Disclaimer
The following is a work of fiction. Any real names, real events, non-original content, or likeness of celebrities are used in a fictitious and parodic manner. All other character names and events are fictional and any resemblance of real names or events are purely coincidental.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: MARCH – PERFECT SENSE, PART ONE.
Dean Williams sat down in Doctor Kimberly Reese-Shaw’s office. It has been a long time since he saw his therapist. But Dean was not alone this time as Ryan Jeffries, still donning his dress uniform, sat on Dean’s right side. Penny Fields, looking battle scarred and pale, sat on Dean’s left side. Dr. Reese-Shaw saw down in front of the three and took out a notepad and pen and begun to write.
“So Mister Williams, it’s been a while,” Dr. Reese-Shaw said. “What is on your mind right now?”
Dean crossed his legs and began to speak. “I dunno. I mean still trying to wrap my head around possibly losing Karen. The pills you’ve given me seem to not work like they used to, and to top it off, these two have been following and harassing me,” he said looking at Ryan and Penny.
“Well, I’m here because the amount of Klonopin he’s taken since Karen’s current state has allowed me to become a more focal point on his subconscious mind” Ryan said.
“I just want to finally get why I died for these people.” Penny said.
“See? This isn’t helping me!” Dean said to Dr. Reese-Shaw. “I got these two, for lack of a better word, ghosts following me around. I’m having very lucid dreams, and none of this is making sense to me.”
Dr. Reese-Shaw made some notes on her writing pad and then said to Dean “Do you feel like you brought this upon yourself somehow?”
“Really? You’re going to try to psychoanalyze me now?” Dean scoffed.
“Well, if you didn’t want me to, why are you here now?” Dr. Reese-Shaw asked.
“Because I need some answers. I want to know how to get my family back. I want these dreams to stop. I want everything to go back to the way it was before all of this went down.” Dean answered.
“Think it’s too late for that, dude.” Ryan said to Dean.
“Well then, since you seem to be some kind of conduit to the powers that be, tell me where Karen is then? Is she alive or is she really dead?” Dean asked Ryan.
“She’s in limbo to be honest,” Ryan said. “Where she ends up is in the hands of the powers that be now.”
“Well, can you let them know I don’t think I can handle anything without her in my life please?” Dean pleaded to Ryan.
“Well, you still have that black chick.” Penny said.
“Yes, can you tell me about your relationship with Amy Benz?” Dr. Reese-Shaw asked Dean.
“Amy? I would say she handles a lot of my work-related issues well,” Dean answered. “I would be lost in Hollywood if it weren’t for her.”
“Would you say there is a slim possibility of more than a working relationship with her?” asked Dr. Reese-Shaw.
“No. I mean I think she’s attractive, but come on, I’m married. I have a beautiful wife and daughter. Why would I throw that all away?” Dean said.
“Because in a small way, you kind of did?” Penny said.
“What?” Dean said with confusion on his face.
Dean Williams abruptly woke up in the same spot he’s been every time one of these dreams occurred: in a chair next to Karen, still in her coma. Dean rubbed his eyes and tried to regain some sense of what had happened. Then it hit him, maybe Amy could help make sense out of this. Dean got up from the chair and staggered out of the room – staggering from a mix of exhaustion and the four pills of Klonopin he downed before falling asleep. Dean wandered into the wardroom, where he saw Rachel, Lucas, and Sullivan sitting at a table. Rachel still had her face buried in a series of maps and papers. Lucas and Sullivan were in the middle of a rousing game of “Uno”. Dean matter-of-factly asked everyone in the room “Where’s Amy at?”
An awkward pause filled the room. Dean had committed a major faux pas, as he was completely oblivious to what happened last month. No one bothered to tell him as his only thought was Karen. But now the white elephant in the room had to be addressed.
“We’re sorry, Amy died a few weeks ago.” Rachel said.
“What?” Dean said in denial, thinking that this was still a dream.
“Yeah, it was pretty heartbreaking.” Lucas said as he placed another card down on the table. “Her baby made it out okay though.”
“Baby?” Dean said, then remembering that one night in Vegreville. “Oh crap!” he said quietly to himself, then asked aloud “Can I see it?”
“Sure, I’ll take you down there.” Sullivan said, placing his hand of cards down and proceeded to escort Dean down the hall.
“Thank god Benny wasn’t for that.” Lucas said with a sigh of relief.
“He’s still taking it pretty hard, huh?” Rachel asked.
“I guess so. Though he blames himself more than he does Dean now, so I guess that’s a step in the right direction.” Lucas said.
Dean Williams stood inside the nursery and saw from a distance the infant Mercedes Benz, asleep inside an incubator. Dean stood in silent awe, feeling joy that he hadn’t felt since Faith’s own birth almost three years ago. A single tear rolled down Dean’s cheek as he watched the caramel-skinned girl slightly move during her sleep.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” A nurse asked Dean.
“Huh?” Dean said in a semi-drug induced haze. “Oh, I guess. But what babies are never beautiful?”
“Well, that’s one way to look at it,” the nurse said as she walked over to the incubator and picked up the infant. “Care to hold her?” the nurse asked Dean.
“I guess.” Dean said with some hesitation. The nurse handed the child over to Dean, who cradled the infant in his arms. He felt the same way the first time he held Faith in his arms. For the first time in a long time, Dean smiled and showed signs of hope. All it took was holding his newborn daughter in. Mercy fussed a little bit, but Dean rocked her gently to ease her up. Dean quietly sung to her the chorus to “Times Like These” as the nurse quietly walked out. The nurse then leaned on the outside wall and sighed with content. Then Jericho walked by the nurse and quickly recognized her.
“Faith?” Jericho asked the nurse. The nurse knew she was found out and dropped the façade. She was Faith Williams, twenty years old. “Please tell me Willow didn’t put you up to this.” Jericho said to Faith.
“No, she hasn’t talked to me since the two of you had your falling out,” Faith said. “I did this under my own volition. I have very few memories of my father being happy. Wanted to see for my own eyes if he was both happy ever in his life and if little sister’s birth made him happy.”
“Did you get what you needed?”
Faith looked back into the nursery and saw Dean smiling as he sat down with Mercy. “I think I did. That is all I came here for. Nothing more, nothing less,” Faith said.
“Good. Please, if you ever see Willow, let her know we are more than willing to welcome her back with open arms.” Jericho said with heaviness.
“Haven’t really talked to her much. What makes you think she’ll listen to anything I have to say?”
“Just please. For all of our sakes.” Jericho pleaded with Faith.
“I’ll do my best. You do realize it will have to come down to the two of you dealing with your feelings for each other, right?” Faith said as she slowly walked away and then slowly phased out of the hall entirely.
“Great.” Jericho sighed as he banged his head gently against the wall. Just as things were making sense in how to handle Willow, Jericho now realized he would have to start from square one. Again.
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