"So this girl..."
"What about her?"
"She doesnt remember anything? Nothing?"
Taylor sighed. "She remembers a few things. Her name and birth date. She remembers her mother's death and her brother, Riley, and his death."
Zac Hanson nodded, completely interested. "Poor girl," Zac started, leaning back in the chair. "She's remembering all the wrong things..."
Taylor pulled open the refrigerator door. "Tell me about it." He grabbed a Coke and popped it open before he joined his younger brother at his kitchen table.
"Sometimes I wish I could forget everything." The moment it escaped his mouth, he wished he could take it back.
This was news to Zac. "Things not going well, man?"
Taylor shrugged and stared into his soda can. "They're all right."
Zac slammed his empty beverage can onto the table. "Got a bug in your drink?"
Taylor glared at his brother. Zac knew exactly how to push his buttons without even trying.
"I miss being in the band."
Zac shrugged. "I kind of like the freedom myself," he admitted. "Why don't you try the college thing like Ike?"
"Well I tried that once already. For a semester, you know. Got old quick. I have money as of now, and I'd like to take a break for fun."
Zac nodded knowingly. "Know what you mean." He glanced around the kitchen of Taylor's fairly bare apartment, scanning everything for clues to his brother's state
of mind. The kitchen was messy, dishes strewn about the counters and filling the sink, the few frames on the walls hanging crookedly. His eyes caught on a small bag at the end of the counter by the refrigerator. It was red with small silver sequins that seemed to dance in a line down the side and form a lace around the small pocket in front.
"Whose bag is that?" Zac wondered. The thought suddenly occurred to him that Taylor might have had company the night before, and he shouldn't have come uninvited. He waited impatiently for a response from Taylor.
"Shit!" Taylor exclaimed. He frowned. "The day I ran over Jamie....," he stopped suddenly and cringed. "God, that sounds awful. I ran her over. I made her forget everything..." his voice trailed off and his eyes sunk, obvious to Zac that he was feeling sorry for his actions.
Zac racked his brain for something intelligent to say. "Don't worry about it," he finally said. "Whose bag is it? Jamie's?"
Taylor took a swig of his drink before answering. "No. I was at Shop Smart down the road looking at magazines and some girl came up to me. Crap, I forgot her name... But anyway, she left her purse on the floor so I ran after her and while I was chasing her down the sidewalk I trampled over Jamie."
Zac stifled a laugh. "That's sad, bro. Why didn't you give it back to her?"
"Well I haven't had much time," Taylor said. The truth was, he'd been spending so much time at Jamie's hospital room trying to make amends, he hadn't had time for much of anything. On top of this fact, he'd completely forgotten about the purse.
"Was she hot?"
"Who?" Taylor had lost himself in his own thoughts. Was who hot? Jamie? She sure was....
"That girl. The purse owner."
"Oh right. I guess she was all right."
"I'll return the purse.
"Don't worry about it, Zac," Taylor started. "I'll do it today. If you return it she might get the impression you mugged her or something. She should remember me."
Zac laughed again. "What makes you so sure?"
"I'm Taylor Hanson," he said, grinning.
"I'm Zac Hanson."
"That you are. But she came up to me as a fan."
"Ahh," Zac said. "You idiot, if she knows you, she should know me too."
"Get over it, man. She's not that hot. Are you so desperate?"
"Hey I take all the opportunities I can get my hands on..."
The Tulsa air was crisp and dry, unusual for spring in Oklahoma. Pale gray clouds hovered over the land making it appear darker than it should have at noon.
It was rather warm and the wind blew through the trees slightly, shaking its green leaves. As Taylor walked, the thought occurred to him that the trees looked like
monsters in the wind, their branches shaking like angry arms on their brown trunks. He laughed heartily to himself.
The walk was not a long one to the hospital where Jamie had currently taken up residence. She'd been in the same room for an agonizing two weeks now, and Taylor had spent endless time with her trying to help her remember her
life.
As the fall was subject of Taylor, he was paying the hospital bills, which through his insurance company were not too high. Not only did he pay the hospital bills, but he'd bought her presents; playing cards to keep her from
boredom, flowers to look at, kind cards with apologizing words, and many times he had brought her good food. Lord knew hospital food was tasty, but oh how much better everything else was.
By now Taylor guessed she must have known everything about him, yet neither Taylor nor Jamie knew anything about Jamie.
Today Taylor had a question for Jamie, one he hoped with all his heart Jamie would accept. She was well now, all except for her missing memory and the hospital could no longer contribute to her remembering. Therefore, Jamie
could go home. The problem was, Jamie did not know where home was. Her fingerprints had shown she owned no property and her parents were long gone. She had a large sum of money in a bank in a city outside Oklahoma City, but that
was as far as the fingerprints had taken her. Taylor hoped Jamie would live with him.
After Zac had left that morning, he cleaned his house for three long hours, dusting and scrubbing and delving through the dirt and mess so that she would
want to stay with him.
He walked faster. The anxiety was nearly eating away at him and he couldnt wait to pop the question. Something about her made his insides go crazy, so that he could hardly look at her without a longing to hold her, to touch her. But she did not feel the same. How could she? She had much bigger issues to worry about and he was not one to push. He'd go at her pace if it meant he could be with her any amount of time longer.
The St. Anne's hospital was large and nice. Taylor had seen on the news that this hospital was one of the best. Not only that, but it was within walking
distance from his apartment. He loved to walk, to take advantage of the outdoors and the buzzing small-town life that clamored about him.
The automatic glass doors opened to allow Taylor inside, and he slipped through easily. By now he knew his way to her room and he nodded at the receptionist as he passed on to the elevator. The elevator doors opened and an old man in a wheelchair wheeled himself out of the small enclosed space. Taylor watched him roll out and their eyes met. Before Taylor could smile the old man
frowned.
"Damn kids are predjudice as hell," he mumbled as he wheeled towards the receptionist desk. Taylor wanted to feel offended as he stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the third floor but he was too excited about seeing Jamie.
When the doors reopened, he stepped quickly out and strolled fervently down the hall towards her room. He stopped at the desk before it and waited for the nurse to finish her phone conversation before speaking.
"You can go on in, Taylor," the nurse said. He smiled and thanked her, secretly pleased she knew his name and where he was undoubtedly heading.
The door to Jamie's room was closed and he could hear the television blaring the sitcom Friends through the heavy door. He knocked softly.
"Come in!" he heard in Jamie's soft voice. He beamed inwardly and opened the door, heading towards her bed. Jamie looked beautiful, like an angel, he
thought, then pushed the thoughts away. Jamie was just a friend and he'd known her only a mere two weeks. In fact he didn't know her, for she didnt even know herself.
"Hey you," Jamie said. He hair was soft and brown and cascacaded out around her head on the pillow.
"Hey yourself," Taylor heard himself say. "How are you?"
"Good, now!" she exclaimed. Her smile seemed to light up the room. It sent about a brightness that hospitals always lacked. "I've been lonely. Will you drive
me to my hotel, Taylor?"
Taylor inhaled deeply, preparing himself for her reaction. "Well um.... I was thinking about that," he started and before he finished he let himself fall easily
into the chair alongside the hospital bed.
Jamie's pale blue eyes urged him to continue.
"How would you feel about staying with me? In my apartment?"
Jamie shut her mouth tightly and peered out the window opposite her and Taylor. "I hardly know you, Taylor."
"I know. But you hardly know anyone. The truth is I get lonely at my apartment alone and I like spending time with you," he spat out. He spoke quick and nervously. "And, well... you don't know anyone. You don't know when you'll remember but I can help you."
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