The next morning, we made our way to the hospital after Rory talked to Arnie. He said Fisher was a little fuzzy in the head, but otherwise okay. The accident was just that, an accident in the rain. A large truck couldn’t stop and ran into Fisher.
When we reached the waiting room, Angie was in tears as Fisher’s sisters consoled her.
Did he take a sudden turn?
It wasn’t impossible. I’d seen my fair share of patients come out of surgery, seem stable and fine, only to flatline hours later.
Arnie broke away from the pack of women. “Long time no see. How have you been?” He gave me a hug.
“Good.” I lied. “Are you famous yet?”
He released me and chuckled. “Almost.”
“What’s going on?” I nodded to Angie and his sisters.
Arnie frowned. “Oh, my brother’s acting a little drunk that’s all. I’m sure it’s the pain meds. The doctors aren’t too concerned yet.”
“What do you mean he’s acting a little drunk?” I asked.
“Memory issues. He doesn’t seem to know everyone. Well, he knows me. Our sisters. Our parents. But nobody from work thus far. In fact, he doesn’t remember building homes. And…” he scrunched his nose and whispered “…he doesn’t recognize Angie at the moment.”
“Oh no.” Rory’s eyes widened as her jaw fell open.
“Come on, might as well see if he remembers his favorite drinking buddies.” Arnie smirked at Rory and Rose.
I followed the three of them to Fisher’s room.
“More visitors. Pretend like you recognize them.” Arnie teased Fisher as we filed into his room.
I stood behind Rory and Rose as they paused at the foot of his bed. I could only see bits and pieces of him.
His bandaged face.
His casted arm.
“Rory and Rose,” he said in a rather weak voice.
It didn’t matter how weak his voice was; it still did things to my crazy heart.
“Ding. Ding. Ding.” Arnie gave Fisher a slow clap. “Two for two, Bro.”
“No more motorcycle for you,” Rose said as she moved to one side of his bed while Rory inched closer on the other side of the bed, leaving me in clear sight.
He knew them, so he would know me. I was quite certain of it. I gave him a small smile.
He smiled back. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Please tell me we haven’t met. I fear I’ve already made too many people feel insignificant today,” Fisher said.
Rory and Rose exchanged a look.
“How has your brain misfired so badly that the hottest women in your life are just … poof … gone?” Arnie shook his head at Fisher.
Fisher narrowed his gaze, as if doing so increased his chance of recognizing me, as if it were his eyes’ fault and not his brain’s fault.
“This is Reese, my daughter,” Rory said. “But you haven’t seen her in years, so don’t stress. She lived with me in your basement for a few months. And she worked with you for less than … what?” She glanced at me. “A few months?”
I nodded. It was all I could do. Of course Angie was crying. When the man you love (loved) didn’t recognize you, it wasn’t a great feeling.
“She just graduated from nursing school in Michigan. She’s going to get her master’s starting next year. Midwifery. She’s going to deliver babies.”
Fisher returned a slight nod. “Congratulations.”
I cleared the thick emotion from my throat. I think only Rose sensed my true level of emotions. “Thanks,” I managed to say. “I’m really happy to see that you’re okay.”
“Yeah. That’s what they tell me. I don’t remember the accident either.”
“The doctors think his memory loss is probably temporary,” Arnie said.
I knew it could be temporary. Or it could last a long time. Or it could be permanent. The brain was hard to predict.
“I hope so.” Fisher stared out the window for a few seconds. “That um … woman was really upset. My fiancée?”
Oh my gosh …
That woman. He reduced Angie to “that woman.” I was never an Angie fan, but I also wasn’t a monster. I felt her pain. He didn’t ask me to marry him, but I felt total devastation at his lack of recognition. I could only imagine how Angie must have felt.
“Well…” I returned a nervous laugh, feeling Rose’s gaze on me “…I’m sure it must be heartbreaking to be a stranger to the one you love most.”
Fisher’s brow tightened into lines of wrinkles. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“We’ll let you get some rest.” Rory leaned down and kissed the side of his head. I wanted to be that close to him.
Feel the warmth of his skin, the brush of his lips, the intensity of his eyes as he looked at me with wonder and anticipation.
The irony? Had I “given” him my virginity, he wouldn’t have remembered. I don’t regret it being Brendon, even if I hurt him. Had it been Fisher, I wouldn’t have been able to walk away. I would have treated losing my virginity like donating a kidney.