Mistletoe Twins
Page 21
“Not necessarily.” Dr. Gold cocked her head, studying both Ida and Caleb for a few seconds. Then she turned her attention back to Rachel. “You could have been in a car accident, or fallen off a bicycle or simply tripped, and hit your head against the ground.”
“And that would cause a concussion?” Ida asked. “Just falling?”
Caleb sank back into the chair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers interlaced. “Did it happen when she fell in the snow?”
“Not likely,” Dr. Gold said. “I suspect that Rachel sustained her injury before you ever saw her. It’s why she was meandering back and forth across the road. Concussions often result in vertigo.”
“Can you tell how long it’s been?” Ida asked.
“I can’t. There was no bleeding from the wound, so I rather doubt that someone hit her. More likely it was a simple accident.”
“What about my memory?” Rachel asked. “When will it return?”
“Memories are tricky things. You remembered my name, and you know who these people are. Correct?”
“Caleb.” She met his gaze, remembered again being in his arms. “And Ida, his mamm.”
“Which is a good sign. This tells us your brain is still working the way it should.”
“But I wouldn’t have remembered my name if it hadn’t been written in that book, and I still don’t know where I live or who I am.”
“In most cases those memories will return in time.”
“How much time?”
“Remember what I said earlier? You don’t just have a concussion. You also have retrograde amnesia.”
“And what does that mean?”
“That it may be a few days or weeks or even months before you regain your memories.”
Rachel felt as if she was falling into a long, dark tunnel. She stared down at the cotton blanket covering her and grasped it between both of her hands. “That long?”
“I’m afraid so, but the good news is that your memory is working now, and it will continue to work. You may not be able to remember what happened before the accident, but you can create new memories. Plus you’re healthy in every other way.”
“But what am I to do? Where will I live?”
“If you’d like, we have a social worker here at the hospital that can meet with you and find temporary housing for you. We’ll also put you in contact with a liaison with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office. Perhaps your family has reported you missing. It could be that they’re looking for you even now.”
“What do I do until they find me?”
“Be patient. Give your brain time to heal. Live your life.”
“I don’t have any money, though.”
“There are charities that provide funds for those in need. You don’t need to worry about money right now.”
“She doesn’t need to worry about where to live, either.” Ida stood and moved to the side of the bed. She was about Rachel’s height but looked a bit shorter, owing to her weight. She wasn’t big exactly, but rounded, like a grandmother should be. She was probably close to fifty with gray and brown strands of hair peeking out from under her prayer kapp. “Rachel, we would be happy to have you stay with us. We have an extra room. It’s only Caleb and John and myself, so it’s a fairly quiet environment. You can rest and heal.”
Rachel didn’t know if that was a good idea. Ida and John seemed like a nice couple, and Caleb had saved her, but she wasn’t sure they wanted a brain-injured person living with them. Then again, what choice did she have?
She didn’t want to go to a police station.
She didn’t want to wait on a social worker.
“Stay with us,” Ida repeated.
“Ya.” Rachel nodded, wiping away the tears that had begun to slide down her cheeks. “Okay. Danki.”
Dr. Gold was pleased with the arrangement, and Ida was grinning as if Christmas had come early, but when Rachel glanced at Caleb, she wasn’t sure if she saw relief or regret in his eyes.
Copyright © 2018 by Vannetta Chapman
ISBN-13: 9781488090943
Mistletoe Twins
Copyright © 2018 by Lois M. Richer
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