Read Part 1 HERE
Kris stumbles back, his hand falling from Noel’s face.
Noel searches his face for an explanation.
“I’m sorry. I just-I’m very confused. Where am I? Am I supposed to know you?”
Kris feels his heart start to beat faster, the room begins spinning.
“Yes. I um…I’m your husband.”
Noel’s eyes widen.
“My…my husband?”
Kris closes his eyes tightly, inhaling deeply, giving himself a beat to steady his spinning sight.
Opening his eyes again his vision clears a bit and focuses on Noel’s confused expression. Kris exhales before answering.
“Yes. I’m Kris. Thornwood. And I’m your husband.”
Noel looks around the room, nervously.
“See…” he says pointing to her hospital bracelet that reads Noel Thornwood.
Noel looks and the shock is still unwavering.
“You don’t… remember marrying me?” he asks his heart breaking.
“No…I’m sorry…I don’t even know what’s going on. But I do know that my head is pounding,” she says bringing her hands to her temple.
“You were in an accident. The doctors said you suffered some head injuries and internal bleeding.”
“Oh my god,” Noel says still hazy.
Dr. King walks in, “Hello, Welcome back Mrs. Thornwood, how are we feeling?” she says walking over to the bed where Noel lies in confusion and frustration.
“She’s having trouble remembering some things,” Kris says trying to remain calm.
“Oh well that’s to be expected, you do have a concussion,” Dr. King says looking at Noel.
“She’s having trouble remembering me,” Kris says looking over at the doctor with sad eyes.
Dr. King freezes and looks at Kris.
“Is that true?” She asks looking at Noel again, as she takes out a small flash light, and shines it into Noel’s eyes, waving her index finger in front of her, and Noel’s eyes follow.
“Yes. I don’t remember him, or being married, or even the accident that put me here. I can’t even tell you what I did yesterday,” she says nervously.
“Ok. Well that can happen sometimes with concussions, and due to the accident, you have a mild one, but memory loss can still be a side effect. When you were first brought in, we didn’t know what we were dealing with or how severe your injuries were. We were worried you’d have to have surgery but thankfully after a few tests, there was no bleeding or swelling in the brain. But you suffered blunt trauma, and in turn had abdominal internal bleeding due to the impact of the other car, you must have been thrown around a bit. We had to go in and stop the bleeding before it got worse. The bleeding was from your spleen, but we were able to repair it.”
“Oh my goodness,” Noel says confused and worried.
“She’s going to be okay though, right doctor?” Kris asks worry evident in his voice and on his face.
“Yes, she’s going to be just fine.” Dr. King says smiling.
“But what about my memory?” Noel says her nerves building up.
“You just suffered a traumatic experience, it’s normal for you to be a little foggy right now. There’s no reason to be alarmed.”
“So I should get my memory back soon?”
“Just give yourself some time, you need to rest,” she says looking over at Kris.
“Doctor King, she was complaining about a headache. Is there anything you can give her?”
“Of course, I will have the nurse come in and give you some Tylenol.”
“Thank you Doctor,” Kris says.
“I’ll give you two a minute,” she says exiting the room.
Kris looks over at Noel, he instinctively reaches for her hand.
Noel flinches slightly.
Kris pulls his hand away.
“I’m sorry, it’s out of habit I guess. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“No, that’s ok.” Noel says looking away sheepishly.
Kris looks around not knowing what to do, or how to act.
Just then the nurse comes in.
“Hello, My name is Fiona and I will be your nurse tonight, I have some Tylenol to help you out with that headache, ok?”
Noel nods.
“I’m just going to step out for a minute,” Kris says rushing out of the room. Noel notices and immediately feels bad.
Jack springs up quickly, “Hey how is she?”
“She doesn’t remember me.”
“What?” Jack says taken back.
Kris starts to hyperventilate, as he leans against the wall, gasping for air.
“She doesn’t…remember me.” he says tears streaming down his face.
Jack catches his friend, before he falls, as they slide to the floor.
The hospital doors open and a young brunette woman rushes in.
She spots them, and she runs over.
“Kris!”
Kris looks and springs up pulling her into a hug, “Holly. Thank god your here. I’m so sorry I had to text you like that. I just didn’t have any details and I was just trying to get to her as fast as I could.”
“No stop it, don’t worry. I’m glad you told me. Of course I’m here. Where is she? Is she ok?”
Kris pulls away and looks at her, “She’s ok, but she doesn’t remember anything.”
“What do you mean… she doesn’t remember the accident?”
“She doesn’t remember me.”
“Oh my god…Oh…my god,” she says pulling him into another hug, holding him tightly.
“She’s in there, if you wanna go see her, maybe she’ll remember you,” he says wiping at the tears as they fall.
“Ok. I’ll give it a shot,” she says looking at him with sympathetic, caring eyes. “Hey…we’re gonna get her through this though…she loves you so much, you know that.”
Kris nods, as Holly lets his hand go and walks into the hospital room.
“Knock, knock…” She says walking in.
Noel looks at her puzzled.
“Hi,” she says with a smile.
“Hello,” Noel says confused.
“I’m guessing my face doesn’t ring a bell either, huh?” she says with a slight smile.
“No, I’m so sorry.”
She smiles and takes out her cell phone and shows her a picture of the two of them as babies.
“I’m Holly, I’m your sister.”
“I have a sister?” Noel asks.
Holly nods.
“Any other siblings I should know about?” Noel says with a small laugh.
“Nope, just you and me.”
“What about our mom and dad?” Noel asks looking at Holly with expectation.
“We lost them a few years back. It was unexpected.”
“Oh that’s terrible,” Noel says sadly.
“Yea, it’s been pretty hard, but you met Kris and he kind of pulled you out of your rut and brought you back to life.”
“Kris as in my…”
“Husband? Yes.”
“I’m really married?” Noel asks with a smile in her voice.
“Oh yea,” Holly says smiling.
“Do you have any pictures of my wedding?”
“But of course… I was your maid of honor after all?” she says smiling and scrolling through her phone. “Here you go,” she says showing her a picture of she and Kris kissing.
“Wow. I look so happy,” Noel says smiling.
“Yea. Well you really love him.” Holly says smiling.
Noel looks at her.
“And just so you know, he loves you too…so much.”
Noel looks back at the picture, wishing she could just remember something.
Just outside, Jack sits on the floor trying to calm Kris down.
The nurse comes over to them, “Mr. Thornwood…”
Kris looks up, and stands up quickly.
“These are all your wife’s belongings,” she says handing him a clear bag.
“Thank you,” he says taking it.
Kris turns to Jack. “I’m just gonna take a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Jack nods. “I’ll be here, let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” he says patting Jack on the back as a thank you.
Kris walks into the men’s room, setting the bag on the sink counter. He beings to sift through it. First he pulls out her red pumps, emerald green dress, and then her lacey red lingerie. Kris stops and stares at it, smiling, he whispers, “I knew she was wearing it,” remembering their conversation from earlier.
âPlease tell me your wearing that sexy red lingerie I bought you?â
Noel gasps, Kris laughs.
âYou better be alone right now,â she says.
âBaby I think I can actually hear you blushing,â he says with a chuckle.
âShut up,â she says laughing.
Kris’ eyes begin to tear up again, he fights them back as he continues looking through the bag. Pulling out her purse, cellphone, and then her engagement ring and wedding band.
Kris stares at them, holding them in his palm, they sparkle reflecting the light.
An image of Noel’s tearful yet smiling face pops into his mind as he remembers getting down on one knee.
“Baby… come back to me, ” he whispers.
Just then Kris hears a knock on the door.
He places the rings in his pocket, and grabs everything else, before opening the door.
“Hey,” Holly says smiling.
“Hey, any luck?” Kris asks stepping out.
“Nope, but she’s asking for you.”
Kris smiles faintly as he walks away toward Noel’s room.
“Hey,” he says walking in cautiously.
“Hi,” Noel says with a small smile noticing Kris’ tear stained cheeks.
“What’s that?” she says pointing to the bag in his hand.
“This is just all the stuff you came in with, the nurse just gave me it.”
“Oh…what’s in it?”
Kris walks over and hands the bag to his wife.
She begins to pull each item out.
“Well, that’s pretty sexy,” she says laughing as she pulls out the lacey red bra.
Kris laughs. “Yes, it is.”
“Where was I going exactly?” she says smiling.
“You were meeting me at my holiday party for work.”
“Wearing this?” she asks her eyebrows raising.
“It’s kind of a thing, I by you lingerie before every Christmas. And you wear it every year under some insanely hot dress at my holiday party. And then well…we…”
Noel smirks, crossing her arms, as she waits for him to finish.
“We?” she says smiling.
“We kind of have our own little celebration later that night, I rent a hotel room, we order room service, it’s like our own little sexy holiday tradition. I know it probably sounds silly…” he says looking away.
“No. It sounds fun.”
Kris looks up at her, their eyes locking, he smiles.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to that, this year.”
“Hey the year’s not over yet,” he says.
Noel smiles, as her cheeks blush a pretty shade of pink.Â
“So how long have we been married?” Noel asks.
“We actually just got married a month ago.”
“Oh…wow…so we’re newly weds.”
“Yup…” he says pulling out her rings from his pocket and handing them to her.
“Wow, they’re gorgeous,” she says admiring them.
“You don’t have to wear them yet, if you don’t want to,” he says nervously.
“Don’t be silly, I would love to wear them,” she says smiling as she hands them back to him.
He looks at her confused.
Noel holds her hand out, waiting.
“Aren’t you going to put them on me?”
“Oh of course,” her says smiling as he slides the rings onto her red manicured finger.
Kris leans in and cupping her face, he places a kiss on her lips.
Although caught off guard, Noel doesn’t flinch this time.Â
Kris places his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes, he sighs, “I’m sorry, I just, I couldn’t help myself,” he says.
Noel smiles.
“I really do wish I could remember, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hey, I got you to fall in love with me once, I can do it again.”
Noel looks up at him, and pulls him in by his jacket, kissing him again.Â
Kris wraps his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him, as he kisses her. Noel falls into it as she circles her hands around his neck.
Dr. King walks in.
“Oh I’m sorry.”Â
Kris pulls away, as Noel blushes.Â
“Are we getting our memory back already?” she says smiling and walking over.
“Not just yet,” Noel says looking away with a laugh.
“Oh…”
“Hey if you woke up to this gorgeous guy saying he was your husband, would you question that?” Noel asks.
Kris looks at her, smirking.
Dr. King, smiles, “Well you have a good point and a sense of humor, that’s fantastic.”Â
Noel smiles.Â
“I just wanted to check on you and do some blood work and routine stuff. Check your reflexes, things like that.”
“Ok,” Noel says smiling.
“Dr. King how long do you have to keep her here?”
“Once I get all the results back from the follow up tests, and I’m able to give her the all clear, you’ll be able to take her home…I’m thinking in a day or two.”
“Really?” Kris says smiling, “that’s fantastic.”Â
Noel smiles rubbing his back, he turns smiling as she reaches for his hand.
He takes it, looking down at their hands, he smirks liking the way her rings sparkle on her finger…right where they belong.Â
TO BE CONTINUED…
*I do not take credit for any images used in my edit.*
-<3-
Michelle Leigh Writes 