25.

There are now nine people who have oddly come together with the same affliction. Nine ... not eight as previously had been suggested, pondered, queried ... though at that, eight had come to find themselves at a particular venue, rather a location within this venue, one other ... well ...

As it is, we are at a moment when two of the nine have gone to investigate the goings on surrounding the one ... he who is somewhat detached from the others. And this one other is he who is having a stay at the local hospital. Another two, or a potential final two, have joined the remaining four who currently await news to come from the hospital to their base which so happens to be Room 211 of the largest hotel in a place called Castletown.

'So, if you guys have been here since yesterday, what have you been doing up to now? Why have you taken so long to come to the room?'

This is a question that comes to William and Maggie as they and four others converse within that hotel room of the Mulberry Hotel, well at least five of the six people here are currently conversing, and the question is a valid one with the possible response to what indeed occurred the day before is waited upon with interest.

Out of those currently in the room, only one has been here since the previous day. Sue has a valid reason for only becoming part of this group on this second day as she had spent most of her time within the building within which she woke. If Henry, Archer, and Bonnie had not gone there then who knows where Sue may be now, especially with the injuries she picked up to her feet and with the fact that she had made her way out of that place.

The twins, they could have got themselves anywhere but then again, anywhere was not really likely. They had a vehicle, though with a very slim chance of getting it going let alone seeing it become road worthy, they had decided to stay local until they can make sense of what is happening, and the sight of someone with an air of familiarity ensured they would stay local as did an envelope they had in their possession.

The resources the twins have available are limited, however they do have a gun. If they needed to get a little extreme, they could have done that. The capability to do such wouldn't be beyond them for they feel comfortable in possession of that gun, at that too, and as odd as it might be, they do have a conscience so here it is that they are. The question asked has been asked by them and not of them, yet, so most of their day one will be kept to themselves until the need arises for it to be discussed.

'You would be amazed' speaks William, 'of how easy it is to stay in a hotel like this without actually having a room.'

Maggie smiles knowing of the story William is about to tell. It is odd, worrying, frightening even but there was something about the previous day that Maggie found ... pleasant. Yeah, the situations that brings everyone here is odd to say the least and despite her own situation Maggie enjoyed to some degree her first day of memory loss and that is even with the fact that she spent it with a long-haired boy who likes to think of himself as a man.

She has been quiet almost to the extreme since arriving up to Room 211, basically stating her chosen name and offering hello's, and quiet she will remain while William tells their story and maybe she might have a word or two to fit in by the time he is done telling what it is he has to tell.

'I approached Maggie yesterday and she took care of me, not right away of course or in any sensual kind of way, in case any of you are thinking that way. She was zoned out just sitting alone in the lobby when I went to her. Before that, while I was wandering aimlessly, hungrily, around town I made my way into a bakery store with the thoughts of maybe sneaking a little something with me out the door when someone came into the store. There was something about him and he must have thought the same about me as he got me an éclair and a hot chocolate ... well he paid for a hot drink, and I choose chocolate.'

'Really?' asks Blue.

'What then? asks Red.

'I followed him, after a while he got talking to our friend over here ...'

'Bonnie?' speaks Sue.

'Yeah, they came here, and I continued to follow ... all the way up here. Well not quite really. I first saw them not all so far away from the front of the hotel. A car was later involved, and I figured I'd come here and low and behold ... anyway once here I had no idea what to do next and I had no other plans, so I just hung around the hotel. It wasn't really all so long before I saw Maggie here and as I said she was just zoned out and for some time, so I had to approach her. I told her my story and she eventually told me hers; we are both suffering memory loss and she showed me her note which of course is what brought her here ...'

Everyone, including and not surprisingly Maggie, listens to everything William has to say, and he comes across as a natural storyteller, so the tale continues.

'... We weren't so sure of what to do. Either directly or indirectly ... I don't know, there was a connection, Maggie had some money, I didn't so she kept me fed and we talked and talked while watching and following the comings and goings to this particular room. We spent so much time in the lobby that I guess the staff here thought we were staying here.

...We slept in stalls in the ladies' public toilets just off from the lobby, separately of course and even managed breakfast this morning without charge. I expected to ask what room we were staying in. I guess staff really must have been so used to seeing us they didn't inquire. We saw your friends come down to the bar area not so long ago and when one left and the other came up here we decided to come up and say something, so here we are ...'

'Nice story kid ...' says Red.

'Yep ... happened just the way he said' says Maggie.

'Oh, she talks ...' says Blue and this makes everyone smile including Bonnie which in itself is cause for the smiles to become extended.

The next few hours are quite pleasant. Conversation continues without getting too serious or depressing and snacks are had, with Maggie and Bonnie becoming more and more comfortable with how things are the more the evening goes on as there is wonder as to what is keeping Henry and Archer so long.

The thought can't help but be spoken that things might be getting serious at the hospital. This is as serious as the conversation does get or has got for it is fast approaching midnight when a knock comes to the door of Room 211 and Henry announces that he is back. Henry is back along with Archer, and they have a guest with them for the news they bring so happens not to be nice at all. The news is in itself upsetting to begin with and brings with it a whole set of complications with it.

Room 211 is deathly quiet for there is a deathly moment to reflect on. It is clear to everyone that Henry and Archer have returned with bad news so they may as well spit it out. They have brought a guest too, Mandy the coffee house Barista.

'Another member of the forgotten?' are the first words spoken.

'Not quite' says Henry before introducing Mandy. Mandy is in tears so there will be no further delay. 'Mandy had brought Sander to the hospital yesterday; she had been the first to speak with him when he woke ... unfortunately he won't be waking again anytime soon. He won't be waking ever again in fact. They opened him up in the hospital and things went downhill ... Sander didn't make it.'

Despite the fact that only four of those currently present in room 211 of The Mulberry Hotel had spoken with Sander and that only one got anyway close with him, this news is deeply disturbing. Is each member of the forgotten, as it had been put, destined to meet the same fate or something similar? Is there a timer counting down to such a fate? This definitely is disturbing to say the least.

'So, what is going to happen to him now?' asks Bonnie.

'What do you mean?' says Henry.

'We can't leave him there in the hospital. Can we at least look after what happens to him next?'

'We can discuss that tomorrow; right now, I am sure we are all quite tired. Maybe we all should try get some sleep?'

'What? Here?' asks Blue. 'There are only the two beds.'

'Just ... I don't know ... make do for now. It is late; we have blankets, extra pillows are in the main wardrobe and there is other stuff so find a place. Anyone with a problem I am sure the hospital will find you a bed, but I would not recommend that.'

Yeah, there is tiredness, frustration, agitation and probably despair settling in now. Any good kind of mood there may have been not all so long ago has well and truly left the room. Morning comes, following a night of restlessness, and a knock on the door wakes everyone. Mandy had gone home and everyone who should be here is here, and the room as we know has been paid for to include seven nights. Including the night Bonnie spent here alone only three nights have passed so the question now is who could possibly be outside the room?

There can't be others somewhere suffering memory loss with instructions or reasons to come here, can there? Nothing right now could really be surprising, or ruled out, but then again. Archer is closest to the door, so he gets up and moves towards it. He looks around the room, no one knows how to react, so he answers the door, on the other side there are two men, both with badges.

'Yes?' speaks Archer.

'Excuse us, Detectives Sloan, and O'Toole from the Castletown police department. We are looking for a Doctor Archer and we have reason to believe that he may have been staying here in this room last night. May we speak with him?'

The door is only slightly open so these detectives can only see Archer. So, is Archer not really Archer? Or do they not know what the person they are looking for looks like? This is certainly a twist no one could have seen coming. Having heard what was said and with the thoughts that these men indeed might not know what Doctor Archer looks like or are possibly looking for someone else, Henry approaches the door.

Before Henry can get a word out, the detective who has already spoken speaks again, addressing Henry this time. 'Ah Doctor Archer I presume. May I ask you to accompany us to the precinct? We have some questions we would like you to answer.'

What the hell? They think Henry is not Henry but Doctor Archer? Whether he is or not, why do two police detectives want to speak with him? What questions do they have? What answers can he give? Did Siobhan at reception do or say something? Can things get any more ... odd? What choice does Henry have? He can't really refuse to go, can he?

'What is this all about?' Henry asks.

'We would rather discuss the matter at the precinct if you wouldn't mind?'

'And If I would rather remain here?'

'Sir, please. We are not looking for trouble.'

'I'll come with you' speaks ... Archer or at least the man going by the name Archer, and he says this to Henry – Henry apparently being the fellow the police believe to be Archer.

'This is somewhat of a personal matter so we would rather that you didn't, sir' says a detective to the fellow who wants to come with. 'We will send for you if it becomes necessary.'

Yeah, what choice does Henry have? He goes with the visitors, willingly. He does leave with the detectives. Red and Blue have heard everything that had been spoken.

'I think I should follow them' says Archer.

'Not a good idea' says Blue. 'Especially since our visitors have seen you and asked you not to come.'

'Well, someone should go, especially if they are not who they say they are. They could be anyone. Henry might be walking himself into trouble.'

'There is a car, right?' asks Red. 'I can go.'

The two phones are within the room, one is given to Red, and he is told of the car, where it is parked and is given the keys.

'I'll come with you' says William.

'I hope you can drive' Archer tells Red.

And with that Red and William are gone. Blue looks Archer directly in the eyes for he has something to say.

'We should have told you something already, but we haven't had the chance yet.'

'And what would that be?'

'Red and I woke together on day one in a car. We apparently drove it into a ditch. We found something in the glove compartment.'

An envelope is handed to Archer. On the front of the envelope are the handwritten words The Mulberry Hotel ROOM 211. Within the envelope there is a passport. Archer opens it up. His photo is on the inside and the name given on the passport is that of Henry Patrick Corbin. Indeed, what the hell is going on?