It Must Have Been Love (10 page)

“Ok, if that’s the way you want it,” a slightly vexed Chris continued, “I remember we are married, we have no children or pets. We both want to see the world. You love chocolate, jellybeans, and cream cakes. We both like our music loud. You hate it when I leave the top off the toothpaste, and I hate it when I trip over the shoes you’ve left lying next to the sofa. We met on a blind date, and your favorite color is blue. Is that enough or should I go on?”

It was now glaringly obvious that although Chris remembered many things, he had no idea that they had been living apart prior to his accident. Now for the hard part, for Angie to break the news to him.

“Chris, there is no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it the best way I can.”

Angie took a very deep breath, reached hold of his hand ready to begin. She was taken back to find that the long gone spark of electricity had returned, and right now it was making its way from the tip of her fingers right the way through her body. Now, though, was not the time to be thinking of such things. Now, she needed to keep a steady head and tell Chris the truth.

“A few months ago we were finding it hard to get along anymore, so we decided to have a sort of trial separation. You moved out and we were seeing a marriage counselor. In fact that’s where you should have been when you ended up in here.”

In stunned silence, Chris’s jaw dropped further with Angie’s every word. Looking almost catatonic, he waited for her to continue to turn his world upside down. He didn’t have to wait long.

“I know this is a shock for you, Chris, but if we’re going to try again then we need to be honest with each other. I know this isn’t the best time to tell you, but I couldn’t let you just come home like nothing had happened.”

Chris’s head was buzzing and he wanted to bombard Angie with questions. “How could I not remember something as big as us splitting up?” Chris tried to be patient and ask one question at a time, but before Angie could answer his first question he continued on with the next. “If I moved out, where was I living? It wasn’t because I cheated on you was it?”

“No, no, no, you never cheated and neither did I. You were living in a hotel, but it was just temporary. We were trying to work things out,” Angie responded.

It was crystal clear that Chris was becoming distressed and it was hardly surprising. Angie knew just how he felt. When she had seen him earlier and he hadn’t recognized her, everything had come crashing down, like her life with Chris didn’t exist. Now it was Chris’ turn, and the happy life he still thought he had with Angie was gone in an instant.

“So what do we do now, Angie?”

“I’d like you to come back home, at least until you recover. After all, you’re going to need help with stuff until you’re better. I think we should take one day at a time. If things work out well we could even give things another try.”

“That’s very kind of you, Angie, but I don’t want you taking me back because you feel obligated.”

“No, that’s not it at all. I’ve had plenty of time to think while you’ve been in here. When I heard about your accident I was terrified that you’d been seriously hurt, and that I’d never get a chance to talk to you again. I think we drifted apart mostly because we just stopped trying. We didn’t make enough time for us. We just rolled on by, day after day, doing the same old things. I think if we really tried, we could change all of that, and I really think it’s worth a try. Anyway, remember what you’ve been drumming into me for all these years? A winner never quits and a quitter never wins. I don’t think we should quit on us, how about you, Chris?”

“Well, seeing as I never thought there was anything wrong with us in the first place, I don’t want to quit on us either. I guess the best thing would be for me to move back home and, like you say, we can take one day at a time. I’ll give it my best shot, that’s for sure. I seriously don’t remember us splitting up, though. I just hope I don’t drive you crazy running around after me while my foot gets better. You know I really don’t think I make a very good patient.”

“No, you’re right, you don’t. In fact you’re the most impatient patient I’ve ever known,” Angie joked as she pulled a face at Chris.

The couple laughed, leading to Chris having to swiftly clutch his ribs again. “Ouch, that hurts. Remind me not to laugh until I recover.”

“No way, you’ll just have to hang on to your ribs before you do. Laughter is the medicine of life, and we both seriously need a daily dose,” Angie responded.

As the laughter faded it was replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Just for a moment the two had laughed, just like they used to in the old days. However, they lived in the real world, and you can’t fix something in a few moments that took years to fall apart. Both Angie and Chris were struggling for something to say when there was a loud tap on the door.

“Can I come in,” a familiar voice called out, but before either Chris or Angie answered, Louise was entering the room. Clutching a large tray laden with an assortment of biscuits, a coffee pot, and three coffee cups, Louise pretended not to notice how quiet the couple was.

“I wasn’t sure what biscuits you’d like, so I just brought them all. I’m supposed to be watching my weight but you have to indulge once in a while, don’t you?” This was of course a rhetorical question, and therefore Louise didn’t need to wait for a response. Instead she just kept on talking, in order to make up for the silence. “It feels a little cold in here, don’t you think? Never mind, you’ll soon warm up with a hot cup of coffee. No wonder it’s cold, I wish they wouldn’t just go off and leave the windows open, it’s just so irritating,” Louise gabbled.

Pointing to the vertical blinds, which were wafting in the breeze, Louise thumped the tray down hard onto the large office desk, which sent coffee gushing out from the coffee pot spout. Louise had only just narrowly avoided waterlogging the computer keyboard next to the tray.

“Oops, don’t think I’ll be very popular if I blow up the doctor’s computer, will I?” Louise chuckled. Speedily yanking a handful of paper towels from the wall dispenser, the usual levelheaded Nurse Brannagan looked flustered as she dabbed furiously at the coffee spill. Major catastrophe avoided, Louise carried the coffee soaked towels over to the hugely oversized pedal bin. Dumping the dripping mess into the bin, she took some fresh towels from the dispenser. Mopping up the tiny puddles of coffee from the shiny floor surface, all tell tale signs of the accident were now gone. Next Louise poked her hand through the wavering blinds and banged the window shut tight. Finally, she headed for the small hospital sink. A good squirt of sanitizing hand wash, some almost too hot water, followed by a rather inadequate hand drying with even more paper towels, and the nurse was done. Smoothing down her uniform with the flat of her hands, Louise steered herself towards the couple.

“That’s better. Angie, I’ll let you pour the coffee, just watch you don’t spill it,” the chortling nurse instructed.

Chris and Angie glanced at each other and smiled, after which Angie poured out three cups of coffee. Throughout the process, nobody said a word, but the chatty nurse was unable to stay quiet for long. Louise was far too curious to wait until someone else broached the subject, so she just came right out and asked the burning question.

“OK, now you’ve had a chance to talk in private, have you decided what you’re going to do?”

Angie and Chris looked at each other once more, and both began speaking at the same instant. Chris promptly apologized and invited Angie to speak first.

“I’ve told Chris about what happened before the accident, and we’ve agreed that he should come back home, at least until he’s fully recovered. He’s going to find it hard to get around and I’m more than happy to help him. We’ll take it one day at a time, won’t we Chris?” she smiled.

“Yes, we’re gonna give it a try. This is all a bit strange for me. I’m still finding it hard to get my head around it all. Last I remember we were just a normal couple living a normal life. Next thing I know, I find myself in hospital with a busted up ankle and a busted up marriage. It’s all so bizarre and a bit scary, if I’m honest. I must admit I’ve always had a bit of a skeptical attitude about amnesia. I always thought it would be impossible to lose chunks of your life.” This was the first time Chris had come out and admitted how confused and scared he was feeling. The usually positive Chris was being bombarded with negative thoughts.

What if I go back home, everything is going great, and then I remember the bad things that went on between us? What if remembering the bad times ruins everything for us? Maybe it’s better if I never remember it all. But what if I never remember, yet begin to fall into the same bad patterns that caused the problems in the first place? It’s going to be impossible to know what I did wrong if I don’t remember, but if I do remember it could ruin things anyway,
Chris thought nervously; wanting to ask all of these questions out loud but being afraid to do so.

“Do you think I’ll never remember everything, Louise?” he asked.

It was clear to both Louise and Angie that Chris’s thoughts were torturing him, and his eyes displayed the tell tale sign that tears weren’t far away. Spotting Chris’s emotional discomfort, Louise tried to lighten the mood.

“So long as you remember that you brought fresh flowers and chocolates for Angie every day. You did all of the cooking, all of the cleaning, and all of the laundry, and if you continue to do that as soon as you’re better, then I’m sure you two will get along just fine,” the jolly nurse joked while winking at Angie.

“Nice try, Louise. I may have forgotten some things but I know I’ve never used a vacuum cleaner in my life. I wouldn’t even know how to switch one on, never mind clean the floor with one,” a slightly embarrassed Chris replied.

“No, seriously, Christopher. No one can ever say for sure that your lost memories will or won’t return. Seeing as you remember everything else so clearly, you may never remember it all. But what’s the use in driving yourself crazy over it? Maybe the best way to move on is to forget the past, pardon the pun. You both obviously loved each other very much once upon a time, so why don’t you treat this as a second chance at happiness?”

Nurse Louise Brannagan’s caring nature had overridden her professional side. Maybe she should have given him a short non-committal answer, but it just wasn’t her style. She liked the couple a lot, and she’d seen far too much unhappiness in her job not to want to encourage a happy ending wherever possible. Sometimes her instincts told her that it wasn’t worth the effort; but she sensed that deep down Angie and Chris still cared a lot about each other.

Louise’s direct and straight to the point approach seemed to have done the trick. The atmosphere in the room warmed significantly, as the threesome chatted over their coffee and biscuits. By the time their drinks were finished it had been decided that it was time to prepare for Mr. and Mrs. Morris to go home. Louise disappeared and returned with the necessary discharge paperwork. As soon as everything had been checked over and forms had been signed, the couple could officially leave. While Chris signed the forms, Angie chatted to Louise.

“Louise, I wonder if you could call me a taxi?” Angie asked.

“Don’t bother, Louise, I’ll take care of this. Angie, you’re a taxi,” Chris interrupted.

“Oh Christopher, that joke must be older than you,” Louise sniggered.

“Well, it looks like you haven’t forgotten your favorite joke, more’s the pity,” Angie said tongue-in-cheek.

Although not long back Angie had tired of hearing the same old jokes over and over again, now she took them in the same lighthearted manner as they were delivered. Chris wasn’t trying to be clever; he was simply trying to make people smile, and Angie in particular. From now on Chris could tell as many of his corny jokes and one liners as he liked. After all, that’s what made him who he was. She loved him, corny jokes and all. It would take some time for the bones to heal and even longer to heal their marriage, but it was possible and that’s all that mattered. Soon after the paperwork was completed, Louise gave Chris his aftercare instructions, and after a fond goodbye to the very kind and supremely helpful nurse, the couple were leaving the hospital and going home.

Chris and Angie traveled home in relative silence, with only the sound of the taxi radio and occasional car horn spoiling the tranquility. Their minds were overloaded with thoughts, and each of them was thinking differently about what lay ahead. For Chris, it was picking up where he left off before they split up. For Angie, it was about trying to forget every angry argument they’d had in recent times. It may not be easy, and though they were both anxious to succeed, they were also both very nervous about doing or saying the wrong thing. The sooner they got back home the sooner they could get on with things. When their apartment came into view it was a welcome sight for both of them.