomas, maybe tomorrow. Give me some more time to get settled, you know."

"If that's what you want, then I'll come by tomorrow."

"Yeah Thomas."

"Rick, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You sound tired."

"I guess I am a little."

"Relax, don't worry about work. TC and I are taking care of everything."

"That's supposed to reassure me?" Rick teased.

"Aw come on, TC and I can do your job."

"Yeah but it takes both of you and I can do it alone."

Thomas laughed, "Take a nap, stare at the ocean and watch the grass grow for a while. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Thomas."

"See you, Rick."

He hung up the phone, wondering, not for the last time, if he'd made a huge mistake in agreeing to help Thomas with this case.

He tried to take Magnum's advice and relax but he couldn't shake the feeling that everything he did was scrutinized by someone. It was impossible to take it easy when he felt like a specimen under a microscope.

At dinner that evening, the nurse took a chair beside him, "You haven't eaten much today, are you feeling alright?"

So much for the idea that he was being paranoid, they had been watching him.

"I'm fine." He lied

"Is there some dish that you'd prefer?" Susan laid a gentle hand on his arm, "The chef can fix you something else if you don't care for this." She looked at his plate, he'd broken up the fish fillet and pushed around the steamed vegetables but had eaten very little of it.

"No, it's good, really. I'm just not very hungry."

Susan smiled conspiratorially and whispered, "I hate the vegetables too. If you'd like some pudding I can get you some."

"Thanks, maybe later." He couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll bring you some before lights out." She winked and left him.

Later that evening, Susan brought him a dish of chocolate pudding. He said he'd eat it but as soon as she left he dumped it in the toilet.

Day two and Rick still hadn't slept for more than a couple of hours. He was nervous and jumpy. Old reflexes surfaced and he'd come close to striking the nurse when he didn't hear her approaching him after breakfast.

"Sorry." Rick rubbed his hands together, "This is … not a place I'm used to."

"It's okay, everyone tends to be on edge when they first get here but after a couple of more days you'll find you're more relaxed." Julie set a small paper cup on the table, "If you'll take your morning meds I'll personally give you a tour of the garden."

Rick picked up the cup and poured the capsules out into his hand, "What is it?"

"Nothing bad except for the taste," she joked, "It's a multivitamin supplement. Dr. Harrison won't prescribe anything for you until after your conference this afternoon."

Rick tossed the capsules in his mouth and swallowed them with a drink of water.

He made a face, "You're right about the taste."

"I can open them up and put them in applesauce if you'd prefer."

"No thanks, I'd rather just swallow them." He finished the glass of water and followed the nurse outside.

"You know the vitamins absorb better when taken with food."

Rick frowned at her, "I am eating."

Julie's smile was nothing like Susan's, Rick felt like she could see through every lie he told her.

"Several of the patients enjoy growing flowers and vegetables here in the courtyard garden, do you have a green thumb?"

"Not so much," said Rick, admiring the way the paths wound in among the trees and bushes.

"We have a larger garden on the east side that borders the forest," Julie continued, "It has a beautiful view of the mountains. There's a deck at the back of the courtyard where you can sit and look at the ocean." Julie gave him a complete tour of the facility, showing him the treatment rooms, the doctor's patient conference rooms and a common room where the patients could gather to watch TV, play games and receive visitors. They were on the way back to the dining room when Marcus stopped Julie.

"Dr. Harrison needs Byron's med tray brought to his office." The aide told her.

"I'm sorry Mr. Wright," Julie unlocked the door of the office behind the nurses' station, "can you find your way back without me?"

Rick smiled, "I'll be fine, thank you for showing me around."

"Dr. Harrison has your consult scheduled for 3 o'clock, would you like Marcus to take you?"

Rick glanced warily at the hulking aide; "I can find it alright by myself, thanks."

He walked out to the courtyard and found Mia sitting in the shade of a palm tree, facing the ocean.

"Hi Mia." He said gently. "It's Rick. You remember me? We met in the dining room at breakfast. I wanted to apologize again for spilling my orange juice on you. I really am sorry." He crouched in front of her and smiled. He knew she would not answer, she just continued to stare vacantly at him. "I wish you could talk to me."

"Miss Metcalf is incapable of understanding or responding to you, Mr. Wright." a voice broke in.

Rick looked up to see Julie. "I know." His voice softened. "I still like to talk to her."

"You seem to have taken to her rather quickly." Julie smiled.

"She reminds me of someone." Rick said softly, still smiling at Mia.

"Someone special?"

"My sister Wendy. She died."

"I'm sorry." Julie checked the iv in Mia's arm, "Were you and your sister close?"

"As much as we could be, she lived in Chicago."

"Did your sister die in an accident?"

Rick didn't answer and after a few moments of awkward silence, Julie left.

"It was my fault." Rick whispered, staring at Mia. "If I hadn't made her come to visit me, she would have been safe."