"Any improvements?" I ask Ms. Nettles who stares straight at him like her gaze might make him magically remember all the memories he has lost. Like it might make him remember her, me, and himself for that matter.
"Not really. He woke up for about thirty minutes at about two o'clock this morning. The nurse, and I asked him the same questions as always, but he still couldn't tell us who he was, and he didn't know me. We asked him a few other questions, but he didn't answer any of them correctly. Then he just drifted back to sleep," she explained with a small shrug of her bony shoulders.
I nodded since there wasn't much else to say.
"We asked him what year it was, and he said it was 1894," she told me, chuckling slightly at the memory. A small smile formed on my lips. If we weren't able to laugh at some of the stuff we'd be crying constantly. Even though it was kind of humorous it was still a painful reminder that he isn't the same Denver that we know.
"I miss my boy," she says quietly. I look over at her with sympathetic eyes as she presses her lips together and shakes her head. Her greying hair brushes across her back and shoulders as she does so. I try my best not to cry around Denver's family. I feel guilty when I do. Why should I cry? It was her son. I can't understand what it feels like for your child to not know who you are. But I do know what it feels like for your boyfriend, whom you've loved deeply for two years, to not remember you.
Denver stirs in his sleep, and both of our heads shoot up to see if he might awaken. He doesn't, though, just winces slightly as if he is having a bad dream. I wish all of this was just a bad dream.
We fall back into silence once we realize that he isn't going to wake up for now. All of these silent days in this hospital room leave me way too much time to go over that day in my head, and what I could have done differently. It was about a month ago, and we had been hanging out at the arcade just enjoying our last summer break together before college. It was starting to get kind of late, and I didn't want to miss my curfew, so I asked him if we could go home. We had drove his car to the arcade, but his brother needed it so we traded him the car for his motorcycle. Once we reached the parking lot Denver realized that his brother had only brought one helmet. He insisted that I use it. I didn't think much about it, and I quickly snapped it on and climbed onto the motorcycle. We were riding, the wind blowing my hair back when suddenly there was honking, screaming, and then I don't remember anything after that. I woke up in the hospital the next morning with minor injuries, and was released within two days. Denver obviously didn't have it that easy. When he was thrown off the motorcyle he hit his head, and since he wasn't wearing a helmet it did a good bit of damage. When the doctors told me that he had amnesia I hardly believed them. The only time I'd ever heard of someone having amnesia was in some cheesy chick flicks I'd watched with my friends. It didn't seem real.
Ever since then I've spent every day here. As mentioned before, he slips in an out of conciousness all the time. When he does wake up either Ms. Nettles, one of the nurses, or myself will ask him questions to see if he will remember. The doctor said that the type of amnesia he has usually doesn't last more than a couple months. So, any day now he might wake up and suddenly remember everything. Well, it will probably take a few days for everything to come back, but you get what I mean.
Denver lets out a quiet moan, and once again his mother, and my own heads shoot up again. This time we find that his eyes are open, and he is glancing around the room frantically. It doesn't alarm us like it used to. "You take it this time," Ms. Nettles insists, patting me on the knee before slipping out the door. She obviously doesn't have much confidence that today is the day.
I watch Denver's eyes follow her as she shuffles into the hallway. His breaths quicken as he starts to try to get up. I quickly jump up, and come over to the side of his bed where I grab him by the shoulders, and lightly push him back down. It really must be terrifying to wake up, and not know where you are, or who you are.
His deep green eyes stare into mine, lacking the twinkle they used to have. "W-who are you?" he stutters out, still looking as if he is in a panic.
It doesn't matter how many times I hear that question, it still hurts me. I force a smile anyways, and sit down on the edge of the bed. "You don't remember me?," I question as if it takes me by surprise, "Of course you know me. I'm your-" I start, but then stop once I see the look on his face. He doesn't look panicked anymore, just sort of confused. He furrows his brow, and frowns as if he is in deep thought. This is progress. He never gets out of the panic stage.
"What is it?" I ask him, but he doesn't look at me. He just continues to stare at the floor with that deep-in-thought look in his eyes. I watch him, waiting for him to say something, and inwardly pleading that he won't slip back into the comatose state he spends most of his time in. Then his eyes flick upwards, and he is staring at me again. I shift uncomfortably under his studying gaze. Then a look of recognition sweeps over his soft features, and his head snaps back as if he had ran into something.
His eyes widen, and his mouth forms an 'o' shape. "Alana...," he speaks softly.
My heart starts to beat fast, and I can hardly contain my excitement. He said my name. I fight back the urge to go get his mom, and instead allow myself a huge smile. The corners of Denver's mouth twitch upward slowly. He looks like the boy I know. The one who loved to laugh, and was always smiling. "You remember me?"
He nods his head slowly as if he can hardly believe it hisself, and his hair falls over his eyes. He flicks his head just like he always used to. "How could I forget?" he asks so effortlessly.
For a minute I'm stunned, and I just stare at him in disbelief. "I am pretty unforgettable," I reply, hoping that my sarcasm will make him remember even more. He c***s his head to the side, and then he laughs. His laugh was always so contagious, and before I know it I'm laughing with him. Then he opens his arms, and pulls me into him. I bury my face in his shoulder, and I can't hold back the tears any longer. Atleast they are happy tears. I pull my head up, and wipe at my eyes. "I missed you so much," I choke out. Denver slips his hands to the back of my neck, cradling my head in his hands. He pulls my face closer to his, and gently presses his lips to mine. I can't believe my Denver is back.
Then, I hear the door open, and I pull away quickly to find Ms. Nettles standing in the doorway with her hand still on the doorknob. She used to act extremely uncomfortable whenever Denver and I would do anything remotely affectionate, but this time a huge smile spreads across her face. "Denver?" She gasps just as dumbfounded as I was only a few minutes ago. I look over at Denver whose toothy grin has spread across his face once again as he makes his second recognition of the day. "I'm back...mom," he says before she runs over and they embrace.
Mother and son reunited.
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