Unwell: Part V by Dylan Shelby

Part V

"Joy is love exalted, peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in training." -Dwight L. Moody

On Monday Leo had taken Prue's suggestion and called his sister. "Hello?" she answered. "Phoebe it's me." he told her. "Hey you. What are you doing calling me on a Monday?" she quizzed. "Someone suggested that I call you and I agreed." he answered vaguely. Luckily Phoebe laughed, "How was Prue?" Leo let out a little chuckle, "She was fine. However, I wanted to tell you that Paige is going to be here next Thursday and I was wondering if you would like to be here to see her?" There was a moment pause, "Do you really trust me to be away from P3?" Phoebe finally asked. Leo shook his head knowing that his sister wouldn't see it, "Yes. I trust you. And it was never an issue of trust. You know how I feel about P3." Leo admonished. "I know. I would love to come out there. Especially if you'll be paying for my plane ticket." "Consider it done. I'll get the plane ticket and have it sent to you." Leo told her and could practically hear the smirk, "Thanks bro." "You're welcome sis. See you on the twenty-third." "Bye." she said.

That was Monday it was now Wednesday. Prue had left on Sunday. Leo had thought that perhaps it was going to take a while to get used to the quiet again, but it didn't. In fact, he was scared to admit, he was starting to enjoying the silence. Darryl had had a grin on his face for the week so far. Not that Leo blamed him. He was extremely happy for his friend. Deep down there was jealousy, but not a bad jealousy. A sorrow for what wasn't and what could have been. However, he had pushed all true emotions aside to get ready for his meeting today with Dan.

He walked up the steps of 1329 Prescott street and was amazed by what he saw. The Victorian house lead no one to believe that inside it harbored those that were mentally unstable. The only thing that was different than any of the other homes was the small wooden sign that proclaimed it as Bennett Hospital. He opened the paned glass door and stepped inside. He walked to the only open area which was to his right. Straight ahead double doors had been installed as well as single door on the left of it. The open area consisted of a rounded dark gray desk. It's height was only a few inches shorter than himself. Behind the desk he could see light walls with inspirational framed photos and stacks of medical records. To the left of him behind the massive barrier was a glass door that led into another room.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked behind the desk. A woman with blonde hair stood up and was about his height, "I'm Leo Wyatt I have a meeting with Dr. Bennett." he informed the woman. He looked at her tag which read 'Edwards'. She gave him a short and not very pleasant smile, "Please sign in Mr. Wyatt. I'll be back in a second." she said in a rough staccato voice. Leo watched her as she opened the glass door. He turned around to see what else had been changed from the original architecture. He heard the glass door open and saw that Heather Price was following the Edwards woman.

"Mr. Wyatt!" Heather greeted when she saw him. "Ms. Price. This is a surprise." She smiled at him, "Yes, well, um, Dan, Dr. Bennett, isn't here. He flew this morning to Phoenix, Arizona to look at a potential patient. If you don't mind I can give you the tour and then you can set up another appointment with him." she informed him. He could feel himself smiling, but couldn't stop the feeling, "I don't mind at all Ms. Price." she returned his smile and walked from behind the desk, "Well then please follow me." she directed. She really didn't need to tell him that. He was sure he would follow her anywhere like a lost puppy. She turned a key into the double doors and waited as Leo walked through before shutting the door and locking it with a key. Leo looked at the beautiful open area. It shone with lustrous light through the stained-glass windows. "Wow." he muttered.

Heather who was behind him smiled. She had thought the same thing when she first saw it. "It is beautiful isn't it?" He nodded and continued to look. "This is the activity area for patients who are able spend time down here. The sunshine and the reinforcement of light helps." she told him. He nodded at her and wandered over to the door that lead to the front office. "That's to the front office. We usually don't open the glass doors. Too much of a risk." Leo nodded his head again. The light was hitting him at all the right angles making him looking like a angel. She shivered a little bit. "Why don't we continue on our way." she suggested. Leo followed her through another locked door into an open area that looked like at one time it was a kitchen.

"This is where the staff takes break. We also put the patients medication in here before the orderlies deliver it." Heather explained. Indeed the island was big and filled with trays and small cups. Everything was put away and it was clean. It looked to be the only normal thing in the house. Heather went and stood at another door. "This leads to the basement. Which was converted into an industrial kitchen as well as where we store the medication. Leo followed Heather down the well lit stairs. On his left were glass cases full of bottles. In front of him and to his right was the stainless steel kitchen. Heather let him wander through it until he had looked at everything he wanted.

They walked back up the stairs to the lounge. On his right there was a set of stairs. "We usually only use those for emergencies." Heather explained and then led him back into the office. Once past there they went to the door next to the double glass ones. "This always remains locked." she informed him. He followed her up the stairs. He had been making mental notes and knew he was going to have a lot of questions to ask Paige.

On the second floor were the rooms. "We only have ten people at one time. There were originally only three rooms on this floor, but with some modification we've made them into five. There are also four bathrooms that are connected with each room. She moved from the middle of the hallway to the only room on her right. The door had a huge plastic window as well as a slit in the door for food. "This is where the most severe patients are put. It's the largest of the five rooms. Right now there is no one in there, but that could change." Heather told him. "Right now everyone's down, but you are welcome to look through the windows to see the patients." Heather encouraged.

Leo went down to the last door on the left. Inside was a girl around twenty years of reading a book. "That's Shelly. She is manic depressive. However, since being here nearly six months she has really improved. In fact she is one of the most delightful patients we have." Heather enlightened him. Leo just nodded and moved on. After he had peaked through the final door he had seen six of the patients. The man named, Harry Truman, or that was who he liked to be called, was the most interesting out of all of them. "It's really not funny, but you should see what happens when some calls out, 'Give 'em Hell Harry!'" Heather confessed on their way up to the final floor.

The attic was interesting. In the middle of the room was a bed with straps connected to them as well as various machines. "This is the 'Operating Room'" Heather said the word while making her hands into quotations. "We actually do not operate here, but sometimes there are violent outbursts and they must be monitored and subdued. When that happens they are located up here. Like the downstairs this room also has surveillance cameras from all the rooms." Heather pointed out as Leo did his own surveillance.

To Leo it looked like a well-oiled machine. Everything had a place and a purpose. Nothing was wasted and all procedures were in writing and easy to get. He had seen some hospitals that were worse. Of course most of them were not this tiny. However, as Heather put it this was more of a calling for Dan than anything else. Leo admired that. He was still going to need Paige and Darryl for the final walk through, but if he was a betting man he bet he would be investing in Bennett Hospital.

As Heather and Leo walked down the stairs Heather's stomach growled. Leo turned to look at her and watched as her body blushed. He smiled at her and then looked at his watch, "It is dinner time isn't it?" he teased. She blushed even further making her almost irresistible to him. "How embarrassing." she grumbled. Leo smiled at her trying hard not to laugh, "It is dinner time and if you have the time I would love to take you out to dinner." he offered. She should refuse. She knew that. However, she was curious and she really was hungry. "If you could wait about ten minutes I would love to take you up on your offer." Heather answered. Leo's grin turned into a full-fledged smile and Heather could do little but respond in kind.

As promised Heather was ready in ten minutes. They decided to go to Chevys. Leo ordered them the queso and chips. Leo had been staring at her now for well over three minutes while she studied her menu. When he was taking the tour he forced himself not to think of her as his beloved Piper, but in this intimate setting it was nearly impossible. He wanted to reach out and take her hand into his and tell her everything. Make her remember who she was. This just couldn't be a cruel irony delivered from fate. Before she could catch him staring at her the waitress appeared with the chips and queso. "So are you ready to order?" she asked. Leo nodded to Heather to order, "I believe that I will have the Santa Fe Salad." she ordered. The girl nodded while she wrote the order and looked to Leo, "I want the chicken and Swiss sandwich with a side of fries please." the girl nodded her head again and took the menus, "I'll be back with your orders." she told them and left.

"So?" Heather asked. Although she felt no pressure to talk which was extremely interesting she wanted to talk because she wanted to learn everything she could about Leo Wyatt. "Sew button?" he teased. She gave him a smirk, "I'm kidding. That's what my sister always says to me." Leo told her. Heather's smirk turned into a smile, "You have a sister?" Leo smiled back finding himself drowning in her smile, "Yes. I have a younger sister named Phoebe." he divulged. "I have a younger sister too, Haley. That's her name." Heather said stumbling over her words. She wished he would quit looking at her like she was the world. It was rather unnerving. "Bennett Hospital is interesting choice to work at what made you decide there?" Leo asked.

Heather wasn't sure if she really wanted to tell the whole story, but maybe it would encourage him to share everything with her. "Well it wasn't my first choice. Before I worked there I was working at a bank." she stopped for a second to gauge his reaction and seeing that he was very interested she moved on, "About a year and a half ago I was in a car accident. I actually don't remember anything about it, but they say that's normal. Anyway when I regained consciousness I apparently had lost my memory. They said it probably wasn't amnesia as it was shock. However, when I didn't regain it within the week my sister had me moved to Bennett Hospital. I regained it within the week. I tried to go back to work at the bank, but it just seemed dismal. I didn't like it and they needed help at the hospital so I volunteered and just fell in love with the place." Heather explained.

Leo couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was enchanting. Just like she was all those years ago. There was nothing on this Earth that could convince him she wasn't his wife. However, she was waiting for a reply, "Wow." he stuttered out, "That's really amazing that the hospital had such a profound effect on you." he stumbled over the words, but they got out. "So what about you? What made you go into your area of expertise?" Heather teased. He smiled at her, "Well nothing so profound as your ordeal. After my parents died Phoebe and I had fallen on some hard times. A man, Sam Wilder, took me under his wing and showed me the ropes in business. I really got into it and eventually started a company with my best friend, Darryl Morris, who was Sam's personal assistant." Leo supplied.

Heather had a hard time tearing herself away from his lips. Leo Wyatt had very inviting lips. They looked soft and warm. She wondered if he kissed as well as he did in her dreams. However, that wasn't the place for someone who had just told her his parents had died. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents. It's not easy to loose them." Heather offered. Leo shook his head, "No it isn't. Did you loose your parents?" he inquired. She nodded her head, "I don't remember them. They died when I was four. I have almost no memory of them. We were raised in foster homes until we turned eighteen." Heather looked down at the table. This conversation had gone in the crapper.

"I didn't mean to make this such a downer." Leo interjected. Heather laughed, "It's okay. I think it's good to get things like that out. Granted dinner with a near stranger probably isn't the best way to go about it." It was Leo's turn to laugh, "So happier topics?" he suggested. Heather nodded her head, but didn't get any further as the waitress put their food down in front of them. "So how did you and Lillian meet?" Heather asked before she took a bite of her delicious looking salad. Leo had to think for a moment as he had forgotten that anyone else had existed beyond himself and Piper...Heather. He couldn't slip up and call her Piper! "I was going to get lunch at a deli near my office and we ran into one another. Literally." Leo described. Heather laughed. "That's funny. I would tell you how Dan and I met, but it's rather obvious. I mean I know that office romances probably aren't the smartest but..." she trailed off.

Leo shook his head, "Know I seem to remember an office romance working out very well." Time could have stopped. Leo wanted to slap himself because he couldn't believe he had said that. He had tried so hard not to let anything slip and then he said that. He felt like having a Homer moment but hoped that Heather wouldn't notice his statement. Of course she did and promptly asked him about it, "What office romance?" her curiosity was peaked. Leo shook his head at his stupidity, but decided to tell her, "My wife and I. We went in as business partners, and... well... one thing led to another... and... um... we got married." Leo stammered. "Your wife?" Heather raised.

Leo hung his head in defeat, but brought it back up to look at her. "She disappeared a little over two years ago. Never found her. We never found any trace of her. Even the FBI tried looking for her. In fact we saw so much of the agent that he ended up marrying my sister...." Leo trailed off for a moment only to hear Heather's, "Oh God." before he continued, "Um...after two years I couldn't stand being there anymore. It was time for me to leave or so everyone told me. So, Darryl and I moved our business out here." He looked he was on the verge of crying. He looked so vulnerable that all Heather wanted to do was gather him into her arms and tell him that everything was going to be alright. His face seemed to crumple with the remembrance of the painful times and Heather couldn't stop herself from standing up and walking over to him and kissing him.

Shocked was the word that would later be used for the description of the event. For now however nothing else existed but the two of them. Heather couldn't believe how soft and warm his lips were. They were, to her, perfect. What shocked her further was that he kissed her back. She wasn't sure how long they actually stood in the middle of the restaurant and kissed, but it would become unforgettable. When she regained her senses she blushed from the roots of her hair to the tip of her toes. She quickly sat back down with nothing but mortification coloring her complexion. "I'm..." she couldn't get her words out. She was trying to breathe.

Leo couldn't believe that she had done that. God, she even kissed him like she had done so often before. He knew she was about to apologize, but he stopped her, "Please don't apologize." he pleaded. She nodded her head and looked dumbly at her half-eaten salad. "Heather." Leo called softly. She looked up at him and fell in love as she looked at his smile, "It's okay. I understand why you did it, don't worry about it. Please." She gave him a small smile, "Thanks. Um... you know.. it's...um... getting late..." she stuttered. It was Leo's turn to smile, "Not a problem." he told her and called for the waitress and got the check, paid it, and got them doggy-bags.

"Let me get you a cab." he insisted. "It's really not necessary." she told him. "I know but I would feel better if I got you one." he explained. She nodded her head and let him flag a cab down, before she got in she turned to him and asked, "Out of curiosity what was your wife's name?" His smile broadened, "Piper. Piper Halliwell." he told her. Heather smirked, "I think it's wonderful that you still love her." she told him and then got in the cab. Leo paid the driver and watched as the cab drove off with his wife in the back seat. He turned and walked toward North Pointe. Today had been to say the least, emotionally draining.

Heather who had the entire cab ride back to the apartment to think about things was still stunned at her actions. She walked into the door and was met with an expectant Haley looking at her. "Where were you?" she demanded the minute that Heather walked in. Normally Heather would have taken offense, but not right at this moment. "I was at dinner. Why?" Haley walked over to her and looked at her, "What happened?" her tone changing from angry to curious. "Nothing." Heather told her and walked past her sister to the chair in the living room. "No. I don't think so! You look like the cat who just ate the canary with a nice little afterglow. You are going to tell me what happened!" Haley demanded.

Heather shook her head. "Was it Dan? Did you guys finally get it on?" Haley guessed. Heather shook her head again, "I'm not going to tell you." she stated. "Yes you are! What happened. I will pester you until I find out. You know I will." Haley threatened. Heather rolled her eyes knowing that her sister would, "Fine. I went to dinner with Leo Wyatt," she put her finger up when her sister took a breath to say something, "He came by today to take a tour of the hospital. Dan wasn't there so I gave the tour. Before he left my stomach growled. Embarrassing. And then he offered me dinner. And even though I know I should have turned him down I didn't. Anyway, he was telling me about his wife. She disappeared two years ago. He looked so sad when he was talking about it, and I just wanted to put my arms around him... and...well...I ended up kissing him." she described. Her sister sat with apt attention and her mouth hanging slightly open.

"I'm...I'm shocked. My sister. The prude of the world. Kissed another guy? I don't think I've been prouder of you." Haley stammered. Heather laughed, "You're a nut you know that? By the way DO NOT TELL ANYONE!" Haley put her hands up in defense, "Not even if they threatened me." she promised. Heather nodded her head in satisfaction.

End of Part V

*Author's Notes: I usually leave this for when I've finished the story. However, I just wanted to tell all of you how AWESOME you all are! I can't believe the feedback I'm getting. You guys are just amazing. You lift my spirits every time I read a review! I really am glad that you are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. And on another note if writing continues (the way I plan) there will only be 10 parts which means we are half way through!!! Yeah!!!