"Laura's not here, Harry," Daniel said gently, and Remington heard his father rise from a chair, but he couldn't seem to turn his head to look at him. And why was he on his stomach? He wondered.
"Oh. Must have been dreaming," he muttered. It had certainly SOUNDED like Laura's voice. He tried to move again. "I hope someone got the number of that bus."
"What bus, my boy?" He could hear the concern in Daniel's voice.
"The one that ran me down."
Daniel patted his arm. "Let me get the nurse."
Remington closed his eyes again, taking deep, even breaths, trying to fight against the feeling of being wrapped in cotton, disconnected from the rest of the world. He heard Daniel and someone else return, and cool hands checked his pulse and other vital signs. "How are you feeling, Mr. Chalmers?" the nurse asked as she hovered over him.
"Bloody awful," he said in a voice that he still didn't quite recognize as his. "Never could sleep on my stomach."
"Well," she informed him briskly, "You're going to have to try for the next twenty four hours."
He groaned again, and heard a suspicious sound from Daniel's direction. "You find this amusing, Daniel?"
"Not in the least, Harry," Daniel denied quickly, but Remington could still hear the laughter in his voice. "But Dr. Carstairs DID warn you, if you'll recall."
"The man never said anything about my stomach. Damn I can't even-," he took a deep breath, and paused. That was Laura's perfume. She didn't wear it often, but it was from a bottle he'd gotten her for Christmas last year. "Who else is here?" he asked.
Daniel's answer took a moment to come. "Just the nurse and myself, Harry. Why?"
He took another breath. The scent was gone. "Imagining things," he muttered. "Nurse?"
"Yes, Mr. Chalmers?"
"When will I be able to go back to my room?"
"We'll wait an hour so," she told him.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, my boy?"
"How long was I in there?"
"Oh, nearly five hours. Dr. Carstairs was most encouraging. He said everything went without a hitch- now we just have to wait."
"Patience has never been high on my list, Daniel," he said.
Daniel chuckled again, but this time Remington didn't feel it was directed at him. "Oh, I don't know about that. You've been incredibly patient these last four years, wouldn't you say?"
"Going quietly mad in the meanwhile," Remington muttered. That thought put him in mind of Laura yet again, made him anxious. "You said he thinks it was successful?"
"I'm ninety percent sure of it, Harry," Carstairs said as he joined the little group. "It's just a waiting game now. And for the next twenty four hours, I'm going to have them give you a sedative. Between that and the anti-inflammatory medication we should see some kind of results by tomorrow morning."
"I don't like sedatives, Doctor," Remington told the man. "You can ask the nurses. I refused to take them."
"Well, you'll take these- it's for your own good, Harry. Any movement right now could undo all my hard work." Remington felt the IV tubing move, and realized that the nurse had injected the sleeping medicine into the IV tubing. He almost thought he could feel it entering his bloodstream. He was already having trouble keeping his eyes open. "There now." Dr. Carstairs placed a hand on his arm. "You get some rest, and I'll see you later. Take him back downstairs in an hour, nurse."
"Yes, doctor."
"Daniel?" he asked, barely able to speak now.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Appointment. Yours."
"I'll be there," Daniel said, and Remington finally allowed the cool darkness to claim him.
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He had no idea what time it was. The room was dark, and he thought at first a nurse was in the room with him, checking his pulse. He felt a hand on his wrist, then his back. A cool hand- that shook slightly as it touched him and moved to his neck to smooth his hair with a gentle touch.
He tried to open his eyes as he thought he smelled Laura's perfume again, but the damned drugs they'd given him made it impossible. He felt hair tickling his shoulder, then lips pressed gently to his neck.
"Laura?" he mumbled. The touch was gone, leaving cool air in its stead. The room was silent, still, and Remington finally decided that he'd only dreamed her being there. Relaxing, he let the drugs claim him again, to dream some more . . .
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Remington didn't mention his dream to Daniel when they woke him. He knew that Daniel would say
Millie was hovering again- but she wasn't talking as much as she usually did, Remington noticed, wasn't trying to get his attention the way she'd been doing. "Thank you, Millie. That will be all ," he heard Dr. Carstairs say to the nurse, and then the door closed softly behind her.
Daniel was near enough that Remington could hear his father's breathing, and considered telling him to sit down. But Dr. Carstairs spoke again.
"Now I want you to try and remain totally still, Harry," he warned. "If you feel this, your first instinct will be to try and move your feet or legs. Don't."
"I understand," Remington said, feeling anxious and suddenly frightened by the importance of this moment.
"Do you feel that, Harry?"
Remington concentrated. DID he feel something? Or was it his imagination. "You mean other than the pain in my legs?"
"Is the pain in one area?"
"All the way from my back to -," he paused. "I felt that."
"Felt what?"
"Pressure. Against my right foot. In the arch."
"And now?"
"My- left calf."
"What about this?" Carstairs asked, and Remington concentrated again.
There was nothing. Maybe he hadn't felt the first two, either, he decided. "I don't feel anything," he said, disappointed.
Dr. Carstairs moved to stand at the head of the bed. "Because I didn't do anything that time," he said. "I think it's safe to say that the operation was a success. I do want you to do one more thing for me," he said, going back to the end of the bed.
"What's that?"
"Very slowly, wiggle your toes." Remington felt beads of sweat pop onto his forehead as he tried to tell his toes to move. At last, he THOUGHT they moved- and that was confirmed when Daniel gave a relieved sigh and Dr. Carstairs laughed. "Very good, very good," and returned the sheet to its proper place.
"When can I get out of this torture chamber?" Remington asked. He HATED being on his stomach.
"I said twenty four hours, remember? And even then, you'll have to take things slow for awhile. You'll probably be in some pain- I'll prescribe something for you. That area of your back is going to be a little weak for some time, Harry, but with therapy- I don't think you'll have any problems."
"Thank you," Remington said sincerely, then heard the door close behind the doctor.
Daniel moved beside him. "What are you doing, Daniel?" he asked as he heard the telephone reciever being lifted.
"I think it's time we called Laura," Daniel informed him. "Gave her the good news-."
"Put it down, Daniel," he ordered.
"But Harry-."
"I said put it down," Remington repeated through clenched teeth. "When I can walk out of this place, Daniel, the first thing I'll do is find her. I promise."
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Daniel left for his appointment with Dr. Johanssen, and Remington dozed off once again, only to dream of Laura- but this time, he wasn't in this bloody hospital, but walking on his own two feet into the offices of Remington Steele Investigations. Mildred was delighted to see him, but Laura- Laura yelled and ranted and raged at his having stood her up. She told him she didn't need him anymore, that she was doing fine on her own. As he stood there, trying to explain, he turned around and saw a sign painter at the glass doors, methodically removing his name from the glass to replace it with the name Laura Holt. He woke suddenly, with a start, hearing someone call him.
"Mr. Chalmers? Are you okay?"
"Oh, Millie," he said with a sigh. "I'm not sure. I think I was dreaming."
"Sounded like a nightmare to me," the nurse said. "Your father's in the solarium," she told him. "Shall I go and tell him you're awake?"
"Yes, please." He heard her moving away. "Uh, Millie-What time is it?"
"Almost four. Dr. Carstairs should be in soon to remove the restraints."
"Thank goodness for that." He heard the door close behind her with a soft swoosh, and the sound brought his other dream to mind. Had he heard that sound last night when he'd believed someone else was in the room? Someone who had smoothed his hair and kissed the back of his neck with soft lips. He couldn't be certain of what he'd heard. The damned drugs had him so messed up that he wasn't certain of anything at the moment. Not the least of which was that Laura wouldn't toss him out without waiting for an explanation.
The door opened again, and a smiling Daniel entered the room. "Harry. I looked in on you when I got back, but you were asleep, so I decided to let you rest."
"What did the doctor have to say?"
"SHE was cautiously optimistic, Harry," Daniel told him. "Of course, it's too early to be more than that, but she's going to start me on a treatment that she thinks will help."
"That IS good news," Remington said. "Where the devil is Dr. Carstairs? If I have to spend much longer on my stomach, I won't be responsible for my actions once I'm free of these straps."
"I'm right here, Harry," Dr. Carstairs said. "Nick and I are going to release the restraints, and I want you to remain still. Let Nick and me help you roll over onto the other bed, all right?"
"You're the doctor."
"Just remember that, Harry," he replied. "Okay, Nick. You take that side, I've got this one."
Remington felt the straps that had held him in place for twenty four hours loosen and fall away. He took a deep breath as they rolled what he had dubbed his "torture chamber" beside the regular bed, then Dr. Carstairs joined Nick. "On the count of three, Nick," he told the orderly. "One." Remington felt them each pull slightly on the sheet beneath him. "Two." He tried not to tense, the pain in his back increased when he was. "Three." Dr. Carstairs and Nick rolled him over onto the bed, onto his back.
Remington bit his lip as the pain worsened. "Damn."
"Pain?" Dr. Carstairs asked, looking at his face.
"A little."
"I'll have Nick bring you something-," the doctor said, but Remington shook his head.
"No. It's- easing now. I'll be fine." He kept his face immobile as Nick placed a pillow beneath his knees. God, but it hurt like hell.
"Harry, if you need something, then take it," Daniel said.
"It's not as bad," Remington insisted, refusing to look at the doctor.
"I'll leave an order for something at the desk when I go," Dr. Carstairs told him. "If you change your mind, just ask one of the nurses."
"I will. How soon can I start therapy?"
"Nick will start the sessions in an hour. I want your body to adjust to being face up again. A half hour today, Nick. You can increase it tomorrow if you think he's ready."
"Yes, sir, doc," Nick agreed. Smiling at Remington, he said, "I'll be back in an hour, Harry."
Carstairs lifted the sheet again. "Wiggle your toes for me, Harry."
This time it was easier, and there wasn't very much pain. Seeing the toes moving, Remington grinned widely. "Like that?"
"Like that." He covered Remington's legs. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
"Thank you again, Doctor," Remington said.
"Just doing my job, Harry," he replied, then was gone.
Remington turned his attention to Daniel. "You look tired, Daniel. Why don't you go to the hotel and get some rest? I'm sure the last twenty four hours has done you in as well."
"And leave you here at the mercy of Millie and her cohorts?" Daniel asked with a smile. "Heaven forbid, my boy."
"I think I can handle them. Get out of here for awhile. Have a decent meal. Speaking of which, I wonder if they're going to feed me tonight or keep me attached to this thing?" he asked, indicating the IV bottle hanging to his left.
"I'll go find out," Daniel offered.
"Of course, if it's a choice between this or hospital food-," Remington mused.
Daniel laughed softly. "Hasn't improved much, has it?"
"Cardboard tastes better," he sighed.
Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll see what I can do," he said, then paused. "I'm glad you're going to be all right, Harry."
Remington grasped his father's hand. "Thanks. I just Laura feels the same way."
"Oh, I shouldn't worry too much about Laura, if I were you. I have an idea she'll welcome you back with open arms," Daniel said as he went to the door. "I won't be a moment."
Remington lay there, hoping that Daniel was right.
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The next few days passed at a crawl for Remington. He received physical therapy three times a day, and Daniel kept disappearing at the oddest times. Sometimes at lunch, sometimes at dinner, always with a reasonable explanation ready. "Just trying to get things ready for my move, Harry," he said on one occassion.
"Move?"
"Dr. Johanssen things I should move here, says the climate's better than England. Besides, since you're going to be here in Los Angeles, I thought I might stay around- for as long as I can, anyway." He'd looked uncertain suddenly. "Unless you'd rather not have to see me?"
Remington had smiled. "You know I'd love to have you. I suppose I'll have to find a larger place, though-," he mused.
"No. I've already taken a house. Mary's trying to get things together in London. Once you're out of the hospital, I'll join her there and we'll come back here together."
"You don't mean that you convinced Mary to leave the British Isles?" Remington asked with surprise. "She's always insisted that she'd go no farther than Dover or Galway."
"Ah, you underestimate my charm, Harry, my boy," Daniel replied with a grin. "Besides, you don't really think she'd allow anyone ELSE to take care of me, do you? Not after all these years."
Remington had never been able to find out the tie between the little Irishwoman and Daniel, and he supposed it didn't really matter. "Where is this house?"
"Malibu. Right on the beach," he said.
Remington laughed. "Where you can watch the bikinis, eh?"
"Some things never change, Harry," he said laughing himself.
Then, yesterday, Daniel had brought him a surprise: a black walking stick with a silver handle. Dr. Carstairs had recommended that Remington use a stick for awhile until his legs were stronger. As it was, he had been more than ready to toss the walker they'd forced on him into the rubbish bin. He didn't need it. With just a bit of help, a shoulder to lean on, a cane to assist him, he could walk. Stiffly, and he was in no danger of beating a tortoise, but he COULD walk.
He'd already taken to walking up and down the corridors of the first floor, getting the exercise Nick and Dr. Carstairs said his legs needed. That was something else generic to hospitals, he decided. You could make the rooms feel comfortable, but the corridor would always seem sterile, smelling of disinfectant.
It was on the fourth day that he was passing an empty room when he heard Millie and one of the other nurses, Caroline, he believed it was from the voice, talking between themselves. He wouldn't have listened, if he hadn't heard Daniel's name mentioned.
"Can you believe the way Mr. Chalmers Senior made such a fuss over her?" Millie was saying. "Spent all the time she was here with her instead of with his son. And he's at LEAST old enough to be her father."
"I didn't see that he made a fuss over her," Caroline replied. "Here. Take that corner. But I DID notice that he spent a lot of time with her."
"And did you notice that she never even SPOKE to Harry? Mr. Chalmers, I mean? And she was supposed to be researching his case?"
"She wasn't supposed to," Caroline pointed out evenly. "She's only a resident at County, remember. The way I heard it was that the board allowed Dr. Carstairs to bring her over here, but that she wasn't to actively interact with any of the patients. The LAST thing they needed was a lawsuit from someone because a surgical resident made a mistake."
"If you say so. Well, at least she's gone, now. Back to County where she belongs. Have you got the other dirty sheet?" Millie asked, her voice coming nearer the door.
Remington ducked into the closest room- which happened to be another empty one, and waited for the two women to pass before going back into the corridor. So Daniel had been seeing one of Dr. Carstairs surgical residents. He wondered why Daniel hadn't mentioned the woman. He'd have to ask about it when Daniel showed up, he decided, moving back to his normal pace. He had another corridor to finish before he could go back to his room.
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"Daniel, what's this I hear about your spending time with a surgical resident from County?"
Daniel's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon, Harry?"
"I overheard Millie and Caroline talking about your making a fool of yourself over some young woman who just happened to be a surgical resident from County," Remington said again.
"Oh. That. They made far more out of it than it was. She has- family in England, wanted someone to talk to, I suppose. Nothing serious."
"You're certain?" Remington teased. "From the way they were talking, it sounded like a lot more."
"You know how women are, Harry. Especially that Millie creature. Reminds me of a little cat that Mary used to leave milk out for. Gave me a devil of a scratch one day when I tried to pet her. Millie was jealous that there was someone else than her for me to pay attention to, that's all."
Remington nodded, but he wasn't convinced. Not by a long shot. Daniel wasn't being entirely truthful, but he decided to let it slide for now. "Dr. Carstairs is due any minute. I'm hoping he'll tell me when I can get out of this place."
When Dr. Carstairs arrived, he examined Remington's back, then had him walk around the room. "If you're not careful, Harry, you're going to develop a swagger," he said with a grin. "You're remarkable, you know. I've never seen anyone as determined as you were to get back on his feet." He opened the door for them to leave the room together.
"Ah, but it paid off, didn't it?" Remington asked with a smile as Daniel caught up with them in the corridor. "Where did you disappear to, Daniel?" he asked.
"I remembered something I had to tell Mary," Daniel said.
"Ah." Remington turned back to the doctor. "How long before you release me?"
"I'd like to give it another day," Dr. Carstairs told him. "Tomorrow morning." His beeper went off. "Excuse me. Keep walking, Harry."
Remington nodded, and turned toward Daniel, who looked hesitant. "Coming?"
"I'll be right behind you," Daniel told him. "I have to talk to Dr. Carstairs about something. I'll meet you in the solarium."
"All right." Remington continued down the hall, barely feeling the dull pain in his lower back as he focused on tomorrow. Tomorrow, he'd have Daniel bring him his best suit- and go to the office. Picturing the look on Laura's face when she saw him, he opened the door to the solarium.
There was someone else in the room, standing at the glass wall, backlit by the sun's bright rays. His eyes adjusted to the light, and he froze, thinking that he might be dreaming once more. "Laura?"
She smiled, and he thought he saw a hint of nervousness in her eyes. "Hello, Mr. Steele."
To Be Continued. . .