Happy July everyone! Here is the third chapter. Thanks again to Blunz for reviewing. If anyone else is out there enjoying this story, PLEASE review so that I know I have an audience. =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ryan, Wilfred, Jenna, Kristen, or Catherine. All credit for them goes to Jason Gann and Adam Zwar.

"Memory believes before knowing remembers.

Believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders."

~William Faulkner

Chapter 3

Ryan nodded slowly. "That explains a lot," he said to the doctor. "I don't even remember why I was in my car … or where I was going. From what information I've gotten it sounds like I don't remember anything after two or three days before the accident."

"That is very common with brain injuries. A majority of the time, the victim eventually remembers some if not all details of the time leading up to the injury. The memory of the accident itself, however, you may never get back."

Do I want to remember it?

Ryan thought for a moment. "Did anyone contact my family?"

"Yes. Actually your friend Jenna helped a lot with all of those details. Now I'm going to take some vitals while you're still awake." The doctor got started.

"I don't understand why my airbag didn't deploy. I just had a checkup done on my car a month ago."

Wilfred smiled guiltily. "Yeah, that was my bad. I may have sold it."

Ryan gasped. "You stole my airbag?" he asked as quietly as he could. He still received a questioning glance from the doctor.

"I've got to support my habits somehow. Besides, how was I supposed to know you would need it?"

Ryan shook his head in disbelief. He wanted to kick Wilfred's ass, but could not imagine how he would go about accomplishing such a feat in his current condition.

Jenna stepped forward to Ryan's other side. "I was able to get a hold of your sister."

Ryan sighed, "How was that?"

"Well, she was … very concerned."

Ryan smiled and nodded. He knew the truth was that Kristen had probably given Jenna a long earful about how Ryan's life had been spiraling out of control ever since he quit his job at his father's firm, and that something like this was bound to happen eventually. He loved Kristen, she was his sister. But most of the time she was very difficult to even be around, and it was ridiculous to expect anything sensible to come from her mouth. Since they were children and their mother chose to stay at the psych clinic she had been admitted to, Kristen had taken on the role of 'mother' for Ryan; and she had never stopped.

Jenna continued, "A few days ago, after you woke up for the first time, Kristen brought your mom to visit with you. The nurses had just given you a big dose of pain meds because you weren't resting well that day, so you were unconscious for their visit. They said they will be back as soon as they can. Your dad…"

"Yeah?"

"I let him know what happened. He sends his best."

Ryan nodded. He did not expect anything more.

Dr. Flatline finished his work. "You seem to be doing much better, Mr. Newman. Your blood pressure is one-thirty-one over eighty-three, which is a lot better than yesterday. It was very low, which had us worried. Your heart rate is good, and your temperature is ninety-nine point eight – still too high but not too concerning. You first surgery is scheduled for two weeks from now, as long as you continue to improve. I will send in a nurse in a few minutes to change some of your bandages, and she will let you try some cold water, too."

"That sounds amazing," Ryan nodded that he understood and the doctor exited the room.

Jenna and Ryan smiled at each other. Ryan tried to ignore Wilfred, who was attempting to hump a spare heart monitoring machine that was located in the corner of the room.

"Look," Jenna rested her hands on the bed rail. "I'm so sorry about your dad. I tried to get him to come visit, but—"

"Don't … apologize. Please." Ryan placed a hand with effort on hers. "You've already helped out so much while I've been here. You didn't have to call everyone, Jenna. You have gone above and beyond what you needed to do, and I remember seeing you here almost every time I've woken up. I don't know how to even begin to thank you."

Jenna smiled and her eyes fell to his hand on her own. Ryan almost thought he saw her blush slightly.

A moment later, a nurse entered the room and Ryan felt Jenna jump a little, then she quickly pulled her hand from under his. "I'll just take Wilfred outside. Come here, Wilfred," she said, and Wilfred followed her out, mouthing 'sorry' at Ryan as he left the room. Ryan rolled his eyes.

Sorry my ass. I wonder what else he's stolen from me to sell for weed money.

The nurse was an attractive brunette with green eyes dressed in pink scrubs. She smiled politely at Ryan. "I'm Hannah. I'm going to be changing the bandage on your forehead, as well as the ones on your legs. Would you like to try some water?"

"Yes, please."

Hannah drew a small amount of water from the hand-washing sink into a paper cup and handed it to him. His grip was weak, and she helped him guide the cup to his lips. The cool water on his tongue and throat felt wonderful, and he had the cup empty in a matter of seconds. She put the cup into a trash bin.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could let you have more, but we need to make sure that your stomach can hold liquids before we give you too much by mouth. I'm going to change your bandages now if you don't mind. Just lay back and I will try to make the process as quick and pain-free as possible."

Ryan nodded. He was nervous; he had not seen the damage to his legs yet, and was not sure that he wanted to.

Hannah tended to the bandage on his forehead first. It was extremely uncomfortable; the bandage pulled at the skin around the wound as the nurse carefully removed the old tape. She cleaned out the wound with an antiseptic, which stung slightly. Once the new bandage and tape were applied, a small headache remained, but any exterior pain had dulled.

The nurse pulled down the sheet that was covering Ryan's lower body, and he grimaced. Most of his legs were covered in bandages, and on the areas that were not, the skin was black and blue and many other shades that skin probably should not be. As she began to unwrap the old bandages, Ryan decided he had seen enough and laid back onto the pillows. He gritted his teeth at the pain that simply removing the bandages caused, and as the nurse got down to the bottom layer closest to his skin, it took all of his strength not to cry out.

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