. II .
A week later and he was on a plane back to London, fumbling the small box in his pocket. Funny – something so intrinsic to human nature and he’d never been so frightened in his life. Maybe he was just afraid that she would be angry with him for making her wait for so many months when he’d promised her he wouldn’t be long. Maybe it was just the fact that he’d never ever done anything like this before.
Well, there was always a first time for everything. Remy had just figured that he’d had all his first times in his teens.
Go figure.
He stopped off at Heathrow and took the tube (as the subway was called in England) up to Central London. Piccadilly Line to Green Park, Jubilee Line to Canada Water (he fancied that Jubilee would’ve been amused to find that a subway line had been named after her). It was round about half an hour by the time he got off the train, and then it was time to ask for directions to Rogue’s apartment. Hardly anyone seemed to know the place, and his frustration was just about to get the better of him when a group of students finally managed to put him out of his misery. With a solid lead now he went off in the direction of the block of flats, a horrible sense of anticipation eating away at him. He stopped outside of the familiar building, checking the name a couple more times before going in. The elevator still hadn’t been fixed, so he ascended the stairs again, his trepidation relieved somewhat by the memories of his last visit here and what now awaited him. However she received him, it would be good enough just to see her face again. Heartened by that notion, he hurried his pace, reaching the third floor and knocking on the plain white door. For a long while no one answered. He shifted position several times, wishing she wouldn’t keep him waiting like this. It was bad enough having this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, let alone the fact that his heart had somehow done a disappearing act and reappeared up in his mouth.
He knocked again, and this time it was only a few seconds before the door was opened. He was a little bemused to see that there was a latch across the door and even more surprised to see a pair of unfamiliar eyes peeking out at him from between the gap.
“Yes?”
It was an old woman, frail-looking, probably in her late 70s or even 80s. For a second Remy was so confused and crestfallen that he couldn’t speak.
“I…uh…Is Rogue…I mean, is Anna in?”
The woman seemed to see his sudden embarrassment for her expression was sudden sympathetic.
“Anna? Sorry dear, I don’t know her. You must’ve got the wrong room.”
“No, this was her place,” he answered, an edge of desperation to his voice. “She was livin’ here ‘bout four months ago.”
“Oh! The American girl!” The old woman suddenly remembered. “Sorry, but you just missed her. She left three weeks ago to go back home.”
If his heart could have fallen any further it would have been stuck firmly in the ground by now. Some journey the poor thing was taking these days. He’d known it’d be too late.
“Did she…happen to leave a forwarding address?” he asked breathlessly.
“Sorry,” the woman shook her head. “Far as I know, she wasn’t even sure where she’d be staying in the States.” She saw his dejected look. “I wish I could help you. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, s’okay,” he half-smiled. “T’anks for your time, ma’am.”
She smiled apologetically back at him before closing the door to again. He turned away, looking down at the address in his hands, not knowing what to do now. Forget about his heart being on the floor. He felt as if someone had just ripped it out and chucked it against a brick wall. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Apart from kick himself, that was.
He made his way back down the stairs, mentally kicking himself all the way. It was the least he could do considering the circumstances. He was so busy kicking himself, in fact, that he hardly noticed the woman coming back up the stairs and almost bowled her over.
“Shit, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed, before realising that the person he’d bumped into was none other than Rogue’s forthright neighbour, Akane. “Akane?!”
She gazed at him for a moment, nonplussed; then a light suddenly crossed her face.
“Hey!” she cried. “It’s you! Remy, right? God, it’s been some time! How’re you doin’?”
“Could be better,” he admitted bitterly, though managing a half-smile.
“Ah,” her face twisted into a grimace. “Found out about Anna, did you?”
“Yah.” He nodded, not quite knowing what to say; but suddenly Akane cried out and began rummaging in her bag.
“God, I am so stupid! I almost forgot!” She suddenly produced a folded piece of notepaper from her bag, handing it to Remy. “Anna told me to give it to the new person in her apartment, but I totally forgot. Good thing we met up, otherwise you would’ve never got it! God I’m such an idiot!”
He took the paper eagerly. Whatever it was, it was a link to Rogue, something tangible from her.
“She wrote this?” he asked.
“Uh-huh, at the airport, before she left,” Akane replied. “Last minute thing, you know? Almost forgot she’d given it to me.”
He opened it up, not listening. It was a short note, written in the oh-so-familiar handwriting.
Remy,
Waited for you, but I graduated and
had to go back to the States. Got a
place training in St. Michael’s Hospital, San Francisco.
Don’t keep me waiting too long.
I love you.
Rogue.
Suddenly he couldn’t help but smile. It was all he could do to stop from hugging the woman next to him.
“Thanks,” he finally managed to get out.
“You’re welcome,” she said, eyeing him thoughtfully. “I guess you’ll be going back to the States then?”
“Oh yeah.”
“She missed you, you know.”
He looked at her.
“Wouldn’t stop talking about you,” she continued with feigned irritation. “And you said you’d broke it up years ago.”
“Well,” he began sheepishly. “It’s always been a bit…complicated b’tween us.”
“I’ll say,” she retorted mischievously. “If I’d have to hear one more word about your habit for playing fast and loose, I swear I would’ve hit the roof.”
He actually began to blush. “She said what?”
“Don't worry, I’m playing with you,” she grinned. “She only had good things to say about you, but I happen to find it easy to read between the lines. No doubt about it, the girl was in lurve.” She rolled her eyes theatrically. “And you kept her waiting, you heartless sod.”
“Yeah, well, I had, y’know, fam’ly business.” He’d never felt so chastised in his life.
“Oh, the old family business thing,” Akane returned knowingly. “I happened to hear about that too. God knows what she sees in you – apart from that cute little butt of yours!” She grinned widely. “Listen, mister, why’re you even talking to me? Get down there and find her!”
“Yes ma’am!” he answered comically. “And t’anks again.”
“I think you ought to be thanking the man upstairs,” she replied, shaking his hand and almost pushing him down the stairs. “Oh, and Remy? When you do find her, take good care of her, you hear me?”
“Don’t worry, chere. Dat’s exactly what I plan on doin’.”
Another two days later he was back in the States, San Francisco, California. Not home, exactly, but very close to it. It didn’t take him long to find St. Michael’s Hospital, located in a relatively quiet district of the city. He sidled into the building and up to the receptionist’s desk, feeling the overwhelming need to take a shower. He hadn’t even stopped off when he’d got off the plane, just grabbed a taxi straight and asked to be driven to his destination. He kind of regretted it now. If not a shower, he definitely needed some sleep. Not to mention a shave.
“Hello, can I help you, sir?” the receptionist, a blonde-haired woman in her twenties, asked him politely.
“Uh, yeah. I’m lookin’ for a woman named Anna. She should be trainin’ here. D’you know if she’s around right now?”
“What department would you be looking for, sir?”
“Um, psychiatric? I’m not exactly sure.”
“And her surname?”
He suddenly realised that he didn’t have a clue. He was just about to run the risk of looking very stupid when a black doctor who’d been standing by the desk nearby filling in some notes suddenly spoke up.
“Anna? You mean, Anna Raven? Pretty looking girl with the white stripe in her hair?”
“That’d be the one,” Remy nodded eagerly.
“Sorry, mister, but she moved on – left nearly a week back. Said it wasn’t the thing for her. Pity – she woulda made a pretty good nurse.”
Great, Remy thought, not another false lead.
“Do you happen to know where she’s stayin’ now?”
“Hm,” the man scratched his head. “Said she was going back to her home in Mississippi. Don’t know where exactly though.”
“Hang on a moment,” the receptionist suddenly interjected. “I remember her now. Anna Raven, right? She had a message left for someone. A friend called…”
“Remy LeBeau?” Remy interrupted.
“Right,” the woman nodded. “Hang on a minute. I have her note somewhere.”
She looked underneath the desk for a minute or so, then surfaced again, holding out another small slip of torn off notepaper. No message was written on this one, but for a single address. Caldecott County. Where else could she have gone?
“Thanks,” he smiled at the receptionist and the doctor.
“No problem,” the woman grinned back, “Have a nice day.”
Nice day? The best thing Remy could do right now was spend it in bed.
*