Chapter Twenty

"Dr. Jackson is ready to see you now," Jason said as he stuck his head in Teresa's room after knocking lightly on the door.

"Ok," Teresa said as she got up and stretched. "Can I have a moment to get ready?" Jason nodded and left after telling her to push the bedside button when she was ready. When she was alone, she thought back trying to remember the dream she had been having. Legolas' beautiful face floated in her mind's eye. Tears pooled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 'Legolas has sent me away,' she thought in anguish.

'No I didn't.' Teresa looked around wildly but saw no one.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

'Forgotten me so soon?' Legolas' voice came to her ears like a gentle breeze.

"Legolas?" Teresa asked in confusion.

'Yes, my love, it's me,' he whispered softly. 'Please, do not cry.'

Teresa wiped her eyes and sobbed, "Why not? You sent me away!" Legolas was silent for a long time and for a moment; Teresa thought she had imagined it.

'I'm sorry my love. You are right. I did send you away but it was not because I wanted to. Gandalf told me that if I did not release you that I would loose you forever. That you would die. I could not stand that, princess,' Legolas said quietly.

Teresa looked around but still saw no one. "Where are you?" she asked nervously. "Why can't I see you?"

'Well,' Legolas said. 'Gandalf says that you cannot see me because I'm in your mind, part of your imagination. I am a dream to you. This might be so but trust me; you are not alone. I am here to guide you to a place where you can be happy again. I remember your smile and your laughter. I will take you to a place where I can see and hear them again.'

"I am supposed to see Dr. Jackson soon," Teresa said. "I must get ready. Will you be there with me?"

'Of course,' Legolas said. 'I'm here to help you after all. I know of Orlando Bloom. I am here to help you reach him.'

Legolas heard the sound of Teresa's breath hitching. "How?" she asked and swallowed hard. "How do you know of him?"

Teresa heard Legolas chuckle. 'That is a long story and must be told later; you are to meet with your healer remember?' Legolas said. 'You should get ready.'

Ten minutes later, Teresa was dressed in comfortable gray sweat pants with a white sweatshirt. She pushed the button near her bed and was pulling on a pair of hiking boots when Jason entered with the wheel chair. Legolas saw that her hair was the color of honey and pulled high away from her neck and wished more than anything that he could pull it free from its bond and feel it spill over his hands. 'Argh!' Legolas cried in frustration and Teresa cringed.

Jason went to her to help, concern written all over his face. "Are you alright?" he asked and she nodded as he helped her into the wheelchair. "What happened?"

"N-Nothing," Teresa said quietly. "Just a headache."

'I'm sorry my love,' Legolas said. 'I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to yell. I'm just frustrated. I want to touch you so badly. I want you to be able to see me.' As Jason pushed her down the hall to Dr. Jackson's office, a tear trickled down her cheek as she heard Legolas' words. She was glad that Jason apparently had not heard them.

Once in Dr. Jackson's office, Teresa thought her heart would plummet. "Ah, Teresa," Dr. Jackson said as Jason opened the door and pushed the wheelchair inside. "How are you doing?" he asked as Jason left the room.

"I am well," she replied. "Except for a slight headache. I was able to get some air earlier along with some sleep."

'I am sorry I caused you pain, my love,' Teresa heard Legolas say softly.

Dr. Jackson apparently had not heard him either. "Good, good," he said as he sat down on the edge of his desk. "Teresa," he said sighing heavily. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. I have spoken with Mr. Andrews regarding Mr. Bloom. Mr. Andrews has informed me that though he wishes he could help, Mr. Bloom cannot meet with you. His schedule will not permit it.

Teresa was silent for a while and Dr. Jackson did not know what else to tell her. Of course, she should have expected as much she realized. Legolas startled her suddenly by saying, 'See if this Doctor will send you to London anyway… I need to get you there so that I can work out this meeting.'

Teresa cleared her throat and the sound made Dr. Jackson jump. "Dr. Jackson?" she asked quietly as he looked up.

"Yes?" he asked as he tried to calm his nerves and relax once more.

"Do you think I could still go to London? I mean I know Mr. Bloom is busy but if I am there in the city he lives in there is at least a chance that I would meet him isn't there?" she asked as she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Well," Dr. Jackson said with a drawl. "I suppose that there is a possibility that you could find him but you must understand London is a very large city, bigger than Albuquerque in fact. However, I am rather concerned with sending you there alone. Their customs, terms and economy are so much different than ours are here in the US. What if something happened to you over there? You wouldn't really know anyone and because it is such a big place, your chances of finding him are slim."

'It won't be with me here to help you,' Legolas said flatly. 'Come on, sweet heart. Keep him talking. We have to get you over there for me to help you.'

"Dr. Jackson," Teresa said loudly. "Please, please don't make me stay where I don't know anyone. Not even these people who claim to be my family. Look, I know in London I will have a slim chance at meeting him, but it is possible like you said, isn't it?"

Dr. Jackson thought this over for a few moments. "Well," he said slowly when he finally spoke. "I suppose it is possible, but what about your family? How do you think they will feel if I send you away?"

"I don't even know them!" Teresa yelled. "Wouldn't it be better on all of us if I did leave? I don't know if I want to remember them. Not if it means remembering something that brought me here, because the way I see it, it will be harder the second time around."

'Good,' Legolas whispered. 'I think that will bring him around…'

Dr. Jackson sighed heavily as he sat down in the chair behind his desk then ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright," he said. "You're right. It would be worse on you if you remembered everything all at once. It would happen too suddenly. Are you absolutely sure you want to go there?" he asked hoping she would change her mind.

Teresa nodded. "Yes," she said certainly. "I do."

Dr. Jackson sighed in defeat as he leaned back in his chair. "Alright," he said finally. "I will make sure that you get there. Can you give me a day to get things in order?"

Teresa swallowed hard. Hospitals made her so nervous and she didn't know why. It was all she could do to relax enough to take a nap earlier. Did he want to keep her here another night? As she thought about it, a lump formed in her throat and she started to panic. 'Calm down precious,' she heard Legolas say softly. 'I will be with you, remember that. You will be fine.' Dr. Jackson looked at her questioningly and she nodded slowly.

"Ok," Dr. Jackson said as he picked up the phone. "I'll get Jason down here to take you to your room, will you be ok by yourself? I know Jason said you had an anxiety attack when you first woke up." Teresa nodded and after a few moments on the phone to the nurses' station, Jason knocked on the door. He entered and took Teresa to her room.

'You did well,' Legolas whispered as Jason pushed Teresa down the hall.

After entering the room, Jason hung around nervously. "Are you sure you will be alright alone?" he asked as he waited with her for her dinner to arrive.

"Jason," she said quietly. "I want to thank you for being here for me. It has made me feel better. I only have 'til tomorrow right?" she said as she smiled. "I'll be fine."

Jason sighed and stood up. "Alright," he said. "I have rounds to make. I'll come back and see you if I can, ok?" Teresa nodded and Jason closed the door softly behind him.

Back in Dr. Jackson's office, he was going crazy trying to explain to both Teresa's parents as well as her in-laws that she would not be going home. "Yes!" he cried into the phone as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You heard me, she's fine!" there was a pause as he listened to their arguing.

"Look," Dr. Jackson said after everyone was quiet. "I am sending her away to the only place she remembers. I do not want to cause her anymore harm…Yes, I know you care about her and I know that she has never been to London before…If you will let me finish, you will understand why I am sending her there," Dr. Jackson was getting annoyed. He knew this would be hard but he did not expect this.

"Are you finished?" he asked finally. "Ok, now it's your turn to listen to me. I am her doctor and I know that if she stays here, she will be apt to remember the trauma all at once and it will be like a tidal wave crashing down on her. She cannot stay here because if she does, when she remembers everything it will be worse than living through it the first time." After two hours of deliberation, Dr. Jackson hung up the phone and reclined in his chair.

Everything was set, tomorrow morning, he would call the airport and make the reservation for Teresa. It was too late to tell her, he would do it in the morning. There was one thing that still bothered him though. He had been forced to lie to her family by telling them that she would keep in contact with them. He would have to tell her that tomorrow too. Slowly, he rose from his chair and stretched. It had been an extremely long day. He yawned as he gathered his things together then turning out the light, he closed and locked his office and left for the night.