Memories Unlocked #2

Almost four months had passed since Todd Manning had been declared officially missing.  The Hawaiian authorities had classified the boat, last known to have held Manning, to be lost at sea.  Sam Vance had been enjoying the assignment because it had gotten her out of Llanview. With a little bit of snooping, she had managed to find out the name of the boat and had gotten its last coordinates, before the Coast Guard lost it in the storm. Dressed to kill, Sam was on a mission. She had procured the name of a private air charter service that would be willing, for the right price, to take a long flight to parts unknown. Although Blair had been generous, paying whatever had been called for. Sam didn't want to push the limit. If her suspicions panned out then she'd get a hefty reward.

She walked into the bar and as she had figured, all eyes were instantly on her.

Approaching the bar, she pinpointed her prey, Captain James Sawyer. Unlike several of his fellow pilots, he sat by himself and appeared to want it that way. His long hair touched the edges of his collar and his shirt hugged his shoulders.  There was nothing soft about him and Sam liked that. Oh yeah, Sam, this is going to be fun. She sauntered down to his end of the bar and pretended to trip in her heels. She was almost to the floor when she found herself caught up in his arms and looking into two magnetic blue eyes. "Thank you. I really need to give up wearing these heels. I'm forever turning my ankle in them or tripping." She made it a point to display her trim ankle.

James Sawyer took a long look at the auburn beauty in front of him.  She was dressed to kill, from the emerald green sheath that clung to her in all the right places to the trim legs tapering to matching four-inch stilettos.  He hadn't been immune to the vision she had presented when she arrived, but he also hadn't missed the slight pause she made before coming his way. "You can drop the vamp act, sweetheart. I'm not buying, state your business and then leave. If you're here to serve a summons, I'm not the guy you’re looking for."

Sam was surprised. The man was shrewd and reminded her a little of Todd when she first met him. The eye color was different, but the wariness certainly wasn't. "I'm not a process server, Captain Sawyer, but I was looking for you," She said, dropping her act. "Would you join me for a drink, I have a business proposition for you. One that could possibly make us both a lot of money."

****

“Troy, my mind is made up.  I know what you’re going to say next.  I’m just throwing good money after bad.  You’ve been around long enough to see how Todd operated.  You know what kind of messes he got into.  This is just another one of those.”

Troy couldn’t believe his ears.  “Blair, he lied to you about Jack.  How can you possibly want him back?”

“I know I’m not making any sense, Troy.  I can’t explain this thing we have between us, it’s just there.  I’m mad as a hornet for what he did to Jack and me, but I understand him.”  Blair walked over to the terrace doors.  “It’s a pattern with Todd.  He gets desperate.  That’s why he attempted to take the kids in Hawaii. He’s always pushed for the one thing he never had as a child, a family.”

Troy ran a hand through his hair. “Blair, the authorities believe he was lost at sea.  What makes you think he’s still alive out there?”

Blair turned back to Troy.  Her hand moved to above her heart. “I just feel it.  He’s not dead.  I don’t know why he hasn’t made an appearance back here, but I’m determined to find out.  I hired Sam Vance and she’s been keeping me up to speed on her progress.  She seems to feel the authorities might have been mistaken where the boat went.  I don’t know, but if anyone can find Todd I think she has the best chance.  I know for a fact she’s a good investigator.”

Troy knew from talking to Starr how much Todd and Blair had been through.  He had also gotten quite an earful from Nora on the subject of Todd.  There had been a point after Blair had returned from Hawaii that he had thought he might have a chance with Blair.  But now he realized it wasn’t going to happen.  He walked over and took her hands into his. “Blair, I hope you find him.  Just remember, I’m your friend.  If you need me, I’m a phone call away.”

She gave him a light kiss on the cheek.  “Thank you, Troy.”

He started to leave and turned back to her one more time. “You better prepare yourself for a bigger argument from Rappaport, if he finds out what you’ve done.   He’s furious with Todd for hurting you, and the things he did to Will.  If by some miracle Todd is found, he'll try and talk you into getting a divorce.”

“Don’t worry Troy, I can handle him”  She didn’t follow Troy out, instead she walked back to the terrace door and looked out. I can handle Sam, but what am I going to do when I find you, Todd?

****        

Miguela watched him as he sat by himself in the sunroom.  It had been a little over a month since he had arrived in her operating room.  As far as his broken bones were concerned, he was healing nicely, but two problems had made him a man whose demeanor made everyone extremely uncomfortable.  He was paralyzed from the waist down and was confined to a wheelchair. That in itself would have depressed many men.  But added to his amnesia, it was the straw that had broken his spirit.  He was very bitter and had exhausted the patience of quite a few of the young nurses on staff and now everyone gave him a wide berth.

The damage his brain sustained had effectively wiped out all of the memories of his past life. The staff psychiatrist had encouraged him to begin anew, but he was surprisingly stubborn, insisting he didn't need a new life, he would get his old one back. He flatly refused to answer to the name of John Doe and whenever she suggested he pick a name, he glared and said the only name he wanted was the one he was born with. They had tried hypnosis and sensory recollection, but nothing had triggered anything significant. When they had shown him the picture found in his shirt pocket, they had all hoped something in the picture would help but to no avail. Although he hadn't known the woman and children portrayed, he refused to give up the picture.  She observed that he was again studying the picture and then she watched him put it away and move his wheelchair out onto the sunny patio. She could hear the children out there. It sounded like they were beginning to get bored and cranky.   

He had been looking at the picture night and day since the staff had handed it to him and he found it frustrating as hell that he couldn’t recognize them.   A ruckus was coming from the patio, so he put the picture back in his pocket.  Deciding to investigate, he rolled out and encountered the children out there getting some sun. They were a motley bunch of kids and he knew they were in the hospital because things were going as bad for them as they were for him.  He grabbed a magazine and tore a page from it. Making a  paper airplane, he let it fly into the midst of the children.  After the initial surprise, the children laughed and clapped as he sent more planes into their gathering.   He couldn’t help smiling when he realized the kids liked his little offering.

Miguela watched fascinated.  It was the first time she had seen a smile on her patient's face since his arrival.  He was enjoying himself and the children were soon begging him to show them how to make the airplanes.  After exhausting all the paper in the magazine and strewing the yard below the balcony with them, she heard him make an offer to the children.

Trying to find something else to amuse the children he said. “How would you like a story?” All the children nodded and soon he was telling them his story.  He looked at all their excited and interested faces and felt the best he had in a long time. The children were fully into his story and he continued. "And so the Black Dragon saved his princess from the cruel and evil wizard Maximilian and his equally evil spiky-haired witch Skyella. The princess was grateful but still sad. Her two children Starlight and Jacko were being held in the clutches of the disgusting ogre Samson and his little ogres Wilbur and Jennipuss."

"Oh my," cried one of the children. "They must have been so afraid."

"It's okay," he looked at the little girl who had spoken up.  She reminded him of someone but the image of the other little girl vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Princess Starlight was very brave. She kept the ogres from eating her and her baby brother by offering to find insects and reptiles for them to eat instead. She even managed to find a helpful black spider who offered to bite the ogres and put them to sleep. Once the ogres were asleep she lit a fire hoping someone would help them."

A little boy lying on his bed smiled. "I know who saw her fire. It was the Black Dragon and their mother wasn't it."

"Hey, I can't get anything past you. You kids are too smart for me." He high-fived the young man and looked at the rest of the group. "I guess I don't need to finish the story."

Altogether, the children responded. "No! Don't stop. Finish please."

"But Li Kwan knows the ending." He had read the young boy's name upside down on his wristband.

The boy looked at him in awe."How did you know my name?"

"I have many strange powers but they only work sometimes since I was hurt. Today, I was given your name.  Would you like to finish the story?"

The little boy shook his head no.

"No. Should I continue?" All the children nodded yes. "Okay. Well, Li was correct.  The Black Dragon and his princess were flying through the sky searching for the Ogre's home when they spotted the blaze Starlight had lit. When they landed, the princess jumped off the Black Dragon's back and ran to her children.  Just then, the ogres woke up from their sleep. As the disgusting Ogre Samson reached out to grab her and the children, he found himself facing the Black Dragon and with one massive burp, the Dragon belched a ball of fire that covered the Ogre and his children and they melted into little lumps of swamp mud statues, forever trapped. The princess and her daughter gathered them up and stowed them in a bag. Little Princess Starlight decided to keep them and paint them and put them into her reptile garden as decorations. The Black Dragon offered the Princess and her children a safe home in his kingdom and told young Starlight that she could set up her garden there. Everyone agreed and they flew to the Black Dragon's home and lived a fun and happy life together. The end."

All the children laughed and clapped, then realized it was time to return to their rooms.  Li Kwan turned to their newfound friend.  “What is your name?”

Miguela moved forward before her patient got upset, only to stop when he replied quietly.   

“I don’t know, that’s a mystery.  I’ve lost my way and can’t seem to remember my name.” He could see the questions in their eyes.  “Maybe, you could help me out.   I really hate it when people just say “Hey you” or call me by a name that just doesn’t feel right.  Would you like to give me a name?

The children nodded and huddled around Li’s bed for a moment whispering. When they separated, Li Kwan spoke up.  “We will call you, Kitsune Ryu”

He smiled at the children, “What does it mean?”

“It means Fox Spirit Dragon in Japanese,” said a blonde headed little girl.  She looked to be about six.  He tried to read her wristband but was unable to see her name.

“But I’m not Japanese.”

“We know that, but dragons are good luck and you are our dragon storyteller.  Li Kwan said that Kitsunes are clever magical spirits who love to tell stories.  So we chose that name for you.”

“Sounds like a mouthful, why don’t you just call me, Kit.” A picture of a sleek black car named Kitt popped into his head suddenly.

The children giggled and he looked at them.  “What’s so funny?”

The little girl, who had expressed concern for the Princess’s children, laughed and said. “You are.  Kitt is a girl’s name.”

“Oh, really, I know a man who had the name Kit.  He was an explorer and soldier in the old west.  What’s your name?”

“Don’t you know?”  She looked a little disappointed that he hadn’t known her name the way he had Li Kwan’s.

“I’m sorry.  I told you all earlier since I was injured, my powers come and go.  Let me see.  Maybe I can guess it.  Is your name, Susie?”

She shook her head no.

“How about Hildegard?”  

The little girl giggled.  “What kind of name is that?”

“I believe it’s Dutch.”

“I’m Spanish.  My mama said our people have been on this island for a long time.”  

“I see.  Okay, well then I guess I’ll have to try Paloma.”  He wasn’t sure why he picked that name, but the image of another little girl with that name flashed through his head at that given moment.

The little girl sighed and shook her head no, she was clearly disappointed. “My name is Blanca, but that’s okay, it was a good try.”

“I’m sorry, I guess my magic has left me for a while.   l told you it comes and goes.  Blanca, it’s nice to meet you. So, I know your name and Li’s name, what about the rest of you?”

The children piped up and told him their names and he tried to keep all of them straight.   He mispronounced a couple of them deliberately and the children laughed at his convoluted names.  After being corrected and getting them right finally, he smiled and said.  “Now let’s get back to the name you guys picked out for me.  If Kit won’t work maybe we can find something else.”

Dr. Sanchez stepped forward. “I couldn’t help overhearing what you were talking about.  Kitsune means fox in Japanese. There’s an English name that also means fox.  It’s ‘Todd’.”

He felt his heart leap. “What did you say?” He turned the chair to face his doctor.

She looked at him in surprise.  He seemed anxious suddenly.  “I said you could take the name, ‘Todd’.”

He closed his eyes for a moment testing the name in his mind.  It felt right.  “I like it. Okay, you guys, I’m now Todd but that last name just doesn’t seem right.  I’m not Japanese.  Dr. Sanchez, by any chance, is there an English name meaning dragon?”

“Yes, Drake means dragon in English.  Would you accept that?” Dr. Sanchez felt hopeful. If he accepted the name maybe he could then turn his thoughts to healing.

****

Sawyer glanced over at his passenger.  She was really quite a looker.  She was wearing a pair of figure-hugging cream-colored slacks and a mint green blouse which was a striking contrast to her dark auburn hair.  He had agreed to take her on her wild goose chase because he needed the money to get his plane out of debt.  He didn’t think she had a chance in hell of finding the man she was looking for.  He had heard about the search for the guy, some multi-millionaire and knew the authorities had written the guy off as lost at sea, but he never turned down good money.  “You really think the authorities were looking in the wrong part of the ocean.  Why?”

“Because I know this man.  He was always unpredictable.  I’m guessing he knew they were going to be looking for him and so he took his boat the wrong direction.  What he didn’t figure on was the storm.  The search headed towards Japan and I think we should look south towards New Zealand.  There are many uncharted islands there, perhaps he’s on one of them.  I researched the shipping lanes and there are a couple of islands just off them.  If he was alive on one of them, no one would know.”

“Okay Lady, this is your dollar.  I’ll fly you out there.  But we don’t go past the point of no return, if I say we’re headed back to civilization for fuel, we go. Got that?  You’re good looking and all, but I have no intention of getting stranded myself.”

Sam nodded, through her lowered lids she glanced at Captain Sawyer.  He had cleaned up a little bit after accepting the job and she found herself drawn to his rugged good looks.  She too liked her creature comforts, though, and agreed wholeheartedly with him.  On the other hand, enjoying a tropical resort with him would definitely have its merits.  First things first Sam, you need Todd’s money to enjoy something like that. Find him and you can play to your heart’s content.  “I’ve got that.  Let’s get the trip underway.  I have a good feeling we’re going to find something today.”

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