Memory's Edge: Part One by DelSheree Gladden Read Free Book Online Page A

everything inside of him from exploding.
Focusing on the feel of her hand against his, John let her calm seep into him.
    Dr. Sanchez
kept talking, but he didn’t listen. Gretchen nodded at her words, discussing
physical therapy and counseling sessions and a million other things he didn’t
want to deal with. He should have paid attention. He should have been part of
the discussion. Thinking about the future was too hard. Longing to take back
the moment right before Dr. Sanchez arrived, John tuned them out.
    The peace
he was searching for didn’t come. It was lost to the void inside him, and he
wondered if he would ever get it back.
     

 
     
    Chapter Eight
    The Easy Way
     
     
    The nurses
on John’s floor hadn’t made a move to kick her out Friday night after John woke
up, despite visiting hours ending at eight o’clock. After spending the entire
day with him Saturday as he slept between tests and consults with a variety of
specialists, Gretchen was beat and didn’t argue when Lynn came in to announce
she was kicking her out for the night.
    John had
been asleep by then, but walking out of his room hadn’t been easy. Fear he’d
wake alone and panic made her hesitate. Only Lynn’s promise that the evening
duty nurses would call if something happened finally gave her enough peace of
mind to quietly slip into the hall and down to her car.
    Driving
home, she was so exhausted she barely remembered the drive and ended up sitting
parked in her driveway for who knew how long until Carl appeared next to her
car to make sure she was all right. His knock on her window send her heart rate
sky high, but it was the anxiety etched into his features that held her back.
    Impatience
prompted Carl to open her door for her, then cross his arms over his chest
expectantly. “How’s Coma Guy?”
    Gretchen
really hated his nickname for John, but the edge to his tone sent a shot of
guilt straight through her. They hadn’t had plans to hang out Friday night, but
she was positive Carl knew she hadn’t come home. She also hadn’t sent him a
text to explain her absence. After the trip home from Albuquerque, and his
panic that she’d been in an accident and died, he’d been extra vigilant in
looking out for her.
    “He’s, uh,
not in a coma anymore,” she said, hoping the good news would soften his
frustration with her.
    Carl’s
eyebrows rose. “He woke up?”
    Not sure of
his feelings on the matter, aside from his obvious surprise, Gretchen kept her
answer basic. “Yep. Last night.”
    Relief
eased his posture. “It’s about damn time. Now you can finally stop babysitting
him, right? I’m sure they called his family to come pick him up or whatever.”
    Slowly
getting out of her car, Gretchen avoided Carl’s gaze as she gripped the strap
of her purse and shut the door. She knew exactly how he’d react to news of
John’s condition. Debating telling him the truth, she grimaced when his
patience ran out.
    “What’s
going on, Gretchen? He’s awake. That should be the end of it,” he said, “but
clearly it’s not.”
    Gretchen
felt her exhaustion clear down to her toes. “He can’t remember anything.”
    “What?” he
asked. “Who cares? So he doesn’t know what happened to him or who did it.
That’s for the police to sort out. Not you. Leave it alone, okay? You’ve
already gotten more involved than you should have. This has drugs or gangs
written all over it.”
    Too tired
to argue with him and stand under her own power at the same time,
Gretchen leaned against her car for support. She rubbed at her eyes before
finding the energy to explain. “He can’t remember anything . Nothing. Not
a single thing. Whoever attacked him is the least of his problems right now.”
    It was too
early in the year for crickets, so the lack of their chirping left the two of
them in absolute silence. Carl dragged his hands down his face before saying,
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Amnesia?”
    Gretchen
shrugged, a weak answer, but all