Part Four
 

Early Friday October 9, 1987

Amanda waited down the hall from Lee’s hospital room with Billy Melrose.  The evening before, she’d been briefed by Dr. McJohn on Lee’s medical condition.  The numerous drugs he had been injected with were daunting, and even more frightening his prognosis - unclear.

After that briefing, Billy Melrose read her in on NETUKUS, a nuclear elimination treaty with the United Kingdom.  Lee’s highly classified assignment had been in London.  The Treaty with the Brits was the precursor to a deal with the Soviets.  He was trying to determine if there had been a leak, and if so, plugging the leak.

“Amanda,” Billy Melrose called to her a second time, finally gaining her attention, “There is a slight chance that for whatever reason, Lee will never regain his memory of your relationship.”

“I don’t believe that for one minute.”

Billy sighed.  “You know it’s a possibility.”

“Sir, Lee and I love each other, or we would have never married.  That’s not something anyone can forget.  He has his reasons for repressing our relationship. Whatever the reason, I’m sure that will come to light in the next few days.”

For a few moments they sat in silence.  Billy opened his mouth twice before the words finally spilled from his lips. He probed with a question he had every right in asking as her boss, but in a tone that was clearly coming from a friend.  “Why did you hide your marriage, Amanda?  You know I supported your relationship.”

She smiled at him, wishing now that they hadn’t hidden their marriage for so many months.  An overwhelmed shrug preceded her answer.  “There were a lot of reasons.  We thought it was the best way to protect our family, first and foremost.  We weren’t sure if Dr. Smyth would break up our partnership…”

“I’ll do what I can to keep you two working together, if Lee regains…”

“When Lee regains his memory.”

“Does your mother know?” Billy pressed.

“About the marriage?  No, nobody knows that.  My mother knows Lee and I are involved,” Amanda admitted pensively, blinking back tears in her eyes.  The past few days had been emotionally trying.  “We thought it would protect them if they didn’t know.”

Sympathetic to his agent, he didn’t chastise her with a sharp rebuke.  Instead, he reminded her, “When has the Agency ever let your family down?”

Amanda swallowed hard, “They haven’t sir, and you’ve never let me down.  I’m sorry I’ve let you down.”

“You haven’t let me down, Amanda.  I’m happy to hear you and Lee got married.  When all this is behind you both, I hope you two choose a more conventional marriage.”

“Yes, I think that’s sage advice.  I can’t wait to see him again.”

Billy Melrose must have read the look on her face, because he warned her once again. “I want you to remember, Amanda, that Lee probably won’t recognize you.  Your cover is that you’re the agent assigned to assist him over the next few days until his memory is fully returned.”

“Yes, sir, I understand that,” she answered professionally; taking a deep breath as Dr. McJohn came out of Lee’s room.  Immediately she asked about her husband.  “How is he, doctor?”

“There is definitely some improvement from yesterday.  Scarecrow clearly understands that he’s repressed his memory from his last assignment.  Unfortunately, he isn’t cognizant that the gap is five years long.  He’s frustrated, which is expected under the circumstances.  Mrs. King, this assignment may be more challenging than you think.”

“I want to be there for him doctor.  He’d do the same for me,” she stated without hesitation.

“Very well,” the doctor nodded.

“When can he be discharged?” Amanda asked.

 “I’m going to check on his latest blood work.  I’m continuing to push I.V. fluids to flush his system.  Depending upon the lab results, later today, probably tomorrow…”

“Thanks, doc, keep me informed as to his progress,” Billy replied as Dr. McJohn started down the hallway.  Then turning to Amanda he asked, “Would you like me to go in first and lay the groundwork for your cover?”

“Uh, no, that won’t be necessary.  I’m sure Lee won’t like the idea regardless,” Amanda remarked knowing her husband.

Billy opened the door to Scarecrow’s room and led the way inside.  “Good morning, Scarecrow,” William Melrose greeted his agent, with Amanda closely in tow.

“Billy, when can I get out of this damn place?” was the first question out of his mouth.

Billy ignored Lee’s question and began to make introductions.  “Scarecrow, this is Amanda King.  She’s been assigned to assist you over the next few days.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Lee complained loudly, then offered a polite smile to Amanda.  “No offense… Amanda.  Get me out of this hospital, Billy.  I need to get back to work.”

“You will, soon,” Billy promised.  “In the meantime, Amanda is here to help you out.”

“Billy!  I really don’t need a babysitter.” Lee protested as he gritted his teeth.  Then he glanced over at Amanda before focusing once again on his supervisor.  “Could we have a few minutes… alone?”

“No,” Amanda answered sharply and walked closer to Lee’s bed. Needing physical contact with her husband, she placed a hand on his shoulder.  “Trust me, I am NOT your babysitter.  My assignment is to assist you in recovering your memory.  I can assure you, I was trained by the best agent.  I suggest you quit griping about the circumstances and accept it.”

Both Billy and Lee looked at Amanda, surprised by her tone.

“I guess that settles that,” Billy Melrose chuckled with a pleased grin on his face.  “Amanda, call me if you need anything, and Lee, trust me when I tell you, you’re in good hands.”

Lee pulled his shoulder away from Amanda’s touch and stared open mouthed at Billy and then focused on Amanda. Furrowing his brow, he began interrogating her, “Have you ever dealt with someone with Thornton’s repression?”

“Actually, Amanda has,” Billy interjected with a stern glare at Scarecrow.  “Additionally, she has been fully briefed on your last assignment.  I know it’s frustrating, but things will come back to you.  At first, it’ll be in pieces and it won’t make sense.  Give it some time and the pieces will fit together.”

“How would you know?” Lee snapped angrily.

“Lee, that’s no way to talk to your supervisor,” Amanda reproved her husband.

“It’s all right, Amanda.  I’ve got a thick skin when it comes to Scarecrow,” Billy remarked, but pointed a warning finger at Lee.  “If I hear you talking to Amanda with that tone, you will answer to me, understood?”

“Billy, come on…” Lee pleaded, but his request fell on deaf ears.

Billy Melrose walked to the door.  “I mean it, Scarecrow.  I want you on your best behavior with Amanda.  And that’s an order!”

With that said, their supervisor waved to them both and exited the room.

Lee put his hands to his face, and rubbed his brow in frustration.

“Careful, Lee, watch your intravenous line,” Amanda worried, as she noticed the I V needle in the back of his hand.  Further study of her husband, she noticed restraint marks which were now turning black and blue on both of his arms.  She took his left arm and stroked it tenderly.  “Are they sore?”

“A little,” he acknowledged, not realizing at first, he was allowing her to gently caress his arm.  When he finally noticed, he pulled his arm from her.

She began to fluff his pillow.  “Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?”

“Quit mothering me,” he snapped at her.

“Sorry, I was only trying to help, but watch your tone.”

Lee rolled his eyes.  “Listen, Amanda, I’m sorry I snapped, but I don’t need a babysitter, or a nursemaid.  I’m perfectly fine.”

“On the contrary,” she noted, “you’ve been pumped with a half dozen different drugs, and you’ve repressed your memory on a highly classified assignment.  It’s either me, or the Agency psych staff and I’m betting you’d rather not have them pump you with anything else!”

Lee rubbed his forehead with his left hand and closed his eyes, groaning slightly. He leaned back in bed.

“Are you all right?” she asked in concern, her hands touching his arm and shoulder.

He didn’t answer her right away.  Eventually, he blinked and shook his head.  “I keep getting these weird flashbacks.”  He stopped and turned, staring at her face.

“Do you remember anything from last week?” she probed curiously.  “Where you went?  Who you spoke with?”

Lee stared at her again, and then closed his eyes, before shaking his head and opening them.  “I can’t make sense out of any of it.  It’s like watching a movie with the scenes out of order.”

In a supportive tone, Amanda reassured him. “Give it time, Lee.  It’s a good sign that you’re remembering things.  You need to give it some time.  You look tired, why don’t you try to get some sleep?”

“I am tired,” he admitted.

In a soothing voice, she replied.  “Close your eyes, Lee.  Lean back, and close your eyes.  Go to sleep.  You’ll put the pieces together after you get some rest.”  She stroked his forehead and his face gently.

Lee instinctively listened to her voice, and naturally followed her instructions.  He didn’t pull away from her touch.  Instead, he seemed to be comforted by it.  A smile washed across his face.  “Maybe I’ll take a short nap,” he murmured as his body relaxed in bed.

“That’s it, Lee, go to sleep.  I’ll be right here when you wake up.  Everything will be all right.”

“Night, Amanda…” he mumbled with a smile on his face and he drifted off to sleep.

Amanda watched until she was certain he was fast asleep.  Then she bent down and kissed his lips softly.  “Sleep well, Lee.  I love you.”
 

****    ****

Lunchtime - Friday October 9, 1987
 

“Neskus,” Lee mumbled as he began to toss and turn in bed, slowly waking up.

Sitting at his bedside, Amanda lightly touched his arm.  “You’re safe, sweetheart.  It’s all right…”

The mumbling continued, louder, more fretfully.   “Netus,” he shouted bolting up into a sitting position in the hospital bed.  Scarecrow blinked his eyes, looked around the room and focused on the only person in the room with him.

“You’re all right, Lee, you’re safe,” she reassured.

“Where am I?” he questioned.

“Georgetown Medical Center,” she answered.  “You were kidnapped, and drugged. Do you remember?”

 “Yeah, some of it,” Lee nodded his head and rubbed his weary eyes, “You’re, Amanda… Amanda King, right?”

 “Yes, you remember me.  That’s good,” she remarked.

“Sure, you’re the agent Billy assigned to me until my memory returns.  Damn it!” he swore in frustration.

Amanda pasted a smile on her face, but secretly was hiding her anguish, hoping against hope that his bout with Thornton’s repression was coming to a close.   “You were mumbling something as you were waking up, do you remember what it was?  Do you remember any details of your last mission?” she asked reaching for a paper and pen to take notes.

“Yeah, I was in England – London I think.  My assignment was Netus, or Neskus, no, that’s not right.  It was something like that…”

“That’s very good, Lee,” Amanda encouraged.  “The name you’re looking for is NETUKUS.”

“Yes, the US, UK nuclear Elimination pact!” he shouted with relief.

“Excellent!  Your memory is coming back quickly,” she noted with a happy smile.  Using soft interrogation techniques, she continued to probe his mind. “Did you visit anyone while you were in London?  Maybe you ate at a favorite restaurant or you had dinner with someone?

Lee laid back in his bed, and closed his eyes, straining to remember details, any piece of information.  Finally he blurted out, “I had dinner with a friend.”

“What’s your friend’s name?”

Opening his eyes, he recalled her name clearly, “Emily, Emily Farnsworth.  We had dinner before I caught my flight back to the States.”

“You’re doing great, Lee.  Tell me; did anything unusual happen during your trip?  Were you followed?  Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?  Anyone break into your hotel room?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he answered guardedly, closing his eyes once again, it was obvious he was getting agitated. Finally he snapped, “I can’t remember for sure.”

“It’s OK, Lee.  Relax.  Sit back and relax.  Rest…” she said in a soothing manner.

“Why can’t I remember?” Scarecrow wracked his memory, but answers eluded him and he became more distraught.

“It’s all right, Lee.  You’ve remembered a lot already.  Why don’t you rest?”

“Because I’m tired of resting,” he grumbled at her.

“All right, let’s try a different track.  Do you remember what hotel you stayed at?  Perhaps you felt like your cover was blown?” Amanda could feel his frustration.

Lee took a deep breath and contemplated her question.  There was silence in the room for almost a minute before he shouted out, “The Hilton.  I stayed at the Hilton.”

“Good…”

A knock on the door and an orderly brought in a tray for lunch, placing it on the table at his bedside.  Lee lifted the lid, but neither the sight nor the smell of the food impressed him or Amanda.

“How about we get the hell out of here?” Lee suggested with a childlike grin.  “Lunch, my treat, there’s a new place not far from here in Georgetown, called Emelio’s.  I haven’t been there yet, but it’s got to be better than this...”

“Sorry, Lee, you’re stuck here until the doctor releases you, but I promise to bring you a care package for dinner,” Amanda suggested as she pushed the tray of food towards him and handing him the utensils.  “The sooner you eat, the better you’ll feel.”

“That’s easy for you to say.  You don’t have to eat this slop.” The look on Lee Stetson’s face made it clear that he was less than satisfied with the fare.

“I’ll be right outside, Lee.  Call me if you need me.  I’ve got to make some phone calls.”

“Yeah, whatever,” he growled as she left the room.

Amanda called Billy on his private line.

“Melrose,” he answered.

“Sir, it’s Amanda.”

“How are things going?” he asked.

“We’re making progress.  Lee remembered he was in London staying at the Hilton and what he was working on.  He doesn’t recall any problems with the case.  He also remembers having dinner with Emily Farnsworth before he came home,” she explained.

“He had dinner with Emily!” Billy remarked.  “That’s a good sign.  If things were going badly, he might have let Emily know. I’ll give her a call and see if Lee hinted any problems with her.”

“Yes, sir, I was thinking the same thing.”

“Good work, Amanda.  How’s Lee doing otherwise?”

“He’s complaining about his food.  They just brought him lunch, and it didn’t appear very appetizing.”

“Sounds like the old Scarecrow is coming back to us,” Billy commented.

“Yes, sir, I’m sure of it.”

“I spoke with Doctor McJohn a while ago.  His blood work has improved; they’re going to release him this afternoon.  Do you want to drive him home, or would you prefer we get someone else to handle that?”

“I can drive him back to his apartment.  Being back at home will help Lee relax and maybe recover faster.”

“Just don’t expect miracles, Amanda.  I’m confident his memory will return, but he was suppressing something for a reason.  That reason might still be out there.  We’ve had no luck interrogating Mr. Young,” Billy counseled his agent wisely before hanging up the phone.

*** ***  ***

On the way home from the hospital, Amanda stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few essentials for Lee.  She knew there wasn’t anything edible in his refrigerator.  The drive from the grocery store to Lee’s apartment was a short one.  Amanda parked her car, grabbed the bags and led the way into the building.

After putting the grocery bags down, she unlocked the door for him and allowed him to walk past her into his own apartment and cheerfully call out, “Welcome home!”

Lee wandered into his living room, and stopped.  He glanced around the room, but didn’t say anything to Amanda.  Next, Lee disappeared into his bedroom.

Amanda put away the groceries in the kitchen expecting to see her husband, but he wasn’t back in the living room.  “Lee,” she called out with concern as she walked toward the open bedroom door, “is everything all right?”

“Yeah, I got a little dizzy and wanted to lie down on my own bed,” he explained as he sat up.

“The doctor warned you about that.”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m in a helicopter spiraling out of control.  I keep getting flashes of my life. I remember this place, yet it feels like I don’t really belong here.  Something’s missing.”

Amanda gave him a sympathetic smile.  She wanted to scream ‘I’m missing!  Don’t you remember me?’ but she restrained herself, knowing in time it would come back to him.  “How about I make you a home cooked meal for dinner?”

“How about we go out to dinner?”

“Already bought you groceries, and besides a home cooked meal would be much healthier,” she rebutted.

“Dinner out would be easier; no dishes to clean,” he proposed with a smile, but Amanda stood resolute. He shrugged and asked, “Are you a good cook?”

“You can let me know after dinner, OK?”

“What do you have in mind, perhaps, Duck a la…”

Amanda interrupted, “Chicken Marsala.   Why don’t you go take a shower and settle in, by the time you’re finished with that, dinner should be ready.”

Lee nodded his agreement and left the room. Amanda got busy and started cooking.

A while later, Lee Stetson walked into the kitchen showered, shaved, and dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. Amanda smiled thinking how incredibly sexy he was.  It took great self-control for Amanda to not rush over and hug and kiss him.

“Something smells good,” he commented as he peeked at what was cooking on the stove.

“I’m glad you think so,” she smiled, having to resist kissing her husband.  “Would you mind setting the table?  Dinner is almost ready.”

“Sure,” he nodded, and he opened the cabinets and drawers quickly locating what he needed and set the table.  Reaching for a drawer, his hand touched Amanda’s hip.  “Sorry, I need to get some silverware.”

“That’s all right, Lee,” Amanda replied, trying to remain calm, but his touch always made her heart beat faster.  Taking a deep breath, she commented, “You seem to be finding everything pretty easily.”

Lee chuckled, “You’re right; I guess deep down, I know where things are.  Now, if I could only remember the details of the last assignment and what I’ve repressed.”

“How about you sit down and eat.  Dinner is ready.  You’ll feel better after a full meal.”

“Smells delicious,” Lee remarked when Amanda came into the dining room with two plates.  “Chicken Marsala is one of my favorites.”

“Really?  I hope you like it,” she answered feigning surprise as she sat down.

Lee put a forkful into his mouth and grinned as if he was in heaven.  “You’ must have taken cooking classes, Amanda.  You’re an excellent cook.”

“Thank you, eat up, there’s plenty more,” she smiled as she watched Lee eat heartily.  She assumed he probably hadn’t had a decent meal since he left England.  She had barely cleared half her plate when Lee’s plate was empty.

“You said there was more?” he asked like a child wanting another piece of candy.

“Sure, let me get it for you,” she said, starting to get up.

“No, keep eating.  This is my apartment, I can help myself,” he answered as he got up and hurried into the kitchen.

Amanda continued to eat, but noticed Lee hadn’t returned to the table.  She glanced into the kitchen and noticed he was staring at her.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, more flashbacks” Lee blinked, and then came back into the room with a full plate. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she nodded, putting her fork down.

“There’s something about you I can’t put my finger on yet,” he responded sitting down and cocking his head slightly.  “We’ve worked together before, haven’t we?”

She nodded not certain how much detail she should go into.  “Yes, we have.  Do you remember anything specific?”

“No not really,” he frowned.  “I keep getting these weird flashbacks which I can’t figure out.”

“Tell me about them,” she encouraged.

“It’s nothing that I can hold long enough to talk about,” he shrugged.  “What’s weird though is dinner kind of triggered some odd cravings.  I know this sounds crazy, but I really could go for a peach puff.”

“Sorry, Lee, I didn’t have time to make any dessert,” she answered as she continued to eat her dinner.

“That’s OK.  This chicken really is scrumptious.  Maybe you have a hidden life where you are a chef or gourmet cook!” he teased.

Amanda almost choked.  She reached for her water glass and took a big gulp.  It seemed like dinner had uncovered some of Lee’s memories after all.  “I doubt they would miss that in my security review.”

“Probably not!” he replied and continued to devour his second plate of food.  “I don’t think I have room for dessert. Dinner was wonderful.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she replied, as she leaned back and relaxed.

There were a few uncomfortable seconds of silence before she stood up and began clearing the plates from the table.

Lee stood up as well, and reached out for the plate in her hand.  For a moment their hands touched each other.  They both stood there and stared at their hands.  Lee finally took the plate from her and cleared his throat. “Amanda, I can clean up the dishes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, thanks for everything today, but it’s getting late. Why don’t you head home?”

“I don’t mind staying.”

“Amanda, I’m sure you have some place more important to be than here watching me wash dishes.”

“My boys are going to spend the weekend with their father.  I should go home and supervise their packing,” Amanda admitted.

“I appreciated your help today, Amanda.”

“You’re more than welcome, Lee,” she replied, and gathered her belongings.  Before leaving she wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper.  “If you need something, or anything comes to mind, give me a call.  I’ll be up late with the boys.”

Lee took the number from her and walked her to the door.  There was an awkward moment as they stared at each other.  Lee flashed his brilliant smile, before she turned and went down the hall way and disappeared into the elevator.

A cool wind greeted Amanda as she exited Lee’s apartment building; she tugged her coat feeling cold and alone.  Suddenly, guilt filled her, making her question her decision about leaving him alone.  Perhaps she should come up with an excuse to spend the night. Before getting into her car, she glanced up at Lee’s window. At the window watching her, was her husband, Lee Stetson.  The chill she felt moments ago left and was replaced with a loving warmth.

“You’re coming back to me, Lee Stetson, I can feel it,” she whispered to herself before getting into her car and driving away.

End Part Four
 

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