Page 57 of Lodged

“That depends on how well you progress. But you don’t need to worry about that now.” She pats my hand as she makes her way to the door.

“Try to get some rest. I’ll come back in a little while to check on you.” I nod at her, feeling somewhat tired. I don’t think I’ve been awake for even an hour, but my head hurts. I need to take it slow, just like the nurse said.

The next morning, after Dr. Davies checks in, my entire family comes to see me. Granny and Mama are the first to enter the room. Granny brought my favorite blanket she sewed for me, and I smile at her.

“Thank you, Granny.” Her smile is big when she hears my voice.

“Oh, honey. You can speak now, how wonderful,” she says as she covers me with the blanket and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, sweetie,” Mama greets me next, and one by one, all my siblings hug me, or at least try to. It’s hard with these damn casts. They all gather around my bed, and I frown.

“Where’s Daddy?” It’s so unlike him not to come to see me.

“Ruin, there’s something we have to tell you,” River speaks. When I glance around, everyone has sad looks on their faces. “Yesterday, the doctor confirmed that you are suffering from amnesia.” I inhale a sharp breath because what on Earth did River just say?

“After speaking with Dr. Davies, we decided it was best if we gave you the news. It seems that you don’t have memories of the last four years of your life.” I grip Mama’s hand tight as I absorb River’s words. Four years?

“What aren’t you saying, River?” He looks at Mama, and she gives me the slightest nod.

“Daddy passed away four years ago, Ruin. A lot has happened since.”

I feel my body go limp as everything fades to black.

“Miss MacAllister, welcome back.” A doctor I’ve never seen before greets me as I open my eyes. It’s dark now, and my family is nowhere to be seen. Did I dream that they were here and gave me the worst news of my life? I look at the doctor with a blank expression.

“Do you remember the conversation you had with your family?” I nod at him.

“I’m going to get straight to the point. You’re suffering from retrograde amnesia. It’s a type of memory loss caused by abrain injury. In your case, the car accident you were involved in resulted in severe trauma, not only to your extremities but also in your brain.”

“Do I have any chance of recovering my memories?” I ask. I don’t want to miss four years of my life permanently.

“That’s a question that has no definite answer, Miss MacAllister. Unfortunately, it varies from person to person. The only thing we can focus on at the moment is your physical therapy, and we can provide therapy with a psychologist if you would like. My professional opinion is for you to focus on your body and rest. With time, your memories might come back to you.” The doctor gives me a tight smile and leaves the room.

The nice nurse I’ve seen a couple of times now is nowhere to be found. Maybe she’s only on the day shift.

Rain enters my room, and the smell of what she has in her hand immediately puts me in a better mood.

“Mama sent you your favorite food,” Rain says as she removes a Tupperware container from a paper bag.

“Hmmm, Carolina blackened trout with veggies and rice.” I love Mama. “I don’t care that we're going to leave this hospital smelling like fish, it’s so damn good.”

Rain chuckles at my eagerness to eat Mama’s food, but all I’ve had today is crackers and water, and I need real food now. The moment the first bite of flaky, warm, buttery, lemony fish hits my senses, I moan, and Rain barks out a full laugh. It’s good to hear my sister laugh after the day I’ve had. I’m sure these past six weeks have been hell for all of them, not knowing if I was going to wake up or not.

I make quick work of polishing off the food, and my sister stares at me in shock.

“What?” I ask her, grabbing water from the food table in front of me.

“Nothing, I just have never seen you eat like this.” Her voice wobbles, and her eyes fill with emotion. Rain is the strongest of the two of us. It’s definitely hard seeing her break like this. I place the glass back on the table and push it away from me, making room for Rain to sit down next to me.

“I hate seeing you like this, Raindrop,” I say, and she flashes me a sad smile.

“I’m just so fucking thankful you woke up, Ruin. I cannot imagine my life without you,” she says as tears start falling down her cheeks. I join her, silently crying, wishing I could remember everything that happened—that I hadn’t gotten in that damn accident. But this is the reality I must face now.

“What was I doing in Pines Shore?” I ask her as I wipe the tears from my face. Rain lies down next to me—it’s a tight fit, but we’re used to sharing our beds more often than not.

“The doctor said it’s not appropriate to fill you in about the last four years. He said that it might actually cause more stress because you can’t remember. He said it was best to let the memories come back with time,” Rain says in a low voice, and I whine in frustration.

“So what are you allowed to tell me? Is it true Daddy is gone?” She nods as she places her head on my right shoulder.

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