To Journey's End Part Fourteen

             Todd wandered around the house pacing and Beth knew he was upset about the impostor taking his place in Llanview. “Todd, stop. You’re going to wear a hole in my floor. You really should be resting or better yet come into my office and we’ll check and see how we can get you home.”


            Todd stopped and looked over at Beth, sheepishly smiling. “I’m sorry. It’s just that none of this makes sense. Like you said last night, the guy doesn’t even look like me. How can he be me? Why would everyone even accept him as me? Blair and Starr know me. I know they couldn’t have forgotten. Yet, those articles say that guy’s been me almost since I disappeared.”


             Beth was going to say something when they both heard a car pull up outside the home. Todd and Beth looked at each other. “It’s probably just Sam, but to be on the safe side, you should go in to the bedroom.” Todd nodded and went to the spare room, closing the door most of the way and stood listening. At the knock on the door both realized it wasn’t Sam. Beth opened the door to discover Amy’s husband standing on her front porch. “Eli, this is a surprise. I thought you’d be in class today.”


             “I took some leave to help Amy’s settle in with the twins, but that’s not why I’m here. The other day out in the brush while we were searching for that poor fellow, I seemed to have run afoul of some critter and it looks like it’s infected. I figured I better get it treated can’t afford to get sick now.”


             “Of course, Eli, let’s go into my office.” Beth led the way to her office and began her examination.

Todd closed the door to his room the rest of the way. He sat down on the bed, thinking about all that Sam and Beth had done for him. His wrists ached and he rubbed the bandages. It was hard to even look at them without feeling chilled.

“Where is it?” demanded Baker

“I don’t know. I don’t remember, you tell me I’ve been out eight years.“

“Eight years, but for you it’s like yesterday. Who did you give it to? Was it John McBain?”

“I don’t know who that is? Look, why don’t you tell me what it is and then maybe I can give you an answer?”

“We’ve spent eight years taking care of you, waiting for this information. You have it. Now, who did you give it to?”

“I swear, I don’t know what it is you want. “

“Very well, If you don’t have it, than there no longer any reason to keep you alive.” Baker pulled out a syringe from his pocket. “One shot and it’s all over in thirty seconds.”

“Go ahead, but if you do you’ll never get what you’re looking for.” Todd bluffed hoping against hope to keep the man from killing him.

Baker grinned “You know where it is?”

“Maybe I do and maybe I don’t, but I want some assurance. If I give it to you, what happens to me?”

“Once we have it you’re free to go.”

“Ehh, I don’t know. I don’t think you’re going to just let me go. I don’t think you’ll kill me, if you do you’ll never find it.”

Baker put the syringe away. “You’re right, but I don’t have to kill you . Take a good look at that chair you’re strapped into. It’s wired to a switch on the wall. Now I flick that switch, it’ll send so much voltage through your body, you will beg me to kill you. Now where is it?”

Beth watched as Eli drove away. Suddenly a scream echoed through the house. Beth rushed to Todd’s room and found him writhing on the bed his eyes staring straight ahead, caught once again in his memory. As suddenly as the screaming had started, it stopped, and Todd lay still and unmoving. Beth moved immediately to assess her patient. His heart was racing and he was unconscious. But when she started to check his pupils he began to come around. “Todd, take it easy. You’re okay.”

Todd rolled away onto his side and curled up into a ball and began crying. Why had they done this to him? What had they wanted?

Beth moved around to the other side of the bed and gathered Todd’s shaking form onto her lap. “Shh, it’s going to be alright. You’re getting better. You’re going to go home.”

Todd pulled himself together, he appreciated the comfort Beth had just given him, but felt awkward and withdrew from her hold. He swiped away his tears with his hand. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s going on. It was so real.”

“Todd, you’re suffering from PTSD. You’re going to have these flashes. You’ll need to get some help. Please, promise me you’ll get some help when you get home.”

Todd weakly chuckled. “All my adult life people have told me to get help. I always felt if I did, I was admitting I was crazy. I’m not crazy Beth,”

“Of course you’re not crazy, I know that. But Todd, what you’re suffering from won’t just go away. If you don’t get help for it, it could incapacitate you when you least expect it or it could drive you over the edge. Please listen to me. You want to get back home with Blair and your kids, but you don’t want to have a meltdown in front of them.”

             Todd hugged himself. He hated how vulnerable he felt. Because of what those men had done to him, he struggled just keeping himself anchored in reality. He had been so relieved when Sam had said the fingerprints proved he was Todd Manning, but now he was once again worried that he wouldn’t be able to prove it to Blair and the kids. He wasn’t sure he was going to be strong enough to fight any battles with this impostor without their support.

           “Beth, what if they don’t know me? What if they think I’m the impostor? I’m not sure I could stand that.”


             “From what I’ve seen so far, you’ll do just fine. You couldn’t have survived all these years if you weren’t strong. I believe you, and I hardly know you. Don’t worry, I’m sure that even if they have some small doubts at the beginning, they’ll quickly realize the truth. You are Todd Manning, just remember that. The rest will fall into place.” They both heard the screen door in the living room open and knew Sam had arrived home.


            Just to be on the safe side Todd let Beth go out first and then followed when he heard Sam’s voice.


            “Hi hon,” Sam returned the quick kiss Beth had just given him and looked over at Todd. “Is everything all right?” Todd appeared to be shaken up by something. Sam noticed the perspiration on his face and he looked like he had seen a ghost. Even Beth seemed subdued with her greeting. “Talk to me. What happened?”


            Todd didn’t know what to say. The whole flashback was just too traumatic and he wanted to find some way to erase it from his mind but Beth’s words scared him even more. These episodes weren’t going to just go away. The thought of more coming on him unexpectedly was downright frightening. Maybe it was too soon to go home. “No! You’ve been gone long enough, Manning. You got out of one prison. Don’t let your memories trap you in another one.”

“Eli stopped over for some treatment for an infection from a bite he received while out on the search party, and as I watched him leave, Todd found himself caught up in a memory.” Beth explained all the while keeping an eye on Todd.

Todd squared his shoulders. “I just had a little reminder of my stay with Baker. The bastard isn’t going to win. I won’t let him. Were you able to get me some ID?” He had to get his mind on something else and the trip home was the best way to do it.

Sam took his cue. Todd didn’t want to talk anymore about things he couldn’t control.

“I’ve got it right here.” Sam tossed Todd the wallet.


           Todd opened the wallet and took out the ID.

T.M. Lord

DOB 1/2/1970

Eyes Hazel

He couldn’t believe it, the picture was him, just as he was currently. “How?”


           “I took one of your older clippings and had a friend of mine work his computer magic. You can’t very well go home as Todd Manning since there is one there already, so I used your sister’s last name and just gave you your initials. It’s a pretty convincing ID. Now let’s get you out of here and on your way home.”


           “I guess if you could get me to the nearest big city, I can get lost there. Then get a job until I get enough money to get home. You folks have already done so much for me, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to repay you, but if I get my life back I’ll find a way."

Sam looked over at Beth. He read her face and knew she wanted to get Todd home the fastest way possible. He wholeheartedly agreed and turned back to Todd. “We’re taking you into Baton Rouge and putting you on a plane from there.” As Todd started to protest the costly gesture, Sam stopped him. “Don’t worry about the cost. Both Beth and I talked about this at length last night. Our life here is pretty simple and the pensions we get from the government have just been building up in our bank. The plane will get you back to your family the quickest and we want that for you.”

“You don’t even know me that well, I... I owe you my life.” Todd couldn’t find the right words to tell them what it meant to him. In the short amount of time he had been with them he had come to admire them both and been overwhelmed by their generosity toward someone unknown. He thought about Baker and Kent and the fact that they were still looking for him even though he was supposed to be dead. Beth and Sam had placed themselves in the middle, determined to help him no matter who those guys were. He tried to protest their involvement ,“I think you ought to get out of this now, before they come after you because you’ve been helping me.” Todd saw the resolve on their faces and finally shook his head. “Okay, we’ll do it your way. Thank you.”

By late afternoon they were on their way. They had stopped at a store and gotten Todd some additional clothes and a small carry-on, Beth had also given him some medicine and extra bandages for his wrist and ankles. They arrived at the airport a couple hours ahead of the flight and Todd had stayed with them as long as he could. As the boarding time approached he turned to them. They were new friends and Todd realized how few he had. He found himself all choked up and Sam took the initiative. “Listen pal, don’t worry about us. I can handle the likes of Baker. You just worry about keeping safe. Give us a call and let us know you’re all right sometime.” Sam shook his hand and then gave him a quick hug.

Beth hugged him and he returned her hug, she whispered in his ear. “Don’t ever forget, you lived all these years for Blair and the kids.  Now you’ll finally be able to see them. They haven’t forgotten you, of that I’m certain. Take care Todd.”

Todd gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, “I intend to be very careful and Beth, I’ll get that help. That’s a promise.” Todd grabbed his bag and headed through the gate.

Watching from afar, a man reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Baker you were right. He just boarded a flight headed to Llanview. I’m on the next flight out. I’ll get him. I’ll be home in no time after I dispose of our problem.” Kent hung up and prepared for his own flight to Llanview to complete his unfinished business.

****

He stood tall behind the curtain, watching his family through the opening. This was it. After a bizarre couple of weeks, he was finally going to rejoin his family. His thoughts wandered back to Beth and Sam. When they had put him on the flight, they had no idea what he would encounter when he arrived in Llanview. He had made a new friend in a little boy who called Blair, Mom; and he had had to kill Kent to save the little guy. With the help of a guy named John McBain, he had managed to elude another attempt on his life and McBain had even gone so far as to help him try and prove his identity. But tonight was the culmination of all his dreams. Todd stepped out from behind the curtain just as Tomas pointed to the impostor and proclaimed “That man is not Todd Manning.

“I am.  I’m Todd Manning and I’m home.” said Todd.

Todd looked across the room at his beloved Blair and his beautiful daughter, Starr and handsome son, Jack. They were his family. His Journey’s End.

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