Shades of Grey Chapter 13
Title: Shades of Grey Chapter 13
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Stephen wasn't prepared for the onslaught of 80 kg of enthusiastic Ryan. He went to the ground as Ryan jumped into his arms and the impact on the hard floor took his breath away. Now he lay there like a fish out of water and tried to get air into his lungs.
"Sorry."
Sheepishly, Ryan climbed off Stephen's body and extended his right hand to help him up. With a little pull he hauled Stephen to his feet then stared in confusion at his arm.
For a brief moment it looked as if Ryan was remembering something then the pondering expression vanished from his face and was once again replaced by childish joy.
"Have you caught all the animals?" he asked curiously.
"Of course we have," Cutter answered for Stephen who was still recovering from Ryan's greeting. "Stephen even caught three big strong animals with his bare hands."
For this Stephen gave Cutter the evil eye.
"Wow. Were they dangerous?"
"Two of them were little wild boars," Stephen said quickly before Cutter could embellish the story again.
"And the third?"
"Was some sort of lama. It even spit at me."
"Cool. Will you tell me all about it?"
"Later, Tom. First I need a shower and something to eat."
"Okay!" Ryan proudly pulled his five pound note out of his pocket. "What do you want to eat? I'll you buy everything."
Stephen looked surprised at the fiver in Ryan's hand. He was sure Ryan hadn't had money with him when they'd left the flat in the morning.
"Tom, where did you get the money from?"
"Mister Leek gave it to me because he's broken the ladder of the fire engine."
"Which fire engine?"
"The one I got from Uncle Lester to play with."
"Lester gave you toys?" Cutter queried, his voice full of gentle suspicion. That sounded so unlike the picture he'd made himself of Lester, no matter what Connor had said about Lester as a father-of-three. Siring offspring didn't mean you were a loving family man as well. His own father, a strict office worker, had been proof of that.
Ryan nodded happily. "A fire engine and a police car. He said I can always play with them when I'm here. And he’s repaired the ladder. But I can keep the money because Mister Leek has been bad."
Trying to make sense of Ryan's babble, Stephen eyed the chocolate spots in the corner of Ryan's mouth.
"And apparently Lester gave you chocolate too."
"Just one little chocolate bar for dessert because I’ve eaten healthy salad with lots of vegetables. See, I’ve been good like I promised."
Lyle snorted quietly. The idea of Ryan pinching money from Leek and sweets and toys from Lester amused him no end.
Stephen didn't find the whole affair quite so funny. He didn't want Ryan to acquire the reputation of a cunning devil who ripped his bosses off. Ryan would probably be mortified once his memories returned.
"While I think about it we’d better leave right now. I can shower and eat at home as well."
"And your report?"
Stephen rolled his eyes that Cutter of all people would remind him of the reports.
"Officially I'm on holiday, aren’t I? I’ll write the report tonight and you can fetch it tomorrow. Come on, Tom."
"Hang on! My cactus."
With lightning speed Ryan raced towards Jenny's office and emerged with a flower pot in his hand a few minutes later.
"Now we can go," Ryan declared with an angelic smile.
Sighing, Stephen sat down on the edge of Ryan's bed. Ryan had dropped off like a stone once they’d come home.
On the spur of the moment, Stephen had decided to postpone a shower and a meal and instead had paid a visit to the gym Ryan had been training regularly in. Afterwards he had driven over to the flat Ryan had been sharing with Lyle as well.
Although Ryan had surveyed both places with interest there hadn't been any recognition in his eyes. He had politely answered all the greetings from the people in the gym but gave no indication he remembered any of them. The same had happened when they had encountered Ryan's neighbour from across the hall.
The interior of Ryan's rooms had come as a surprise to Stephen. He never had been in there before and the cold atmopshere was shocking.
If Lyle hadn't told him he hadn't touched Ryan's things except the wardrobe to get some spare clothes for Ryan Stephen would have guessed all his personal things had been packed up already.
There were no photographs, no prize cups, although Lyle had mentioned Ryan had won a few over the years, in several disciplines.
All the little items which gave a room a personal imprint were missing in Ryan's private domain.
Slowly Stephen came to the conclusion that there hadn't been much in Ryan's life he might want to return to.
Just like Cutter after Helen had disappeared, Ryan apparently had only lived for his job.
Frustrated by the futility of the visits, Stephen had agreed to get a curry for them both for dinner. He wasn't in the mood to cook. He even hadn't blinked an eye when Ryan had ordered a double portion Madras.
Now for the first time since Ryan had woken up in the hospital, Stephen was seriously considering the possibility that Ryan might not recover his memories any time soon and what consequences that could have for his own future.
Ryan, sleeping soundly with his stuffed rabbit in his arms, was blissfully unaware of Stephen's worries. After the wakeful night the day before he was tired.
Stephen watched the regular rise and fall of Ryan's chest and wished he could find sleep as well. But. like last night, sleep was avoiding him.
With a sad smile Stephen bent down over Ryan and adjusted the bedcover so Ryan's leg, which had slipped out, was covered again. Then he went back to his study to finish the report he had promised Cutter.
In the darkness of the room he hadn't seen the tiny grey dot on Ryan's leg moving, visible for just a fraction of a second before it separated into thousands of microscopically small organisms again.
Something tugged at his arm and Stephen, still caught up in a dream after he'd finally dozed off in the early hours, hissed at the lama-like creature bothering him. Instead stopping the tugging got even more forceful.
Stephen quickly pulled his arm away and hid it under the bedcover, determined not to let the lama win.
But the creature was persistent and now shook his whole shoulder. Stephen drowsily opened an eye to tell the prehistoric lama to go jump in the lake.
He gave an almost inhuman squeak as the dream-lama morphed into the form of a grown-up man who was now cheerfully shouting at him, "Come on, Stephen. Wake up. I want to go to the playground today."
By breakfast Stephen had decided that he was sick of resorting to excuses. Ryan had already shown in hospital that he didn’t take well to weasel words. So if Ryan still wanted to go to the playground Stephen would take him there. On a work day morning it was unlikely many people would be around the park anyway. They would probably even have the playground completely to themselves.
But Stephen had forgotten that the school holidays had just started.
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Stephen wasn't prepared for the onslaught of 80 kg of enthusiastic Ryan. He went to the ground as Ryan jumped into his arms and the impact on the hard floor took his breath away. Now he lay there like a fish out of water and tried to get air into his lungs.
"Sorry."
Sheepishly, Ryan climbed off Stephen's body and extended his right hand to help him up. With a little pull he hauled Stephen to his feet then stared in confusion at his arm.
For a brief moment it looked as if Ryan was remembering something then the pondering expression vanished from his face and was once again replaced by childish joy.
"Have you caught all the animals?" he asked curiously.
"Of course we have," Cutter answered for Stephen who was still recovering from Ryan's greeting. "Stephen even caught three big strong animals with his bare hands."
For this Stephen gave Cutter the evil eye.
"Wow. Were they dangerous?"
"Two of them were little wild boars," Stephen said quickly before Cutter could embellish the story again.
"And the third?"
"Was some sort of lama. It even spit at me."
"Cool. Will you tell me all about it?"
"Later, Tom. First I need a shower and something to eat."
"Okay!" Ryan proudly pulled his five pound note out of his pocket. "What do you want to eat? I'll you buy everything."
Stephen looked surprised at the fiver in Ryan's hand. He was sure Ryan hadn't had money with him when they'd left the flat in the morning.
"Tom, where did you get the money from?"
"Mister Leek gave it to me because he's broken the ladder of the fire engine."
"Which fire engine?"
"The one I got from Uncle Lester to play with."
"Lester gave you toys?" Cutter queried, his voice full of gentle suspicion. That sounded so unlike the picture he'd made himself of Lester, no matter what Connor had said about Lester as a father-of-three. Siring offspring didn't mean you were a loving family man as well. His own father, a strict office worker, had been proof of that.
Ryan nodded happily. "A fire engine and a police car. He said I can always play with them when I'm here. And he’s repaired the ladder. But I can keep the money because Mister Leek has been bad."
Trying to make sense of Ryan's babble, Stephen eyed the chocolate spots in the corner of Ryan's mouth.
"And apparently Lester gave you chocolate too."
"Just one little chocolate bar for dessert because I’ve eaten healthy salad with lots of vegetables. See, I’ve been good like I promised."
Lyle snorted quietly. The idea of Ryan pinching money from Leek and sweets and toys from Lester amused him no end.
Stephen didn't find the whole affair quite so funny. He didn't want Ryan to acquire the reputation of a cunning devil who ripped his bosses off. Ryan would probably be mortified once his memories returned.
"While I think about it we’d better leave right now. I can shower and eat at home as well."
"And your report?"
Stephen rolled his eyes that Cutter of all people would remind him of the reports.
"Officially I'm on holiday, aren’t I? I’ll write the report tonight and you can fetch it tomorrow. Come on, Tom."
"Hang on! My cactus."
With lightning speed Ryan raced towards Jenny's office and emerged with a flower pot in his hand a few minutes later.
"Now we can go," Ryan declared with an angelic smile.
Sighing, Stephen sat down on the edge of Ryan's bed. Ryan had dropped off like a stone once they’d come home.
On the spur of the moment, Stephen had decided to postpone a shower and a meal and instead had paid a visit to the gym Ryan had been training regularly in. Afterwards he had driven over to the flat Ryan had been sharing with Lyle as well.
Although Ryan had surveyed both places with interest there hadn't been any recognition in his eyes. He had politely answered all the greetings from the people in the gym but gave no indication he remembered any of them. The same had happened when they had encountered Ryan's neighbour from across the hall.
The interior of Ryan's rooms had come as a surprise to Stephen. He never had been in there before and the cold atmopshere was shocking.
If Lyle hadn't told him he hadn't touched Ryan's things except the wardrobe to get some spare clothes for Ryan Stephen would have guessed all his personal things had been packed up already.
There were no photographs, no prize cups, although Lyle had mentioned Ryan had won a few over the years, in several disciplines.
All the little items which gave a room a personal imprint were missing in Ryan's private domain.
Slowly Stephen came to the conclusion that there hadn't been much in Ryan's life he might want to return to.
Just like Cutter after Helen had disappeared, Ryan apparently had only lived for his job.
Frustrated by the futility of the visits, Stephen had agreed to get a curry for them both for dinner. He wasn't in the mood to cook. He even hadn't blinked an eye when Ryan had ordered a double portion Madras.
Now for the first time since Ryan had woken up in the hospital, Stephen was seriously considering the possibility that Ryan might not recover his memories any time soon and what consequences that could have for his own future.
Ryan, sleeping soundly with his stuffed rabbit in his arms, was blissfully unaware of Stephen's worries. After the wakeful night the day before he was tired.
Stephen watched the regular rise and fall of Ryan's chest and wished he could find sleep as well. But. like last night, sleep was avoiding him.
With a sad smile Stephen bent down over Ryan and adjusted the bedcover so Ryan's leg, which had slipped out, was covered again. Then he went back to his study to finish the report he had promised Cutter.
In the darkness of the room he hadn't seen the tiny grey dot on Ryan's leg moving, visible for just a fraction of a second before it separated into thousands of microscopically small organisms again.
Something tugged at his arm and Stephen, still caught up in a dream after he'd finally dozed off in the early hours, hissed at the lama-like creature bothering him. Instead stopping the tugging got even more forceful.
Stephen quickly pulled his arm away and hid it under the bedcover, determined not to let the lama win.
But the creature was persistent and now shook his whole shoulder. Stephen drowsily opened an eye to tell the prehistoric lama to go jump in the lake.
He gave an almost inhuman squeak as the dream-lama morphed into the form of a grown-up man who was now cheerfully shouting at him, "Come on, Stephen. Wake up. I want to go to the playground today."
By breakfast Stephen had decided that he was sick of resorting to excuses. Ryan had already shown in hospital that he didn’t take well to weasel words. So if Ryan still wanted to go to the playground Stephen would take him there. On a work day morning it was unlikely many people would be around the park anyway. They would probably even have the playground completely to themselves.
But Stephen had forgotten that the school holidays had just started.