0 comments
I was found wandering at a job site of a lonely framed house, in a newly plotted neighborhood just two miles from my townhouse. My feet bare, wearing only a long sleep t-shirt with the phrase ‘Go Pug Yourself’ written under a cartoon pug dog. I can’t remember buying-owning-or being gifted that shirt but the humor fit me perfectly. In the ER, the rounded blue swelling above my left eye socket concerned Dr. Elaine Brazee immensely, almost more than me having no answers for my past and remembering only future memories. She wore her brunette long loose spirals in a pretty half up-do, dressed in warm tight gray leggings with a darker gray skirt and purple sweater. She ordered me a bed with a couple of nights stay, after reviewing my CT scan.
“Let’s get an MRI next while we wait for your bloodwork,” she said as she scribbled across my chart. She turned her body slightly toward the nurse who was slipping a catheter into my arm for the IV fluids I needed and whispered “call down to get a psych eval too, please Ella.” The nurse, Ella glanced up at me and then back at the job she was doing on my IV.
Dr. Brazee’s hazel eyes landed on my face as she gave me a genuine sympathetic look and nodded, “we need to talk about you not being able to remember anything Mae.”
I tried to explain again that I can recall everything—just not the past, “like my t-shirt,” I spat out. “I don’t remember buying-owning-or getting it as a gift…and I don’t remember putting it on…but I do remember my next birthday’s present from my fiancé. Pink fleece sweats and a matching sweatshirt with a horse silhouette on the front with a diamond wedding band loosely sewn in the center. I remember the future, it’s okay. I can remember stuff. My name is Mae, I am a writer, I just moved here and work from my new townhouse condo. My parents both died in a car accident when I was twenty. I love donuts and pizza. I have an eye appointment coming up on the 28th and my horse Laylee needs new shoes…she is at a barn 5 minutes from me….” I rambled on.
Dr. Brazee stood still watching me. “Okay…okay. You remember the basics, and all those things you just keep listing as if you really can’t remember anything else. It also is worrisome that you say you only memories from the future, which is not really possible….is it?”
Her voice faded away and I shifted to my other side in the raised triage bed.
“I am going to let you rest for a few minutes.”
I tried to close my eyes but I heard mumbled voices behind my cracked open door. I could recognize Dr. Brazee’s soft voice but the man’s voice sounded vaguely familiar made my heart skip. I need to see who the doctor was talking to.
I almost didn’t have the strength to sit up, my head throbbed and a wave of nausea hit me. I grabbed the edge of the hard cushion and tipped forward and off the side. I saw the dingy marbled floor tiles slowly coming into my clear blurry one-eyed view. The hallway light was bright invading my dim room when I saw Dr. Brazee’s maryjanes’ and a pair of work boots. I felt two arms wrap around waist and down my back that brought my upper body back upright. “It’s okay Mae. You’re all right,” is all I heard as I leaned back giving in to the heavy dizzy sleep.
I woke up with the chaos of fast bodies sprawling over me and pain spreading through my head and neck. “I…..mmm….hurts,” I breathed. I felt a warm hand on my shin and a voice telling me it’s going to be fine. I wasn’t so sure.
The next 24 hours I floated above my body in and out of my memories still to come. I saw the man who caught me in the ER on our first date. Thanksgiving at his parent’s house in California. I made my mom’s special desert, her pecan pie. My second book was successful. Our honeymoon is filled with sunshine and beach sand. The moment in his eyes when he lays his hand on my belly and feels our daughter kick for the first time. The Disney trips and college graduation. Our two grandchildren and our wrinkled faces growing old together.
“The medication is working. Vitals are steady and bloodwork are in normal ranges now. The MRI results were promising…..” I heard Dr. Brazee say as I opened my good eye.
“Good morning Mae. How are you feeling?”
My throat was dry so I blinked a few times and managed a slight head nod to answer.
The word “good’ escaped my lips as I strived to regain composure and focus.
I filled my time writing in hospital logoed notepad, flipping through a few magazines and watching mindless tv. I worked hard to make up an eventful and believable past. I convinced her and the other doctors of this past that always ended on how bright my future will be and that it would unfold itself in time.
“Are you up for a visitor Mae? Someone who has saved you now twice. Once in the middle of his house that is being built and again from almost landing head first in the ER,” Dr. Brazee asked me with a smile.
She held my chart and her eyes lingered on my freshly washed and conditioned hair noticing my tan highlighted skin. “Wow. You look amazing Mae. Let me guess…you talked Ella, your favorite nurse into go shopping for you?”
I laughed as I told her that my natural beauty can’t be hidden forever and that I kinda like the purple and yellow bruised forehead look now that both my eyes working and open.
“It’s funny how you almost…knew. It’s like you knew that you’d be having a visitor this morning,” Dr. Brazee shared as she shifted her eyes at me with a smug look.
“How in the world could I have predicted this awesome meeting? I didn’t even know I had a visitor that came every day I have been in here….until now.”
She shook her head at me and narrowed her eyes, “who told you he’s been here every day. Did I? I thought I kept that a secret from you.”
I shrugged my shoulders, “oh! What’s his name—I don’t know his name.”
“No futurist abilities Mae? It seems like you might have. That’s why I kept his name a secret, as a test,” she leaned closer making a face at me.
“I wish. Those were the magical times of my fortune telling days, sadly triggered only by a bad head trauma, remember doctor?” I winced and covered my face.
“Ha-ha,” her fake laugh filled the room as she waved him in.
My eyes locked on his and I all I could muster up was…“hello Ben,” as my stomach rolled with excitement.
“Hi Mae,” hearing his voice made me heat up as I pulled the ivory blanket to the side of my bed. I asked for the deep rose-colored hospital gown and I was in the mood to show it off.
A 31-year-old handsome blond haired and blue eyed gorgeous athletic built man with the sincerest soul and hilarious sense of humor memorized me. The owner and contractor of the land and house I ended up in brought me a pug stuffed animal and a dozen light pink roses.
Dr. Brazee smirked, I knew she thought I had no idea who this man was that finally walked in my room.
“I have rounds to do. Enjoy your visit Brennan,” she said out sticking her tongue out at me.
I giggled.
“Oh…thanks doctor and my friends call me Ben though,” he politely told her.
My doctor stood frozen holding the door open. I could tell I threw her for a loop when I said his name out loud. I avoided looking at her.
“I found you pacing the 4x4s of my soon to be kitchen, it was cold and rainy, your eye was sunk in and you held your forehead with both hands shaking. But, the sight I will never forget was your way-to-big-shirt with a pug dog stating, ‘Go Pug Yourself’ on the front. I thought to myself, wow… I have to visit this one in the hospital as I held you into my unzipped jacket calling 911…” he chuckled.
I slipped into the comfy sweat suit and pink flip-flops Ben brought me the day before along with my cell phone and waited for Dr. Brazee to come sign my release papers. I was more than ready to go home. See my horse. Finish my book. Start my future with Ben.
“I have to say Mae, I feel sad that you’re leaving us. It’s like I am saying goodbye my funniest friend who has made me laugh every day for the past month.” Dr. Brazee gave me my instructions with a hug. “I’ll see here in a week for a check-up. Okay?”
I said as I hugged her back, “I’ll be here for that check-up Elaine and an invite to lunch too? We are only going to use Dr. Brazee in the professional setting. You’re going to be just Elaine now.”
“Good idea. The lunch and no more formalities between us friends,” She smiled. “I’ll add it to my calendar now.”
I picked up my plastic bag with my pug shirt and make-up and placed my paperwork and phone inside and slid into the wheelchair I had to be escorted out in, for liability sake Doctor Elaine explained.
She started to push me toward the elevator as I said goodbye to my nurses. I pressed the L button for the lobby where we were meeting Ben.
We were almost to the pick-up area as I gently pressed down on the tires making her stop pushing. I stood up and turned to face her. “Remember when we had cheesecake the other night and we were talking about how life can sometimes feel unfulfilled because one thing we desperately want and need just isn’t destined to happen?” I asked her.
Her eyes glittered with a tear warning to spill over. “Ummm…yeah, that talk helped me realize I have so many blessings in my life….and Mark and I can always adopt. I’m open to that now…thanks to you. I will be fine Mae.”
Ben walked up and slipped his arm around me, “I got her now Doc. Thanks for everything.”
Elaine lightly slugged him on his shoulder and said, “good luck, Ben.”
We started to walk towards his truck when I looked back at Elaine, she was standing there waving to me. “Hold on. I have to tell her something….” Ben went and opened his passenger door clearing the seat of take-out pizza boxes for our movie night and placing them in the back seat. He thinks of everything…I love it.
I took Elaine’s hands into mine. She stiffened feeling my seriousness. “You are two weeks pregnant Elaine.” She drew a sharp breath in and slowly let it out staring at me. You’ll need to be on bed rest right around your 6thmonth and stay off your feet until your water breaks on its own. There’s a little bit of a scare with that but you’ll be fine and so will he. Don’t question me on this. You’re going to be a great mother, by the way.”
Elaine was shocked. Her mind whirled with the news I told her.
I walked up to Ben and he helped me up even putting my seatbelt on. I waved at Elaine who was white as a ghost as a happy tear flowed down her cheek.
As we pulled into my townhouse’s driveway, I heard the chime on my phone and read a text from Elaine:
I am not even going to ask how you knew. I am not even that late. My HGH (human growth hormone) in my blood is higher than it’s been throughout all my treatments. I can’t wait to have our lunch next week.
I quickly typed back:
A pink heart emoji and hit send.
Then I wrote:
If my vote counts at all—
the two names you and Mark came up with three years ago for a boy
I pick your first choice, Benjamin. It’s a great name.
Ben eased me out and held me in his arms to let the sun warm my face. “Ready to be home?” he asked as he took my hand and walked me inside.
You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.
0 comments