Out Of Sync Chapter 3
Information can be found on Chapter 1
John left for the library as soon as it was polite to do so. He didn’t want his daughter to be feeling lonely again. He found her patiently waiting deep in the stacks. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” he told her.
Ashley brushed the comment away. “I was fine,” she deflected. She slid off the table she had been sitting on. “I figured the library was the best place to start looking for something.”
“A good idea,” John agreed. He surveyed the nearly endless stacks “But unfortunately your mother has quite the library. And where this would normally be a help to us it is now a hindrance.”
“I did my part,” she shrugged. “Your turn now.”
“And where do you suggest I begin?” John asked trying to temper his frustration.
“Hey, I tried all right, not my fault,” she sniped. “Besides we have an entire library here. There has to be something that can bring me back.”
“No doubt there is,” John growled, “but we have no idea what happened to you which means no idea where to start. We could spend years looking through this bloody library. And we might not find anything even then. You could at least try to be more helpful.”
“Oh don’t start that,” Ashley snapped. “It’s your genes that got me into this mess.”
“It’s your own damn stupidity that got you into this mess,” John stated.
“Like you never made a few mistakes?!”
“Mistakes are when you miss your landing!” he yelled. “Mistakes are when you trip as you start to jump! This is just plain incompetence!” John watched as she recoiled from his temper and instantly felt his heart break. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that things had gone so wrong. “Ashley, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice. Please…forgive me. I just want to help, honest."
Ashley had tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She folded her arms and looked away. “It doesn’t matter,” she said softly.
“It does to me,” he insisted. “I was wrong, Ashley, and I am so very sorry.”
“I forgive you,” she whispered. A part of her wanted to hang on to her hurt but that wouldn’t do anyone any good. He was the only one that could help her and she needed him to be on her side. Besides, she couldn’t hold it entirely against him. After all, she got her temper from him.
“Thank you,” he said sincerely. “I promise to keep a better control on my temper from here on out. I know it’s not your fault. I’m just very frustrated right now.”
“I understand,” she shrugged. “It’s no big deal.” She took a few deep breaths before turning back to him. “We should probably start over there. It’s reference books and stuff.”
“Knowing your mother there’s more than just the average encyclopedia,” John agreed. He turned to the direction his daughter had gestured to.
“I was,” she called after him. John turned to look at her. “Lonely, I mean,” she explained. “I was used to not having anyone notice me, but then you did. You saw me and you heard me. It was…nice to interact with someone again. And when you went away all I had were my thoughts and I got really lonely. So I went to your room to watch you sleep. This is going to sound really weird but it actually made me feel more connected with the world.”
John’s hands twitched with the need to comfort his daughter. His first thought was to hug her but he was willing to bet that she wouldn’t appreciate such a gesture. Instead he reached out as before and grasped her shoulder tightly. He felt a tingle of electricity where they touched. “You are connected to this world, Ashley,” he told her. “And soon we shall find a way to bring you back to this world. Then I believe you shall be a lot less lonely.”
Ashley stiffened at the touch but she finally gave in and relaxed. The hand on her shoulder was comforting and that was something she really needed right now. “Thank you,” she said. She took a deep breath and casually slid out of his grasp. “Good thing there are no cameras around,” she joked.
“Indeed,” John smiled. “Now let’s go look through some of these books together.”
They sat together at one of the tables with a stack of books to each of them. Ashley had read so many words her eyes were starting to blur. “This is impossible,” she declared shutting the book. “There’s just too many things it could be.”
“This is quite the conundrum,” John agreed. “So many places to look and so few answers to find. If only we could narrow down the search, even just to a specific set of reference books."
Ashley stared at him. “Do you honestly think I spend that much time in here?” she pointed out. “All this brain stuff is way beyond me.”
“Yes, well, I was never much of the brain either,” John agreed. “That was Watson’s specialty as you might imagine.”
“Actually that might be it,” Ashley said.
“I’m not following.”
“Well we both know that we’d rather attack first, send flowers later right?” Her father nodded. “But we also know that there were people way smarter than us. So why don’t we start with them rather than running like rats in a maze?”
“A good idea,” John allowed. “But which one would we start with?”
“Did Uncle James keep a journal by any chance?” Ashley wondered.
“He did,” John told her, “but I’m not sure if it would help us much.” Ashley slumped in defeat. “But…”
“But what?”
“James wasn’t much of an inventor,” John started. “However he did like to improve on the things of the past. His favorite was DaVinci as a matter of fact.”
“That’s a start,” Ashley said brightly. “Mom has an entire shelf on him.”
John smiled at her. “And would you know where this shelf is?” Now Ashley looked apologetic. “Never mind,” he sighed. “I’ll ask someone who does know.”
“Will would probably be your best bet.”
“And why is that?”
“Because he spends almost more time in here than mom and he’s too terrified of you to ask any questions.”
John had to agree with that assessment. “Very well then, I shall have to go and find your mother’s newest protégé. Where would he usually be at this hour?”
Ashley tilted her head as she thought. “Hmm, unless his schedule’s changed then he’s probably in his office. I don’t know if he has any patients right now but I do know he won’t be talking with mom until later in the afternoon.”
“And his office is where?”
“That’s right you’ve never been there,” Ashley remembered. John nodded. “Not for lack of evidence,” she added under her breath. John gave her a pointed look. “Right, sorry. It’s up on the fourth floor. Take the hallway down to mom’s door then keep going around the corner and count six doors on your right. That’ll be the one you want.”
“Do you want to come with me?” John offered.
“As I said at breakfast not really my thing.”
“Alright,” John agreed. “You wait right here then. I’ll be back before you have time to be lonely again.”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t that lonely,” she called after him. John just smiled as he disappeared.
He reappeared on the fourth floor. He found his way to Helen’s door and continued walking until he turned the corner. “Sixth door on the right,” he murmured. “One…two…three…four…five…and six.” He rapped sharply on the door and was told he could enter. “Doctor Zimmerman,” he greeted. “I require a bit of help.”
He watched the good doctor’s eyes widen just a tad as he realized who was asking assistance. “Did you come for therapy?” he asked with trepidation.
“While I’m sure your psychiatry skills are abundant, I’m not in the habit of unburdening myself to a total stranger,” John assured him. Will just nodded. “I’m looking for a book actually, by DaVinci. I was told Helen had quite the collection and since I can’t find her I thought I’d ask you. I imagine you spend a good deal of your time there reading up on your patients and such.”
“Yeah I do,” he agreed. “But why are you looking for DaVinci?”
“Personal reasons,” John stated.
Will shifted uncomfortably. “Right, none of my business,” he said. “Anyway you go in the library, walk to about midway and count down four rows. The shelf on your right will start the Da Vinci section.”
“Thank you,” John smiled and disappeared. He went back to his daughter. “I’ve got the section,” he told her.
“Did you have to sort through the stutters?” Ashley wondered with a smirk.
“The young man was a bit nervous,” John allowed. “But he did as asked.” Ashley raised an eyebrow at his smirk. “He offered me his services.”
Ashley snickered. “Did you take them?”
John gave her a look of mild amusement. “Come along,” he said. “We need to look at the books."
“Lead the way,” she gestured. John cocked his head in a signal for her to follow. He led her back to the entrance of the library then began to go through the young doctor’s instructions. Soon enough he found himself staring at stacks of books both about and by Leonardo DaVinci.
“I never realized it was this big,” Ashley said.
“When was the last time you spent any real length of time in here?” John murmured.
“I think I was like ten,” she informed him. John looked at her for a moment. “What?” Ashley demanded. She really didn’t do well with undivided attention.
“You really are my daughter,” he stated.
“Wait, the anger issues and teleporting didn’t clue you in?” she snarked.
“Temper,” John murmured, “temper. Now let’s see, where should we begin?”