The Price of a Memory
Part 13/17
Claude watched Peter disappear down the busy sidewalk with a slight sense of unreality. When Suresh had left with the obvious hint that Claude should get on with the plan to tell Peter the truth, it wasn't like he'd expected things to end well. But this? Clearly, he was being punished. All the past wrongdoings he'd been building up over the years, it was no wonder karma had come to collect at last. Kicking him in the balls at exactly the worst moment.
And it wasn't even like Claude had much of a defense against the accusation that he'd once thrown Peter over the side of a building. The fact that he hadn't been actively trying to kill Peter at the time was really beside the point considering how it had all been two birds with one stone to him when Peter had ended up dying anyway. That he hadn't stayed dead just complicated things more when the boy had nothing but unhelpful fragments of memories to guide him, moments without context given to misinterpretation. Peter, of course, being the champion of misinterpretation.
Except it occurred to Claude as he trudged up the stairs back to Suresh's flat that there shouldn't have even been anything for Peter to misinterpret. Years had passed since Claude had last dealt with the Haitian but even back then he'd had a reputation for being a thorough bastard. It wasn't like he had a habit of leaving shards of unwanted memories just lying about for his victims and clients to trip over like Peter was doing now. Was the fact that Peter remembered even these small scraps a sign that he was beginning to somehow push through the barriers of amnesia? Or was something else going on?
With nothing to do but lurk until Suresh and Molly got back, Claude set about distracting himself from his thoughts by finishing what Peter had started with setting the table. He debated for a bit over whether he should include a fourth place what with Peter probably halfway to Mexico by now but did it anyway just in case. Before long, he heard the jangle of keys in the lock.
Suresh appeared in the doorway with a large bag of greasy food in one hand and Molly's hand in the other. The two entered the flat apprehensively as if the funereal silence had led them to believe they were about to stumble on the aftermath of some violent scene. But Peter hadn't left any signs of his anger behind him this time. Quite the change from back when he used to be able to throw objects across the room using only his mind.
"He isn't here," Claude said once Suresh's eyes had fallen on him, standing guiltily next to the table, which felt ridiculous to him now that it was all set like they were about to have a nice family dinner. "He's run off."
Suresh set the bag of food down on the table wordlessly. Meanwhile, Molly moved between the open bedroom door and the open bathroom door, looking inside each room as if she didn't believe Peter was really gone.
"I suppose he didn't take it very well," Suresh said after a minute and it was obvious from his tone that even he was aware of the magnitude of his own understatement.
"That's the thing," Claude said. "He didn't take it at all."
Suresh straightened, a faintly accusatory look on his face. "What did you do?" he asked.
"I didn't try to molest him or anything, if that's what you think," Claude said. Except he couldn't help but wonder if that was entirely true. After all, he'd had to press himself pretty close to the boy to get him to stop all that flailing and screaming. And he hadn't exactly been quick to move away. Not until Peter had pushed him.
Claude shifted his weight to the other foot. "He thinks I tried to kill him."
"When?" Suresh asked. "Just now?"
"No, not just now," Claude said, annoyed. "Back then. When I threw him over the side of that building."
Suresh's narrowed eyes widened in surprise. "He remembered?" he said. "Should that even be possible?"
"I don't know," Claude said. "All I know is he went into one of those fits like he did that day we played at hypnotizing him. Except this time it wasn't just staring off into space and falling off couches. This time it was all thrashing about and screaming bloody murder. Like he was caught in some kind of a nightmare."
"Or a vision," Suresh said. "Like the prophetic dreams he used to have."
Claude shuddered, remembering how it was one of those prophetic dreams that had led Peter to him in the first place. "Except this was a memory," Claude said. "Or a fragment of a memory. He didn't understand what he was seeing."
"But he saw you," Suresh said carefully. "So he knows he knew you. Before."
"Guess so," Claude said.
A pause passed between them as they each absorbed this fact.
"Fucking Petrelli," Claude said. "This is his fault, I'm sure of it. All his shit about 'honoring Peter's wishes.' If only we'd all told him the truth in the first place, he wouldn't be out there on his own right now thinking--" He cut himself off with effort.
"We couldn't have known that this was going to happen," Suresh said grimly.
"We could have made an educated guess," Claude said. "The boy has a history, after all."
Suresh's mouth quirked up ever so slightly at that.
"We need to find him," Claude said.
"How long ago did he leave?" Suresh asked.
"Don't know," Claude said. "Wasn't exactly looking at a clock at the time. Maybe a half hour or so." It was a wild guess. Peter could have been gone for hours for all he knew. "I should have run after him but I thought chasing him would only add to the whole perception he has now that I'm some sort of crazed serial killer."
"I think that was the right choice, all things considered," Suresh said. "Which is also why I think you should stay here while I go looking for him."
Claude's jaw slackened. "Like hell," he said.
"Claude--"
"I'm not going to sit around here wringing my hands while you're out performing some kind of one-man search party," Claude pressed on. "How do you expect to find him anyway? He could be anywhere by now."
"I could help."
The offer came from Molly, who had been standing off to the side as Suresh and Claude argued. She looked hopeful, eager to contribute. It was all Claude could do not to sweep her up in his arms and crush the breath out of her. If he was the sort that did that type of thing with children. Which he wasn't.
"No," Suresh said immediately. "You should stay here with Claude."
Claude exchanged looks with the little girl.
"But I want to help," she said. "I can find Peter."
Suresh sighed. He crouched down so that he was eye level with Molly. "I know you can, Molly," he said. "I appreciate your offer and I know how much you want Peter to be safe. But Peter isn't himself right now. He's scared. Reminding him that no matter where he runs we'll be able to find him using your power will only scare him more. Not to mention how dangerous it might be for you considering you found Claude for us just a few days ago."
Molly threw a glance at Claude suggesting her bitterness at her own generosity. He knew she was thinking if only she'd known this was what was going to happen, she wouldn't have bothered locating him in the first place.
"I just think it's better if we do things the old-fashioned way this time," Suresh added. "I'm sorry."
"Claude's right," Molly said, angry tears glistening in her eyes. "You should have just told him the truth all along." With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Suresh watched her go, looking pained.
"I don't understand why we can't just use her ability," Claude said. "That's what it's there for, isn't it? Finding people and all that."
"Peter's trust is fragile right now," Suresh said, standing again. "Or perhaps non-existent is the better word. I know of a few places he might have gone to. I'll check there first. If I don't find him by morning, we'll have Molly look."
"He could be dead by morning," Claude pointed out.
"Then we'll all be dead by afternoon because that's how long it will take Nathan Petrelli to figure out what's going on," Suresh said wryly. "Before I go, I have just one question."
"I already told you I didn't try to molest him," Claude said. This time he almost believed himself.
"Not that," Suresh said, rolling his eyes. "These…fits Peter's been having. Is that normal? For someone who's had an encounter with the Haitian, I mean."
"Well, I haven't done any extensive studies or anything," Claude said.
"But, to your knowledge, do the people he comes into contact with suffer any kind of brain damage that might result in seizures like the two Peter's had?"
"Seizures, maybe," Claude said. "Memories, never. It doesn't work like that." He shifted. "And by the way this isn't doing anything to help convince me of your little theory that Peter will be fine by himself until morning."
"I just wonder what it means," Suresh said.
"Join the club, mate," Claude said.
Suresh nodded. "I should get started," he said. "I'll call if I find anything."
And with that, Suresh was out the door and it was just him and Molly to wait and see what happened next.
TBC