Surviving the Dreams

Chapter 20 - Appointments

It was a month more before Susan was able to return to Moreno Island. It was the middle of July, and Greg and Richard’s show had been running two nights a week, Saturday through Thursday for the past seven weeks. From everything she’d heard, the show was a hit, and so Alex was there too, negotiating to extend the show and their contract from the mid-way point which was fast approaching, through the rest of the season.

The dining room was packed for their dinner show the night of Susan’s return, even though it was the second presentation of the same play for that week and most guests currently at the resort had already seen it. Many were back for repeat performance.

Susan arrived un-announced at the resort, sitting at the back of the room with her bandaged head, watching Greg do what he always did best, performing for the crowd beside Richard. He was very unhappy with the specifics of the contract, but it was quite clear that he was very happy to be back on stage again. After the show, Greg and Richard moved through the audience, greeting those who reached out to them. They smiled and shook hands graciously as they moved towards the back of the room, until it looked as though they would go right out of the door without ever seeing her.

“Greg!” Susan called.

Greg hesitated, looking over at her. It felt as though he was dreaming, as though Susan being there couldn’t possibly be real.

“Susan?” Greg asked as he approached her chair.

Susan smiled as she self-consciously touched her bandaged head with her fingertips.

“Hi,” she said. “Great show.”

Greg stood and stared at her. Then suddenly, he scooped her up into his arms in an embrace. Susan stood against him, her arms around his neck and the audience went wild. They thought it was part of the show!

“Come with me,” Greg whispered and he led her outside between himself and Richard.

“Do you need a chair?” Richard asked when they got her to their dressing room where they could talk.

“Yes. I’m still unsteady on my feet.”

“When did they release you?” Greg asked anxiously as Richard brought the needed chair. “And why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I’d have met you.”

“And let you miss your show? Your fans wouldn’t have liked that,” she teased. “I didn’t know I was coming myself until just before I left. My doctor is on duty here for the weekend and he offered to bring me.”

“But you’re still in bandages!” Greg objected.

Susan grimaced. “It’s because of the surgery. They fixed the back of my head two weeks ago and I’m still wearing the pressure bandages to keep the swelling down. It hasn’t healed quite enough yet to take them off. They let me come back a week early, but the doctor will need to check me again before he leaves. If it’s still not ready, he said I can always come back to the hospital in a week, sooner if I have to have it removed then. Besides, I finally have this!”

Susan held up a bit of yellow paper.

Greg looked at what she was showing him.

“What is it?” Richard asked as he came back with the chair.

“A temporary provisional, overseas issued, emergency identification,” Greg explained.

“It’s only provisional?” Richard asked. “What does that mean?”

“It means my identity hasn’t been verified. I still need witnesses to come forward,” Susan explained. “But as long as I don’t leave the country, it’s considered official identification.”