AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Renee and Daniel started talking to him. I tried to catch my breath while I listened to them. I chuckled at a few of the funny antics they told him about Hudson and being grandparents. Their voices were filled with pride and love. I never would have made it without them stepping in to help me. I reached for Renee’s hand as she continued talking. I clutched Vince’s in my other.
My ears perked up at the sound of the door opening behind us. A tall, lanky, good-looking man in a white lab coat walked in. A stethoscope hung around his neck. He held an air of authority even though he had one of the kindest faces I’d ever seen. “I’m Dr. McGuire, Vince’s neurologist.”
“I’m Hailey. These are Vince’s parents, Renee and Daniel.”
Dr. McGuire smiled and shook our hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Quite a miracle, I’d say. To say you’re relieved would be an understatement, but I know you all must be . . . well, relieved.” He chuckled nervously, clicked his pen, and referred to the clipboard in his hands.
“We are all very relieved,” Renee agreed. “And happy. And thankful. We’re just—” She burst into tears. “I’m sorry.” Her words were muffled with her hands covering her face.
“It’s all right,” Daniel said, wrapping his arm around her. She tucked herself into his body.
I looked at Dr. McGuire. “It’s been quite a crazy couple of hours,” I said. I was surprised I wasn’t the one crying at the moment.
He gestured to the hallway. “Would you like to talk outside?”
We all followed him out.
Renee was the first to speak. “Can you tell us what’s wrong with him? I thought Pete said he was fine. Why isn’t Vince awake yet?”
“Mr. Weber hasn’t sustained any serious injuries. Recently, that is. The bruising is healing, and his vital signs have improved significantly since his rescue. He suffered from severe dehydration, starvation, and abuse.”
“But he’s getting better?” Renee and I asked in unison.
“Yes. What he went through took a toll on his body and his mind. He is extremely weak still. And it will take some time for him to rebuild his strength. But rest assured, from the tests we’ve run, we don’t think there’s any cause for alarm.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Mrs. Weber. What your husband went through was very . . . difficult. We are hoping for the best and remain optimistic.”
“But?” It was the only word I could utter because it sounded like there was more he hadn’t gotten to yet.
“You need to prepare yourself. Vince may not be the same man you remember.”
“What does that mean?” I held up my hand before he spoke again. “And please, doctor. I need you to level with me. I’ve been through hell and back. Don’t give me some sugar-coated spiel.”
He gave me a curt nod. “According to his charts, Vince has suffered some memory loss. He has trouble remembering what happened and . . . various parts of his life. His doctors in . . . where he was taken after his rescue, were able to put some of the pieces together for us. His commander and his team also spoke with him over the weeks he was there. They determined that Vince is mostly aware of what happened, but . . . the extent of his memory loss is pretty extensive.”
I listened as he continued, knowing I was only getting part of the story. Once again, I wasn’t at liberty to know the specific details. When he paused, I asked, “Do you know . . . Does he remember me?”
His eyes pinged to each of us in turn. “He remembers you,” he said to Daniel and Renee. But—” His eyes suddenly seemed to go cloudy and dark. “Mrs. Weber, I need to forewarn you . . .”
“Oh, my God.” All breath fled my body. Renee seized my hand in hers. “He doesn’t remember me?”
“He does remember you, Hailey.” Never in my life had I seen a doctor look so sad. “He just doesn’t remember that you’re married.”
Chapter 4
Hailey
My world turned upside down.
“He doesn’t remember that we’re married? Oh, my God. No. This can’t be happening.”
“Of course, he remembers. That was the happiest day of his life,” Renee defended.
“Mrs. Weber?” Dr. McGuire’s voice hit me.
“What?” I snapped. I immediately recovered. “I’m sorry, please, doctor, just help me to understand.”
He sighed. “Vince remembers you. I want you to understand that. He knows your name, was able to describe you in vivid detail, and even recalled some events from when you first met. However, he referred to you asgirlfriend. Notfiancéand notwife.”
His words cut me to the core. I couldn’t believe Vince didn’t remember we were married. “What does that mean? What do I do?”
