Do You Remember?

Chapter Six

Ben didn't know how to cope. He didn't know how to remember. He didn't want to disappoint everyone, but it seemed it was impossible not to. Especially Claire and Tony. Those two were constantly visiting him, giving him more pictures and items that were once his, hoping to trigger something that would help him remember. But it seemed no matter how hard he focused or what he looked at, nothing would come back. At least not the things he wanted to.

Tiny memories would surface at random times. Such as the time when he was talking to his mom and he suddenly remembered that Claire's favorite meal was roast beef.

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His mom entered the room, setting down a plate with a perfectly cut grilled cheese sandwich, "Are you beginning to remember anything?" She asked as she took a seat beside Ben, straightening out her pencil skirt and white blouse.

"Not much. I do think I am starting to remember some of, well what's the word, of boot camp? I remember entering on a bus at night. Or heck that was probably in high school coming home from a football game. Mom I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to end up like this! I'm trying to remember, but all the pictures and videos? They aren't helping." Ben ran a hand through his dark brown hair as he picked up the grilled cheese sandwich.

Mrs. Novak reached out as if she wanted to comfort her son but held back, placing her hand back into her lap, "Oh honey, I'm sorry. I'll put the pictures away if they're bothering you?"

Ben nodded slightly, "I think that might help," he said in between bites of his grilled cheese, "I think maybe it would be good for me to begin working again? I mean the doctors cleared me for my injuries, I think it would be beneficial?"

"Are you sure you're ready? I mean the Army isn't going to make an exception for you," Mrs. Novak sighed as she took in her son's thin body. Ben had lost a lot of weight since the accident and while his wounds seemed to be healing, all she could see was the scars that were left behind.

Ben nodded as he finished up his sandwich, "I mean, I should probably talk to my physical therapist about increasing my workouts to get me back in shape but, I think I'm ready. It'll get me out of my head for a while, I think that would really help."

Mrs. Novak took a deep breath before standing up and taking Ben's plate, "We'll talk about it further after you mention this to your doctors. I don't want you hurting yourself even further." She said in a tone that meant this discussion was over. "Now, we're having roast beef for dinner, so would you do me a favor and grab Ella and can the two of you begin cutting the veggies?"

"Ella!" Ben called out the back door as he stood up and made his way into the kitchen behind his mother. "Roast beef..." he muttered to himself as he pulled out a cutting board and knife. "Why does that make me think of Claire?"

"Claire?" Ben's little sister Ella's voice exclaimed as she bounded into the kitchen, out of breath. "Is Claire coming over for dinner or something?"

Ben turned to face his sister, a large smile dancing on his lips, "Claire loved roast beef, didn't she? She always ate it with Mom's signature cooked carrots, she loved the recipe so much that she begged Mom for it the first time you made it for her."

Ella and Mrs. Novak both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Ben, speechless.

"How did you?" Mrs. Novak whispered, wiping her wet hands on her apron.

Ben shrugged and turned back to the carrots he was cutting, "I don't know. One second I was here cutting these carrots and the next second I was thinking of Claire and it hit me. Claire loved your roast beef."

Mrs. Novak laughed and shook her head as she turned back to the sink, "All those pictures and videos and all it took was my roast beef for you to finally remember something."