It was a cold, cloudy day. The kind of day that made you want to crawl right back into bed and never leave. It was a sunday which meant that there wasn't any filming today for religious reasons. For Vera, it meant she had a free day since she couldn't remember her religious beliefs. Nestor had agreed to stay home from church to stay with her.
"Where are we going?" she asks, getting into the car.
"Well you still owe me a diner date." he says with a smirk, starting the car. She smiles softly, wishing she could remember.
"Is the food any good?" she asks him. He looks over at her with his dark brown eyes and nods with a smile.
This image sent her back to another set of dark eyes smiling at her. He nods, his face half covered wth facial hair. She remembered the smell of his cologne mixed with the leather seats of his new car.
She remembered the scared feeling she got when she was with this man. She remembered getting out of the car only to have him attack her.
"Pull over." Vera squeaks, pulling at the door.
"Ver-"
"Pull over!" she shouts. He does as she says, allowing her to jump out of the car and puke into the dirt path along the side of the road. She looks up to see the very spot she was attacked. Of course they had stopped here.
"Vera what's wrong?" he asks.
"I'm sorry." she whispers.
"Are you alright?" Nestor asks, rubbing her back.
"I...I remember the night. The night I was taken. I remember it."
"What triggered it?" he asks. She looks up into his warm brown eyes that are much different from the cold dark eyes of her kidnapper.
"You." she says.
"How did Nestor trigger it?" Olivia asks, pacing the living area of Max's trailer.
"It was just the way he nodded. I don't know. It just came suddenly." Vera explains.
"Nestor did something that the man did? And because they look similar with the dark complexion, you were taken back to the moment." Freddie hypothesizes.
"Maybe." Max says with a nod.
"So I am bringing back her memory?" Nestor asks.
"Yes. But only when you act like him." Freddie says.
"That's insane. Nestor is nothing like him." Vera says in Nestor's defense.
"Right. But maybe..." Olivia begins with a smile.
"Maybe if Nestor acts like him, he can bring back all of your memories." she finishes.
"You think it will work?" Max asks.
"The brain is a strange organ. It hasn't been fully worked out. It works in strange ways and it differs depending on people. What works on one person may not work on everyone." Freddie explains.
"It's worth a shot though, right?" Max asks.
"Woah, hold on. I'm not going to put Vera through that again." Nestor says, standing up from his spot next to Vera.
"I can handle it." Vera says, earning surprised looks from all of them.
"It's all I know. And if it'll bring back my memory then fine. Let's do it." she says.
"What exactly would I have to do?" Nestor asks. She looks at him hesitantly, afraid to tell him.
"Could I just write down a list of things you can choose from?" she asks.
"Here." Max says, handing her a pad and paper.
She begins writing, making a rather long list of various things that the man did to her. When she is finished, she hands it to Nestor. Max, Olivia, and Freddie all crowd around Nestor, reading the list with him.
"I'm not doing any of this." he says.
"Pick this one. It won't hurt her. And it isn't sexual." Max suggests.
"It'll just scare her into a vision." Olivia says.
Nestor sighs, looking at Vera apologetically.
"Get me the rope." he says. Vera remains seated, wondering which one he chose.
"You'll have to be rough with me. He wasn't nice." she says. This seemed to pain Nestor more.
"You're an actor. Act the role." she says.
"It's just acting." she adds. Max hands him some rope and he stares at it, not wanting to go through with it.
"Why did you have rope?" Olivia asks curiously.
"I used to tie it to the tree down by the river and swing into the water." Max replies casually.
"If you have to hit me, I will forgive you." she says, trying to ease whatever mental pain Nestor is going through.
When he looks up again, his eyes are cold. He grabs her by her upper arm, yanking her across the trailer and into the bedroom. He throws her onto the bed, tying her arms and legs down. The stimulation making Vera feel claustrophobic. She remembers yanking against the leather ropes of the hospital bed just as she yanks against the ropes.
"No. No please. Please." she cries out, trying to get free. Nestor is replaced by the man from her previous vision and the bedroom is replaced by a white room. He holds up a syringe without a needle in it. A heartbreaking cry escaped Vera's mouth as she arches her back with frustration. He presses it against her arm, watching her face to see if she is remembering anything.
"Anything?" Olivia asks. Vera looks up with fear filled eyes as reality comes back to her.
"Nothing from before the night I was taken." she says sadly.
"Get the ropes off of her." Nestor says, stepping away with tears in his eyes. He drops the syringe to the ground, staring at the kids who aren't moving.
"Now!" he shouts. They run to her, untying her arms and legs while Nestor wipes away his tears. Vera stands up from the bed, staring at Nestor.
"I'm not doing it anymore. I can't." he whispers.
"But her memory-" Max says.
"I'm not doing that! I can't! I can't do it!" he shouts. Vera walks to him, wrapping her arms around him and rubbing his back.
"You don't have to." she whispers.
"I'm sorry." he cries into her shoulder while she brushes her fingers through his hair.
"I'm so sorry." he cries.
"I'm sorry I put you through that." she says, stepping back to look into his eyes.
"I shouldn't have made you do that." she says, wiping away his tears.
"I don't want to do it anymore. I'm not like him. I can't treat you like that." he says, sobering up.
"I know." she says with a smile. She kisses his cheek and turns back to the kids.
"We will just have to find another way." she says. They nod, not having seen Nestor break down like that since Vera was announced dead.
She looks up into his eyes which are still wet with emotion.
"I'm sorry."
