Second Chances(82)

"During what?"

"My senior year? Her senior year?" Her face twisted in concentration. "That would have been this year? God, I am so confused. What is happening?"

"I don't know Paige, but you say you have memories of this man?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't know anymore. All I know is that Daniel Perry took this picture. I don't know....no, I do know, that this couldn't have been me, but I am certain that whoever that is, it was Daniel Perry who took that picture."

She looked at Nathan, her eyes begging him to give her answers, to make everything all right. He desperately wished he could.

He picked up the photograph and stuck it in his pocket before taking Paige by the hand.

"Okay, let's go see if we can find Daniel Perry."





CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE



Julie stood behind the wheelchair, looking out of the elevator. She hesitated and the door began to close. Jason moved his leg forward, triggering the door's sensor and causing the doors to stay open. He coughed softly and that spurred Julie into motion.

They came around the corner and almost ran into Doris.

"Oh my! I thought I had heard the elevator, but when no one came out," she began.

"Sorry, Doris. I must have hit the brake on the wheelchair so it took me a few extra seconds to get moving."

Doris nodded her head and looked at Jason.

"All cleaned up. You look very nice, Jason."

He did his best to remain still, his eyes averted.

"I thought we'd take a stroll around the grounds before I need to get going. Is that okay?"

Doris turned her attention to Julie.

"Oh certainly."

Julie looked around the room.

"Is Sarah out here? I wanted to let her know, so she doesn't worry."

"I think she ran to the kitchen for a drink. Don't you worry. I will let her know when she comes back out."

"Thank you so much, Doris."

"Don't mention it." She patted Julie on the back and returned to her position at the front desk.

They moved through the room, heading for the front door. Are we going too fast? Too slow? Acting normal was a lot harder to do when you had to think about it.

A minute later they were out the front door. Julie pushed the chair down the ramp and there they stopped for a moment. She looked around the area, no one was close by. There was another resident in a wheelchair with his caregiver strolling down the same path they had used yesterday, but other than that she didn't see a soul.

"Okay, I am going to move the chair over to the car. I don't want you to have to exert yourself until you have to."

Julie cursed as she pushed the chair into the gravel parking area. On the rare occasions that residents were transported to or from the facility, they used the rear entrance that had a smooth paved parking area. Of course Julie couldn't have used that area without raising suspicions. She had to shove hard to get the chair to move on the gravel. The ride was bumpy and she could tell that each little jerk of the chair hurt Jason. She had to strain to turn the chair to get it in line with the car and was out of breath by the time she got the chair properly situated. She pulled open the door and bent down next to Jason.

"Okay, are you ready?"

He nodded and said, "Yes."

"Julie? What are you doing?"

She turned to see Sarah standing at the open door of the house.

"I...uh." She froze, her palms going sweaty.

"Where do you think you are going?" Sarah's voice had taken on a hard tone and she moved forward, the door closing behind her.

"I thought that..."

"You know you can't take Jason anywhere."

"I wasn't. I just...shit."

"You just what? Are you going to tell me you aren't trying to put Jason into your car?"

"Screw it," Julie said, stepping forward to block Sarah.

"What do you think you are doing? Are you trying to kidnap Jason? That's crazy."

"I am not kidnapping him."

"No? Are you trying to tell me you aren't taking him?"

"No. I mean yes..."

"Move aside, Julie, I am taking him back inside."

"No," Jason said as he pushed up on the arms of the chair trying to stand.

Sarah's jaw dropped.

"Jason? You...you..."

"We need your help," he said as he came fully erect, Julie slipped an arm around him to steady him.

Sarah looked from Jason to Julie.

"He's talking. He stood up on his."

"Yes," Julie said.

"Yes. I wish there were time to explain it, but there isn't. Sarah, I can't tell you how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. All I can say is I have to go." He reached out and placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"No one is going anywhere."

Sarah spun around and the three of them stood looking up at Doris, who was framed in the front door with a pistol in her hands.