"Please, I need to see her."

"There's no mention of a Ty Harvey on the list. I'm sorry, sir, but I can't allow you to visit Miss Lily." the accountant said briskly as she restacked the papers.

A metal hand slammed on the counter, cracking the granite. The woman screamed in fright and jerked back. Papers scattered across the floor around her. Ty Harvey leaned over the counter and picked her up by the front of her shirt.

"You will take me to Lily." he growled. The attendant, Macey, looked frantically around the waiting room. There was no one else, she was alone with this maniac. Heart beating frantically she shook her head.

"I can't. It's after visiting hours." she said. A smile twisted Ty's face. Without turning around he pointed to the large clock hanging on the wall. Macey watched in horror as the hands on the clock moved backward until it was no longer eight o'clock but six!

"I believe Lily is in room seventy-nine." the strange man said. Macey nodded and he let go of her shirt. Quivering with fear, Macey retrieved a key from her desk and led Ty Harvey down the hallway and up a flight of stairs. Ty followed silently.

That was poorly done, sir.

Shut up!

Would you like me to change the clock back, sir?

I said shut up!

Very well, sir.

Macey stopped at a door with the number seventy-nine printed in bold black letters on its surface. She unlocked it and opened the door to admit Ty.

"She might be sleeping."

"I only need to see her." Ty said brushing past Macey and entering the room. Macey stared after the man. He was gruff and dark mannered. She didn't think there was a polite bone in his body. And whatever he had done to the clock frightened her beyond belief. The man was unnatural, from the top of his black hoodie to the bottom of his strange, otherworldly boots. His metal arm only added to the oddity. She slowly backed out of the room, intending to call security.

Ty watched her leave.

Make sure she can't call security, P-DAM.

Yes, sir.

P-DAM, Prime-Data Analyzing Machine, the smartest computer in the world. Also probably the most annoying, Ty reflected. P-DAM went quiet for a moment while he shut down the hospital's communication lines.

Sir, I do not think this is logical.

"Can it, computer." Ty said. A photo of an irritated Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean flashed across Ty's contact lenses.

I am a highly sentient being, do not insult me. A computer cannot think for itself. It must be told what to do.

"You're a computer that can think but still does whatever you're told." Ty retorted.

That is not true, sir. I did not lower the temperature of the refrigerator as you asked me to fifty days, thirteen hours, two minutes and fifty-one point three seconds ago.

"How the heck am I supposed to remember that bullcrap!"

I thought humans were capable of remembrance.

"We're not all living clocks."

I am insulted.

"Go turn the temp down in the fridge." Ty said in exasperation.

Yes, sir.

Ty turned his attention to Lily. He removed his hood to reveal dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair that was beginning to grey at his temples. He smiled fondly at the woman lying on the pristine white bed hooked up to numerous wires and tubes. She was thinner than he remembered.

"Lily," he breathed, stroking her cheek with one rough hand, "what happened to your beautiful hair?" His metal hand gripped the bar of the bed and bent it slightly. Lily's beautiful blonde hair was gone, all of it. Were her eyes still the same? He had to know.

"Lily." he said a little louder than before and ran the tips of his fingers across her eyelids. He knew she would wake. She always used to wake when he touched her eyelids. Lily's eyes fluttered as she stirred and then sighed. Her pink lips parted slightly. She slowly opened her eyes. Ty had to fight to keep tears from falling. Her eyes, her beautiful precious blue gems, were still the same.

"Hello." she said brightly. "Who are you?" she asked. Ty felt a sense of disappointment when she did not recognize him.

"Ty." Ty said. Lily looked puzzled. She smiled sweetly.

"Do I know you?"

"Yes, Lily. You knew me well, better than I knew myself."

"Oh?"

Ty felt his heart breaking, a tear slipped down his face. How many years had been since he'd cried? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty?

"Don't cry." Lily said reaching up and wiping the tear away with her thumb. Ty captured her frail hand in his metal one and held it to his wet cheek. Lily's eyes widened when she saw his hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

"You were with me when I lost my arm on the train to Italy."

"Whatever was I doing in Italy? I've never left this city my whole life." Lily said. Ty froze. A chill crept up his spine.

"What have they done to you?" he said softly. Anger boiled inside him until he could not contain it. He turned and smashed the bedstand next to him yelling, "How could they! They promised me it would never happen!" Lily screamed in fright and cowered in her bed. "I should never have let them take you! They took it away! They took everything!"

"Harvey, stop!"

Ty froze and slowly turned toward Lily. She swallowed hard.

"What did you call me?"

Lily blinked in confusion, her eyes were blank. "I - I don't know." she said. Ty edged closer to her and she tried to move away but the tubes in her body restricted her movement.

"No one but you ever called me Harvey, Lily. No one."

Sir, I'm clearing out the video file from your episode.

Fear showed wide in Lily's eyes as Ty stepped closer. He studied her. There was no hint of recognition in her eyes, yet, she had called him Harvey. He hadn't told her his last name.

"You really have no clue who I am?"

I'd have thought the confused look and blank stare would have answered that for you.

"N-no." Lily stammered. Regret tugged at Ty's heart. He had scared her, badly.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to scare you. I just get angry sometimes." he apologized. He let out a small huff of a laugh. "You know, I was in the same spot you are now. After Italy I woke up and you were sitting next to me sleeping. You had your hand tangled in your hair and when you woke up you couldn't get it out. We had to call the doctor in to free you." Lily touched her bald head. "I never laughed so hard." He chuckled at the memory. Lily relaxed and smiled at him.

"I had hair." Lily said slowly. "Before I got cancer." The smile faded from Ty's face.

"Lily..."

"I only have four weeks left." she sobbed. "Jack and Hannah will grow up without a mother." Ty gathered her into his arms and held her head against his chest. "And their father works all day and he's always to tired to do anything with them." Something twisted inside Ty and he felt a rush of anger. No father should be too busy for their children. It wasn't right. Lily sniffed and sat upright. She looked at Ty, liquid eyes pleading.

"Will you watch over them when I'm gone?"

"Anything for you." Ty said. Lily smiled.

"Will you visit me too? I'd like to remember what I forgot."

"I will."

"Will you tell me more about Italy?" she asked. And so Ty told her. Story after story of their adventures across the world as spies for a secret agency until she fell asleep. Ty covered her shoulders with the blanket and left the room. P-DAM turned the lights off for him.

Would you like me to remove the footage from earlier, sir?

Ty grinned, "I was never here."

Yes, sir!

...

Ty returned to the hospital every day, always after visiting hours. He would walk through the doors and ask to see Lily. Macey, who was usually at the counter would hand him the key to Lily's room and he would remain peaceful. When Macey was not working the replacement soon learned that the stranger in a black hoodie was not to be ignored.

Ty became something of a legend at the hospital. The staff at night would see him come in and leave. But when they went to show others the footage he never showed up. The footage only showed them talking with something and then handing over a key that disappeared. Then the room number seventy-nine would open and close and its resident would be seen talking and staring at an empty chair. All this was through the footage that P-DAM had cleverly edited to ensure that Ty Harvey was not seen on video.

Soon they began to think Ty was Lily's guardian angel and in no time the whole city knew about Lily's angel. Though no one but the night shift ever saw him. Gifts were sent to Lily and her family from people they had never met before. Soon her hospital room was overflowing with presents, get-well cards, and money to pay for treatment. The day after all the presents had been brought out even more came flooding in. Lily was owverwhelmed by the kindness, often smiling when she was asked who her guardian was. She would shake her head and say,

"I do not know. But I am learning."

...

Ty silently opened door seventy-nine and stood by Lily's bedside. She was sleeping again. She looked so tired. He didn't have the heart to wake her. Yet she stirred anyway.

"Harvey?"

"Lily."

"How are my children."

"They will miss you but they know they will see you again." Ty said. Lily was silent for a long time.

"Harvey?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"You asked me once if I remembered you." she said. "I remember you now."

"Then you will remember I love you."

"Yes. I love you too, my guardian angel." Lily closed her eyes and her breathing deepened. Ty kissed her forehead.

"Goodbye, my love."

...

Lily passed away the next morning surrounded by friends and family. Harvey, as the family knew him, was nowhere to be seen, though they wouldn't have known it was him even if they did see him. It was not until the end of Lily's funeral did they finally catch a glimpse of the ellusive man.

They were just about to leave when Hannah, Lily's daughter, turned around and saw a man in all black standing by her mother's coffin.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, tugging on his sleeve. Her father looked back.

"Sir?" Ty didn't answer. "Stay here kids." he said as he walked over. "Sir, the funeral is over." He paused in shock when the strange man turned. His face was streaked with tears yet he was smiling.

"Are you Harvey?" the father asked.

"Yes. That's what she called me." Harvey said. He groaned and clutched his chest, sinking slowly to his knees.

Sir! Your vitals. They-they're...

I know, P-DAM. It's okay. I've given the house to them. Watch over them for me.

Yes, sir.

"Harvey?" the father exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

Harvey looked up and past him and smiled. "Lily." he whispered.

******************************

Contest Entry

Prompt

Judges:

Ithildaeforever

BananaBam03

GadSul