Stolen Years (Read 27,757 times)

[melly]

This doesn't seem like a good conversation to have in front of a patient in this condition, especially a little kid. I blame Dr. Dan.

[Kpatch]

I think Parker was sleeping, melly, but you know how Salemites are.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 3


Philip arrived back at Craig’s house and knocked at the door. Craig answered, holding a slice of pizza. “Come on in,” he said with his mouth full. “That reminds me, I need to give you an extra key so you don’t have to knock. Have a slice of pizza.” He indicated the box on the coffee table.

Philip took off his jacket and eyed the pizza delivery box. “How’s Chloe? You didn’t call me, so ... Did she wake up?”

Craig nodded. “Just for a couple minutes, then she fell back to sleep. She seems to be resting comfortably. Man, I can’t believe they call this stuff pizza, but if you’re hungry enough, you’ll eat anything. You ever have New York pizza, Philip?”

Seeing Craig like this was weird for Philip. He guessed Craig was finally unwinding after all the stress of the past week. “I’m a Chicago pizza fan, personally,” Philip replied. “I’m going to go up and see her.”

“Pizza’s gonna get cold,” Craig said, washing the food down with some pop.

“I prefer it cold anyway,” Philip said as he climbed the stairs.

“Suit yourself.” Craig clicked the TV remote and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Ah. Nancy would never let me eat this way. Gotta love the bachelor life.”

Meanwhile, Philip quietly entered Chloe’s room in the dark.

“Who’s there?”

Philip raised his brows. “Chloe? You’re awake!” He pulled the chair from the desk toward the bed and sat down at Chloe’s bedside. “How do you feel?”

“Really tired. Where am I?”

“You’re in your parents house. In your old bedroom.”

“In my old bedroom? Why?”

“Oh. Um. To keep you safe,” Philip explained, but not too well. “You’re safe now, Chloe.”

“Safe from what?”

“We can talk about that later. Right now, you need your rest,” he insisted.

“I feel kind of weird and disoriented,” she replied.

“That’s probably from the anesthetic.”

“Oh. ... I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” she stated. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Could you turn the light on?”

Philip thought that was an odd request, but he got up from the chair and went toward the door. He flipped the light switch.

Chloe blinked several times and looked around. She sat up slightly and turned to face Philip. “I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“Who are you?”

[MrsM]

Oh man..........

[wendylou]

I was afraid of that. Hopefully after some time she'll remember. Her poor brain has been through too much. Electroshock therapy almost every day???

[fluffysmom]

Poor Chloe. She's been through so much.

I like seeing Craig relaxed and enjoying pizza.

[melly]

Yay! Craig mentioned Nancy!

Craig's acting like Philip is a normal human and not some monster...I think the two of them have potential for a solid in-law relationship.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 4


Oh god. Philip’s stomach turned. She was back to not knowing him again. He was hoping that being in familiar surroundings would help her remember, but maybe he was asking too much. Or maybe it was merely too soon. “I’m Philip. Philip Kiriakis.” He sat in the chair again. “I was hoping you’d remember me.” He gave her his best smile.

Chloe smiled back. “I’m just teasing you. Of course I remember you. You were my first boyfriend. Not only that, but who could forget those dimples? You look good all grown up. But ... what are you doing here?”

Whew. She always did have a bit of a wicked sense of humor. So okay, she remembered some things but not all things. Philip wanted to be careful how he answered her. He didn’t want to flood her brain with information that it wasn’t ready for. “I’m helping your father. And you look good too, by the way,” he smiled at her again.

Chloe looked down and saw she was wearing a hospital gown. She pulled the blanket up to her neck. “Why am I wearing a hospital gown. Oh wait. You’re helping my father? You’re a doctor? I don’t remember you ever being interested in medicine.”

She really didn’t know him. He hoped it really was just the anesthetic. Philip shrugged, not knowing what to say and not wanting to lie. “Necessity is the mother of invention. I’d better go get Craig.” Philip stood up and left the room. From the top of the stairs, he called to Craig. “Craig, she’s awake.”

Craig dropped his pizza, wiped his hands on a napkin and sprinted up the stairs into Chloe’s room. Philip stood in the background while Craig went to Chloe’s side. “Sweetheart.” He sat on the edge of her bed.

Chloe looked at Craig, and Philip saw tears pool in her eyes. She put her arms around Craig and started to cry. The brave facade she was showing to Philip disappeared. “Craig, I’m so scared. What happened to me?”

“Shhh,” Craig said, comforting her. “You were in a sanitarium, do you remember that?” Chloe nodded against Craig’s shoulder. “They used some radical treatments on you and it may have caused some confusion, maybe even temporary memory loss.” He leaned away. “Do you know what year it is?”

Chloe looked at Craig, then at Philip. She stared at him for a long while before speaking. “I’m not sure, but Philip and I used to be the same age ... ”

Philip couldn’t help but chuckle. “We still are.”

“... and now he looks so much older. So I don’t know. He looks like he’s in his late 20s, but ....”

“But what honey,” Craig asked.

“But I’m only 22. ... Where’s Brady? Why isn’t he here? Why isn’t my husband here?”

[MrsM]

Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess at least she remembers Philip, that is a plus.

[gapeach]

So in her mind she is still married to Brady? This can't be good!

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Chloe hasn't lost all of her memory. Philip won't be happy that Chloe believes she is still married to Brady.

[melly]

Better Brady than Dr Dan....

[Kpatch]

Chapter 5


Philip had to leave the room to compose himself. Chloe was lost in the distant past. She thinks she’s still married to Brady. This was like Philip’s worst nightmare coming true. He finally felt like he fought off Daniel to win Chloe’s affections, and now he had to fight off her feelings for Brady? Again? This was absolutely unreal.

Craig left Chloe’s room and joined Philip in the hallway. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Craig observed.

“I’m fine but ... what about her?”

“She’s resting. She asked to be alone for a while,” Craig told Philip.

“Do you think her memory loss is permanent?”

“Don’t know,” Craig answered. “Last thing she remembers vividly is living in Vienna around 2005 or 2006. She has no recollection of the past eight years.”

“So she doesn’t know about Parker?”

“No, and I don’t think we should spring that on her yet. But ....” Craig looked toward Chloe’s door, and gestured for Philip and himself to go into the bedroom next to Chloe’s. Once inside, Craig closed the door and continued. “I told her it’s May 2014. And I told her that she and Brady weren’t together anymore.”

“Do you think that was a good idea? To tell her, I mean.”

“I don’t know. I just don’t want to lie to her.”

“She’s upset, isn’t she?”

Craig nodded. “She’s confused, disoriented. Damn, it was a mistake to tell her that she’s not married to Brady anymore. I don’t know what I was thinking, especially with her PNES. She could have a seizure if her emotions get out of control. So ... from here on, we have to let her figure out everything on her own, naturally.”

“So you think we should just wing it?" Philip asked. "I mean we don’t have experience with situations like Chloe’s. How do we know what’s right? Maybe we should consult with someone like Marlena.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Craig was adamant.

“Why not?”

"Can’t stand the woman," Craig said flatly. "Never could."

Philip sat down on the bed, exhausted and out of options for the moment.

“Listen, Philip, why don’t you go on home and we can talk more tomorrow," Craig suggested. "Chloe will probably be more lucid by then. Right now, I’m going to fix her something to eat.”

“Home? No. I’m not going home. I’m staying right here.”

Craig raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh you are, are you? And where, pray tell, are you going to sleep?”

Philip looked around the room. “How about in here? This used to be your study, right?”

“Riiiight," Craig said suspiciously. "We converted it into a bedroom when we started subleasing. … And the answer is no. You may not stay in the bedroom right next to my daughter’s room. I forbid it.”

“Seriously Craig? Come on, we’re not teenagers anymore.”

“And that’s precisely why you can’t stay here," he reasoned. "You knocked up my daughter once already. I don’t trust you being in the bedroom next door to Chloe.”

Philip rolled his eyes. “Thanks for thinking so little of me. Come on. I’m not going to jump her.”

“Suppose she jumps you?”

A little smirk crossed Philip’s lips. “Well ... in that case.”

“Ahh. Buzzer. Wrong answer.” Craig pointed to the door. “You lose and you can collect your consolation prize on your way out!”

Philip rose to his feet and stood next to Craig. “I was kidding, okay? You can throw me out if you want, but I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here,” he said. “Look at it from a practical standpoint. You can’t keep an eye on Chloe 24/7. You need help. Someone needs to go grocery shopping and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Chloe to be alone, not even for five minutes. Not when my mother’s still on the loose.”

“Hmmm. I suppose you make a good point.”

“I do make a good point,” Philip asserted. “Besides, I’m in love with your daughter, Craig. That’s no secret. But the most important point is that her emotional health is unstable. I know that, and I’m not going to take advantage of the situation, I wouldn’t do that to her. Or to you.”

Craig finally relented. "Okay fine. You can stay. But no funny stuff, Kiriakis.”

“Yes sir.” Philip saluted.

“Swear it.” Craig wanted that final bit of reassurance.

“I swear. Okay?”

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Craig agreed to let Philip stay at the house. I liked Philip's reaction when Craig said what if Chloe jumps you.

I hope Chloe finding out that she's no longer with Brady doesn't cause her to have another setback.

[melly]

Loved Craig's reaction to Philip's suggestion that Marlena be consulted!