Chose to Forget

Drake settles at home, his blue coat tinged with ruffles and black spots that he does not know how it came about. Cursing for the umpteenth time, his wife completely avoids him this time, knowing what her eyes saw the last time she had interrupted him like that when he had been in s semi foul mood, not now that he is in a completely foul mood.

Outside the station the previous day, Trelawney had spoken down to him, not as his lawyer but like he is someone that is as stupid as a two year old. He might have gotten him out of the police clutches but since he made that blunder, Trelawney assured him that the bull headed officer is in no way done with him.

He might have bought some time with the help of the chief but soon enough, she will be back on his trail, and thinking back to it, he is totally right.

His back has in no way recovered from the throw. Rethinking back to the moment that she had effortlessly thrown him over her head has him hissing again.

A timid knock sounds at the door. “Who is there?” He barks and the door opens slowly to reveal his daughter’s small face at the door.

“Daddy.”

His frowning face immediately changes into one of adoration, complete with a smile. He opens the door wider and picks her up. “Darling, why are you not at school?”

“Mum did not take me because I am not feeling fine. I have a headache.”

“Sorry princess. Would you like me to give you a small massage?”

“I want a big massage because I am a big girl, but yes. I want a massage.”

He sets her down on the comfortable couch, sitting down behind her, he presses down gently on her shoulders, a bit thankful for the distraction.

“Daddy?”

“Yes princess.”

“We watched you on TV yesterday, mum was crying. What did you do? Why did Aunt slap you? Why were there so many people?”

Drake sighs, his short lived moment peace shattered. “Daddy was trying to do a good thing but others can’t appreciate it.”

“Is that why that cool woman put a metal bracelet on your two hands?”

Drake pauses ever so briefly. That part had been broadcasted live too? He must currently be thought to be his own brother’s murderer? How can he salvage his integrity?

To do that, he has to…

“Amelia?” His wife calls her name from some rooms away.

“Come on, Mum’s calling you. I’ll continue our massage later, okay?”

“Okay Daddy.” She smiles brightly and leaves the room.

Drake groans, pulling his back muscle. To salvage his integrity and possibly get that detective off his back, he has to tell them where he had been on the night of Paul’s murder and the attack at their home, but where had he been?

He grunts painfully, feeling a headache coming up from trying to remember just where and what he had been up to that night. He just remembers stumbling back home two days later.

What had happened? Why does he have no memory of it?

His eyes catch his unfinished bottle of whiskey, and almost immediately, a brain numbing pain hits him and he has a random flashback.

Drake had been with two women, two of them on either of his side in a luxurious booth somewhere, different bottles of drinks and some white powdery substances scattered everywhere on the table.

There is someone sitting in the shadows in front of him. It’s a man and he’s smiling. His face is not entirely visible but his lips are, and they are curled up min what seems to be a chilling smirk.

“Aargh.” Drake groans heavily, sitting on the floor. “What the hell was that?”

Where was that? It was in no way familiar. Above all, who was that creepy man? And why had they been meeting? And why had he disappeared for two days?

Too many questions and soon he starts to share the same headache with Amelia. His phone begins to ring.

He ignores it for the first three minutes, choosing to be left alone but when it does not stop ringing, he forces himself to his feet and grabs the phone off its shelf. “What is it?” He asks his secretary rudely. “Did I not tell you I do not want to be disturbed?”

“I’m sorry sir but I am very certain you would be more than angry with me if I did not tell you.”

“Fine, what is it?”

“I just received intel that Mrs. Worth has been found.”

Drake’s eyes almost budge out of his head. “WHAT?!”

“Yes sir. She is currently at the recently acquired hospital. Miss Bethany is there already.”

“I’m going to head there in twenty minutes, get the car prepared and waiting for me out front.”

“Yes sir.”

As Drake rises to his feet and limps out of the room, he is not sure whether he should be relieved that Anastasia has been found or whether he should be scared that going there will not help matters for either of them.

What if… Just what if he had been at their place that night or the day after and does not remember ever shooting his own brother?

These thoughts almost stop him in his tracks but he pushes on, its only Anastasia after all… what could possibly go wrong?

Well, jinxed.

*

Holding hands, Bethany opens the door and pulls Mandall along with her, closing the door behind her.

“Mum how are you feeling now?”

Anastasia sits up in bed. Bethany puts a bed behind her, while Mandall stands at the back, unsure of what to be doing.

Anastasia looks right at him, then at Bethany. “Won’t you introduce me?”

“Oh. Mum meet Mandall Hall, Mandall, meet my mum, Anastasia Worth.”

“Nice to meet you ma’am. Welcome back home.” Mandall greets, struggling on what to say but finally deciding on the lesser offensive ones. Or, more suitable ones.

Anastasia must have sensed his nervousness because she chuckles. “You don’t have to be scared around me, I don’t bite. You have a pretty good fashion sense. So, you can call me Anastasia.”

Mandall nods good naturedly.

“You have told me your name but who are you really? I know she won’t bring just anyone in here to see me. She is too scared of me to do that, right, Beth?”

Bethany rolls her eyes, she is returning to who she has always been, so what is the surprise. “That day I last saw you; you had asked me to go find a man. So, here is the man I found. He had hit me, no, he almost did but we get along fine now.”

“That is good. Your father must be happy to hear that.”

Bethany pauses for a whole minute while Mandall looks on, unsure of what to do.

Anastasia looks from Mandall to Bethay. “What is wrong? Did something happen while I was gone? Or why the sudden pause?”

“Uhm… Nothing mum. Well be right back. The doctor will be coming again to do some tests, we will be right outside.” Bethay rushes her words and pull Mandall out again. Mandall, in turn chooses to hold her instead of otherwise. He could feel her body start to vibrate softly; the tears are coming again.

He handles the part of informing the nurses about the supposed situation and the duo watches as they return to the room. In about two minutes, a nurse comes out and calls them back in.

Inside, the doctor is sharing a joke with Anastasia and she laughs at it, her eyes seeming shinier than ever before, but its all because she does not remember much. Upon Beth’s entry, the doctor straightens. “I’m sorry but you will need to tell her.”

Anastasia looks from the doctor to Beth, a bit confused on what is going on.

“I am sorry, I would have told you this in private but she’s stubborn. She threatened me by saying I should say everything here or lose my job, so… There are situations where the p\[patient blocks out some specific memories from their heads so they wont o into shock. That is precisely what this is. She has blocked out the memory as a coping mechanism.”

‘What did I block? What am I forgetting?” Anastasia asks. Bethany comes to hold her hand.

“I’ll tell you Mum. I’ll tell you.” Beth turns to the team of doctors. “Thank you. I will tell her, maybe it can help with remembering what happened.”

The doctors say a few more things before exiting, and as they open the door outside, there is someone standing at the door.

Its Asha Rawlings.

Her eyes take in the whole scene in one look before she steps in, her hostile eyes hooded but Mandall can still feel some sort o dislike aura flowing from her.

She walks in and past Mandall, completely ignoring his existence in the room. “Miss Bethany, I came here as fast as I could. Congratulations.” She turns to Anastasia. “Nice to meet you ma’am. I am Detective Asha Rawlings, in charge of your case. I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions.”

Bethany frowns immediately at her rudeness. “Detective Rawlings…”

“What case is that?” Anastasia cuts in, frowning deeper than she had before. “What is going on Bethany? Have we been robbed or something?”

Asha frowns then. “You have forgotten about the murder of your husband?”

Anastasia turns deathly white. “What?” Her voice comes out in a choked whisper.

“Detective Rawlings, please get out of here.” Bethany orders angrily.