The Blue Orchid Years

Chapter 27: Answers to Desperate Prayers?

March 3rd 2664 

Our morning started out the way it normally did, with Moira eating the omelet I cooked and me taking my daily dose of fluoxetine. Well, we tried to have a normal morning, at least until Neesa interrupted us with a phone call. Moira got it for us and, from the bit of conversation I managed to overhear, it seemed she had some major happy news to share—if you could call having an eye on a potential date 'news' at all. To be fair to Neesa, she did have some bad luck with romance, so perhaps this time she would have a better chance with whoever this person she fancied was.

"What? You're bringing your crush to see Nardho and me? Why?" Moira's voice raised a little and then she glanced at me quickly. "No, I think he wouldn't mind getting to know someone new, but have you checked with Linda herself? Oh, you have? Nice. Hang on, let me ask."

"I'm cool with having your cousin's new friend over if that means so much to her, just tell me what day and time," I answered. "Maybe we can have lunch together."

Moira returned her attention to the phone call and mouthed "next weekend at fifteen past one. Neesa said she's bringing desserts and drinks while Linda's bringing home-cooked meal."

I gave her a thumbs up and she resumed catching up with Neesa while I put away the leftover from our breakfast. The last time the cousins talked on the phone was maybe over a month ago in winter, back when I was still re-learning how to control my grief. I was glad Moira had a reliable relative to support her when I was preoccupied with self-inflicted problems.

"Do you think we will get along with this Linda?" I asked her once she got off the phone. "It has been a while since we have guests and even longer since we made friends with complete strangers. Did I hear Neesa mention something about a laboratory?"

"Yup, Linda's job has something to do with neuroscience," Moira replied. "I figure I'll save my burning questions for later but the gist of it is that she's studying human brains and is working to find out more about the links between dreams, music, and memories. Neesa thought since you're a musician you might be interested in Linda's research."

"Memory? Hold up, are you thinking what I'm thinking, honey? That this is way too good to be true?" I interjected. "Here we are trying to crack the mystery surrounding your retrograde amnesia and out of the blue there's a woman who seems to possess the knowledge we desperately seek. How experienced of a researcher is she? Can we trust her this easily?"

"Nardho, you've been searching for a cure for years, haven't you, to no avail? Plus, don't the doctors almost give up on my case? I say it couldn't hurt to be a bit optimistic and hope we've finally hit a jackpot," Moira took my hands in hers. "What is the worst that could happen?"

"Are you serious?" I squeezed her hand tighter. "This is an uncharted territory we are going to! With your own neurologists wanting to throw in the towel, what reasons do we have to believe that a random woman is more qualified to give you medical advice? This is suspicious."

"Wow, Nardhia was right about you," Moira's eyes locked on mine in defiance. "She warned me that you could be pig-headed and difficult to convince once you've made your mind up. I was inclined to dismiss her warning at first but now I understand where she came from."

"You should take what my sister says about me with a grain of salt," I retorted. "While it's true that I'm stubborn, my stubbornness is not without reason. Moira, let's be rational. I know that you trust Neesa and by extension you trust whoever she befriends, but when it comes to your health shouldn't we be more cautious? Why should we gamble?"

"I know how much you care about me, I do," she kept her steely gaze. "But I'm tired of not being able to remember a huge part of our lives together. Aren't you tired too?"