I heard her gasp.
“What’s the matter?” I was suddenly afraid.
“Oh, it’s nothing Sarah. Just found another big knot.”
Her voice gave her away. I lifted my hand and rubbed my head, feeling a large section underneath that was like only about an inch long.
“What is this?”
“It must have been where they operated to release the pressure on your brain. I’d forgotten that they shaved your beautiful hair off.”
“Does…does it look freakish?” I rubbed at the spot, running my fingertips over the large scar that ran along the base of my skull.
“Not at all, your hair hanging down covers it. You can’t even notice anything.”
“Really, you wouldn’t lie to me mother would you?”
And just like that, one piece of the puzzle fell into place. I remember teasing the beautiful woman with the pretty smile, brown hair and twinkling green eyes sometime in the past…exactly when I didn’t know, but I little spark flashed in my brain.
“Sarah?” I could tell she was holding her breath.
“Yes?”
“You just called me mother.” She said her voice hopeful.
“I did, didn’t I?”
“Does that mean you remember me?”
“It means I remember something.”
She rushed around to the front and bent down scooping me in her arms and squeezed. I couldn’t see, but I heard and felt her crying.
“Don’t be upset. Please. I didn’t mean to get you upset.”
“You’ve made me very happy.”
I get it. Happy tears.
She wiped her eyes, and then dug into her purse retrieving some small items. She reapplied her lipstick and sat staring at me looking every bit the regal woman she is.
“It’s been a crazy day.” I rubbed my eyes, “Do you mind, would you be upset if I close my eyes for a little bit. I’m fading; I think it’s the medication they give me.”
“You go right ahead and do that. I’m staying until you fall asleep.” She patted my hand, then gave it a squeeze. “I love you so very much Sarah.”
“I love you too mother.” I said as I closed my eyes and I could sense her smile. I smiled too. After all, I just found a memory, I think.
I woke up to see Doctor Westley standing in my room over by the window looking down on the streets below. Next to her was a walker. She turned when she heard me move in the bed.
“How are we feeling today?”
“We are feeling beat to hell, but it’s been interesting.” I said as I tried to adjust my position.
“I heard a rumor you may have gotten a memory.” She pushed the walker over to where I lay. “Your mother was beaming. I think she told everyone she saw that you remembered ‘something’ about her.”
“I did. I remembered her voice and I remembered her smile. Then out of nowhere I called her mother.” I took a breath. “I guessed from her reaction that I used to call her that.”
“So it would seem.” She sat in the chair previously occupied by ‘mother’. “I wanted to talk to you and let you know what we are going to be doing.” She turned her head and looked at the walker. “We have removed your catheter, and thought we might get you to sit up for a bit then perhaps stand. Do you feel up to that?”
“If it means I can take a shower, I’ll do whatever you say.”
“Well, a shower could be arranged I think. How do you feel physically? Any pains, any lightheadedness?”
“My hip still hurts when I tried to roll over. And I get a little lightheaded when I move too quickly.”
“You broke your hip, but we were able to get you right into a brace and it seems to have healed pretty nicely. Your ankle was broken, as well as several fingers and obviously your skull.” She looked at my face for a reaction. “Your body has healed very well, because we were able to keep you still. We medically induced a coma until the swelling in your brain went down. So now the only obstacle standing in the way of your leaving us and walking out of here is physical therapy. We will work with you here until we feel you are strong enough. Then you can pick up where we left off at our outpatient facility for more therapy. Any questions so far?”
“I will be able to walk again without that,” I pointed to the walker.
“Yes, you just need to get stronger, do your exercises and of course, avoid falling.” She smiled, “All that aside, you should be fine. You were in great physical condition, other than your injuries when you were brought in, and you are young so you have that going for you as well. We were able to repair the damage with a few screws and small plate and as I said your hip has healed very well. You may have some issues going through airport security…”
I let out a little guffaw.
“Your ankle was just slightly cracked and you were able to heal from that even faster than your hip. Now for your brain.”
“Oh, here comes the good news.” I smirked.
“Yes, well. You cracked your skull, but that wasn’t our main concern. Your brain began to swell and we had to relieve the pressure so we cut a small hole in your skull to let the building fluids escape. It was at that time that we decided a medically induced coma was how we would handle your various issues. It kept you still, allowing your body to heal, and gave your brain the time it needed to heal itself. So we did just that and waited.”
“Memory loss… is it long term?”
“It could be long term, we’re not sure. You may get all your memory back or you may not be able to remember anything that happened to you before the accident.”
“Do you know what happened? How I fell?”
“No, we only know that you were found at the base of the stairs in your home. Mr. Hunter called 911 and you were rushed here by ambulance. It was a very good thing he found you when he did.”
“Why?”
“Because the outcome could have been much worse than this.”
“Did I almost die?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
There were a few seconds of silence while that sunk in and I felt a tremor run the length of my body.
“When can I get up and shower.”
“That all depends on you. How hard are you willing to work for it?”
“Do you see this hair?” I snorted.
“Well, first let’s get you sitting up.” She stood up and walked over to the other side of the bed. Stepping on a pedal she lowered the bed as far down as it would go. I could feel the cool surface of the floor with the tips of my toes. She held me up, and had her arm wrapped around me, supporting my back, “I want you to sit, like this, for a few minutes. You are going to feel lightheaded for a bit. You haven’t eaten anything substantial, and you haven’t sat upright in quite a while so give yourself a little time to get used to it and let me know if you feel any pain.”
She released me. I grabbed the handrail with my right hand and held myself up, waiting for the dizziness to subside. She stepped back and watched me.
All at once a thousand pins and needles descended on my legs and arms, prickling me in quick succession. I inhaled deeply and held my breath. I was still feeling dizzy and also a bit nauseous. I swayed a little until the black dots stopped jumping behind my eyes.
“Now take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”
I did as I was told. She pulled a pair of socks that had rubber stripes from a package she had shoved in her pocket and knelt down, pulling them onto my feet.
“Traction.” She said as she looked up at me.
“Thank you.”
“How do you feel?”
“If I had to be honest, I’m feeling kinda crappy right now.”
“That’s perfectly normal and expected. Do you feel up to trying to stand?”
“I think so.”
“Okay. I want you to grab both sides of this.” She set the walker directly in front of me. “Now, slowly slide down until your feet are flat on the floor. Make sure to keep your backside leaning on the bed.”
> I slid down until my feet were flat on the hard floor, but I still hadn’t put any of my body’s weight on them. It felt so odd to be in a vertical position, alien even. I grabbed both sides of the walker and waited for further instruction.
“You doing okay there?”
I didn’t want to tell her that I had a throbbing pain in my upper thigh, I was afraid she’d stop and make me get back in bed.
It felt so good getting this far, I didn’t want to stop and the sooner I could do this walking thing, the sooner I could leave this place.
The muscles in my arms and hands trembled with the strength of my grip—or lack thereof—and I pulled myself up onto my feet. I was exhausted, but I refused to give up.
I slowly straightened my body, as straight as I was able to, and nearly screamed with the pain in my hip, but as I stood there gritting my teeth, the pain began to ebb, and stopped short of a dull throb.
“How am I doing?” I asked. I sounded winded and totally out of breath.
“You’re doing wonderfully. But I think that this is probably enough for one day, we’ll do more tomorrow.”
I was incredibly disappointed and wasn’t ready to give up just yet, so I took one step closer to her.
“Sarah…”
“I want to try.” I took another step. The dizziness was becoming worse and I knew it was just a matter of time before I was on the floor. “I think you’re right. Too much too soon.”
I was about to back up when I staggered and started to fall to the side. Before I knew what was happening a strong pair of arms reached out, grabbed me from the side and lifted me and pulled me up against his body.
“I think that is enough for today, am I right doctor?” I looked up and through my spinning eyes saw piercing blues staring down at me. I had been so focused on pushing myself that I didn’t even hear him enter.
“Yes Mr. Hunter. I do think it is enough for today. Very well done, Sarah.”
“Thanks. How about that shower?”
“Perhaps tomorrow, we’ll try taking a few steps, but right now, we’ve got to concentrate on getting your strength back. You don’t want any setbacks do you?”
I’m sure the disappointment on my face was obvious.
“I really…” I actually sounded like a child.
“Would it be okay if I took Sarah into the bathroom and set her up on the chair in the shower?”
I didn’t really grasp what was being said and leaned my head against Brad’s chest. Even in this state of mind, the smell of him filled my nostrils and sent my senses reeling. That smell was familiar to me and I liked it. A lot.
“That would be fine as long as she doesn’t put full weight on her hip.”
“That okay with you Sarah?” Brad looked down at me.
“If it means I can wash up, I’m all for it.”
“Well, then, I’ll leave you two to it. I’ll be in to check on you before I leave tonight. Enjoy your shower and your meal. Smells delicious.”
I looked over Brad’s shoulder and saw two large paper bags. And when I tell you the aromas emanating from those brown bags had me literally salivating, take me seriously.
“How about you get me into that shower now, so I can eat that.” I indicated the bags with my chin.
“As you wish.”
Flash.
Another weird feeling…a memory feeling.
Brad lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bathroom setting me down on the toilet. He leaned in and situated the chair inside the shower.
“Stay there. I’ll grab you some clean clothes. Then I’ll help you with that.” He indicated my hospital gown. “I’ll turn on the water when I get back.”
“Mr. Hunter.” I said, trying to sound indignant.
The look he cast my way almost made me laugh. He looked downright insulted.
“I won’t look Sarah. I won’t do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”
“Well…okay.” As soon as he walked away, I rushed to take off the hospital gown and realized that is all I had on. I held it against my naked body and reached out, pulling the shower curtain over me and wrapped it around my body also.
“Here you go.” He walked backwards into the room and placed a pair of pretty pink pajamas and a pair of dainty underwear on the hook. Then leaned in and turned the faucet on. “Let me know when it’s the right temperature.”
I reached out sticking my arm under the water flow; it was cool but rapidly warming.
Perfect.
“There… that’s perfect.” I said softly.
He reached his arm around me, all the while averting his eyes, and pulling the shower curtain to the side, he held me upright as I hopped on one foot.
Once inside, I quickly took a seat and lifted my head, letting the spray of water slowly coat my body.
“Are you under the shower head?” He asked.
I almost laughed out loud. His eyes were tightly shut and his shirt was getting soaked.
“Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Call out when you are done. I’ll leave you some towels here.” He pointed to a little ledge over the toilet.
“I will. Dry yourself off. Your arms are soaked. And Bradley.” He averted his gaze, and I almost laughed. I said almost, “thank you for doing this.”
“My pleasure.”
I unwrapped the small soap and using my hands worked up a thick lather.
Brad took a towel and was drying off as he walked out of the room. He left the door opened just the slightest bit. I lifted my head to the water again and nearly squealed with delight, feeling cleaner by the second. I soaped up my hair with the shampoo that was sitting on the small shelf and rinsed it. As I worked the conditioner into my rat’s nest, I ran my fingertips along the long scar. My stomach tightened. I’m sure it felt worse than it looked. I swallowed, feeling a lump settle in my throat.
“No room for negative thoughts.” I mumbled.
“What was that?”
Damn, he must be sitting right outside the door. Either that or he has the hearing of a bat.
“Nothing…just thinking out loud.”
After I was finished with my hair I used the washcloth and the soap and washed my entire body…twice. I called out that I was done, and Bradley was there in a few seconds.
“Done?”
“Yes. Could you please turn off the water?” I asked, not wanting to put any weight on my leg.
“Of course.” He reached in and twisted the knob shutting off the water and with his hand over his eyes walked out. I dried off, which in a sitting position was not the easiest thing to do, but it was worth feeling clean again.
I pulled the pajama top on and buttoned the front, then pulled on the panties, which, if you could see me trying to navigate my leg into the little hole, was comical to say the least, and then the pajama bottoms. I noticed I got the hem a little wet.
“Damn it.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I pulled back the curtain and saw that Bradley had left a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste on the ledge. I held onto the bar in the shower and reached over, grabbing both and brushed my teeth in the shower leaning against the wall.
Wow, what a difference. No more cotton mouth, just minty fresh breath.
I hopped over to the door and peeked outside. Bradley spotted me and walked over to where I stood, holding onto the doorframe for balance.
“Here, let me.” He reached under me and effortlessly lifted me in his arms and carried me over to the bed. When he set me down. I noticed that there were two plates made and one glass of wine for him and a glass of water for me.
“Ummm. Smells heavenly.”
On the plate was a steak, filet mignon I think, with a baked potato, asparagus and small salad.
“Do you need help?”
“Only cutting it, I think.”
He pulled it over and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Then cut the potato and
smeared the sour cream. My mouth was watering just watching him. The steak was perfectly pink in the middle and the sour cream melted on the still hot potato.
“How did you keep it so hot?”
He pulled out two boxes. “I picked it up on my way here. It’s from Delmonico’s. Frank had it all ready for me in the warming boxes when I got there. Told me he undercooked it so that it would be just the way you liked it when I got here.”
“Frank?”
“Yeah, the chef. He’s, um, a friend of ours.” He looked at me like he expected me to remember.
I lifted my fork with a piece of tender filet and slowly, and successfully I might add, brought it to my mouth.
I moaned my delight.
“Wow, this is so friggin’ good.”
“Glad you like it.” He chuckled.
I chewed and swallowed as quickly as I can just so I could shove another piece in right behind it.
“Okay, so you get a gold star for knowing what I like.”
“I know everything about you...” when he saw the look on my face, he smirked, “Okay, almost everything.
After we ate, he put the plates back into the boxes and then the boxes into the bags.
“Thank you again for that. It was amazing.”
“You’re welcome again.”
“Do you think you can do me one more favor?”
“Anything.”
“Get that brush for me.” I pointed to the small table next to me where my mother left me her brush. ‘My mother’, that sounds so wrong and yet so right at the same time.
“Would you like me to brush it for you?”
“I would, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I always loved playing with your hair.”
Flash.
I remembered the feel of long elegant masculine fingers lifting and twirling my hair, fingers just like Bradley’s. I didn’t say anything. I kept my memory to myself.
It was mine after all.
The brush slowly slid down my overly conditioned hair. The sensual feeling of someone running a brush through my hair, massaging my scalp, well, it was wonderful. I felt a longing deep inside me grow, making me flustered and was confused.
I heard a quick intake of air and felt the brush stop.
Ever, Sarah Page 4
