ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT
VALLEY OF THE SUN
RATING: PG
CHARACTERS: M, D, A, J, Amy, Warren, OC's Elizabeth, Guy, Nick, Megan, Dr. Greene...
SUMMARY: Wamre's death makes Methos think his prophetic dream will still come to life.
DISCLAIMER: All characters and concepts you recognize from Highlander: The Series are owned by Panzer/Davis, and maybe Greg Widen. Just using them for fun, no profit is expected or pursued.
~~~~
APRIL 10, 2013
Methos was still wiping Wamre's blood off his face as he and Duncan raced from the hotel that was the scene of a senseless suicide. A woman grabbed Duncan's arm and plead with him, "Please, Officer, tell me my husband is all right."
Methos stopped to look at her, wondering if she could be a Mrs. Wamre, but Duncan told the woman, "It was a suicide, ma'am. A doctor."
"Oh, thank God!" the woman exclaimed, clutching her heart with happiness. "My Harold is a no-good, lazy bum from The Bronx. I won a weekend at this hotel playing slots in AC. We had an argument earlier. I heard there was a suicide... I thought it was Harold! Thank God, it's some dumb doctor. Why kill yourself when you're swimming in dough?"
In a hurry to get away from the sea of eyes, of the prying bystanders gathered around, Duncan assured her, "I'm sure your husband is just fine."
As he and Methos walked off, they heard her say, "Well, being lazy isn't fine, but at least he's not dead."
"You just ooze that copper look, MacLeod," Methos teased as they continued toward their hotel.
"My detective skills tell me you must have had something to do with this." When Methos looked at him, Duncan said, "You still have blood on your forehead," before picking up speed.
"Why the rush, MacLeod?"
Duncan only muttered, "I don't want anything to do with this," and continued at his Olympic pace.
"As if I do."
Methos finally caught up with him at Duncan and Amanda's suite. The first thing Methos said, to Duncan when Amanda let him in was, "What the hell are you so mad about?", he had yanked off his coat and was heading to the bedroom.
Duncan swung around and said, "Gee, I don't know."
"There's no reason to be."
"A man shot himself right in front of you. That doesn't make you angry?"
Amanda asked, "A man did what?"
"Yes, that pisses me off to no end!" Methos barked. "I wanted to print out what was on that computer, but Columbo here made me leave."
"Who?" Amanda asked.
Duncan explained to Methos, as if to an idiot, "The real cops were coming."
"Cops? What cops? What the hell happened?" Amanda optimistically asked, as if she might get an answer.
"A lot of people were under the impression I was a police officer," Duncan offered her.
Amanda cast a shocked look at Duncan, then asked, "You? How?"
"I might have told a few that I was," Duncan offered. "I got out of there because I didn't want to be remembered."
"You shouldn't be this gorgeous then, sweetie," Amanda cooed.
~~~~~
Dr. Sinead Greene was fit to be tied. Her work since becoming a Watcher had been devoted to turning mortal; immortal. Now that she was sure she had accomplished that, secrecy was more prudent than ever. The fact that her patient had a wife, child, father-in-law, and friend, who all probably knew that Guy Barstow was still alive after having been shot point blank in the chest, was more horrible to her than the killing of four other specimens when her experiment hadn't worked. Greene was now waiting for word that his wife wanted to see him after making the phone calls, telling the world in essence, that her secret project was still viable. She was rethinking her decision to take Barstow to another hospital to monitor and test him to see if he was, in fact, truly immortal. The doctor always hated having to depend on others, wait for others, and even work with others. The research with Wamre had been excruciating. He was such a fly by the seat of his pants type. She never knew if she could trust him. Dr. Greene had to grudgingly admit that he had contributed little nuggets of usefulness at times, but calling him to tell him of her success was the last thing on her mind as she waited for Amy Barstow to return after stepping outside to use her cell. Yes, she decided, Barstow would have to remain alive to everyone, but that didn't mean he had to be available. A thrill of happiness swept over her; she had solved her little problem, the one that she thought only Barstow's "death" would have resolved. Her project would still stay quiet, she could test and monitor him, and she wouldn't have pesky relatives intruding.
Greene got on a hospital line to page Matthew, her anaesthesiologist, back into Barstow's recovery room. Within seconds he entered, wondering what she needed. "We're not going to transfer him just yet."
"Why not? I've moved mountains to make it happen."
"He's going to stay right here, alive."
"What?"
"The wife needs to see him. Then, I'll do my work right here, under the guise of taking care of a comatose patient."
Matthew chuckled. Dr. Greene had always liked Matthew, knowing he was smarter and more loyal than his sandy, surfer-dude hair and muscular physique would attest. She could trust him with any problem. He asked, "If he is immortal, how the hell do you keep an immortal in a coma?"
"First of all," Greene warned, "You never say that word aloud again. There will be surveillance in this room, and that word is no longer tolerated. Second, how did we keep him alive long enough to operate on him?"
"We're almost out of the solution."
"Make some more. I'll have to use what we have to make sure he stays asleep. Get on it, Matthew. It's never been more important."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, almost as a salute.
"Yes, Doctor, you mean, of course."
"Of course," Matthew said, then turned on his heel like a good soldier and went out the door.
"Dr. Greene," boomed from the hospital's paging system. "Paging Dr. Greene. 41100."
Greene lifted the receiver of the in-hospital phone line again. "41100."
There was a beep, then a low hum, as the messaging system of the page whirred. Another click was heard before the message a nurse had left came on, "Dr. Greene. You wanted to know when Amy Barstow returned. She has and is wondering if she could see her husband now."
Dr. Greene hung up and muttered, "Not yet." She went to her bag to extract another vial of her sleeping drought; the only thing she had ever developed that could keep even an immortal asleep for hours. She moved to Guy Barstow, who looked as if he was just taking a little nap, so peaceful, after all his body had gone through in the past day. "Do you think there's a divorce in your future, Mr. Barstow? Can't have that wife hanging around for too long. I'll have to decide what to do with her, but until then," Dr. Greene prepared a syringe with the yellow solution. "Continue to sleep well."
~~~~~
Methos was looking out the window at the hotel across the street, which was now swarming with real police and spectators. It's a wonder how a little suicide could bring out the people. Duncan approached him. "You're not thinking of going back over there, are you?"
"Nah, by the time the coast's clear, Wamre's equipment would be in police custody." Methos looked at the building, then to Amanda, who was doing her nails on the sofa, then back to the building. "The cop shop, on the other hand."
"Stop it," Duncan warned. "You, her, and me, we aren't doing anywhere near breaking, entering, and stealing."
"Ditto," Amanda said with a firm nod. "I've given up those days. Right, honey?"
"I'm crossing my fingers," Duncan said, sitting next to his wife and kissing her temple.
"Don't hold your breath," Methos countered, letting loose of the curtain, which draped down over the window.
"Methos, that's a horrible thing to say." Amanda stopped filing to stare at the oldest immortal. "Last night, I learned a lesson. I'm going to be a mother, and breaking into the Empire State Building with a con man I haven't seen or heard from for over two decades was... well, let's just put it bluntly. It was stupid. I admit it. I won't do it again, for anyone, even you, honey." Amanda pecked Duncan on the cheek. "What are we going to do today?"
Methos took out his cell phone to make a call, but it was dead. He grimaced, pocketed it, and then asked Duncan, "Can I borrow your cell?"
"Who are you calling?" Duncan asked guardedly.
"My wife. Is that okay with you?"
Duncan took his cell out of his pocket, just as it rang. He flipped it open and read who the incoming caller was on the display. "Speak of the devil," he said, leaning forward and handing the phone to Methos.
Methos read the display and answered, "Hey, I was just going to call you," with a smile.
~~~~~
Elizabeth was pacing with excitement ,outside of the clinic, in the valley heat and was pleased to hear her husband's voice. "You were? You'll never believe it, Daniel!"
"What? Guy?"
"He's okay! He made it through surgery! Can you believe it? It was such a long day of worry."
Elizabeth heard Methos tell someone that Guy was fine and then talked into the phone, "Where are you? Who were you talking to?"
"Mac and Amanda."
"Tell them hi. I'm at the clinic. The doctor just gave Amy and I the good news. She's talking to Joe right now. We just wanted to give the good news and then go inside and see him."
"What's the doctor's name?" Methos asked hurriedly, probably before she ended the call.
"The doctor? Um." She chuckled. "I guess I should know, but I'm a blank. Why?"
"Is her name Greene? Sinead Greene?"
"Yeah, Dr. Greene. That's it. I don't know her first name, but..." Amy had clicked her phone shut and looked impatiently at Elizabeth. "Amy wants to go back inside."
"Do you trust her?"
Elizabeth was confused. "Amy?"
"No, Greene!"
"Of course! She saved Guy's life! I gotta go, I'll call you after we see him. And charge your cell. I tried to call that, but there was no answer."
"Will do. Call me right back."
"Ok..." Amy, obviously tired of waiting, walked into the clinic, so Elizabeth told Methos, "Will do. Tell Claire, oh she probably knows already, Amy called Joey first thing. Talk to you later!"
Elizabeth clicked her phone shut and hurried into the clinic after Amy.
~~~~~
Methos clicked Duncan's phone closed and immediately went to the door. "I don't know what you're going to do today, but I'm going to Phoenix."
Duncan asked, "Liz should be flying back soon, now that Guy's going to be fine. Why are you going there?"
"The same doctor that's mentioned in Wamre's reports operated on Guy and is in the vicinity of my wife, who was beheaded by a female doctor over and over in my dreams."
Duncan and Amanda just stared at Methos as he took hold of the doorknob. Amanda finally said, "What? What dreams?"
"Too long of a story. I'm going to pack."
"Should we go with you?" Amanda asked.
"Only if you pack fast." Methos suddenly stalked back to Duncan and took his cell phone. "Mine needs charging and I don't have time to do it. I'm taking this in case Liz calls back again."
"You could ask or say please," Duncan admonished him. "Or both."
"May I? Please?"
"Where my phone goes, I go," Duncan said.
Amanda, appearing happy, stood up and said, "Yeah! I love having a plan for the day. I'll be packed before you are, Methos."
"Don't call me that!"
Amanda just grunted and rushed into the bedroom.
~~~~~
Sitting on a park bench by the water near London Bridge, Joe closed his phone with relief. The news that Guy had made it through his surgery and the way Amy told it, he would be just fine, made his day a little bit brighter. He had taken a seat on the bench to wait for his assignment to come out of a strip mall just a ways down the street. Joe looked at his watch, wondering how long he had been in there and if he had by chance known he was being watched and ducked out the back door. Joe used his cane to get to his feet and saw a door of the mall open and a bald man come out, rubbing his hand across his white, shiny pate. Joe sat back down again when he realized that the newly bald man, who seemed really happy with the decision to shave off all his hair, was none other than his assignment, Warren Cochrane.
~~~~~
It seemed like hours since Amy and Elizabeth had returned to the waiting room, and Amy still hadn't been allowed to see Guy. Amy finally went to the nurses' station to ask again when she could see her husband, only this time in a frantic, determined voice. The nurse told her, once again, that the doctor would let them know when she could see Mr. Barstow. "As soon as we get the signal, you'll be brought to him."
"But what could be the problem?" Amy asked, her voice high with tension. "He is all right, isn't he?"
Elizabeth walked over to them and rubbed Amy's shoulder. A full body rub was what her friend needed, and she would make arrangements for it as soon as she was able to see Guy.
"He's in recovery, that's all I know, Mrs. Barstow," the nurse told her tenderly.
"Will you contact the doctor and ask how long it will be?"
"Please," the nurse said warily. "Have a seat, and I'll go down there to find out when you can see him. Okay?"
"Thank you," Amy said, but it didn't come out nicely.
"Come on," Elizabeth said, ushering her back to the waiting room. She had already tried to call Methos, and then Duncan, but hadn't been able to reach either of them. She had talked to Claire, who was as excited that Guy was all right as she was that Megan and Nick had brought her and Joey skating for one of the last days possible in Central Park. They hadn't seen Methos, or Duncan and Amanda, for that matter all day. She had been thinking of trying to call Methos again, but she'd have to go outside.
Amy looked fit to be tied and wound up too tight. In order to calm her, Elizabeth offered, "You want a magazine? I'll go to the gift shop again."
Amy sighed as she took a seat, then said, "I've read them all."
"I suppose I should think about a hotel. Want to go outside while I call around to get one? Get some fresh air?"
"I'm not leaving here, but you can. I'll be all right."
"Maybe I will. Will you stay with me at the hotel?"
"I'm not leaving this hospital until Guy does."
Elizabeth persisted, "Maybe it would be good for you to get a good night's sleep, maybe a massage. They have a Ritz here. It would be sumptuous to take advantage of the spa..."
Amy was adamant, "I'm not leaving here until Guy does, but you go ahead. You've been great, you deserve it. Make a reservation, or go back to New York. You don't have to stay."
"No way. I don't leave until you do."
Amy chuckled and squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "Good. I don't want you to leave town, but if you want to-"
The nurse came back to the waiting room and told Amy, "Mrs. Barstow, you can see Mr. Barstow now."
"Really?" Amy said, completely taken by surprise.
Elizabeth squeezed Amy's hand and whispered, "Yea!"
All of a sudden, Amy's hand was shaking. Elizabeth patted it. Amy stood up, but she was unstable. "It's all the tension, I think."
Elizabeth stood and held Amy by the shoulders. "You're all right."
Amy clasped onto Elizabeth and asked the nurse, "Can Liz come with me?"
"I'm not sure, but we can see what the doctor says. Follow me," she said, walking toward the double doors Amy had been wanting to go through for hours.
Through the double doors and down one hallway, then another, Elizabeth held onto Amy, who was walking as fast as she was breathing. Elizabeth whispered to her, "Guy's fine, Amy. Relax."
"Yeah, I know. I just can't believe I'm finally able to see him, I think. What's he going to look like? Will he look sick? Like he just went through massive surgery? Will he be awake?"
"You'll find out," Elizabeth said with a smile, happy Amy was finally able to see her husband and that Guy was probably well enough for her visit, and probably awake.
The nurse stopped by a door and peeked through the glass. She looked up and down the hall and muttered, "Wonder where the doctor went." She told Amy, "Wait here. I'll be right back."
As the nurse walked away and Amy peered through the glass, Elizabeth felt a sensation she never expected. It wasn't a full-fledged immortal buzz, just a tickle of one up the back of her neck. She looked both ways down the hall, and wondered if there was an immortal behind one of the doors or just skirting her radar.
Amy, whose eyes were trained on the window of the door, suddenly pushed it open and muttered, "Like hell I'll wait," and charged into the room.
As soon as the door opened, Elizabeth felt the full sensation. She hurried in behind Amy in case there was danger in the room and was surprised to see only Guy lying on a bed, covered with a sheet and blankets, and a lot of medical equipment surrounding him. Amy bent over Guy and gave him a full hug, as she started crying. "Honey, you're okay! Talk to me. Guy?"
Elizabeth moved to the end of the bed and saw Guy's eyes were closed and he didn't seem to react to Amy's touch or voice. The only explanation for the immortal sensation she was feeling, which wasn't heavy like an immortal would emit, was that it was coming from Guy. Elizabeth couldn't understand the readouts from the equipment, and there was no one else in the room to explain the immortal buzz. While Amy was occupied trying to get her husband's attention, Elizabeth walked to Guy's left side. Without calling attention to Amy, Elizabeth took Guy's hand in hers and then looked down as she turned his hand to see the inside of his wrist. His blue Watcher tattoo was still there. That surprised Elizabeth at first, but then she realized that it had been there before he had "turned," so it obviously would still be there now. She stepped back and leaned against the wall thoroughly confused, shocked, and amazed. She had totally expected the tattoo to be gone, the painted, burned skin healed, but then that would mean that Guy was the immortal. That can't be true. But what other explanation could there be?
As Amy kissed and whispered to Guy, Elizabeth's thoughts were on the fact that Guy was emitting an immortal buzz and how she hadn't known all along that he'd been a pre-immortal; it was all making her head spin. Had he actually died and then revived as an immortal? How many times? His body went through a horrendous time, could that have been enough, and was he lucky enough, for immortality to take over? Was that something that could happen to anyone?
The door opened and the doctor entered with a smile. She was impeccably dressed in a gray suit jacket and skirt, hose, and heels. Not one strand of her silver gray hair was out of place. Elizabeth wondered if they had to wait so long so the doctor could shower and make herself presentable for some reason.
"Oh, good, Mrs. Barstow. I'm glad you finally got to see him. Doesn't he look wonderful?"
Amy stood up straight and smiled at Dr. Greene. "He does. Will he wake up soon?"
"That's what the delay was, and I'm so sorry you had to wait so long. We were hoping he would awaken on his own. Now that you've seen him, would you please come with me and I'll explain a few things?"
"What things?"
The doctor opened the door and said, "Please, Mrs. Barstow. I have something to tell you." She looked at Elizabeth. "You too. This way, please?"
Amy kissed Guy and said, "I'll be right back, honey," and then took Elizabeth's hand and walked out to the hall. She didn't follow the doctor, but instead said, "Tell me now. Here. I want to know what's going on with him."
The doctor didn't look comfortable talking in the hallway, but she walked back to them and said in a low voice, "Mrs. Barstow, we wanted your husband wake up on his own after the surgery, but he never did. During the past two hours we ran some tests on him to see what was causing him to lapse into this comatose state. The tests have been inconclusive. We figured it was just as well that you saw him now, but he has to be given another battery of tests to see why this coma has taken over his body, and for how long."
Elizabeth considered offering the fact that Guy was immortal in some way to the doctor, but that might open a hole keg of trouble. Then she realized that if Guy was in fact immortal, he wouldn't be in a coma. His hand had been warm, almost too warm, still she had a fleeting thought that maybe Guy had been beheaded and was just propped on the bed for the wife to see him, then quickly rejected that as silly. This was all too weird to make any sort of sense out of it, but Elizabeth knew that it was probably best to keep things to herself, at least for the moment. She couldn't wait until she could tell Methos.
Elizabeth lost most of the conversation the doctor and Amy had because she could still sense Guy, but started listening again when Amy asked, "How long do you imagine it will be? Has this happened before?"
"Actually," Dr. Greene said, "Your husband should have died many times over the course of his medical treatment. He was seriously wounded. I'm sure this coma is just his body shutting down long enough to heal."
"I'm staying with him," Amy said with determination, and Elizabeth supposed she might punch the doctor if anything else was suggested.
"That would be fine. In fact, I've arranged for you to have a room here," she pointed to a door across the hall. "That one. I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable. We can have some food sent up, and I'm sure you'd like to get some sleep. If you're rested, you can be more help to your husband's recovery."
"Oh, thank you," Amy said gratefully, probably because she didn't have to fight for what she wanted. "Thank you so much. I'll take you up on that, both food and sleep." Amy told Elizabeth with a burst of energy, "You go to that Ritz hotel and have a massage and all that. Have a good night. I'll need you tomorrow."
"Okay. But, I'll stick around a little while longer."
"I have some more work to do and want to look at more test results, then I'll come by and see you later, Mrs. Barstow," Dr. Greene said, taking Amy's hand in hers and holding it tenderly.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Greene. I really appreciate everything you've done."
Elizabeth saw that Amy's words did much to brighten Dr. Greene's smile. With a nod, the doctor strolled down the hallway. "Get some rest now," she said, before getting into an elevator.
Amy hugged Elizabeth hard and started to cry. Elizabeth patted her back, still in a daze from the constant sensation, and told her, "See? Everything's going to be all right."
Elizabeth bit her tongue over and over again to stop from telling Amy what she had sensed. Methos' words, when she wanted to give Amy a blood transfusion to make her immortal after Katie had turned pre-immortal as a result of the kidney transplant, kept her silent. "Stupid," was the word that made the most impression. Elizabeth still wasn't really sure why it was stupid to give Amy a transfusion or body part, but she decided this situation was big enough that she wanted to run it by Methos before she did or said anything.
~~~~~
After bidding Amy a good evening when her food arrived from the cafeteria and it looked like she would collapse into sleep as soon as she was finished eating, Elizabeth used the internet café on Shea, not far from the Mayo clinic, to rent herself a car and find out if she could get a room at the Ritz. She had been fortunate with only one. She would take another cab to the airport to pick up a Lexus, but the Ritz was fully booked. After doing a search for another hotel with spa facilities in the greater Phoenix area, she had the good luck to find the Arizona Biltmore and they had a suite available. What caught her eye was the mention of a complete spa facility, and she booked herself a "four hand massage" to take place as soon as she arrived.
While she was laying prone on a padded table, two women working every muscle in her body like poetry in motion, after a cactus flower wrap, and two glasses of champagne, Elizabeth felt guilty. Amy was the one who should be enjoying such pampering. But, after another call to Amy's room at the hospital, asking her one more time to come and stay with her at the Biltmore and being turned down, Elizabeth tried to throw her guilt away.
Not sharing it with Methos, Claire, or even Amanda, was also weighing on her, though it didn't take long for the four choreographed hands to soothe away that tension as well. Elizabeth was supposed to have gone to a spa with Amanda the weekend they stole Cameron James' coins. As soon as she thought about the start of a couple of years worth of trauma, Elizabeth moved her head to the other side and asked for another glass of champagne.
Instead of champagne, she got a chill when both pair of hands left her body, slowly, she would give them that, but it was a let down that the massage was over. Elizabeth got up and wrapped the oversized towel around herself as she let the women out and asked if she could get another one the next day, maybe for someone else as well. One of them spoke in a thick Swedish accent, but Elizabeth assumed that it would be just fine. As Elizabeth shut the door of the suite after them, she chuckled. It would of course be fine if she was paying top dollar and making sure there was a fifty percent tip involved.
Elizabeth turned to take in the Wrigley Suite that she had booked herself into. From the sunken living room, walnut wet bar, red stone fireplace, to patio doors leading out to the softly lighted private stone patio that overlooked the "paradise pool," Elizabeth wished she could live in such a place all the time. If there was one thing about Methos, he didn't like to purchase opulence. He didn't want anything to call attention to himself. Sure, the ship and the castle were extravagances, but no one ever saw them. They were either sailing or in the middle of nowhere with their closest neighbor in Kent being a half mile away. Thinking of that godforsaken castle was enough to make her want to soak in the claw-foot tub with solid gold fixtures and whirlpool jets. The master bath had three sinks, corner shower with four different sprays all ensconced in textured, shaded glass. She looked out the window over the tub on the 39 tree-filled acres that consisted of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Camelback Mountain was imposing in the distance, with the setting sun making its stone look blood red. The unusual clouds in the sky were streaked with shades of dark amber, red, purple, and black. "Red skies at night... what is it again?" Elizabeth mused. "Something delight. I'm sure of it. That's good."
Elizabeth's mind returned to the mind-blowing idea that Guy was now an immortal and all its implications. Not only had he been artificially turned, unless he had received a blood transfusion or transplant from an immortal as Katie had, which was highly unlikely and Dr. Greene had to be questioned thoroughly; but now two of Amy's family were immortal, while she remained as mortal as the day she was born. Elizabeth couldn't wait to talk to Methos about it all and what they should do next and tried his cell phone number again. When she didn't get an answer, she hung up the cordless hotel phone and wondered why someone would have a cell phone and not keep it charged! She knew that the first thing Methos would do was tell her not to, under any circumstance, tell Amy. She still didn't know why he thought Amy couldn't handle such news, and she had figured out on her own that Katie was pre-immortal. But Guy. He wasn't a baby. He wasn't a pre-immortal. He was a full-fledged member of the immortal, "There Can Be Only One," mentality and would certainly have company after his head if he wasn't trained. Because of that, Elizabeth hoped that Methos would be more apt to tell Amy, and maybe allow Elizabeth to give Amy that blood transfusion or a kidney to make her immortal too. But would Amy appreciate it, or even want it? Sure, her daughter and husband would live until they lost their heads, while she and Joey would slowly but surely age, grow weaker, and finally wither away, but would Amy want to join their fold? Guy and Katie didn't have any choice, but with a choice, would Amy want to be immortal? It certainly had its ups and downs.
Damn it, Elizabeth thought. If only this could have happened ten, twenty years ago, when Amy was younger, sprier. A woman in her late forties wouldn't stand much of a chance if an asshole immortal came after her. The immortal she came up against for a stupid diamond ring came to mind. Elizabeth had gotten his head, but that could have been because she had been trained and was pissed as hell because she was separated from Methos. Could Amy, even with training, ever hope to take a head? It certainly wasn't pleasant... in fact it was kind of gross, and at times, Elizabeth had closed her eyes while doing it. The only head she had any real pleasure in taking was Logan, and if she allowed herself to think about it, she also wanted more than anything, and kind of enjoyed taking Pyrius' head. She didn't allow herself to think about it though. Just the thought of that mad Greek who made her life hell twice was more than she wanted to think about after having a relaxing massage.
Lonely with her thoughts, Elizabeth thought she might not be able to talk to Methos, and she had already talked to Claire, who was, or should be, in bed already, but maybe she could talk to Amanda or Duncan. The thought that no one knew where Methos, Duncan, and Amanda went was starting to gnaw at her. All Nick and Megan knew was that Methos called them hastily on the cell when they had taken the kids to an afternoon showing of the revival of The Lion King. Elizabeth had forgotten that she had purchased the tickets a couple of weeks back and was happy that Claire was still able to go to it, she only wished she could have seen it with her. Elizabeth had missed it the first time around, even though she was living in the city when it opened.
The Wrigley Suite was luxurious, sensual, and opulent, but Elizabeth was getting lonely with no one to share it. Thoughts of a massive immortal kidnaping involving her husband and their best friends were skirting around her mind as well, and she couldn't take anymore. While dialing Amanda's cell phone, Elizabeth thought of getting dressed and going back to the hospital to get Amy to come and join her in the suite.
~~~~~
Methos had enough of listening to Amanda for what he thought was the rest of his life, as she had chattered nonstop on the private plane he hired, that cost a bloody fortune, to fly them to Arizona, so when her cell phone rang just as they were deplaning, he inwardly cringed. He took Duncan's cell from his pocket and turned it on as Amanda fished hers out of her purse and said, "I know I wanted to do something today, but jeez, I didn't want to sit in an airport and on a damn plane all day. Look, it's dark already. I missed the whole day." She winked at Duncan. "Well, at least we might be able to find a club or even a nice, soft bed, honey, and it won't be a total loss." With the phone to her ear, she asked, "Hello?"
Methos scowled at Duncan and commented, "You're such a lucky guy. Rent your own car so I can get away from her." He punched Elizabeth's cell phone number into Duncan's phone as Duncan said, "I am."
Duncan put his arm around Amanda and beamed at Methos as Amanda said, "Oh, hey Liz. Guess where we are."
Now understanding why he had gotten four rings without an answer or voice mail, Methos flipped close Duncan's phone and tossed it at him. Then he motioned to get Amanda's phone from her to talk to his wife.
Amanda held her phone protectively. She told him, "You know, you've been almost unbearable today. The least you can say is please." She then talked into the phone, "Your husband. Can't wait to get rid of him." She listened and then laughed. "She said please, so okay. Hold on." Amanda told Methos, "You should take lessons from her," as she handed the phone over to Methos. She asked Duncan, "Should we rent a car and ditch him?"
"I'm with you," Duncan said, taking Amanda into his arms, kissing her temple and rubbing her lower back.
Methos talked into the phone, "Just hold on." He told them, "Can you wait just a second? I need to hitch a ride to wherever Liz is. I'm sure she rented a car."
"And what's the magic word?" Amanda asked in good humor with Duncan's mouth at her ear.
After a low grumble, Methos asked, "Please?"
"He does know the word," Amanda said with mock shock to Duncan.
Methos turned away from them, sighed, and told Elizabeth on the phone, "I'm so glad we're finally here. Where are you? The hospital? Which one?"
Elizabeth said, "And hi, how are you, honey?"
Methos bowed his head, sighed again, and said, with conviction and a bit of a smile knowing he'd been uncivilized, "I'm sorry. Hi. Finally. I've been trying to get to you all day. How is everything? Are you all right?"
"I'm more than all right," Elizabeth said. "In fact, I'm quite cozy. I feel bad leaving Amy at the hospital, but she insisted and I had enough of being in hospitals. How are you? Sounds like you're all a bit... grumpy."
"It's the travel." He walked away a bit further and said, "And Amanda. She really gets on your nerves when you're locked in a flying tube with her. In fact, when you're in a Conestoga wagon too. I'll have to tell you about that six months in the eighteenth century Montana sometime. I'm quite proud of myself that I didn't behead her just for peace and quiet."
"I think that's a thrilling story I can miss," Elizabeth said. "But I've missed you. I'm at the Biltmore. Come as soon as you can. In fact, I hate to offer, considering the sniping going on at your end, but I checked and all the hotels in the city I researched on the web today were booked up, so I have a huge suite at the Biltmore, more than enough room for Duncan and Amanda, if they want to stay here."
"A lot of room?"
"You'll be impressed with this suite, Daniel. I did good. Lots of room."
Methos realized that Duncan was talking on his cell when he turned to ask if they wanted to share a suite with them, at least for the night, and hopefully they'd get their own in the morning. "Hey," Duncan said into the phone with a smile. "I saw you called. What's up?" Duncan mouthed to Methos, 'Warren,' so Methos turned back to talk to Elizabeth.
"I can't wait for you to get here. I have something pretty big to tell you."
"Oh? How big?"
"Huge. You know where the Biltmore is?"
"I was there a couple of decades ago. Nice place."
"Nice is an understatement. Get your ass here and I'll prepare for your arrival."
Methos smiled and worked a kink out of his neck, probably from being tense listening to the chatterbox for hours. "Would there be a massage involved?"
"Funny you should mention that. I think I can arrange that."
"I'll be right there. I love you," Methos said, snapping the phone closed and giving it back to Amanda. Before he could tell them that he found them a bed for the night, Amanda snapped, "Well, she called me. Couldn't you have at least asked if she wanted to talk to me?"
"You'll have plenty of opportunity, she offered you a room in our suite. I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, because she cased out the city and hotels are booked."
"Oh, that helps. Finding a bed at the last minute isn't one of my fortes. Not since I'm a married lady, anyway. Where are we staying?"
Methos noticed that Duncan was watching, and listening, to them while he was on the phone with Warren. He told them both, "The Biltmore. I'm going to get a car."
As he was walking away, he heard Duncan tell Warren on the phone, "Hey, we're in Phoenix, why don't you come and see us? We're at the Biltmore."
Methos stopped and whined, "Just invite the whole world, why don't you?"
Amanda grinned. "It's not like he'll sleep with us. We'll have a party. I still have to plan that birthday party for you, you know."
"How could I forget?"
Parties and being the center of attention to a lot of people he didn't know, didn't care about, and of whom he was leery wasn't the stuff of a great time.
~~~~~
Matthew brushed his blond bangs back from his face and peered closely at the film he was watching on a surveillance monitor. Dr. Greene had asked him to go through the visit between Guy Barstow and his wife. It was the other woman who was in the room that garnered his attention. The friend of Amy Barstow wasn't just a friend. She was acting strangely. Her eyes were always in motion while in the room and the way she stared at Guy Barstow. Matthew hit the rewind button on the digital recorder until the friend was back against the wall. He hunched forward and watched the action again.
The long, dark haired woman walked slowly from the wall as Amy Barstow was hugging her husband. Her eyes were still searching the room, it seemed, as she walked to Barstow's left side. When she performed the action, Matthew hit the rewind button again and watched closely. He watched her again as she took Barstow's left hand, turned his wrist and stared at his Watcher tattoo. When she saw it, it seemed to take her by surprise. If she truly was a friend of the Barstows, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that they were Watchers. She could be one herself... but then, Matthew hit rewind and then paused the action just as the woman's eyes were focused on Barstow's tattoo. He sat back in his chair and took another handful of peanuts and dumped them into his mouth as he mused aloud, "She's not one of us... she's one of them."
It wasn't a surprise to any Watcher who knew of Amy and Guy Barstow that they were friends with immortals. Her father, Joe Dawson, was a good buddy of Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Matthew didn't know who this woman was by sight, but he wondered if he searched the database with her picture from the surveillance camera if he would bring her up in the immortal files. Before bringing any of this to the attention of Dr. Greene, he would do just that.
As Matthew captured the image of the friend, he mused about what Dr. Greene would think when she knew she just experimented on an immortal's friend. Before he even sent the image into the Watcher database, Matthew was more than sure that the woman had to be an immortal. That's what she was searching for, the source of the immortal buzz. Dr. Greene should be happy at least that her experiment truly worked. Guy Barstow was emitting an immortal buzz!
It didn't take long for the image to come up with a match in the immortal database: Elizabeth Gordon. Mother of Claire Gordon. Wife of Daniel Gordon, also an immortal. Residence New York City. Age 186. Occupations nurse, professor. Turned 1863 Pennsylvania. Trained by Hotohke. Watcher Guy Barstow. As he was scanning the rest of the information on her in the database, Dr. Greene walked in, about scaring him. If only doctors could emit a buzz of some sort.
"What are you doing?" she asked as soon as she saw Elizabeth Gordon's database main page.
"Just seeing who all knows about Barstow."
"What do you mean?"
"That friend of Amy Barstow's, she's immortal. The secret's out, Doctor."
Dr. Greene's eyes narrowed as they flitted from the database page to the surveillance monitor with the same woman displayed on both. "Where is she?"
"How the hell should I know? You saw her last."
"She's no longer in the hospital. I just checked in with Amy."
"What do we do now? Has she told anyone else?"
It didn't seem humanly possible, but Matthew saw Dr. Greene's eyes get even narrower. She started breathing heavy and he could tell she was both scared and angry as hell.
"Well," she said, after a long pause. "Amy doesn't know or I'd know. She isn't one to keep information like this to herself. She'd blame me, or thank me, depending on how she feels about having an immortal husband." Then Dr. Greene beamed. "It really worked. This is proof. He emitted an immortal buzz and the immortal felt it. I thought there something weird with her. I just thought it was fatigue. Well, well, well... what to do now..."
"Yeah, why didn't she say anything?" Matthew wondered aloud.
"Because she was in unfamiliar territory. Probably the surprise of feeling Barstow, and not knowing how it really happened, and not having a powerful ally in the room. She's smart. She didn't give away her hand. But," Dr. Greene smiled. "She has now."
"Who has she told if she's not here? Gathering her allies? Should we circle the wagons?"
"You're under the impression we've done something wrong. I'm a hero, Matthew. Immortals for centuries are going to know my name. I've done it."
"With Wamre. And me. And a lot of others."
"But my name will be on the New England Journal of Medicine article. The Nobel Prize for Medicine. The-"
"The contract on your head? You think immortals aren't going to be a little... miffed... that this has happened?"
"Why? Are they ashamed of what they are? Immortality will now be known and possible for anyone who wants it. I have come up with eternal life! Ponce De Leon has nothing on me!"
"And Wamre, and me-."
"Don't be so selfish, Matthew. You're well paid."
Dr. Greene went to the door seemingly on a mission and yanked it open. Matthew asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Talk to Amy, find out where this Elizabeth is staying. I have a feeling that experimenting on an immortal with my potion will..." She emitted a giggle. She mused aloud, "I fear I won't be able to handle all the fame and money," as she walked out the door.
~~~~~
"I have missed you!" Elizabeth cried out as she wrapped her arms around Methos as he walked into the Wrigley Suite at the Arizona Biltmore.
Methos giggled and kissed her. "And here I thought I missed you," he added as she rubbed his bum.
"And I have something massive to tell you." When she noticed Duncan and Amanda, she said, "All of you. It's totally off the wall and... huge!"
"Oh, do tell!" Amanda cooed as she hugged Elizabeth quickly. "What a day!" she intoned as she kicked off her shoes and fell back onto the beige suede couch.
"First things first. Our daughter has no idea where you are. Call her. Now," Elizabeth ordered Methos and handed him a land line phone at the wet bar. "I'll fix you up with a beer. Wine for you too?"
"That would be heaven." Amanda stretched her arms and then took interest in her manicure.
Duncan went to the bar and asked, "Can I help?"
"Not at all. Sit. I'll serve. I'm so happy to have company."
"Since when are we company?" Amanda giggled. "I stayed here... let's see..." When Duncan sat next to her and put his arm around her, she said, "1974. Isn't that right?"
"That's about right," Duncan said. "It's changed, but it seems the same."
Elizabeth poured two glasses of white wine and brought them to Duncan and Amanda as Methos took a gulp of his Heineken and hung up the phone. "All better?" he asked Elizabeth, who grabbed her own glass of whiskey coke and sat in the love seat across from Duncan and Amanda. "Claire's asleep where she should be, Nick and Megan are holding down the fort, and all enjoyed something called the Lion King."
When Methos sat next to Elizabeth, she made sure her pink silk robe was demurely closed, as she was naked underneath. He asked, "So, what's the big news?"
Now that Elizabeth finally had the opportunity to tell him, she didn't know how to put it into words without just blurting it out. She wanted to do this news justice, but for an instant she was blank with all four eyes focused on her. "Well," she began, then cleared her throat, trying to figure out where to start.
"How's Guy?" Amy asked as she sipped her wine.
"He's going to live for a very long time," Elizabeth said.
"That's great! That is big news. I thought he was on his deathbed," Duncan said.
"He was." Elizabeth took a sip of her drink as she looked at Methos and wondered how to go about telling him the news. She wanted to build it up, explain how it all unfolded, what the buzz he emitted felt like, when she wasn't expecting it. Instead, she said, "He's immortal."
Methos, in the midst of knocking back a drink from his beer, choked, sputtered, and coughed. While Elizabeth hit his back, Duncan, who hadn't taken a drink at the moment, asked very plainly, "What?"
Elizabeth pounded on Methos' back until she was sure he was breathing. "Yep. As immortal as you or I. For once, I'm not the youngest immortal I know." The only other one she knew was Antonio, but he was no longer with head. As all three immortals in the room with her stared at her, Elizabeth wondered how long Guy had to live, keeping his head squarely attached to his body.
"He'll have to be trained. Will you do it, Duncan?"
"Just wait a minute here," Methos interjected.
"I didn't think you'd want to. Amanda, you could. Maybe the both of you?"
"Hold on!" Methos stood up and looked as if he was going to read a riot act, but then stood dumbfounded. "Start from the beginning."
"I tried, but I can't. I can't find the right words."
"Try."
Elizabeth thought she'd think better on her feet, so she set her drink down on the coffee table and then paced the room. Three pairs of eyes followed her. "Amy and I were finally allowed to see him. Before I even got near his room, I felt an immortal presence. Yada, yada, yada, we went into the room, the buzz got stronger, and only Guy was in it. The man was shot point blank in the heart. He had hours and hours of surgery. Obviously something was put into him or his chemistry was altered, or he was always pre-immortal, we didn't know it, and he died and turned. The deal is, he has as strong a buzz as we do. He's fully immortal."
There was silence in the room as Methos fell back to the love-seat and Elizabeth sat on the arm near him. "That's all there is. I haven't told anyone or done anything, except get a massage. I wanted to run it all by you first."
"First? Before you do what?"
"What is there to do?" Duncan asked, his eyes narrowing. "Except find out how this happened."
Amanda's eyes were as stoic when she added, "And why."
Elizabeth knew that Amanda had also once been the victim of a solution to fool with immortals. Cameron James had injected her with the serum that squelched immortal buzzes. She had been brainwashed as much as Elizabeth had been, only hadn't been under his control as long. Elizabeth hadn't thought of that. What if Guy was undergoing brainwashing. Maybe he was being made to be a super-immortal, a crusader, a hunter. What if the solution James had used was now altered, expanded upon? What if Dr. Greene had continued his work?
"Where is he?" Methos finally asked gravely.
"The Mayo Clinic."
"Are you sure he's still there?"
"I would assume. Amy's still there."
"Are you sure?"
Suddenly fear gripped her heart. Elizabeth instinctively clutched her heart and held her robe closed tightly. "I think so. I talked to her a little while ago."
"How long ago?" Duncan asked.
The anxious men made her freak out. "I don't know! What time is it?"
Elizabeth just about fell off the arm of the love-seat when the doorbell rang. "Who's here?" Duncan asked.
"I ordered room service. Four lobsters. I forgot," Elizabeth said as she walked to the door.
"How could you think of food at a time like this?" Methos asked, following her.
"I've been living with this info for a while. It's not really "news" to me. You should have seen the menu. It looks fabulous but they told me it would take an hour or so and I'm starving. You could say thank you."
Elizabeth opened the door of the suite to see Dr. Greene standing in the hall. The older, distinguished, not a silver hair out of place doctor, smiled and stepped forward to shake Elizabeth's hand. "Ms. Gordon. I'm so sorry to bother you so late in the evening, but I thought it would be best if you come back to the hospital. It's Amy, you see."
As they shook hands, Elizabeth flinched from a pinch she felt in her hand. Methos immediately stepped forward with the look of a lion looking at fresh meat on his face. "You! You're Sinead Greene?"
Dr. Greene didn't miss a beat or lose her smile as she turned to him and took Methos' hand in hers. "Yes. You are?"
Elizabeth fell back against the wall, no longer feeling she could stand up. Her eyes were so heavy. "Thissss.... iss.... my...." she said as she fell faint to the floor.
~~~~~
As soon as Duncan heard the name Dr. Greene, he was on his feet and on the way to the door to take a look at her, wondering how she had the balls to actually show up here. Didn't she knew she was walking into a den of immortals? She didn't seem the stupid sort, but then you never know. As soon as Elizabeth fell to the floor, her pink robe parting to reveal her legs, Methos stumbled back after shaking the doctor's hand, stared at his hand, and muttered, "There soomm... something...." Then gaped at Elizabeth on the floor and yelled, "PINK!" before he fell back, flat on his back, dead to the world.
Duncan yanked Dr. Greene into the suite and slammed the door shut. Having had enough of interfering Watchers in his life, and unusual for him, not caring that she was a woman, Duncan grabbed Greene by the neck and shoved her against the wall. He held his hand tight around her neck as he demanded, "What did you do? Why? How?"
Dr. Greene dropped her handbag and could only claw at his arm and sputter a couple of shrieks. Her eyes were wide as saucers and getting bloodshot. Hatred of the woman, whatever she did, and all the Watchers, Hunters, Crusaders, and assholes he'd come across in all his 400 years made his blood boil. Duncan squeezed harder on her neck and took an insane pleasure at seeing her suffer. Soon, Amanda had grabbed at his arm and, when he loosened his hold on the woman, Amanda yanked his arm down. "If you kill her, you'll never get answers."
Dr. Greene had doubled over and coughed as she clutched her neck. Strands of her silver hair had come out of her tight french twist. "Than... thank you, miss."
"Don't you Miss me, missy," Amanda stated. "Just who the hell do you think you are? You Watchers are all alike! You want to be us! So, you use whatever brain God gave you to fool with chemicals and just how many of us did you kill for your research? Don't you get it? You can't be us! Never!"
Dr. Greene stopped making noise and tilted her head up. She smiled again as she said, "It's already happened."
When Greene bent low to pick up her purse, Duncan, even more angered, took hold of her neck again and pulled her upright against the wall. "How many?! What have you done?!"
Before he could declare any sort of vow of vengeance against her and her ilk, Greene dipped her hand into her bag and brought out a pistol. She thrust it into Duncan's face, who grimaced, let go of her, and stepped back.
"What the hell do you want?" he asked, arms wide in submission and placed himself between Greene and Amanda.
"Subtle, I'll give her that," Amanda said, moving up to Duncan, not in the least bit worried about covering herself. "A little knock out poison in your hand?" She tilted her head to Elizabeth, out cold on the floor, and stole a look at Methos, who was just as dead to the world on the floor on the other side of Duncan. "That is so Laurel and Hardy."
"My work is not a farce," Greene announced with dignity, even though her hair was a frizz around her head, her nose in the air, but her hand was shaking holding the gun, wavering it between aiming at Duncan and then Amanda. "It moves mountains, changes lives-"
"For the worse!" Duncan tried to step forward to get the gun, but failed. Greene seemed to have more sureness in her aim as Duncan again stepped back.
"You shouldn't fool with Mother Nature," Amanda tisked. Duncan wondered why she wasn't more serious about the situation.
Greene seemed to take great joy in saying, "Mother Nature. Father Time. I control them all."
"Is this sanctioned by the Watchers? Is this something they want to happen, or are you and Wamre working on your own? What in God's name happened to not interfering?"
"Wamre works for me. He did pittance in this project."
"Are you on the Watcher payroll?"
"More than they know."
"She's so proud of herself," Amanda giggled. "Can't you see you're a maggot? You feed off of us. You're so jealous to be one of us, you don't even speak well of the dead."
"What dead?"
Duncan told her, "Your partner. Wamre. I can see you're close. He shot himself in front of him," Duncan said pointing to Methos on the floor. "This morning. Didn't you hear?"
"I told you he didn't have much to do with this project."
"But he was spying on my friend, he implanted a chip in his body!"
"He wasn't aware that I'd already surpassed him in the research. In order to keep him quiet, I let him think he was still helpful."
"You know," Amanda mused. "She doesn't even seem bothered that her partner shot himself because of shame over what he was up to!"
"He was a little man, a weak man. I'm better off without him. The project is better off without him."
"Project Artificial Immortality is now over," Duncan promised.
"Says who?" Greene actually laughed. "You? Well, how about this?"
Without skipping a beat, she fired at Duncan, and the bullet hit him square in the chest. As Amanda reacted with a squeal, Greene fired her gun again. Duncan felt Amanda land on his legs as his consciousness ebbed away.
~~~~~
Methos' head was pounding when he came back to consciousness. He wasn't quite sure where he was, as the wood beamed ceiling he was trying to focus on was completely foreign to him. He felt what seemed like a sack of potatoes at his side and his upper left arm, and it took great strength to even turn his head to see what it was. When he saw Elizabeth staring weakly at him, it all came back to him. "Pink," he mumbled as if he was drunk.
Elizabeth's eyebrows lifted and she asked, "Huh?"
"You're okay," Methos said with great relief, because the last thing he'd known before he was knocked out was that he was certain she would be beheaded and he couldn't do a thing about it. "My dream." Talking took a lot of lung strength he didn't really have as yet, but he motored on, "You're wearing pink silk, female doctor, I couldn't help you. I thought for sure you'd be taken. You're okay? You're really all right?"
"I feel like my veins are full of lead, but I'm peachy. How about you?"
Again, it took great strength to lift his left hand and he stared at it. "Do you have this too?" Methos lifted himself up, but fell back down. He showed his hand to Elizabeth, who put her left hand next to his. Both hands had a swollen, red and purple puncture mark just below their middle finger. "What did she give us?"
"Knock out potion, I guess."
"Or whatever she used to make Guy immortal? Hey, is this the same stuff James gave you?"
"No, not at all," Elizabeth said with a sigh as she tried to hike herself up by pushing up from Methos' chest. "James' stuff made you happy, lightheaded. This is weighing me down."
Methos finally got himself to a reclining position and wondered, "It's like it's affected our immortality, how could that be?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Elizabeth looked around and saw a red stain on the carpet. She breathed in quickly. "Duncan and Amanda. Where are they? Is that blood?!"
Methos groaned as he hiked himself up to a sitting position and looked at the stain. "That's a fair assumption."
"Wonder if they both bled or just one of them. There's only one stain."
"Right now," Methos said, "I don't care." He pulled Elizabeth into his arms and held her as if his life depended on it. That prophetic dream that tortured him for so long had now played out further. He fingered her robe and said, "It's not quite a ball gown, but it's pink and silk."
Elizabeth kissed him and then leaned her head against his shoulder. "A female doctor, and I still have my head."
"That's the only worrying aspect of this. I'm going to go to the hospital and you stay right here."
"Why are you going to the hospital? Guy might have been taken away by now." Elizabeth started to get more and more agitated as she ruminated the possibilities and scratched her hand where she had been punctured. Methos thought that was a good idea. "Amy could have been hurt. Duncan and Amanda could have been taken. That doctor could have done almost anything while we were out."
"But we still have our heads." Methos watched as the red scratch marks faded on his hand, but the puncture hole was still clearly visible, red ringing it, and puffy. He had seen such a thing on his body before, but not long. He had always been a fast healer. "What the hell was that stuff?"
Elizabeth's cell phone rang, and she tried to jump up off the floor to answer it, but wavered as if dizzy. Methos was closer to her purse, so he scooted back on the carpet and grabbed the strap of it. The purse fell to the floor and he fished her phone out of it and flipped it open, brought it to his ear, and answered in one graceful movement.
Duncan didn't seem to be under distress when he said through the phone, "Sleeping beauties awaken then? Are you both okay?"
"How can you be so calm?" Methos admonished. "What the hell is happening?"
"Not much, as far as I can tell. We're at the hospital with Amy. Greene's no where to be found, but we did find an accomplice. A guy named Matthew. He doesn't know where she went either, but he does know what she's been up to. When can you two get here?"
"Have you told Amy anything? You know, about her husband?"
"No. I figured that was Elizabeth's job. We just told her that the doctor paid us a visit and we're worried about Guy. She knows something's up, but hasn't asked too many questions. She's waiting for you both to come and has been almost stapled to Guy's side since we woke her up."
Methos noticed Elizabeth had gotten to her feet and moved to the bedroom. He told her, "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to go anywhere." When there was no reaction from her, Methos asked Duncan over the phone, "Is Guy aware of what happened?"
"Guy's dead to the world and isn't aware of anything, Dan. But I tell ya," there was a pause before Duncan said, "Liz was right. It's a strong sensation. I can't get over it."
"I'll be right there."
~~~~~
It hadn't taken long for Elizabeth to get into a blouse and pair of jeans and run a comb through her hair. It had taken longer for the cab to show up, and Methos thought Elizabeth was going to have a fit waiting for it. He finally stopped her pacing outside the Biltmore and held her as they slowly rocked back and forth. "I suppose it would again fall on deaf ears to say that I don't think you should go anywhere near the hospital?"
Elizabeth looked up at him. "Will you stop? What if she's casing the hotel to make sure I'm alone and comes back and takes my head? You know, it's like the last time. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I'll be careful, but what will come will come. I'm not letting your dreams affect my living. I was supposed to have lost it in an operating room, wearing a ball gown, I might add. Then I could also add that it was your head that was taken first. My love, I love you more than I can possibly say, but you have interesting dreams that don't come true."
"They don't happen as I dream them, but they do happen."
Elizabeth took a hesitant look at him and then noticed the cab finally made its way to the front entrance of the hotel, Methos whispered, "Just watch yourself."
Instead of getting into the back seat of the cab after yanking open the door, at Methos' words, Elizabeth turned and stuck her hands inside his coat and pulled him close. Methos thought they were in a hurry, but this was entirely unexpected and welcome. She looked up at him and said, "Of course I will. I have a lot to lose."
~~~~~
As the cab pulled up to the Mayo Clinic-Scottsdale, the sun was just peaking over the Four Peaks mountains in the distance. Elizabeth rushed out of the cab as soon as it stopped while Methos paid him and scooted out, joining her at the information desk. There wasn't anyone there, probably because it was so early, so Elizabeth was going to start out to where Guy had been last night. Before they reached the elevator, they felt an immortal sensation. "Who is it?" Elizabeth asked edgily, and then Methos pointed at Duncan, who had just rounded the corner with three cups of coffee from the cafeteria.
With a sigh of relief, Elizabeth took a cup from him and gave him a half hug. "How is everything?"
"Actually, pretty uneventful. There's no sign of her, Guy's still in a coma, and Amy's hanging in there. Me, on the other hand, I would like to find out where she went. I can't wait to go after her, but haven't the foggiest where to start. She hasn't been back here."
"Probably scared silly. Those Bigger Than God types usually are," Methos commented.
"You said there was someone working with her that you have?" Elizabeth asked hopefully. "Has he said anything?"
"Nothing, and now he's disappeared. Maybe a Watcher cleaning crew came to get him out of here."
"Weren't you watching him?" Methos frowned.
"Not every second, master," Duncan countered.
"Want something done, you gotta do it yourself."
"Since you were Sleeping Beauty, at least I got some information from him. I called Joe and he never heard of Matthew McRay. He's on his way here."
"Are you and Amanda okay?" Elizabeth asked.
"We're fine. How about you?"
Duncan took hold of Elizabeth's upturned hand, the one that had been punctured, and grimaced when he also saw Methos'. "They haven't healed? What's up with that?"
"We're fine. Where did he take off to? What kind of car was he driving? Where does he live and who does he know?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Duncan admitted.
"What about Joe? Isn't he doing a search on the database?"
"Why don't you call him and find out? He's more than likely driving here, so he doesn't have access."
"We have to get one."
"Where?"
"Where did Guy stay while he was here," Methos wondered. "I mean, before he was shot. He has to have his laptop. Where are his personal possessions? I can use his ID and go to the hotel and get on line. Within minutes I can find out all I need to know about Greene and this what's his name?"
Elizabeth smiled. "That's my guy." She turned to Duncan, "I don't know where he was staying. We'll ask Amy. Is she still in the room they provided for her?"
"They moved Guy to ICU. She's in the waiting room."
"Why did they move him?"
Duncan allowed Elizabeth and Methos to enter the elevator and said, "The clinic's docs are now taking care of him, and they don't know what was wrong. Seems the records kept by Greene aren't very helpful."
"Do they have any idea about..." Elizabeth asked as the elevator brought them up. "You know."
"I don't think so," Duncan said. "And he's really out of it. Except for that buzz, I'd be sure he was dead."
"He's not, is he?" Elizabeth wondered frightened. "I mean, she did something to him, maybe he is really dead, and-"
"Stop it," Methos warned. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
As soon as they reached the waiting room where Amy was benched, she rushed to Elizabeth and gave her a hug. "I need such a big favor from you."
"Sure, anything."
"You need to go back to New York City for me."
Methos smiled. "You're a lady after my own heart. I agree wholeheartedly."
Elizabeth looked at them both. "Why? Are you moving Guy there?"
"No, but my daughter is there. I need to get her out of the hospital. I talked to her nurse just a while ago and she's ready to go home, wherever that is," Amy told them all with a little ironic laugh.
Elizabeth stared at Methos. "Okay. I understand her reasoning, kind of, but what about you?"
"The farther you're away from that doctor the better."
"Your dream is done, honey. My head's not going anywhere."
Methos looked wistful and stared as if ruminating about a circumstance. "I wonder how that might look on your tombstone."
"Will you stop?"
"Yeah, that's kind of... gross," Amy said. "What are you two talking about?"
"He's been dreaming again."
"Well, that can't be good. Anything to do with my husband not coming out of his coma?"
"Not anymore," Methos said.
"Huh? You did before?"
"No, he didn't." Elizabeth sat Amy down and asked, "Wouldn't it be better if you go and check your daughter out of the hospital? I don't think they'd even let me."
"But I don't want to leave Guy."
"Guy's fine."
"How do you know that?"
"Is it now or never?" Elizabeth asked Methos, Duncan, and Amanda, who all took seats around the room.
Duncan shrugged. "We've been waiting for you to tell her."
"Tell me what?"
Elizabeth looked at Methos. "I'm not stupid to tell her?"
"Tell me what?"
"She has to know. Guy will tell her or she'll see it."
"Tell me what?" Amy asked again with more anxiety.
"It's about Guy." Elizabeth took Amy's hand and then put her arm around Amy's shoulders.
"What about him? He's gong to be okay, right?"
"Yeah. If he's trained right."
"Trained for what?"
Elizabeth didn't know how to tell her, just as she hadn't been able to choose the right words with the three of them earlier. She sighed when she couldn't find the right words and did want to tell her herself, so she said, "You have to know that it's somewhat amazing that Guy lasted this long."
"Huh?"
"That he made it through surgery. That he died many times on the table and he's still with us."
"He had a good medical team."
"He had an opportunistic medical team," Methos said. "Saving him didn't have anything to do with Guy."
Elizabeth asked, a bit miffed, "Do you want to tell her, or should I?"
"Tell me what?" Amy asked for the umpteenth time.
"Guy did die on the table." Elizabeth let that sink in, but it didn't look like it sunk in too far. "And he revived..." Amy still stared at her, probably wondering what the punch line was. "Sound familiar?"
"Yeah, they resuscitated him. Thank God!"
"Could be. It could also be that Dr. Greene brought him back to life by usual methods, but Amy..." Having Amy's round, wondering eyes looking at her was tough, but Elizabeth forged ahead, "She also injected him with something." Elizabeth showed Amy her hand and the puncture mark that still hadn't gone away.
"What happened? Why hasn't it healed?"
"I don't know. But it came from Dr. Greene, who paid us a visit at the hotel a little while ago. I don't know how long ago because I sort of, passed out, or died, I don't know."
"No, you were never dead," Amanda said. "We were," she indicated her and Duncan, "But you two weren't."
"What the hell are you talking about? Dr. Greene did what?"
"She made your husband an immortal," Elizabeth blurted. She only realized how harsh and weird that sounded after she said it. "I mean... well, yeah, I mean that's it. Guy's an immortal."
"No, he's not. How can he be? He's in a coma."
"He was injected with whatever Daniel and I were," Elizabeth said, indicating her hand that hadn't healed again. "It must slow our healing but speed up a newly turned one's, or something. I don't know, I'm not a scientist and certainly don't know what she injected us with."
"I know what she injected us with," Amanda said, again indicating her and Duncan. "Cold steel."
"She shot you?" Amy asked incredulously. "Why would she do that?"
"I don't know. None of us do, but that's why Amanda and I came here as soon as we revived, to see if you were all right," Duncan said, now leaning forward in his chair. "When have I, or any of us, ever lied to you? Never. This is not the time to start. You have to believe us, Amy. Guy is an immortal. Amanda and I felt him as soon as we arrived."
Amy looked at Elizabeth. "That's why you left so fast last night? You felt him too?"
Elizabeth shrugged and then nodded her head. Amy slapped her hand away. "And you didn't tell me then?"
"I didn't know what to do. I wanted to talk to Daniel first."
"Why?" Amy asked sharply. "He's my husband. I'm a watcher. I needed to know that as soon as possible. What if she would have done something else to him? I could have found out by now what she did to him in the first place, why he's in that coma, what she injected him with and find out an anecdote. How dare you?"
"How dare I? I didn't want to scare you, confuse you, I was confused myself."
"That is not a secret you keep from me, Liz."
Methos cleared his throat and said, "Amy, it's my fault."
Amy spun her head to his direction. He told her, "The last time Elizabeth was going to tell you about a family member being immortal, or pre-immortal, I told her it was a terrible idea and we had a terrible row. She was confused and didn't want to-"
"What? Upset you? What about me? He's my husband!"
"Yes! He's your husband, and he will not age any more. He will not appear older. He will have to train. He will have people after him and his head. That's not light chit-chat when you're already exhausted, mentally and physically. Sue me if I thought it could wait. Guy has plenty of time!"
Amy suddenly bolted out of her chair and looked liked a woman on a mission for an instant, but then started slowly pacing the room, probably not knowing what to do or where to go, just like them. She stopped and stared out the window with her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply.
After a round of silence, Amanda stood up and went to her. "Amy, I know this is a shock, but you have nothing to worry about. We're going to find out what she did, what she used, and where she is and take of her. Meanwhile, Guy is going to be under our wing, so to speak. We're not going to let anything more happen to any of you."
"I don't need your help or pity," Amy not only told Amanda, but the room at large. Tears had filled her eyes when she stared at Elizabeth and said in a small voice, "I trusted you. You couldn't trust me with the truth?"
"I'm telling you now. What is it? Five hours later? It's not like I never did."
"You should have told me last night. If Greene is gone, it's because you didn't tell me and I couldn't make sure she didn't get away. You don't seem to get it, and probably never did. I'm a Watcher and I have clout. I can make a call and make things happen."
"Okay," Methos said. "Where's your database?"
"In New York."
"Great place to keep it."
"Just the information I needed." Methos leaned to Elizabeth and kissed her temple and said, "I'll be right back."
"So," Amy turned on him. "You're not here to help me or Guy, you just wanted something and now you're taking off?"
Methos held up his hands. "I'm not even going to answer that, you're in a touchy mood. I'll see ya later."
Before another word was spoken, Methos was gone. Amy rolled her eyes and said, "He didn't even ask which one."
Duncan said, "I would assume that he would assume that it would be the one by the airport. Guy probably hastily checked in as soon as he hit town and then did what he needed to do."
"Oh, you're all so all-knowing."
Amanda said, "If we were, we'd know where Greene went."
Amy suddenly chuckled and took a seat. It looked like she had to sit down or her legs would fall out from under her. "I really am the odd woman out. It's me and Joey against all of you."
"Against who?" Elizabeth asked ticked off. "You're one of us. You always will be. Shut up if you're just going to be silly."
Duncan stood up and said, "I'm going to catch up with Dan. You gals work this out."
After Duncan left, Amanda said, "There's nothing to work out. Right? I mean, we're family. We always will be," she pointedly said to Amy. "Always."
Elizabeth took Amy's loosening up and a hint of a grateful smile as a good sign and asked, "Should you and I go back to New York together to get Katie, Joey, and Claire?"
"I wonder how long Guy has to stay here." Amy sighed. "I mean, if he's really... you know... why hasn't he healed?"
"Probably whatever chemical influence he's under." Elizabeth said. "As soon he gets that through his system, he should be fine. I would guess. This is new for me."
"Us, really," Amanda said, then added, "It took how long for you to get rid of that crap James injected you with, Liz? You know, when we were at Mac's cabin."
"I don't know. I was kind of out of it, and only really did get over being out of it when I froze to death."
"It was about a weekend. A looong weekend, and a blizzard to boot."
"So, Guy should be okay in a couple of days?" Amy asked hopefully.
Elizabeth said, "Well, it's not the same stuff he has in his system. We don't know what it is or how long it would take for it to dissipate."
Amy looked at her wringing hands and said, "I hope Methos kills that bitch." She looked up hesitantly to Elizabeth and Amanda, seemingly sorry to have said it, or at least to have said it aloud.
"Damn straight!" Amanda agreed. "Tear her limb from limb."
"And beat her over the head with her severed legs," Elizabeth added.
"Are immortals usually this gross?"
"No," Amanda said. "I like shopping. Nothing gross about that."
"You know us, Amy," Elizabeth said. "There are no secrets from you. I swear."
This is going to be hard. How do I live with an immortal husband, who's going to stay young and sexy while I'll wither away, get more wrinkles, and die?"
"You're going to do no such thing," Amanda said.
"Oh?"
Elizabeth said, "Well, I've been thinking you know, since Katie kind of turned, through a transplant, that... if you wanted... I would give-"
"No, you won't," Amy cut her off. "I'm not going to be one of you. It would scare the shit out of me. You're braver than I am."
Elizabeth tisked. "No, we're not."
"Of course you are. You take heads. That would gross me out. I think I'd rather die than cut off another person's head, and have to watch myself doing it. I don't want anything from you but friendship and training for my husband and for you to watch over my daughter after I'm not here anymore. Will you promise that?"
"Amy," Elizabeth said, about to cry. "I'll do anything you want and you don't ever have to ask for my friendship, Guy's training, and most of all, my looking after Katie, and Joey, and you. It's a given. It always has been."
Amy fell against Elizabeth and hugged her as she started to cry. Amanda waved her hands and leaned in as well. "I need some of that too."
"I guess Guy's no longer a watcher. He can't both watch and be watched."
My hubby did it for a long time, though he wasn't in the field."
"Adam Pierson's still a topic of conversation. When it comes to light about Greene and what she was working on, Guy won't even be allowed to go near a headquarters. Might make our marriage a bit touchy with them. With all the grief they gave me about being your friend, I'd hate to imagine what they'd say about my being married to one."
"Jim was, for years."
"Who's that?"
"An immortal, married to his Watcher."
"It happens, but only when they're the lie-low type immies?/imortals. You four could never be called monotonous."
Amanda beamed. "Thanks. But, if you're no longer a Watcher, how will we keep tabs on that contemptible reprobate with a medical degree?"
"You'll have to do it without me and my husband. We're a family and we're going to be a family again. Joey's going to school, Guy and I are going to have nine to five jobs and sit at the dinner table every night."
"That sounds like heaven," Elizabeth mused. "But Guy has to train. And, Joey and Claire cannot know what he is, or what we are. Methos is adamant that Claire doesn't know."
Amy said, "It'll be tricky, but it can be done."
"It would be nice to not live out of a suitcase," Amanda said. "Even though mine is Louis Vittan, it's still a suitcase. We can live in Tuscany at my villa."
"I want my own place with my own mortgage again. Like it was with Kevin. Normal. Whatever that is."
"Tell you what," Elizabeth said. "You go get the kids and I promise to stay here and guard Guy with my life. In fact, can you clean out the suites? Bring everything? We'll decide where to live when we're all together and have all of our stuff."
"Sounds like a big job," Amanda said. "Sounds like I need to go with you."
"That sounds great." Amy pulled them both to her again. "Thank you. I need you both so much. It's going to be scary."
"It's going to be fine," Elizabeth said. "I promise."
"Ditto. You have four immortals watching over you and Guy, instead of the other way around," Amanda chuckled.
TO BE CONTINUED