She enters the hospital room and plants a cheery smile on her face hiding the pain she feels at the blank look she receives from her husband. It's the same blank look she's been receiving the past two weeks since he was shot in the head. She keeps telling herself at least he's alive. The fact that he can't remember her or any of their life together, that the only wife he remembers is Angela and the only child he remembers is Charlotte. He doesn't even have any memory of Red John is something she can deal with., that they can get through.
The one thing she's thankful for is that unlike when he was in a fugue state he's not reverted back to his con man persona. But he's not her husband either. His face is dull or filled with confusion as he struggles to understand what's happened. The wife and child he remembers is dead and the one in front of him he can't remember or feel any connection too. She's told him about their three-year old son and eighteen moth old daughter but she hasn't brought them in to see him yet. The doctors feel that it would be too hard for him and the children. She has in her hands the next best thing, a laptop and a memory stick filled with videos of their family.
As she moves towards him he remembers he's suppose to be trying and he smiles at her, it doesn't reach his eyes.
"Hi"
"Hi, how're you feeling?"
"I'm doing okay, my headache isn't as bad today."
"That's good."
She leans over and they share a kiss on the lips. She kisses him, one, because she misses his kisses and two, she hopes that maybe something will jog his memory. The feel of her lips on his, the smell of her perfume, anything.
"I've brought something that might help."
She doesn't have to explain help what. He looks at her, this woman who's apparently his wife. She looks completely different to Angela. Angela is…was tall, graceful, she worshipped him. The woman before him is short and moves with purpose, although she hasn't said, he guesses she's in law enforcement, use to being the boss. Totally not the type of person he would fall in love with. Patrick Jane married to a cop is laughable. She's pretty though and there's something about her eyes, an endearing intensity. It's obvious she's in love with him and despite the awkwardness of the situation he can tell she's comfortable with him and that there's an intimacy in her relationship with him. And they have children. How can he not know he has children, surely he would feel a loss inside himself. But why would she lie? And others say it to, more people he doesn't know, doesn't remember, more cops.
She opens the laptop, he watches as she puts a stick into the side and presses some keys. When it seems it's ready she looks at him. She's uncomfortable, nervous about what she's about to say.
"I've brought some videos of us. me, you and the children. They're of our wedding and as the children were born and have grown. Family outings, birthdays, Christmas, and just family time."
She looks at him to gauge what he's thinking but his face shows nothing. She carries on.
"I…I…thought that watching them would prove to you that I've been telling the truth and, hopefully, they may jog your memory, spark something."
She doesn't add:
"And bring you back to us, to me."
He slowly blinks at her.
"Okay."
She smiles and places the laptop on his knees and explains to him what he needs to do.
"I'm leaving you to watch alone, I think it will be easier for you that way, you won't feel under pressure."
But doesn't add:
"And I won't have to watch them mean nothing to you."
She smiles, picks up her bag, kisses him once more and leaves, she stops at the door and turns to look at him. He smiles, he hopes, reassuringly at her and then she's gone.
He stares at the laptop for ten minutes the clock in the bottom corner tells him, before he moves his fingers and presses play on the one entitled 'wedding'
He pushes play on the one marked 'Maddy's first birthday. It's the thirteenth video he's watched. The same girl with the blonde curls fills the screen, she's sitting on his lap, bouncing up and down, clapping her hands. Austin, a little boy with brown straight hair and a captivating smile comes in to view with a parcel wrapped in birthday paper and he hands it to Maddy, She grabs it clumsily in her hands and turns it over and over. She starts banging it on his knee while his wife, behind the camera, encourages her to open it. Austin has been patient long enough and decides to help things along. He can't help but smile as the boy starts to unwrap the present while in his sister's hand. Maddy watches fascinated and tries to grab the paper as Austin pulls it off.
He stops the video and leans back in to his pillows. He has a lovely family. The love they share is obvious. They enjoy their time together, his children are adorable and he loves them deeply. His wife is the center of the family, she's a wonderful mother. She's the most important person in his life and he loves her more that life its self. All this is obvious from the videos and he knows he's a very lucky man, if only he could remember. He moves the laptop off his knees to the side of his bed and wipes the tears from his cheek, he can take no more.
author's notes: I hope you enjoyed the little idea. Thanks for reading and review if you like, love hearing people's thoughts.
