It's a Fever Dream (feverdream) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-07-08 00:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | #november 2017, amelia, amelia x grady, grady |
Who: Grady and Amelia
When: Late afternoon, Friday, November 3rd
Where: Amelia’s hospital room
Status: Complete
After receiving the email scan containing the DNA results from the lab in Bangor, Grady had driven to the hospital and sat in his patrol car for nearly an hour, staring out the windshield toward the building and try to work his mind around what it all meant. He’d had his suspicions, but maybe deep down he’d known it couldn’t possibly be true. Occam’s Razor. The simplest solution was likely the right solution. And the simplest solution was that this Lia woman had been experiencing severe delusions. Only… she was perfectly sane, according to her psych evaluations. The second simplest solution was that she had a hand in Amelia Lucas’s disappearance, and was a textbook sociopath, using her knowledge of the crime to fuck with the police, and Amelia’s family. But that hadn’t been true either. Because according to his man in Bangor, Lia’s DNA matched the DNA Grady had sent him. Lia was Amelia Lucas, despite all logic and reason. She had gone somewhere nine years old, and that somewhere sent her back...eighteen? Nineteen? How was he supposed to handle this? Who was going to know? Who did he tell, if anyone? What would her family say? Grady had the proof, and science was goddamn science, but…
Eventually static from his radio startled him from his thoughts and Grady rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the scruff from his five o’clock shadow scratch against his palms. He got out of his patrol car, locked it, and started toward the hospital. Every step felt heavy and the closer he got to Lia - Amelia - the wider the chasm of his world, and everything he thought he knew and believed.
He gave a perfunctory smile to the young nurse who greeted him in the hall outside of Lia’s room, and since the door was open, Grady rapped his knuckles gently against it to alert the young woman to his presence. She would be released today, probably very soon. Grady had a room reserved for her at the Juniper Inn and he planned to drive her there… if she still wanted to go.
“Hey there,” Grady said as he stepped into her room. “Are you excited to get out of here?” Despite his inner turmoil, his expression was one of calm. Looking at her now, knowing what he knew, he could see now that of course this was Amelia Lucas. She was that little girl in the photo Grady had been carrying around, only now she was older by several years. How could he have doubted it?
Amelia was looking out the window when Grady came in and she turned to give him an unsure little smile at the question. Was she eager to leave? She wasn't so sure.
As far as most of the staff of Mercy Hospital was concerned, she was just an unfortunate amnesiac and everyone had gone above and beyond to make sure she was settled in. She had clothes now that one of the nurses had brought in for her, the psychologist she kept talking to was chatty and sweet and Dr. Fleizman still checked in on her from time to time as if to reassure her she hadn't been forgotten. They'd kept her longer than just that one night and while Amelia knew she probably wasn't a prisoner, she hadn't attempted to test the theory.
"Depends on where I'm going," she replied honestly. They'd talked about an inn but she'd told the cops the truth and she knew the truth sounded absolutely crazy. So maybe she'd end up in some crazy people place - or prison. Grady didn't really look like the kind of asshole who'd trick her though and she clung to the fact that he had kind eyes and didn't look annoyed with her. She turned and picked up the plastic bag that had been sitting on her bed, a set of clothes to change into when the ones she was wearing got too dirty. It was all very simple and cute and Amelia had a feeling that people here had a very different idea of when things were too dirty.
He couldn't blame her if she was feeling apprehensive. They hadn't been able to give her any solid answers because they hadn't had any. All they had were the answers Amelia had given, and while she was apparently who she said she was, it was still difficult for Grady to wrap his brain around there being a place out there that sped up time in this kind of way. Alternate realities, maybe? It sounded like something for a sci-fi movie, not reality. "Well," he said, moving around closer to her, but not so close to make her uncomfortable. "That depends on where you want to go. I've got a room for you at Juniper, but... if you want to go home, I can take you there too. Depends on if you're feeling ready or not." Maybe she would need a couple more days to adjust. Grady would take her anywhere she wanted to go, as long as she stayed in Point Pleasant. There was still a lot Grady needed to know, but he didn't want to overwhelm her.
Amelia paused, watching him with cautious curiosity for a beat before speaking again. "You believe me?" She hesitated again before realization sank in. "The DNA test?" Of course she had known it would come back positive but that didn't mean she didn't have her doubts. If nobody believed her, maybe she really was just insane and needed help and a whole lot of medication. The look on Grady's face said she wasn't and her lips twitched into an almost smile at the thought of actually going home. It was gone as fast as it appeared because the thought of explaining all of this to her family was as terrifying as the thought of seeing them was good. "Have you... Talked to them?"
"It was a match," Grady confirmed. "I don't know how it's possible, but... you are who you say you are. I'm trying not to let it completely crack my brain." His smile was faint. Then it faded. "I haven't spoken to them. I didn't want to until I talked to you first. I'm not entirely sure how to approach them, to be honest, and you have the option of going to them on your own. But if you want me to go with you, with the proof, I can do that too. I figure if anyone's going to know you, Amelia, it'll be your family." Maybe they would take one look at her and know. Maybe not, but Grady liked to think he would know.
Amelia opened her mouth to speak but she had no idea what she wanted to do. It was terrifying to think that she might go see them and none of them would believe her. She was alone now, with no anchor in the world and nowhere to go and there was only so much the police could do for her before they had to give up on her. "How long can... The room? At the inn? How long can I stay?" It would be good to have a place to go back to if everything blew up in her face, somewhere she could hide away and collect her thoughts. Things were different here, she could apparently not just break into an empty house to sleep and search for food so that meant money and she was woefully unprepared for any of this. A small dark part of her mind told her she should have stayed where she was but she was determined to ignore that. This was where she belonged, it just wasn't when she belonged.
Grady had only reserved the room for a couple of days, but Amelia's tone had him making a quick decision before he answered. "As long as you need," he told her. "Everything's taken care of there. Room service will be put on the room tab for the department. I don't want you to worry about that kind of stuff. We'll take care of any supplies you need. If you want to wait a day or so..." He couldn't tell her when to approach her family, or how to do it. All Grady could do was make sure she was comfortable and taken care of until her family took over. Assuming they would. "I wouldn't blame you if you decided to take some time and get acclimated to this place. Only a few people know you're here, Amelia, and they're not going to tell anyone else."
Amelia had wanted to go home for a long time and she knew she should be eager still but... it was so close now that it got overwhelming to think about it. She would have been panicking if Grady hadn't kept talking, reassuring her like he knew exactly what she was feeling. "I think... I'll wait," she said quietly. "Is that okay?" It was probably a little weird but if it was okay that was definitely what she was doing. She wasn't ready for the heartache if they refused to believe it was her. They'd lost a little girl and she was definitely not that. She didn't want to be a disappointment and maybe that wasn't logical but feelings rarely were.
"Of course," Grady said with a nod. He wanted to tell her to take all the time she needed, but that felt like prolonging her family's pain. It wasn't his place to make her do anything, so all he could do was wait until she was ready to see them. "Are you ready to go? I can grab you some food on the way to Juniper, if you're hungry." He would at least make sure she got settled in her new room. It felt bizarre leaving her alone, and Grady had to remind himself that she was a young woman now, not nine years old.
Amelia nodded. It felt like all she'd done since she got back was eat and sleep, only waking up for long enough to briefly talk to hospital staff before going back to sleep. At least she felt rested by now but the food was so good and she couldn't get enough of it. Lettie had given her an old phone with her number in it and told her to call anytime and everyone was just so nice it was giving her whiplash. "Are you hungry?" she asked, unsure if he'd want to go and eat somewhere or just pick something up before hiding her away at Juniper. She honestly didn't know which she'd prefer either so leaving it up to him felt like the safest bet.
Grady's brow rose at the question and he wasn't sure if Amelia asked for the purpose of wanting him to eat a meal with her, or just being polite. "Maybe a little," Grady admitted, since he wasn't entirely sure what he ought to say. Maybe she just wanted some company before he dropped her off at Juniper. It wasn't like she'd had normal visitors in this place. "You want to go grab something to eat? Pizza? Moxie's?" He had brought her some burgers and fries since her arrival, so she might have been burned out on that already. Maybe she would want something that she'd only enjoyed, before being taken to... wherever she'd been taken to.
They both seemed very unsure and Amelia gave him a somewhat pained smile when she saw his expression. But then he mentioned pizza and her expression softened into something a little bit happier. "Extra cheese? Milkshake?" she asked hopefully because she remembered loving that as a kid. Just a whole bunch of gooey goodness washed down with a sugar shock.
Unable to help himself, Grady chuckled. “Yeah, extra cheese and milkshakes. Sounds pretty good, actually.” And it was late afternoon so Dino’s wouldn’t be too busy. He certainly didn’t expect to see any of the Lucas family there. Technically Grady was still on the clock but a quick bite to eat wouldn’t hurt anyone. That decided, Grady looked at the open door and then back to Amelia. “If you’re ready to check out, we’ll make a quick stop at the nurse’s station to make it official then get out of here. Do you have everything?” She hadn’t had much to begin with but it seemed like she had more now, thanks to some of the staff.
Amelia nodded again and grabbed a jacket off the back of one of the chairs, slipping it on before picking up her bag. She still hadn't gotten her things back - the ones she brought back with her - but she understood. They hadn't been sure she was who she said she was and it was probably all some sort of evidence, maybe even a biohazard. She still wanted her rifle back but it wasn't as urgent as when she'd first gotten back, now that she actually had people around her who clearly cared about her well being. "Let's do this," she said, then led the way out of the room, stopping in the hall to make sure he was following (and why wouldn't he be?). "Do you have kids?" she asked as they walked toward the nurses' station. She was willing to bet he did, he was probably a really good dad.
Samples from her belongings had been sent off to the lab, but there hadn't been an expedited request on those, and Grady hadn't received any results from them just yet. Grady followed Amelia out of the room, walking with her down the hall to the proper nurse's station to sign her out. He would send a quick text to Ty to let him know he was taking Amelia to lunch and then would be dropping her off at Juniper. He hadn't told his deputies about the DNA results just yet. He was still trying to wrap his mind around them himself. "I do," Grady said with a small smile. "Two, actually. Jen and Hunter. They're seventeen, so maybe they share a class or two with your brother."
At the mention of her brother Amelia's smile wavered a bit. She needed to go see him and she didn't know how she'd go about approaching him. It was a worry that had her going in circles in her mind, thinking he'd definitely recognize her or no, he might not, maybe she should approach her dad first, or her mom. It always felt right to see Jasper first. He was the one she'd cried over the most when she was alone and afraid, wishing his car would round the corner and he'd somehow magically arrive in that strange place to bring her home. "Maybe," she agreed. "I'll... I'll ask him." She'd no doubt forget with everything else that was going on and truthfully she wanted to meet Grady's kids and ask them about Jasper.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how her family would react to this. It was certainly a mindfuck and Grady kept waiting for the lab to call him and tell them they had made a mistake with the DNA and that it wasn't a match. But he had seen the results himself, and he knew that phone call wasn't going to come. They stopped briefly at the nurses' station and quickly finished up the remaining paperwork. When they were heading for the exit, Grady fished his keys out of his pocket. "Were you and your brother close?" He should have asked 'are you and your brother close', but while Amelia had only been gone a week or so here, clearly time moved differently wherever she had been.
"Yeah, he was my hero," Amelia said with a little smile. "I just remember he was really cool and he was dating a cheerleader and I thought it was like a movie. You know the type, greasers and... I don't know what Sandy was. Blond." She shook her head with some amusement at the memory and how it was probably all warped in her mind now. "He wasn't home much, he and mom didn't get along - don't get along? - but he'd come hang out with me and we'd watch movies together." God she missed him, she could feel that ache in her chest just talking about it and it was crazy to think that he was still in town and that all of this had happened just a few days ago for him.
Grady couldn't help but be amused that she was comparing her brother and his girlfriend to Danny and Sandy from Grease. He should have been surprised that she even knew what Grease was, but that movie seemed to span generations. "Hopefully that's something the two of you can continue doing," he told her. Grady unlocked the patrol car and realized it was against protocol to have a civilian sit up front, but oh well, he was going to do it anyway. They were just going to Dino's and then Juniper, and as far as he could tell, Amelia was harmless. "I know this is an unusual situation, but I think ultimately your family will be thrilled that you're back and all right. They've been pretty devastated this past week or so."
All Amelia really remembered from Grease was a handful of colorful characters and one song but she had fond memories of singing and dancing along to that song with her mom, even if she hadn't known anything but one line from it. She couldn't help but feel emotional, both at the memory and Grady's kind words. It wouldn't be the same of course, nothing would ever be the same but maybe her family would accept her. If they didn't she didn't know what she'd do. She'd been so ready to die but now she wanted nothing more than to live, try all the food, watch all the movies, travel. There was so much available to her now that she'd never thought she'd see again. She just wasn't sure she'd ever be able to enjoy it if she knew her family thought she was an imposter despite all the evidence. "Can you... drive past my dad's house?" she asked. It was probably out of the way, she didn't really have a great concept of where everything was if she'd gotten rides there, too often playing on her phone while in the car. At this point she'd need a damn map to get anywhere.
Green Street was a bit out of the way, but Grady didn't mind driving past if that's what she wanted. He had no clue as to Gavin Lucas's schedule, or if the man would be home or not, but police cars driving through Point Pleasant was not an unusual sight. So Grady buckled in and nodded. "Yeah, sure." Hell, maybe she would decide at the last second to stop and get out, maybe approach her family then. Who knew. "Do you remember anything from where you were?" he asked finally. "Any details about your surroundings?"
"It was all... empty," Amelia replied with a little frown and everything from back there seemed so vague now. She remembered the people she'd met, good and bad alike, she remembered people who weren't people and streets that were void of cars and pedestrians. She furrowed her brows as she tried to think about it all. "I remember... pumping gas and at first it looked like oil or black sludge, before it ran clear. Same with water. Everything was canned - food, I mean. We could drive for hours without seeing anyone." She shook her head and glanced at Grady. "I don't think it was... here."
"That doesn't sound like anywhere," Grady murmured. He glanced at her as he drove. "But there were other people there. Were they people who had gone missing, like you?" He remembered she had mentioned a Maggie Holden, a name he had run through the system to try and find a match for. A sixteen year old runaway that had disappeared some time ago. There hadn't been much else, as it seemed as if even her case had gone cold. Which made sense, considering. Given Amelia's age now, he had to believe wherever she was was not... here, like she had said. Was it on another plane? Some... weird black hole? Christ, he wasn't built for this kind of thinking, in all honesty. He wished he knew someone who were.
"Yeah, there were others," Amelia confirmed. "I stayed with Maggie for the last few years, sometimes Misha would join us but he liked to be alone, I think. There was a group of people we sometimes ran into but Maggie said one of them was a creep so she didn't want me to join them. I don't remember their names now." Which was frustrating because she had remembered just a few days ago. She frowned as she tried to summon them back from wherever they'd gone to hide out in her brain and came up empty. "I should remember, we spent... some time with them when I was still little." Then Maggie had said she didn't like the way he looked at Amelia and they'd left. He who? It was like remembering a dream, all disjointed. Maybe she was crazy.
Grady was thinking she should remember because judging by her age, she had been with these people for years. But he wasn't going to assume everything worked there the way things worked here. He wouldn't be surprised if all of those details eventually disappeared from her memory completely. "You've been through a lot," Grady murmured as he headed toward Green Street. "It sounded like you and Maggie had gotten close. I'm sorry she didn't make it back with you."
"Me too," Amelia said and it really wasn't something she could blame herself for. She'd tried to get Maggie to come with her time and time again, in fact she would have preferred it. Maggie was scared and she didn't want to die. If only she'd trusted in Amelia's lunatic theories. She recognized their surroundings now and went quiet, staring out the window in hopes of catching a glimpse of a familiar face. Her father's house was right there but his car wasn't out front and neither was Jasper's. Amelia swallowed dryly and lightly touched the window before straightening in her seat. She should stop wasting the sheriff's time and go get their food now she decided but her heart was still beating a touch too fast. "Pizza?" she suggested with a pained little smile.
The driveway was empty, and Grady couldn't help but wonder if Amelia would have wanted to stop if there had been a car there. He drove slowly, but let her be until she spoke again. Looking over at her, Grady nodded. "Pizza," he agreed. Grady nearly asked if she was sure she didn't want to stay, but decided to give her a bit more time. Amelia would see her family when she was ready.