========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 21:37:00 PDT Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: "A Dangerous Game" (14/22) HL Story Apologies to those following this story..I posted part 11 as 11/13 instead of 11/22. It wasn't me, it was my send key again! .... "...slowly losing hold of the original and better self..." As they entered Joe's bedroom, Richie looked up from the stack of journals and put his finger to his lips, pointing to the bed. Looking down, they saw Joe fast asleep, his hand still holding the Chronicle open on his lap. Richie got up and tiptoed quietly over. "How'd the drugs work?" he whispered. "Not good." said Duncan and brought his friend up to date while Anne went over and gently pulled the Chronicle from Joe's hand, placed it on the bedside table, and then pulled the bedspread over him. "I'm going to stay here tonight." she whisper-announced, standing over Joe. "You?" a surprised Duncan said before he thought about what the comment sounded like. "Why not?" A noise from Joe as he turned in his sleep made her angrily point to the bedroom door. Once outside the bedroom and the door shut, she continued. "Joe's going to need somebody around--" "And that's you?" Mac responded, looking her pregnant body up and down. "Are you a doctor? Can you administer drugs? Do you even know how to give a shot?" she asked in rapid-fire succession. Mac opened his mouth and then shut it. "No," he admitted, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine." she replied, in a tone which suggested no further argument had better be forthcoming. "Now, I suggest we all get some rest." She started down the stairs and, after a moment, Duncan and Richie followed her. Crossing the foyer, she opened the front door and made an ushering motion with her other hand. "Good evening, gentlemen." They walked out and, as Duncan turned around to make one more supposedly pithy comment, she firmly shut the door in his face. Making sure the door was locked, she went back into the kitchen and called the hospital, telling them that she was feeling ill and would not be in tomorrow. That accomplished, she went back into the living room and stretched out on the couch, pulling a throw blanket over her. She was awakened the next morning by the life-giving smell of freshly brewed coffee. Opening her eyes, she saw Joe bending over her and waving a cup of coffee underneath her nose. She sat up and grabbed it, noting as she did so that Joe looked much better this morning having gotten some rest as well as taking the opportunity to shower and change his clothes. "You're looking much better." she said, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Thanks, I think," he said, taking a sip of his own coffee after he had sat in a chair next to her. "Thank you as well for staying." "You're welcome." Anne responded, "You're my friend and I like Rory as well--the little I saw of her." She looked at the coffee. "It's decaf." he informed her, then looked down, studying his own coffee for a moment. "How is she?" Anne looked at his countenance and then tried to choose the kindest words possible to tell Joe what had happened. His shoulders sagged, but he didn't say anything for about a minute after she concluded her narrative. Still not looking up at her, he finally asked, "Do you think any of this is going to work?" "We're being honest?" Joe nodded. She sighed. No matter how many loved ones of patients she had talked to over the years, it never got any easier. "I honestly don't know if what we're doing will work. Stefan is strong and he may very well win." He looked at her then. "If that starts to happen, she won't want to live like that. She'll ask Duncan to take her head." Anne put on her best "the-patient-will-be-fine" smile. "Then we'll just have to make sure we find a cure, won't we?" Joe smiled weakly back at her. "Yep, we will." He levered himself up out of the chair. "Why don't you go freshen up and I'll rustle up something to eat--Rory's probably hungry, too." "OK." As Anne drained her coffee cup and hauled her body off the sofa, she noticed the journal laying on the coffee table. "Did you find something?" she asked, motioning to the journal. Joe picked up the book. "Once they were in more of chronological order it was a lot easier." he explained, "The Paris Opera House was opened in January 1875 so I leafed through until I found some journals around that year and pulled them out. Her journals for Paris begin around 1889 and the ones that mention the Paris Opera start around 1894." "And?" "Go take care of yourself. It'll still be here when you get back." Lori mgoldman@cts.com Bass Player/Musical Director for the SJD Kick-Ass House Band CFW/WAR Chief for Smokin' Joe Dawson in the first HL WAR