Into the Unknown

Shannon

Unwelcomingly, a cluster headache has decided to form on the right side of my head. My brain has been hungry for sleep the past couple days but I've been unable to rest long enough. The doctor comes into the room every once in a while to check up on James. Usually, James is asleep from the pain medicine they administer while Dr. Crichton checks on his vitals. I wish I could hop into a hospital bed and sleep for a week. Wouldn't that be a lovely thing?

My phone buzzes from my pocket, but I ignore it. Since James' accident, I've been getting phone calls and texts nonstop. I don't want to answer them though, because if I do, they won't leave me alone. As it is, I want to shut off my phone and chuck it into the garbage can but that would be inappropriate; a person never knows when an emergency might arise.

I haven't heard anything from William nor have I wanted to reach out to him. Although, I don't want him knowing what's going on with his father until the doctor has brought my husband's memories back. Astonishingly, James was able to recall the car accident when Liz did her cognitive, but other than that, he hasn't seemed to remember much. Hopefully that changes soon.

I'm lying on the couch with my hands behind my head as if they were a pillow; not a very comfortable one. The smooth, white ceiling is a boring attraction but there's nothing else to satisfy my boredom. Even watching television does not sound that great.

My phone buzzes again. This time I pull it out with a sigh of frustration. It's Matthew, Melissa's ex-husband. The man I'm hiding from my own husband. Since James barely remembers me, even with exercises to jog his memory, there's a chance that he won't even know who Matthew Lisbon is.

I dismiss the unanswered phone call, shoving the cell into my purse without speaking to Matthew. Rolling my eyes, I'm confused and annoyed by his consistency of trying to grab my attention. I thought that if I stayed quiet, the caller wouldn't continue to bother me. Apparently, my theory was false. Maybe I'll just block his number, I tell myself.

Dr. Crichton walks in holding an iPad. Once again, he's here to check on James and see how well his healing has progressed.

"How's the wife holding up today," he asks as he sits atop his designated stool.

"Could do with some more sleep, I have to say." I sit myself up on the couch, now facing forward.

From the bed, James shuffles, now waking from us just beginning to converse.

"Well, look who decided to wake up. Good afternoon, sunshine," Dr. Crichton says sarcastically. In his line of work, having a sense of humor and remaining optimistic is vital, especially when lives are on the line.

James doesn't say anything back. Rather, he takes a sip of water, takes a deep breath, and looks at me with a 'what are you doing here' sort of smile.

"So, James, have you had any more success with memory recollection?"

He rubs his forehead and his eyes, washing away the tired look. "No not really; I've just been having weird dreams lately. They don't make any sense."

"In what way," Dr. Crichton asks as he leans forward slightly, intrigued.

"Like I have a business, and I'm rich – like really rich. And that woman, I'm sorry, Shannon, is my wife . . ." His voice trails off, his eyes looking to his left shoulder. "And I have a son, as well."

My heart begins fluttering. Even though he didn't speak kindly of me, he remembers who I am; he remembers that he has a son. In his dreams he dredged up these things, at least.

Keep it together, I tell myself. James can't know that I'm ecstatic that he's starting to recollect more of his past. Now it's just a matter of time before him and I are together . . . and Matthew becomes an issue that I have to get rid of.

"Well James," the doctor says, "it seems as if your memories are coming back to you in dreams. I have to say, it's been pretty common in my experience for patients to retrieve their forgotten and lost memories in their dreams. The patients themselves think nothing of them, since dreams are usually visualizing thoughts, feelings, and thinking that occur in our subconscious. I have to say, I'm impressed that you've progressed to that point in only a few days. James, within a week, if you keep progressing as well as you have been, then you should be on the way to a full memory recovery." He says this all with a smile, overjoyed with how his patient has healed so far. "The mild concussion will still need to be watched carefully for a couple more days. I'll order an MRI for that, but if my theory is correct, your brain should be mostly healed by now."

"So when does he get to come home, Doctor?" I ask eagerly with excitement.

"I would say before the end of the week, Mrs. Herman." Again, there's that generous smile of his.