Seven's the Charm

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Martin met us outside a room with the blinds all drawn; he had a wary smile on his face that put me on edge instantly. “Come on Mart, Bella's back so we can-” Josie began excitedly.

Martin interrupted gently with a glance towards me, and then his eyes settled on his wife. “Jojo, I think we need to have a talk for a minute before Bella goes in there.”

Josie tightened her grip on my hand and I felt her shudder, “is he ok?” She asked in a small voice, vastly different from her excited one just moments ago.

“He's, fine.” Martin said carefully, eyeing me almost curiously. “Come in here for a moment and I'll explain why we can't just rush back in there.” I let Josie pull me into the small waiting room next to the one Martin had been almost guarding and then sat down inbetween the pair. Martin took a deep breath before looking between his wife and I. “Since you went to do paperwork, Tyler, remembered, some things. Or atleast, he thinks he has.” I looked between Josie's confused face and Martin's resigned one, wondering what he was talking about. Tyler thinks he's remembered things? How does that work? What does it even mean?

“Mart, I don't understand.” Thank you for asking the question we all want to know, Josie.

Martin sighed, “Tyler thinks he's in Ashford and he doesn't remember anything of the past couple of weeks. Namely, he doesn't remember Bella or the boys, his new house, his job, anything that's happened since he moved here basically.” As we sat there in silence for a few minutes, soaking up this new piece of shocking, yet vital, information, a man that looked remarkably like doctor Tristan stepped inside the room with a careful smile.

“I take it you've shared the news?” His voice was soft and I frowned a little at the likeness' he shared with the other doctor.

“Yes,” Martin sighed.

“Good. Ok, I assume you're Josie Wyatt, Ma'am?” The doctor walked over to Josie with a friendly half-smile, shaking her hand when she offered it.

“That's right. I see my husband's been coaching you.” He snickered and grinned briefly towards Martin, who was rolling his eyes, before facing Josie again. “He said calling you by your given name was important to staying in your good graces. Nice to meet you, Josie.” Then he turned his blue-grey eyes on us “And you must be Bella, it's nice to meet you. I'm doctor Matthews.”

I shook his hand, “are you related to doctor Tristan by any chance?”

Doctor Matthews laughed loudly, making me giggle. “It's the eyes, right? Yes I am. He's my cousin on my father's side.”

“Your father must have been very handsome, doctor Matthews.” I gasped and gaped at Josie's statement, whipping my head round to face her. Martin and the doctor laughed heartily whilst I stared at Josie and she winked teasingly at me.

“Thank you, Josie. I have no comment on that one, I'm afraid.” And then the mood turned sombre as he asked if we wanted to go in and see Tyler again. Martin told us that he was going to the children's room down the hall where his middle daughter, Poppy, was keeping an eye on them, so it left Josie and I to see Tyler with doctor Matthews.

Josie gripped my hand just as tight as I was gripping hers, and doctor Matthews led us out of the waiting room and into Tyler's. He was laying on the bed in the middle of the room facing away from us on his side, so we had a few moments at least before he turned to look at us. “Tyler, honey...?” Josie murmured, letting go of me so she could walk around the bed and face Tyler; he tilted his head and from my spot by the door I could see the corner of his mouth stretch into smile that his happy Mum returned carefully. “Do you feel ok? Do you hurt?” Her hands flitted over the cast on his arm, his chest and his head. It reminded me of my behaviour when one of the boys fell over or hurt themselves; it only proved that no matter how old my sons get I'll still worry and fret, just like Josie's doing now even though Tyler's thirty years old.