Julia Jones - The Teenage Years: Boxed Set - Books 2, 3 and 4

by Katrina Kahler

  “Ky?” I stammered. “Ky, are you okay?”

  It was then that I heard the door creak slowly open behind me and I turned to see his grandmother standing there, the smile wide on her face.

  “Julia! It’s so good you’re here! Ky’s come back to us, Julia. He’s come back!”

  Grinning in acknowledgement, I looked at her and then towards Millie who had entered the room behind her, the look of delight obvious on her face as well.

  But when I turned back to Ky, it was the questioning stare that he was directing towards his grandmother that created an instant anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It seemed clear to me right then that something was definitely wrong.

  “Ky,” Mrs. Roberson asked, the concern in her voice indicating that she too, could see there was a problem. “Are you okay?”

  Very gently, I reached for his hand. But instantly, he pulled away, clearly uncomfortable with the gesture. Fear took its place inside me. I looked into his eyes, those beautiful gray-blue eyes that I loved and adored, and the guarded stare that peered cautiously back, filled me with dread.

  “Ky,” I prodded gently, “It’s me, Julia. And this is my friend, Millie. The one who has just returned from overseas. You remember me talking about her, don’t you?”

  But the confusion was clear on his face, and he shook his head slightly, his brow creasing into a deep frown.

  It was then that he opened his mouth to speak. “Ah, sorry, do I know you?”

  Struggling to breathe, I felt the knot in my stomach take a firm hold, the tension tightening as the seconds ticked by.

  “Ky, it’s me, Julia. Of course you know me!”

  I uttered the words forcefully. This had to be a joke of some sort. But why he would choose this moment was something I could not understand. It was not funny at all. In fact it was cruel and I didn’t like it one little bit.

  Glancing quickly at his grandmother did nothing to ease the anxious beat of my pounding heart. It throbbed wildly in my chest as I stared white-faced at him once more.

  He was staring back at me. The blank look of unfamiliarity towards the identity of the girl in front of him blatantly clear.

  Alarm bells rang in my mind and the sound began to work its way through my veins, desperate to escape and be heard. My hand moved in an automatic response towards my mouth. It seemed a helpless attempt to block the noise that threatened to explode into the room.

  Once more the grip of doom, had taken over.

  And I was powerless to prevent it.

  Confusion…

  Staring at Millie, aghast, I was lost for words. How could he not know me? How could that be possible, when only a few days before, he’d told me how special I was?

  “You’re amazing, Julia.”

  They had been his exact words as we’d sat by side after school one afternoon, his hand on mine and the butterflies turning crazy cartwheels inside me.

  But that vivid memory was quickly washed away when I recalled his grandmother’s voice, the growing concern obvious on her face.

  “Ky, this is Julia. You remember Julia, don’t you?”

  His smile broadened then, and I felt the tension in my body relax ever so slightly. Surely, it was just a minor memory lapse. Of course he knew me. I’m the girl he loves, aren’t I? How on earth could he forget me?

  And then, with a shake of his head, he opened his mouth to speak once more.

  “I’m sorry but I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.”

  Pacing the floor of the doctor’s office a little while later, my head spun. It was simply too much to comprehend.

  “Amnesia can sometimes occur after a head injury,” the doctor tried to explain. “Hopefully his memory will gradually return, but it could take some time. All we can do is wait and see.”

  The hysteria had risen in my voice and I struggled to remain calm. I was on the verge of losing all control and had to force myself to pause in order to take a deep breath before speaking again.

  “But he seems perfectly fine except for the fact that he thinks I’m a stranger! He knows his grandmother and his brother. He knows who he is, where he lives and where he goes to school. If he knows all of that, why doesn’t he know me?”

  “Head injuries can cause different types of amnesia,” the doctor continued, his quiet, matter of fact tone causing my frustration to reach boiling point.

  “It appears that he has no recollection of the accident whatsoever. When I asked him what he last remembers, he said it was his brother’s birthday. He recalls the day vividly as though it were yesterday. The problem is, that day occurred nearly 10 months ago but Ky thinks it has only just happened.”

  “I don’t understand,” I stammered, with a confused shake of my head. “What are you saying?”

  With a sigh, the doctor continued. “Usually this sort of thing is temporary. We just need to be patient and hopefully his full memory will return. But at this point in time, it appears that Ky has lost all memory of the past 10 months of his life.”

  Focus…

  As I paced the floor of my bedroom, I felt sick beyond measure. Ky didn’t know me. He had no idea who I was. Apart from that, everything else about him seemed absolutely fine. The doctor said they’d have to do more tests and in the meantime, all they could do was continue to monitor his progress.

  I left him there, in the hospital room along with his grandmother. It would be several days before he’d be allowed to go home and the doctor suggested that I return the next afternoon, in the hope that my appearance would spark a memory so that it would all come flowing back.

  That was the way it usually worked, he told me. Apparently, it might just take one person, or a photo or the mention of an event, and the memories would begin to return.

  Millie had done her best to comfort me and if she hadn’t been there I would not have managed. Thankfully Matt came to pick us up as soon as I texted him. But the minute I saw him hop out of his car, I became a sobbing mess. He looked helplessly towards me and then at Millie, the fear evident in his eyes. Obviously he was thinking the worst.

  I had left the explanation to Millie. I didn’t want to talk about it at all. Instead I just hugged him tightly, the whole time wishing desperately that it was simply a bad dream that I’d soon awake from. Surely that had to be the case.

  But later on in the privacy of my bedroom, the question repeated itself over and over again. Why? Why did this have to happen? My mind raced with recent images of the two of us together and I pictured his beautiful, wonderful, mesmerizing smile; the one he’d flashed the moment he spotted me calling from the side of the road behind him. It had only lasted a second. Then the car had hit him and his precious smile was gone.

  Recalling that scene made me want to vomit. I’d been keeping it in the recesses of my mind, unwilling to witness it all over again. It was simply too horrific, the graphic details too upsetting to think about. But right then, I could not let it go. It remained there in full view and on constant replay, flashing vividly in my thoughts over and over and over.

  Then, almost as if she knew I needed her, my phone rang. The shrill sound instantly bringing me back and causing the disturbing scene in my mind to disappear.

  Reaching for the phone with one hand, I wiped the sweat from my brow with the other and moved towards the window. Taking a gulp of fresh air, I felt the nausea subside somewhat, along with my whirlwind of wild thoughts.

  “Julia, are you okay?”

  Just the sound of Millie’s voice was enough to calm me, the reassurance I desperately needed right then coming from the other end of the phone line, as it stretched in an invisible thread and connected me to her.

  “Millie,” I responded, and thankful tears sprang instantly to the corners of my eyes.

  Blinking them away, I sat down on the bed and took in her words. “He’ll be fine, Julia. You heard the doctor. It’s just going to be temporary. Stay positive and focus on what you want to happen.”

  Nodding my head with acceptan
ce, I stared at myself in the mirror. Then taking a deep breath, I replied. “Yes, Millie. He will be fine. His memory will come back. Everything will be okay.”

  And once more, I pictured the two of us together…his hand in mine and his warm smile.

  That was the outcome I needed to focus on.

  Surely that was what lay ahead.

  And it was up to me to make it happen.

  Prayers…

  The next day at school seemed endless. I stared at the clock on the wall of each class countless times during every lesson, willing the hands to move more quickly. I was desperate to get to the hospital, desperate to find out if Ky’s memory had returned or even parts of it, with flashes of our time together coming back to him.

  I created a vision in my mind and it was of the familiar beautiful smile appearing on his face the moment he saw me, along with the words, “Julia, it’s so good to see you! Where have you been?”

  If I’d had my way, I would have returned to see him first thing in the morning, but his grandmother had insisted that I go to school.

  “The doctors will be doing tests throughout most of the day, Julia. And I think he needs some recovery time alone. It would be best if you arrive later in the afternoon. Hopefully by then we will see some progress.”

  I accepted her decision, knowing full well that she was right. And I also knew that school would be the distraction I needed. It was soon apparent as well, that I had the support I wanted and hoped for from my friends, all of whom listened intently to the latest developments.

  Their initial reaction had been one of astonishment as they tried to come to terms with the situation I’d been confronted with at the hospital the day before.

  “OMG! That is awful!! You poor thing, Julia!” Becky’s look was of genuine sympathy as she shook her head in acknowledgement of what I was going through. “It must’ve been such a shock when you realized he didn’t even know who you were!”

  “The whole thing is crazy!” Beth commented dramatically. “How can someone wake up one day with the past 10 months of their life completely erased from their memory banks? I just don’t get it!”

  “Surely though, it will all come back. I mean the guy is in love with you,” Lisa’s persuasive tone showed the conviction she felt. “We’ve all seen the way he looks at you. He adores you, Julia. It’s obvious! And there’s no way that he could forget you. This will only be temporary, I’m sure of it!”

  Grateful for their encouragement, I took in every word, each positive comment helping to build my own self-belief.

  But it was with anxiety and unease that I entered the foyer of the hospital later that afternoon and made my way through the building towards his room. When I gently opened his door however, and peeked tentatively inside, I was quite surprised to find it empty. His unmade bed and belongings still cluttered the small space but he and his grandmother were nowhere to be seen.

  After taking a glance in each direction of the hallway only to find the area deserted, apart from a visitor making her way towards the exit located at the end of the corridor, I decided to just go into the room and wait.

  As I stepped inside and looked around, the lone arm chair still sitting idly in the corner opposite, beckoned me. Heading towards it, I took comfort in its familiarity, the many hours I’d already spent cocooned within its arms, creating a mild sense of security.

  The time spent in that very spot just staring at the unresponsive boy laying comatose in the nearby bed had made me accustomed to waiting. But after about 30 minutes had ticked by and still there was no sign of Ky, or anyone else for that matter, I began to fidget with uncomfortable impatience.

  Leaning back on the headrest behind me, I closed my eyes for a moment, only to quickly open them again as a sudden thought jolted me upright. I’d promised Ky’s friends at school that I would pass on their messages of support, which of course I would do. What I neglected to tell them though was that Ky didn’t know who I was. Although I’d told my close friends, it wasn’t something that I really wanted anyone else to know. Not yet anyway. And besides that, I’d been focusing on the idea of his memory returning.

  His group of friends had been keen to make a visit to the hospital until I mentioned that for the time being, only ‘family’ were allowed. My concern however, was based around how much he would remember about his life at Carindale High School. And what his response would be when he saw his friends. Would he remember that particular group or not? He’d been a student there for quite some time and it had occurred to me in an abrupt flash, that I may be the only one from school who he didn’t recognize.

  Deep in thought, I turned to look out the window, where the curtains had been drawn to allow a full view of the street outside. Doing my best to push aside all negativity, I focused on the park across the road where a variety of people were enjoying the last of the warm sunshine that the afternoon had unexpectedly provided. There had been a huge downpour of rain earlier that morning but the welcome change in the weather had obviously encouraged everyone to be outdoors.

  Children ran through the playground while parents sat by and watched. At the same time, passers-by continued on their way, that particular park was obviously a popular place for an afternoon stroll or bike ride. And I focused my attention on the scene, unnoticed from my perch above as the myriad of people proceeded with their daily existence, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that was attempting to envelope the room where I sat.

  Sighing deeply, I turned my gaze back towards my surroundings and the unmade bed in front of me; to the place where Ky had spent so much time, unconscious and completely unaware of what had occurred only hours earlier.

  Then, as images of his recovery came to mind, I forced myself to consider a different outlook entirely. I needed to be thankful, I realized abruptly. Grateful for the miracle that he had actually survived…that was what I had prayed for and it had happened. He was walking and talking and apart from a memory lapse, he seemed barely unaffected by the turn of events. For that I knew I should be very thankful.

  As Millie and the other girls had already tried to convince me, his memory would return. It had to. The concept was just too bizarre for any other outcome to even become a possibility.

  Miracles were created every day. I knew it.

  And I prayed for one to occur right there, in that very room, the minute he walked in.

  If he smiles, it will be a sign; a sign that his memory is coming back. The thought raced around in my head and I played the scene over and over. The vision was clear, as I sat waiting, all the while willing his smiling face to appear.

  Then, just as I made a move to stand and go in search of the boy I loved, my impatience too great to wait any longer, I saw the door knob turn. And frozen with hope, I looked on, breathless and anxious, as the door began to slowly swing open in a wide arc towards me.

  Patience…

  I stared out the car window to the street beyond. The houses flashed by in a blur as the radio blasted one of the latest hit songs. It was a particular favorite and normally, I would sing along, the lyrics etched so firmly in my memory that I was able to remember every word.

  But although I didn’t feel like singing right then, I was grateful for the distraction. So much so, that I’d reached over to turn up the volume. Anything to avoid having to make conversation right then. I was sure that Matt was grateful also; the silence between us as he drove towards our house had become more and more awkward, so the loud music was a good excuse not to talk.

  Straight away he had known. The moment he’d arrived to pick me up from the hospital, he was aware of what had happened. It was written all over my face and he didn’t even have to ask.

  Just like the pages of a book, my expression had told the story. But just in case he’d misread the meaning, I told him anyway.

  “No, he doesn’t remember me. And the doctors have no idea when his memory will come back. They said we just have to wait and see.”

  Without saying a word in reply, he
had reached towards me and I could feel the warmth of his strong muscular arms as he wrapped them firmly around my shoulders. It was one of those special brother-sister moments that don’t happen very often. Neither of us needed to speak. There was nothing to say. The strength and comfort in his hug said so much more than words ever could. And right then, I think I felt closer to him than ever before.

  Feeling the tears begin to fall, I brushed them quickly away and turned towards the car. Without even reaching for the handle, the door opened, almost magically. And then I realized that Matt had opened it for me. Such a small gesture, but one that I’d never seen from my brother before, not for me anyway. That movement in itself spoke volumes.

  When I made my way into the house, it was as though a kind of numbness had taken hold and all I wanted was to be alone.

  Walking into the kitchen, I was hit with the aroma of his favorite meal, spaghetti and meat sauce, which he’d told me he had already prepared for dinner. It was actually one of the few meals that he knew how to cook and his version was one that I particularly enjoyed. But not that night. That night I had no appetite whatsoever.

  Turning to him gratefully, I thanked him for the ride home and for cooking dinner and for just being there.

  “That’s okay,” he said quietly, the concern clear on his face.

  And then, in an effort to reassure me once more, he continued, “Don’t worry, Julia. His memory will come back. It has to.”

  With a weak smile in response, I trudged up the stairs to my room and closed the door quietly behind me. Without bothering to reply to the many texts that had appeared on my phone, I switched it off and laid down on my bed. I wasn’t at all sleepy, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts; the vision of Ky when he had appeared in his hospital room firmly embedded in my head.