With Regrets Adam

by Adam (lit)

  He didn’t think she was able to take in why they were in Taos or how the accident had occurred. He was happy to see her regain consciousness but didn’t want to pressure her with questions or encourage her to ask too many.

  Moving closer to the bed, Adam leaned over. “Does it hurt to open your eyes?”

  She blinked, and then widened her eyes. He caught his breath. The deep blue was emphasized by the white bandages around her head and the paleness of her features. He found himself lost in the dark depths.

  “My eyes are sore.” She wiggled her fingers but couldn’t lift her arm because of the needles. “I’d love to rub them.”

  “No, don’t do that. I’ll ask the nurse if I can wet a cloth and put over them. It might help the soreness.”

  Dr. Jakes and the nurse came into the room. “Well, young lady, glad you could join us.” He bent over her. “How bad is the headache?”

  “On a scale of one to ten, it’s a ten and a half.”

  “Bad.” He examined the bandage, adjusted a needle, and went back to her eyes. “Close the left eye and keep the other one open if you can.” She did that, and he said, “Ah.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means there’s still pressure behind the eyes.” He straightened and turned to Adam. “We’re going to do an MRI, and then later today, we’ll do a brain scan.”

  “What will that do?”

  “Show bruising on the brain or any blockage, such as a clot.”

  His heart jumped. “Blood clot?”

  “We want to make certain there isn’t one.”

  “It sounds serious.”

  “It is serious, Mr. Mabry. That’s why we’re doing both the MRI and the scan, to make certain we don’t miss anything.” He bent once more over the bed. “Now, young lady, swallow this capsule, and we’ll see how long it takes to ease that pain.”

  Her eyes were closed, but her lips curved. “Thank you.”

  The nurse followed Dr. Jakes out of the room, and Adam moved to the bed again.

  “Looks like you’re going to get lots of attention today. You’ll be tired. I’ll go get something decent to eat, but I’ll be back.”

  The blue eyes opened again and she moved her hand as much as she could toward his. He put his hand over hers and rubbed.

  “The doctor called you Mr. Mabry.”

  Puzzled, he nodded. “Of course.”

  “Then, who am I?”

  Stunned, he simply stared. “What?”

  “I don’t think I know who I am.”

  He was speechless. Why had the doctor not noticed she wasn’t aware of who she was?

  “What is your name?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. Am I Mrs. Mabry?”

  Was she faking again? He decided to test her. “You’re my sister-in-law.”

  “Oh.” The eyes closed, and he wished them open again. As long as he could see into the blue eyes, she was alive and getting better. At least, in his estimation. But that could be because he wished it to be so.

  “Kara.”

  Her eyes opened wide again, the deep blue he found so attractive. “Kara? Is that my name?” She smiled a little. “Pretty name. Am I pretty?”

  If she was faking, she was good at it. Aaron had told him she was. “How vain we can get even lying in the hospital bandaged like a mummy and unable to move.” He grew serious. “Kara, if you don’t recall who you are or who I am, it’s going to take a lot of work to figure what’s wrong.” He tried not to panic as he pushed the button to summon the nurse. This was a turn no one had seen coming.

  “And I can’t leave this place until it’s done?”

  “Right.”

  “Well, that sucks.”

  He chuckled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “Yes, it does suck, Darling.” He bent to brush his lips over hers. She was breathing more easily, and he knew the capsule the doctor had given her was working. With his hand holding hers, he felt her relaxing and finally, she was in a deep sleep. For a few minutes, he merely watched her, thinking, remembering. She didn’t know what happened in the accident. She didn’t recall making love with him, didn’t remember any of the times she slept in his arms. She didn’t know who she was, didn’t know him. It scared him.

  Most important, she didn’t realize she was a kidnap victim. Nor that she was married to his twin brother. She is Kara, isn’t she? Could Garth be right? And now she doesn’t know who she is, either.

  Dr. Jakes and his nurse came on the run, and Adam stepped back to watch as they checked all the instruments attached to Kara.

  Chapter Eleven

  She wasn’t interested in television. The nurse hadn’t been in to see her lately. The doctor had checked her over real early that morning and had scheduled different tests. She was thirsty and thought she might be hungry. She frowned. How could she just think she might be hungry? Why wasn’t she sure of it?

  Well, not knowing who you are, not knowing where you belong, not knowing why you’re in the hospital – a lot of not knowing anything might cause one to doubt any and everything.

  A rustle of skirts and a cheerful “How are you?” heralded the arrival of a different nurse. “I’m Ginny Roth, and I’ll be getting you ready for some tests. Did you have lunch?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  The tawny arched eyebrows peaked. “You don’t think so?”

  “Sorry. I’m confused about the time of day, the week and the month. My stomach says I’m hungry.”

  Ginny laughed. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until after the tests to eat. Don’t want you upchucking on the fancy machines we’re using.”

  She tried to focus on tests and couldn’t remember what the doctor had said about them or what they were for. That’s nothing. You can’t even remember who you are, so how could you recall something like that?

  The nurse worked, prodding and poking, adjusting, checking the head bandage. “The doctor will remove the bandage just before we use the machine.” She turned as two men clad in scrubs came in with a bed. “We’re taking you downstairs to the lab for the tests.” Ginny patted her hand. “They won’t hurt a bit.”

  She tried to envision what tests could be done on her head, and somewhere, there seemed to be a sense of familiarity about the procedure. Curious, she watched machines being moved, adjusted, measured and whatever else they did with the high tech machines. She had seen something like this, somewhere, she was certain, perhaps in a movie. Two hours later, she was back in her room, completely exhausted.

  Ginny was back. “I can get you a plate now if you’re still hungry.”

  “I don’t know if I’m more hungry or more tired.”

  Making a few more adjustments to the pillows, the sheets and raising the head of the bed, the nurse left. She was almost asleep when another nurse brought a tray, placed it on the adjustable table and brought it close enough for her to reach.

  “Can you feed yourself?”

  “I think so. My right hand only has a removable sling on it. I believe someone said I could take it off for short periods.”

  “If you need help, I’ll be glad to stay.”

  “Thank you, but I’ll manage.”

  After the nurse left, she studied the food. Didn’t look too bad. A cup of clear soup, some sort of chicken, creamed potatoes even if they did have lumps in them, carrots, peas and a roll.

  “What a feast.”

  She looked up to see the man they called Mr. Mabry, the one who said he was her brother-in-law. Sure is good looking. She wondered why she knew she loved dark gray eyes.

  “Would you like me to feed you?”

  “If you’d just take the sling off this hand, I can manage.”

  He slipped the support from her arm and laid it beside her. She flexed her fingers and picked up the fork. She poked at the lumpy potatoes before looking up at him.

  “Am I married?”

  He stiffened, and his mouth tightened. She stared, surprised at his expression.


  “I’m not really sure. I haven’t known you long.” That was the truth, but he was going to really confuse her if he tried to explain the present situation.

  “Are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “Married.”

  He did smile then. “No. I definitely know that I’m not married.”

  “Maybe I’m not married. I don’t see any wedding rings.”

  He looked at her left hand, third finger bare, lying on the white spread. “I don’t know about rings,” he said. That was true, unfortunately.

  Would Kara actually have pawned that valuable set of rings he remembered seeing? When had she gotten rid of them? Aaron had been missing about three weeks now, but how long had it been since Kara had been with him?

  God, he was tired of trying to figure out where Aaron was and why Kara refused to explain his disappearance.

  Was Garth right? Was this woman Kara’s half sister? He shook his head even as he thought about that fact. But where were the rings? He wasn’t sure of anything right now except the woman he’d made love to, suspected she was his sister-in-law, was badly hurt – and didn’t even know who she was.

  Lyn stopped thinking about who was married to whom and concentrated on the food.

  “Did they run the tests the doctor mentioned earlier?”

  “Yes. MRIs and scans took about two hours, so they tell me.” She chewed on the tough roll.

  “Not anywhere near Hana’s culinary expertise, is it?”

  “Hana?” She frowned.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot.” He hadn’t forgotten but had thought a casual mention of a name might trigger a memory. “Hana is my housekeeper and cook, and an expert at both jobs.”

  “And I know her?”

  “Yes.”

  She placed the fork on her plate and looked at him. “Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to look at yourself and see a complete blank? No past, no family, no familiar scenes, and a present that doesn’t seem too promising.”

  He picked up the hand she’d been using. “No, I can’t imagine not having a history to look back on, a limited understanding of the present, and wondering what the future holds. The best thing is the doctor says you’re recovering faster than he would have thought, and he’s optimistic you’ll regain your memory.” Perhaps a new memory would allow her to tell him where Aaron was. The longer Aaron was missing, the more worried he became. It wasn’t like Aaron to go three weeks without getting in touch, no matter where he was.

  She leaned back on the pillow. “Do you have a name besides Mr. Mabry?”

  He laughed. “My name is Adam.”

  She smiled for the first time. “Hi, Adam.” She sighed and closed her eyes.

  The smile did something to his insides, made them restless, wanting something he couldn’t name. What is this? He wondered.

  “Tired?”

  “A little. My eyes don’t want to stay open.”

  “You’re doing well, according to Dr. Jakes, so I’m going home to check on things. If I’m not here when you wake tomorrow, I’ll be in before noon. Okay?”

  “Yes, thank you, Adam.” She squeezed his hand and let go.

  He bent to kiss her cheek, felt her warm breath, and moved to cover her mouth with his. Her eyes opened, dark and slumberous—and sexy. Yes, sexy. They held this come-hither look he had never associated with Kara, a look that said: Here I am, yours for the taking. His body reacted, and he was fully aroused.

  Damn. I’d better get out of here.

  “Goodnight, Kara.” He waited, but she didn’t answer or react. She was asleep, which was good for her and was going to make a rough night for him.

  * * * *

  They awakened her early the next morning for more tests. Her breakfast was delayed, then forgotten, until she asked for at least a piece of toast. And finally got that with a tepid cup of weak coffee. Hana. Adam said his housekeeper and cook was Hana. Maybe he could bribe her to send leftovers to the hospital.

  A psychiatrist came to talk to her.

  “Am I crazy? I thought I was just banged up.” She scooted up on the pillow and only groaned once when she twisted the wrong way and pulled on a sore rib.

  “I’m Dr. Murphy. I thought perhaps I could lead you along with questions that would trigger a memory.”

  “Like what?” Curiosity overcame her momentary anger.

  “What is your name?”

  She grinned. “I can tell you what I was told it is. Kara. Pretty name, don’t you agree?”

  The doctor smiled. “Yes, it is. You didn’t have any idea until someone told you?”

  “No. And I didn’t know my brother-in-law either. His name is Adam.” She frowned.

  “What’s the last thing you remember, Kara?”

  “Snow.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, I do remember the snow.” She thought about it. “But I don’t know where it was.”

  “That’s encouraging, however,” Dr. Murphy said. “What about a vehicle? How did you get to the store?”

  “Is that where I was?”

  “You had gone there for specific items, so Mr. Mabry said.”

  “Did I shop?”

  “No, you were standing outside the store waiting for Mr. Mabry to find a parking spot when the car struck you.”

  Her head ached fiercely, and her eyes were very near closing.

  “Don’t go to sleep. Dr. Jakes doesn’t want you sleeping during the day.”

  “Well, then, he shouldn’t give me things to make me sleep.”

  “Oh? Did he give you a sedative?”

  “I have no idea, but they’ve poked so many pills and capsules and tablespoonfuls of stuff down me that I don’t dare guess what I’ve been taking.”

  Dr. Murphy smiled. “Doctors do tend to overdo sometimes, don’t they?” He patted her hand and stood. “You’re doing well for such a traumatic injury. I may see you again tomorrow.”

  As he left, she gazed after him. If he had learned anything from her, she couldn’t guess what it was. He held her hand, carried on a rather bland conversation, and asked very few questions. Surely he’d need more involvement with her and more input to make an educated guess as to why she couldn’t remember.

  Maybe it’s stuff I’d rather not remember, and just blank it out. Isn’t that what mentally incompetents do?

  Half asleep, she did chuckle. Mentally incompetent. Yep, that might be the crux of her problem.

  Chapter Twelve

  Four days of tests, questions, therapy, unappetizing food and few visitors left her feeling out of sorts. Big time. Ginny had been by a few times to check on her, to help her get up and down. Once she was up and on the floor, she could walk to the bathroom. It was the getting up with all the entanglements that caused her to grind her teeth.

  “How’s my prettiest patient?” Dr. Jakes came in with his big smile and upbeat attitude.

  She scowled. “Your patient is ready to depart the premises.”

  “Let’s see. Suppose we take out all the IVs, remove all the extraneous tubes, and see what we have left.”

  “You mean you’re going to untie me?”

  “Think you can make it if we do?”

  “Oh, yes, Doc.”

  He laughed. “Mr. Mabry called to see if you passed all the tests.”

  “Did I?”

  “Yes.” He tilted her chin to look into her eyes. “How’s the memory?”

  “A blank tape where very little is recorded.”

  “Hmmm.mm.” He sat on the side of her bed. “How far do you live from here?”

  She raised her eyebrows at him.

  “Oh. Sorry.” He studied her pale features, the deep blue eyes with obscenely black curly lashes. Made him wonder if the honey brown hair was dyed. “When Mr. Mabry comes in, I’ll talk with him and, if he’s close enough we can get to you in case of an emergency, we’ll discuss your departure.”

  “What do you consider close?”

  “With the snows we’ve had this month, close would be next door.�
� He patted her hand when she opened her mouth to object. “I’ll need to talk with Mr. Mabry before we decide.”

  “I don’t know when he’ll be in. I haven’t heard from him.”

  “When he called yesterday, he indicated he’d be in today or tomorrow. He had one more place he had to check out before he’d be back.”

  There was nothing to do but wait. However, getting rid of her shackles, as she called them, enabled her to walk around the room. Slowly, that was for sure, but at least she was moving on her on. Now, if she could get her mind to cooperate.

  * * * *

  It was late afternoon, and she was sitting in a chair near the window. A magazine she had been looking at had fallen to the floor, but she hadn’t wanted to bend to pick it up. Any lowering of her head had it pounding enough to cause nausea.

  Adam walked into the room and stopped in surprise when he saw her in the chair and disconnected from all the tubes.

  “That’s more like it.” He bent and kissed the top of her head. “How do you feel?”

  “Good. Dr. Jakes wanted to talk with you about me getting out of here. Did you see him?”

  “Not yet. What do you mean, getting out?”

  “He wanted to know how far I lived from the hospital, but I didn’t know.”

  “The house is a couple of hours from here.”

  She frowned. “Can you convince him it’s all right to be that far from the hospital? There’s nothing wrong with me except I don’t know who I am.” She laughed. “Nothing wrong except. That’s a gracious plenty, I’d think.”

  “Is Dr. Jakes coming back through tonight?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll check with the nurses.” He ran his hand over her hair, touched her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched the door until he came back accompanied by Dr. Jakes.

  “Well, young lady, do you think you’re able to go home?”

  “Yes.”

  “Physically, you’re on the mend although you’re going to have to take it easy for awhile. Do not irritate those cracked ribs. You have numerous bruises that will take several days to heal.” He turned to Adam. “I realize it’s getting close to Christmas and families have a lot to contend with during the hectic holidays. Because of that, I’ll agree to let you take Mrs. Mabry home on the condition that you persuade her to take it easy. If she has severe headaches, bring her in immediately.”