Willa Mansi

Who are you?

I dressed quickly and thundered down the hotel stairs. I looked around at the diners and they waved and cheered. "Hi everybody," I smiled and felt my face turn red.

"Have some lunch!" Dad called out to me and waved. I went over to his table and plopped down in a chair. He smiled broadly at me, "You look good."

"I feel good. Like a weight was lifted," I nodded.

"Here ya are!" Mama announced as she came through the kitchen doorway and carried plates to a table. Her red hair was tied up in a bun and she touched it as she poured coffee. "You folks need anything else?" she smiled at them.

"Look Berty!" the woman pointed at me.

I stood up and slowly walked over to her. I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. I smiled at her knowingly, "Everybody calls you Mama, but you're my real Mama." She gasped and dropped the coffee pot, causing it to shatter. I went to her quickly and took her arm, "Are you okay?"

"Will," she gasped, "Do you remember?"

"Everything," I nodded and she threw her arms around my neck. I squeezed her tight as she cried. "I'm sorry Mama. Sorry I forgot."

"I knew you'd remember in time," she pulled from me and smiled up at me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I shook her once, gently.

"We were afraid to," she shook her head, "We weren't sure if being told who you were would damage you even further." She smiled proudly, "You were alive and that was all that mattered."

"What pain I caused you all," I sighed and put my hand on her shoulder.

"It's forgotten," she hugged me tight, "It's good to have you all the way home."

----------------------------------------

I shoved my plate back and moaned, "I don't think I could eat another bite."

"Bert, you got my order?" Becka said as she walked into the diner.

"Sure," she went to the kitchen.

She was more beautiful than ever. Her blonde hair was in a long braid that went to her waist. She wore jeans and a big, red shirt. She put her hand on her stomach and looked over at me.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Dad asked softly and I shook my head. "Why not? You remember her; don't you?"

I nodded, "She was my fiancee. We lived together."

"So go tell her hello," Dad laughed.

"Here ya are, Honey," Mama said when she came out of the kitchen. She put the sack on the counter that Becka was sitting at. "Good news," she patted Becka's arm and Becka tore her eyes from me. "Will is awake and he remembered who I was."

Becka looked at me with pain in her eyes, "I'm happy for you, Bert."

"I don't think he's remembered everything though," Bert said and patted Becka's arm.

Becka smiled at Bert, "That's ok. I'm glad for you both." She got up, grabbed her bag and left quickly.

"If you don't get up and go after her, you're no son of mine," Dad growled.

I looked up from my coffee cup and my eyes cut to his with the same anger, "I can't!"

"Why not?" he slapped the table.

"It's to late," I looked down at my cup again, wishing the brew was an elixir to fix my life. "She's moved on without me," I said sorrowfully.

"Why do you say that?" Dad asked.

"She's pregnant with Bud's baby," I shrugged, "Seems like moving on to me."

"She was already pregnant when Bud asked her out," Dad said and I looked up at him. He swallowed his coffee and smiled at me.

"God, who ELSE was she with?" I sneered.

"I don't know," he laughed, "Why don't you ask her?"

"I couldn't do that," I looked away from him, to see if anyone else could hear us.

"I think I would ask her," he nodded, then looked at me, "Want me to ask her?"

My head snapped to him, "NO!" I nearly shouted, but he only laughed at me.

Bud came into the restaurant and scanned the tables. I immediately remembered him. He was my first patient. He had taken the shots first! He was patient 1A. He had no idea where his wife was because he had went under first.

I stood up quickly and met him half way across the floor. "Bud!" I held my hand out.

He frowned, "Doctor?" he slowly shook my hand.

"Bud, I remember! I remember everything. I know where your wife is," I laughed.

"What?" he gasped and his eyes widened. "Then let's go! Take me to her," he pulled on my arm. He ran out and I followed close behind.

He went down the road and we went to the barn. "How far is it?" he asked over his shoulder.

I pointed, "Just eighty miles that way."

He stopped and slowly turned to face me. "Where?" he whispered.

"Doc?" Tex walked into the barn and saw the saddle in Bud's hands, "Y'all goin' for a ride?"

"Yeah. Let's go get Ann," I said happily.

"Eighty miles," Bud growled and dropped the saddle. He angrily paced away from me.

"What's wrong?" I looked from Bud to Tex, then the barn hand.

"Things have changed a might since you came back, Doc," Tex said, putting his hands on his hips. "There's a gang of criminals running the country side."

"So?" I shrugged.

Bud faced me and said angrily, "And those thugs are also running the Sleeping Chambers near here. They've turned it into a whore house."

"Oh," I swallowed hard and looked down at my feet.

"Is that where she is?" Bud gritted through his teeth.

"Yeah," I nodded. Bud jumped at me and roughly took me by the shirt front.

"Bud!" Tex jumped between us and tried to get Bud off of me.

He shook me violently, "Are you saying you locked her up in a Sleeping Chamber and now they're rapping my sleeping wife?"

"I didn't know!" I yelled back.

"Take it easy!" Tex yelled, "Let him go!"

Dad ran into the barn, grabbed Bud from behind and shoved him away. "Calm down!" he yelled and shoved Bud back again when he charged at me.

"It's alright," Tex told me, holding me behind him.

"She's in that Sleeping Chamber, Pop!" Bud yelled and pointed at me, "He put her in a Sleeping Chamber!"

"Damn," Dad sighed.

"How bad is it?" I asked, straightening my clothes.

"It'd be like trying to break into a over ran prison," Dad said and my heart fell to my feet.

"You'd have no trouble getting in. You could pose as customers," Dad said.

"I don't care," Bud said, "I'm going to go get her."

"Bud, you could be killed," Dad said.

"I'm not letting her stay there!" he yelled.

"Ok, but let us figure out a plan," Dad held his hand up, "You two can't go alone."

"I know someone," I smiled.

"Who?" Tex asked.

"He's a little out of our way, but if he'd join us," I laughed, "we'd definitely get Ann back."

"Let's go!" Bud nodded.