Excerpt from THE BASLICATO

Excerpt from The Baslicato:

"Mr. Maxwell, hello, I'm your doctor, Dr. Brook Wilson. Your father called me in as your specialist.”  He stirred.  He opened his eyes and gave her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen in her life.  It was heart stopping.  And those eyes!  And just where have YOU been all my life, she thought to herself, surprised by her own reaction to him.

“Hello, my love, I am so glad you’re here.  I’ve been calling you.  Did you hear me?”  He reached for her and pulling up toward her, hugged her middle tightly, burying his head in her breasts, and leaving her momentarily stunned.  “Oh, my head hurts.  Nothing makes any sense.  What happened to me, do you know?  Did they tell you anything?  They won’t tell me a damn thing.  They just tell me to rest,” he said.  She hugged him back just enough to hit the button on the other side of his bed.  Her two assistants came in and pulled him off of her.

“Nicole, love, what’s the matter?  What’s wrong?”

“Mr. Maxwell, listen to me carefully.  I am afraid you have me confused with someone else.  I am your new doctor, Dr. Brook Wilson.  Now, are you going behave and keep your hands to yourself or do I need to restrain you?”  He looked at her and blinked.  He became very agitated.

“Nicole?  Keep my hands to my…  What’s the meaning of this?  You know me!  You know who I am.  Richard. Richard MacKenzie, your husband, not some… Mr. Maxwell.  And you are my wife, Nicole,” he said unwaveringly.  He paused and thought a moment and began to doubt himself.  “Oh, what’s the matter with me? Nicole!  Why don’t you know me?  My God, will this bloody nightmare never end?”  

     He held his head with both hands, visibly shaken.  She very gently injected him with something to calm him down, to make him sleep a little, and give her some time to figure out what was going on here.  She didn’t let him see the needle.  Somehow she knew he hated needles.