Chapter 16

 

Worry lines etched Ethan’s features as he paced the hall of the ICU. Camila was with Kristen and here he was wondering how to face her. Occasionally, he glanced at the door. He wanted to go in, badly so. He needed to see her, hear her voice. But he was afraid of how he would respond to her if she asked for another kiss. He was barely keeping it together as it was.

The doctor said she was experiencing traumatic amnesia and that she was in a fragile state of mind. With psychotherapy, she may recover all her memories, but she should keep stress free and not be forced to remember. Kristen’s memory or lack thereof was only one reason that Ethan worried. She had no idea that she was about to lose her daughter. In addition, she seemed to believe that he and she were in love.

He was thinking about how to deal with her when Dr. Michaels came out of the elevator. The man turned towards the nurses’ station and Ethan ran to catch him.

“Doctor!”

The man halted and turned. “Ethan, what can I do for you?”

“I need to talk to you about Kristen,” he replied.

Dr. Michaels beckoned him to follow. Just beyond the nurse’s station was an office which the attending physicians used while on duty. The doctor led him inside and indicated a chair in front of a desk. Dr. Michaels took the seat behind the desk and looked questioningly at Ethan.

“What happens next?” Ethan plunged right in. “I mean, when will Kristen regain her memory?”

“Ethan, I can’t tell you that. It could be today, tomorrow or in a few months.”

“Doctor, what I don’t understand is why she only has partial memory loss.”

“This is called Traumatic Amnesia, where a patient loses only some of their memory due to head trauma. As with any amnesia patient, there is nothing we can do but monitor her.”

“Is it the same as selective memory loss?” Ethan asked. He needed to understand this in order not to make any mistakes with her.

Doctor Michaels patiently explained to him what he needed to know. “Selective memory loss usually results from stress or depression where the patient suppresses painful memories. This could be the case with Kristen. However, due to her head injury, we are treating her lack of memory as a result of an accident.”

“Can’t we just tell her what she doesn’t remember? Wouldn’t that trigger something?”

Dr. Michaels rested his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “I wouldn’t recommend that. She needs to remember on her own. If her amnesia is because of pre-accident stress, then she might be subduing those painful memories. In addition, you remember what happened the last time? Pressuring her to remember may result in permanent memory loss.”

“Oh.”

“You have to allow her time to heal, both physically and mentally. Having someone who loves and cares for her will help her through it.”

“But she thinks we’re in love. How do I tell her that the marriage was one of convenience?”

The doctor shook his head. “You can’t tell her that.”

“But she thinks we’re in love. Why is that? I don’t understand,” Ethan said.

“It’s possible that Kristen might be surfacing emotions she previously buried.”

“Huh?” Ethan was confused.

“Before the accident, according to what you told me, you two barely got along. She probably suppressed the negative emotions and surfaced the ones she wishes to keep.”

“Are you saying what she’s feeling now is real?”

“More than likely. Those emotions that she’s expressing have to come from somewhere inside of her. They can’t have developed overnight.”

“But… Kristen hates me,” was all Ethan could think of.

Dr. Michaels continued, “Most amnesia patients experience indifference towards their loved ones,” Dr. Michaels informed him. “They have to get to know their spouses all over again and fall in love a second time. With Kristen, it’s the opposite. She may have buried the negative feelings she had of you along with her memories. What she’s feeling now might be emotions she’s suppressed all along.”

If that was true, then the antagonism she showed him might be anger towards herself for how she felt. Ethan ran a hand across his chin. He had enough time to figure out what Kristen felt. Other things needed immediate attention. “What about the hearing? It’s in two weeks and we aren’t yet married,” he said to the doctor.

Dr. Michaels seemed preoccupied for a moment while he stared at his hands. After a few seconds, he raised his eyes to Ethan. “Okay, I want you to explain to her about her mother-in-law while I’m there.”

“Doctor, do you remember what I asked of you when Kristen regained consciousness?”

“Yes,” Dr. Michaels replied. “We’ve kept her docket sealed. No one but those working closely with me knows that she’s awake.”

“Thank you. It’s important that Helen be kept in the dark about this. As far as everyone else is concerned, when released, Kristen has been moved to a private facility.”

“Ethan,” the doctor removed his glasses and cleaned them on his sleeves before returning them to his face. “Have you had the vehicle checked?”

“No. The car is in the police pound. I would need Kristen’s insurance documents in order to retrieve it.”

“I see.”

Ethan stood. “Thank you. I’d like to talk to Kristen about Helen as soon as possible.”

Dr. Michaels also stood. “We can do that now. It will help to determine if she’s ready to go home,” he said. “Ethan, try not to give her all the details.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“If possible, don’t tell her that she was marrying you to save her daughter.”

“How will I tell her about all this without telling her that?”

“You must find a way to keep the information to a minimum. Informing her that her daughter can be taken away might be traumatic enough.”

Ethan wasn’t sure about lying to Kristen or keeping things from her. However, the doctor knew best and if he said to tell her less, then so be it. They both went back to Kristen’s room. Camila was with her, which Ethan thought was good. He needed all the support he could get while telling Kristen about Helen.

Kristen looked from Ethan to Dr. Michaels as though she knew they had been discussing her. “What’s going on?” she asked.

Dr. Michaels inquired placed a hand on her forehead before inquiring, “How are you feeling?”

She looked at him and back at Ethan. “I’m fine. Is there something wrong?”

“Not at all,” the doctor replied. “Any pain or discomfort?”

“No. You’re making me nervous,” she complained then looked shifted her gaze. “Ethan, you look weird, what’s going on?”

Ethan perched beside her on the bed and took her hand. Camila was about to leave when he signaled her to stay.

The doctor told Kristen that if she felt any discomfort while Ethan spoke with her, she should tell him at once.

“I have something to tell you, but I don’t want you to be upset,” Ethan said gently.

“Tell me and stop stalling.”

“It’s about Hailey.”

Her voice came out sharp. “What about my daughter?”

“Before the accident, she went to live with her grandmother.”

A line creased her forehead. “Why?”

“Helen had filed for custody. The hearing is in two weeks.”

A grimace crossed her face and she closed her eyes. “Custody? She is taking my daughter?” she leaned back against the pillow and took several deep breaths. “What else.”

Ethan looked at the doctor before continuing. “The good news is we’re getting married one week from today.”

“I need to speak with Helen,” Kristen stated.

“That’s not a good idea. She doesn’t know you’re awake,” Ethan told her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll get Hailey back. Don’t worry. They can’t take her away without reason. Just concentrate on getting better and we’ll surprise them in court.”

“She did this before my accident? She must be gloating now, thinking she’s won. Right?”

“Something like that.”

“What do I need to do?” she asked, her voice like steel.

“First, we get married as planned and then we take Hailey home. I don’t think Helen expecting you to turn up.”

The conversation went without a hitch and Ethan felt he could have told her why they were getting married. Kristen never asked or seemed to make the connection between the custody battle and them getting married.

Dr. Michaels gave her release for the following day, with a firm promise for checkups twice per week. Kristen went to sleep shortly after the discussion, which gave Ethan time to call Mark to arrange a meeting with the three of them. Kristen hadn’t yet spoken to him since she had lost her memory. Now was a good time to get her reacquainted with her lawyer. After filling Mark in on the developments, Ethan made the wedding appointment at the town hall.