You are Mine

Four

So, his name was Wyatt. He was all right with that. It beat not having a name at all.

He wanted desperately to have these bandages removed from his eyes, but the doctors who have helped him insisted that they were needed to heal the burns on his face. Slowly, he lifted his hand and touched the dressings. Being as careful as he could, he felt around and found all of the sores located underneath. They stung like the dickens, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.

How long he'd been like this, he didn't know. Minutes and turned into hours, and days and turned into months. Time didn't matter any longer. The staff at the hospital must have kept him heavily medicated, because that was the only explanation to why he hadn't gone insane yet.

And then... and angel came into his life. She said her name was Jessica Simone. Her voice was much sweeter, and she sounded much younger than the other nurses. But this one actually wanted to help him heal.

Her short visit last night had given him hope that things would start looking better for him. Doom and gloom wouldn't always be his companions. Instead, he looked forward to hearing Jessica's sweet voice when she helped the others in the hospital. And he especially waited patiently for this night to arrive. They could talk more personally then. Of course, he wouldn't know what to say, but at least her voice would make him happy.

He wasn't certain how long it had been since he last heard her voice, but he could tell the light from the other side of these bandages were growing darker. Night must be upon him now. He wouldn't have much time to wait.

Wyatt moved both hands to his face as he tried to peel away the coverings from his eyes. Finally, a small amount of light shone through, enough for him to see around the room. From outside the windows, night had indeed begun to take over. Excitement grew inside him, and he hoped he could look upon Jessica's face this time. He'd convince her to take him outside for a walk or something. One way or another, he needed to see her. Perhaps that would be the key to opening his memories.

He'd heard the other men in the room talking from time to time. Wyatt realized that this hospital ward was where they kept the deserters from the war. Even if he had no memories, he knew what war was. Something in his gut told him that he'd been part of that senseless time in the past. However, he also felt that he wouldn't have deserted – that he would have kept on fighting.

If only he knew for certain. Something terrible must have happened to him. Maybe that was why his mind was afraid to open and let him remember.

He prayed his angel would help him in some way since nobody else would.

* * * *

Hugh Jackson was genuinely surprised to discover how much Jessica entertained him during dinner. His mother had visited with them for a few minutes, but because she had other people in the boarding house to feed, she couldn't give him and Jessica her full attention. He didn't mind. Jessica had captured his interest, and he was reluctant to look away for fear he'd miss one of her adorable expressions.

When she told him stories about what she'd gone through while in the nursing school, she had become very dramatic. Her expression changed with each emotion, and he found himself mesmerized. Her deep brown-eyed gaze held him prisoner. When she laughed, her eyes sparkled.

He'd never known a woman who could keep him entertained throughout a whole meal. Usually, women bored him quickly, which was what he told his mother when she asked to why he wasn't married yet. The real reason, however, was because he couldn't find a woman who shared his interests. He hadn't become a doctor just to have a prestige career. Instead, he cared about people, and he wanted to heal them. His enjoyment was seeing the gratitude on their face when he was able to help them.