by Neil Crenner
the bed and was out again. A few hours later, he woke up, this time with a nursing standing over him, moving something attached to his arm. Then his head was being lifted and moved forward. He felt something around it. A clothe? He was not so groggy now and opened his eyes.
"How are you doing today Mr. Simon?" The male voice asked.
"Where am I? What happened?"
"You were in an automobile accident the voice answered." Very soft, hushed. "Now just lay back and rest. You are her at General Hospital. You were brought in about 5 hours ago. Do you have any family we can call?"
"Yes, call Didier Gauthier, he's listed."
"We have a Didier waiting out in the hall. Would you like to see him?"
"Yes, please let him come in."
"Okay, just relax, don't get too excited." The nurse left and Didier came in. He looked pale.
"Hey buddy, how you doing?"
"I feel okay, my head hurts. That's because your head hit the window when the car hit you. Oh. The doctor says it's just a mild concussion, nothing else was hurt or broke, but they are keeping you her overnight just to monitor you."
"Overnight? I don't want to spend the night in here."
"In the morning you can go home. You'll be feeling better then."
"The negatives!" Reason said out loud, "Did they find the negatives?"
"What are you talking about? Did you have the negatives on you?"
"Yes I did, I had them in my car, under the armrest."
"Well I don't know, they towed your car to the yard."
"That is why the car hit me, the black town car was following me."
"You know I don't know what you're talking about."
"They guy who came into the gallery this morning, he was at the party last night. I told Trevor about it.
"Just rest for now. I'll be here."
"How did you get them to let you see me?"
"I told them I was your brother."
"They believed you. I know your last name, I am Didier Simon." Reason laughed. He put his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.
2 hours later.
Reason heard someone talking, this woke him. He asked the nurse if Didier was back. "Didier is right here next to you, he never left."
'Why didn't he leave, I asked him to go find those negatives. Why didn't he go?'
Didier picked up Reason's hand. "How you doing buddy?"
"I thought you were going to go check to see if the negatives were still there?"
"I told you that we would do that tomorrow. You don't remember."
"It can't wait, those negatives are so important, they are the key to all this."
"Well there is nothing I can do about it. It's all locked up now. No one can steal them now."
"What if they stole them when I was unconscious? Hopefully no one could be that cold."
"Some people are."
"That black town car was following me after I left Trevor this afternoon," Reason said in a low voice.
"Okay, let's talk about it tomorrow, when you feel better. I will say goodnight and let you sleep. I will be her first thing in the morning, maybe they will release you then."
"Okay, I love you Didier." Reason just said it quietly. Didier looked at Reason and said "I love you too Reason," and leaned down and kissed him on his forehead. "Good night now." He left. Reason was so happy that Didier said I love you too. He could sleep now and he did.
The next morning.
Reason woke and Didier was standing by his side.
"Good morning sunshine," Didier said. I am her to take you home, you will be released.
"I am so glad.
"You just have to tell them you want to go home."
"Nurse, nurse, I want to go home."
"Hey partner, calm down. You aren't totally well yet." Reason, smiled, he liked being called partner.
The nurse came in, "Good morning Mr. Simon. How are you this morning?"
"I feel much better and am ready to go home."
"Oh you are, are you? Well then we shall let the doctor know," he departed. After about two more hours Reason was in Didier's Land Rover.
"Finally," he said as he climbed inside the high car. "I am so glad to be out of there. Hospitals are so sterile."
"We'll be home soon," Didier said, "I will take you to your place."
"Oh poor Colbert, having to spend the night all alone."
"Don't worry, I went to your house last night and used your spare key you keep on top of the ledge of the back door. I let myself in, feed Colbert and then spent the night with her. I hope that was alright?"
"Yes that was perfectly alright, I am so glad that you were there to take care of her. I am sure she would have been alright, the doggy door wasn't lock and she wouldn't have starved over night." Reason was so happy now. He knew that Didier must really care for him to go to all that trouble. Just then they pulled into Reason's driveway.
It was a small ranch style home, built in the late 1950's with a garage and a carport. It had a flat roof and French windows that rolled out. It sat back on about a half an acre lot with orange and lemon trees out front. It was painted a tan color.
"I'll open the door first and then you can come inside." He had taken the key and went and unlocked the front door. Colbert was there at the door and came running out to see Reason, who had the door open already. She jumped up and got on his lap, wagging her tail and trying to lick him.
"Colbert, now stop it, you know I don't like wet kisses this early in the morning. I know you missed me, but calm down." She jumped off his lap and ran over to Didier, wanting to give him some attention too. "That's a good girl," Didier said.
"Yes the poor dear." Reason was out of the car and heading for the front door, "I can't wait to take a warm bath and then get into my own bed."
"Well come inside. I'll run you some bath water," Didier offered. He went inside to the bathroom, Reason followed.
"You don't have to do that."
"Just go take off those clothes and put on your robe and slippers. You don't want to catch cold too."
Reason went into the bedroom and undressed and slipped on his terry cloth robe. His head still hurt, but what felt worse was not being clean.
"While you bathe, I will make you something to eat, eggs and toast?''
"And coffee."
"And coffee." Didier departed.
Reason got into the tub and sank down in the water. It was hotter than he liked it but felt good. A few minutes later Didier brought him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you. Can you flip the heater on for me?"
"Sure, now don't get to hot."
"Just sit here with me, breakfast can wait."
"Let me get my coffee."
Didier left and returned in a flash. "How you doing?"
"I feel so relaxed and warm. It feels good."
"I am glad it wasn't any worse.
"The coffee is good too."
"As a matter of fact it is good," Didier said.
"Alright then, I am finished soaking, I am going to take a shower now. You can go make breakfast now and thank you for everything." Reason rose up from the water and pulled the curtain closed, Didier departed once again.
When Reason finished he shut the water off and he could smell the toast and eggs. "Hmm, my favorite," he said out aloud and started to dry off quickly. He put his robe and slippers on and strode into the kitchen. "It smells delicious.
"I hope you have an appetite, because I made plenty."
"Yes I do, that hospital food was awful last night. I am famished."
"Good, then you enjoy this and I have to run. I have to go the yard and then I have a two o'clock meeting this afternoon and don't say anything, I couldn't reschedule it." He bent down and kissed Reason once again on the forehead, "I'll call you later."
"Please do. I may be sleeping so leave a message."
"Will do."
Didier left.
Reason started to eat the eggs and toast with great enthusiasm. If only he had some hot sauce. He got up and went to the refrigerator; he grabbed the Louisiana hot sauce and the water jug and brought it to the table.
He poured the water in his coffee mug and splashed the hot sauce all over his eggs and toast. Colbert sat at his feet under the table. He grabbed the salt and pepper and shook them really good all over the eggs and toast. After devouring everything on his plate he returned to the bedroom and turned on the television and fell asleep.
2 hours later.
The phone was ringing, Reason picked it up.
"Hello."
"Hi, how you feeling, Didier asked.
"I am feeling better. Did you find the negatives?"
"Well I search the center console and found nothing, so I search around the floorboard and I found 2 negatives."
"Oh happy days, but that means someone took the rest, there were ten negatives in that envelope."
"Maybe they got thrown in the wreck and when they pulled you out they fell out of the car."
"I wish that had happened, but I really think someone took them."
"It does seem suspicious."
"Now make sure you bring them with you tonight."
"Are you sure you want me to bring them back to your house, maybe I should hold on to them until you feel better?"
"Well I need to look at them."
"Okay, I will bring them tonight, when I come. Should I bring dinner too?"
"If you could, Chinese food, Orange Flavored chicken and lo mien noodles for me."
"Okay, I will be there around six tonight."
"See you then." He hung up. "What could be in those negatives he wondered.
Reason found an old black and white movie, House on Haunted Hill, to watch on cable, but fell asleep immediately. When he awoke it was still on, and he felt groggy.. Reason was watching this and all of a sudden realized, the ones stolen were of the lighthouse from far, the ones he had were close ups of the