Chapter 4 - Meeting the Parents

I laid back in bed, looking more at the ceiling, looking for those illusive answers which I had hoped would mysteriously appear, but never did. I had so many questions and there was really no one I could ask for answers, once I began to speak of everything I would be off to those nice padded cells I hear so much about. These type of things just do not happen yet the facts remain, here I am and still I didn't know where to start. Suddenly I stopped, of course I could search the internet, it has been a strong presence for many years and surely I could find something out there. I wondered if the Hospital could help me and so I reached over for the buzzer and pressed the button.

Shortly a Nurse arrived at my door and I could recognise her from Stacey's description, piping up first I said aloud, "Hi Amy, wonder if you can help me out I like to try and find a way to jog my memory and was hoping there was something I could use to assist me in some way" I asked hopefully. Amy looked at me and nodded back, "sure I can get one of the iPads from the patient resources and let you fiddle with it, give me a few minutes to grab it and set up a connection to our network", with that she turned and left again. Maybe ten minutes later she was back holding a familiar looking, though seemingly thinner iPad in hand. Holding it out to me she explained, "it's all set up, the standard blocks are in place, though if you come across something that is blocked then let me know and I can see if it meant to be or not. Some web sites just trigger pages being blocked but you have to find them first to do anything about them. Anyways, have fun and if you need a hand then just buzz me again", motioning at the buzzer, "I hope this helps you out some". With that, Amy turned and left the room, leaving me alone to start digging into what had happened over six years ago.

Before I began my search, I decided I needed to be careful, not knowing if the Hospital looked at browser history or not. I did some innocent searching on general news and events, then did some searching on archaeology as I had noticed a news article about some recent work at Pompeii, this helped me to branch off from there. I then searched on various archaeologist's works and slowly worked my search to where I last was digging, Egypt, the land of Pharaohs. Craig had given me this wonderful opportunity, well at the time I felt it to be wonderful, a chance to escape my past and make a name for myself. Yet, I hadn't look to deeply into things and just like I usually did, I ran head on and this time I didn't make it back.

I read about the various digs happening in the country and going back over the years I read about random expeditions when I saw what I was looking for, there in front of me, smiling back, was that bastard who shot me, standing on a hill with the desert dunes behind him. It seems he was being interviewed by some random magazine whose name didn't leave any great impression in my memory. I began to read and as usual I could see his ego flowing forth, on how great is work is, how his next discovery would change history and suddenly I stopped. The interviewer had asked about his dealings with a Doctor Peter Jamison. I eagerly read more but was dismayed and then angry when Craig said he had invited me to consider an expedition and had come to Egypt to discuss the matter. At first discussions were positive and then he had said I had begun to get greedy over the details and had wanted more recognition with the expedition. He mentioned he tried to help out an old friend who had fallen on hard times and wanted to give me a chance to light my spark I again. Blinking I looked away and wondered how I could then believe everything he had told me. Returning to read on, I felt my heart skip as he then said he was overcome with anguish when my body was later found in some seedy part of town, an obvious case of a robbery gone wrong. Blaming himself for not being there, wondering why I went to those type of establishments in the first place, just wishing he could have done more. Anger lit my eyes as I thought 'what the, it wasn't enough to murder me but he takes it upon himself to further destroy what reputation I had left to me'. I felt myself growing light headed as anger raced through me, I had to calm down and so I slowly began to regulate my breathing. I looked back to the article and see that I was taken back to my homeland and interred in the cemetery nearest my home. Closing the iPad, I had my answer, partly at least. I was dead, well the old me was, and somehow I was not. I was someone else, Peter, still no clue what my last name was but I was alive.

Putting the iPad on the bedside table I just looked up again. Seems to be a new habit for me, looking at the ceiling for answers, doesn't seem to help much but still it was something. I was broken from my thoughts when I heard my name coming from the door. Looking over I could see it was a young female, not sure on age as I gave up guessing when I turned thirty, it often saved me from much hardship. 

"Peter?" the girl said again questioningly and she slowly approached me. Nodding I smiled back " Yes I'm Peter", to which, once hearing me say such, she dashed the final few feet and threw herself onto me wailing and crying. I froze, what just happened? Did I say something wrong as I awkwardly patted the girl on her back as she cried deeply into my chest. Hurriedly I ran possible scenarios through my head, maybe she is this Peter's girlfriend, maybe she was here for another Peter, there was just so many possibilities and truth be told I was just not thinking straight. I was frozen and helpless as I held this girl in my arms as she slowly stopped crying. Lifting herself off me she looked at me, "you really lost a lot of weight, haven't you?", I blankly nodded, my mind was still racing. Who was she, this girl knew me and I had not the foggiest idea who she was. Strangely as I looked at her tear streaked face, she seemed familiar, oddly as I didn't know her at all but she felt familiar, like family. Suddenly I froze, this was my sister, well the young Peter's sister but she was his sister. Why did that trigger that feeling I questioned? Suddenly my head began to hurt and snippets of information began to open within, Phoebe that was her name. I remembered little things but not the big things, "Phoebe?" I haltingly whispered, to which her face brightened and again she wailed and crashed into my chest, muffled words were slipping halt and I could just make some out, "you remember me!, she snuffled. I think my hospital gown was in need of a change. I tried to push her off me gently and is quietly spoke, "how could I forget my little Phoebe, I don't remember a lot, well probably a great lot, but as soon as I saw you I just knew who you were". Looking at me, she wiped her face and I reached over to move her hair away from her face. Seeing more of her and strangely the feeling of knowing her grew stronger. Stepping back, she laughs and turns way, not before saying over her shoulder, " I'm getting Mum and Dad, they have been so worried and upset and hearing about your memory they were afraid to make matters worse so I snuck in while no one was watching, I will be right back" and off she ran. Well, shit, I guess It was time to meet the parents.