Memories Unlocked #21

#21

Todd watched as Blair and Starr followed Sam Vance out the door.  It felt a little strange, but he was sorry to see them leave even though he had encouraged it.  For the first time in months, he felt they gave him a purpose to live again.  

“Todd, are you alright?  You’ve had a lot of shocks today.”

He turned around and faced Miguela.  “I’m not sure.  This morning I had every intention of leaving and disappearing.  Blair doesn’t know it but I saw them last night.  Then I had another of my dreams.  She and Starr were in it.  When I woke up I realized they were my family and all I could think about was getting out of here before they found me.  Doc, I’m not the nice guy you think I am.  I’ve done some terrible things and that’s why I decided to leave.  I didn’t want to expose the children to someone like me who might be capable of hurting them like I hurt others.”

Miguela shook her head.  “I don’t think you would ever do that.  My guess is that Blair told you the same thing.”

“Pretty much.  I still don’t understand how she can love me.”

“I can understand it, all I have to do is see the smiles you bring to the children every day.  You’re going to remember more each day and maybe then you’ll see what the rest of us do, and if the memories don’t fully return, let them go.  You can make new ones,  Now tell me, what did you have to do that was so important you sent your family away?”

He smiled “If I’m going to be here a couple of weeks longer.  I need to tell the kids we’ve got a little more time.  I feel bad about last night but I’m going to correct that now,  Excuse me, Doc, I got some friends I need to see.”

“Okay, but get ready for some more tests tomorrow.” She laughed as Todd rolled away completely ignoring her.

****

Blair watched as James Sawyer laid Starr down on the bed. She had fallen asleep in the taxi on the way back to the hotel.  “Thank you.  It was kind of you to carry her up here.  I’m not sure I properly thanked you for helping Sam find Todd.  I was about ready to give up, but now I know I did the right thing looking for him.”

James ran a hand through his hair, thanks usually didn’t come his way so he was a little uncomfortable.  “You’re welcome, but I just did my job,  I really should be thanking you.  Because Sam came looking for me, I now own my plane free and clear, and well, to be honest with you, Sam’s the best thing to happen to me in years.  Now if you’ll excuse me, Sam and I have a holiday to plan.  I promise we’ll be back in time to give you and your family a ride home.”

Blair nodded and saw him out.  She looked around the quiet suite.  She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. She had found Todd, but he was changed.  Would she ever get her Todd back?  It was like Ireland all over. He was Todd but he was distant. Blair could no longer control her tears and broke down sobbing on the couch.

A short while later, Blair pushed her hair behind her ear and sniffled., “That’s enough self-pity, Blair.  You’ve got work to do if you’re going to get Todd home.”  It was now late afternoon and she wondered what time would it be in Llanview. She reached for the phone and called the front desk.  “Yes, this is Blair Manning in Suite 4. Can you give me an idea what time it might be in the United States on the east coast?  Four in the morning. Thank you.”  She hung up the phone.  It was too early to call Llanview.  She laid back on the couch, her thoughts jumbled together remembering all that had occurred earlier with Todd and soon she fell asleep.    

****

Todd rolled into the ward and was shocked by how quiet it seemed.  He rolled up to the nurse's station.  “Hey, what’s going on, by this time of day the children are usually getting their second wind.”  

The head nurse looked up at his comment and then she smiled. “Todd, the Administrator called this morning and told us you had quit.  I’m surprised to still see you here.  The children have been really down since last night.  Are you staying after all?”

“Yes and no, it looks like I’m going to be here a few more weeks and although I’ll no longer be working here, I hope you let me still come and visit.  I stopped in to tell the children I wasn’t leaving right away after all.  Are they all in their rooms?”

“Some of the older children are in the activity room and they’ve tried a couple of times to get the younger ones to come and play but Lucy’s death hit some of them pretty hard.”

Todd frowned. “That I understand.  How is it right that someone as young as Lucy had to die and yet for all my sins, I’m still around.”

“Why would you say that Todd?  From what I know of you, you seem like a good guy and the children love you.  Maybe you’re just too hard on yourself.    Either way, the children will be overjoyed when they realize you’re here.”

Todd just shook his head.  If what Blair said was true, maybe he had been wrong about himself.  “Maybe I am.  As for the children, I love them and I’m sorry that I’ll be leaving but for now I guess I’ll go see who’s in the activity room, with your permission of course.”

“Please do but would you stop at Blanca’s room first.  She’s been walking around all day just a ghost of herself.  We’re worried she’ll have a setback.  Seeing you might be what she needs to perk up.”

Todd nodded and rolled down the hallway to Blanca’s room, he looked inside and saw her laying on the bed with her back to the door.  At first, he thought she was asleep until he heard a little sob come from the bed.  He agreed with the nurse, Blanca had always been the positive cheerful one of the bunch.  She and Lucy had always gotten into mischief because they were bored.  Todd knocked on the door.  

“Go Away.” she said quietly.

“Hey, where’s my favorite cheerleader.  I could have sworn this was Blanca Ramirez’ room.  What did you do with one of my best pals?”

Blanca rolled over and gasped and then squealing launched herself off the bed rushing to him and hugging him for all she was worth.  Half-laughing, half-crying she spoke in his ear. “You came back.”

Todd hugged her with tears in his eyes. “Yes, I’m back.”  There would be plenty of time to prepare the children for his departure this time and he intended to make it as painless as possible for them.

****

Blair woke up to Starr talking to her.  

“Mommy, I’m hungry and Heddy is still sleeping.”

Blair rubbed her eyes and looked at her watch.  It was going on eight in the evening. “Starr, I’m sorry.  I guess we were all tired after that long flight and finally seeing Daddy.  Look, I’ll call room service and get something sent up.  What would you like?”

“I don’t want anything strange.  Do you think I could get a hamburger and maybe an ice cream shake?”  she flopped down next to her mother on the couch.  “Why didn’t Daddy come with us?  Can we go see him again tonight?”

Blair bit her lower lip. “Honey, it’s too late to visit the hospital.  I promise we’ll go see him in the morning.”

“Why did he run away from us earlier?  He seemed so sad.  I thought he would be glad to see us.” Starr fiddled with her pigtail and looked at her mom.  “Why wasn’t he glad, Mommy?”

“The doctor explained why your father was there, remember?  He’s been pretty sick and he’s still healing.  Seeing us, after so long, surprised him and he needs time to adjust to having us around.”

“Did he stop loving me? Is that why he was with all the children in the hospital?  Does he like them more than me?” Starr’s voice trembled. She had wanted to see her daddy for so long but today hadn’t turned out like she thought it would.

Blair heard the catch in her daughter’s voice. She reached over and grabbed Starr and pulled her onto her lap. “Baby Girl, I can tell you with certainty that your father loves you.  He left this morning because he was afraid of hurting you and me all over again.  Do you remember, that Dr. Sanchez said Daddy had amnesia?  Do you know what that is?”

Starr shook her head no.

“Well, it happened to your Daddy because his head was hurt.  When he woke up he couldn’t remember his name or any of us.  That’s why he’s been gone so long.  But he’s starting to remember again.  He knows you’re his daughter and he knows he loves you very much.  You have to give him time.  I’m sure he’ll get all of his memory back but until then we have to help him and let him know we love him even if he doesn’t remember everything.  Can you do that?”

Starr nodded

“Good then let’s see what we can do about getting you that hamburger and we’ll get a good night sleep and then we’ll see your daddy in the morning.”

A couple of hours later Blair got Starr to go back to bed.  She glanced at her watch and picked up her cell phone.  It was time to get things moving to get Todd back home where they all belonged.

“You better be up and around Sam Rappaport,  I’ve got some work for you and I know you’re going to give me grief about it.”  She listened patiently as the phone call went through.  As with Sam Vance’s call, the connection wasn’t the greatest but she finally heard Sam Rappaport’s voice on the other end.

“Hello, Blair, is that you?  Where the hell are you?  You up and disappeared and didn’t tell anyone where you were going.”

“Sam, I don’t want to go into that right now.  I’m with Todd.”

“Blair, I don’t understand.  Do you mean Todd took you and the kids someplace?”

Static flooded the line. Blair was frustrated. “Sam, you misunderstand.  Can you hear me?” There was more static and Blair heard the line go dead.  She glared at her phone,  “This is just great, now Sam thinks Todd kidnapped us all.  I’ve got to get him back on the line.”  She tried calling a second time and waited.

“Blair, thank goodness.  Listen, I gather you can’t say much.  Just tell me where you are,  I’ll get in touch with the authorities and we’ll rescue you, I promise.  He’s gone too far this time.”

“Sam, shut up.” Blair was seething.  Not that long ago, Sam and Todd had been friends but when he found out what Todd did to Jack, he had turned his back on Todd.  He had even encouraged her to get a divorce while Todd was missing but Blair had refused.  She had to make him understand somehow.  There was still some static on the line but the connection was stronger and Blair was determined to get her message through.  “If you’ll let me get a word in edgewise, you’ll understand why I called.  First, you should know Todd didn’t take us.  I found out where he was and we came to get him.”

“Blair, you should have told me.  I could have retrieved him for you,  You’re just letting yourself in for a world of hurt.  Right now I’m guessing Todd’s got all sorts of excuses and you’re believing every one of them.  Don’t do it, Blair, you know he’s not trustworthy.  I don’t understand how you can forgive him and I certainly don’t get how you can still love him.”

“Sam, I’m not going to get into that with you.  There’s a lot you don’t know and I really don’t want to talk about it now.  I need you to get Todd another Passport.  He lost his in the ocean.  We’re staying here until we can get that document.  Please, if you care for me, don’t argue.  Just get it expedited.  You should be able to use one of our wedding photos from last year.  You’re still his lawyer of record so you have all the other pertinent information.”

“Blair, I think you’re nuts but I’ll do what you ask,  Where am I supposed to send the passport once I get it?”  Sam looked around his desk to find something to write on.

:

“Send it to me at the Lotte Hotel, Guam.” Blair breathed a sigh of relief it looked like Sam wasn’t going to give her any more trouble.

“Did you say Guam?.  How the hell did Todd get there if he didn’t have his passport?”

“It’s a long story.  Just do it, please.  I’ll owe you.  I need to go, just get it as quickly as you can.  We all want to get home as soon as possible,  Goodbye, Sam and thanks.”  Blair hung up and looked up giving thanks.  She called room service and had a bottle of wine sent up.  Although Todd had agreed to make the trip home, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy for any of them as they faced his new problems.

Sam set his phone down and looked at the note in his hand,  “I don’t know what you told her to take you back Todd.  I love you Boomer, but you went too far and I’m through letting you walk all over Blair.  I’ll get that passport and I’m also going to let Bo know you’re coming home.  One way or another you’re finally going to learn your actions have consequences.”

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