Thorne: Far Horizons –3
By Atonia
Part 4
“I won’t be far away, Toni if you need me for anything, anything at all.” Jack was leaving; his boat was waiting under the bridge to take him back to the Surprise.
“Thank you is not enough, Jack,”
“It’s more than enough, Max and John will be with you,” He kissed her and John walked with him down to the bridge to see him off.
Toni felt drained, it had been an emotional evening but at least she knew where Terry was now and that he was being taken care of. She sat down at the table; Max was standing by the windows watching Jack leave. He was deeply concerned for Toni and Terry but he also had his own problems now.
“I probably should go home, back to my own flat.”
“Why? You can stay here, Max.”
“I need…I’ve got some things to work out, perhaps some things to discover.”
Toni was lost, “What things?”
“Do you remember when Terry came over to find out what was real and what wasn’t, that’s what I need to discover.”
“When did this happen?”
“I’m not sure, I thought when I came to Virginia. When I left the house and came back here it was…I spent a week doing nothing and I have never done such a thing. I went to work and work wasn’t there so I went back home. I kept thinking well it will start up again, some little glitch somewhere but it didn’t.”
“You’re out of the movie…oh, Max.”
“I knew it must be so when I took you to my flat, the flat was real, Toni it’s there just like Terry’s was here. I don’t know what I’m going to do.
“I don’t understand any of this, how it could happen. When I think of all we went through and what I had to do to bring Terry out, and you’re out on your own. That’s what John meant in the taxi, he’s out too?”
“I haven’t talked to him about it, so I don’t know how he is affected. You should have guessed, I didn’t magically appear on your doorstep, I had to fly like anyone else.”
“It never occurred to me, and I was so worried about Terry I didn’t stop to think.”
“Well it’s my problem and I will deal with it. You haven’t eaten all day, Toni, you’re going to be sick if you don’t get something on your stomach, I know you probably don’t have much of an appetite, I don’t either but still…”
“You’re right about that, let’s wait for John.”
“He’s coming back now,” Max walked away from the window and ran his hand through his hair.
They walked a few blocks and found an Italian restaurant and after ordering their meals Max asked John what was going on with him.
“When I got the email from Jack, do you know he still has that Blackberry? Anyway I got the papers together with the help of the judge, told him some story about a friend because I didn’t know Dino at the time and had no idea about Wyatt being here; Donna drove me to the airport. That’s never happened before. I’ve always been magically sent to wherever. Then when I got back I had to work it out where home was because there is no Mystery, Alaska. My kids are growing, Toni. So I thought well, I ain’t in Kansas anymore you know? “
“But you have your family and your friends, the same people?” Toni asked.
“Yeah, still playing hockey.”
“It happened to you in your hometown, so everything that was there at the time is real. Max it could be the same for you.”
“Not quite, M&S does not exist.”
“I’m glad for you, John,” Toni reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “You have your family.”
“Yeah I do, everything worked out for the best.” He squeezed her hand back.
Toni sat back while their food was placed on the table, she was happy for John, he had what he wanted, but Max seemed lost and she worried about him and felt responsible for his situation.
“Are you going to eat that or play with it?” John asked her as she twirled her pasta around.
Toni smiled, “Eat, I’m sure little Terrance is hungry.” She ate what she could and they walked back to the flat.
“How long were you planning on staying, John?’ Toni asked when they got back.
“I figured a week, that’s the way I left it anyway. I can stay longer I guess, if I need to, I said it was a family emergency. I’d like to find out how Terry is going to get on.”
Toni spent the next three days back and forth to the hospital to be with Terry. Slowly he was coming out of his confusion and the day he was moved to a different facility they were all there with him.
He walked into the place and to his room accompanied by medics. Toni was allowed back after he settled. He was sitting on the bed, back against the wall when she came in.
“Terry, how are you?”
He bit his lip, “Toni.” She moved over and took him in her arms and cried with him for a little while.
“It’s going to be all right darling, it is. As soon as they will let me I’m taking you to the House.”
“I want to go now.”
“We can’t do that, not yet.” She directed all her love and energy into him. “You’re doing good darling, just keep trying.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“I hate this thing, I don’t want to be here.”
“I know you don’t and you won’t have to be here, not for long.” She tightened her arms around him and could feel the tremors in his body. “Max, John and Dino are here do you want to see them?”
“No.”
Toni took a breath, “Okay.” She held him gently rocking until he drifted off and she lay him down on the bed and softly kissed him. She sat there and stroked him until they came and told her she would have to leave. She became terribly upset to find out she would only be allowed to see him on visitation days.
“We’ll see about that,” she shouted back at the administrator. “He’s my husband and he is not an addict of his own free will. You are not going to lock him up here where I can’t get to him. I don’t care a damn about your rules.”
Toni whirled out of her office and down the hallway where Max, John and Dino waited.
“What’s up?” John asked.
“I am so angry I can’t talk right now, let’s get out of this place.”
They went down the street to a coffee shop.
“I’m sorry, he didn’t want to see you guys today. They are telling me I can’t see him either except on visitation days. It’s like he’s been committed somewhere, I’m not going to stand for this, I’m not. They can’t do this to him.”
“Toni, you did not read the papers you signed, he has for all purposes been committed for treatment.”
“What?”
“He has love, you handed me the papers after you’d signed them and I read it.”
“Max, why didn’t you tell me?”
“How was I to know you’d signed something without reading it, I wasn’t in the doctor’s office with you.”
“Oh God I want to scream and beat something.” She slammed her fist down on the table.
Dino sat back in his seat, “Let’s break him out, get him on that private jet for Boston.”
“Could we do that?” Toni asked eyes rounded.
“Now wait a minute, he didn’t look so hot at the hospital, he can’t travel like that.” John stated.
“We can sedate him,” Max offered.
“No, no we can’t do that…I’m going to talk to his doctor and find out exactly what they’ve got him on now.”
“Find out exactly, Toni and I’ll see what my physician can do.”
Toni met Max’s eyes and nodded.
“He hasn’t shaved has he?” Dino asked
“No they won’t let him have a razor, damn people are treating him like he was crazy or something.” Toni fumed.
“Max?” Dino raised his brows.
Max smiled, “When do you get to see him again?”
“Not until next Friday afternoon at 2:00”
“You guys need to be committed somewhere,” John laughed.
Dino left and went back to SI. Max took Toni and John to his flat.
“Nice place, Max,” John said as he walked through, “wow what a view.”
“Yeah, I’m glad this is real at least. Come and look ,Toni and see what you think Terry can wear.”
“Good grief, Max you have more clothes than I do.” She looked in his deep closet.
Max grinned, “I think he and I might be about the same size, but you would know that better than me.”
“Actually you are, he’s a little firmer than you.”
“Oh really, all that running I suppose. You were ah,” he went through the hangers, “talking about body firmness.”
Toni giggled, “Yes I was, let’s do something simple like dark slacks and a jacket, white shirt you have plenty of those.”
Max found a suit bag and pulled it over the clothes she’d selected. “I hope this works, I’d hate to think you’d leave me there to be Terry on drugs.”
“I would not leave you in that place to be anybody.” Toni noticed his closet was strong with his scent, “I’m getting claustrophobic in here.”
TBC
