Through the Darkness, Chapter Twenty Three

CHAPTER 23

August, 2013

The doctors insisted on keeping Todd overnight for observation.  He wanted to just go home and be with the family he had missed.  But Blair overruled him and he reluctantly agreed.  When Todd had been moved to a regular room, Viki and the kids were able to see him.

He could tell his sister was relieved to see he was alright by her tone of voice.  “The next time you have to leave town, please, please give me a reason why.  You do know how many people were unaware they were even in danger?”

“That was why I had to leave town, Viki,” he said.  “To not put any of you up as targets…not even Natalie.

“But you could have warned us,” she replied.  She didn’t want to lecture him but that was what it was turning into and Todd seemed to be reveling in it.  “You’re enjoying this a bit, aren’t you?”

“Well, I know you’d only lecture me because you loved me, so, yeah, I guess.”

Viki bestowed a long-suffering, but genial, smile on him.  “What am I going to do with you?”  She kissed the top of his head.  “I love you and I am so happy you’re well and safe.”

“Well, yes.  Safe, I’m not so sure of that,” he said.  Then he turned to Blair.  “You haven’t told me why Dani had to get my medical records from Port Charles.”

Blair’s gaze drifted between Dani and Starr and she allowed her daughter to explain.  “I was told that when Clint was admitted to Llanview Hospital, after he had that breakdown at the dinner…” she began.

“Which I missed,” Todd grumbled.  “What was The Sun’s headline for it?  Probably not as good as something I’d have come up with.”  He shifted his eyes to Viki and was bestowed with an eye roll.

“After the breakdown,” Starr repeated, drawing the attention back to her, “they ran tests and found out he hadn’t had his heart medication for a while.  Dr. Wolek checked the pills and found that they weren’t his prescription for his heart, but some unknown substance that affected his mind.  When Larry listed the strange changes in personality, it reminded me of some of your strange behavior when we were in Port Charles.”

“Strange?  Like what?” Todd asked.

“You faked a heart attack and then wrapped yourself in duct tape,” she reminded him.  “Then there was the bizarre testimony you gave at your trial.  I’d have thought you were going for an insanity defense.”  She sat on the bed and took his hand.  “I know you’re a little off the wall, but you’re usually more cunning about it.  But you were ping ponging back and forth, optimistic about Mom coming back to you, proclaiming your love to someone who you barely knew, depressed about losing your family.  And that’s not you.  You keep everything in and by the end of our stay…you’d become a complete stranger to me.”  She laid her head against his chest and he wrapped his arm around her.  After a minute, she sat up again.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry if I scared you, Shorty.  I just felt like I’d lost everything for a time there and I…I didn’t know how to cope,” he told her.

“But what made you think that?” Jack asked.  “Starr thinks that you may have been given the same drugs they used on Clint.  She thinks that may explain all your odd behavior.”

“Okay, Jack, why don’t we table this until tomorrow.  Your dad’s recovering from surgery and the doctors told him to rest,” Blair said.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” Viki agreed.  “Why don’t we see about getting a hotel room for the night and we’ll come back tomorrow, see if they’re releasing you.”

“Oh, they’re releasing me, alright,” he muttered.  Jack and Starr each went up and said good night to him. 

Dani hung back and when she said her goodbyes, it was an awkward, “I’m glad you and Victor are both alright.”  Todd didn’t really respond to that.

Viki turned to Blair.  “Are you coming with us?” she asked.

“I spoke to the hospital and they’re letting me stay the night.  I don’t want to let him out of my sight,” she said and Viki accepted that, wishing them both a good night.

“You wanna jump my bones?” he asked, a goofy smile on his face.

Blair let out a deep sigh.  “More than you know,” she answered. “but it’ll have to wait.”  He face became concerned.  “Why did you say it may get worse?”

Todd inhaled and said, “It was too easy.”

“What was?”

“Our escape.  Too easy.  Two guards who didn’t seem good enough to be mall cops, by the jump we got on them, no one patrolling the outsides, hell even shooting me.  They had a clear shot to get me in the back, in the head…and I limped away with a bullet in the leg,” Todd listed.  “Allison was there, along with her partner.  I tried to at least catch a glimpse of him, but Victor pulled me into a closet.”

“Allison’s the one who got her hands on Clint at the hospital.  Natalie insisted on see him and when she did, Allison Perkins was there,” Blair told him.

“Is Natalie alright?”

Blair nodded.  “Yes, but she was injected with something that made her forget or gave her a false memory.  Jack had a talk with her and with Matthew and their stories were inconsistent from that night.”

“And our son put the pieces together?”  Todd asked, pride in his voice for his son’s sleuthing.  Blair smiled at him, showing the same pride Todd displayed.  “They think that they can find this drug in my labs from the hospital.”

“Yes, Larry asked to see them,” Blair said.

“It’s not an excuse for all that I did…” Todd told her.

“No, but it could be at least a partial explanation.  Were you taking any pills at the time?” she asked him.

“After I came back to Llanview, with Tea and the baby, I went to see the quack who testified at my trial.  I told him how I was when Tea was in labor.  He gave me a prescription for the PTSD.  I took the pills infrequently,” he admitted.

“But are you sure that was what they were there for?  Clint thought he was taking his anti-rejection meds,” Blair replied.

“I…I don’t want to think about that now,” he told her.  “I just want to brainstorm…where are we going to go to be together, with the kids, because I am not staying at La Boulaie with the head witch?”

“Oh, well, that, you do not have to worry about,” she said, supremely satisfied.  “The bad news is, the whole family pretty much knows that we’re married again.”

“I kind of figured that.  No secret it safe in Llanview.”

“The good news is, Dorian blew a gasket when I told her that and the fact that I was moving the kids into Llanfair, at least temporarily.”

Todd blinked.  “We’re staying in Llanfair?”  He threw his head back against the pillow, in reluctant acceptance.  “Well, at least I know Tina’s halfway around the world, so I won’t have to deal with her.”  He waited to hear Blair confirm that and as the silence grew longer he looked at her again.  “Tina is still in London, right?”

She let out a sigh.  “Todd, her father-in-law’s been hospitalized and her husband’s looking after the company while Clint’s…”

Todd grunted something unintelligible.  “Who else is camped out in the house?  Please tell me not Kevin.”

Blair shook her head.  “Brody’s been discharged from the Navy and he and Jessica are back together with the kids.  They came back with Cord and Tina.”

“Jack mentioned that she rechecked her son’s DNA.  I know how relieved she was about finding out Clint was her father.  I’m happy she found out the truth about her son,” Todd said.

“Brody’s been helping with the investigation.  He went to Chicago with Bo and Jack after they figured out where you had been taken from,” she explained to him.  “The whole family has been, really.  Well, all of your family.”  She took his hand, still shocked that they were back together.  “You’re still worried.”

“And I’m not going to stop until this is all over,” Todd said.  “Victor still must have the target on his head and they probably still want me to do it.”  He looked around.  “Where is my evil twin anyway?”

“Bo took him back to Llanview with Tea and Matthew.  He still has a murder charge and two attempted murder charges on him,” Blair answered.

“I’ll fix those, I think,” Todd said.  “I owe him that much, at least.”

Blair arched an eyebrow at that comment.  “Should I be worried?”         

“I think the thing we need to be worried about most is him.  I think he’s the one we should have had our eye on from the beginning,” Todd admitted.  She narrowed her eyes, a look that urged him to continue.  “Think about it.  I was in the clutches of some rogue organization for eight years.  I never had a moment that I gave in.  I was tortured all that time, but I had something that saved me.”  He took her hand and kissed her fingers.  “I had you and Starr and Jack.  Victor, he’s gone for a year.  He’s got a tattoo he doesn’t want to talk about.  He doesn’t want to open up to anyone, even Delgado.  He took an, okay, maybe not so innocent comment from me and nearly strangled me.  Then he remembers that I didn’t shoot him but can’t remember who pulled the trigger.  Go back even further.  He was shot even before I got back to town.  His death was faked.  He is still wanted dead.  Why?  What is so important about him that he’s been marked for elimination?”

Todd could tell Blair was processes what Todd was saying.  “When you say not so innocent, what do you mean?”  Todd got that typical squirrelly look about him.  “Todd!”

“I bitched him out for running out on the kids.  He said he had to, but he wouldn’t give any details.  I told him he was worthless and I should have killed him.  When I showed him the door, he turned around and, well, that was how Jack found me,” Todd answered.  “I thought we’d come to some understanding for the kids and he wasn’t going to hold up his end of the bargain.”

She gave him a disapproving look that would have done Viki proud.  “And now?”

“What do you mean by that?” Todd asked, even though he knew what the answer would be.

“He saved you.  He risked his life to bring you back to me,” Blair said. 

“Well, he knew what you’d do to him if he came back alone,” he pointed out.  “I guess I owe him my thanks.  Don’t worry.  I’ll repay it.”  Todd scooted over and patted the side of the bed.  “Think you can at least join me up here?” he asked her.

She smiled at him and climbed up next to him.  Wrapping her arms around his neck she smiled contentedly.  “I have to tell you, I’ve been dreaming of us, together.”

“And what is it like in those dreams?” he asked her slyly.

“I’d tell you, but I’d much rather show you,” she replied.  “When you’re all better…”

“And why can’t you now?”

“Well, you’re hooked up to all these monitors.  I wouldn’t want us to be disturbed.”

“Hence why I wanted to be released today.”

“You’ll just have to be patient.  But I promise you, it’ll be worth the wait.”  With that, she turned to him and kissed him, losing her in the moment.