When We Meet Again

*****

Dean knew he should call home and let someone know what had happened to him. And he would do it – it was the responsible thing after all. But he was still feeling dizzy and confused and enjoying the attentions of the good doctor Leonard who came to check on him once a day as well as the super friendly nursing staff. He just wasn’t ready to face the recriminations and expectations waiting for him when he finally got in touch with his family. He had been at the medical center for a week and his more superficial bruises were healing. The broken bones though, had a long way to go. He wondered if the company stock would be affected if someone learned he was lying helpless in a hospital in Aspen while his father lay in bed suffering the effects of a stroke. His mother was perfectly capable of holding the business together but it was all a matter of perception. Just another reason not to let anyone know where he was.

“Isn’t it weird how we keep meeting over my bruises?” he asked Dr. Leonard the next time she came to check on him. He couldn’t believe she’d actually made it – she was a surgeon now. He’d seen the trailer she grew up in; it was amazing to him that she’d managed to pull herself out of that park like this. It took major guts and stamina and determination. Dean felt proud of her although he knew it was a strange emotion to feel for someone just because…he didn’t know why.

“We ‘keep’ meeting?” she asked incredulously.

“I meant that the first time we met, I’d gotten myself into a stupid accident and had bruises which you treated; and now all these years later, again I get into a stupid accident and you heal me.”

“Just call me your guardian angel,” she said her voice thick with sarcasm.

“Oh I do,” he grinned wickedly at her and her eyes slid away from him. He did believe she was blushing even though he couldn’t be a hundred percent sure with her complexion.

“In a week or so you’ll be able to be moved from here to a hospital of your choice,” she said, “Is there anyone you’d like to be notified of your whereabouts?”

Dean grimaced and then shook his head, “No one really.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to hide your accident this time Dean,” Meaghan said to him. He smiled with delight because she still remembered those details.

“I’m not trying to,” he said and then added at her skeptical look. “Really I’m not. It’s just that I don’t want to create a panic by calling home and letting them know I’m in a hospital. I’ll tell them all about it when I get home. You said I could go next week right?”

Meaghan nodded her head.

“Well there you go. Meanwhile I’m here in your capable hands and I’m sure you won’t let anything happen to me. Right?”

“I’m guessing the correct answer to that question is ‘yes’,” she said wryly.

“And you know you always give the correct answer Meaghan,” he said in a low soft voice. In spite of herself, Meaghan shivered. Then she mumbled an excuse and left the room as fast as she could. She called Bain again right away.

“Please Google Dean for me and tell me what he’s been doing for the past eight years,” she asked.

“What? Did you lose the ability to navigate the interwebs?” Bain asked sarcastically.

“Please Bain,” Meaghan pleaded.

Bain huffed. “Fine. Anything in particular we’re looking for?” he asked.

“The good, the bad and the ugly. All of it.” She said.

“You’re falling for him again aren’t you?” Bain accused. “Honestly Meaghan what am I going to do with you?”

“You’re going to find out that information for me and destroy my castles in the air before they get built,” she stated. Bain sighed; he didn’t seem to have much faith in her strategy.

“I really don’t know what voodoo that boy did on you but you seriously need to just stay away from him. What happened to that nice chiropractor you were seeing?” he asked.

“He moved to Delaware. Said there was more work there.” She reminded him.

“Oh yeah. I liked him. Nice steady sort of fellow; never gonna break your heart kinda guy,” he sighed.

“Those are the ones you watch out for. They suck you in with their niceness and then when you have your guard down; bam! They destroy you,” Meaghan said.

“Are we still talking about the chiropractor or are we back to the Anatomy TA who turned out to have a wife and kids?” Bain asked.

Meaghan sighed, “I thought we had a future.”

“I know darling. However just because the TA was a bust is no reason to latch onto Dean Wesson,” he said.

“I’m not…” Meaghan said weakly, “yet,” she added in the interest of absolute truthfulness.

“Yet being the operative word,” Bain said,

“Just find out that information for me okay Bain? That’s how you cure me.” Meaghan said her fingers literally crossed.

“Stay away from him babe. He’s trouble with a capital STD,” Bain said making Meaghan snort with laughter.

“Bye darling,” she trilled.

“Bye babe,” he replied as he hung up.

*****

Dean’s phone had been destroyed in his argument with the tree and so he had not received any of the messages left on his voicemail by his mother. However, Poppy Wesson was not one to wait around for her son to get in touch with her and hired a PI to trace his whereabouts. The PI traced the last location of his phone to Aspen and all that was left was to find the hotel at which Dean had been staying in. The management was only too happy to let the family know that Mr.Wesson was indeed still registered at the hotel as a guest but was currently in the hospital being treated for injuries sustained by a skiing accident. Poppy was on the next available flight to Aspen and as soon as she arrived she had the driver take her straight to the medical center

“My son is admitted in this hospital, could you point me to his room?” she asked the bored receptionist who inquired after the name of her son so she could check the records. Once Dean was located, Poppy swept regally up to his room regardless of the fact that it was not visiting hours at the moment.

“Dean Wesson,” she cried as she saw him swathed in bandages. “What are you trying to do? Be the death of me?”

Dean turned his head with a sinking heart to behold his mother standing in the doorway. “Mother,” he said hoarsely and then run out of things to say.

“Were you intending to let someone know where you were Dean? Or did you think we’d just forget you exist? Samantha is going out of her mind.”

Dean knew there was only one thing he could say, “I’m sorry mother.”