Remember4

Silence filled the room as they stared at each other. His face fell, she could almost see the hope and life drain out of him. He hadn't expected that question, thought she knew him as he seemed to know her. She felt terrible for causing this grief in this stranger that didn't feel like a stranger. Her question felt wrong like she should know the answer. She almost knew that she should but when she tried she came up blank. The devastated look on his face was breaking her heart and she wished she could have taken her question back. He composed himself, trying to hide the pain and sat back from the bed, pulling his hands away at the same time. Almost immediately she felt nervous again, unsure and untethered. She wanted to keep his hand in hers and never let go. 

"Charlie. My name is Charlie Maran," spoken quietly as if he didn't want to be saying the words. He seemed to search her face as he waited for a reaction.

"Charlie, she said, testing the sound of it, "I like that name. Now I have another question, that maybe should have come first," she waited for his nod and then continued, "What is my name?"

"Oh, oh my, you don't- ... I mean you can't remember-...you don't know your own name? Or who I am? Anything?" Shock was written on his face as she shook her head to all his questions.

"Nothing, I know nothing. I mean I know this is a hospital, that I am laying in a bed, pregnant, that your cup holds coffee, the sky is blue and birds fly. But I can't recall anything about me, personally. No memories, childhood or recently. Nothing. You want to tell me why that is?" Upset now as these things sunk in and still wishing for his hand.

"First, your name is Emily, and second I don't exactly know. The doctor can explain better but after it first happened he said there could be memory loss. That we wouldn't know the extent until you woke up. I never imagined it would be everything."

"After what first happened?" She asked hoping he would continue to enlighten her instead of waiting for the doctor. She wanted to focus on getting more answers and not on panicing over her memory loss.

"There was an accident." He closed his eyes at the memory. Took a deep breath and spoke quickly," You were driving, you work as a nanny for two boys and you were headed for the playground. There was road work and a detour on a windy road. The cars behind vouched that you were going below speed limit, it was raining a bit and you were being cautious I guess." Another breath. His hands gripped the edge of the seat. "The truck was going at least twenty over the limit and he came around the curve more in your lane than his. You managed to swerve to avoid a hitting head on but the truck hit your door and slammed the car into the rocks on the side of the road. The driver was dead before he hit you, the coroner said he had had a heart attack." He paused, obviously not wanting to go on.

"Please, keep going, I need to know," she slowly reached her hand out, offering and asking for his own. He let out a breath and took her hand, both sighing in the comfort of the touch.