George was still completely disoriented but he stood as the first fireman ran up.
“You boys okay?” He asks. Two other firemen ran to the lifeless bodies of Doc and the others.
Marty stood with George and nodded. “YES!” He shouted. Thanks to this guy! Thanks to George Mcfly. He saved everyone!”
George shook his head. “Don't be modest!”
Marty told the fireman, “He should get the key to the city or something, he ran right in that blaze and dragged us all out!”
He pats George on the back.
The fireman grinned. “Great work son, people will hear about this!” He went back to helping pull out the hoses on the fire truck.
Ambulance workers were now attending to Doc and the others.
George stood there in a daze looking at the fire and wondering how he got there.
Marty took one last look at Doc, and the fire, and Biff and the others, then, another long look at George who was starting to smile in relief and amazement.
Marty took off running toward the edge of the estate and the waiting woods.
George shouted after him. “Wait! Where are you going? You have to wait for the
ambulance.” Marty just kept right on running, disappearing into the darkness and the woods beyond the estate.
21. HEAD CASES
The Mercy General Hospital was a tiny little place, by comparison to other hospitals. It had recently just been built. Before that people had to go many a mile for their medical emergencies. Marty walked through the halls marveling at the nurses pointy caps, that looked almost like what nuns would wear. The doctors were all men. Aside from that it was a hospital, not much different than the ones in 1985.
He found Doc Brown lying in his bed hooked up to an IV. He was half asleep when Marty entered the room.
“Hey Doc,” Marty said, happy to see his old friend alive and well. “How ya feeling?” Doc looked over at him with a blank look. “Who are you?”
Marty stopped, not knowing what to say. “Uh, uh... you don't remember me?”
Doc looked sad. “Kid, I'm sorry but right now I don't remember much of anything that has happened in the last 2 months or so. They tell me it's some form of amnesia. I have short term memory problems! Are you someone important in my life?”
Thinking about his answer carefully he lied. “No,” Marty said, “I'm just the kid that cuts your grass, I heard you were in a fire and I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“Do I owe you any money?” Doc looked concerned. “No,” Marty smiled sadly, “I'm good.”
He just stood there staring at Doc fondly, wondering if he would ever remember him. Marty hadn't forgot what Doc had told Biff about brain damage from the plutonium fire. A deep sense of sadness welled up within him. Followed by relief. Maybe it was a good thing that Doc couldn't remember him, or remember about time travel right now.
“Oh, I've been to your house,” Marty said to Doc, “I found this in the driveway,” he lied again.
He handed Doc a small key. “What is it?” Doc asked.
“I think it's a key to a safe deposit box.”
Doc looked at it in amazement. “I don't even recall having one of those.”
“At least, that's what it LOOKS like,” Marty kept fibbing. “You might want to check it out, could be something of value in there.”
Marty smiled to himself. He had rented another safe deposit box and in it he put the key to Doc's original box, that held his memoirs and other important information about time travel. Marty had put several letters he'd written in there, including a replica of the letter the other Marty had written warning him about the Libyans.
Doc smiled a and nodded, putting the key on his night stand. “Thanks a lot! I will check it out as soon as I'm better and they let me out of here.”
“Good,” said Marty.
“Who knows maybe there's something in there that will help me remember the last few months.”
“I'm sure it will be very helpful,” is all Marty said.
Marty stared at Doc for a good long minute or so in silence then backed out of the room. “Well,” he said as he did so, “I better be going, I've got lots of lawns to cut.”
“Strange,” Doc muttered as Marty leaves, “I seem to recall cutting my own grass.” He shrugged.
As Marty made his way down the hall he saw Lorraine sitting by George's bedside. She saw him at the same time.
“Marty!” She called to him.
Quickly she bent down, kissed the sleeping George's hand and got up. Lorraine came out into the hall.
“Marty, did you hear George saved people from a terrible fire!” “Ya, I heard,” he said, he's a real hero! Saved four people.”
“It was FIVE,” Lorraine says proudly but one person took off. They think he might have been the one responsible for the fire!”
“That's crazy,” said Marty.
“Listen, Marty,” Lorraine said, “I've been thinking about what you said the other night and you're right. George Mcfly is no coward and this proves it! He just knows how to wisely choose his battles! He's a wonderful man. I was wrong not to see that before.'
Marty smiled. “I knew you'd come around.” The smile at each other. “You know,” Marty added, “I've always had feeling you two were meant for each other.”
Marty looked at his watch. “Oh, listen, I gotta run, sorry.”
She backed up. “Will we see you later? George doesn't remember much but the doctor's say he wasn't exposed to whatever is affecting his memory long enough to do any real
permanent damage!”
Marty thout it over. “Not sure... we'll have to wait and see what the future holds.” Lorraine leaned forward and pecked Marty on the cheek. “You're not a monster!” “Thanks.” He said, “neither are you.”
She looked at him oddly and he laughed. She lauged too.
He turned and headed down the hall. As he turned a corner he heard yet another familiar voice.
“Nurse,” the voice of Biff could be heard calling from a nearby room, “nurse.”
Biff's tone was so gentle and almost childlike that Marty got curious. He followed the sound and then peeked into the room.
“Nurse, nurse!” Biff saw Marty.
“Hey, kid!” Biff called to him in a very nice tone.
Marty reluctantly stepped forward into the room. He couldn't help himself. “Ya?” He replied.
“Can you go find a nurse for me, pal?” Biff asked.
Marty stared in awe. This didn't sound like the same old Biff he'd come to know since he made his first time jump. This sounded just like... the Biff Marty remembered, from before the time jump.
“I need some more pillows,” Biff said, “my head and my neck are killing me.” Then Biff looked at him in recognition. “Hey, you look familiar, do I know you?”
“Naw,” Marty lied, “you don't know me at all.” “Nurse, nurse,” Biff started to whine again.
A Doctor came along and eyed Marty as he was leaving the room.
“Wow, you're the first visitor he's gotten so far.” The Doctor remarked. “You family?” Marty shakes his head. “No, just passing by here, heard him asking for help.
Then in a low tone he asked the Doctor, “Hey, Doc, what's wrong with him can you tell me?”
“Well, not really, not unless you're a relative.” Marty shook his head no.
“Well, let's just say he's been exposed to something highly toxic,” the Doctor violated his own rule, “I think he may have permanent brain damage, but you didn't hear that from me.”
“Of course not,” replied Marty. He left the room and headed back down the hallway. A look of true understanding streaking across his face, and of sadness. He kind of felt sorry for Biff.
Marty sifts through the rubble at the burned out site of Doc Brown's estate. There wasn't much left of the Delorean, it's just a pile of twisted and melted metal.
“It's all gone,” he muttered to himself. “The time machine, the Plutonium, everything. I'm stuck here. In 1955, for the rest of my life!” He looked up and stared around him, a deep sense of depression sinking in. “Jennifer.” He moaned.
* * * * * * * * * *
Marty now stood in the phone booth at the back of Lou's Diner. He took a piece of paper out of his wallet and read it. “JR Cash” it said, with a phone number. He picked up the phone and dialed. A woman answered.
“Hello,” Marty said nervously, “is JR there?”
“Who is this,” the woman's voice on the other end asked.” “Tell him Big Mac is calling.”