Keeper of His Heart
Chapter 11
Seven months ago, …
Voices.
That was first thing that Sam was aware of when she regained consciousness. A murmur of voices, speaking in low tones.
In her hazy state, she could barely decipher the words an unfamiliar voice was saying.
"Bad fall…concussion…should be okay…need to be careful…"
As her mind struggled to grasp and comprehend these word, the next thing she realized was that her head was hurting, a lot.
The pain was like a consistent pounding, never letting up. She tried to relax her muscles, but it only made the unrelenting throb worse.
Subconsciously, one hand came up to hold on to her head. She was surprised to feel the rough textures of a bandage, rather than smooth skin.
What happened? She wondered.
It was making her nauseous.
She groaned softly, wishing that the pain would just go away.
The voices suddenly stopped. Footsteps approached her bedside.
"Young lady? Are you awake? Can you hear me?" A soothing male voice asked.
It took a lot of effort for Sam to will her eyes to flutter open. Her eyes automatically winced at the piercing light, blinking a couple of times to get herself used to it. Once her sight had adjusted, Sam's shifted her gaze as best as she could to the source of the sound.
The voice belonged to a middle age man with a stethoscope looped around his neck. He was dressed formally under the white lab coat. A pair of glasses was perched on the bridge of his nose as he appraised her with some concern.
"It hurts." Sam rasped, hating how hoarse her voice sounded. How long had she been out?
The man straightened up and was all business. "Where does it hurt?"
"Here." She feebly pointed with a hand to her temple. The man introduced himself as Dr Wheeler. He took a few minutes to examine her head, alternating that with some questions about the extent of pain. Once he was done, he helped Sam to lie back down on the bed.
"Thanks." She croaked again.
"Shane, get her a glass of water to drink first." Dr Wheeler ordered. It was only then did Sam notice two other older man standing a distance away from her.
The first man was skinny with a head of grey hair, who scuttered off obediently at the doctor's instructions.
That must be Shane then… She managed to deduce in her current unwell state.
The other man stood tall with his feet turned outwards, and his hands were folded across his chest. He stared at Sam stoically, and acknowledge her appraisal with a small tilt of his head. This was done with an air of something akin to arrogance that made Sam dislike him immensely.
"So young lady, you took a very bad tumble earlier…" Remembering where she was, Sam turned to meet the concern eyes of the doctor. "Do you remember what happened?"
Sam tried to recollect her thoughts but found only a patch of nothingness in her head. The more she tried to remember, the more her head hurt. And the more her head hurt, the more panicked she felt.
"I don't remember…I don't remember! Why can't I remember!" She became more agitated with every passing second, gripping her head in pain. Her whole body was shaking.
"Calm down young lady…It's alright." By then, the man named Shane had returned with the water. It took a few minutes for Dr Wheeler's soothing words to process through her system.
She sipped on the water silently while curious eyes explored the room, she was currently in. The room was sparsely furnished, but had all the essentials ranging from a wardrobe, a study desk, and an old dresser next to the bed. An abstract work of art hung from one wall. Random items, such as clothes and books, were scattered around the room. Sam's sixth sense was telling her that she wasn't in a hospital.
"Where am I?" She voiced her thoughts timidly.
"We're in my summer home." Shane answered from across the room.
"You had an accident." The stoic, white-haired man added on. "Dr Wheeler is a family friend of Shane's and we asked him to look you over." His tone was no-nonsense, and he shot Sam a glare as she was about to ask another question. The young woman wisely shut her mouth again.
"Now, I'm going to ask you some questions alright? It's okay if you don't know the answer to them, but I'll need you to answer them the best you can alright?"
Sam nodded, pacified by Dr Wheeler's tone of voice. It was clear the man was experienced in what he did, so she trusted his judgement.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Samantha S-." Sam suddenly paused. It was as if there was a fog in her mind, clogging her senses and memories. A brief interlude later, she shook her head regretfully. She couldn't remember her last name as much as she tried. "Just Samantha."
"Well done Samantha." The doctor praised. "Do you know what year we're in?"
It took some serious concentration on her part."2008?"
"Right again. How about the month?"
"Erm…January?"
Dr Wheeler shook his head gently. "It's the twenty-seventh of May today."
A few other preliminary questions and tests later, Dr Wheeler stood up and gave his diagnosis.
"Well… It seems to me that you've got amnesia. You've still retained understanding of your motor functions, but not your memories. Not uncommon for concussion cases like yours. Seen plenty of it." The doctor mused to himself.
"Amnesia?" Shane and the other man traded looks.
Sam didn't know what to think.
"Is it permanent?" She whispered in horror.
Simultaneously, the man next to Shane (whom she still did not know the name of) asked. "Will she ever regain her memories again?"
Dr Wheeler sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "It's hard to tell honestly. Some amnesia patients recover in a couple of weeks, or in a month or two. Others take longer." He said vaguely.
"So, what you're saying is that I might never remember?" Sam stated bluntly. There was a different kind of throbbing pulsing through her, this time in her heart. It was a difficult thought to swallow.
"Not necessary, but it is a possibility. Most patients I know recover, however. Don't worry Samantha. What's important now, is to ensure that this concussion of yours," he gestured at the turban style bandage on her head, "doesn't become worse."
With a heavy, despondent heart, Sam slowly nodded her head.
Dr Wheeler turned to address Shane and his companion. "I'll be back tomorrow to check up on her. And you ought to send someone down to the drug store to get some painkillers." He wrote something on a piece of paper.
"I'll get Wayne to do it." Shane took the paper and pocketed it.
"She should be fine. Keep an eye on her. But if she gets worse, I will strongly suggest bringing her to the hospital."
The hostile glare that Dr Wheeler sent in the unnamed man's direction didn't escape Sam's observation. It proved her suspicions that there was something bigger going on here. Were Dr Wheeler's words hinting that her injury should have been checked out in a hospital?
"We'll keep an eye on her doctor." The man hissed out, equally hostile. "That would be all doctor, thank you."
It took a few days for Sam to adjust to her new life. She had learnt that the stoic man was known as Terence Lewis. She had also met Wayne, a tall, well-built man that seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Together, Wayne, Shane and Terence were a group of ragtag men, with the latter serving as their leader.
She never saw much of Wayne and Terence. On the contrary, it had been Shane that had played nurse in her initial road to recovery. He had administered her medication, brought her some books to read, and chatted with her.
It was one of those times when Sam plucked up the courage to ask what she had been dying to know. By then, her turban-style bandage had been removed, and she had been allowed to get out of bed.
"Shane…? How did I get here? Do you know what happened to me?"
The middle age man went still for a bit, before he sighed. "We were wondering when you were going to ask this. Dr Wheeler did mention that it might be good to stimulate one's memory with some details."
He hesitated. "I have to warn you though, this story isn't a bed of roses. Are you up for it?"
Sam nodded vigorously. "I need to know."
"Alright then. I think Terence would want to be the one to tell you this. I'll get him." The older man made to stand.
Sam pouted slightly. "Can't you just tell me?" Terence had been giving her a cold and just strange vibe right from the start, and she wasn't particularly looking forward to interacting with the elusive man.
"It's not my story to tell." Shane said vaguely. "I'll be back shortly."
Shane had been right, however. The story was not a bed of roses.
And Terence did not sugar-coat any of it.
"Shane, Wayne and I," Terence began, "are a group of criminals. Yes, that means we do evil things Samantha, but we all have our reasons. Reasons that you don't have to know right now. But I digress. There's an organization known as W.O.O.H.P. World Organization of Human Protection. Their agents' jobs are to rid the world of evil. Follow me so far?"
Sam could only nod, her head spinning with the new information. She knew that there had been something more beyond the façade that Terence displayed, but she had never once thought he was evil!
"Okay. One evening about five months ago, the three of us were at a gathering…W.O.O.H. P agents ambushed us and exploded the building we were in. Wayne, Shane and I barely managed to get out." The leader of the group watched the horror reflect off her face.
"Many criminals and their families died that night."
How could they? Sam wondered in horror. Granted, those people were criminals, but they were still human beings after all! How could an organization that prided on Human Protection ever do such a thing? The disbelief and unjust engulfed her. Blinking back tears, she managed to ask.
"Then what about me? Where do I fit in all of this?"
Terence and Shane exchanged another look. Shane took over the story.
"I had never met you before that night, only heard of you. But from what we know, you were there as well. You, and some of your family members and criminal associates."
"I…I…" It was all too much to take in.
"We found you unconscious nearby and took you in."
"And my family?" She demanded.
"We believe that the explosion killed them too. I'm sorry Sam."
"No…No…NO! NO!" Sam shook her head, traitorous tears spilling down her cheeks. "It can't be!" She was a criminal? And her family was dead? And her friends? All because of an explosion?
"Sam listen to me-" Shane moved to reassure her.
"NO! GET OUT! GET OUT!" She screamed.
"About a week later, I approached Terence to offer my services…To take revenge against W.O.O.H.P and O.R.A.I.C…"Back in the present, Sam wrapped up her story emotionally.
"Terrence told me that I hit my head not long after due to an encounter with O.R.A.I.C agents, causing me to lose my memories…But I'm guessing thar could be a lie too huh." She added on bitterly.
"Most likely…I've never had any reports about it in May last year at least…I'm sorry Sam." Jerry said sincerely, shaking his head slowly.
Sam tried to smile, but it faltered almost immediately. "Not your fault I was too naïve." She sighed again, suddenly looking ten years older than she had been before. "You guys know the rest…I trained under Terence, took the name of the Red Woman, and here we are."
"Here we are." Tim echoed. He was pensive as he processed the information. What had happened in the five months between the explosion and her first conscious awareness? Did Terence really do something to her?
If he did, he'll pay.
"And we've come one full circle." Clover declared while looping an arm around her friend's shoulder. "I'm so glad you're alright Sammy."
"So am I. Although I don't have my memories, this feels right." Sam managed a sincere smile this time.
Soon after, Jerry declared that they ought to rest for the night. It was already four-thirty, and any aftereffects of the caffeine had long worn off. Seeing as how it was already so late (or early, depending on how you see it), Tim offered for everyone to crash at his place.
Jerry declined, seeing as how he lived a stone's throw away to the O.R.A.I.C HQ. Alex and Clover were almost dead on their feet and agreed instantly. After seeing Jerry off, the group staggered off to bed.
"You girls take my bed. I'll crash on the couch." Tim said. The guest bedroom only had a single bed, which would not fit all three superspies. He could take the guest bedroom, but a kind of protective instinct rose up in him to guard over the three young woman that night.
If anyone wanted to get to them, they would have to get through him first.
"Thanks Tim, nights." Clover replied, yawning heavily.
"Thanks Tim." Alex echoed, waving goodnight.
Sam lingered behind, biting her lower lip. Now that they were alone, she found that she was actually pretty nervous. "Are you sure you'll be okay on the couch?" She asked.
"I'll be fine. I've had worse." Tim reassured her with a smile. He got out an extra blanket from one of the drawer. "Don't worry."
"Alright." She replied, shifting from side to side. "Well, good night then."
He nodded fondly at her. "Goodnight Sam."
With a final smile, Sam turned and ambled into Tim's room for the second time that night.
As she climbed into bed, Sam commented offhandedly. "It's really nice of Tim to let us his room."
Next to her in the middle of the bed, Alex turned to look at her with a smile. "Yeah…"
Clover shot up from the other end of the bed and glanced at Sam coyly. "Yeah, but we've crashed at his place a couple of times, and he never let us have his room." She smirked evilly.
"Really?" Eyes wide, Sam asked.
Alex shook her head with a tired, but still amused smile. "Nope. We've always squeezed on the guest bed or the couch… This time's different." A pointed glance in Sam's direction was all it took to make the redhead blush. Alex observed Sam quietly, watching the redhead smile to herself.
She may not have her memories, but she certainly feels something for him…The athletic spy thought. Good, because as far as she could tell, there were still some emotions brimming in Tim.
I just hope he can accept how Sam is now…God, would she ever get her memories back? That was the last thought Alex had, before she drifted off to sleep.
Despite his own fatigue, Tim was awake in less than four hours. The events of last night kept playing back in his mind. It rendered him to a fitful state of sleep. Finally, as the clock showed seven thirty and the morning sun began to rise, Tim rose.
He was mindful to be quiet. There sound coming from his bedroom where the three young women were currently occupying. They must be still asleep then.
Tim got the coffee pot going and booted his laptop. In no time at all, he was sipping on the fragrant beverage and browsing the internet for the topic that plagued his dreams earlier.
Amnesia.
Alex was the first out of the trio of girls to awaken. At first, the superspy could not pinpoint what had rose her, until the tantalising smell of coffee hit her nostrils.
I could definitely use some of it…Four hours of sleep might have refreshed her, but it was nowhere enough.
Alex turned to glance at her sleeping best friend. In her sleep, Sam had turned so that she was facing away from the young woman. The silhouette of her friend was just the same as she remembered, and Alex took a moment just to take it all in.
Sam might appear the same, but she wasn't exactly the same person they had last seen either.
It still felt so surreal. They all had been so sure that she could not have survived…
A familiar twang of pain hit Alex hard. The year had been tough for all of them. They had lost so many and had to rebuild everything from scratch. They had battled hard, and came out stronger than ever, but emotionally worn out.
Not for the first time, Alex's mind wondered to her past colleagues and friends. Sometimes out of no where, these names would pop up in her head. Alex hadn't known how much she thought of W.O.O.H.P as her second family until she had lost so many of them all in one night. Britney, Dean, Blaine, agent Sunny that had sacrificed herself to save her, Agent Brad…
Feeling a familiar bout of melancholy coming along, Alex forced herself to snap out of it. She had always never allowed herself too long to wallow in past regrets. What was most important was the present and the future. And judging from the state of things now, Alex had a feeling that things would pick up speed real soon.
And Terence is not going to get away with it. Not this time.
Alex knew that she wasn't going to fall back asleep. She slowly plucked herself off the bed and trudged out of the room.
"Hey Tim." She greeted her colleague and friend upon spotting him sitting at the island table. The man was hunched over his laptop, but he turned at the sound of her voice.
"Morning Alex. You're up early. Jerry said he didn't need us in till 9.30 you know." A glance at the wall-clock showed it was just after eight in the morning.
"I got lured by the smell of coffee." Alex answered with a tired grin. A twinkle was in Tim's eye as he gestured for her to go ahead. She ambled into the kitchen, finding an extra cup easily.
The athletic superspy sighed contentedly at the first sip of the beverage. "Why are you up so early?" Alex walked out of the kitchen and perched herself on the bar chair next to Tim's. From up close, the young woman easily picked up the traces of fatigue on her colleague's face. But there was also another emotion shining through: sheer determination and willpower.
Tim sighed. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to do some research."
Alex took a closer look. There were multiple tabs running on his search engine, all on one specific topic: amnesia.
Alex hummed in sympathetic understanding. "What have you got so far?"
"It says here that head injuries like concussions normally cause temporary amnesia which would recover on their own. This could take between a few weeks to several months. I'm guessing her injury was more on the serious side, seeing as how its' already seven months and she's been only regaining bits and pieces of memory flashes." Tim looked disheartened.
Alex bit her lower lip. She had something to say but she didn't know whether to broach the subject. "I didn't want to say it in front of Sammy…but do you think it's possible that it might not have been a fall…but rather something else?"
The two friend's traded looks. "You mean like Terence…altering Sam's memories somehow?"
Alex nodded gloomily.
"I've thought about it. Honestly, that's what I'm most worried about. The fact that Sam's getting some flashes of her memory back is a good thing, but I'm worried that Terence might have caused permanent damage somehow."
"Well, that's a question only he can answer." Alex replied quietly. Her mind was churning many possible scenarios of how Sam could have lost her memories. She could have been bonked in the head, suffered some kind of voodoo, or worse, some scientific gadget or chemical.
Tim nodded in agreement. "I'm thinking we should also book her an appointment to see a specialist. I don't trust that Dr Wheeler." He finished.
"Good point. We can bring it up to her later when she's more settled."
Tim was about to reply when his sharp ears caught the sound of his room door. He really ought to get that door oiled sometime. Turning his head, Tim's gaze softened immediately at the sight of Sam paddling out of the room, her hair still rumpled with sleep.
"Morning." She mumbled, sending twin, hesitant smiles in the duo's direction.
"Hey Sammy. Slept well?" Alex's smile was immediate.
Tim's greeting was more subdued, but Alex could see the electricity dancing between the pair.
"I did actually. Must have been more tired than I thought." Sam eyed Tim, who was watching her with an interested half-smile. "Something smells good though." She hurriedly changed the subject as the man's heated gaze pierced through her.
"I made coffee." Tim was the one that answer. "Do you want some? I can get you a cup."
"Sure, that would be great. Thanks." Sam kept a respectable distance between them and followed him into the kitchen. The painkillers she had taken the night before had wore off, so her shoulder was aching somewhat. However, the pain was only a fraction compared to what she had experienced the night before, and very much bearable.
Alex had to hold in her amusement at the slightly awkward formality between Sam and Tim. For a few minutes, she watched the pair move about in the kitchen. Sam's smaller build and paler complexion; Tim's taller and darker skin-tone. But physical differences aside, Alex knew that both were similar on many levels. They were both smart, logical, fiercely loyal, and were emotionally guarded.
Truthfully, now as an observer on the side lines, Alex could see how a pairing between Sam and Tim would work out. No wonder something had sparked between them the last time. But would they have their second chance?
One hurdle at a time Alex…Terence first, then Sam's memories, then playing matchmaker. That's if, they don't jump to step three on their own first. Alex snickered to herself. The chemistry between those two is undeniable…
Kind of a filler chapter as we move towards more drama haha. Hope you guys like it!
Thanks Cresenta and Sammi for leaving reviews! And thank you everyone for your consistent support, whether in hits, favs or follows ^^
Until next time,
TrixieNancy