Love | R.L. (R5)

Chapter 24 -The Struggle To Remember-

I sat in the living room with Rydel, Ratliff and now Ryland. Nobody spoke, we all just sat there lost in deep thought. Time passed slowly and after a while everyone had left the room leaving me alone on the couch. I looked over at the clock. It was late and they had been gone for two hours. I sighed and slowly stood up then made my way to my room. I entered, then layed down on the bed and closed my eyes. It was hard to believe that just this morning I had been in the hospital but now I wasn't even the one to worry about. Suddenly exhaustion swept over me and I realized just how tired I was. That nap before did nothing to help me and within seconds I was asleep again.

I opened my eyes only to close them again because of the blinding sun. I slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes then looked at the clock beside my bed. It read ten o'clock. Instantly I was awake. I had been asleep for almost eleven hours! I never sleep that long! I stood up, there was no one in the room besides me. I was still in my old clothes so I quickly changed and walked downstairs only to find no one there either. I went to the kitchen a little worried I would find it empty but was glad to see Stormie standing at the stove, cooking something. She turned around once I entered.

“How are you this morning?” she asked as she turned back towards the stove.

“I’m fine” I responded before asking “where is everybody?”

“They are all upstairs with Rocky.”

“How is he?” I asked after a short pause.

Stormie sighed and at first I didn’t think she had heard me. “It was pretty obvious that he’s lost his memory.”

“Will he ever get it back?”

“The doctor said over time he will slowly regain it and that we can try and help him remember to speed up the process but he may never regain all of his memories.” She fell quiet after that. I slowly stood up to go to the others when her voice stopped me. “Will you tell the others breakfast is ready?” I nodded my head then made my way upstairs. I walked over to Rocky and Riker’s room and slowly opened the door. I found Riker and Ryland sitting on the bed across from Rocky, Rydel was sitting beside him.  Rydel stopped in mid-sentence to looked up at me. The others soon followed her gaze. I was expecting a mixed reaction from Rocky but he just sat there with a blank expression.

“Breakfast is ready,” I said to them. Rydel was the first to move, standing up off the bed and turning toward Rocky.

“Come on, let’s go get something to eat” she said holding out her hand towards him. At first he didn’t move but eventually he reached up and grabbed her hand. She pulled him up so he was standing beside her then turned and started towards the door. I backed up to let her and Rocky go first then I followed behind them. Rydel guided Rocky to the kitchen and pulled out a chair for him. She smiled to him as he took a seat in it. I went around the table and found a seat across from him then sat down and waited for the others to sit also. Stormie turned towards us with two plates of food. She walked over at set them down in front of Rydel and Rocky before turning to get more. She took a seat beside me once everyone had been served. It was quite as we ate. No one really having any idea what to say. Stormie finally broke the silence.

“Rocky?” she said looking up at him but he kept his head and continued to chase a piece of food around on his plate with a fork. Rydel give him a gentle nudge to get his attention.

“What?” he asked her, looking up from his plate.

“Stormie what’s to talk to you” she responded. He looked away from her and around the table. I could tell he had no idea who that was. “Stormie” Rydel finally said as she pointed to their mom. Rocky looked toward her.