Chapter Three

Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I wanna hear you say - I remember you
I Remember You
Performed by Skid Row
Words & Music by Bolan & Snake

Daniel had the same cold empty and horribly sinking feeling that Nicholas did when he approached the door behind which his Wife was waiting. At the nurse’s station not more than fifteen yards from her door there were people behind glass and beyond that a bank of monitors. Daniel saw Calla on one of them. She was huddled up in the corner of the room farthest from the camera allowing the padded walls to hold her up.  When they brought her here Willie asked his permission—not that he needed it, Willie could do what he wanted for the next fifteen days since she was here on a Physician’s Emergency Order and he was the Physician in question—to cut her hair and Daniel had given it. Willie explained that hair that long was a nuisance and quite possibly a danger to her in a place like this. “Did you have to cut it so short?” Daniel asked looking at her on the monitor. Her once long lovely locks were now nothing more than your typical new recruit crew-cut buzz.  She looked like some bizarre version of Ziggy Stardust.

Willie’s offer of assurance was simply; “It will grow back.” The lovely long locks had been sent directly to a laboratory in Quantico, Virginia for in depth analysis along with blood (Ichor), urine, fecal and skin samples. They wanted to get started on finding out what made creatures like her tick ASAP.  The results were really quite remarkable, Willie was sure Daniel would be amazed if he knew about them but, of course, he wasn’t supposed to do that. No, the people Willie was currently working with had waited a very long time to get their hands on one Calla Jackson and this seemed like the opportune time to make their move.  Calla had many more tests to come. She wouldn’t be leaving here anytime soon.

Looking at her on the monitor Daniel felt his heart go cold. How long ago was it that he’d been a guest in a room just like that?  Not long enough for his tastes.  Daniel couldn’t say that anyone had abused or mistreated him while he was in such a vulnerable state but even from here she looked neglected. Then again perhaps that was just the fact that the monitors were black and white.  Daniel turned to Willie. “You said when she dreams it plays out on the walls.”

“That’s right.”

“What does she dream?” Daniel asked. “What do you see on the walls?”

Willie thought about it for a moment. He didn’t know what to make of the images on the walls but after his little session with Nicholas he thought he had a better understanding. “I never met him but I assume it’s Ares she’s dreaming about…very tall, very broad, looks like Nicholas but…bigger. Is that possible?” Willie said and smiled. It was getting late now Calla had a schedule they needed her to keep. “Ready?” Willie asked.

“As I’ll ever be.” Daniel agreed with a sigh.

“Open Mrs. Jackson’s door, please.” Willie told a nurse behind the glass.

BUZZ

“Go on. Talk quietly, slowly, see if you can’t get her to respond to you.” Willie encouraged and then he was stepping back and away.

Daniel took a breath of the rotten air and walked into the room.  The first thing he noticed was the fact that it was supposed to be white but was far from it. The second thing was it’s size it was much smaller than the room he’d been in, in fact there was hardly room to walk more than ten steps in any direction.  Lastly he noted the camera. It was stationed on the wall behind the door in the far left corner.  The camera saw everything in the room except what happened in the far right corner unless it moved which it did not appear to do.  If Nicholas had gotten out of line and done something to upset her chances were the camera would have caught it.

Chances were that Willie lied when he said he didn’t know what Nick did.  If Nick had done anything at all that was.

“Kitty?”  The room stunk in more ways than one. It was gray and dingy she’d hate it here. “Honey?”  He took two hesitant steps into the room. “It’s me, huh, it’s Dan…its Danny.”  Slowly her green eyes rose to meet his blue ones. “Hi.”  Kicking off his shoes he put them by the door and then walked over to her at an even pace.  “I don’t suppose you know who I am.”  He looked around again. The padding was badly stained in several places on the walls and the floor in other spots it was thin or completely missing. Most of those spots were above Calla’s head so then it was a good thing that she was short and therefore would not be harmed.  In a very non-threatening manner he gently settled down on the padded floor just out of arms reach.  She didn’t stop looking at him.  That was a good sign, wasn’t it?

Calla watched the man sit down and wondered who he was and what he wanted.  All she really knew about him was that he had very calm blue eyes. She didn’t remember Nicholas’ visit or her subsequent screaming fit upon waking without him.  Didn’t remember climbing the bookcase in Dr. Wylie’s office earlier today.  All she knew at this moment was they’d taken her clothes off again. She hated that. It was wrong. They shouldn’t let the men strip her bare. Shouldn’t let them tease and taunt her. The men, she thought there had been three of them but couldn’t say for sure, they took off her pajamas and ripped away that full diaper (thank god for small favors) but then they took her, naked through the halls to the open shower. They laughed the whole time. They chuckled and pointed and made crude comments about the bare patch between her legs and her lack of nipples. They said this was what alien bitches looked like without their clothes and they were hideous. Just cheap imitations of human women.

One of them stripped himself of everything but his shorts and held her in place under the freezing cold jets of water while the other two scrubbed her until she thought her skin would fall off.  Soap in her eyes and her mouth she breathed it and a good deal of water in through her nose. 

Looking at her she seemed frail and helpless but she smelled clean. Nick complained bitterly on the phone about how filthy she was.  He wouldn’t lie so they must have cleaned her up. The pajamas were blue and unstained beneath them her alabaster skin was slightly pink.  Willie said she’d had an ‘episode’ when they tried to…. “Did you have a shower, Kitty?”

A mournful cry escaped her throat but her lips didn’t move and she turned her eyes away from him. To him she looked small and embarrassed. Those distant eyes seemed to say she’d rather be dead than here.

Here is a bad place.

Did he hear that? Was it just his imagination?

Why is it bad? What happened, Kitty?

Daniel waited and waited but she didn’t answer him. It was nothing more than wishful thinking after all.  Again she just looked so small and so scared all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her everything would be all right. Daniel reached out for her and she kicked at him. There wasn’t much force behind it but it was enough to get his attention. “Ok, I won’t come any closer.”

Head. Hurts.

Yes, he did hear that! Yes he did.  Clearly Zeus and Ares were wrong and Calla did have at least some power left to her. “If you let me, I can rub your feet that always made your head feel better. Didn’t it?” Daniel coaxed looking down at her bare feet and noticing how dirty the soles were. Didn’t they wash the floors here? How about this ugly gray padding?  “I won’t hurt you I promise.  Just let me…..” very slowly with just one hand he reached out for the foot that had kicked him. She didn’t take her eyes off him but this time she didn’t try to be away when his hand gently closed down over her foot. Daniel started to rub the arch and then the sides with his thumb. Calla let out a small moan and her eyes misted over soon she slumped against the wall. “That’s better, huh?  Yeah, I know, it’s pretty scary here, isn’t it?” Nick told him about the man who charged at the door tossing handfuls of shit. Judging from what he said her reaction was the man did it often.  Now as her little body started to relax just the tiniest bit her arms fell a little and he saw something there. Something familiar. “Kitty…” Daniel stopped and looked up at the camera. It didn’t appear to have a microphone but he wasn’t sure.  What have you got? But he already knew so the real question was…. Where did you get it?

Poppa.

Poppa? Ares was here? That wasn’t possible. If he could blink himself here from New Olympus he would have done it by now, wouldn’t he?  Glancing down at her she looked up at him and those faded distant eyes appeared very happy.  Calla clutched the rag doll tightly and her face seemed to take on a ragged glow.  “You think he was.” Daniel mumbled to himself. “Nicholas was here, Kitty. Nick. Our Son. Remember? He brought you the doll.” His voice was stronger this time as he rubbed her small foot.  “Nicholas.” Daniel went on. “Colleen wants to come see you soon, she misses you. Do you remember our Daughter, Kitty?” He wished he could show her pictures but they made him leave his wallet, along with his keys and his glasses at a station before the locked doors to the 9^th floor.  “Lilly misses her Grandma, do you miss Lilly?  And Brigid she misses her Mo…” he stopped maybe they shouldn’t talk about Brigid. “Baby Brigid misses you too. She and Lilly are too little to come here, huh?” He tried to smile and continued on with the list of family members. There was only one left. “David wants to come but they won’t let him something about immediate family only.”  Absently he added; “He’s pretty pissed about that.”

Nervously she looked up at the camera and then clutched the old doll even tighter.

Those big frightened emeralds spoke volumes. Just like a big heavy velvet curtain closing on Act One of a play, the Connection between fell. “Don’t worry they can’t see it. No one’s going to take the doll away.”  From behind him came the sound of the buzzer as the door unlocked and then a big man in an orderlies uniform came in with a tray in his hands.

“You must be Dr. Jackson, I’m Mike.” Switching the tray to one hand he held out the other. “Nice to meet you.  How’s our girl, here?”

Daniel didn’t like the way the man spoke. It was condescending bordering on demeaning but he went through with the ancient ritual of men greeting men and shook hands. “I’ll feed her.” He volunteered. “It’s all right I won’t let her hands go or anything why don’t you just leave that? Go have take a break or something…Mike, right? Go on. I’ll take care of our girl.” Our girl my ass. My girl.

On the floor she raised her eyes to look at him.

“I’m not supposed to but I could use a cig.” Mike said thinking about how much he’d like to be outside in the spring night with a cig and coke. Anywhere but here this bitch gave him the creeps and he’d worked with some pretty fucking creepy guys!  She took the proverbial cake the way she could make the whole 9^th floor shake when she slept and those eyes, those fucking freaky green eyes! They looked right through you and you just knew she was trying to put a curse or something on you. He’d be damn good and glad when she was gone.

“Go on, I won’t tell.” Daniel took the tray from him. “I’m sure Willie won’t mind.”

“Be back in twenty.”

“See ya then.” Daniel returned with a smile and watched the man leave. “There it’s just us now.” He settled himself and the tray down on the floor again.  “Well us and this.” It didn’t smell very good even before he took the top off of it and when it did it wasn’t any better.  What did we have for dinner anyway? Mashed potatoes that looked a bit gray and lightly soaked in something that looked like glue but undoubtedly was gravy, a small serving of green beans that were wilted and steamed almost white and a small lump of some type of brown mean. “Ah, meatloaf...that’s what it is.” Daniel muttered. “Well, this looks like shit.” He said in a happy tone and then smiled for her.  Calla had her face pressed into the wall and she was shaking her head ‘no’. “Come on honey, I know it doesn’t look good….probably tastes like crap too….but you have to eat something.” Daniel promised he wouldn’t set her hands free so he picked up a forkful of mashed potatoes. “Come on, please, just a little. The baby depends on you.”

Moving away from the wall just the tiniest bit she held the doll up for him to see. “Baby.” Calla muttered the doll blocking her face from his view.

Daniel almost dropped the tray on his lap. “What’d you say, Kitty?”

Calla lowered the doll. “Ba-by.”

“Yeah, it’s a baby doll. But you have a real baby, did you know that? In…” very carefully he reached out and while she stiffened she didn’t try to move away from him when his palm lay down on her belly. “In here.”

“Thpffffffff…..” she blew a raspberry at him.

Yeah, ok, not the reaction he was expecting as he wiped spittle from his cheeks. They’d made him leave his glasses at the door as they could quickly become a danger to either of them.  Maybe, if he said yes to the termination, he wouldn’t have to feel guilty about it later?

Daniel had absolutely positively no proof that either Ares or Nick had done anything untoward to Calla while on the island.  Nothing other than the doctor’s report and the witness’ reports of the bruises on her and how very fucking gigantic the hands which made them had to have been. Cole said she was completely spaced out for at least a day and half that Calla wandered around like a zombie on auto-pilot while he and David slept.  She’d done everything she was supposed to, hell it was Calla; she went above and beyond for Daniel and David no one had to tell him that. However, according to Colleen, her eyes were faded and distant and she talked like there was nothing wrong at all even though her Husband and her Lover were lying side by side in the bed upstairs completely unconscious and she looked as though Satan had taken her to task during the night.

“Kitty, what happened to your mouth?” He found himself asking the question without any conscious effort whatsoever. In fact, Daniel didn’t even realize he’d seen the bruises and the tiny pin pricks there until he was speaking.  Deciding to dismiss her reaction to the baby—she was crazy after all—he reached out a hand and she let him put his thumb on her lips.

She bites. That’s what Willie said but she didn’t look like she was going to bite him. What were those around her mouth? Needle marks? Who would give her a shot there and so many of them?  He thought she’d been biting herself but they were all the same size and they weren’t quite round now were they? No.  Beneath his thumb her lips were bruised, Daniel looked down at the tray and took in the fork.  “Let’s get rid of this, huh?” He put it under the plate and picked up the spoon. “Better?  Why don’t you try some of these potatoes, ok?” Kitty hated meatloaf so he wasn’t even going to give that a shot but she did like mashed potatoes. “Just a little? It won’t hurt I promise I won’t mash your teeth with the spoon.”

It seemed to her that she’d eaten something else today. What was it? Something sweet. It tasted good. It melted in her mouth and….

Poppa. Yes he’d been here and he fed her chocolate. He’d come back like he promised but he’d gone away again leaving her and her baby behind.  Now this one was here and he was going to feed her….what was it? She didn’t know but it didn’t smell like chocolate.  First, she hung her head and then she shook it slowly side to side; no.  Calla crawled off to the other side of the room on her knees and one hand. The other hand, the one away from the camera clutched the doll by the neck and pinned it close to her side to avoid detection.

“You know they’ll take it away, don’t you? I mean….you really get that.” Of course she didn’t answer him but the question answered itself so hers was not required. She did understand that much and she wanted to keep the doll.  Another thought, a really important one that made him feel elated came to him; she knows she can trust me. She knows she can show me the doll and I won’t take it away.

Cats were sneaky little creatures.

Once in the far corner the one where the camera couldn’t see she wedged herself into the corner where the walls met drew her knees up close to her body and managed to put the doll on her legs where she began to bounce it gently as though it were a crying baby.

“Stthhhhhh.”

Calla wasn’t talking to him she was talking to the baby.  Daniel left the tray and slowly went to stand next to her.  “Do you know who I am?”  He was looking for any shred of hope to hold on to and praying that she’d give it to him.  So far this visit had been encouraging but well it didn’t lead him to believe she was getting too much better or closer to coming back to them.  “Please, Kitty. Do you remember me?”

In eleven days Daniel was, by law, allowed to take her home if he saw fit.  He had eleven days to make up his mind regarding terminating her pregnancy and taking care of her on their own. The kids were, of course, all over that second idea they wanted their Mother HOME and they wanted it YESTERDAY!  If she’d just show him that she wanted that too or that there was the chance she would come back to them then he’d do it.  He’d bring her home, he’d quit work if he had to stay with her they could afford it and Jack would let him out of the contract. Hell! Who was he kidding? It was just a pipe dream.

There were Congressional Hearings coming up soon…they’d probably fire his ass anyway.  Just like the university fired Calla two days ago. That still stung. There wasn’t any sense in telling her she wouldn’t understand. Daniel still didn’t understand how they’d found out about her so quickly. Surely if it was that easy then she’d be all over the media soon.  Maybe he should get her out of here they could go to one of the islands no one would find them there.

The world was going to come crashing down around them he just knew it.

“Beee,”

Daniel came out of his daze and looked over at her. “What honey? Baby?”

“Beeeee---“ Calla swallowed and grimaced.

“Throat hurt?” He asked. All that screaming sure her throat hurt. “Want some of this?” Daniel picked up the carton of orange juice which accompanied her dinner, opened it and held it out to her. Calla licked her dry damaged lips and then pursed them to receive a drink. “Easy, take it easy.” She drank down a very long swallow before he took it away. “Breath, Kitty, take a breath then you can have more.” Calla took a shallow breath and he kept his word by bringing the carton to her lips and letting her have another drink. “Better?  What did you say?”

Calla licked her lips and her eyes almost smiled at him but that smiled faded when the buzzer sounded.

Looking up Daniel saw Willie in the viewing window and out of the corner of his eye he watched her stash the doll.  Damn it! “Could you give us just two more minutes, please?”

“Two.” Willie agreed. “That’s all it’s just about time for her to settle in for the night.”

Settle in for the….  Oh for crying out loud! “Sure.” Daniel agreed and shut the opening door.  Kneeling down at her side he took her hand. “He’s gonna come back in soon so please, Cal, whatever you were going to say, say it, ok? Do you remember me?”

Those eyes they pleaded with her to understand and to answer him. To tell him something.  “Beee-uuu-tee-ful.”. Yes, that was his name.  She couldn’t say why she knew that or how she knew him or what their relationship had been (hell, she didn’t understand the term ‘relationship’) but she did know his name. “Be-u-ti-ful.” Calla croaked and then smiled a very self-satisfied grin

Daniel’s face broke out in a wide smile. “Yeah,” he whispered, “that’s me.  Oh, God, I love you, baby.” Without thinking he reached out and wrapped her up in his arms. “I want you to co…” now he did think and he stopped.  “I want you to get better.”  Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to start talking about home when he was so close to leaving. “I miss you, Cal.” He squeezed her gently and kissed the side of her head. The soap they used on her smelled sterile not at all like the honey and almond she loved. Her hair bristled like whiskers against his cheek.  At his waist little fingers flexed and relaxed, flexed and relaxed. Daniel’s smile grew even wider because he knew that was the closest she could get to hugging him in return. “I love you. Come back to me and everything will be all right, I swear.”

BUZZ

Damn! The last thing he wanted to do was let go of her.  But…

“Time’s up I’m afraid.” Willie said from behind them.  “Did we have a nice visit, Calla?”

Daniel broke away from her. Eleven days. That’s all. Just eleven little days.  “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’m afraid you’re only allowed to visit twice a week, next visiting day isn’t until Friday.” Willie said in a voice full of false cheer.  “Why don’t we say our good-byes so we can get ready for bed?”

Pthfffffffft

At the sound in his head Daniel let out a little chuckle. That’s not nice.

Pthfffffffft  Pthfffffffft  Pthfffffffft

One more time he kissed the side of her head. “I’ll be here on Friday. Just three days that’s all.” He watched her eyes raise to the ceiling more directly to the windows and the night sky. “Three times and I’ll be back. I love you, Kitty.”

Unsteadily Calla got to her feet with him she tried to reach out but the restraints wouldn’t let her.  Calla started jumping up and down in small hops and making whimpering ‘mm, mm, mm’ sounds.  “It’s ok, honey, it’ll be all right, I’ll be back, I promise.”

“I think it’s time we left now, Daniel.  You’ll see him later, Calla.” Willie laid a hand on Daniel’s shoulder realizing that leaving her was the last thing Daniel wanted to do. “She’ll be just fine.”

He was the doctor certainly he knew best. Daniel looked back at her one last time before walking through the door.  Willie pulled it shut and Daniel looked at him. “She recognized me.” He said in quiet amazement.

This was news. Big news. “How do you know that?” Often family members read too much into things especially on their first visit with someone this far gone.

“She said my name.” Daniel turned back to the window.  She was standing directly across from the door and her eyes turned cold, hard and mean.

“She spoke?” Willie was suddenly thrilled with the news. Perhaps things would move along faster than they hoped. “What else did she say? Tell me Daniel…”

Daniel didn’t get the chance.

Letting out the raw wail of a banshee Calla charged the door and hit it hard and square with her shoulder.  The steel buckled just the slightest bit and then stood strong once more.  Backing up and running her foot along the ground like a bull she ran at the door again screaming that high pitched siren the whole time.

“Doctor…”

“Come away from the door, Daniel.” Willie said just before the intercom overhead came on and the nurse at the station started talking into the microphone at her station safely tucked behind bulletproof glass.

“Doctor Strong, code blue, Doctor Strong, code blue.”

Again and again she hit the door each time with a force so jarring all around felt it. “Kitty stop!” Daniel called out not knowing if she could hear him.  “Kitty!”  Inside he watched while her bare foot kicked the tray of food at the window and splatted mashed potatoes (better than shit!) all over the window.  She kicked at it with such force that the plastic tray cracked the glass.  Another harsh charge and her face broke through the mashed potatoes sticking to the window. On her pretty face those ugly deep red welted gouges pressed through the off-white goop and up against the glass. She was angrier than a bull that’s just been stabbed by the matador and charging with as much force.

A brigade of orderlies came galloping down the hallway toward them. “Mr. Taylor won’t you escort Dr. Jackson out?” Willie suggested in a very stern voice. “She’ll be fine Daniel I’ll call you later with an update.”

Mr. Taylor turned out to be Mike and he grabbed Daniel by the upper arm in a very strong grip. “Come with me, doc.” He dragged Daniel away from the door and then down the hall. Daniel never took his eyes off his Wife’s room. He watched as the orderlies accompanied by Dr. Willie who was taking a syringe from the hand of a nurse just now coming out from behind the safety glass.

“She’s pregnant.”

“We know.”  Mike told him.

From the room they heard; “Just chill out Calla, just take it….OW! Fuckin bitch bit me!” The door shut and cut off the sound of the slap which followed.

 “I know it’s hard but believe me its best if we just keep walking.” Then they were going through the double doors which lead to the elevators.  “Paul, why don’t you give Dr. Jackson here his stuff, his visit with the….his Wife…is over.”

“Sure, come on over here Dr. Jackson.” Paul the security guard said with a warm smile as Mike disappeared back through the door.  “Mrs. Dr. Jackson having a bad night?”

From the look of him Paul had seen many people’s wives, husbands, children, mothers, fathers and the like, all of them have had very very bad nights in this place.  “I guess.” Daniel muttered wanting to go back and knowing Paul wouldn’t unlock the door for him again tonight. 

Paul pushed the clipboard toward him and then went to the cabinet behind his desk. Taking the key from around his neck he locked it and came up with Daniel’s coat and the manila envelope which held his personal possessions.  “Sight there and it’s all yours.”

Scribbling his name on the paper with one hand he grabbed for his things with the other. “Thanks.” His heart heavy and his mind still trying to digest everything that had happened in his short visit Daniel slipped into his coat and headed toward the elevators. Maybe she was just as fucking crazy as a loon. What sane woman would heave herself at a solid steel door repeatedly?

The ride home was long and on it he passed the Bubble and Squeak but resisted the urge to fog himself with alcohol and numb the pain.  He needed to be alert. The booze was bad. He’d promised her he wouldn’t drink anymore and he wouldn’t when he got home he’d toss it all out like he’d done early last fall just before he went after her and got her back from Andrew Fucking Hartley.  No more drinking.

End Chapter Three Of Faded Rose
By Moon Mistress
Continue to
Chapter Four