Page 56 of Amadeo
He grabbed my arm. “You promised you wouldn’t tell Uncle Stephano where I was.”
“Ok and so?”
“I need the same kind of promise here,” Tito said.
I felt confused then it dawned on me. “Oh, hell no…You didn’t?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. But I am now in on it.”
I let out a heavy breath. “Ok, go ahead and show me.”
Tito nodded, then he stepped down and soon disappeared, below the shelf.
Turning to Gia, I held out my hand.
She took it and seemed to figure it all out suddenly. “They’re hiding him?” she asked as she moved over and went down, not waiting for an answer.
Feeling a bit nervous, I followed her down. I wasn’t sure I knew what to think. For one, there was a secret door and apparently a room under the pantry that I never knew about. For two: Gia and I were now a part of whatever this was.
Tito stood close by, waiting for me. He reached over and pushed a lever. The opening we just came through now closed up.
I moved in and we entered a very large room. I looked around for Gia. Then I spotted her.
Of course, the good doctor stood next to the bed where Deacon Walker rested.
Valencia was there as well. Looking up at me, her face looked pale and she nervously clasped her hands together.
I came over and told her, “Please don’t be afraid of me.”
“I’m not but..” She motioned to the bed. “...he is helpless and your father—”
“Isn’t here,” Gia cut her off. “He seems fine,” she added.
“Except that I don’t know who the hell I am.”
I dropped my gaze to Deacon who had said this as he stared up at Gia.
Looking back down at him, she said, “That will more than likely fade away. It is normal for a comatose patient to wake up and not remember anything. Or sometimes they remember only a little bit.”
“Well, I don’t remember anything,” he told her as he motioned to Valencia. “She says I’m her brother.” He shook his head slowly. “What happens to a person that has no memory?”
Gia looked down at him. “I see that you can move and use your legs, correct?”
He nodded. “I’m weak and can’t walk so well right now, but I’m not paralyzed if that is what you mean.”
Nodding, she looked around. “So where is Nurse Jocelyn?”
“She’s sleeping in the next room,” Tito replied. “She hadn’t gotten any rest because she had been watching over Deacon.”
“But you two were leaving him alone?” I asked Tito.
He shook his head. “No, I was helping Valen to get up top and I intended to come back here.”
I stared at him and asked, “Can you tell me what is going on?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “I wish you hadn’t caught us like this.”
“Oh, I imagine you do,” I replied as I scoffed. “And I wish the same. But now that we are. How can we help?”
