What if I was nothing (Tommy Conlon fanfiction)

Part 22

"So, let's take a look, shall we?" Tess opened a file and looked around, while Tommy and Brendan were standing next to her.
"She was brought here on the 3rd of January, unconsciousness, cerebral edema, yeah, okay," her eyes quickly checked informations from the file.
"Well, nothing unusual, to be honest. After a serious head trauma, she has a combination of a post-traumatic and retrograde amnesia. It's common after this type of a damage. It seems like she has trouble to remember last five, maybe six years."
"Wow, she remembers high school and then nothing?" Brendan opened his eyes widely. Tommy was quiet, he just listened to what she said.
"Yeah, I mean, her memory can come back, but there is also a chance it will not. But I am not a neurology nurse, this is not really my daily job to care about these patients, you know?"
Tess shrugged and looked back to the files.
"Oh," she raised her eyebrows.
"What is it?" Tommy finally spoke.
"She comes here every Friday to Dr. Smith, he's a local psychologist and once a month she visits local neurology department."
"Hmm," Tommy hummed and he sudenly turned.
"Where are you going?" Brendan quickly followed him.
"I have to tell her, tell her everything," Tommy said and called an elevator.
"Hey, Suzan, could you check Mr. Downey for me in like five minutes? I just have a coffee break," Tess waved at her colleague.
"Sure! Take your time!"

"You, big guy, follow me, now!" Tess took Tommy by his hand and dragged him to one room followed by Brendan.
"What do you think you're doing?" she closed the door and asked him angrily. "You will just march there again and tell her - hi, I love you, let's get back together?"
"I wouldn't say it like that," Tommy frowned, "but what. You want me to let her go? Just do nothing, watch her vanishing from my life, finding someone el-"
"Tommy, listen," she interrupted him. "Try to understand, that she doesn't remember you. At all. Accept this fact. Now, how would you feel, if some woman, whom you have never seen before, came to you and told you - you may not remember me, but you are my lover, my boyfriend, so come back to me. That would be strange, creepy, right? You have to take it slow. I mean..." she tried to calm her tone down a little bit. " I can't even think how hard this must be, but don't rush it, okay? Don't be selfish, let her to fall in love with you again. Don't lie, but tell the truth carefully."
"Okay, Tess. I hear you, I do, but I have no idea what are you talking about," Tommy sat on the hospital bed and looked at her all confused.
"Well, first impression wasn't any good, from what I've heard," she said and Tommy looked at Brendan.
"What? We share everything," he shrugged.
"Yeah, thanks man."
"Stop it, you two," Tess sat next to Tommy. "We can do it this way. You come here on Friday and play it, like you had a medical appointment because of your shoulder. She is curious, right? She always wanted to dig deeper in stuff, she was looking for answers her whole life, that is why she studied veterinary and found love in etology. So, use it. Let her come to you, tell her, you know her, but don't push too hard. Be friendly, guide her, but don't tell her what she should or should not do. I believe she will find your way back, just give it a time."
"She's right, Tommy," Brendan nodded, "it's better this way, than spit everything out at once."

"But it's so freaking hard. Knowing, that she lives with that jerk, who had to tell her a terrible things about me," Tommy whispered.
"Well, show her, he is wrong," Tess gave him a smile. "I help you, okay? Come here tomorrow, she'll be here. First task will be to make the second impression okay and fix the first one."
"Yeah, yeah," Tommy rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Tess," he looked at her.
"That's what family is for, right?" she kiss his forehead and exchanged smiles with Brendan.

"Alright, so she should be leaving Dr. Smith any minute now," Tess watched the hallway, Tommy nervously cracked his fingers.
"Would you relax? You making me nervous."
"Sorry," Tommy sighed.
"Oh no," Tess suddenly turned.
"What?" Tommy asked.
"Don't look there, she's here with her father's girlfriend."

I walked with Liz across the hospital hallway. An hour spent with Dr. Smith, who tries to explain to me, why I can't sleep and have unending migraines. I must say, I don't have any clue what is he talking about and I really can't identified myself with his conclusions. But whatever, maybe one day.
"So, coffee?" Liz called the elevator and when the doors opened, she entered.
"Sure," I smiled and looked to the reception. "Damn it, Liz, I forgot my wallet there, could you wait for me at the car?" I shouted at Liz, who disappeared behind the closing doors.

"What now?" Tommy sighed.
"Well we have to find another way, how get you to meet her," Tess bit her nails nervously. "Well I'll be damned," she suddenly whispered, her eyes staring behind Tommy.

"Uhm, excuse me?" Tommy felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and he turned.
"Oh, it is you," I couldn't fight the smile, that appeared on my lips, when he turned.
"Shani," he sighed.
"Yeah, yeah," I said maybe way too avidly.
"I'll be over there," Tess vanished.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, guys."
"No, that's okay. She's my sister-in-law, I just came to say hi."
"You work here?"
"Uhm, no. I was here to see my doctor."
"Oh, I hope it's not something serious."
"Nah, he just checks my shoulder and leg. I got shot few months ago in Iraq. And I got home few days ago. So my doctor just wanted to see me, if it's healing the way it should."
"Iraq? You are a soldier?" I asked and couldn't hide the doubts and surprise in my voice.
"Uhm, yes," he nodded and watched me curiously. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I nodded and got lost in my thoughts for a moment. "I'm sorry, what is your name?"
"I'm Tommy," he gave me the sweetest smile.
"I'm Shani, but apparently you already know that. Tell me, how do you know me? I was in an accident and I can't remember... well... anything."
"Well, I believe we met at high school, I was senior, when you got there."
"High school, yes. It does ring a bell. So we're friends?"
"Yeah, friends," Tommy said quietly and looked at me with a sadness in his eyes.
"Friends," he said it one more time and exhaled deeply.
"Listen, I want apologize for my behaviour. I overreacted and I shouldn't behave like that, when I came to you the other day. I was just worried, because I haven't heard from you for a while and I guess I've lost my nerves. Forgive me."
"That's okay, I understand," I looked at my watch. Liz will be nervous and she might ask questions, when I get to the car.
"How about a cup of coffee someday?" I asked and Tommy's eyes got brighter.
"Sure, I'd love that. Any chance you know Denny's diner? I usally stop by in the morning and have coffee there."
"I don't know that place, but I'll find it on maps. So, I can't on Monday, but... Is next Tuesday okay?" I wrote down the name of a diner and checked my diary.
"Yeah, sure," Tommy nodded. "Tuesday it is."
"Okay, cool," I put lock of hair behind my ear nervously. Why am I so nervous? I feel like a teenage girl settling her first date. It's that kind of nervousness, that you are okay with, not the stress you have before the exam or interview, but that feeling you have before you get your first kiss. Butterflies in your belly tingling you and it seems like you can't take a breath.
I stood there and stared at him.
"So, we're just friends?" I suddenly asked and I was surprised, what kind of a sentence just left my mouth.
"What?" he giggled silently.
"Nothing," I opened my eyes widely. "Tuesday it is. I must go. T- Tommy..." I spluttered and went quickly to the elevator. The doors got open and I couldn't help myself, I had to look his direction one more time.
He watched me, whole time I guess and when I looked at him he gave me a smile. How on Earth could somebody resist that smile?

"So, everything went good," Tess rushed to talk to Tommy.
"Yeah, we're going for a coffee on Tuesday in the morning," Tommy said happily.
"In the morning... What time?" Tess asked.
"Oh," Tommy looked at her, eyes like a lost puppy.
"Man, concentrate!" Tess took her phone and shook her head.
"Hey,  Mary? It's Tess Conlon, I need a favor from you."
"What would you do if you don't have me," she grinned all amused, when she was done with the call. "Mary will call you, when Shani appeares, okay? And get yourself together, man! Or you'll get lost on your way home." She laughed and went to see her patients.

"So, did you find it?" Liz asked me, when I sat next to her in the car.
"What?" I looked at her confused.
"Your wallet, Shani," she chuckled.
"Oh, yeah, yes, wallet. Here," I showed her my wallet and laughed. "That's my brain, forgetting everything." I tried to make fun of it, so she couldn't get any suspicion.
"Lizzie, do you think we could skip the coffee today and go home? I feel tired," I asked and she agreed.
I locked myself in my room and laid on my bed.
Something that Tommy said bothers me. If he was shot in Iraq and he came home from there few days ago, why did my father said, that he was his employee? Did he lie to me? Maybe he doesn't like him and he didn't approve him to be my friend. That would be really unfair to keep my friends from me, just because he thinks they are not good for me. To be honest, people who claim to be my friends these days are strangers to me. And then one man appeares and I feel like I see... A true friend.
"Hmmm, friend," I said it loud and grinned.
I opened a drawer and took pill to stop the headache. It won't work anyway, but maybe I'll fall asleep for few minutes.