“Mary?” he softly asked as he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.
She stirred and a sigh escaped her lips.
“Ma?” Rachel left the box and waddled over to Mary. She tapped her mother’s arm. “Ma?”
“It’s alright, honey,” Dave told his daughter. “She’s waking up. We just need to be patient.” He stroked the back of Mary’s hand with his thumb.
Holding the frog, Isaac walked over to them and leaned toward his mother. “When will she wake up?”
“She’s waking up right now,” Dave said. “Put that frog back into the box. She doesn’t need that thing shoved in her face when she opens her eyes.”
Isaac hurried to obey his father while Rachel tapped her mother’s arm again.
“Rachel, I told you not to do that,” he kindly admonished.
“Why?”
“Because it’s rude to poke people.”
“Poe?”
As he thought of how he could explain this to a one-year-old, Mary’s free hand went to her forehead and she groaned. He released her other hand and stopped Rachel from poking her mother a third time. “Go see the frog. Your mother’s fine. She just needs some space, alright?” Turning to Isaac, he added, “Get your sister over to the box.”
Isaac, who had put the frog back in the box, sighed but went over to her and led her away from their parents.
Relieved, Dave turned back to Mary and, noticing that she had removed her hand from her face, placed the cloth to her forehead.
She opened her eyes then and touched the cloth. Her eyebrows furrowed and she scanned the room.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
Her gaze went back to him and she frowned. “Where am I?”
“In the parlor. You fell down the porch steps and went unconscious, so I brought you in here. Do you need anything? Can I get you a glass of water?”
She swallowed and looked at their children who watched her even though they stayed by the box. “I don’t understand…”
“You were on the porch, turned and fell down the steps. Jasper must have seen you trip or something because he ran over to you.”
“Jasper?”
He let out a slight chuckle. “Yes. He always seems to be watching over you, doesn’t he?”
“Who’s Jasper?”
The chuckle died in his throat and he frowned. “What do you mean ‘who’s Jasper’? He’s our dog.”
“Our dog?” She struggled to sit up, so he got up from the table and helped her. When she placed the cloth in her lap, her eyes darted from him to Isaac and then to Rachel. “I don’t see a dog.”
“He’s outside.” He settled next to her and studied her. “Mary, are you alright?”
Blinking, her head snapped in his direction. “Mary? Is that my name?”
If she’d been the type to joke, he would have laughed, but the problem was, in all the time he’d known her, she wasn’t one to do such a thing. Concerned, he reached for her hand and held it. Though she didn’t resist his touch, she didn’t give him the familiar gentle squeeze he’d come to expect.
He glanced at their children. “Do you know who they are?”
She turned her gaze in their direction and slowly shook her head.
“What about me?” he whispered.
Darting a look at their hands which were clasped together, she said, “No, but I think we’re close. Are we married?”
“Yes.” Taking an uneasy breath, he carefully thought over his next question. “Do you remember anything?”
She bit her lower lip and scanned the room. After an uncomfortable moment, she sighed. “No. All I remember is waking up here.”
All he could do was stare at her and wonder how she couldn’t remember him or their children. They’d been such an important part of her life, and in one moment—just like that—she didn’t know who they were? Apprehensive, he glanced at the children who were unusually quiet as they watched her, probably understanding something was wrong but not knowing what.
“We have to see the doctor,” he finally decided and stood up.
Rachel walked over to her mother and held her arms up. Despite the uncertain expression on her face, Mary lifted her up and studied her daughter.
“Wet,” Rachel said.
“What?” Mary asked.
“I think she means she needs a new diaper,” Dave answered. “Do you remember how to change a diaper?” He certainly hoped so because he didn’t have the faintest idea, and realizing something was seriously wrong with her didn’t put him in the clearest of minds to attempt the task.
“I know,” Isaac said as he left the frog in the box and went over to them. “I can tell you how, Ma.”
Nodding, Mary got up from the couch, still holding her daughter. “What’s your name?”
Dave winced but didn’t interrupt as Isaac answered her.
“Alright, Isaac.” She shifted Rachel to her other arm and cleared her throat. “Where are the clean diapers?”
As Isaac led Mary up the stairs, Dave stood still for a moment. How could this be happening? All Mary had was a fall. It shouldn’t have been serious. It was just a bump on the head. There wasn’t even any blood. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out what to do. The doctor. He’d just said they needed to go see the doctor. He wasn’t thinking clearly. It wasn’t like him to get distracted like that, but it hurt to watch Mary look at him and their children as if she’d never seen them before. And she looked so scared.
Releasing his breath, he decided while Mary was upstairs taking care of Rachel, he’d better get the wagon ready to take into town. The sooner he saw the doctor, the sooner he’d start getting some answers.
Coming March 2012
***
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Isaac's Decision Page 28
