Two months later.
Aaron sat at the bar, staring into a glass of orange juice. It really sucked not being able to drink alcohol because of the medication that he was on. All he wanted to do was get drunk and forget about everything.
He smiled wryly to himself. Well, he wanted to do the opposite of that actually. He wanted to remember. He did not remember anything after being in France, and had been shocked to wake up in that hospital and hear people speaking his own language to him.
Some doctor had explained that he had fallen down a quarry and suffered in a head injury, causing his to fall into a coma and develop amnesia. Everything from the past year or so had completely gone.
Aaron had recognised most people as they were people he had been familiar with before he went to France. Of course there were some that he didn't know, but that was only to be expected as people had moved into the village since he had left.
It was confusing to see the changes that had occurred- people getting married, having kids or dying.
One person in particular puzzled Aaron and he was frustrated that he couldn't remember anything about him. The blond man that had been in Aaron's hospital room when he woke up.
Chas had explained that he was Robert Sugden and lived at home farm. Apparently he had been Robert's business partner, but that didn't explain why he was in the hospital room when he woke up or why she and Paddy suddenly looked shifty when Aaron brought him up in conversation.
He hadn't seen the man since the incident in the hospital. As soon as Aaron had asked who he was the man had turned and fled, leaving Chas and Paddy open-mouthed in shock.
He had remained in the hospital for almost two months after waking up so that the doctors could monitor him and see if his memory retuned. He remembered small things- he remembered that Chas had a boyfriend although he couldn't remember his name and that Adam and Victoria were together.
He had been out of hospital for just under a week and was sick of everybody fussing over him. He had amnesia, he wasn't a toddler. They all seemed to think that he had lost his ability to do everything like tie his shoe laces or go to the toilet on his own.
Aaron saw two guys staring at him from the other side of the bar. "Problem?" Aaron asked them, scowling. Aaron remembered Adam explaining to him that they were his half-brothers, Finn and Ross. Finn was gay, but Aaron was definitely not ready to get laid yet. The older one, Ross, cocked an eyebrow at Aaron.
"Ain't it weird? Not being able to remember things, I mean." He asked. The younger one, Finn, nudged his brother and gave Aaron an apologetic smile. "Ross, you can't ask that." He admonished his brother.
"Why not?" Aaron held back a grin. He thought that this Ross and he had probably got along quite well.
"Yeah, it's confusing. I only know who you are cos Adam explained it to me. I don't remember if we were mates or anything, I only remember the people who lived here before I left for France." Aaron explained.
Ross looked genuinely interested, and Aaron was about to explain more when a pretty brunette walked into the pub with a teenage boy Aaron assumed to be her son. Aaron suddenly felt a wave of guilt hit him, but he had no idea why because as far as he knew he didn't know this woman or her son.
"Aaron, hi! How are you?" The woman headed over to Aaron, and he gave her his best fake smile.
"Hi, I'm alright. Sorry but who are you? It's just that I don't remember people I met in the past year." Aaron felt the need to apologise because he felt awful that he had forgotten people.
"Oh sorry, we should've introduced ourselves. I'm Chrissie and this is my son Lachlan. I'm married to Robert Sugden, we live at Home Farm with my dad. Robert should have been here too but he had a business meeting." Chrissie explained, although it made Aaron feel more confused. She was married to Robert, the blond guy from the hospital room?
"Oh, right Well it's nice to meet you… again, Chrissie. Lachlan." He nodded at the grumpy looking teen before returning his attention to Chrissie. He still felt slightly guilty, but he had no idea why.
"You alright love?" Chas looked at him warily as she saw her son watching Chrissie.
"Yeah, I'm gunna go up now. I'll see you later." He kissed her cheek and went up to his small room, laying on his bed and thinking.
He felt a dull ache in his chest as if something was missing, only he had no idea what. He remembered everything about Jackson, about breaking up with Ed whilst in France but choosing to stay there on his own.
Apparently he was single, but again Chas had acted strangely when Aaron asked her. It didn't explain the ache in his chest, because it was similar to the ache had had felt when Jackson had gone. Aaron knew that something big was missing from his life, only he couldn't remember what it was.