Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles (9 page)

“Let’s get you up.” He lifted her gently from the floor and sat her on the bed. Moments later, her bra was off and he helped her into the soft pajamas. “Come have some soup and then you need to rest.”

He led her to the table and pulled out a chair. A strange beeping sound came from the kitchen. He smiled. “The soup’s ready. Sit tight for a sec.”

When he came back, he had two steaming bowls of soup. “This is my mom’s minestrone. I always come back from their house with containers of leftovers. And while she will resort to dried pasta in a pinch, she says there is no excuse for canned soup.”

Elsie didn’t understand a word he had said.

“Let me get spoons. I’ll be right back.”

He made several trips to bring spoons, bread, butter, and glasses filled with cold water. “I’d crack open a bottle of wine, but alcohol doesn’t mix well with your pain medicine.”

“This is fine.”

“Dig in.” He ate a big spoonful of soup.

Elsie looked at the soup for a moment. The broth was
red
. “What did you call this?”

“Minestrone.”

“Why is it red?”

“It has tomatoes in it.”

“What’s a tomato?

“It’s a red vegetable…or, I guess, technically a fruit. Do you recognize anything in the soup?”

“Beans and carrots. And this looks a little like the noodles I ate yesterday.”

“That’s right. Go ahead and try it.”

She cautiously lifted her spoon to her mouth. The broth was tangy, flavorful, and unlike anything she had ever tasted. She smiled. “It is very good. I think I like tomatoes.”

He laughed. “You certainly used to. Wait until the summer when we can get fresh New Jersey tomatoes. They’re the best.”

She wouldn’t be here in the summer. She wouldn’t be here for more than a few weeks. After all the pain, frustration, and overwhelming sensations she had experienced in the twenty-first century, that thought should’ve made her happy, but a pang of anticipated loss twisted in her gut instead.

When they finished eating, she helped him carry the dishes into the kitchen. There was a sink in the kitchen like the one in the hospital bathroom, only bigger. As he washed the dishes, she glanced around. There were
machines
that she didn’t recognize. One very large one—the size of a small wardrobe—hummed quietly. As she looked around, she realized there was no fire and no source of heat of any kind that she recognized. And for that matter, there was no pot of hot soup.

“Where did the soup come from?”

“I told you, my mother made it. Every time I visit, she sends me back to New York with homemade food.”

“But how…I don’t understand. There isn’t a pot anywhere.” She wanted to say there was no fire either, but in her short time here, she had seen so many amazing things that she figured something must have replaced fire for cooking.

Gabe smiled. “You don’t remember what a microwave is.” He opened a door and a light came on inside. “This is a microwave. It heats food really fast.” He closed the door and opened one of the doors in the big humming machine. Again, a light came on, revealing a variety of small containers. He handed her one.

“It’s frozen.” Elsie tried to cover her amazement, but it wasn’t easy.

“Yup. This is a freezer. Mom puts soup and stuff in these plastic containers, and I freeze them so they will keep until I’m ready to use them. Then I just pull one out and heat it up.”

She handed the container back to him. He looked at the writing on the lid. “Wedding soup. You’ll love this. We’ll have it for lunch tomorrow.” He pulled out another container like the first one, shut the door, and opened the other door. Another light came on. This section was bigger than the first one, and it also held a number of containers.

He put the frozen soup on one of the shelves. “This side is a refrigerator. It keeps things cold, but not frozen. Milk, butter, cheese, meat, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, really anything that will spoil if it gets too warm. All of those kinds of things are kept in here.” He opened a drawer in the bottom and pulled out two orange balls, slid the drawer back in, and closed the door of the
refrigerator
.

She watched him dig his thumb into one of the balls and peel away the thick outer layer, releasing the most wonderful aroma. He handed her the whitish ball that remained while he peeled the other one. He put the peelings in a container under the sink. “I keep the garbage bin here.” Then he dug his thumbs into the center of the peeled ball and pulled it apart. It seemed to be made up of multiple little segments. At her confused look, he popped a segment in his mouth and said, “It’s an orange. Try it.”

She did exactly what he had done, and the moment she bit into it, her mouth was filled with the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. This must be the source of the juice she had drunk in the hospital, but the fruit itself was infinitely better.

Gabe grinned. “You like it?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so delicious.”

“Really?” A slow grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and sucked it gently into his mouth.

A pleasant fluttering started in her stomach, making her forget about the orange entirely.

When he pulled away, she was breathless. “Mmm. Yes, entirely delicious, but I’m not sure whether it is you or the orange.”

~ * ~

Gabe adored this woman. How could he have walked out of her life five and a half years ago? He kissed her again. “As delicious as you are, I must stop kissing you and let you finish eating your orange.”

She blushed, but didn’t look away. “I like your kisses.”

“Then I promise to give you many more. But not tonight. You need rest.”

She didn’t respond, but she frowned slightly.

When they were through with the oranges, he guided her into the bedroom and folded the covers back. “Let’s get you tucked in.”

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “I don’t want to sleep here.”

“Sweetheart, you cannot sleep on the couch.”

“I—I don’t want to sleep on the couch. I don’t want to sleep anywhere by myself. Everything is so strange, and I’m…” Her voice broke and she looked away.

“What is it?”

She turned her gaze back to him. “I’m afraid to be alone.”

“I’ll just be in the other room. You aren’t alone.”

“Last night, you held my hand while I slept and I felt safe.”

“You are safe.”

“Please, Gabe. I can’t explain it. I’m sure things won’t seem so strange after a few days. I just don’t want to be alone yet.”

“But, Elizabeth—”

“You said…you said we’ve slept together before. Would you sleep with me? I don’t mean…well you know. I just don’t want to be by myself. Please, Gabe.”

He gathered her gently into his arms. “Of course I will.”

Elsie sighed. She was the slightest bit embarrassed at having asked that, but nevertheless, she was extraordinarily relieved. She fell asleep curled up next to Gabe.

As he lay in the dark with Elizabeth in his arms, Gabe tried to process all that had happened over the last two days. If last week someone had mentioned Elizabeth to him, he would have said she was an old girlfriend from medical school. He would have remembered her fondly—he might even have said that he had loved her once, but he also would have firmly believed that relationship was in the past. When he walked into her hospital room to find her cowering in fear, something long dormant awakened in him. He was filled with the profound need to keep her safe, to cherish her. The sensation was intense—more intense than anything he remembered feeling for Elizabeth.

When Martin had asked if she remembered him, she had said,
I-I think I do. I don’t remember his name, but I think…I think I love him.

Gabe had been instantly overcome with the sense that he absolutely loved her. Thinking about it rationally now, he couldn’t understand why. Maybe time has a way of lending clarity to emotion, allowing someone to better understand the true depth of the love they once felt. Perhaps absence did make the heart grow fonder.

Since those first moments, his feelings for her had only grown stronger. And yet, with her profound amnesia, it was almost as if she were a completely different person. If she wasn’t the same Elizabeth, how could his feelings for her be stronger?

He sighed. He didn’t understand what was happening.

She snuggled closer to him in her sleep, and he thought his heart would burst.

No, there was no explanation for why he felt like this, but he didn’t care. She was back in his life—in his arms—and he would do whatever he could to keep her there.

That might be a challenge. For whatever reason, her father had taken an instant dislike to Gabe. That situation would require careful handling. Regardless of the fact that it was Elizabeth who had said,
if this is the way a father treats a daughter, I don’t need a father in my life
, Gabe thought it important to try to mend this rift. Or, if that proved impossible, at least he didn’t want to make things worse.

Furthermore, he couldn’t deny that her father was right about some things: with no memories and being unable to read, Elizabeth was extremely vulnerable. For her own safety, she would need to learn certain basic skills until her memory returned. Gabe decided he would start teaching her in the morning.

He raised the subject right after breakfast. “Elizabeth, I’ve been thinking about something your father said yesterday.”

She frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand why he was so angry and unkind.”

“I think I might. I do believe he loves you and wants to keep you safe. I do too, but I think he doesn’t trust anyone else to take care of something so important to him. I think one of his major concerns, one of the reasons he wanted you declared incompetent, is that you do not remember how to read, so you don’t have the ability to manage your own affairs.”

“I’m certain I’ll remember everything soon.”

“And you probably will. But until you do, I think it is a good idea for you to relearn some basic skills. I work a full week, and then I’m off for a week. On the weeks I work, I switch between working days and nights. So every other week, you will be alone from early morning to late evening, or from late evening to early morning for seven days in a row—from Saturday to Friday.”

Her brow furrowed. “Completely alone? Here?”

“Yes, but I’m off today and I have the next three days off. I can start by teaching you the things you need to know to get by and be safe—like numbers and how to make a phone call and what to do in an emergency. You also might want to learn how the appliances work, so you can make meals for yourself or even just a cup of coffee.”

She smiled. “I’m certain I want to learn how to make coffee.”

“Then I’ll teach you. But more important than making coffee is how to use a phone. You can get in touch with nearly anyone—me, Dr. Rose, your parents—simply by pushing a few buttons.”

He spent the rest of the morning teaching her to recognize numbers from zero to nine so that she could dial a phone. It wasn’t surprising that she learned them quickly—this was the girl who had graduated from medical school at the tender age of twenty-two. She not only learned the numbers well enough to read them and dial a phone, but she was also able to memorize Gabe’s cellphone number and Dr. Rose’s number. She also memorized Gabe’s address and learned how to call 911 in an emergency.

He didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much, but when she insisted, he also showed her how to make coffee and use the microwave. Elizabeth approached learning each new skill with an almost childlike awe, becoming elated when she mastered something.

Her suitcase was delivered that afternoon, just as David had promised, and Gabe helped her unpack it as they prepared for bed that night. It looked as if Elizabeth had been planning to stay for about four days. There was one beautifully tailored, light grey business suit with both a pencil skirt and trousers, a cream colored, long-sleeved silk blouse, a plum twinset, a pair of navy wool trousers, a white turtleneck sweater, several colorful scarves, four sets of undergarments and hosiery, a nightgown, and a pair of black pumps. In Elizabeth’s standard, efficient style, everything went with everything else, nothing was particularly casual and, with the exception of the undergarments and nightgown, nothing was washable.

Elizabeth ran her hands over the clothes. “These are pretty.”

“Yes they are. And it is exactly what I would’ve expected you to pack for a business meeting, but other than the jeans that David brought you and the cashmere pajamas from your mother, you have nothing particularly casual to wear.”

“Casual?”

“You know, comfortable, everyday clothes. These are professional clothes. Clothes you would wear to work or a meeting.”

“Why wouldn’t you wear them every day?”

“Well I suppose you could, but they can’t be washed easily, so it makes them a little impractical. We need to get you a few other things. You meet with Dr. Rose tomorrow. After that, we’ll buy a few other things that are a little more serviceable.”

Elizabeth frowned. “How will I buy things?”

“I’ll take care of what you need tomorrow.”

“Gabe, I don’t want you to do that. Isn’t there any way I can take care of things myself?”

“You do have some money in your purse and several credit cards. However, we should talk to Dr. Rose about the best course. At this point, I’d feel better just taking care of it. I don’t want to give your father anything to complain about.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I don’t think that’s a battle we can win. He doesn’t seem to be a very nice person.”

Gabe kissed her temple. “I know the last few days have been difficult and your father didn’t make anything easier, but he is your father. I hope we can smooth things over.”

She arched an eyebrow as if she sincerely doubted that would be possible, but said nothing.

After they put her things away, they went to bed. Gabe once again had the overwhelming sensation that he adored her and wanted her in his arms forever.

He was drifting off to sleep, savoring this sweet perfection when she said, “Gabe, thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything. For taking me in, for teaching me all the things you did today,” she paused for a moment. “For making me feel safe.”

She was curled up against his chest, and he kissed the top of her head. “I promised I would help you.”

“I know you did. But this is just … I can’t really explain it. I think I would feel totally lost if I didn’t have you.”

He kissed her again, pulling her closer. “I know what it’s like to feel out of place. But, sweetheart, please try not to worry. While I’m sure this fugue will resolve, I will take care of you as long as you need me to.”

She nodded, turned her head up toward him, gave him a sweet kiss, and whispered, “Thank you.”

~ * ~

With Gabe’s arms around her, Elsie didn’t care where she was or
when
she was; the sense of belonging was unlike anything she had ever known.
Elizabeth is very fortunate indeed
. In her heart, Elsie knew she would feel the same—just as safe and comfortable—when she returned to Geordie. This was a lovely thought to drift to sleep on.

She woke several times during the night to the city sounds. Gabe had explained what
sirens
were, so they didn’t scare her anymore. She slept more soundly than she had in the hospital, and she was able to go back to sleep easily enough. At one point, she woke with the need to relieve herself. She rose quietly and slipped into the bathroom. Of all the modern things she had experienced so far, she still liked the bathroom the best—although coffee was a close second.

Before returning to bed, she went to the window and peeked out the curtains to see what time it was. Dawn was just beginning to pink the sky. In her own time, she would rise to start the day, but Gabe was still asleep and the cozy bed called to her. She climbed under the covers and nestled close to him. She wasn’t able to fall back asleep, so her thoughts turned to all that she had learned the previous day. She could count before and do simple sums, but now she knew the symbols that represented those numbers. She was inordinately proud of this.

It hadn’t been so difficult. Gabe had taught these to her so that she could use a phone and the
microwave oven,
which she could do now. However, she wondered if he would teach her more. Of all the things she might learn about in this time, the only thing that she could take with her that might be really valuable was the ability to read. Of course, she supposed she would only learn to read modern English, but it still might be nice to know.

When she asked him the next morning, his face split with a warm smile. “I would love to teach you to read. I think it would be a very good thing to learn, even if you do get your memories back soon. I was going to take you shopping for some casual clothes, after you see Dr. Rose, but we can go to a book store too. They make all kinds of workbooks to help children learn letters and how to read. We’ll pick up some to use as a starting point.”

Elsie was glad that Dr. Rose had suggested seeing him regularly. He was right: simply the thought of spending time with someone who knew her circumstances was comforting.

When they arrived at his office a few minutes before two, no one was at the reception desk, but the door to his private office was open and he called to them. “Come right in. As I told ye, I usually take Wednesday afternoons off, so my staff is off, too.”

Dr. Rose’s office was large and well-appointed with comfortable furniture. He came around his desk and shook Gabe’s hand first. “Good afternoon, Dr. Soldani.”

“Good afternoon, sir. Please, call me Gabe.”

“Then please don’t call me sir. I’m Gerald.”

Gabe laughed. “I fear that might be a hard habit to break, but I’ll do my best.” 

Dr. Rose turned to Elsie and took both of her hands in his. “Elizabeth, my dear, how are ye feeling?”

Elsie smiled. “I’m feeling better. My ribs still ache a bit, and I’m still getting used to this cast, but all in all, I’m well.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“She doesn’t seem to have recovered any more memories, but clearly can form new ones. Yesterday, she learned to read numerals so she could use the phone.”

“And the microwave,” she added with a smile.

“Well done, lass.”

“And I learned how to make coffee. I quite like coffee.”

“I’ve always preferred tea, myself.”

“Tea?”

“Gabe, lad, ye must give her a balanced education. I’ll make a proper pot of tea for us and we’ll have a cup as we chat.”

“Shall I leave you then?” asked Gabe.

“Not immediately. There are some general things to discuss first, then Elizabeth and I will chat alone.”

Elsie found the tea delicious, but she still thought she preferred coffee. Dr. Rose also put out a plate of things he called biscuits, but Gabe called them cookies.

She didn’t care what they were called, but she liked them. “Did you make these?”

Dr. Rose chuckled. “Nay, lass, I bought them. They are called Nutter Butters and are a particular weakness of mine.”

“I’ve never tasted anything like them. They’re delicious.”

Gabe laughed. “You always were a big fan of peanut butter. I’ll have to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you.”

“Aye, like I said, a balanced education.”

As it turned out, the general things Dr. Rose wanted to discuss concerned Elizabeth’s employer, and Elsie didn’t completely understand it all.

“Elizabeth, as we discussed, I contacted the University Hospital on your behalf to tell them about the accident and explain your condition. The head of human resources will be calling in a few minutes. You will need to give her permission to speak in front of me and Gabriel. She is going to explain your disability insurance.”

“What does that mean?”

“You are a doctor, employed by the hospital in which you work. In addition to being paid a salary for the work you do, there are other benefits. You have health insurance that pays for medical care, such as that which you received in the hospital here. You also have something called disability insurance. It pays you part of your salary if something happens that prevents you from working.”