When he started to speak, she didn't even look at him.
"Good morning Eric. Good morning... Tanya..." Percy said as he looked at his patient. He felt like the guilt would consume him right there and then. He wasn't surprised when she didn't reply back.
"Good morning doctor. Well I can see that Tanya's memory is getting better..." Eric told Percy.
The doctor nodded, "Yes. It looks like the treatment is working." When he said treatment, Tanya cringed. She still was not looking at him.
Percy noticed the cold shoulder. He continued nonetheless,
"However, I'd like to know if she still believes she is Andromeda." He felt like he was driving a stake through her heart as he said this, and that is exactly how Tanya felt.
She felt her cheeks flush and replied softly, "No. I know I'm not Andromeda."
Eric squeezed her hand and nodded profusely, "Well, honey, all those Greek stories really got to your head when you were shot. They're not real. I'm glad Dr Theodosiou sorted that out."
Tanya finally looked up into Percy's eyes. Her eyes had glassed over.
Percy wanted to look away. All the pain he had caused was staring right at him.
After the session was over, Eric got up and shook Percy's hand smiling. Tanya just turned on her heel and walked out the door, with Eric asking, "What the?! Tanya!" And he ran out of the office after her.
The intercom rang again, "Dr Theodosiou, should I send in your next patient?"
"No," he snapped back, then he said more softly into the intercom, "I'm sorry Marcy, didn't mean to snap. Please- tell them to wait, I'm not ready yet. Just a few minutes."
The confused secretary did as told. Percy fell back into his chair and rested his head in his hands. As if to mirror his feelings, a heavy rain started outside.
Chapter Fourteen
A heavily pregnant Donyelle grabbed a bowl of popcorn and cleared the couch. It was raining heavily outside, which was perfect for a comfy afternoon in front of the TV.
Plus she was the only one at home. Perfect.
General Hospital was beginning on the television and she wanted to see if that dude had finally been killed. She bent down to move a pillow ... when she felt it.
She dropped her bowl of popcorn as the sharp pain hit her again in the stomach. Oh. My. God., she thought, and grabbed her stomach as she doubled over. She could feel a bit of water between her legs. Then it became a lot.
Chapter Fifteen
"I'm not entering a car with you in that state..." Eric said as he hurried behind Tanya, who was ignoring him. They were walking through the sheltered parking lot, the heavy rain outside could hardly be heard.
"Oh. You mean my mental state?" she snapped back.
Eric shouted back, "No. Your angry state. Calm down Tanya. Let me drive."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "You. Leave me alone." Eric widened his eyes at her before shrugging in defeat.
Tanya entered the car and before he could enter, she started the car and drove off, almost knocking him.
Eric watched as the car drove out of the parking lot and into the rain and he shook his head. He now had a nagging feeling he shouldn't have let her enter that car.
Tanya picked up her phone which was ringing as she drove through the torrential rain.
"Yeah?"
"Teach... it's me... Donyelle... please!!!"
"Donyelle?!! Are you okay?! What's the matter?" Tanya shouted into the phone. The rain was making it hard to hear anything.
"My water broke... I'm ready to... oh my God..argghhh!" Donyelle screamed as she felt another sharp pain.
Tanya was shocked, she had completely forgotten Donyelle was due any time. And that time was now!
"Ok! Donnie... sweetie!!! I'm on my way!!!" Tanya panicked while asking. She was quite far from Donyelle's home.
Then the phone went dead.
Tanya's heart beat as she stepped on accelerator, grazing against another car on the road.
Tanya clutched her steering wheel as she drove hurriedly down the slippery, wet road. The rain was now pouring with all its might, and it didn't look like it was about to stop.
She ignored the radio announcement for cars to slow down and be careful.
She had to get to Donyelle before anything happened. She had to get her to a hospital.
When the car approached a red light along the highway she beat her steering wheel in anger. She stopped the car abruptly and sighed impatiently.
The moment it turned green, she sped off again, as fast as the rain was pouring.
She was now using the countryside shortcut to avoid the traffic. The roads were narrower than she was used to but she sped on. Then the phone rang again from Donyelle's number, but this time an unfamiliar voice, "Hello? I'm a cab driver. I'm driving this girl to the hospital. She told me to tell you?"
Tanya breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes briefly. Donyelle would be alright.
She didn't see it coming around the corner, the huge truck carrying firewood.
Her car swiveled to the side to avoid it and her car went off the road, plunging straight into the rapid rivers below.
Chapter Sixteen
She broke free from her seat and swam up out of one of the windows.
She swam towards the light. But the rapids kept pushing her to the side, not upwards.
The water was clear, but she had to get to the top.
Am I going to make it? She tried to swim up to the surface, where she could see sunlight.
Her mind was telling her, swim. Survive. Make it to the top. You're not even injured. She blocked the all consuming fear out of her mind as she swam, trying to make to the surface.
"A friggin car just fell into the river!!!!" one scared onlooker screamed into his phone. He had called 911 the minute he witnessed the horrifying sight.
The car then floated onto the top and was washed away by the river rapids. Just like that. After all, the rain was sill pouring massively.
But where was the driver?!!!
More onlookers now gathered on the side of the road, shocked. Not even the bravest could jump into those rapids. They had to wait for the rescue services. And they didn't know whether the driver was alive or not.
They looked up as the sound of a helicopter got their attention. It now hovered over the river. An ambulance also arrived on sight and paramedics jumped out.
"You're watching CNN. This is a live broadcast. A rescue effort is underway for a driver who has been identified as Tanya Whitman. Her car plunged into this river a while ago...
As you can see, she has not been found yet, she has not emerged to the surface. Rescuers are looking for a way..."
Percy felt his face go pale as he looked up at the small television set in the corner of his office.
No. Not his Tanya...
"This is CNN. As of now, we're waiting on the rescue crew to start looking for the lost driver. All we know right now is that she is female. And she is somewhere, hopefully alive... in those rapids," the reporter on the scene said into the camera, in a dramatic voice.
The camera then panned to the river which was gushing with fast moving, dangerous water.
Percy stepped on the accelerator and his car rushed off into the rain, hardy seeing where he was going in the pouring rain.
He was headed to the river.
Tanya could feel the life slowly moving out of her, the surface seemed so far up. She was slowing down and she felt extremely drowsy. She couldn't...
Then she submerged and took in the largest breath of air she had ever taken in her life. Her heart was beating extremely fast but now it started to beat normally.
Then she saw herself surrounded by nothing but rapid waters, and she started to panic again. She could see people in the far distance, all looking at her. A camera crew. A rescue crew.
And she was out here, alone. She screamed out but water entered her mouth. She tried not to swallow. She tried to keep her head above the water.
The river
pushed her this way and then that way. She couldn't stay in one place. And it was freezing.
She started to cry as she tried to keep her head above the water as she was pushed downriver by the rapids. As she travelled down her shoulder brushed against something sharp.
She cried out in pain and realized she was now on the rocky part of the river.
She quickly thought and grabbed onto one of the bigger rocks. The river could no longer control or push her. She was going to gain control. She was going to live.
She held onto the rock with her tired arm and managed to climb onto it, as the water tried its best to push her off it.
Again she cried out for help.
"There she is!" one rescuer reported from the helicopter above. They were now hovering over the river quite far from where she was but he had managed to spot her.
The helicopter then turned to go after her.
Tanya tried her best to hold onto the slippery rock but it was a struggle.
She frantically took one hand and removed her trouser belt.
She then tied it around one hand and hooked it onto a groove on the rock. It would hold her in place for now.
She tried to look through the torrential rain for any sign of the rescue crew and spotted the helicopter in the distance. She willed it to move faster.
"Okay guys get ready to go down," the rescue captain told his team.
"Holy Crap!" They heard their pilot say. One of the electric poles on the riverbed tilted and gave way, falling down swiftly, almost hitting the helicopter.
The on looking crowd gasped as they watched the electric pole fall into the river due to the strength of the rain.
Then they heard someone tell them to evacuate the area. This was not just rain, this was a hurricane.
Tanya cringed as the rain beat against her body, waiting for the helicopter to come rescue her. She was now tied onto the rock with her belt and its tightness was hurting her wrist.
Then she saw it.
The electric pole falling, and its wire coming loose. The huge metal wire started to jump around, still producing some electric sparks, dangerously close to her.
It was menacing, almost alive, like a serpent or sea monster.
"Where is she?!!!" Percy shouted at one of the paramedics on the scene, who was simply looking at the river in shock. One of them stood up and said, "Sir, please take a step back,"
Then he saw her. She was tied to a rock in the middle of the river.
And he saw it. The electric wire jumping around near her.
He looked at the helicopter in the distance, clearly taking its time. He gulped as he looked at the scene. He could tell Tanya was crying on that rock.
Without thinking it through, he removed his jacket and jumped into the water.
At a hospital nearby, Donyelle gave one final push and breathed a sigh of relief as a baby started to cry. The doctors held the tiny baby and Donyelle started to cry tears of joy as it was placed in her hands. As her baby daughter was placed in her hands.
Little Marissa.
Tanya widened her eyes as she saw a man swim towards her, fighting against the rapids. He was not a rescuer, just a regular guy.
As he swam nearer, the electric wire jumped and landed near Tanya who screamed in fright. Percy heard this and his heart skipped, as he tried to swim faster, against the strong water.
He cried out, "Tanya!!"
Tanya looked at the man and could not believe it... Percy?!!!
He managed to reach the rock and held onto her leg, she held out one hand and pulled him onto the rock as well, with all her might.
He opened up the belt that was tying her to the rock and before she could say anything, he pulled her back into the water and away from the jumping electric wire. Away from that sea monster.
The rescue helicopter now hovered over the rapids looking for a sign of their victim and that crazy guy who had just come out of nowhere.
Tanya held onto Percy's strong body as the rapids took them downriver. She didn't know why, but she felt safe. In the midst of this all this, she already felt rescued.
Just because she was with... him.
When their warm bodies roughly washed onto the muddy shore, a few minutes later Tanya rolled onto her side weakly and coughed water out.
Percy just lay there. Tanya panicked and scrambled towards him. She pushed his chest, one , two , three times, before water spurted out of his mouth and he rolled to the side.
She felt tears of relief and grabbed him. When he realized they were out of the water and safe, he hugged her back, not saying anything.
They just sat there, shivering, disbelieving and reveling in the warmth of their bodies. Tanya started to sob uncontrollably and Percy kissed her forehead, he himself trying to control his own tears.
They didn't hear the approaching news crew, cheers from the crowd or the helicopter full of embarrassed rescue operatives.
They didn't even see the sudden change in weather, the rain ceasing and the sun coming back out, or the electric wire suddenly dying.
They didn't care. They were alive.
The reporter checked his silver hair before telling the cameraman to switch the camera on.
"This is Anderson Cooper reporting live from the scene where a passerby bravely jumped into the water and managed to rescue Tanya Whitford, who was tied to a rock. We captured it live and it is an incredible sight that we will replay for you throughout the day.
This brave man has been identified as a Dr Percy Theodosiou. This is the most incredible story we've covered in a while.
We're calling this one... Andromeda's Rescue... due to the stark similarities to the famous Greek myth, if you're aware of it. A rock, a sea serpent in the form of an electric wire, river rapids, an African princess and her Greek prince, who rescues her. Just incredible. Interviews with both Percy and 'his rescued princess' coming soon. Stay with CNN."
Chapter Seventeen
A month later...
Dr Percy Theodosiou's Office
"Mental hysteria is a curable condition. You're living proof of this. You don't get breakdowns, sudden outbursts or any of the severe effects. Your memory is returning quite fast and you'll be healed in no time. So I'm not going to classify you... as a patient. Your file will be closed."
Tanya nodded slowly from where she was sitting, across the desk from Percy, who was wearing his reading glasses and looking down at Tanya's diagnosis.
He looked up at her when she didn't say anything. She still had a sad look in her eyes. It had been a month since he had rescued her from the river. Since Tanya had been chained to a rock in rainy weather, the story had been peddled around the country as 'The Andromeda Rescue'. Very ironic.
A media frenzy had ensued and Percy, whom the reporters were now calling 'Perseus', had been honored with some sort of citizen's award, or ...something.
Tanya had maintained her distance from him, even after telling him how eternally grateful she was. Not that he expected her to forget what he had done to her before. He beat himself up every night over it. He just would never be the same man again, not without her forgiveness, or her love.
"Tanya? You're gonna be okay," he said gently. She attempted a smile as she looked at him.
She had started to come to her sessions alone, without Eric, whom she had swiftly dumped right after her memory cleared. And certain things were revealed. She had told him to leave and go live his own playboy life, this time for good.
She finally decided to ask Percy what had been on her mind the entire session, "What's with the boxes?"
Percy removed his glasses and sat back, wondering how to say this.
His office was full of mover's boxes and he had taken down some of his wall adornments. Already his drawers and file cabinets had been cleared out.
"Tanya... I'm leaving the practice. And moving." He finally said. He looked at her as he said this. She was his reason for quitting, which probably meant he had never believed in his own treatment in the
first place.
Tanya's eyes flickered a bit in shock. She felt a sting of tears but continued to look at him nonchalantly.
"Oh? Don't like it in Harlem?" She asked casually, though her voice was getting caught in her throat. Why was he leaving? Didn't he know? Didn't he know that she loved him?
A Greek God In Harlem Page 8
