Come To Me

by Thompson, LaVerne

  “Do you have any more news for us, Doctor?” Baron asked.

  “The good news is there’s no sign of hemorrhaging. Her brain may be traumatized, which is why she’s unable to respond while it reorganizes itself. It’s a protection mechanism as a result of the blow to her head, but from the EEG we ran, the brain-wave patterns don’t show any alarming abnormalities. She should waken at anytime, but we’ll keep monitoring the situation. And if she doesn’t come to on her own by morning, then we’ll do a CT scan and, depending on those results, take it from there. But right now we treat this one day at a time.”

  “And when she wakes up, will she be all right?” Baron asked.

  “That’s hard to say. It depends on how long she’s in the coma, but I’ll know more by morning and we’ll talk again then.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Baron said. Tony echoed his sentiments.

  After the doctor left, Baron sat in the chair again but glanced over at Tony. “You look like shit, man.”

  Tony laughed without mirth. “You’re talking to your mirror.”

  “Go home. I’ll stay the night with her.”

  His pal shook his head. “No way. I’m staying to watch over you both.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Oh, my head.”

  “Hey, there. Take it easy.”

  She opened her eyes and stared into the blazing green ones she’d remembered seeing in a dream. She blinked. She let her gaze roam over the rest of his face. He seemed familiar. His mouth opened and closed but he wasn’t saying anything. Who was he? He was gorgeous and she knew him. She shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear the cloud around her brain. She opened her eyes again and looked around not recognizing the room, but its sterile appearance and the fact she was in a hospital bed clued her in.

  “What… What happened?”

  Her ears seemed stuffy like she was sick. She felt weak but this wasn’t a cold. She was staring directly at the man in the room and saw his mouth moving, but she couldn’t hear a word he was saying. Was he even speaking?

  “I’m sorry, but what did you say?” She raised her hands and placed her palms over her ears. She couldn’t hear herself.

  He took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back, smiling at him. He returned her grin and leaned closer. Again his mouth moved, but again she didn’t hear a word he said.

  “What’s going on? I see your mouth moving, but you aren’t saying anything. Can you hear me?” Fear crept up her spine, especially when she saw his eyebrows rise like he was surprised. He released her hand and straightened. He held up one finger, then he said something else and left the room.

  She tried sitting up, but her body had other ideas, and her head fell back to the pillow. What was going on? Why was she there? Who was that guy? She racked her brain. He seemed familiar, like she should know him. She had a vague recollection of his face just before she passed out. An accident. They were in some sort of accident and he saved her life. But who was he? And…who was she? Who was she?

  Just as she was about to panic, the man came back with a nurse and another man in a white lab coat. Hopefully they could clear all of this up.

  She saw the doctor’s mouth moving and shook her head. She heard nothing he said. Her breath began to come faster. “I…I can’t hear you. Why can’t I hear you? Shouldn’t I be able to hear? I can’t even hear me.”

  The doctor turned to the nurse. The woman’s nametag revealed her name: Cathy. She stood beside him and said something. She had a notepad and wrote something on it. The doctor took a pen out of his pocket and held it close to her ear. At first she shied away from it, but he held her head, indicating he wanted her to stay still. She continued to watch him. But then Cathy handed her a pad along with a pen. She took it from the woman’s hand and read it.

  ‘My name is Doctor Kilgore. Did you hear that?’

  She looked up at them, confused, then back at the man and shook her head. “No. Hear what?”

  The doctor held his hand out and touched the paper. She turned it over to him and watched him write on it. He returned it to her and she read it.

  ‘I clicked my pen several times. First near your right ear, then your left.’

  She looked up the physician, and felt her heart rate increasing. “I…I didn’t hear anything. Shouldn’t I be able to hear that? I can’t even hear myself. My ears are stuffy.”

  Doctor Kilgore turned the pad again and wrote on it then gave it back to her.

  ‘We’ll run a few tests and see what’s going on.’

  “Okay,” she said. “But I don’t understand. What happened to me? I remember an accident… An explosion?”

  The doctor put his pen to the paper. ‘Yes, that’s right. You were in a car accident and you’ve been unconscious for the last two days.’

  “What?”

  The man who’d been with her earlier rushed to her other side and took her hand. She held onto it like a lifeline, finding it impossible to believe what she’d read. She glanced back and forth between him and the others in the room. “Is…is that true?”

  At least they could hear her since both men nodded.

  It looked like Doctor Kilgore spoke to the man in the room with her and then left. The man said something to the Cathy, and then he motioned to the note pad, but just turned it in her hand and wrote, ‘Be right back.’ Then he left the room.

  After he’d gone, Cathy took the pad from her and wrote, ‘I’m leaving this with you so you’ll be able to talk to your fiancé. He and his friend have been worried about you.’

  She blinked, then raised her left hand, noticing for the first time the stunning rock on it. “Oh, my god!” She raised her gaze to meet that of the beaming nurse’s. “I’m engaged. Yes, that seems right. I think.”

  Cathy frowned and touched the pad. After scribbling on it, she gave it back to her. ‘Don’t you know?’

  Tears pooled in her eyes and she shook her head. “I…I’m not sure. I…I don’t really remember. He seems familiar. I remember the crash and him being there and saving my life. And the ring feels right on my hand. But I’m just not sure.”

  The nurse wrote again. ‘What’s your name?’

  Blank. Her mind was blank. She just stared at the woman, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t control the way her body shook with fright. Then the handsome man the nurse said was her fiancé came back into the room. Their gazes connected and he saw her distress. He glanced at Cathy, rushed over to the bed and sat on it. They seemed to exchange words, then the nurse left the room. She held onto his arm and he placed his arm around her shoulder. She pressed her face into his chest and cried, the sobs rocking her body against his.

  “I don’t know my name. What’s my name? What’s yours?” She raised her head and she saw his mouth moving. He handed her a box of tissues. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, feeling unsettled, then she looked around on the bed for the pad she’d dropped, but he got to it and the pen before she could.

  ‘Your name is Jasmine Sandler.’

  She shook her head. “Jasmine. I like it. What’s your name? I’m sorry I don’t remember it. But I do remember your face.” It was a strong memory. She raised her hand and touched his chin. “You…you saved me. You were with me in the car and pulled me out of there.”

  He wrote. ‘Tony Westland.’

  She smiled. “I like that name, too. Thank you. Thank you for saving me.”

  He mouthed what she thought was, “You’re welcome.”

  Just then the doctor and nurse returned, and he left the room while they examined her. They asked her a lot of questions, none of which she could hear, but then they wrote it down. Like the month, year, who was president. All of which she was able to answer. Yet she didn’t know what she did for a living or where she lived. When they asked her if she was engaged, she looked at the ring and a flash of memory, a feeling of intense joy told her she was.

  “To Tony?” she asked.

  Cathy grinned and nodded, confirming it
.

  She returned the look feeling better that she at least seemed to get that right. And while she remembered his face, there was something off. Something else she couldn’t quite reach, and the more she thought about it, the more her head pounded.

  “What happened?”

  Baron rushed back to the hospital as soon as he’d gotten the call from Tony that Jasmine was awake, but what the physician said almost had him falling to his knees. The doctor and Tony cornered him at the nurse’s station before he entered Jasmine’s room.

  After their explanations, he had to take a few deep breaths and calm himself. Memory loss or not. Deafness or not. She was alive. The rest could be fixed or lived with.

  “I’m sorry for the confusion,” the doc said. “When Ms. Sandler first woke up, she understandably was agitated when she discovered she couldn’t hear. But then it was shortly revealed she’s suffered some memory loss. For instance, she knows most basic day-to-day facts, like the month and year, but she doesn’t remember her name or even where she lives or works.”

  “How…how is that possible?” Stunned, Baron glanced at Doctor Kilgore. “Is this permanent?”

  “We’re not sure yet. She’s asleep now, but we’ll run a few tests. However, this is not uncommon for people who’ve come out of comas. In most cases, these symptoms are temporary and will clear up once the brain re-programs itself. She’s suffered a traumatic event and this may just be her body’s way of dealing with it. But I don’t want to give you false hope either. I’ll know more after additional tests are run.”

  Tony put his hand on his arm and squeezed it. “She’ll be fine once we explain the mix up and help her remember.”

  Baron frowned. “Mix up? What mix up?”

  “I’m afraid that might not be a good idea just yet,” the physician stated.

  Baron glanced back and forth between the two men. “Would someone please tell me what this is about? Is something else wrong with Jasmine?”

  Tony crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the doctor, so Baron did the same. The physician coughed. “Well, we apologize for the mix up, but when Ms. Sandler first woke up and couldn’t remember who she was, Mr. Westland was with her and told her. She has a vague memory of him, perhaps because he was the one to pull her out of the car crash and the last person she saw before losing consciousness. It’s not unusual that the last clear memory she has is of him. The nurse on duty came in after you left and made a mistake. Ms. Sandler thought Mr. Westland was her fiancé, and when Ms. Sandler asked if he was, the nurse confirmed it.”

  “What the hell! Well, we can just un-confirm that right now. And Tony, why in the hell didn’t you say something?”

  “I didn’t know until after the fact, dude. I did not tell her that. I wasn’t even in the room at the time. I’d been on the phone in the hall talking to you. She just sort of recognized me, my face. But I’m sure as soon as she sees you, it will all come back to her.”

  “Perhaps,” Kilgore stated. “But it’s best if the memories come back on their own, without any further trauma. Too much information too soon might cause further stress and harm the health of the patient. I would suggest, Mr. Munro, that both you and Mr. Westland be present when she wakes up. See if your presence helps trigger her memories. If not, I don’t advise she be told quite yet of the relationship between you two.”

  “Are you suggesting that, Tony,” Baron looked over at his friend in shock, “pretend to be her fiancé?”

  “Not quite. I’m just saying it might do more harm to her psychologically if she were to be told bluntly the only man she can remember is just a friend and she has no recollection of you, her fiancé,” the doc finished, looking Baron sturdily in the eyes.

  “I don’t fucking believe this,” Baron growled.

  Doc Kilgore sighed. “Look she’s been given a mild sedative to help her sleep. She had a headache earlier. She should be out for a couple of hours. When she gets up again, let’s first see if your presence will jar any memories, and then we’ll run a few tests to determine if there’s anything going on in her brain that’s blocking her memories as well as her ability to hear.”

  “Can I see her now?” Baron asked.

  “Yes, of course, but please be mindful of what you say when she wakes up. I’ll be back later this evening to check on her.”

  Baron didn’t say a word. He went past Tony and opened the door to Jasmine’s hospital room. He made his way over to the bed and watched the way her chest rose and fell in slumber. Her face seemed peaceful, more relaxed like sleep. Bending down, he kissed her brow. “I love you so much. Rest, Beautiful. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  Since he’d come straight from the airport to the hospital, he hadn’t left her side for forty-eight hours. Finally, he’d allowed Tony and the night nurse to talk him into going home for a shower and a change of clothes. In truth, the only reason he’d left was because he knew Tony was watching over her. He should have damned well been here himself to do that. Now look what the fuck had happened. Nothing and no one was going to make him leave her side again until he knew she was herself once more.

  Chapter Nine

  Jasmine. Yes, that was her name. It felt right. Tony, her fiancé, told her so. She sensed a familiarity with him, safety. She liked him immediately, but she couldn’t remember or feel anything stronger than affection for him. What was there not to like? He was handsome, kind, thoughtful, and she had a fuzzy memory of him pulling her out of the car just before everything exploded. His arm had been in a sling the first time she’d seen him, but it had since been removed. He must love her very much, and she was sure, in time, the feelings she had for him would return. At least she hoped so. She must have loved him, too, if she’d agreed to marry him. Roused completely from sleep, she stared at the ring on her finger, the sight of it brought her joy, so she must love Tony greatly.

  Something caught her attention and she turned her head. Two men sat in the room with her. Tony and someone else she didn’t recognize. Who was he? A friend, a relative. She raised her hands and rubbed her temples. God, she wished she could remember. The damn headache was back and there was buzzing in her ears. The silence might have been better.

  The man seated closest to her moved, and she turned her gaze to meet his blue eyes. Beautiful eyes she thought, beautiful man. As gorgeous as her Tony.

  He leaned forward and spoke to her, his lips curling up slightly at the corners.

  She caught a whiff of his woodsy fragrance. For a moment, it seemed familiar and she smiled back, drawn to him, knowing she was safe with Tony in the room. He’d already saved her life, so he’d let no harm come to her. Then she frowned, she hadn’t heard a word he’d said and somehow she wanted to hear his voice. Should she know him?

  “Hello. I’m sorry,” she said. She hoped he could hear and understand her. “But are you a friend of Tony’s? Should I know you?” She glanced around for the notebook and pen. It lay on the nightstand beside the bed. She tried to reach for it but he got it for her.

  “I’m sorry I can’t hear you. You’ll have to write your answers on the pad.”

  She saw a look flash across his features that she didn’t really understand. Before she could even study it, it was gone. For an instant, she thought she saw a glimmer of pain.

  Tony took that moment to stretch out in his chair. When he saw she was awake, he grinned, and she returned it.

  “I’m sorry, Tony. I was just about to explain to your friend here about my memory loss and the fact I can’t hear.”

  He came over to stand on the other side of the bed. He motioned to the man for the pad, who handed it to Tony.

  Tony wrote. ‘Do you recognize him?’

  Jasmine turned back to the man with the compelling eyes. She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. Do we know each other?”

  His mouth opened, then he shut it, taking the notebook from Tony. He wrote. ‘My name is, Baron Munro.’

  She frowned at Baron. His name was not familiar. She looke
d at him then back at Tony again. “I’m sorry, Baron, but I don’t remember you. Are you two friends?”

  He shook his head, yes and wrote, ‘Yes, as well as business partners.’

  “Oh, you work together.” She nodded. That’s probably why his eyes looked familiar. He had pretty eyes, but after all he was a gorgeous man. Clearly, if he and Tony were partners, she’d met him before.

  “I’m glad Tony has such a good friend to be with him right now.” She beamed at Tony, who was gazing uneasily at Baron. “Is…is something wrong?”

  Baron shook his head, no, and smiled but it seemed strained, forced.

  How would she know that if she didn’t recognize Baron? But she did. She frowned trying to concentrate harder on a memory that eluded her. The more she chased it, the farther it drifted, and the ache in her head grew worse. She raised her hand to her scalp just as the Doctor Kilgore entered.

  The physician nodded at both men then rested his gaze again on her. Another nurse, her nametag revealing her name as Gladys, came in behind him with a wheelchair. Baron got up and moved out of the way to make room for the doc and the other woman. The man reached for the pad Baron had laid on the bed. After the doctor wrote on it he turned it around so she could read it. She noticed he also spoke to the others in the room. Jasmine read, ‘We’re going to take you down to imaging to run a few more tests and have an ENT take a look at you.’

  “Oh, okay.” She said. “Will you be here when I get back?” she addressed Tony.

  He glanced over at his friend quickly then Doctor Kilgore before returning his attention to her. The physician handed him the notebook.

  ‘Yes. I’ll be here. Baron and I will both be here. He’ll keep me company.’ She looked at him then at Baron. “Thank you.”

  Gladys moved the wheel chair into place and helped her sit up on the bed. She shifted to sit into a standing position. At that point, a moment of vertigo hit her. She noticed Baron move forward to help her, but the nurse and the doctor both supported her on each side. They got her in the wheelchair and wheeled her toward the door. She twisted in the chair to glance behind her. Both men stood beside the bed watching her leave. One wore an expression of worry on his face. The other had a look of such sadness that made her touch her chest. The nurse wheeled her out of the room and down the corridor where she couldn’t see either man anymore. Something wasn’t quite right here. She stared at her ring again and rubbed her finger over it. The action brought a rush of emotion she could only call love. She did love her fiancé. If only she could remember him.