Page 40 of Undoing

Cass heard Ellie gasp softly beside her but couldn’t understand why that was such a big deal. “And? Come on, Hunt. Haven’t you ever woken up from a deep sleep and didn’t know where or when you were?”

Hunter sighed. Cass needed to hear the words. Hunter just wished she had the right ones to say. “Rebecca… thinks it’s 2001 and that she’s here because of Samantha.”

Cass heard the words coming from Hunter’s mouth. She heard the shocked murmurs from the friends that surrounded her. Still, she wasn’t comprehending the meaning of those words. She let out a small laugh that held no joy.

“That… that doesn’t make sense. What are you talking about?”

“It’s early, yet, but Rebecca seems to be suffering from retrograde amnesia,” Hunter explained gently. God, the look on Cass’s face killed her. The heartbreak on the faces of the others heightened the emotion of the situation. “Her memory seems to be beginning at the time she woke up in the hospital after Samantha nearly killed her.”

Cass looked around. Every face looking back at her held sorrow and pity. “But that was years ago. We met…” She shook her head. The ramifications of what Hunter was telling her were too catastrophic for Cass to accept.

“Cass…”

“Wait. Just…” Cass held a hand up, cutting Hunter off. “Y-you’re telling me that the love of my life, my wife, d-doesn’t know who I am?”

“I’m sorry.” Hunter knew the words weren’t enough, but at the moment, they were all she had.

“You’re sor…” Cass scoffed and looked at the others with a sardonic smile. “She’s sorry.” Before she knew what she was doing, Cass reared back and punched Hunter.

“Hey, my sweet girl. How are you feeling?”

Willamena made a bee-line to Rebecca’s side, taking her hand. She had noticed Dr. Lima’s curious look but didn’t take the time to analyze it. Willamena’s first priority was Rebecca.

“I-I don’t know, Aunt Wills. Everything feels… weird.”

“Are you in pain?” Rebecca shook her head but didn’t seem convinced by her non-verbal answer. Dr. Woodrow looked back at the other doctor in the room.

Dr. Lima stepped up, dropping her voice to speak directly to Willamena. “Rebecca seems to be suffering from retrograde amnesia following waking up from the MIC.”

“Amnesia?” Willamena’s voice wavered as she whispered the word. That explained Hunter’s look, she thought solemnly. She turned back to her niece, pushing messy hair away from her face. “Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?”

Rebecca began to cry. “I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.” She squeezed Aunt Wills’s hand. “I wasn’t strong enough to get away from her. I’m sorry, Aunt Wills.”

“Oh, my sweet girl.” Willamena gratefully accepted a tissue from Dr. Lima when it appeared seemingly out of nowhere and wiped at her own tears. She used a second tissue to dry Rebecca’s cheeks. “I’ve never been disappointed in you. That vile woman is gone now, and you never have to worry about her again. In fact…”

Rebecca winced, and she pressed her fingertips to her temple. She moaned softly as another wave of pain hit her. The pain came whenever she thought about why she was here in the hospital. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t pin down what it was that was bothering her. Rebecca remembered Samantha’s fists and feet hitting her. She could remember the pain and utter shock. She could remember barely being able to move, see, or breathe. Yet, as she lay here, the pain she thought she should have wasn’t there.

Rebecca also knew Samantha was dead. Detective Chi said as much when Rebecca had called him for help. And judging by Aunt Wills’s statement, the news of Samantha’s death was out. So, where was the sadness or guilt? Shouldn’t she feel something after letting Samantha just… die? Was this what it meant to be in shock?

“Dr. Lima?” Willamena called out when Rebecca groaned again.

Dr. Lima placed two fingers on Rebecca’s wrist, timing the pulse she felt there. “Her heart rate is elevated from the stress.” She turned slightly, catching Willamena’s attention. “I know it’s tempting to fill all the gaps in Rebecca’s memory. However, I suggest taking it slow while she’s recovering. Excessive stress can negatively affect any progress Rebecca makes during recovery.”

“I’m still here,” Rebecca muttered as she laid her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. She was so tired, she just wanted to sleep. But being unable to hear what the doctor was telling her aunt was annoying Rebecca. It intensified the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Aunt Wills chuckled. “Okay, my ornery girl. We’re just discussing how to keep your stress levels down.”

“Talking about me like I’m not here is not the way.” Rebecca’s eyes were still closed, her brows furrowed. Her mind was on a continuous loop of punches and kicks and death. When she tried thinking about something else — anything else — there was… nothing. Why did that make her heart hurt?

“We will need to sedate you if you remain agitated, Rebecca,” Dr. Lima warned. “I’d rather not do that so soon after taking you off…”

A loud commotion sounded from the corridor, causing all three women to jump.

“What on earth?” Willamena exclaimed. “I’ll go check…” Rebecca grabbed Aunt Wills’s hand, a look of fear and confusion etched on her beautiful face. “Oh, Becca. It’s okay. Nothing can hurt you now. I promise I’ll be right back.”

She hurried to the door. Having been preoccupied with Rebecca’s memory loss, Willamena didn’t stop to think about how this would affect Cass. Oh no.

When Cass’s fist met Hunter’s jaw, Mo jumped into action and wrapped her strong arms around Cass’s waist. “Cass, stop!”

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