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"Like, she's reciting things we've said to each other."
"What exactly is she saying? You mean in general?"
"No..."
He turned to look at Molly and found her eyes open.
"It's not in general," she answered, wincing, "it's exactly what we said."
* * *
Waking up, listening to Jacob and Doctor Webb speaking over her and the nearly familiar give of Jacob's mattress at her back, Molly was beginning to put together a picture of what had happened to her.
Putting a hand to her head, she winced as she tried to look at both men. She was trying to gauge their reactions to her words.
She hadn't said much, but she was just beginning.
Struggling to sit up, she gave Jacob a grateful smile when he helped her sit up so she could lean against the headboard of his bed.
"I feel kind of stupid saying this," she began, letting out a breath, "it sounds kind of silly outside of my head. I have a version of an eidetic memory. But, unlike most people with this kind of memory skill, I don't remember visuals. I remember sounds.
"Words. Conversations. When I was a child, I would often get in trouble for copying people. Teachers in particular found it irritating that I could repeat their words verbatim."
She looked at Doctor Webb first and saw a bit of shock, but also a curious interest. It didn't shock her.
"I don't have any clinical proof of it. I've avoided actually identifying myself in such a way. When I've suggested the existence of someone who could do what I do, I'm treated to a long and exhaustive list of tests they'd like to run on 'my friend.' I wasn't interested in becoming a lab animal and begged off, saying that I was only joking."
Doctor Webb shrugged. "I can see how that would be annoying. I can also say that it would be something worthy of study."
Molly sighed. "I like working. I like doing what I'm doing. I can help people doing what I do. Sitting in a lab taking tests isn't something I'm interested in at all."
"It wouldn't necessarily be a drudge," the doctor offered, "but that's not something we're discussing right now."
Jacob's thumb was rubbing over the back of her hand, and the soothing gesture made her smile. "So that's why what you were saying sounded so familiar?"
Her gaze shifted up toward the ceiling, even though she didn't tilt her head back very far. "I like to remember our conversations most of all. I don't have much of a social life. When I'm home alone and not working on transcriptions, I remember things we've talked about."
He shifted, holding her hand in both of his. "You could always call, or I could come over."
Molly felt her cheeks blush at his words. "I can't say that we've ever been in the same room with each other that I can recall. I wasn't going to ask you over or show up at your door."
Doctor Webb brought them back to their current situation. "So that's why you're so concerned about regaining your memory?"
Molly nodded. "With the transcriptions and audio files destroyed, I would be able to recreate the files if I had my memories of listening to them."
"Don't worry about that, Mol. We can work the case without it."
"How?" She turned to look at him, but the sudden turn of her head added to the pain she was feeling. "Sergeant Turner said that your witness is dead. The District Attorney won't be able to put them on the stand to testify. If you still had the tapes, you might be able to introduce them as evidence.
"Without the tapes, someone could argue that I'd just typed out whatever I wanted to, or whatever would help you the most."
She could see that possibility sinking in for Jacob. "I just feel like it's my fault. If I hadn't stayed late in my office, continuing to work on your files, they wouldn't have been sitting in the collection box for them to destroy."
Jacob's hands around her own hand went still and she could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking about what she'd said.
And if she knew anything about Jacob, his thoughts weren't happy ones.
"I'm so sorry."
