Broken Bear (5 page)

After the initial awkwardness passed her by, Daniella spent the better part of the next hour and recounted the events of the night she’d discovered him. She imagined that if she could describe what she’d seen it might help his memory to come back, at least a little. But, it didn’t help. For the most part, he just nodded and acted as if she told him a story about someone else.

“So, you can’t remember anything at all?” she said.

“Nope,” he replied. “Not a damn thing until I woke up in here.”

“What’s it like to have amnesia?”
Daniella asked.

“I don’t remember.” Jett replied.

Daniella rolled her eyes.

“Okay, well, I guess I’m done with those jokes around here.” Jett replied.

“Yeah,” she said. “I agree.”

“In all seriousness, it’s weird.” He said. “I mean, I know I have memories. I
don’t know quite how to explain it except nothing before waking up in here exists for me. It’s like my life started in this room.”

“That’s terrible.”
Daniella replied. “I feel so bad for you. The doctor said it was temporary but even so, I’m sure it’s at the least, frustrating and at worst, pretty scary.”

“I felt pretty good right up until you said that.” He replied.

“Oh, I…” she stammered.

Jett winked at her as she scrambled for a response.

“Jerk,” she said as she slapped him on the forearm.

He laughed and started to say something but as he did, the door to his room opened and one of his nurses walked inside.

“Uh oh,” he whispered. “It’s Mrs. Randall.”

“Who’s she?”
Daniella whispered back.

“
Shh, shh…” he said. “She’s coming.”

Daniella
looked on as a round faced, middle-aged lady approached. But her age didn’t match her energy because she moved with the efficiency of someone twenty years younger.

“Mrs. Randall,” Jett said as he cleared his throat. “This is my friend,
Daniella.”

The nurse nodded in
Daniella’s direction but didn’t speak.

“Visiting hours are almost over, Mr. Jett.” The nurse said.

“They are?” He replied. “Well, since I haven't had any visitors except Dr. Wilson and the lovely nurses here on the floor, how would I know that?”

“I don’t suppose that you would.” Mrs. Randall said as she adjusted the monitoring equipment next to his bed. “Nevertheless, other patients here besides you need rest. Just because you are feeling better doesn’t mean that you are allowed to break the rules.”

“Hmm,” he replied. “Could we at least bend them a little, just this once?”

The nurse checked the last connection and stood with her hand on her hip.

“No, Mr. Jett.” Mrs. Randall replied. “There will be no rule bending, either.”

“Alright,” he grumbled.

The nurse turned to leave. On her way out she said, “You have five minutes, madam.”

“Okay, thank…”
Daniella uttered before the door to the room slammed shut.

“You see what I have to put up with here?” He said.

“Yeah, she’s tough.” Daniella replied.

“The worst,” he said.

After a few seconds pause, Daniella stood and said, “Well, I guess I should get going.”

As she rose to her feet,
Daniella sensed his gaze on her. She’d gotten relaxed in his presence while they talked. But now, like when she’d first come in, she wasn’t calm at all and the emotion caught her off guard. Perhaps it was the place, perhaps it was the relaxed conversation or perhaps it was him. As soon as she turned back to look, she knew.

It was
him.

“
Daniella?” he said.

Even in the harsh glow of fluorescent bulbs, the color of his emerald jewel eyes overwhelmed her. They were a shade of green
Daniella had never seen in a man or for that matter, a person. As he looked up at her, hints of light reflected sea foam sparkles and honeydew highlights. Daniella’s mouth drifted open as she stared and she sensed a faint gasp emit from her lips.

“Y… Yes?” she stammered.

“Will you come see me again tomorrow?” He asked.

“Sure thing,” she replied as she tried to play it cool.

Jett smiled as she managed an awkward farewell and got out of there as fast as possible. After she almost blacked out in the elevator, the next several minutes were a blur. Weak kneed, she managed to find her way back to her car where she slid into the front seat and took a deep breath.

What was it about him that was doing this to her?

After all, she’d dated her share of guys and even been engaged. So it wasn’t as if this was all new, but there was something and the way he looked at her that made her feel…

Raw.

Daniella thought back to the night she’d found him on the ledge and how she hadn’t gotten the chance to caress his godlike physique.
Oh how she thought about it
. It was a terrible and delightful memory at once. Daniella closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest.

“Two years is a long time.” She whispered to herself. “It’s such a very long time…”

She was human after all.

How long was she supposed to deny herself?

If the reverse were the case, she would understand. She was still young and had her whole life ahead of her. Why did she do this to herself and why did it have to hurt so
fucking
much?

There was nothing to be guilty about…
nothing.

She did all she could.

It wasn’t her fault.

It
wasn’t her fault.

It
wasn’t her fault.

***

After a restless night, Daniella arrived back at the hospital the following afternoon. She made her way to the floor where Jett’s room was and a few moments later, came upon the entrance. Unlike the night before, the door was open. Daniella peeked her head around the corner to see him awake.

“Hey!” he said.

“Hey,” Daniella replied as she entered. “How are you doing today?”

“Better now that you’re here…” he said as he smiled. “Have a seat.”

Like most of the previous day, Daniella experienced an instant sensation of comfort in his presence. She slid into the chair and before long, they picked up the conversation from the day before as if it never stopped. Before she realized it, almost an hour passed and soon, she lost track of time altogether.

Daniella
wasn’t sure how long they talked. She wanted him to feel somewhat like a normal person so rather than ask him a bunch of questions about himself, which he wouldn’t be able to answer anyway, she talked about her life. It wasn’t her entire personal history but a recap of recent events, like her new job in Pine Hill. Jett listened with interest to her story. He looked right at her as she spoke and never averted his gaze for a moment.

In between pauses, he asked
questions on a deeper level about what drove her to seek the job out in the first place. As excited as she was about it, his questions reconnected her with the reasons why she wanted to do it. The emotion of that invigorated her. It was a long time since Daniella felt so much at ease with a man she’d just met and it was wonderful. During a pause in the conversation, Jett leaned forward in the bed a little.

“I don’t mean to pry,” he said. “But,
a beautiful woman like you… How is it you are sitting here with me?”

Daniella
smiled.

Did he say that
I was beautiful? He said that right?

“I’m single again.” She replied. “It’s a long story but it wasn’t meant to be.”

He nodded as if he understood all too well.

“I’m sorry to hear about that.” Jett said. “Love is a real bitch, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it can be.” She replied. “What about you?”

“What about me?” he asked.

“Is there a woman in your life?”

Jett leaned back and cast a mischievous glance around the room.

“I would tell you but,” he said.

“But…”
Daniella asked.

“But I can’t
remember anything
…” he replied. “Hello, Earth to Daniella! Didn’t we go over this yesterday?”

Daniella’s
cheeks flashed a deep crimson.

“Oh, uh, I am such an idiot.” She said. “I guess I keep forgetting that you can’t remember.”

“How’s that for an ironic statement?” he said.

They laughed together for a few moments when the door opened and Dr. Wilson walked through it. As he entered, he looked down at a clipboard he carried and
didn’t take notice of Daniella’s presence right away.

“Jett,” he said. “How are you doing this…
”

He paused and looked up over his reading glasses.

“Ah, Miss Tanner,” He said. “It's nice to see you again. I was coming in to go over the details of Jett’s release.”

“Release?”
Daniella replied.

“Yes,” he said. “He’s going to be discharged tomorrow.”

“Discharged? He’s all better?”

Dr. Wilson chuckled.

“No,” he said. “Far from it but his recovery has gone well enough that he should be fine at home.”

“Uh huh,”
Daniella replied. “Well did Jett happen to tell you that he doesn’t have a home to go to after he’s discharged?”

Dr. Wilson looked at Jett.

“No,” he said as he furrowed his brow and scribbled something on Jett’s chart. “He did not mention that to me.”

As he finished his thought, one of the nurses popped her head inside the door.

“Dr. Wilson, we need you out here.” She said.

“Alright,” he replied. “Excuse me for a moment please.”

After he left the room, Daniella turned her attention back to Jett.

“Where will you go?” she asked.

“I don’t know at the moment.” Jett replied. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Okay,” she said. “But you don’t have any money and you don’t have anywhere to stay. You don’t even have a car anymore.”

“True,” he replied. “So what are you trying to say, Daniella?”

“Stay with me.”
Daniella blurted out.

Jett leaned away from her and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“Uh no, I wouldn’t feel right about it.” He said as straightened himself up in the bed.

“Why not?”
Daniella asked.

“Well, for starters, what about your new job?” he said. “I thought you said you were beginning it in less than a month, right?”

“Yes,” she said. “But, if Dr. Wilson is correct, your memory loss should be gone well before that time. It’s a temporary solution, that’s all.”

“I
dunno, Daniella.” Jett replied. “It’s generous and sweet of you to offer but, I can’t.”

“Jett,” she replied as she leaned in towards him. “In less than twenty four hours, you’ll be discharged from the hospital, then what?
It’s a couple of weeks at the most. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer and that’s it.”

Jett remained silent for several seconds as he considered his lack of options.

“Okay,” he said. “You win but I’m not going to sit around doing nothing. I’m earning my keep.”

“Nonsense,”
Daniella replied. “Until you are well, the only thing you are going to be doing is taking it easy. Now those are the rules of my house and if you want to do this, you have to abide by them.”

“Man,” he said. “You’re a tough negotiator.”

She smiled and said, “Damn right. So, what’s it gonna be?”

Jett smiled.

“Of course,” he said. “I would have to be an idiot to turn down an offer like that.”

Daniella
sat back and for a brief flicker of time, she felt triumphant. But in the next instant, the reality of what she’d done sank into her consciousness. He would be in her house with her, alone. She swallowed hard and went to speak but as she did, Dr. Wilson came back into the room once again.

“Forgive me,” he said as he returned.

He walked up to Jett and said, “Now, Jett, regardless of where you go after you leave here, I will need to see you early next week for your first follow-up appointment.”

“Got it, D
oc,” Jett said. “Anything else I need to know right now?”

“No, not really,” He replied. “Your recovery continues to go well but I must insist that you put rest ahead of everything else. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” Jett said. “Take it easy, right?”

“Right,” Dr. Wilson replied.

***

“You what
!?!” Tricia screamed into the phone as Daniella drove out of the hospital parking lot.

“I told Jett he could stay with me when he’s released tomorrow.” She replied.