The Swear Jar

by Osorio, Audra

  “Excuse me, but will someone tell me what the hell’s going on?” asked Meara. “Why the hell is that guy answering questions for me? I have no idea who he is. Anne, don’t talk to strangers.”

  “What’s your relationship with the patient?” asked the female paramedic.

  “She’s my fiancée,” said Duncan.

  “Fiancée? I don’t see a ring. Leave my house immediately. Anne get away from him,” Meara said angrily.

  Duncan was crushed. He let go of Anne and stepped into the hallway. Sherrie had heard what Meara said. Even though Sherrie was still angry, her heart broke for him. His eyes filled with tears.

  “She doesn’t recognize me. What have I done? Sherrie, I’m such a fool.” He sat down, putting his head in his hands.

  Sherrie stepped closer to the bathroom although the sight of blood made her sick. “Meara, do you know me?”

  “You look like a nice lady, but no, I don’t know you. Anne, where’s your mother? Why are there so many strangers in this house?” Meara cried, exasperated.

  The male paramedic said, “She probably has a concussion. After all this, I wouldn’t be surprised. That would explain the memory loss. It should come back. We’ll know more when we get to the hospital. Who’s riding with her?”

  Sherrie pointed to Duncan. “He is. She really is his fiancée. I’ve got Anne. Her family will meet her at the hospital.”

  His eyes red, Duncan stood up. “A concussion? How long does it take for memory to come back?”

  The female paramedic spoke soothingly. “It’s hard to tell. A few hours or a few days. It can come back all at once or a little bit at a time. It all depends. She has a couple of bad bumps on the noggin. I wouldn’t worry. With rest, she’ll remember you again. Let’s get going.”

  “Duncan, I’ll take Anne. You go with Meara. With luck, she’ll remember you and be pissed. Duncan, get her glasses. They’ll take her contacts out. Anne, you need to borrow one of Meara’s shirts, find her purse and put on your coat. Move, you two!” said Sherrie snapped.

  The paramedics lifted Meara onto a gurney. She hissed in pain and curled up on her side. They wheeled her into the ambulance and Duncan climbed in beside her. Exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep. As he held her hand, pain flickered across her face. She mewled softly.

  The female paramedic said, “What is that?”

  “She’s having a nightmare. She hasn’t had one in a long time. It’s difficult to wake her up,” Duncan said anxiously.

  “Duncan? Where are you, Duncan?” Meara whispered.

  He kissed her hand and stroked her cheek. “I’m here, Meara. Right here. Wake up, sweetheart.”

  “Duncan’s gone. He doesn’t love me anymore. He’s gone,” she cried, gulping for air.

  Leaning close, he whispered, “No, Meara. I’m right here. I love you. I’m so sorry. Please, wake up.”

  She opened her eyes. “Duncan?”

  He laughed as tears poured down his cheeks. “Do you remember me? Please tell me you remember me.”

  “Of course, I remember you. Duncan, why does my head hurt? Where am I?” she asked, wiping away his tears. “Why are you crying?”

  “You had an accident. You broke the Swear Jar. Do you remember?” he asked.

  “Yes, I do. I was upset. Why was I upset? Wait. We had a fight. We broke up. You don’t love me anymore.” She turned away and cried.

  “Meara, listen to me. I’m afraid the Board will force one of us to quit. I don’t want either of us to leave. I’d be lost without you. I don’t want to retire or have you leave. I don’t want you working for someone else. I want things to stay as they are. Russell lied to me. He told me you were considering the job he has open. It was my worst nightmare coming true. If you left to work for him, maybe you’d leave me. I’d be alone again. He told me you were using me, waiting for me to retire to get my job. It’s my fault I listened to Russell. I got twisted around. I pushed you away. I had doubts again. You mean everything to me. I hurt you and then you hurt yourself. I’m so sorry.”

  With a tear-streaked face, she faced him. “You told me ‘no more sadness, no more pain, no more doubts.’ Right now, I’m very sad, in a lot of pain and I doubt we’ll ever have a happy ending.”

  She turned away, crying herself to sleep. He cursed himself. He was a horrible knight in shining armor. He had promised they would be happy. Feeling an old familiar pain in his chest, he buried his face in his hands. He had no idea how to fix it, but he wasn’t giving up on her, on them.

  When they arrived at the hospital, the paramedics whisked Meara off to the emergency room. Duncan tried to follow, but a nurse led him to a small waiting room. Diana, Ben, Anne and Sherrie were waiting. Since Sherrie had filled them in on what had happened, Diana was furious with Duncan. Ben was hugging Anne, who looked pale and worried.

  “Don’t even say a word, Duncan,” Diana said. “It’s best not to speak right now.”

  Duncan nodded. Ben gave Duncan a quick head nod Diana couldn’t see. Sherrie paced the floor. Thirty minutes later, a nurse came for them. She led them to a room where Meara was waiting, weak from all the poking and prodding. She had bandages on her feet and forehead. Curled up on her side, her face was ashen. She was dozing.

  “The doctor will have the results of the tests soon. She has stitches on both feet and her forehead. We took out her contacts. She’s going to have a big bump on the back of her head too,” the nurse said.

  Once the nurse was gone, Diana glared at Duncan and spoke so Meara wouldn’t hear. “This is your fault. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you love her or not? Make up your fucking mind soon before she kills herself on purpose. I can’t believe you. You need to leave.”

  Ben spoke carefully. “Diana, they had a fight. Look at him. Really look at him. He’s upset too. You haven’t spoken to Meara yet. Find out if she wants him to stay or go.”

  Diana snapped. “Fine.”

  Duncan said, “I won’t leave even if she tells me to go. I’m not leaving. This is my fault and I know it.”

  Sherrie shook her finger in Duncan’s face. “You bet it’s your fault. If I was Meara, I would never forgive you.”

  “What did you do, Dad?” asked Sean, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

  Duncan was surprised to see Sean, Andrew, Lisa, John, Tom and Lucy standing in the hallway outside Meara’s room. Their concerned faces reminded Duncan how he had screwed up with her.

  He snapped. “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  “We called the library to see if we should pick up pizza. Tom told us Meara had an accident. We came here and so did Tom and Lucy. What the hell did you do, Dad? She looks like you beat the crap out of her,” said Sean, distraught.

  In the hallway, the doctor excused his way into the room. “I’m sorry. Immediate family only, please. The rest of you will have to wait across the hall.”

  Everyone, but Duncan, Diana and Ben, shuffled out. There was a stare off between Duncan and Diana.

  “Duncan, please leave until I speak with Meara. We’ll let you know what the doctor says,” Diana said.

  Duncan hung his head and joined the others. Everyone stood slightly away from him. He felt many sets of eyes glaring at him.

  Angry, Andrew asked, “What’s going on, Dad? Did you hurt Meara?”

  “We had a fight. It’s my fault. She went home and had an accident,” he said.

  “Sherrie says you broke up over some stupid story Russell told you,” replied Andrew.

  “It’s true. He lied to me. I didn’t believe Meara,” he said, staring across the hall.

  “Dad,” said Andrew, shaking his head.

  The doctor left Meara’s room. Diana stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance. The group moved back into the hallway, wanting to hear what the doctor had said.

  “She’s sleeping, so let’s leave her alone for now. The doctor says she has a mild concussion. The cuts on her feet are pretty bad, so she has antibiotics. They can
’t give her painkillers. Her memory will be spotty, but she’ll be fine,” said Diana. “They want to keep her for another hour, and then we can take her home.”

  Tom and Lucy hugged each other. Sherrie and Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. Andrew and Sean glared at Duncan. He shifted nervously. Anne slipped past Diana and held Meara’s hand.

  “May I speak with her?” asked Duncan.

  “She’s sleeping,” Diana sneered. “Let it go.”

  Anne’s face turned white. Meara was mewling again.

  “Let me go to her. I can help with the nightmare. Please, Diana,” Duncan begged.

  “She’s saying his name,” Anne cried.

  Meara was having a panic attack as the nightmare got worse. Duncan and Diana heard her hyperventilate as they stared at each other. His eyes filled with tears. Softening, Diana moved out of the way. He ran to Meara.

  “I’ve seen her do this before, when Hank died,” said Ben to Duncan. “She passed out. I hate this.”

  Duncan nodded, cradling her in his arms. “Meara, sweetheart, wake up. I’m here. We’re all here. Meara, wake up.”

  She didn’t wake up. “Duncan’s gone. I can’t find him. Why didn’t he follow me? I can’t breathe. I’m lost.”

  “I’m right here. I promised I would follow you, but I didn’t. I’m sorry. Please wake up, Meara.” He kissed her forehead, squeezing her close. “Please come back to me. I love you.”

  He rocked her back and forth. Her breathing slowed as she listened to his voice. Calming down, she opened her eyes. He smiled, stroking her cheek.

  “What’s going on? Where am I? Why does my head hurt?” she asked.

  “You’re in the hospital. You had an accident. Do you know me?” he asked.

  “Yes, I know you,” she said, squirming. “Why are you holding me? We broke up. You don’t love me.”

  Irritated, his voice rose. “I NEVER said I didn’t love you. I was angry and confused. It was my fault. I’m sorry. I love you.”

  “I’m tired. I want to go to sleep. Goodbye, Duncan.” Curling up on her side, she refused to look at him.

  Diana waved Duncan away. “You heard her. It’s time to go. Everyone should go.”

  “Are visiting hours over already?” asked a voice at the door.

  It was Russell, holding two dozen red roses. Enraged, Duncan looked like he wanted to choke Russell.

  “I called the library. The Reference guy told me Meara had an accident. I wanted to see her,” beamed Russell, oozing with charm.

  “Haven’t you done ENOUGH already?” yelled Duncan, stepping close, balling his fists. “You LIED to me. We’ve always kept the rivalry professional until now. Meara told you off. You got mad. You called me and LIED about what she said. ADMIT IT!”

  “What are you talking about? You’re crazy. You’re becoming forgetful. Might be a good idea to let the younger generation take over the reins,” Russell said.

  “This is NOT a joke. You LIED to me. You’re the reason why I didn’t believe her. You made me doubt her. It’s MY fault, but you crossed the line and Meara got HURT. I’m such a fool. I don’t deserve her. I LOVE her and I’ll be DAMNED if I let anyone hurt her. GET OUT of here and don’t EVER come near her again. Whatever she said about you is the TRUTH. GET OUT!” Duncan roared, stepping menacingly close to Russell.

  Meara heard Duncan yelling at someone. Her head hurt. She pulled herself up, her vision blurry without her glasses.

  She pointed somewhere between Duncan and Russell. “I told you I never wanted to see you again. I’m so sick and tired of people not listening to me. Are you so thick-headed you don’t get it? I don’t want you anywhere near me. GET OUT!”

  Backing away towards the door, Duncan hung his head in defeat. She was speaking to him. He would leave. Russell had won. The pain in Duncan’s chest tightened until he couldn’t breathe. Russell grinned evilly. Ben and Anne blocked Duncan’s exit. They each grabbed an arm, not letting him go. Russell moved closer to Meara.

  “Did you not hear me? GET OUT and leave us alone. Do you want more of what I said earlier today? I didn’t think so. If you EVER come near Duncan or me again, I’ll kill you. Take your damn roses and give them to the nurses. I’m sure with all the CRAP going on in here, they could use a little appreciation. Goodbye, Russell!” Meara waved.

  The group heard her yelling from the hallway. Tom and Lucy shook their heads. Sherrie and Lisa distracted John from all the commotion. Andrew and Sean exchanged looks, nodding. Duncan grabbed Russell by the shirt collar, dragging him into the hallway. Ben followed.

  “Russell, I’m sorry. You must forgive Meara. She’s under a lot of stress and in a lot of pain. She doesn’t mean what she said about killing you. However, if you EVER come near Meara again, you won’t have her to worry about, it’ll be me. I’ll kill you,” grinned Duncan maniacally.

  “Dad! We’ll take care of this. Right, boys?” Andrew turned to Sean and Ben.

  Sean and Ben nodded as they each took one of Russell’s arms. Still fuming, Duncan stood in the doorway of Meara’s room. Andrew winked.

  “Russell, you’ll have to forgive my father. He’s a little upset. He’s not having a good day. I’m sure he didn’t mean it when he said he’d kill you. Have I introduced myself and my two friends here? This is my brother, Sean, and my future step uncle, Ben. We’re going to walk you out and make sure no one hurts you,” said Andrew.

  “Yeah, because if anyone is going to make my future step mother’s life miserable, it’s me,” laughed Sean. “Have we mentioned we really like Meara? It would be a shame if you fell down a flight of stairs in a hospital. Let’s walk carefully, shall we?”

  “I’m a little clumsy, like Meara,” said Ben. “You may not want to walk so closely to me. I might push you down the stairs by accident and then lie about it.”

  Duncan chuckled in the doorway, proud of his sons and Ben. He saw Russell looking around in confusion and terror. Inhaling deeply, he turned to face Meara. Wearing her glasses now, she looked terrible and very tired. He ached to hold her.

  “Duncan?” She reached out hesitantly, opening her arms to him.

  He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her. He squeezed her tight as he covered her face and forehead with kisses.

  “I’m so sorry. I have no excuse. I can’t tell you how much I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “My head hurts. What happened?” she asked.

  He sighed patiently. “We had a fight. You broke the Swear Jar with your shoe. And you whacked a few holes in the bathroom tiles. It’s my fault.”

  “Oh. Why do my feet hurt?”

  “One foot, glass. The other, a wrench.”

  “Oh. Do you love me?” she asked, confused.

  “I love you more than anything in the world. Your knight has a few deep dents in his formerly shining armor and it needs a good polishing. He’s still making mistakes. Bad ones like letting you go. I’m sorry. I’m not perfect, but I need you, Lady Meara. I love you.”

  “It felt horrible to think you didn’t love me. It was like someone ripped out my heart. I had nightmares again, didn’t I?” she asked.

  “Yes, you did. Meara, I won’t ask you to forgive me. Please give me a chance to prove I’ll never doubt you again,” he begged, tears rolling down his cheeks.

  She kissed his tears away. “Someone once told me we had all the time in the world.”

  “I don’t deserve you. All I ever do is hurt you,” he whispered.

  “That’s not true and you know it. You need to stop listening to other people. You need to trust me and only me when it comes to us. And don’t think I’ve forgotten you said my mother was right,” she glared.

  “THAT you remember.” Sighing, he rolled his eyes.

  “What are we doing with her?” asked Ben, standing in the doorway.

  “We’re taking her home with us,” said Diana.

  “She can’t walk upstairs. Her house is trashed until I fix it. Think about it, Diana.” Discreetly, Ben winked at Dunca
n.

  “Meara, come home with me,” Duncan pleaded.

  “Wherever you are is home to me,” she said. “I’m going with Duncan.”

  “Are you INSANE? He’s the reason you’re here!” yelled Diana.

  “I made a mess of myself by myself, Diana. We had a fight. A pretty bad one, but we’ve had them before. If I’m willing to work it out, you need to let me. Can we get out of here now?” she asked.

  “I’m getting a nurse and a wheelchair. Diana, can you get her dressed?” Duncan beamed as he trotted into the hallway. “Tom, Lucy and Sherrie, thank you for coming. Meara’s going to be fine. She’s coming home with me. Why don’t you go home too and have a Happy New Year? Sean, we’re going to need pizza and lots of it.”

  “Gotcha, Dad,” said Sean. “I don’t think Russell will be bothering you anytime soon. Ben’s one scary dude when he’s angry. Even Andy looked a little menacing.”

  Andrew smiled as he held John in his arms. Raising her eyebrows, Lisa smirked.

  Andrew sighed. “It’s true. Don’t laugh.”

  Duncan returned with a nurse and a wheelchair. “Let’s get her out of here before she forgets who I am or remembers more of our fight.”

  Meara was discharged and tucked into Duncan’s car for the ride home. She gritted her teeth as the car bounced along. Extremely tired, she was still confused as her memory fought to return. The panic she had felt when they had argued was subsiding. She was overjoyed to be with him again, but she wasn’t going to let him off so easily this time. Since he had mentioned her mother, she was going to make him squirm a little. He also needed to stop doubting or she would have to do something drastic that would break her heart. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  Both families followed them to Duncan’s house. Sean had called for pizza. The delivery guy was waiting for them as they pulled up. Sean and Ben grabbed pizzas while Anne and Diana got the bottles of soda. Lisa carried an exhausted John. Andrew stayed behind to help Duncan with Meara. She winced as they walked her to the family room couch. Anne tucked pillows behind her while Diana covered her with an afghan. The others were bustling around the kitchen, setting up for dinner. Duncan hovered over her.