by S. M. Dapelo
“What bomb?” I screeched closing my eyes tight.
“Babe look at me,” I opened my eyes, Ethan was in front of me. “I can’t have you hyperventilate. We can’t give you oxygen, in case of a spark. What we thought was damage from a stroke, was some sort of implant. We suspect it’s a bomb. It might be something else, but we always plan for the worst.”
“Yep, a brain bomb would be the worst. Straight out of the Suicide Squad. Only in the movie they put it in the neck, so there’d be less pain,” Tanner said.
“Are you saying it’s a bomb?” Ethan was looking over my head, his eyes not betraying anything.
“I’m looking at it now. I’m only explaining to Sam what we’re preparing for,” Tanner’s voice was eerily calm. “We’ll need Berto. This looks more up his alley,” Tanner concluded.
“There’s irreparable damage, and there’ll be more if I take it out,” I heard Richard’s grim voice.
“Get it out,” I yelled, my breath coming in shallow gasps.
“What kind of damage?” Ethan asked quietly.
“Mind you, I’m only guessing here, but by where this is located, I’d say it was designed to wipe her recall. In my opinion, there’s a ninety-five percent chance she won’t get her memory back if we take this out. She’ll have to rebuild almost everything,” Richard explained.
Ethan held my gaze for a moment, then his eyes traveled over my head again and he gave a slight nod and scratched his nose, “She wants it out. Take it out.”
“Ethan, that means …” I heard Tanner start.
“I’m aware. We’ll rebuild the memories. Maybe they’ll be better,” his eyes softened when they looked at me again.
“First thing,” I looked at Ethan, trying to get my mind on anything but the object in my brain. “Can we have someone photoshop a better dress on that wedding picture? I hate that dress.”
I heard Tanner snort and Ethan’s eyes crinkled. “That’s what you’re worried about? Choose whatever dress you like, Sugar. I’ll have Berto put a different one in.”
“Thank God. And don’t let me drink when I choose it,” I begged.
“You won’t be drinking for a few months at least,” I heard Richard, “As your neurosurgeon, I’ll have to clear you first.”
“We’ll need her to recover at the compound. That thing being in her head should show why,” Ethan stated.
“She should be staying here for at least five days,” argued Richard.
“That thing proves she can’t,” Tanner said behind me.
“Got it,” I heard Richard whisper. “I understand why she can’t, but we need to have someone out there with her. She could still have a bleed or seizure, or any number of things could go wrong.”
“Give us the list,” Ethan rubbed his forehead. “We have several medics in the group, including Tanner. We’ll all keep a close eye on her. How long is the total recovery going to take?”
“Four to eight weeks,” Richard responded, “I’ll keep her on steroids, to deal with the brain swelling. She’ll be sleeping a lot at first, but she needs it for her recovery. She also needs to walk every day, starting today. Not a lot, but a little more each day. She can wash her hair in two to three days. I’ll prescribe a pain killer and an antibiotic, plus I’ll be out daily for the next week. Any idea who put this in her? I want their license pulled.”
“She can still hear you,” I sighed.
“I’m going to give you a sedative,” Richard explained, “I was informed that the IV needs to be taken out before you wake. Something about trypanophobia. Normally I’d strap you down, but we need to keep your anxiety levels low. When you wake up, all the needles will be gone.”
I started to go out right away, but I did hear, “Get it to Berto now.”
Chapter 6
I woke up in what looked to be a hotel room. Expensive prints were on the wall along with a queen-sized bed, and soft white walls. “Why am I in a hotel?”
Ethan was sprawled in a plush chair by the bedside, “This is a room in a high-end boutique hospital. Nice, huh?”
I covered my face with my hands, “So it happened? There was something in my brain?”
“Yeah Sugar. Luckily, it wasn’t a bomb like we feared. It was some sort of chip. We’re not sure what it does yet, but it looks like that’s what actually caused the memory loss.” His head cocked sideways, “Do you remember anything?”
I thought for a moment and shook my head, “Nothing. Everything starts with you telling me to wake up.”
He sighed, “Okay. Since you’re conscious, we’re moving you. We’ll have you walk out on your own, and that can be your exercise for today. Do you need help getting changed?”
Ethan reached forward and helped me sit up. I bit my lip, “I honestly don’t know. Who did that to me?”
“We’re looking into it now. Lyssa’s sitting with you tonight. I have something I need to do for work.” He reached behind me, undoing the hospital gown. Suddenly I felt my face go hot.
“I think I can take care of it. Where are my clothes?” I forced a small smile, which he returned as if he understood my dilemma.
“You should let me help you,” he said quietly. “I’m perfectly able to control myself.” That made me frown. Was something wrong with me? “You just got out of surgery,” he explained, obviously reading my face. “I’m not a monster.” I gave a small smile and he sighed.
“I had Lyssa bring something else, since you hated that dress so much. But it’s still an easy, throw over the head thing,” he walked over and handed me a pile of clothes. “I’ll be right outside the door. Yell if you need assistance.”
I rubbed my face, then grabbed my clothes. The underwear took a little longer than I’d like, but I eventually got the black sweater dress on. Thank goodness Lyssa sent flats, I couldn’t imagine trying to balance on heals right now. “Ethan, I’m done,” I yelled out, thinking about how much I wanted to go back to bed. I touched my head real fast, it felt like I still had all my hair.
“They shaved a small bit on the side,” Ethan was standing in the doorway with Tanner, “When I checked your head earlier, it was obvious where the previous operation had been done. Richard shaved in the same place. You have so much hair, none of us noticed it. Nobody can while it’s down.”
Tanner was staring at his feet. “Samantha, are you okay to walk down on your own? I’ll grab a wheelchair if you need it.”
I shook my head and stood. Ethan was there to grab my arm. “I need to do this,” I closed my eyes for a second, the muscles in my legs tightening in preparation.
Ethan wrapped his arm around me, “Tanner, grab a wheelchair. Just in case.” Tanner gave a single nod and walked out.
“What was that thing in my head?” I asked slowly walking to the door.
“Berto’s working on it,” replied Ethan.
“Vague,” I said.
Tanner walked up with the wheelchair, “The only thing we know is it wasn’t a bomb. Looking at the damage it caused, Rich thinks it set off some sort of electric pulse in your brain, basically electrocuting it.”
I stopped and stared, knowing my mouth was hanging open. “Tanner,” ground out Ethan. “No stress. We discussed this.”
I looked at Ethan, “I think I’m going to need the wheelchair.”
He sighed, “I assumed. We’ll count your walk from the bed to the door your walk for today. We’ll go further tomorrow.” Ethan helped me into the chair and took the handles. His jaw pulsed as he looked at Tanner, “Look up cookbooks in your kindle. You’re cooking until she feels better.”
“Yeah, I figured,” sighed Tanner.
Chapter 7
I was awake for most of the drive this time. We pulled off onto what I thought was a back road. Turned out that was the driveway. Several small houses dotted the landscape along the way. “Who lives there?” I asked pointing at the cottages.
“Our men,” replied Ethan.
“We have men?” I blinked at him.
His
voice deepened, “Yes. I take everyone’s safety seriously. The fact that someone did this to you, my wife, makes this especially egregious.”
I looked back at Tanner, “When did Ethan’s start talking like a supervillain?”
He shrugged, “I think he was watching Thor or Dr. Strange, or something like that while you were out. Something with Anthony Hopkins or Patrick Stuart.” Ethan’s jaw started ticking. Then I finally saw our home.
“Maybe he should be talking like Magneto, cause this place looks like a fortress,” I breathed. The house was stone and had the look of a castle. It was huge.
“I was watching X-Men,” muttered Ethan.
“Thus the multi-syllable words,” smiled Tanner as Ethan parked in front of the mansion. “When he watches Deadpool the four-letter words become increasingly creative.”
“Shut up, butthead,” Ethan exited his side and came around to mine, opening the door and picking me up.
“See,” Tanner said as he exited his back door, “No cussing. Obviously, a PG-13 movie.”
I giggled as I laid my head on Ethan’s shoulder. He quickly carried me up the stairs and back to our room. He sat me on the bed and started going through the drawers. “I’ll find you something to switch into. You’re bedridden for the next few days. We’ll bring dinner up for you.” He reached over and hit a button. A television coming to view on the opposite wall. “You can watch TV and sleep. That’s all that’s expected for now.” He turned and handed me a dark green silk gown.
“Get changed, I’ll grab water and some broth for you. Liquid diet, per the doctor. We can start you on soft foods tomorrow,” he gave a small smile and walked out of the room. I looked around and changed, quickly realizing that this was the kind of nightwear that led to anything but sleep. I stumbled to the closet, looking for a robe. It was practically empty on one side while the other was full of Ethan’s stuff.
“What are you doing?” Ethan walked back in and headed toward me.
“Looking for a robe. Where are all my clothes?” I bit my bottom lip.
“We send our laundry out,” Lyssa walked in. “Plus, you do this whole, ‘I only need five key pieces’ thing. It’s tedious, but you do pack light.”
“I’ve been trying to convince you to buy more for a long time,” Ethan said as he wrapped an arm around me as he reached for something on my side. “Here, use mine. Yours is obviously still in the wash. We still haven’t picked up the last dry-cleaning run yet either. You have at least a week’s worth there. When you’re feeling more awake, we’ll hit the internet and buy you more. That is, if we can get you away from the capsular wardrobe thing.”
“Okay,” I glanced at my almost empty side in confusion. I kept feeling like I was missing something. There were a couple of pairs of jeans and maybe three blouses hanging up.
Berto came in with his arms full of garment bags, “Hey, I picked up the laundry. Looks like whoever was supposed to pick it up last week missed most of Sam’s stuff.” He pulled something silk-like from the top, “Your robe was in the dryer.”
I turned to Ethan, “Why is our laundry being delivered?”
“Cause we can afford it.” Tanner said as he walked in and tossed a remote on the bed. “I programmed all the Marvel movies into the DVR collection. Plus, some classics.”
I looked at all the people in my room and shrugged on Ethan’s black robe. I was starting to sweat, “Ethan, I think…”
“You need to sleep.” He picked me up and headed toward the bed. “Everyone out. Samantha’s resting for now. Berto, go ahead and drop the clothes in that chair,” he pointed to one behind him. “I’ll put them up later.” Everyone else shuffled out of the room as Ethan tucked me under the covers.
“What did Berto find out about that thing in my head?” I asked as my eyes started closing again.
“I’m going to find that out now. Doesn’t matter, though. It’s work and I don’t talk to you about that.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, “Sleep. I’ll check in with you later,” I heard as I drifted off.
Chapter 8
For the next week, a routine gradually emerged. I’d sleep most of the morning, eat only a little of whatever Tanner was able to put together, and watched whatever was on television until I fell asleep again. In the afternoon Ethan would walk me around the English garden that was in the back of the house until I needed to sit, then he’d pick me up and put me back into bed. The doctor, Richard, would show up in the evening and check me out, nod to himself, then walk out into the hallway and speak with Ethan.
On the eighth day, I stumbled to the closet and grabbed some jeans and a loose flowing shirt, then stumbled into the bathroom and started up the shower. I cringed when I realized I hadn’t been too hygienic lately, only wanting sleep. Ethan helped me wash my hair once, and that was it. Everything else was a washup in the sink. I started the shower and stood under the stream taking a breath and enjoying.
“Samantha,” I heard Ethan’s voice.
“I’m in here,” I leaned against the wall for a moment then stood up again.
“You should have told me you needed a shower. I would have helped you,” Ethan walked into the shower, his chest to my back. I could feel the heat pouring off him.
“Hi,” I started.
“You’re not showering or bathing alone until we’re sure you’re not going to pass out. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.” He leaned down and whispered, “At least not until you ask me to.”
“Ummm,” I stuttered.
He grabbed the shampoo and started rubbing it through my scalp, going lightly over the sutures. “I’m sending someone in to change the sheets after you get dressed. Do you want to sit in the library, or we could walk down to see the horses?”
I glanced backward, “You have horses?”
He turned me, tipped my head back under the spray, and I stared at his storm colored eyes. “Yeah, there’s only three at the moment, but I plan on adding to them.” He smiled for a moment and leaned down, kissing me softly. “I’ll be right outside the door. Yell if anything goes wrong.”
I stood there for a moment, stunned. As much as he’d told me he was my husband, Ethan hadn’t kissed me as if he wanted to since I’d woken up in the car. He’d kissed me on the forehead, and cheek, but that was it.
I took a breath and finished in the shower, quickly changing into clothes, and walked out, my hair still damp. Ethan and Tanner stopped talking and turned toward me. “What do you feel up to, today?” Ethan asked.
I shrugged, “I don’t know, but I can’t stand the idea of being in this room another minute.” I thought for a moment, “Where have you been sleeping? It’s just been me this whole time.”
“Down the hall. I didn’t want to disturb you. I’ll move back in tonight,” Ethan smiled as Tanner frowned at him.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Tanner asked.
“Richard said it was,” Ethan glanced at me. “How do you feel about a walk now?”
I gave a small nod, “You said there were horses?”
“They’re out in the field, just past the garden. We’ll walk to the fence and let you see them,” Ethan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.
I thought for a second, “Do I ride?”
Tanner shook his head, “No riding for you. Rich thinks it’ll be about a year before we should even consider it.”
“So, I used to ride?”
Tanner burst out laughing as Ethan took my hand led me toward the door, “You weren’t going to make the Olympic equestrian team,” Ethan said glaring at my brother, “but you could sit in a saddle. If they were gentle. And if you had someone leading you. Horses were one of those things you liked to watch from a distance.”
I smiled, “Can I make lunch when we come back?”
“Something wrong with how I cooked?” I turned to see Tanner with his jaw jutting and arms crossed.
I tried to produce something, but could only cringe and shake my head, “Did no one give you a cookbook? It was … I just
enjoy cooking.”
His eyes narrowed, “You think I wanted to cook?”
I shook my head, “No. That was obvious.”
Ethan grabbed my hand tugged, “The new cook starts today. Stop fighting. Horses. Now.” He put his arm around my waist, taking me to the door that led out back.
I tried to salvage the conversation with my brother, “The chipped beef last night was interesting.”
Ethan yanked open the door. “That was Chicken Stew,” he whispered in a sotto voice. Then he turned to Tanner, “We’re going to take it slow on introducing things to her. Richard said too much information and she could go into overload. I’ll go over those other things with you when we get back from our walk.” He gave Tanner an odd look.
Tanner nodded, “I understand. Let me know when you’re ready,” then walked away.
Ethan tugged me through the door, “Let’s see the horses.”
We walked up to a field of mixed grasses and clover and watched them as they ate. You could hear the ripping and chewing of grass with an occasional snort. “What're their names?” I asked.
He ran his tongue over his teeth, “Names, umm, well, the black one is Beauty, the white one is, um, Trigger?”
I stared at him with my mouth open, “You don’t know? Are they even your horses?”
He frowned, “Of course they’re my horses. Kind of. They’re breeders and studs. They’re an investment.”
My mouth fell open, “You have horses, and you don’t even know their names. Horses are living beings, not investments.”
He ran a hand over his eyes, “I have a foreman whose job it is to work with them. They’re superbly taken care of.” He huffed out a breath, “This isn’t going how I planned.”
I decided to give him a break, “I’m getting tired. Can I sit down somewhere? You said something about the library?” He gave a forced smile and nodded, leading me back to the house.
“Wasn’t expecting you back this soon,” Tanner was back in the entrance with a sandwich.
