What Should Have Been

Part Two: The Girl Next Door

Fanfic: What Should Have Been

Part Two: The Girl Next Door

Daniel woke in the middle of the night feeling like crap. He eased himself up, immediately catching the eye of the nurse, who was sitting in a chair near a lamp, reading what appeared to be a Kindle.

"Bathroom," he croaked, shifting to stand.

"Need help?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head, taking a few steps to show he could manage on his own. She nodded and went back to reading. But he had the feeling she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. She'd probably hold it for me, he thought, shuddering. He had to bite his lip to suppress his giggles.

As he headed to the bathroom, it suddenly struck him: He was in an upstairs bedroom. It was decorated in his favorite shade of deep blue, with all the nautical elements he loved. It seemed both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. It was probably a small thing, but it spoke to the differences in his current 'situation.' Daniel wondered briefly if he should keep a list, then quickly rejected the idea. How would he ever explain it if someone should happen upon such a list? To everyone else, he was the one with memory issues...

He used the bathroom and ran his hands under the tap. The chill water seemed to bring him more wide awake. It reminded him how annoyed he always was by the amount of time it took the gas water heater to finally run warm. Well, some things hadn't changed!

He used the hall door to step out of the room. He stood uncertainly in the dimly lit hallway, considering a trip downstairs. He just wanted to stretch his legs and perhaps explore.

"Daniel?"

He turned toward his father, who was exiting the room next to his. Was his bedroom really that close to the master bedroom? He was surprised, remembering that his parents had always preferred to have distance between their room and the other bedrooms.

Conrad laid a hand on his shoulder. "You look so confused, Son," he said. "Please don't worry. Everything will be fine in a few days. The doctor said you have a very hard head," he added, smiling.

Daniel forced a smile. "No, I'm fine, Dad. I was just feeling a little hungry."

Conrad steadied him down the staircase, and they raided the fridge together, making roast beef sandwiches on rye. Conrad poured him a glass of milk, and while Daniel sat blinking in surprise, poured one for himself, as well. Where was his dad's late night glass of scotch?

They ate, and Daniel let Conrad do the talking. His father chatted about holiday plans, and his part in the upcoming midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Daniel was so stunned by the unusual conversation that he nearly choked on a sip of milk.

"Mass?" He sputtered.

Conrad took a swallow of milk and glanced into Daniel's eyes. "Yes, and don't you think for a second that you're not attending. It's going to be a family affair. Even your grandfather will be here. Your mother wants to have an anniversary dinner before we go, so all of your step-grandmother's family will be here, too. We're going to have a house full of people."

His grandfather was married? And he and Dad were willingly spending time together? This world was certainly a strange place!

"Guess I need to get to Confession," Daniel said, voice soft.

"Reconciliation is good for all of us, Son. You should go more often, I suspect." His father was half joking, but clearly he meant what he was saying.

Exactly how often did his father attend?

Boy, did he want to get on a computer and do some googling... Try to find out what was what.