Broken and Bonded Ch. 15-16

Chapter Fifteen

The two doctors and the nurse -- Sheila, joined Jonathon and Greg for their evening meal, and afterwards they all retired to the main living area, where the patio doors stood open to the night.

"So, you wanted to talk to us about our recent illness -- I assume that you have made some discoveries in your research?" Jonathon enquired of them.

"Yes," Doctor Phillips pursed his lips thoughtfully as he gathered the details in his mind. "As you are aware, I have been speaking with both of Greg's daughters, and more importantly about their childhood, where we believe that we have found the source of their antibodies, and by that course I -- we, think that the virus is a derivative of the chickenpox virus. Not the childhood version though, but the adult's shingles version."

"How did we..." Greg began.

"It is all very odd still, you have the shingles infection, but there is no sign of the chickenpox virus. Your systems might have recognised it through the childhood version, but that key part was missing, and so your systems could not recognise it for what it was -- a virus."

"Yes," Dr Grey nodded. "And because your bodies could not see it as a threat then it was left to fester until something set it off."

"What do you think that was?" Jonathon asked in a toneless voice that made everyone pause to look at him anxiously.

The doctors both shrugged as they glanced at each other.

"With the shingles infection, from everything that I have ever read," Dr Grey said slowly. "Well, it can be a little thing such as tiredness -- or stress -- or well the slightest thing can set it off -- but once it is in full rage then the effects can be very debilitating -- as you both found out only too well."

"So, we were infected with this shingles? How and when, have you got any idea at all?"

"Well, that is the thing with the shingles virus. It can lie dormant in your system for years -- decades even."

"Not a recent thing then?"

"It's impossible to know for sure, but extremely unlikely that it was a recent infection."

Greg and Jonathon looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment.

"I think that... perhaps when we did that tour -- all those years ago." Greg murmured.

"Why do you think that?" Dr Grey asked with interest.

"Well, it is a bit of a leap," Greg said sitting forward. "But it was the last time that Jon and I were together for any length of time; we were travelling around together for about six weeks... and we were probably arrogant in our assumption of safety -- as well as complacent."

"So ample opportunity for someone to have infected you both."

"Yes, I suppose so... how do you think they might have done it?" Jonathon asked.

Dr Phillips shrugged and glanced at Dr Grey quickly before giving his opinion.

"Almost definitely injection -- or perhaps a small dart of some sort -- but it would have been something that could puncture the skin."

"I believe that we would have noticed something like that though?" Jonathon argued.

"Not necessarily, Jon. There were places that we went to that were rife with mosquitos -- and other places riddled with fleas..." Greg pulled a little face and scratched absently at his arm as he remembered. "It could have been any time like that, that we would not have noticed another nip or bite or jab."

Jonathon sighed and then nodded slowly. "I believe that you are right about that... and I am also remembering that it was at that time that Matt was abducted, and soon after that my wife -- and then shortly after that our father was killed..."

Greg let out a small gasp, and the doctors looked appalled and uncomfortable, but it was Shelia, who exclaimed. "You think that this was an assassination attempt? On your whole family?"

Jonathon sighed again and looked solemnly at the group. "I have had my suspicions for many a year, I do not know why they stopped their pursuit of my family when they did, but I never realised -- until now, that I had been targeted too."

**

The full moon was only a few days away, and its influence was growing on them. The household of Greg Beaumont was a bundle of nervous energy.

The lunar event always gave him and his staff an edge, but Greg knew that the brooding presence of Jonathon was increasing all of that edginess.

Jonathon Richards had sworn them all to secrecy following their discussion and conclusion, and the doctors and nurse Sheila had all meekly agreed.

Greg had been a little more reluctant but then who would he have discussed it with anyway? He just hated feeling coerced into something -- especially when in his own household and Jonathon was here as his guest, not the leader.

Greg had demurred but, in the end, agreed that he would talk to no one of their discussions and conclusions.

"Not even to each other," Jonathon stated firmly. "Because you never know who might be listening."

The days ticked along, and the full moon came closer, and Jonathon and Greg both approached the lunar event with anticipation and more than a little apprehension... what if the shift could no longer be achieved -- what if it did not revive them in the way that they all hoped, and did not wash away the devastating effects of the virus?

**

"Trudy!"

"Seline... are you busy am I disturbing you... I just felt the need to talk to someone, are you available for a chat?"

"Yes, of course, just let me close my office door," Seline did this and then sat back in her chair. "There now we can talk in peace with no chance of being interrupted... oh by the way we have a guest here at the moment," she said with a smile.

"Oh?"

"Yes... one Mr Richards -- the younger brother."

"Matt!"

"The one and only." Seline grinned. "He's protecting me and the girls until the older brother can come along and take up the role -- along with the young pups I was telling you about before... perhaps you would like to pop along for a visit yourself -- as you promised to do if I found it all a bit too much?"

"It's only Matt at the moment -- that promise was made for when the Frawnings pack moved in and the man who you can't say no to!" Trudy shot back.

"Ah but by then chaos will be all around and Matt will be long gone, at the moment he is here and pretty much alone with just his thoughts most of the time."

"You know that is the last place I would be then," Trudy muttered.

"Why not?" Seline's voiced deepened and warmed. "You should see him around the girls, Trudy."

"No thank you," She tried to sound flippant but there was definitely a wistful note there.

"Perhaps you can rekindle something new with him, after all he does still carry something for you in his subconscious and you made it work for you before -- from what bits you said... but what did happen between the two of you?"

Trudy was silent for a moment, but then she sighed.

"I have carried that guilty secret for weeks now... When we were all at my brother's home... well Matt suffered one of his attacks; and I know that Jonathon thought it was something about me that was jogging his memory."

"I believe that too," Seline nodded seriously. "Those memories of his are jostling around trying to break free -- I think it only a matter of time now before the truth hits him. He is skirting around it at present, like a dog with a bone; but deep down he is desperate to know, and he will keep digging now until he gets to the truth of it all."

"Dear god, I hope not!"

"Why on earth not?" Seline demanded.

... I as good as raped the man -- he was in no state to agree or reject me."

"Really!" Seline gasped in surprise. "But he remembered you, he was in a state where his memories did not hurt him, and he could relive what the two of you once were." Seline argued.

"If he had really felt that way, why then did he forget me again so readily?"

"Why don't you pop on down here and find out for sure?" Seline challenged loftily.

The silence at the other end dragged out, and Seline held her breath, sensing that her friend was seriously tempted, and was trying to find her nerve.

Finally, she sighed, and Seline swallowed down the disappointment.

"I dare not," Trudy whispered.

"Coward!" she hissed back, knowing that Trudy was anything but that -- usually.

"So, sue me!" she snapped back grumpily, and they both giggled together regretfully.

"Well... he is staying here until after the full moon, so you will have a good few days yet to change your mind -- or find your courage." Seline told her softly.

*

Matt strolled down towards the cabin, feeling pleasantly fatigued. He had spent the bulk of the day in the large house, shoving around furniture for the girls so that they could thoroughly clean the place.

The happy chatter of the young women was endearing and heart-warming to him as he moved around them easily laughing and joking with them. It thawed his inner being to be able to be around these young women and know that they did not fear him.

He was at the end of the driveway, and about to step onto the grass to cut across to the cabins, when the headlights of a car travelled across the driveway followed quickly by the sound of its engine.

The little mini was bleached by the moonlight but he knew instantly that it was a shiny blue in colour as his stomach did a somersault of excitement.

He rubbed at the back of his head as he moved to intercept the car as it pulled to halt outside the main house.

"Good evening, Ms Beaumont," he grinned. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" His grin suddenly widened even further. "We can't seem to escape each other these days?"

She leaned against her car and eyed him uncertainly for a moment.

"Good evening to you too, Mr Richards.... indeed, we cannot."

"Oh please, please Matt, if you will."

She nodded and licked her lip. "As you wish," she shrugged.

He held his breath waiting to hear his name on those very same luscious lips, which he suddenly couldn't take his eyes off.

"How are things here?" she asked instead as she used the act of looking around to break his almost hypnotic gaze.

Matt sighed regretfully. "Quiet, but busy." he told her.

"Good... long may that last." Trudy murmured.

"That's why I am here," Matt grinned. "To ensure that it does."

Trudy smiled up at him suddenly, and for a moment it seemed to Matt like the sun had come out.

"For that... for Seline and the girls -- I thank you."

He stepped closer to her and was pleased when she did not step back -- although in truth there was nowhere for her to go other than right up against her car.

That would have presented all sorts of interesting possibilities and Matt's mind darted around even as he reached out to gently touch a lock of her moonlit bleached hair, hair that he knew for a fact was golden and sunny...

He dropped the lock and his hand automatically reached up under his own hair to that scar. "I... I..."

Trudy's hand followed his and she grasped and pulled it firmly back down. "Don't fight it," she urged almost in a hiss. "Let it come to you."

As they stood there under the expanding moon, there was a sound suddenly from the trees.

The low growling and then the wolf, came slowly towards them.

"It's the same wolf!" Matt muttered incredulously. "The same one from your brother's estate!"

The old wolf sat on his haunches and studied them both; with pale dispassionate eyes.

Trudy stepped towards him and crouched down to caress his neck. "I am safe here," she whispered to him, softly. "You have no need to watch over me anymore."

The wolf sniffed at her for a moment, before his tongue flicked out to stroke her arm, and then almost with a wolfy sigh he stood up and turned to bound back into the trees.

"Goodbye my old friend," Trudy whispered tearfully, as she felt the closing of a chapter of her life.

She gave a startled gasp when Matt suddenly grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "What the hell was that all about?" he demanded roughly -- almost as if he was jealous -- of a wolf?

She shrugged away from his grasp and turned away a little. "The wolf -- and his brother... they were friends to me when I was in need -- when I was alone and vulnerable and hurt... they guided me and protected me, they were friends to me, when I needed friends but had none of my own kind on hand, they came to my aid... and then even when I was safe, they would sometimes come to my brother's home when I was there." A tear trickled down her cheek. "That is until a couple of years ago when his brother-wolf no longer came with him... I guessed that he must have perished."

Matt latched on to just one thing in her words though. "You were hurt?" he demanded again in that rough voice, but it was more pain now than jealous irrational rage, he grabbed her arm again to turn her back to him. "You were alone and injured?"

His grip tightened on her arm almost painfully, but before the situation could evolve any further, lights suddenly flooded the front of the main house and driveway -- and people poured out through the door, and Trudy used his momentary distraction to pull and turn away from him once more.

She stepped towards the group but then suddenly turned to look up at him with bright blue eyes that seemed to light up the darkness. "It is good to see you again, but I will say good night to you now... Matt."

"Trudy!" loud happy voices exclaimed almost at the same moment. "We thought we heard a car!"

Trudy rushed towards them and called out brightly "Yes, I am back again!" she moved through the group talking and laughing with them as they moved back into the house -- En masse.

As the evening settled into silence again. Matt stood frozen in the darkness of the evening.

The brightness of the lights meant that those coming out would not have seen him. But she had known he was there! His thoughts were tumbling over each other and churning around, and his head began to throb.

Matt staggered across to his cabin, seeking the remedy of the bottle.

It couldn't be! Not her -- it could not be her!

She'd been hurt! Hurt and alone, and the pain of that thought was as real as the pain in head.

All this time he had been searching and all along she had been right there -- right under his nose.

Of course, it was her! It had always been her -- his Tru sunshine girl -- his Trudy!

He came to a halt as the hazy image of his fogged filled memory slammed together in his mind into the living breathing image of Trudy -- her bright blue eyes mocking and laughing and crying, crying for him!

******* 

Chapter Sixteen

Trudy barely slept that night.

Almost as soon as the boisterousness of her greeting from the girls had quietened down, Seline managed to pry her away and shepherd her into her study.

She closed the door with a sigh and looked across at her old friend.

"You came," she said simply.

Trudy nodded as she sank down onto one of the chairs.

"Yes... I... I..." the tears filled her eyes and her shoulders hunched as she broke down. "He will never remember what we were -- what we had... it's all gone -- gone forever -- just as his father said it had!"

"His father?" Seline blinked and looked openly confused, and then her eyes widened as she realised something. "You mean when Matt was hurt -- in the hospital?"

"Yes... when you got me that job at the hospital -- when Matt was in the coma... I managed to be the nurse in his room, I was right there when he first woke up!"

She hugged herself as she remembered that heart-breaking moment when Matt first opened his eyes and looked at her, and Seline sat down beside her and hugged her tightly. For one split second he had recognised her, and then it was as if a veil had come down and he looked at her blankly and confused.

"He might have remembered me, if his father had not brushed me aside, and begun to issue instructions to doctors and Matt alike. By the time things quietened down again, Matt had been pumped full of drugs and was out of this world again."

"You think his father realised?" Seline gasped.

Trudy laughed a bitter laugh. "I know that he realised, he knew about me all along, I believe... but certainly at the hospital... he cornered me soon after Matt came too. He told me that the doctors had said that his memory was damaged and that trying to fix that could be extremely dangerous for Matt. He told me to get out of the hospital and never come back... that if I ever tried to contact his son, then I would be severely dealt with."

"He threatened you!" Seline exclaimed.

"Oh yes and he was not even vague or circumspect about it."

"But Matt's father has been dead for years now?"

"But the council still wields power and uses Matt to illustrate it. I never met Jonathon Richards until recently and so assumed that he was his father's son -- if you know what I mean."

"So, you just skulked away and never looked back?"

"Nope!"

Seline smiled at her friend's hint of defiance.

"What then?"

"I waited for Mr Richards senior to leave the hospital and then I went back to Matt's room one last time..."

"And?"

"He looked right through me -- like I was nothing -- just a part of the furniture... I realised then that Matt -- my Matt had been killed when he was attacked, and I saw nothing over the years to make me think otherwise."

"And you still believe that now?" Seline demanded incredulously.

"No... no, Matt the man is still there -- hidden away, for whatever reason. But my Matt is gone for good I still believe."

"You are so wrong about that!" Matt said from the doorway.

They had both been sitting with their backs to the door, and so caught up with the past that neither of them had registered the door opening.

His eyes were blazing with supressed fury, and fixed on Trudy who shrank away from him in an unusually timid way for her.

"Did no one ever teach you to knock, Matt?" Seline demanded irritably. "This is after all my private office -- especially when that door is closed."

He gave her a quick tight smile and half bow. "So sorry about that but I felt the need to talk to Trudy, here."

Not Rowena -- nor Miss Beaumont, and Trudy gave a little gasp and her bright blue eyes darkened to storm clouds.

Seline looked between the two of them and then pointedly at Trudy.

"Shall I stay?" she asked her friend.

Trudy smiled at her gratefully for a moment but then shook her head firmly.

"That's not necessary... I don't think?"

"No, it's not." Matt agreed.

Seline sighed and walked towards the door, and where Matt was still standing.

She reached him and poked him in the chest with a hard finger.

"Be nice to her," she hissed. "You owe her that at the very least!"

After Seline had left and the door was firmly closed once more, Matt continued to just stand there, staring at her in a hard fashion.

Trudy stared back defiantly for a moment but as the minutes ticked by, she began to feel decidedly uncomfortable.

"Well!" she finally snapped. "Do you have nothing at all to say to me -- I thought you said that you needed to talk to me?"

He sighed suddenly and stepped closer but refused to take his eyes off her.

"I did have the need to talk to you," he said slowly. "The trouble is, that I am not sure which you, that I need to talk to!"

The colour came to her cheeks and Matt's memory skipped along hazily as though flicking through photographs.

"What do you mean -- which me... there is only one of me!"

"Huh!" he half laughed. "The woman who stared me down -- refusing to be intimated or browbeaten, refusing to tell me anything about anything... the woman who would have ripped out my throat, or that of those men who threatened your nieces. The woman who cares for and defends -- who stepped in to help my brother when all else were frozen in terror. The woman who would die -- or kill for anyone she loves... who nurtures and protects... who runs a successful business -- or two -- who seems to own half of London... the woman who always seems to show up and invade my dreams and waking hours alike... who was once the love of my life..."