Karen Barrett - Hers To Remember

Sam looked up at his brother. “Where else would I be?”

Casey sat on the couch opposite him. “Where did you find her?”

“At the diner down the block. You were right. She didn’t get far.” Sam sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees. “What about you? What did you find?”

“Nothing yet. Damian’s still looking into this Adrienne Winston. But that doesn’t mean she exists. She could have gotten the name from a book she’d been reading before she fell.”

Sam rubbed his eyes. “I don’t understand it. It’s as if she’s made up some secret life. She keeps talking about some guy named Vaughn.”

Casey sat forward. “Did she give you a last name?”

Sam shook his head.

“How is she?”

“Exhausted. I managed to convince her to get some rest. It wasn’t easy. She’s scared, Casey. The fear’s eating at her.”

“Does she know who you are?”

He shook his head. “There’s not one bit of recognition in her eyes. Why, Casey? Why is she calling herself this strange name? Why is she afraid of this Vaughn person? Why is she afraid of me?”

“There’s something you have to consider, Sam.”

The seriousness of his brother’s voice spurred him from his seat. “She’s not crazy!”

Casey stood up. “I wasn’t going to suggest she was. In fact, I have a hunch it’s the opposite.”

“What are you talking about?” Sam demanded.

“Maybe she really is Adrienne Winston. Maybe she has been all along.”

Sam couldn’t believe his ears. “You said it was a long shot.”

“That was before I knew she’d been talking about this Vaughn guy. I can see someone with a head injury picking up a name from a book. But to be afraid the way you say…”

“Stop!” Sam wouldn’t hear another word.

Casey put a hand on his shoulder. “I wish I could have spared you this.”

“Me? I don’t give a damn about myself. It’s Amy I care about. If all this stuff she’s been coming up with is true, it’s possible she’s in very real danger. I need to see her.” He strode out of the room.

Halfway down the corridor, Casey caught up with him, grabbing his arm.

Sam glared at him. “Let me go.”

“You’re too worked up. You think going in there like this is going to help her?”

His brother was right. He had to be strong now. And calm. He had no idea what he was dealing with. “It’s been three years, Casey.”

“I know, Sam.”

Sam winced at the compassion in his brother’s voice. Hearing it scared him. Casey was a cop. A cop whose hunches were always on target. “Learning about the baby, we were so happy. How are we supposed to deal with this?”

Casey put an arm around him. “I don’t know, Sam. But you will. You’re the strongest man I know. Besides, if Amy really is Adrienne Winston, the fear she’s experiencing comes from three years ago.”

Sam shot him a grateful look. “I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I should go tell her.”

Casey half laughed. “Tell her what? We still don’t know anything yet. Why don’t we go get some food instead?”

Sam shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

“My treat,” Casey said.

That surprised him. “Your treat?”

“You’re looking at me as if I’m some kind of tightwad or something.”

Sam managed a smile. “Or something.”

Casey laughed. “Then you’d better take me up on it. It’s a one-time offer.” His demeanor turned serious. “You have to eat, Sam. You can’t—”

“Take care of Amy if I don’t take care of myself. All right, Mom, you win.” He glanced at the closed door of her room. “I just hate to leave her alone.”

“She needs to sleep. The nurses will keep an eye on her. Especially after what happened earlier. And once Dr. Yamana has had a chance to completely examine her, we’ll have a better idea what we’re dealing with.”

Casey’s words echoed Sam’s own thoughts. After dropping by the nurse’s station, they headed down to the cafeteria.

WHEN ADRIENNE WOKE for the third time, she felt as if she’d been asleep for weeks. A glance at the clock on the bedside table told her it had only been thirty minutes. The pain in her head had faded to a dull ache.

The panic she’d felt had faded, too. Once she told the people here about Vaughn, they wouldn’t have him near her. And even if they didn’t believe her, once she told Vaughn about her proof, he wouldn’t dare hurt her, despite what he’d threatened.

The door opened. Adrienne tensed, then relaxed when Dr. Yamana stepped into the room. So much for my new confidence, she thought wryly.

“Well, you look like you’re feeling better.” The doctor moved to her bedside. She took out the same black instrument and once again shined the light in Adrienne’s eyes. “How’s your head?”

Seeing this as her chance to get herself released, Adrienne smiled. “The pain is all gone.”

Dr. Yamana studied her skeptically. “All gone?”

“Well, it does ache a little,” she admitted. “But not nearly enough to keep me in the hospital overnight.”

“Anxious to leave, are you?”

So anxious she’d gone AWOL. Evidently the doctor hadn’t heard about her little escapade. “There’s no reason to stay if I’m feeling so much better, is there?”

The doctor smiled. “Why don’t you let me finish my examination before you go running off, all right?”

Adrienne nodded reluctantly.

The doctor took the chart from the end of the bed and pulled up a chair. After she sat down, she opened the chart and took a pen out of her pocket. “As I started to explain before, in cases where there’s been an injury to the head, sometimes there’s a memory loss. So I’ll ask you some basic questions, and you answer them to the best of your ability. Are you ready?”

Memory loss, Adrienne thought, maybe that’s the answer. Sam had called her Amy, the doctor Mrs. Delaney. Delaney was Sam’s last name. Was it possible he’d meant what he said, that he was only trying to make sure she got better? Maybe he knew the danger she’d been in the other night. Maybe this was his way of helping.

“Mrs. Delaney?”

Adrienne looked at the doctor. “What?”

“Are you up to answering these questions?”

Making a decision, Adrienne nodded.

“All right then, let’s start with something easy. Can you tell me your name?”

Sending up a brief prayer for strength, Adrienne looked the doctor straight in the eye and lied, “Amy Delaney.”

Dr. Yamana smiled. “How about your age?”

“Twenty-seven.” Adrienne gave her real age reluctantly. She hoped it meshed with Sam’s information.

“What is your birth date?”

This she knew she shouldn’t answer. The age she might be forgiven. A wrong birth date would raise all sorts of suspicions. Now was the time for amnesia to set in. She paused, then tried to look puzzled, “I can’t remember, Doctor.”

“That’s okay,” Dr. Yamana said gently. “It will come back. Let’s try something else. Can you tell me your address?”

Adrienne shook her head.

“What is your husband’s name?”

Adrienne crossed her fingers under the covers. “Sam.”

Dr. Yamana nodded. “Do you know the date of your anniversary?”

“No,” she said, then made herself laugh. “I guess Sam won’t be too happy with that.”

The doctor smiled. “I’m sure he’ll forgive you. He’s very concerned about you. All the nurses are dreamy-eyed, wishing their husbands or boyfriends would show such devotion.”

Which meant that they could be as easily fooled as she, Adrienne thought, or else he really was the caring man he seemed to be. Which one?

“Please try not to worry,” Dr. Yamana said. “All the test results came out fine for you and the baby.”

The mention of the baby she carried caused all other thoughts to vanish. Adrienne still had a hard time believing she’d been pregnant for several months and never had a clue.

“Since the tests came out so well, does that mean I can be released?” Adrienne asked.

“Well, we do have this memory loss to deal with,” Dr. Yamana said.

Happy the doctor had bought her fake amnesia, Adrienne continued her act. “How long will it take me to remember?”

“That’s hard to say. Different head injuries act differently. It could take days, weeks, or even months.”

Dismay filled her. What have you gotten yourself into now, Adrienne? she asked herself. “I can’t stay in the hospital for months!”

The doctor laughed. “In a rush to get back to that handsome husband of yours, are you? Relax, Mrs. Delaney, your injury is relatively mild. You’ll probably only be here overnight.”

Adrienne didn’t have to act out her relief. “That’s wonderful, Doctor.”

The other woman smiled. “I’m sure your husband will be happy about it, too.”

Adrienne started at the term “your husband,” then she realized the doctor was talking about Sam, not Vaughn.

“I’m going to go talk to him now,” the doctor continued. “Get some rest. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Dr. Yamana rose, and left the room.

Adrienne stared at the closed door. What would Sam say when the doctor told him about her “amnesia”? Would he give her away, or would he realize she’d decided to take him up on his offer of protection?

Adrienne sat up. It didn’t matter what he’d said. There was no way she was going to wait around to find out. Moving more quickly than she knew she should, she made her way over to the closet. At least this time all she’d have to do was put on jeans and shoes.

She opened the door, then stood staring at the empty space inside. No jeans. No shoes. Only three clothesless hangers.

Damn them! There was no way she could leave now. Anger and fear made her sway. She moved back to the bed, muttering, “I can’t faint. I can’t faint.” If she lost consciousness again, they would keep her here for days. That would only give Vaughn more time to find her. She was sure now he had no idea she’d landed in the hospital. If he knew, he’d be here.

Huddled under the covers, she tried to think, to plan, to come up with anything she could to convince them to keep Vaughn away from her once he arrived. And she thought of the big blond man who’d regarded her so tenderly. Could she really count on his help?

THE ELEVATOR DOOR whooshed open. Sam stepped into the corridor, then turned to his brother, who had followed. “I can’t believe you stuck me with lunch again.”

“I thought I had a twenty in my wallet.”

“Yeah, right.” Sam strode quickly down the wide hall toward the nurse’s station.

Casey moved to catch up. “I said I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you sound sorry.” Arriving at his destination, he leaned on the counter and returned the smile of the nurse on duty. He figured there must have been a shift change, since he didn’t recognize her. “I’m Sam Delaney. Is Dr. Yamana back yet?”

“Yes, sir, she returned a few minutes ago. I believe she’s in with Mrs. Delaney.”

“What do you mean she’s in with Mrs. Delaney?”

The nurse’s eyes widened at his terse tone, but Sam didn’t feel in the least guilty. He’d told them he needed to talk to the doctor before she saw Amy.

“The doctor needed to finish her examination,” the nurse said.

“But I told the other nurse I needed to talk to her first.”

“Kathy gave Dr. Yamana the message. But you weren’t here, sir, and the doctor is very busy.”

“If you had called the cafeteria when she arrived, I would have been here in two minutes,” he said between gritted teeth. “Was she too busy to wait two minutes?”