“You’re still sure you want to sell them to the board?” Elena asked again.
“I know the changes they have in mind. They intend to break the company up, and I have no way of stopping them. Majority rules, and since I don’t want to be a part of Clifford Stanley’s mission to desecrate my family’s company, I have to remove myself from it.”
Elena nodded and dropped the subject. She continued unpacking her things. The pool table had been moved out and Elena’s art supplies were being moved in, but the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Sighing, Neal went to answer it. The number was Harry’s, just as he had expected.
“I’m not changing my mind, Harry, I already-"
“Neal… Neal!” was all Harry seemed capable of saying.
“What is it, Harry?” Neal asked impatiently.
“Neal… the most amazing thing has happened!”
Neal rolled his eyes. “Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to guess?”
“It’s George!”
Neal felt his body go cold.
“If this is some kind of sick joke-"
“He’s alive Neal,” Harry said, his voice lifting.
Everything in Neal stopped and was still. “I… how? Are you sure?”
Elena walked back into the living room, drawn by Neal’s urgent tone. She watched him carefully, filling out the conversation as it continued.
“He’s been in a hospital off the coast of Rabat for the last few months.”
“Rabat,” Neal repeated in astonishment, “as in Morocco?”
“Yes,” Harry confirmed. “He was classified as the Moroccan equivalent of a ‘John Doe’. He was in a bad way for a while. When he finally started recovering, they managed to find out who he was and how to contact his family.”
“So why didn’t I get the call?” Neal demanded.
“The accident… it affected his memory. He couldn’t remember things.”
“Is there permanent damage?”
“Neal, I spoke to him a few minutes ago.”
Neal was silent for a moment.
“He’s OK?” he asked, suddenly scared.
“He’s the same George that left us,” Harry said. “A little shell shocked, but still, he’s suffered no permanent damage.”
Neal let out a breath of relief.
“When is he coming home?”
“In a few weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“His body is still very weak,” Harry explained. “He has to be strong enough for the flight back, but he will be back.”
“And the company?”