Mysterious

                                    

                                          
"How are we today then?" Dr Grant smiled as he walked into Eve's room "Anything more come back to you?"
Eve shook her head, "No.  All I can remember is from my childhood.  I do know that I'm an adult - I don't feel like I'm ten, but I just can't remember anything or anyone. It's like someone has just torn the pages out my life between then and now.  Oh, now, no.  That's not exactly true. I do remember one thing - I had or have a cat.  A white cat called Smudge, with a green collar." she shrugged "God alone knows why I remember THAT though." 
Dr Grant came and sat next to her.  "Don't worry, you'll probably find that random things start to pop into your mind.  Things seemingly unconnected and useless.  It's just your mind re-booting as it were."
"Will it ever come back?" she was almost afraid to ask, but really needed to know.  Her eyes were prickly with tears and her lip trembled.  Despite her best efforts, it was all too much.  Dr Grant laid a gentle hand on hers, his kindly brown eyes crinkled into a softly reassuring smile.
"Eve, you know I can't promise anything, I'm a Doctor not God, but I CAN promise we'll look after you.  You are too vulnerable to be on your own - heavens woman you can't even pay for a coffee let alone survive on your own." he smiled "so just lay back, relax and try not to overthink things.  If there's one thing I've learned over the years is to expect the unexpected.  Somehow, it all seems to work out." he stood up "now, I've got rounds to do, but I'll pop back and see you later on.  In the meantime, I've asked the psychologist to look in on you. " he shook his head "No, not because you're nuts, don't go there, but because this is a lot to cope with on your own. Talk to him, let him know how you feel.  Really feel. Not the brave face you're putting on now." he winked and Eve smiled a sad watery smile.
"Ok Doc, you're the boss." she nodded.  
"Now I KNOW you're ill!" he joked "No woman in the history of the universe has ever willingly called ME the boss!" he laughed and raised a hand in goodbye.  Eve lay back, still smiling, for the first time feeling there may be hope.  Not much else, just hope.

Tom sat in the office and stared out the window.  It was a lovely day, sunny and bright with a hint of warmth.  A portent of things to come in the summer he hoped.  He watched as the people below hurried about their business.  Some obviously going to work, hunched over, looking like they were hurrying to some dreadful fate.  Some, taking their time, actually looking at their surroundings.  Tourists maybe?  And others, walking contentedly with a loved one.  Hand in hand or arm in arm.  Companionable and cosy. Loved and loving.  He sighed.  It had been a long time since he was one of those people.  He'd had some love affairs - some pretty passionate ones - but now?  Now work was his mistress.  
His mind drifted back to his date. He wondered if Eve would have been different? No, no need to wonder, he knew she would have been very, very different. From the moment they bumped into each other - quite literally - he'd been entranced by her ready and sharp wit, her startlingly honest intelligence.  The fact that he thought she was gorgeous too, well that was an added bonus.  That chance meeting at the station and the subsequent coffee while they waited for their respective delayed trains, led to a promise of drinks and dinner.  Drinks that went undrunk and dinner uneaten.  Then he'd had to leave for the States.  All he had was her name and number in his phone.  He'd thought about calling, really he had, but dignity and lack of time had prevented him.  Now, as he mused over things, it struck him that maybe she'd not done it deliberately.  He would text her later.  See where the land lay.
Before he could disappear more into his own head, the door opened and his friend - and publicist - Luke entered clutching two mugs of coffee.  
"Sorry for the delay! Jean's off today and you would NOT believe the hassle I had with that bloody machine. I tell you, she deserves danger money!" he smiled and handed Tom one of the mugs. Tom looked into it suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
"Is this... coffee?" 
"Yes!" Luke sounded offended and Tom sniggered.
"Ok, if you say so.  When's she back?"
"Tomorrow."
Tom took a sip and scrunched his nose in disgust "Thank God for that!" he plonked himself down with a sigh and placed the mug of dishwater onto the desk. "So, what's on for this week then?" he sat back and crossed his legs, fiddling with his hair as he did so.  He took his glasses off, breathed on them and proceeded to polish them on his shirt.  Placing them back on, he looked over at Luke who was studying him intently, a smirk on his face. "What?"
Luke swallowed his own dishwater and winced "Jesus wept that's awful." putting his mug down he turned to Tom "Right, time for the truth Mr. Who is she and what's her name?  Do I know her and when are you seeing her again?" he grinned.
"That obvious?" Tom blushed.
"Not to the untrained eye, no.  But I've seen that look before.  Usually once they've realised what a dork you are and run for the hills." he smirked "But given you've been away, I'm guessing she was a more than passing interest before you left?"
"You know, if you decided to give up this PR malarkey, you could always take up Private Investigator work. " Tom laughed and shook his head. Luke grinned.
"Go on then, spill..."
"Well," Tom took a breath "all I know is that her name was Eve, she arranged to meet me for drinks and dinner and she never turned up." he shrugged "but somehow, I have this nagging feeling something happened to her."
"Why?  Because she dared to stand you up? " Luke sounded sarcastically scathing "You mean someone had the audacity to turn you down and NOT be dead as an excuse?" he laughed in the face of Tom's discomfort. "Not like you to be so vain! She must have made quite an impression!" absentmindedly he swigged on the dishwater coffee and almost spat it out, his face crumpled in disgust.
"HAH! That's what you get!" Tom crowed "No, I am NOT that vain - as you well know.  I just felt from the conversation we initially shared, she seemed genuinely nice and not at all star struck. Just treated me as Tom, not "TOM" And yes, before you say it, she was beautiful.  Not just outwardly but a lovely person." he smiled as he recalled her face and her laugh. "I don't know, I just have this feeling.  Something happened.  I'm going to text her later." 
"Be careful Tom.  Even the cutest kittens have sharp teeth.  Watch you're not being set up."
"I know, I know.  Everyone is a gold-digger and everyone has an angle according to you." Tom looked less than happy and Luke began to wonder if there was more - much more - to this than met the eye.  Tom was nothing if not circumspect about relationships.  Especially given recent events.  Now though, Luke began to see there was a genuine concern in his friends face.
"Well look, let's finish up for the day, you've nothing concrete till the weekend so plenty time to turn detective." he paused "And for the record?  No. I wouldn't text her." he waited till Tom looked at him, shock and surprise in his face. "I would call her.  Just have it out, once and for all." 
"You're right as usual" Tom nodded, an ironic smile twisting at his mouth. "Ok, I'll call her now."
"Good.  Now, I'm going to rescue my taste buds with a Starbucks, you want one?"
Tom nodded "Yes, please, Chai Latte please." he pulled out his phone and dialled.  As he waited for an answer, Luke left.  It was at that point, he realised he'd been shaking the whole time. Excitement?  Fear?  There was only one way to find out.  He took a breath and waited... the phone went straight to voicemail.  He waited frustratedly for the beep.
"Hi?  Eve?  It's .... it's Tom. Hopefully you remember me. We met at the station and shared a coffee and mutual hatred of trains.  I'm sure we were meant to be having dinner but you never quite made it? If you could bear to see me again and would like to, please call me.  If not, well, it was a real pleasure to meet you and I promise not to turn into a bigger creepy stalker than I am now.  Take care Eve, hope to speak to you soon. Bye."
He hung up and clutched the phone in his hand, all he could do now was wait.
The miracle was one step nearer.