Memories Unlocked #1

He saw the storm coming and knew he was in for another wild ride. He had lost track of the days he had been away from the island and knew his chances of getting back home were dwindling.  His fellow castaways had been right. The last squall had just about capsized the raft and although he had managed to keep afloat, the remaining food and fresh water had washed overboard.  He pulled the picture from his pocket and stared at his family. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I survive this, I'll make it up to all of you."  The waves started getting rougher and he laid down on the raft trying to balance himself in the center and slipped his hands into the ropes as much as he could.  From the looks of the sky, things were going to get nasty.

The storm hit hard and it was all he could do to stay on the raft. He attempted to get some of the rainwater into him when he wasn't being beaten down by the large waves crashing over him. The storm seemed to last for hours and finally it blew itself out. He was exhausted, unable to move.  His hands were bloody and ripped to shreds.  In the silent night, a weak triumphant laugh emanated from the raft as it continued its lone journey.

He was drifting and the sun was beating down on him unmercifully. It had been two days of the unrelenting sun since the storm. He would have given his fortune that moment for a cloud. His whole body was shrunken and shriveled from the lack of water and food. At one point, he had almost begun to drink the ocean water but his stomach had rebelled. He knew he couldn’t drink the water, but he splashed it up on him trying to cool off.  His fingertips were raw from holding onto the raft during the last storm, and their nerve endings radiated the pain through him as the salt water hit them. The sun was blinding him and he closed his eyes. It didn’t seem to help. In the distance, he heard a roar but was too weak to do anything, but lie there. Suddenly he felt himself flying through the air. Then the water was covering him. He was sinking and being tossed around in the water. A wave tossed and smashed him into a rock. Pain flashed through him. He was like a pinball, hitting one rock after the other until his head collided with one and he descended into oblivion.

****

She didn’t know why, but she missed him and hadn’t been able to shake the memories. God, she wished she knew where he had disappeared to.  It had been months since she had foiled his plan to kidnap the children. She had expected him to come back to town begging for another chance, but he hadn’t. Troy had been doing his best to make her forget, but it was no good. Admit it, you love the bastard and always will. Where are you, you miserable son of a bitch? Your kids need you. ”Heddy, I’m going out." The coward was afraid to come home and face her, so it was up to her to find him.

A short time later she arrived at her destination and walked in to find Sam Vance sitting behind her desk. "I have a job for you."

****

Dr. Miguela Sanchez entered the room of John Doe to check on his progress.  It had been a little over a week since he had been found on the shore of Guam.  He had been a mess, broken and battered by the reef surrounding the island, dehydrated and malnourished.  At first, they had been certain he was dead on arrival.  An alert coroner’s assistant had seen his hand move and the doctors had then worked to save him.  Though severely injured, the man refused to die.  No one could believe the man had lived through that beating.  Dr. Sanchez was the surgeon in charge that night and had spent close to ten hours piecing the man back together.  Of biggest concern had been the skull fracture and spinal injuries.  The first night had been the most crucial, now they waited to see if he would awaken.  The doctor looked at the chart and then reached for the patient’s wrist to check his pulse.  The action caused a moan to escape from the patient and the doctor immediately pulled out a light to check the eyes.  The patient was coming around.

He focused on the light in his eyes and headed toward it finding the strength to open his heavy lids.  As his vision cleared, he saw a beautiful woman standing above him.  She was petite with raven colored hair and she smiled at him.

"Well, you finally decided to wake up. I’m Dr. Sanchez."

He looked around the room and then looked up at the woman. "Where?" The question was barely whispered.

"You’re in the hospital in Guam.  You were found washed up on shore, there were also pieces of what appeared to be some kind of raft.  Do you remember?" He looked at her, puzzled, and started to shake his head no, but winced when the pain hit him.  "Easy, you were pretty severely injured.  You’ve suffered a fractured skull and numerous other broken bones and a broken back.  Luckily your spinal cord wasn’t severed. I'm the doctor that performed your surgery.  It was touch and go there, for a while."

It took him a moment to comprehend what she was telling him.  His body felt strange and he attempted to look down at it and became alarmed.  Both of his arms, as well as his chest and back, were encased in casts.  He couldn’t see his legs, but everything below his waist felt heavy and he couldn’t move anything.  An irrational fear of confinement swept through him.  He hated being restrained. "No, let me up." He tried to move and pain rushed through him, but he was desperate.

"Please, you must calm down, or I’ll have to sedate you.  We had to tie you down to ensure you didn’t move around.  Your back was broken in several places and the repair was delicate.  You must remain still to avoid undoing it and possibly hurting yourself even more."  She laid a hand on his shoulder.  "You seemed confused when I mentioned how you were found. Can you tell me what you were doing on the ocean in a raft? You must have been out there for a long time. You were severely dehydrated and we’ve been trying to replenish your fluids since you arrived. Where were you coming from? How did you end up on a raft?”

He began to panic. He searched his memory but was coming up with a complete blank. "I don’t know," he whispered.

"Okay, let’s try an easier question. Can you tell me your name?

He looked at the doctor standing above him. "I'm..." What was wrong with him, he should know his own name? "I've got a name. Why can't I remember it?  Oh God, what happened to me?"

Dr. Sanchez frowned. She had been quietly hoping the patient wouldn't have a problem, but it appeared the damage sustained in the head injury and subsequent aneurysm had taken its toll on the memory center of his brain. "I don't want you to worry about that at this time. You sustained a severe head wound and that can sometimes affect memory. I need to check on a few other things. Can you feel this?"  She touched a needle to his hand and he jerked it away.

He had never known his hand to be so sensitive, but it felt like she had burned him.

"Good, how about here?" She moved to the end of the bed and raised the sheet to his unencased feet. She touched the soul of his foot and got no response.

He was watching her and had been dreading another sensation like the one on his hand. It didn't come. She must not have touched him yet.

She looked up to see him looking anxiously back at her "Are you ready?"

He nodded, intent on her next move.

Dr. Sanchez pressed the point of her instrument into the top of his foot. "Do you feel that?"

"Yes." He wasn't sure, but he thought he had felt something.

The doctor decided one more test was important. She lifted the sheet over his other foot and once more looked at her patient.

He needed to know. Was he really feeling it?  “Go ahead.”

Miguela watched his face and knew her patient was as concerned as she was. She ran the probe on the bottom of his second foot and it never moved. Placing the point on the top and pushing down, she said. “Do you feel that?”

He nodded yes.

She moved the probe and instead of actually touching him she merely asked. “How about now?”

He replied yes.   Then he saw the doctor’s face.  “What is it?” his voice anxious as he sensed what she was about to tell him.

“I’m sorry, I think we have a problem.  You said you felt something, but I didn’t touch you that time.  It was necessary to see if you were actually feeling something or just imagining it.”

“No! I felt something.  Take the cover off, let me see what you’re doing.”

The doctor moved the sheet so that her patient could see what she was doing. She again ran the probe along the sole and then placed the point on the top of his foot so he could see it actually resting there. She then pushed down.  “I’m not trying to fool you.  I know you can say you feel that, but you currently have none of the automatic reflexes that would be independent of actual feeling.  If you could truly feel anything your feet would be responsive when I touch the bottom of them.”

His head dropped back on the bed.  She was right.  He had been all set to lie to her, but it would have gained him nothing.  The reality was he couldn’t feel anything.  He was only half a man.  One that didn’t even know who he was.

Dr. Sanchez moved back up beside him and touched his shoulder. “It’s too soon to tell if this is temporary or permanent, there is a lot of swelling, and it’s possible with intense therapy you’ll get some feeling back.  I want you to rest, so I’m going to give you something to relax you.  I’ll be back in a short time to check on you.  Please, you mustn’t worry.  Your injuries were very severe.  You need to let yourself heal.”

“Please! I don’t want to be knocked out. Help me.”  He was pleading with her and watched helplessly as she administered the sedative.

“It’s for the best. You’ll see.  Your body and mind need the rest.”  She marked a few items on his chart and watched him succumb to the medication.

        
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Message to my readers:

Well, it's been talked about and anticipated for a while and now it's finally here.  Memories Unlocked. This Novella covers a time in Todd's life and let's just say it was inspired by a comment he made to Blair on his return in 2011. "I never stopped trying to get to you and you should never have stopped trying to get back to me!"

For this story we return to 2002: Somewhere in the South Pacific


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Who's the Real Todd?: Chapter 14

Starr returned to find her mother and father having a serious conversation. "Hey, why so serious. Dad, you're doing okay, right?"

"Relax Starr, I'm doing fine. We were just discussing what all these attempts on my life mean. It's obvious that Hesser is aware that I'm no longer in Paris. I believe he still believes I'm Samuel and now it's more important than ever that he remains in the dark. I think my health is going to have to rely on the fact that he's willing to accept Samuel here but if he finds out I'm myself again, all bets are off. I'm going to try and be Samuel as long as I can, but you gals might find yourselves in his company. The stresses it takes on me to fake being him are tiring on a good day, after all, this, even being me is a chore, so I might just let him come out as a respite. I'm just giving you a heads up." Todd glanced at both Starr and Blair.

"So you're going to be Samuel for a while. What about Walker and Tea, Dani, and Jack? We can keep calling you Samuel but how long will they keep your secret?" asked Starr, "You just told Dani and Jack you were their real dad. Dani's going to want to get to know you, I know she will."

"I know she will and I want to get to know her too, but now is a bad time. I should have stayed away. When that nurse poisoned me it became clear that even as Samuel I have to watch my actions right now. I proved to the assailants yesterday that I was Samuel I've got to keep Hesser off my back for now. Bo and I were talking when I collapsed. Has he stopped by since?" asked Todd.

"He stopped by an hour after he brought you in but that was when your body started to react to the poison, He indicated he would try and come by today to see if you were any better. Why do you need to talk to him?" asked Blair.

"I need to know if they found my assailants. If they've caught them, they'll be a link to Carlo. We need to find out if anyone has seen Carlo too. I thought he might be trying to reach Kipling and I told Bo this." replied Todd. He hating being so helpless. He needed to be out there looking for signs of Carlo and working with Manning but now he was going to have to backpedal. Samuel made it very clear that he and Manning would have to keep their distance for the time being. Something deep down inside him told him that Samuel was right."Enough of my problems, how's Kelly?"

"She's recovering nicely. Dorian and Joey have been with her thru the night. I just peeked in a minute ago. She's awake and talking. Joey was with her when I looked in. I still can't believe that Marty stabbed her. Just the other day she had Hope, I confess it was a little unnerving when Hope was supposedly with the babysitter instead Marty had her. Walker was right when he said Marty was a danger. I think she had one too many losses." Starr looked at her dad, but he seemed lost in thought. she reach over and tapped his hand "Dad, are you with us?"

Todd looked startled, he hadn't realized he had zoned out. His thoughts had gone back to the night he and Marty had discussed their dilemma of not being able to get free of each other and how fate kept throwing them together. Now it seemed, they were forever entwined since they would always share a granddaughter. He felt saddened by the fact that the strong woman he had known had fallen apart so completely. "I'm sorry Starr, my thoughts were in the past. I'm glad Kelly survived the knifing. Blair, do you know who falls third in line at the Sun these days. With the owners and second in command in the hospital, the Sun must be floundering. Perhaps you can get a name from Kelly or better yet, in Manning's and Kelly's absence I need you to step in and hold down the fort."

"Todd, I've been out of the business for a couple of years. Why don't I just light a fire under the third in command," asked Blair?

"Because I need someone I can trust at the Helm and I can't do it. Samuel is an artist, not a newspaperman as Samuel pointed out to me earlier. Owner yes, but I can't be hands on right now. Please Blair?" he waited for her answer.

"Okay, but just until Walker and Kelly are back on their feet.  I'm going to let them know what I'm doing. Samuel, I have to go for a short time, please listen to the nurses and doctors here." she leaned over and kissed him and whispered  "With the nurse just coming in we really need to start calling you Samuel," Todd nodded and watched her leave.

Starr took her lead from her mom when she realized a nurse had entered the room. "Samuel since you're going to be here another day at least, would you like me to bring you some of your sketch supplies. You've got the use of your hands and arms back, it'll give you something to do."

"Bless you, Starr, It would be just the thing I need to take my mind off this unwanted bed rest," Todd replied "But you need to go home and get some real rest. Get your daughter and give her some love from Sir Dragon and tell her he'll be home soon." She gave him a hug and also departed. Todd found himself alone.

****

Manning was feeling restless. Just a couple of days before he had awakened from a coma and been confronted by a man claiming to be him. Then the man had collapsed because he had been poisoned. Manning was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the other guy said he was him. Tea told him that no matter who he was, she'd stick by him. He wanted to get to the bottom of this whole puzzle, but the stupid headaches would not go away. The doctor was refusing to give him anything to ease the pain because they wanted him to stay alert. He looked up as Tea walked into the room "It's about time, why won't the doctor release me? You all said my wound was almost healed. If that is so, why am I still here? By the way, what happened to the other me?" he glared at his wife.

"Well who got up on the wrong side of the bed. Hey, I'm not that late, so you keep your anger to yourself, Mister. I'm not sure why the doctor is keeping you here? I'll ask him when he comes in. As for Samuel, I hear he's in ICU after a second attempt on his life." said Tea.

"Samuel, who's Samuel? I'm talking about the guy who looked like me before my surgery. Why are you talking about this Samuel guy?" asked Manning.

Tea looked quizzically at her husband. "Yes, Samuel is the guy who looks like you used too. What's the matter with you? You know we decided to make it seem like he's a distant cousin named Samuel and for the time being you're you. We had a long talk about it just a couple of days ago. You and I are going to fight him for control of the Sun, remember?"

"What do you mean fight him for control of the Sun. What does he have to do with the Sun? Tea what are you talking about? The last time I saw that guy he was lying on the floor in here poisoned. Then they took him out." said Manning.

Now Tea was worried, her Todd seemed to have no memory of what occurred after Samuel had collapsed or of their subsequent talks the next morning. Why was he only remembering the initial encounter? The other startling thing was he wasn't even remembering that right. He had no memory of Samuel and he spending the night in the same room and the long chat they had about who Samuel really was. "Todd, tell me what you remember about Samuel and what he said to you when you two met."

"What? He's obviously some nut, he thinks he's me. And I still don't understand why you said you would be with me no matter what. Where else would you be, you're my wife." suddenly Manning winced and put his hand to his head, "Damn, I wish I had my pain pills they were the only thing that used to help this headache."

"Todd, he's not a nut. He is Todd Manning, the real Todd Manning. We explained all this to you that night. Don't you remember?" asked Tea. Now she knew they had a problem. Todd's recollections of that night were all screwed up.

"You know Doll, you're cute when you're concerned. Why don't you hop up on this bed and give me some lovin'. You look like you're starved for love let Daddy show you what you've been missin'." Todd drawled. " You tell Daddy all your problems, I'll take care of the Todd Manning Guy for you." He reached out and was rubbing his hand up and down her arm then he snagged her by the waist and pulled her closer. "Come on Baby, I need you." his other arm came up and pulled her face to his and he took her lips and kissed her properly.

Tea was surprised at first but she couldn't resist his lips and she returned his kiss. She was crawling up on the bed when she came to her senses. What was she doing?  My God, who was she doing it with? Whoever was pulling her onto the bed was not the man she married. Tea paused and pulled back and stood back up looking at her husband. "Todd, what are you doing?"

"Darlin', I think it's obvious what I was doing. I'm hankerin' for some lovin' from my woman. Tea, boy I just love that name, it has a sexy quality to it and babe, you're every bit as sexy as your name. Look I've been stuck in this bed for a while now,surely you don't begrudge your hubby something sweet from the love of his life." he reached for her again.

Tea knew she should be going to get the doctor but she found herself intrigued by the man on the bed. Curiosity got the better of her and she let him draw her to the bed again.

He ran his hands through her hair and down the line of her neck, then they came to rest at the top of her buttons and one by one he undid her blouse. "You're downright beautiful, Sugar." His hands worked around and loosened her bra and worked back around to cup her breasts in his hands.  Suddenly his hands dropped to her waist and she found herself lifted onto his lap. Then he went to work properly.

Tea was thrilled, his touch was exquisite and tender. Always before, her lovemaking with Todd had been on the rough side. But this, this was magic. He was passionate and she was soon very distracted and hot by the things he was doing to her. All this time he's whispering things to her and the drawl is becoming more and more pronounced. In fact she would swear he had a french Cajun thing going. "God, Todd, what are you doing to me?" she exclaimed.

"Darlin', surely you know." he laid her down beside him and took his time with her until she was gasping his name and then he took her. When he was finished he lay there and caressed her beautiful body." Thank you beautiful, but you probably want to get dressed, no telling when a nurse is going to interrupt us." he said with a grin on his face.

Tea blushed and quickly grabbed her clothes and headed to his private bathroom. Her ears were ringing with his quiet laughter and she closed the door. She dressed and splashed cold water on her face. Whoa, this man was nothing like she had imagined. Could he be the man who had been given Todd's memories? When she exited the bathroom she found Todd lying down with his hand on his forehead again. He appeared to be suffering from another headache. "Todd are you Okay?"

"Damn it, Tea, get me that damn doctor. Come on do something useful.." he grimaced and clutched his head.

Tea looked at him and shook her head, he was back to his usual Todd self. These headaches must have something to do with the treatment that made him Todd, and now they were undoing that treatment. Tea wanted to see the guy she made love to not moments before.  "Todd relax, I'll go find the doctor." It didn't take too long to locate Todd's doctor and she asked him what he was doing about Todd's headaches. After chatting a few minutes with him she returned to Todd's room. "Okay Todd, he's sending the nurse in with some more pain medicine. but he told me you're going to have to ride it out for the most part unless you want to end up in another coma." said Tea.

Manning scowled at her, "Fine wife you are, you can't even help your husband when he's in pain. So tell me, what's this Samuel guy have to do with my paper."

"Samuel has bought the controlling interest in the Sun so technically he's in charge, but right now all the heads of the paper are here in the hospital," she answered.

"What the hell does that mean? Where's Kelly?" asked Manning.

"She's down the hall. She was stabbed by Marty Saybrooke.  Marty's on the run right now." replied Tea.

"Well, this is great who's running the show. The Sun should be all over this story, didn't I tell you Marty was dangerous. Why is it all of you think I'm paranoid? Look Marty's gone and stabbed Kelly isn't that dangerous enough for all of you. But no, you all thought I was overreacting when I was trying to protect Hope." said Manning.

"Whoa Todd, just relax. You're right Marty was definitely even more unstable than anyone figured. You haven't heard it all. She pushed Natalie off the roof of the Angel Square Hotel and she's taken Natalie's son Liam with her. There is also word she might have killed her therapist. As far as stories getting printed The Sun put a big story out regarding Kelly's stabbing. I'm sure you'll think it's inferior but at least they're trying to get the paper out."

"Tea, I've got it. Get me, Blair." Manning exclaimed.

"Sure but what do you want her for. I think she's here with Samuel." answered Tea

"Damn, what is it with this Samuel?  He's just a distant cousin, what could she see in him?  He's not even her usual type. She always did have the worse taste in men, after me. None of them could compare, my guess is this one will fall short too." he frowned at the thought that his Blair was falling for this new guy. "Anyway, just get her. I'm going to ask her to helm the paper until I or Kelly can get back." he stopped and winced again and growled." What the hell happened to that nurse."

"Todd you just take it easy, the nurse should be in here shortly. I'll go get Blair if she's still here," said Tea but her arm was grabbed as she turned away.

"Hey, darlin', one last kiss to hold me till you get back," Manning smiled.

Tea again stood stunned. Just like that, the charmer was back. He rubbed his thumb on the inside of her palm as he asked her for the kiss and it sent little shocks through her system. She could really get to like this guy. She turned back and gave him his kiss and then freed her hand from his grasp. "I'll be right back," she said.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. but don't keep me waitin' too long," he replied and gave her a  look that spoke volumes.

Tea walked out of the room only to run smack dab into Blair.  "Thank goodness you're here, Todd wants to talk to you about the Sun. But Blair I've got to tell you, I'm concerned.  He's not acting like himself and he's remembering only certain things and the rest seems mixed up in his head. It's like talking to two men at once. One minute I'm talking to Todd and the next he's... well he's some guy from the south I think judging by his accent. His whole personality is different, the new guy is very easygoing and exudes sexuality." Tea blushes and Blair looks at her. "Well you know, he's just different from Todd."

"Tea you don't think he's got split personalities like Todd do you?" asks Blair.

"I don't know what to think, he keeps complaining of a headache, and every time the headache hits him hard this other guy shows up. You and Todd talked about the possibility that he could have had his brain tampered with. Maybe his real personality is this guy who was born in the south and now his real personality is starting to come back. It's a little disconcerting because although it's a different guy, he knows we're husband and wife." replies Tea. "But come on in and see for yourself." She opens the door to Todd's room and lets Blair enter before her.

"Tea Darlin', I see you found my lovely ex-wife. Blair, you're beautiful as always. Yes, sir, the Gods have surely smiled on me today. My two gorgeous women visiting today. Blair, honey, could you see fit to help out yours truly. It seems I'm kind of stuck here for a little longer, and my darlin' wife informs me your delectable cousin has been unfortunately injured. I would sure be grateful if you could take over for us at the Sun. I know I can trust the paper will be well looked after in your incredible hands." Manning remarked. He smiled and said, "What do you say Darlin'?"

Blair was stunned. Tea was right, this man was definitely not Walker. The man laying on the bed was a total stranger to them, but they were not strangers to him. By his very words, it was clear he knew both Tea and her very well. Under his gaze, she felt herself blushing. Walker's real identity was still a mystery but it looked like his real personality was emerging and he was quite something else. "Todd, I'll be glad to help out at the Sun until you and Kelly can get back there. In fact, I was just talking to Samuel about that very thing."

"Ahh Blair, I'm wounded to my heart. You've found someone else to replace me. Who is this mysterious Samuel and when are you going to introduce him to me?  I must make sure he's worthy of you. I can't let my lovely ex go to just any Tom, Dick, or Harry." said Manning putting his hand to his heart. As he finished speaking he grimaced again and grabbed his head. "Ahhh Damn it, Tea, I thought you went to get the Nurse! Blair, what are you doing here? Oh never mind, I need you to take over at the Sun." he paused. "God this head!" Just then the nurse arrived and gave him a shot. he leaned back on the bed with his eyes closed and said. "What about it Blair, you going to do it?"

Blair and Tea exchanged glances and then Blair said. "Sure Todd, I'll help out. Is there anything you want me to tell Samuel?"

            "Him again, Blair, I thought you had learned your lesson with Eli. Now you've hooked up with this nut job. I don't know how he got the controlling interest in the Sun but he won't keep it for long. You really know how to pick them. First, he thinks he's me and now he's trying to take my paper. He's going to need more than his head examined when I get through with him." replied Manning.

Tea spoke up, "Todd, I need you to listen to me. I think these headaches are affecting your memory. Just a few minutes ago I told you that Samuel really is the 'Real' Todd Manning. We explained all this to you a couple of days ago. You're not really Todd, you were experimented on. Someone wanted you to think you were Todd Manning. Don't you remember any of that?"

"Tea are you crazy! Of course, I'm Todd Manning. Why are you saying this? It's a joke right? Blair, you tell her. You know this Samuel is just a cousin, right?" Manning looked at Tea and then over to Blair. They were both very quiet and then they glanced at each other."Okay, stop that. What was that glance for? What secret are you two keeping?"

Blair looked back at Walker and said. "Todd, what Tea said is true. You're not Todd Manning. Samuel is. You've got to try and remember. We're all walking a fine line trying to keep the people who did this to you in the dark right now. You have been acting very strangely this last hour, and I think Tea is right, I think it has something to do with your headaches."

Manning looked at them and realized they were dead serious. The pain in his head was lessening. Without the distraction of the headache, he started remembering more of the conversation from the morning after Samuel was poisoned. He suddenly remembered that Samuel had spent the night there and they both had talked about something. What was it? Yes, now he remembered. Samuel had talked about Hesser and then had asked questions concerning his doctor. It was coming back to him, then the reality sank in. He wasn't Todd Manning. Suddenly a memory flashed through his mind. He saw himself talking to Tea but the man talking was from the south, then he remembered making love to Tea, but it was different, not the way they usually made love. "Tea, did something happen in here between you and me a few minutes ago?" he watched as she blushed. It was true. "Never mind you don't have to say anything. We'll talk later." he looked back over to Blair, "If I'm not Todd, who am I?"

"That's just it. We have no idea. But something tells me the real you is starting to re-emerge. A few minutes ago you were someone else entirely. It was a little weird, but in a good way, Todd. Just how long have you had these headaches?" asked Blair.

"I've been plagued by them since we got Tea back. I went to the doctor who had treated my initial injuries back in 2003 because I didn't want to alarm Tea. What do my headaches have to do with this?" asks Manning.

Blair looked at Tea and back to him, "We don't know but we do know that the prescription the doctor gave you wasn't meant to help you. It was given to you to make sure you wouldn't get better. I'm not a doctor but I think you're having headaches because you're beginning to come free from the programming. Whoever you are is starting to escape the restrictions that kept you buried. Surprisingly, while your old self is resurfacing, he is very much aware of your current self. It is obvious he retains all of your memories concerning us." and she indicated herself and Tea. "Samuel will want to hear about this new development. By the way, because of the second attempt on Samuel's life yesterday. He won't be coming to see you for a while. Hesser believes that he is still Samuel and doesn't know he has his memory back. To the world, for the time being, Todd is Samuel. You also should know that Samuel himself might make an appearance from time to time too."

Manning held up a hand" Wait a minute. I understand that Samuel is Todd and we're going to call him Samuel for the time being to keep Hesser off balance. But you lost me when you said Samuel himself might make an appearance. What the hell did you mean by that?"

Blair sighed and said. "Vicki's brother Todd suffers from DID just like Vicki and Jessica. Samuel is one of Todd's alters. He's the artist of all the paintings."

Manning's eyes widened as the truth hit him. He knew what caused DID in Vicki and Jessica, but he had no memories of anything like that happening to him. "You're kidding right. I know Peter Manning was a bastard but you're telling me he was worse than I remember."

Blair frowned and said. "You have no idea how bad Peter Manning really was. Todd buried that secret so deep that "they" were unable to retrieve it. Todd also kept the secret of his alters buried deep. I'm not surprised your recollections of Peter are mild. On the surface, Todd never wanted to discuss his childhood. He built a memory about Peter he could live with and that is the one he tells people."

It was Manning's turn to frown. It sounded like the 'real' Todd's life must have been hell. His own memories of Todd's life were bad but not horrendous. "Blair, I'm sorry about what I said earlier about Samuel. I want you to be happy...I..No, not again....." This time, it felt like his head was going to explode and the medication could have been water for all the effect it was having.

It was obvious to Tea and Blair that something more than a headache was going on as they watched Walker's body arch in pain. Tea grabbed the call button and told the nurse what was happening. In seconds the nurse and doctor arrived and began examining him. He was only semi-conscious, and still in a great deal of pain. The doctor turned to Tea, "I'm not sure what's going on but we might need to do a cat scan to see if there is a cause for this. He shouldn't be in this much pain right after he just had some medication. I can't give him any more pain medication he could overdose on it. He's still with us and I know you don't want him in another coma. They'll come for him shortly to perform the test. I'm sorry, you'll have to keep reassuring him to get him through this right now. I'll go make that order now." he walked out of the room.

Blair followed shortly after. She watched as the Doctor headed away from the nurses' station and instead walked around the corner of the hall. She peeked around the corner and saw the doctor on the phone with someone. He seemed to be arguing with the person on the other end of the call. A few minutes later he nodded and hung up and started walking back toward her.

Blair quickly retraced her steps before he rounded the corner and acted like she was just leaving Walker's room. The doctor had reached the nurses' station and appeared to be ordering the test. She quickly reentered the room. "Tea, there's something else going on. The Doctor made a phone call and was arguing with someone just now. Then he went to put the order in at the nurses' station. You keep an eye on your husband and make sure Shaun or the police officer goes with him when they take him for that test. I'm going to go talk to Samuel and try and reach Bo. Be careful, I don't like this, first a nurse and now a doctor, how many more people on staff are working with Kipling and Hesser."

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Who's the Real Todd?: Chapter 13

Ivan walked into his study. He saw his houseguest put down the phone and begin staring into the fire. "Bad news, Carlo," he asked?

Carlo looked over at Ivan and grimaced. "Those idiots almost got caught. But at least they were able to ascertain that his memory still hasn't returned. I wish she hadn't jumped the gun the other day with the attempt, though. Even though he doesn't have his memory, he's not a stupid man. He doesn't know why he was targeted, but he's going to try and find out. I also was given confirmation the other one is getting better." he reached up and took the cognac being offered and said. "Vega is still operating under orders. He informed me that he met Samuel in his club the other day. He says that Samuel is very enamored with Blair, I'm hoping she can keep him distracted in the upcoming days. We need to do something about Manning. He's recovering from the gunshot, the question is, have they found out about the medication he's been taking. My informant at the hospital said they have been running blood tests on him trying to find out if the coma was drug induced. How long before the drug in his system is purged"

"If he has awakened then that means his system is almost clear of the drug, Carlo. He's going to start having major issues with his memory now. I expect they'll start noticing a personality change soon. My biggest concern is the hardware. If it has begun to deteriorate, his headaches are going to be off the charts. I've instructed the doctor in his case to start dosing him with pain meds. We can't have them running an MRI looking for a cause to his headaches. So the doctor has orders to suppress them any way he can. Manning's too heavily guarded at the moment to make another attempt to silence him permanently." Ivan took a sip from his drink and continued. "Now let's talk about your situation. I've been in contact with our partners and they're working to cover your tracks and get you back out of the country. Even now, they're laying down a false trail for the feds to follow. Have you figured out how they found you?"

Carlo shook his head, "It was a complete surprise. I'm just lucky I had the stateside agent in place who helped me escape custody. Inform our partners that I'm staying in the states but I can't remain here. I have a hideaway on Llantano Mountain, we just need to get me there and I'll be able to keep monitoring the progress. I want to keep an eye on our subjects as much as you do Ivan. Samuel is proving to be very intelligent and it's interesting that he made his way here and my watchers in Paris didn't know it. I've underestimated Samuel. I should have realized there was more to Samuel when he woke up in Philadelphia. Then he eluded my men and disappeared in Paris. It was a fluke that we discovered his whereabouts. I have to admire Todd Manning, even with amnesia and a fake persona he lives by his wits and has somehow managed to get back home."

"I must admit, your Mr. Manning was indeed a puzzle from the start. To this day, he is the only subject we never fully cracked. I, too, have to admire Mr. Manning, I never saw anyone recover so quickly from our treatments. When you informed me that he woke up and remembered his name I was amazed. But then you informed me he said he was another person entirely, I admit to being baffled. It is possible that Todd Manning was the alias and Samuel Toddman was the true identity all along. Of course, we should have discovered that when we were extracting his memories. But he had incredible willpower and there were areas he wouldn't let us access. Like you I'm fascinated by our Mr. Toddman." Ivan put down his drink and reached for the phone. "Carlo, you are certain you do not want to leave the country." Carlo nodded. "Very well, I'll inform our partners," he made the call and talked for several minutes then he turned back to Carlo. " The easiest way for you to leave here would be by ambulance. A number of them flow in and out of the facility daily. I'll make the arrangements. We can set up a network when you get settled on the mountain." Ivan downed his drink and left, leaving Carlo alone with his thoughts.

Carlo got up and walked to Kipling's desk. Taking a number of papers from the drawer he began to write. Carlo reached for several envelopes and was sealing them when Ivan reentered the room. "Ivan, if you would see that these get mailed. It is important to get the plan underway. Here is a list of the necessary items I need to take with me to the new location. This has become a new adventure for us old friend. Who'll come out victorious, Mr. Toddman or us."

"Yes, it will definitely be interesting. Something else interesting has been brought to my attention. It appears Mr. Toddman is currently a patient at the hospital. It seems he had delayed shock from the foiled attempt on his life and the previous poisoning attempt wasn't as cleared from his system as the doctors had thought. Traces of the poison affected his body and we almost lost our opponent. Like you said earlier it was foolish of her to make the attempt, now Mr. Toddman is on alert. Has she been dealt with?"

"Yes, both of them have been liquidated. It was necessary. Toddman is an artist I'm sure the Police have their likenesses already. Now all they'll find are corpses. Vega has proven to be a very valuable asset to keep around." Carlo turned to his friend, " Although I'm upset about being dragged from my home. I find myself excited about the game of cat and mouse that is beginning. I'm curious if Mr. Toddman will prove to be a worthy opponent or just a flash in the pan. The first round goes to Mr. Toddman, as he has so ably outmaneuvered me and taken control of the Sun. I believe he'll have to concede the second round to me when they find the bodies of his assailants. Now we need to assess where all the players are. If I understand Mr. Toddman at all, he'll be looking for the one behind the attacks on his person. I don't believe he's figured out that the same person who ordered the attack on Manning is the one behind his attacks, therefore, I trust the advantage is mine. As long as Toddman is in the dark about his true identity he will be unable to connect the dots. Ivan, do you trust your doctor on staff at the hospital." Ivan nodded. "Good, then he needs to find a way to keep the current Manning off balance. Let's not let him become too pain-free, an occasional headache and the personality change should keep him in the hospital longer. He can't be allowed to figure out he's not Manning. Now my friend, let's go see what your excellent cook has made for us today. We must keep ourselves fit for the fight ahead."

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It had been a rough night, Todd's stats had improved but not fast enough for him. He had never felt anything so debilitating as the effects the poison had left in his system. At one point he had attempted to get out of bed but he hadn't even been able to get his legs to cooperate. All his limbs felt like they were carrying hundred pound weights. Even breathing was difficult and as a result, he kept drifting off because he just couldn't get enough oxygen to stay alert. Blair and Starr had taken turns keeping him company but he had been pretty cranky because he hated feeling helpless. Todd found himself awake again, the breathing seemed easier. He looked over and noticed both Blair and Starr sleeping. Since the breathing was easier, he decided to see if moving his arms would also be less strenuous. He found he could lift them off the bed but it was like they were being sucked down into molasses, "Damn" he said at the result. It was going to take forever at this rate. Todd knew by the noises or lack thereof in the hospital that it was still very early in the morning.

Since he was virtually a prisoner of his body, Todd decided to check on his family. Closing his eyes, he once again dropped into his mind

It was eerily quiet and he began walking to see where Samuel and his brothers and Ms. Perkins were resting. He then found himself in a hallway much like the house he grew up in and the doors all had names on them. He found the door he was looking for and knocked, it just seemed polite to do it. The voice on the other side responded, "Come in" so Todd entered and found himself standing in Samuel's Paris apartment complete with portraits. It was unbelievable how real it seemed. He looked around wondering where the voice had come from, then he noticed Samuel sitting at the kitchen table carving.  

Samuel looked up and said, " Come on take a load off, why don't you join me." Samuel pushed the chair next to him and set a piece of wood on the table and a carving knife.

Todd walked over and sat down. He picked up the knife and began carving remembering back to the year he carved several items for Rebecca."This is unbelievable. Where did all this come from?" asked Todd

"You gave it to us, the morning you decided that you didn't want to live without us. You wanted us to be comfortable and that mind of yours opened and images of what we loved suddenly became a reality for us. My garret and your bedroom before your mom left, your Mom's bedroom and your prison cell, they were just here. There's even Dorian's penthouse bedroom which Rodd adores." Samuel replied, "We still are able to follow what you are doing but now we can be comfortable. Except perhaps for Pete, he wasn't too happy when he found himself in solitary confinement. I must say you and your memories are really quite something, I still marvel that you want to keep us around."

Todd looked down at the figure he had been carving and realized he had carved a small dragon. He looked over at Samuel. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot yesterday. After everything you've done in the past to keep me going, it was wrong to give up. If you've been keeping up, what do you think Carlo's next move might be now that he knows you're here."

"My guess, Todd, is you're going to have to be extra careful to maintain my persona. He's going to be looking for signs that you've gotten your memory back. In public you've got to be me. That means you'll have to keep your distance from Manning. The two of you can't all of a sudden be seen working together. I bought the paper but you need to remember I'm an artist, don't get too involved in the workings at the paper. That's something you would do, not me. You're going to have to rely on Kelly to keep the link open between you and Manning. Another thing, you have to put your desire to know Dani on hold. I'm just a distance cousin. Carlo knows about Dani and he'll be watching her to see if she remains close to Manning. Todd, I know you know all this, and I think one of the reasons you've kept us around is because we organize your thoughts for you, that's the way you've coped. You better get back, I think Blair's trying to wake you." Todd nodded and got up to leave. "Hey Todd, apology accepted."

Todd heard Blair talking to him, then felt her hands on his shoulders. She was getting a bit frantic. He opened his eyes and saw the concern on her face. "Hey Blair, It's okay," he said.

Blair looked him over and took a deep breath. He appeared fine. She had been so worried when he wouldn't rouse. "Todd are you sure you're alright. You're not hurting anywhere are you? You were so still, I could hardly tell if you were breathing. I was getting ready to call the nurse."

Todd reached up to place his fingers on her lips. "Shh, It's alright. I was talking to Samuel." he looked down at his arm realizing he had lifted it without much trouble. "Huh," he began chuckling.

"Why are you laughing? You scared me half to death." Blair said angrily.

"Whoa, I'm not laughing at you. I just realized I could lift my arm again. I was chuckling because I went to see Samuel because I couldn't move anything easily and when I'm there I move around freely. Now I'm back and my movement has improved." In the back of his mind, Samuel said. "You idiot reassure her, tell her what she really wants to hear." Todd looked at Blair and said. "I'm sorry. You were scared. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just getting my thoughts together. Samuel helps. I don't realize how long I'm in there sometimes. Forgive me."

Blair relaxed at his apology. She knew how frustrating the night had been for him. He really hated being incapacitated. She too was relieved to see his arms were responding to his commands. It meant he was finally recovering. "Okay, I forgive you. I just wish there was some way you could let me in on when you're going to go visiting. Leave me a note or something." she said then grinned. His expression was priceless.

Todd looked at her dumbfounded " Oh sure Blair. I'll make a mental note. Leave Blair a note when visiting alters." he grinned and she punched him gently on the shoulders. He raised his hand again and stroked her face. "Good morning Blair."

She reached out, running her fingers gently over his scars. "Good Morning Todd." then she leaned in and kissed him.

Starr had been listening to their exchange.  She cleared her throat. " Okay you two, this is a hospital and you're not alone. She stood up and joined her mom next to her dad. "You're obviously feeling better than last night. I'm going to go call and check-in with Grandma. You two behave yourselves." she turned and headed out.

Todd looked at Blair. "You raised her right. Thank you."

Blair smiled, "It wasn't easy, she's very much her father's daughter." She sat down on the bed next to him. " Not to change the subject or anything, but what did you and Samuel discuss."

Todd looked at her and said, "Carlo Hesser's next move."

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