Forget Me Not
Detective Ray Vecchio squinted as he left the police station and came out into the bright sunlight of a wintry afternoon. He had just finished his shift for the day and completed typing up a report that he had spent most of the day working on - there were times when he wished that he had the 100 words per minute typing skill that his friend Benton Fraser had. He paused to do up his coat; as he did so, he considered the day's work and felt good about it. He was now going to meet Benton at a restaurant half a block away and eat one of the best Chinese meals in the city.
"Do you mind, I'm standing here," he growled as someone pushed roughly past him. He half-turned to watch them as they steamed into the police station without even acknowledging his angry words.
With an angry sigh he slowly turned back, intent once more on reaching the restaurant, but the action was never completed as a shot rang out and Ray spun to the ground, bleeding profusely from a wound across his forehead.
***
Half a block away, Constable Benton Fraser paused; he was patiently waiting for Ray to come off duty. He tilted his head and listened for further gun shots, but none came. Slowly he raised himself to his feet and headed out the door, not liking the feeling that was twisting within his gut.
Benton arrived at the Police Station at the same time as the ambulance. Pushing himself forward, he licked at suddenly dry lips as he saw Ray being strapped upon a stretcher and then loaded into the back of the vehicle. Without thought, he forced his way into the back of the van, his glance daring the paramedics to try to remove him. The paramedic was more concerned with stopping the bleeding, and totally ignored the red-jacketed man and wolf sitting across from the wounded man.
***
Ray was tired. He frowned. He had just awoken, not yet opened his eyes, and yet he felt tired. He licked at dry lips and wished that the drilling company that had taken up residence inside his head would knock off for the day.
He took a deep breath and knew from the smell that he was in a hospital. He winced. He had been in enough hospitals to know what they smelled like. He licked his lips again and prepared himself to open his eyes.
Slowly he prised one eye open and waited until he had adjusted to the light. With the success of this, he began to work on the other eye. Once this was accomplished, he felt better.
Gently he tilted his head to have a look about the room. Standard hospital room, he thought, as his eyes wandered about the darkened dwelling. With shock, he swivelled his eyes back to the red-jacketed man sitting in one of the corners.
Ray closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. The man was still there. In fact the man had now noticed that Ray was awake, and stood to come and stand over the bed. Ray licked his lips, wishing that he had a glass of water to drink or - better yet - a long cool glass of beer.
"Hello," he finally said, with more confidence than he felt. Usually when he awoke it was his mother who was sitting in the corner of the room, not some red-jacketed... Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. Ray was pleased that he had finally identified the uniform that the man was wearing.
"Hello Ray," the man said with a slight smile of relief, before adding, "How are you feeling?"
Ray seriously considered the question before he answered, "Okay, I guess." Then he asked, "Who are you?"
The man seemed genuinely put out by the question, but he answered calmly enough, "Fraser... Benton Fraser."
"Am I under arrest?" Ray interrupted, his eyes now firmly fixed upon the other man.
"No... of course not," Benton Fraser said with a growing concern. "You were shot," he explained. "You've been unconscious for two days now."
"Oh," Ray continued, starting to feel slightly more confident - after all, if he wasn't under arrest, it couldn't be all that bad... could it? A few minutes of silence ensued before Ray asked, his voice slightly stronger, "Are we in Canada?"
"No, Ray... we're in Chicago." Benton moved back and carried the chair over nearer to the bed where he settled into it.
Ray licked at his lips again and was grateful when Benton stood up and helped him sip at a cup of cool water that Fraser held to his lips. When he had finished, he asked, "Has Canada invaded America?"
Benton seriously considered his answer, glancing at his watch to see if an invasion would have been possible in the two days that he had spent at the hospital. "I don't think so," he finally admitted, shaking his head.
Ray watched him for a few moments, gauging the truth behind his answer. Sensing that the man didn't lie, he allowed his eyes to slip across the remainder of the room. With a shudder of shock, he closed his eyes tightly before opening them slowly again. No... it was still there. "Is that a wolf?" he finally asked, pointing shakily to the creature in question.
Fraser looked over at Diefenbaker, settled comfortably in the chair, then back at Ray. He was now certain that something was seriously wrong. "Yes," he answered calmly, before adding, "Do you want me to get you a doctor?"
Ray began to shake his head, then regretted the action as the world spun dangerously and he felt very sick. He swallowed hard a couple of times, before stating firmly, "No... I'm fine... fine... just tired." He paused again, turning his attention away from the wolf and firmly back to the man in red. "Who are you, and why are you and the dog in my room?"
Benton gave Ray a look of pure confusion. "You don't recognise me, do you, Ray?" he asked around the twisting pain in his stomach, knowing and dreading the answer even before the other man opened his mouth.
"Should I?" came back the annoyed reply. It was obvious that Ray was fading fast.
"I... I... oh," Fraser began, then slowed to a stop. He felt as if he had just been kicked in the middle by a rather large horse. Ray was indeed looking at him as if he was a total stranger. "I'll go... and get the doctor, er..." Benton was backing towards the door as he spoke, and Ray was watching him now with total suspicion and some hostility.
"Yeah... you do that," Ray snapped, feeling even as he spoke that the world was starting to slip out of focus.
***
The doctor watched the man who stood before him. He wanted to help the young man in the red uniform, but he could only answer with the truth - and the truth was that Detective Ray Vecchio didn't seem to remember him.
The doctor had spent a long and tiring morning with the injured man, performing many tests upon him. While Ray had total knowledge of his life, family, and even his job, it appeared that he had no memory of the man who now stood before the doctor. "I'm sorry," Dr Jessop continued, "but it really is not that uncommon for an injury of this type to cause a certain amount of trauma."
"And there is nothing we can do?" asked Mrs Vecchio, who had sat in silence until this moment. "No way to help him remember?"
The doctor turned to face the elderly woman and gave her a weak, reassuring smile. "In time he may remember; it might even come back all at once, or..." he shrugged, knowing that what he said was not what these people wanted to hear, "never. These types of injuries are so difficult to fathom. I mean, what makes a man forget an element of his life in the first place?" Seeing Mrs Vecchio's confused look, he hurried on to explain, "Why has he forgotten Constable Fraser, and yet can still remember every other detail of his life - even down to the name of the restaurant he was due to meet the Constable at, but not remember why he was going there?"
"When will you be discharging Ray, Doctor Jessop?" Benton asked, a frown still marring his handsome face as an idea slowly formed within his mind.
The doctor considered the other's words and then answered slowly, "Well, apart from the amnesia he's recovered sufficiently for me to be prepared to release him later on today."
"Do you think he will be well enough to go away for a few days... with me?" Fraser shot Ray's mother a quick look, and knew from her expression that she understood at once what he was after, and she nodded her head to show that she was in agreement.
"As long as he rests, that's the most important thing at the moment - at least for the next few days, in any case." Dr Jessop gave Fraser a hard look and commented dryly, "You can't force a man to remember you: either he does or he doesn't, and trying to make it happen could cause Detective Vecchio more problems."
"No... of course, you're perfectly right, but would there be any harm in maybe just nudging his memory and seeing if he remembers?" Fraser asked in an eager, hopeful tone.
"As long as you remember that Detective Vecchio has suffered a nasty blow to the head, and you don't push him too far," the doctor said in an even, neutral tone.
"I promise that at the first sign of distress to Ray, I will stop. I only want to help him."
"If you think that it is safe for Benton to try this, Doctor, then I think that he should," put in Mrs Vecchio, lifting a handkerchief to her eyes and dabbing at them. "Ray has been so much more settled since he met Fraser, and I think that he will sorely miss that friendship, even if he doesn't remember it."
Dr Jessop rubbed at his tired eyes before he answered slowly, "To tell the truth, Mrs Vecchio, I can't really advise you in this situation. Medically your son is as fit as can be expected after the injury he's received, so if you decide that your son is safe with Constable Fraser, then it's not down to me to tell you what to do."
Mrs Vecchio stood up and firmly pulled her coat about her broad shoulders. "I know that my son is perfectly safe with Benton, so the matter is settled: he will go away with you for a few days and then we'll see what happens."
***
"But I don't want to go away with a man I don't know, Ma," Ray Vecchio whined to his mother as she continued to pack his overnight bag.
"Benton is not a stranger," she insisted, moving over to the large chest of drawers in the corner of his bedroom and taking out some underwear.
"Yeah, well I don't remember him," the disgruntled man snapped from his bed.
"And that's the problem," shot back his mother as she searched for another item of clothing in his overfilled wardrobe. "Have you ever thought of cleaning this out?" she asked as she discovered a coat that she could have sworn she threw out when he was twenty.
"I still wear that coat," he whinged in defence.
"You never throw anything away," Francesca, his sister, stated, coming to lean against the door jamb to watch her mother pack for Ray.
"I've told you to stay out of my bedroom," Ray cried, pulling the blankets up further to cover his pyjama-clad body.
"I'm not in your bedroom," Francesca shot back, pointing to the fact that she was leaning against the jamb and just outside the door.
"The Mountie I can forget... you, I can't.... Is there no justice in this world?" Ray retorted with frustration.
"Do you want to take this jumper?" Mrs Vecchio said, holding up an old, tatty jumper that had obviously seen better days.
"No, Ma," wailed Ray, "I'm keeping that for the cat."
"We don't have a cat," she pointed out gently.
Ray looked slightly relieved. "That's why I couldn't remember its name." Seeing the worried look that filtered across his mother's face, he was swift to add, "It's a joke, Ma... you know - funny, funny."
"It's not funny, funny," she snapped, suddenly feeling tears well up and not wanting her son to see them. "You are going with Benton, and that's the last I want to hear about it," she stated as she moved swiftly from the room.
Silence followed her departure. Ray looked at Fran and she returned the look evenly. Then slowly, brazenly, she walked into the room and resumed the packing that his mother had left. As she folded the jumper that her mother had dropped, she asked casually, "You really don't remember Benny?"
Ray felt unreasonable anger rise within him, but then - remembering the tears in his mother's eyes - he swallowed hard and answered honestly in a quiet voice, "I really don't remember him, Fran." He paused before continuing, "I mean... you all keep telling me that Benton is my best friend and... I don't even remember him." He picked at the blanket before he added, "The guy's a nerd; he keeps his wallet tied to his underwear, for Christ's sake."
"You remember that?" Francesca asked hopefully, her eyes coming up to meet her brother's.
Ray just pulled a funny face, glancing away and replying, "No, he told me that titbit of information last night, in the hope that it might be the key to enlightening my memory of him." For Ray it was a big speech, and - like Ray - it didn't really reveal anything.
"I think you just don't want to remember him," Fran suggested, her face deadly serious.
Ray stared at her in total shock before asking, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I don't know," she confessed in a heated tone, before she added with reverence, "How can you forget a wonderful man like that?"
Ray just glared at her before commenting dryly, "Gosh, I don't know... maybe the bullet that creased my skull had something to do with it."
Francesca stopped the packing and glared at him. "I would never forget Fraser," she advised in a harsh tone.
"He's a nerd," Ray shot back, matching glare with glare.
"Well, you should recognise one of your own kind," Fran retorted, throwing the rest of his clothes in the case and snapping it shut.
Ray opened his mouth to answer her, but the words died upon his lips as his mother entered the room again. Dabbing at her eyes, she said firmly, "You're going, and that's final."
"But, Ma..." Ray began to protest again, using the same voice he had successfully used since he was five years old.
"I said you are going," she stated, opening his bag and tucking in a shirt arm that had been caught outside when Francesca had closed it, then - with the air of an angry mother - she snapped the bag closed with a note of finality. "Now, Fraser will be here in a few minutes, so you had better get dressed and be waiting for him when he arrives."
"I still don't think this is a good idea...." Seeing that this didn't get the response that he wanted, he gingerly felt at the bandage that was still wrapped about his head, saying weakly, "My head still hurts, you know."
Mrs Vecchio felt her eyebrow rise and her lips tighten. Ray, seeing the signs of real anger, suddenly felt a lot better and crawled from the bed to disappear into the bathroom down the hall. She waited a few moments to make sure that he was indeed showering, before she smiled at her daughter and escorted her from the room.
***
Constable Benton Fraser shot another look at the stranger who was sitting in the seat next to him. Ray had not spoken a word, except to pass an insulting comment, nor looked at him since they had entered the car, over sixty miles ago.
Fraser spun his eyes back to the road. He was driving and, while he was enjoying the feel of the car under his control, he took the job very seriously. With that in mind, he slowed back down to the legal speed limit. Spying a traffic light up ahead, he began to reduce his speed even further.
"You don't have to do that you know," Ray said snidely from behind his sun glasses. "It's not illegal to come up to a traffic light at the legal speed limit."
"Yes, I know," Benton agreed, giving the other man a bright smile, "but I just like to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Ray stated in a bored voice. "A herd of rampaging beavers bounding across the road without waiting for the lights to change?"
"Well... no... not really," Benton said, considering the chances of a herd/ group/pack of beavers actually crossing the road by a set of traffic lights. "That's highly unlikely, you know," he finally admitted.
"Really?" Ray said, beginning to enjoy himself at the other man's expense. Settling deeper into his seat he asked, "Don't beavers use the lights in Canada, then?"
"Beavers don't usually like to live in populated areas, and to my knowledge there has never been a sighting of beavers using traffic lights to cross roads. In fact..." Benton then spent the next few miles explaining to his friend the likes and dislikes of the Canadian beavers. Ray sat in total silence while Benton continued to talk, until Fraser finally ground to a halt. He was not used to getting so far into his talks without Ray butting in and changing the subject.
"Is that it?" Vecchio asked as the other man finally stopped speaking, "because right now all you're giving me is a headache."
"Oh," Benton said, before repeating, "Oh... you should have said that your head hurt, Ray."
"My head has hurt ever since I got into this car," Ray snapped like a disgruntled child.
Fraser took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Most of the journey had been filled with snide remarks and comments like that, and he was slowly beginning to think that taking Ray away for a few days might not have been such a good idea.
Vecchio had not been in the slightest bit interested when Fraser had informed him that he had managed to help the police track down the sniper who had taken a shot at Ray. In fact, Vecchio had treated it in much the same manner as he had the information about the beaver.
"How much further to your uncle's cabin?" Fraser finally asked as the silence began to stretch.
"How should I know?" Ray sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "I've never been there before, have I?"
"But you've got the map, Ray," Fraser reasoned, only to have the item in question tossed into his lap as Vecchio leant back more comfortably in his seat and stated, "Now you've got it." Then, crossing his arms, Ray proceeded to pretend to go to sleep, totally ignoring the swerving of the car that his action had produced.
Fraser shot Ray an annoyed look, before jerking his vision back to the road. Diefenbaker, in the back of the car, growled deep in his throat at being disturbed, but then settled back down. Benton knew that the wolf was not too impressed with the new Ray either.
As he drove, Fraser considered the change in his friend since the attack. It was almost as if the man who now sat beside him had reverted back to the embittered man he had first met upon his arrival in Chicago. Ray could only see the bad in people again and seemed unable to trust anyone, not even members of his family, and he was not prepared to dig any deeper to see the good that lay underneath... but what made it worse was his acting like a disgruntled, bad-tempered child because he was being forced to go away with a stranger.
Picking up the map, Benton quickly glanced at it then back to the road enough times until he had the route firmly imprinted upon his mind. With a sigh, he slowed the car and pulled it into a U-turn. Ray had misdirected them over forty miles ago. Glancing at the sun, Benton realised that it would be dark before they reached the large wooden cabin that Vecchio's mother had arranged for them to stay at. It was in a national park and set beside a large lake. The cabin was fully equipped with modern conveniences, and - more importantly - had a good road up to it and a telephone, so if anything should happen, Benton could summon help quickly.
Tossing another glance at Ray, Benton felt his jaw harden. He realised that the other man was only pretending to be asleep, and knew that the smile he now wore upon his lips was due to Fraser discovering that Vecchio had mis-directed him. Fraser suddenly realised with a sinking feeling that it was going to be a long few days.
***
As Fraser had suspected, it was fully dark by the time they reached the cabin. Ray opened his door and stepped out; after stretching, he opened his arms and took in a deep breath of clean, fresh air... then he bent over, coughing roughly as if the fresh air was ripping at his lungs.
Slamming the car door, he leant back against it, casually watching as Fraser dug the cabin keys out of his pocket. As the Mountie passed the trunk of the car, he opened it and took out his rucksack and Ray's overnight bag. He held them out towards Ray, who just raised an eyebrow and looked blankly back at him. Finally Ray pointed to the bandage about his head, explaining, "Can't lift anything heavy, Doctor's orders."
"I don't remember the doctor saying that, Ray," Benton commented as he carried the items to the door of the cabin.
"Must have been when you were in the toilet," Ray offered, following the other man up to the door. He waited impatiently while Fraser opened it, then pushed past him into the main room of the cabin. As the light came on, he looked about and said in awe, "Wow, Uncle Tony sure kept this place under wraps."
"Your mother told me that your uncle has frequently offered this place to the whole family to use at any time," Fraser said as he came back into the cabin, carrying one of the heavy boxes of food that Mrs Vecchio had refused to let them leave without.
Ray had made his way to the phone and was in the process of calling his mother. As he waited for her to answer, he stated, "Nah, too much fresh air can kill you..." then into the phone, "Hey, Ma... yeah, Ma, it's me... I know we're late, but the Mountie got lost." He smiled at the indignant look that Fraser threw his way, then turned his back on him. "No, everything's fine. No, Ma, I still don't know the Mountie. Okay, I promise - tomorrow night." Again a pause while he listened to his mother. "Sure thing, Ma, and don't forget to get a good night's sleep yourself." With that he gently replaced the phone, a frown resting upon his features.
Diefenbaker had done a full tour of the cabin and had chosen the rug in front of the empty fire as a place to settle. He lay and watched as Fraser brought in the last of the equipment from the car.
With a sigh, Benton placed the box of tinned food on the working surface of the kitchen. "Your mother certainly likes to make sure we won't starve," he said, taking off his hat and wiping at his brow.
"My mother likes to look after me, and she's one of the best damned cooks in Chicago, pal - and don't you forget it," Ray suddenly snarled, turning his glare upon the other man.
"Ray, I don't mean to imply..." Benton began, but he never got any further as Ray snorted and slammed into the bedroom. Fraser stood for a few moments in total shocked silence at the sudden change in Ray. Then, after a few more moments, he began to unpack the supplies, until everything was put away. Finally he picked up the other man's overnight bag. Frowning at it, he slowly walked to the bedroom door and gently knocked. Receiving no answer, he carefully opened the door and stuck his head in. Ray was on one of the beds, fully dressed and deeply asleep. Benton looked at the bag in his hand, then at the sleeping man. Finally he decided to leave the bag at the foot of the bed. Before he left, he gently pulled the blanket off the other bed and draped it across the sleeping man. After he had done that, he quietly retraced his steps.
Gathering his own sleeping bag, he made up a bed beside Diefenbaker and the cold fire, instinctively knowing that until the other man remembered him, Ray would not appreciate Benton sleeping in the same room with him.
***
Ray awoke the next morning with a start: he'd been heading out of the police station when he turned to yell abuse at someone who had pushed roughly past him. As he turned back to the road, he was caught by a sudden impact and thrown backwards. He lay gasping upon the wet pavement, blinking blood from his eyes, his mind a swirl of shattering colours. As he lay there, he could hear someone calling his name from a great distance over and over again. He arched backwards against the ground as a hand reached out of the encroaching darkness to grab his shoulder.
With a cry of terror he surged upwards, fighting at the hand that had gone from supporting to restraining. "Ray... Ray, it's all right... it was only a dream," the strong voice stated, firmly pulling him from the fear of his nightmare.
Realising who held him, Ray pulled sharply away to flop weakly back upon the pillow. "Man..." he finally stated after reining his emotions back in check. "That one was a doozy."
"I brought you a cup of coffee," Fraser said, pointing to the steaming cup he had placed upon the bedside table. Then - giving Ray a very careful look over - he asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"Like a herd of elephants just rampaged through my head," Ray hissed spitefully as he reached for the coffee. He took a few good swallows before he protested vigorously at the heat. "Wow..." he cried, "what are you trying to do here... burn the roof of my mouth off?"
"Ray," came the patient reply. "I just made the coffee - of course it's going to be hot," Benton reasoned as he moved across the room and began digging out the tablets that the doctor had given Ray.
"Great, so now I've got third degree burns to go with the headache," griped the injured detective.
"Here, these should help," Fraser said, dropping two tablets into the other man's hand. Then, seeing Ray about to drink the coffee again, he cautioned, "It's hot, remember... here, let me get you a glass of water." As he spoke, he headed out of the bedroom and returned a few moments later with the glass. As he handed it across, he advised, "Drink it slowly."
Vecchio just gave him a dirty look before he gratefully swallowed the tablets, then he lay with his head resting against the headboard while he waited for them to take effect.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Fraser asked, knowing even as he spoke the words that they sounded forced.
Ray pried open one eye and gave the man before him a steady look before stating firmly, "Go home."
Benny looked non-plussed for a few seconds before he said brightly, "Not an option; remember - your mother said two days, minimum."
"Okay... all right... let's do this the hard way," Ray mumbled under his breath. Pushing back the blanket, he paused as he wondered where it had come from. Then, pushing the thought firmly from his mind, he continued to climb from the bed, saying, "How about the nearest bar, then?"
Fraser shook his head and advised, "Not after taking those tablets."
Ray shot the Mountie - who, he noted, today was dressed in jeans and a shirt - another dirty look before asking angrily, "Why the hell did you ask me what I wanted to do then?"
"Well...." Benton paused. He tilted his head to one side before continuing, "We could always go fishing, or maybe a walk round the lake."
"A walk... a walk!" cried Ray, for all the worlds as if Fraser had just suggested shooting the lead player of the Chicago Bears. "I'm recovering from a serious head injury here and you want to drag me out into the wilds for a day of walking?"
Benton felt himself wilting under the onslaught of words, but he bravely straightened his shoulders and commented, "I didn't mean to imply that we would go for a long walk, I was only suggesting a short stroll, Ray. Or, if we went fishing, we could use the boat your uncle has - that way you won't have to walk at all."
"Great," Ray ranted, opening his overnight bag and pulling clothing out in all directions. "First you try to scald me to death, and now you want to drown me."
"I only meant..." began Fraser, but he got no further as Ray ploughed on.
"I don't care what you meant... just leave me alone, will ya.... I'm trying to recover here and you're only getting in my way." With that flourish of words, he grabbed up his wash bag and disappeared into the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind him with an air of finality.
Fraser stood for a few moments, totally lost on what to do next. He licked his lips before opening his mouth to ask Ray about breakfast. Then, seeing the look that Diefenbaker threw his way, he reconsidered. Slowly, with shoulders slumped, he left the room. Picking up his jacket, he quietly let Diefenbaker and himself out of the cabin: he needed a walk to settle himself and plan his next move. It was obvious that trying to be friends with Ray wasn't helping.
***
Ray emerged from the bathroom expecting to find the Mountie waiting for him. He looked about the cabin and was strangely disappointed to see that he had gone out. Moving over to the kitchen, he opened a few cupboards until he found the makings for breakfast and proceeded to cook some for himself.
Half an hour later he had eaten and was clearing up the dishes, and still no sign of Fraser. Ray spent a further ten minutes checking every nook and cranny of the cabin. Once sure that he could find his way about in the dark, he finally ventured outside.
He had slept late and the sun was nearly at its zenith. The lake lay before him like a sheet of polished glass, reflecting the trees and clouds that hovered above it. Moving back into the bedroom, he dug out an old book from his overnight bag and, returning outside, he settled down on a home-made wooden chair and began to read. As the morning passed and afternoon began to creep in, Ray found himself turning more and more from his book and looking down the trail that led along the edge of the lake. He knew that it was the path that Fraser would have taken. He didn't know how he knew... he just knew. Absently he rubbed at his forehead; he had removed the dressing during his shower, and now had to admit that the tablets had not really helped - the pounding still protested behind his eyes.
Suddenly a loud, frantic barking caught his attention and he was up and out of the seat before he realised, the book falling unheeded to the ground. "Diefenbaker?" he called, recognising the barking of the wolf and knowing that it usually meant trouble. "Dief," he called again as the animal in question bounded into view.
Crouching down, Ray allowed the wolf to jump over him for a few seconds before he asked, "Is Fraser in trouble...?" Then, "Take me to Benny.... Come on, Dief - show me where Benny is."
The animal seemed to understand the request, because he spun about and disappeared down the trail at full speed. Ray, trying hard to keep pace with him, had to keep stopping, gasping for breath and pushing back the dizziness that kept sweeping over him. At these times, Diefenbaker would stop, bound back and bark until he indicated that he was ready to go on.
This continued for over two miles, until the wolf finally disappeared into the distance and only his barking led Vecchio to Fraser's side.
The Mountie was sitting up, leaning back against a large tree, looking very sorry for himself. He was holding his leg just above his knee. Seeing Ray, he grimaced, stating, "I... told Diefenbaker not to disturb you. It's nothing really... I just, er... slipped and twisted my knee."
"You never slip and hurt yourself," Ray snapped, annoyed that the man had frightened him the way he had. Then with a loud sigh, he bent down and gently examined the injured leg.
Fraser gave Vecchio a startled look and asked hopefully, "Do you remember me, then?"
Ray spared Benton a quick glance, before he shook his head. Then, realising that that was not entirely the truth, he went on, "Maybe... I don't know.... It was just..." he paused, not sure how to explain the feeling of utter terror that had hit him when he thought of Fraser injured in the woods. "When Dief came back without you, I knew that something was wrong and I... I just felt...." He paused, and decided to tone his feeling down by snapping, "I just felt worried, all right?"
"I'm sure I've just sprained my knee," Fraser stated again, wanting to ease his friend's obvious concern. Even as he finished speaking, he was reaching for Ray who had gone deathly pale and swayed against him. "Ray," he cried, honestly thinking that the man was about to faint on him.
The other man leant into his offered support for a few moments, then slowly straightened up, saying, "I would not recommend a two mile run after getting shot in the head." He produced a smile to go with his words, but it was as weak as his voice.
"Here, sit down beside me for a while and rest," Benton suggested, patting the ground beside him.
"No... we need to get you back to the cabin," Ray stated, looking at the inviting tree that Fraser was leaning against.
"I'm fine, really. Give me a few more minutes here and I'll be able to walk," Benny said, squinting as he looked at his friend. The sun was now directly behind Ray, shimmering across the lake, giving the appearance of stretching a long nail across the lake, giving the appearance of stretching a long nail across the water towards them.
"Well... if you're sure." Vecchio finally submitted to the spinning of his head and clambered down to sit beside his friend. He blinked and turned to look at the man beside him: where had the term 'friend' come from? Until now he had not really considered the feelings that had been driving him. "Tell me about some of the stuff we used to do together," he finally asked, crossing his legs at his ankles and folding his hands in his lap.
Fraser considered the request for a few moments and, reaching out, he gently laid his hand on Diefenbaker's pelt. "It all really began when my father was killed...."
Slowly the sun began to dip into the water and a light breeze filtered across the lake. "And then you shot me," Fraser finally finished in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I didn't mean to," Ray said, unable to hide the pain in his voice.
"You remember that?" Benny asked again. This time his voice was filled with the colour of hope.
Slowly Ray shook his head. "No... not really - I mean, not the actual pulling of the trigger. I just know that I wouldn't have shot you on purpose." He reached down and picked up a twig and began to drag it across the ground.
"Don't worry about it too much," Fraser consoled. "You got shot protecting me a few weeks later."
"I did?" Ray yelped, for some reason pleased to know that he had saved this man's life.
"Yes," Fraser said with a slight smile upon his face. "And then another time you carried me out of the woods, after the pilot of our plane turned out to be an escaped criminal who jumped out with the only parachute and we crashed. And then..."
Ray held up his hand, begging for the other man to stop. "Look, I'm beginning to realise that I might have known you. I mean, no one could have made all that stuff up, could they?"
"No, Ray," Benton admitted, still stroking the sleeping wolf by his side. Diefenbaker had taken his getting Ray as the only action he needed to assure his pack member's survival.
"It almost sounds like an American Detective series," Ray commented with a weary smile.
"If it was, I bet the Canadians could do it better," Fraser shot back, then blushed as he realised what he had said. "I didn't mean to imply..."
"Nah, forget it," Ray said, waving the matter aside before he added, "Look, we had better think about heading back.... How's the knee?"
Fraser looked down at the joint in question and rubbed it again, saying, "It's still painful, but I should be able to walk with your help."
Even as he finished speaking, Ray was standing and offering him a hand up. He looked at the outstretched hand for a few seconds, then at the smiling face beyond it, and felt a tear at his heart that the man offering to help him couldn't remember their past life together.
Slowly they made their way back to the cabin. Diefenbaker had disappeared into the distance, yapping joyfully as he chased some small creature through the woods. Fraser was leaning heavily on Vecchio and the progress was slow. A couple of times they had to stop as Ray would suffer the sliding effects of sudden dizziness, or Benny would catch his leg and would have to pause until the pain wore off.
Maybe it was a combination of both their injuries, or the fact that they were concentrating on getting back to the cabin in the late afternoon light, but neither man saw or heard the approach of the large brown bear as it made its way down to the lake. Suddenly it was upon them, as much shocked by their appearance as they were by it.
The bear reacted instinctively and reared up on its hind legs, as it saw the men as a danger. It had smelt this kind of creature before and it had never come off lightly. With a huge paw, it swiped at the man nearest to it and Ray was sent spinning into a large tree, to bounce off and lay limply upon the ground.
Fraser cried out and tried to defend himself as the creature turned towards him. He was hopping on one leg and trying vainly to get out of the range of the large claws that were flailing towards him. The bear was having none of it and, using its superior weight and strength, it ploughed into the man, causing them both to fall to the ground.
Fraser only saved himself from serious injury by rolling out of the way of the falling bear at the last moment. The creature slipped onto all fours and spun about, looking for its prey.
Diefenbaker, meanwhile, had been attracted by the sound of the fight and headed into the battle, without thought of his own safety, taking up a position by one of the bear's back legs. He leapt in and out, taking snapping bites at the creature, who roared with pain and began to swipe at the wolf, confused by the sudden attack from another front.
Fraser used those few moments of distraction on the bear's part to stumble over to a fallen log and heft it up. Knowing that Diefenbaker was fighting a losing battle, and that the bear would eventually get the wolf with a lucky swipe of its deadly paw, he hobbled back into battle and attacked the large brutish creature with his hand-held club.
The bear seemed even more confused when he was suddenly attacked from the other side. Although the blows didn't hurt him, the bear swung his large head about to see where the other attack was coming from. With a snarl of rage, the bear threw itself at the human. This time his aim was true and the man went down under its body weight.
Ray shook his head as consciousness returned. He regretted the action as soon as he did it, but could not get the sound of barking, growling and scuffling out of his mind. His eyes snapped open as memory returned and he watched in horror as Fraser went down under the ferocious attack of the bear. "Benny," he cried as he saw Fraser go deadly still under the weight of the animal, then he saw Diefenbaker leap upon the creature's back and begin to snap at the bear's neck.
Without conscious thought, Ray drew his ever-present gun and fired twice into the air. He had discounted shooting the bear, from fear of injuring his friend or the wolf. The report of the gun had the desired effect, and the creature decided that it had had enough. With one last snarl of pure rage, it leapt from the fallen man and began to lope into the woods.
Diefenbaker gave chase, barking loudly and still nipping at the creature's legs until he was sure that the animal was not going to return.
Ray frantically crawled to Fraser's too-still body, unable to prevent the bile that rose in his throat at the shock of what had just happened, but he finally managed to push the feeling back down. Gently he held out a shaking hand and, turning his friend over, he babbled, "Fraser, oh God, Benny...?" He swallowed hard, feeling over his friend's body for broken bones and signs of blood.
"Has it gone?" Fraser asked in a relatively calm, clear voice as he opened his eyes and looked about cautiously.
Ray shot a look in the direction that the bear had taken, and then back at his friend. "I think so," he offered weakly, still shaking.
Benny made to sit up and Vecchio tried to hold him down, saying, "Don't move, you don't know how seriously you're hurt."
Benny lifted a hand and continued to push his way past Ray's concern by stating, "No... really, I'm fine. I played dead after the bear bodyslammed me. It usually works," he added for comfort. Then, seeing the look Ray gave him, he went on, "They usually stop attacking once they've won the battle."
"You've been attacked by bears before?" Vecchio asked in indignation, before leaning back and allowing his friend to sit up. Even as he moved, he felt the world tip and darken. The next thing he knew, Fraser was leaning over him with a very concerned expression upon his face.
"You shouldn't have moved, Ray," Fraser chided, having reversed the tables and running his hands over Vecchio's torso as he checked for any more injuries. "That bear caught you a nasty blow." Even as he spoke, he continued checking his friend out, swiftly moving his hands down the other's body to see if there were any further injuries.
"Benny," Ray began, then - getting no reply - he reached out and put a stop to Benton's inspection. "I'm fine, just a bit shook up." He paused, then added thoughtfully, "In fact, I think we owe that bear a word of thanks."
"I wouldn't go that far, Ray," Fraser cautioned, poking his hand through a rather large rent in the other's coat. "He's ruined your jacket."
"Fraser, will you forget about the jacket for just a minute?" the detective snapped, the slight lilt of affection colouring his voice.
Fraser paused, his hand coming to rest upon the other's chest. He looked up and met his friend's bruised, smiling face. The other's hair was askew, but the light in his eyes was recognition. "You remember?" This time when Benton asked, he knew the answer he would get.
"Next time, I get to choose the restaurant - and it's going to be Italian," Ray laughed, then winced as his head protested. "Man, I feel like I've been up all night on a real bender."
Diefenbaker chose that moment to reappear and inform them noisily that he had successfully chased the bear into the next valley. He paused as he caught sight of one of his human friends laughing, while his pack member was clutching at the other's shoulder as if to meld himself to the man, a large smile also crossing his face.
"Come on," Ray finally said, pulling out of the other's embrace. "We'd better get back to the cabin and get some help."
"We should be able to make it back to the cabin by nightfall," Fraser said, standing with difficulty and offering his friend a hand. Ray paused slightly before he accepted the help and nearly pulled the other man down on top of him.
"Boy, this is going to be a fun trip back," Ray supplied, once they were both on their feet and hopping and hobbling respectively back to the cabin. "I told you the bears could be dangerous out here," he continued.
Fraser paused and gave him a hard, surprised look before he stated, "You said the air, Ray - the air was not good for you, not the bears."
"Air... bears - what's the difference?" Ray griped as he hobbled along, wincing with every step, concentrating on getting them both back to the cabin without further incident. "Give me a plain old armed robber or killer any day of the week," Ray grumbled. "You know, the more I go camping, the more I realise how lucky I was as a kid. This 'being one with Mother Earth' can really get you killed." Vecchio was in full swing now, and Fraser just let him ramble until he said, "Ee-ooo, I just stepped in something that's bio-degradable here."
Fraser opened his mouth to comment, then slowly closed it. He let Ray's string of complaints filter over him and wallowed in the comfort of the other's steady voice. He had his best friend back again - that was all he was really interested in.
THE END
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