Act of Remembrance

A/N : I am hoping to post two chapters a day of this story but as you have all waited so patiently for this story I have decided to post a third one today as a special treat for all my loyal readers and reviewers! Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Mike had insisted on driving Steve home despite Steve's protests that he was perfectly able to drive himself. But both men were at least relieved that the rain had finally stopped. The journey home had been driven in silence, Both men were tired and feeling bad for different reasons. Mike was still slightly upset with Steve for not confiding in him and partly annoyed with himself for almost considering invading the privacy of Steve's desk contents to satisfy his own curiosity. Steve on the other hand knew that Mike was upset with him and yet he didn't feel that Mike would fully understand the reasons behind his current state of mind. He needed to deal with it himself and anyway he felt that when the anniversary came and went in two days time he would be able to lock his feelings away again and he hoped that things could once again return to normal.

When they pulled up outside Steve's apartment in Union street Mike spoke first.

"Try to get some sleep! It's almost three am now. I'll pick you up again at noon and we'll see what Bernie has to tell us about the autopsies and you can finish the second report. Ok?"

"Ok Mike." Steve said submissively and opened the passenger door to get out. Steve hated when Mike was angry with him and for a split second he considered telling Mike why he was off form. Turning to look at his mentor and friend he started.

"Listen Mike ... " but the rest of the words refused to follow so admitting defeat he continued instead. " ... Thanks for the lift. I'll see you tomorrow!" and getting out he gathered his belongings from the back and waved briefly at Mike as he crossed the deserted street and headed up the steps to his apartment.

For a brief moment Mike thought Steve was going to talk openly to him but seemed to change his mind much to Mike's dismay and all that was left for Mike to do was watch his downhearted partner ascend the steps and enter his apartment and then he drove off in the direction of home feeling quite heavy-hearted himself.

Steve opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. He watched as Mike drove off down the street and then closed the door again and made his way into his living room. Discarding his jacket and tie on a chair and opening the top buttons of his shirt he then made his way to the kitchen. Opening the fridge he frowned when he remembered that he hadn't shopped for groceries lately and saw that the fridge was mostly empty. So grabbing a beer instead he took a few swigs from the bottle and brought it with him into the bedroom.

Dropping heavily onto the bed he swung his legs up and sat up on the bed and reaching over to his locker he placed his beer down and picked up a bowl of sunflower seeds instead. As he munched his favorite snack he dreaded another fitful night's sleep tortured by memories that wouldn't leave him in peace. Taking another few mouthfuls of his beer he shifted down on the bed pulling the soft pillow under his head and placed the bowl and bottle back on his bedside locker. Trying to stay awake didn't last long though as exhaustion took hold and his heavy eyelids closed and soon Steve was breathing evenly and had fallen into a deep sleep. But unfortunately for Steve hell was about to pay another visit!

Soon the nightmare started again. He saw the attack as if he had actually witnessed it and heard the screams. He wanted to help. To stop it from happening but as is usual in nightmares he couldn't move. Something was preventing him from assisting. Then it was over as quickly as it had started. All he could do was hold the lifeless body and grieve for his loss! He felt himself shake with racking sobs of despair and then the scene changed and he was standing in a graveyard. It was dark and he heard a voice. A familiar voice. A voice he missed. He strained to hear what the voice was saying. "Where were you Steve?" the voice asked. "I needed you. WHERE WERE YOU STEVE ?" The words cut into his heart like a sharp knife. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! " Steve mumbled in despair as he tried to see where the voice was coming from. Stepping backwards Steve lost his footing and realized to his horror that there was an open grave right behind him. He tried to right himself but a hand grabbed him from behind and then he was falling. Down, down endlessly into a dark abyss. Panic-stricken he heard a loud shout and bolting upright in the bed realized the shout had come from him. Breathing heavily and shaking uncontrollably it took Steve several minutes to calm himself down and stumbling to the bathroom he threw up violently and then sat for several minutes more on the cold bathroom floor as the nightmare remained vividly clear in his head.

Finally managing to calm himself down he dragged himself up off the floor and checked his watch. It was just before six am. Not daring to risk going back to sleep Steve decided to shower instead and after a warm shower he shaved and dressed in a clean trousers and shirt and after hanging up his soaked clothes from yesterday and making himself as strong cup of coffee as he felt his empty, upset stomach could handle he decided to check if his morning paper had been delivered.

Stepping out of his front door Steve was dismayed to see that the paper delivery guy had been lazy again and left all the residents papers on the bottom step again. So leaving his door open and not bothering to put on any shoes he made his way down the stairs and bent down and picked up his paper. The early morning breeze made him shiver but at the same time it felt good to breathe in the fresh sea air. There was a slight fog coming off the bay but at least it was dry and as Steve turned to go back up the stairs he heard a faint cry for help. Still bothered by his recurring nightmare at first Steve figured that his mind was playing tricks on him but as he stood perfectly still and listened carefully he heard it again! It was coming from the ground floor apartment under his. An elderly lady had moved in there just over six months ago and Steve had often passed the time of day with her and had occasionally helped her by carrying in her shopping and reaching things that were on high shelves for her. All in all Steve had become quite fond of the sweet lady who lived there on her own.

Feeling slightly alarmed and switching into police mode Steve raced down the steps, along the sidewalk and up the couple of steps to the ground floor apartment, suddenly wishing that he had stopped to put on shoes before exiting his house as the cold,damp ground chilled his bare feet. Steve knocked on his neighbour's door and tried the handle but found that it was locked.

"Mrs Peterson? Mrs Peterson are you ok? It's Steve from upstairs. Are you ok in there?"

Hearing another faint cry Steve bent down and looked through the letterbox and much to his alarm saw the form of Mrs Peterson lying on the floor of the hall very distressed and calling for help!

"Hold on Mrs Peterson! I'm gonna try to get in there to help you. Just hang on! Everything's going to be alright."

"There's a key under the third flower-pot under the window young man! Please help me!" Mrs Peterson feebly spoke.

Hearing this Steve picked up the third flowerpot and finding the key where it was supposed to be he opened the door and raced to where his neighbour was lying on her left side on the floor and knelt down beside her.

"Mrs Peterson! What happened? Are you hurt?" Steve asked hurriedly and breathlessly trying to visibly check the old lady for signs of injury.

"Oh thank goodness you heard me! I thought no-one would find me." the old lady sobbed very distressed. "Oh bless you young man!"

Then calming down a little knowing she had finally been rescued she continued somewhat shakily.

"I fell and hurt my foot and banged my head ... I must have knocked myself out because I woke up on the floor and it hurt to move ..." and with that she started to cry again.

Steve then noticed that Mrs Peterson's left slipper clad foot was very badly swollen and that there was a nasty looking cut just at her hairline on the left hand side where blood had oozed and started to congeal. Where was Mike's handkerchief when he needed it Steve thought to himself. Taking the elderly lady's hand in his he sought to reassure her.

"It's ok Mrs Peterson. Everything is going to be alright! I need you to lie still while I go call an ambulance and get some things to make you more comfortable. Ok?"

But as Steve went to get up, Mrs. Peterson gripped his hand tighter stopping his progress.

"Oh no! Not an ambulance! I don't like hospitals. Please call my granddaughter instead. I'll be fine. I'm afraid of hospitals you see. I don't want to go there on my own ..." and with that the old lady began to sob uncontrollably.

Steve felt very sorry for Mrs Peterson in that instant. God knows he wasn't that keen on hospitals himself and he understood that it could be a harrowing experience to go there unaccompanied. After a few seconds Steve had decided what he would do. Trying his best to calm and console his neighbour Steve spoke softly and sympathetically .

"Alright now. Take it easy! Everything is going to be ok. Mrs Peterson, your foot is badly swollen. It might be broken and the fact that you were knocked out means you need to be seen at the hospital. I'll make a deal with you ok? You let me call the ambulance and I'll call your granddaughter at the same time and then I'll travel in the ambulance with you and I'll stay with you at the hospital until your granddaughter arrives ok? What do you say? Would that be alright?"

The elderly lady was very touched by the young man's offer and felt easier knowing that she wouldn't have to go to the hospital alone but also felt bad for being a nuisance. It was something she had always vowed she wouldn't become. Her granddaughter had wanted her to move in with her six months ago but she had not wanted to be a burden and had rented this apartment instead to hold onto her independence as long as she was able to. And now here she was putting her young neighbour to such trouble. Through her sobs she spoke sadly.

"I couldn't put you to such trouble young man. It just wouldn't be fair. I know you work long hours and you need your rest "

Before she could say anything else, Steve squeezed his neighbour's hand and reassured her again. Truth was he would be glad of the distraction to take his mind off his current depression. And knowing that Mike would not be collecting him until noon Steve reckoned he'd have plenty of time to bring his neighbour to the hospital, wait with her and be back before Mike knew he was ever gone.

"It's no trouble at all really! I was awake anyway. Now I just need to use your phone and I'll be right back. Take it easy. Ok?"

Mrs Peterson appeared to calm down a bit and smiling at her young neighbour she finally let go of his hand and answered.

"Ok. My phone is over there on the coffee table and my granddaughter's number is on a notepad beside it."

Smiling back, Steve got up and raced to the phone and picking up the receiver he first phoned for an ambulance. As the dispatcher's voice came on the line Steve spoke clearly and distinctly.

"Hello, my name is Stephen Keller. I need an ambulance at 287 Union Street, ground floor apartment please. My elderly neighbour has had a bad fall. Her foot is badly swollen and she hit her head and was knocked out for a while. I just found her a short while ago."

Steve listened as the dispatcher assured him that the ambulance would be with him shortly and after getting some medical instructions on how to help make his neighbour more comfortable until the ambulance arrived he thanked them and then he quickly dialled the next number from the notepad. The name was written beside the number. Steve quickly glanced over at his neighbour to check that she was still ok while he waited for the phone to be answered. The phone seemed to ring for an eternity and Steve was just about to hang up when an answering machine clicked in and a young woman's voice relayed the message that she was unable to answer the phone and requesting the caller to leave a message. Steve would have preferred to speak to the lady's granddaughter herself and not a machine under the circumstances but left with no choice and anxious not to leave his neighbour for too long, he left the following message.

"Hello, Ms Peterson. This is Stephen Keller. I live in the apartment above your grandmother's here in Union Street. I'm sorry to have to tell you this in a phone message but your grandmother has had a bad fall. She's alright so there's no need to be too alarmed but she hurt her foot and hit her head so I've called an ambulance and I'm going to go with her to San Francisco General. Could you meet us there as soon as you get this message please? In the meantime, you don't have to worry. I'll make sure she's looked after. Ok. I guess I'll see you there. Bye."

As soon as Steve hung up he raced back over to Mrs Peterson and made sure that she was still ok.