Chapter 3

"Scribbs, I can understand why Ash would believe you're a married couple. I've seen the two of you talk, and you banter as if you've been together for years. I've heard you argue over something trivial and not get a full sentence out because you already know what the other is about to say." Sullivan saw Scribbs shrug before he continued to speak. He knew that Scribbs saw no significance of those things, but anyone else would say otherwise. "The doctor was in briefly and he says that it should be a temporary memory loss, but it's not certain."

"What else doesn't she remember?"

"I don't know exactly. She won't cooperate with anyone until she sees you. If she thinks you're her wife, then at least the last six years are pretty much gone," Sullivan said.

"So I go talk to her and calm her down, but how'm I going to tell her that we aren't married?" Scribbs wondered, looking up at Sullivan.

"I think you should go along with it for a couple of days while she's still in here, and you could continue talking to her. Try to incorporate things into the conversation to see if she'll remember anything."

"When she does remember, she'll hate me for pulling her along."

"Maybe, but she'll soon realize that you were trying to help her get better. Anyone at the station would do the same in your position."

"How would you feel if you woke up from a coma, your wife is gone, but when she comes back, she cares for you for days, weeks- months even, only to realize she was never your wife?"

"I'd be hurt, I suppose, but like I mentioned, I'd know she was helping me, and after an awkward few days, I'd be grateful to her."

"Except you weren't in love with your savior for six years prior to your accident," argued the blonde.

"Well, you've got me there, Scribbs."

"I'm going to talk to her now, but I'll have to find another way," Scribbs told the tall man firmly.

"Fair enough," Sullivan replied as he took a couple of steps towards the doors leading inside. Scribbs trotted after him for a couple of steps, and then walked at his side once she'd caught up with him. They had just passed the waiting room area when Sullivan slowed down. "Keep your left hand in your pocket."

"While the other hand's playing the piano?" Scribbs asked. At Sullivan's blank look, she said, "Okay, not an Alanis fan, eh Boss?"

"Can't say that I am, but I'm serious about the left hand, Scribbs. I don't know how she'd react to your lack of wedding ring, and we both know she will notice it."

"Yeah, I know. Good advice." The two detectives stood in silence before Sullivan spoke again.

"You'd never guess what Ash said first thing when she woke up."

"Lemme guess: 'I need to speak to my wife so I can tell her off for reading me Harry Potter'?" Scribbs guessed.

"Close. She said, 'Ten points from Slytherin, both of you'," Sullivan replied with a grin. Scribbs also smiled, but then she got nervous. She took in a deep breath and slowly slid her left hand into the pockets of her trousers while her right hand gripped the door handle.

As Scribbs stepped into the room, she heard Ash's voice, "No- Mum, I'm fine. I just want to see Emma." Ash had obvious annoyance in her voice as she struggled to sit up. She shook her good hand (which had been held by her mother) free and raked it through her unruly hair. She winced, and her mother spoke up.

"Come on Kate-"

"Emma!" David said loudly, which got both Ashurst women's attention, "We've been looking for you."

"I'm sorry, I was in the canteen," Scribbs told Ash for lack of anything better to say. She glanced at both Ashurst women before she walked to Ash's side. Ash right away reached for her.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry, for the fight and now this." Scribbs wondered just what argument Ash was recalling.

"That doesn't matter now. I'm just glad you're alright."

"Emma, I don't remember, but… when we fought, I think I took off my ring."

"Is that what's really bothering you?" Scribbs asked, and it earned her a nod. "No… Darling," Scribbs said, adding in the endearment almost too late, "your ring was found right next to you. It must have fallen off when you fell. It's at home under your pillow so I could reach for it and remind myself that you'd be home soon." The blonde hoped Ash couldn't see right through her lies. She hated the fact that she had to in order to supposedly help her, or at least she hoped it would help her. Ash sighed with relief and brought Scribbs in closer to her. She rested her forehead in the crook of the blonde's neck, and Scribbs felt Ash's breath on her collarbone.

"I just woke up, but I'm exhausted," Ash said, "And I have the biggest headache."

Scribbs had her right arm wrapped around Ash a little awkwardly, as her left hand was still in her pocket. She rubbed her friend's back and said softly, "No falling asleep on me."

"I'll try not to. I just want you near."

"I'm here, Ash," Scribbs told her, then panicked slightly when the woman in her arms stiffened.

"You haven't called me Ash since we started dating."

"I-" Scribbs had to think quickly. "I'm sure I do at work. I'm still your partner there. Besides, I wasn't sure if it was appropriate in front of company. Sullivan is here, and he's only heard me call you Ash, even when we first met and you specifically told me not to."

"Had you been anyone else-"

"Excuse me, but only two visitors in the room at a time please," a young nurse informed them, right before she looked further into the room and saw Ash sitting up. "I see the patient is awake. I'll go inform her doctor."

"There's no need. Dr. Pellow's already been informed," Sullivan, earning himself a smile.

"Alright then, but I will need at least two of you to please step out. Rules see." Sullivan nodded.

"You going to behave for the good doctor?" Scribbs asked as she heard footsteps, most likely Sullivan's fade out of the room.

"I promise." The room was quiet for another moment before there was a knock at the door. The man now standing in the doorway had pure white hair, though he didn't look older than fifty. Standing at almost six feet, he took up most of the doorway, but he wasn't intimidating, as he had a genuinely calm smile, a rarity in his profession. He waited for a reply to his knock, and then stepped in as David nodded and followed Sullivan to the waiting room.

"Hello again, Miss Ashurst. Are you feeling any better this time around?" he asked.

Blushing, Ash replied softly, "Yes, and I'm sorry for making a scene before." The doctor didn't seem too concerned with Ash's earlier behavior, and his smile remained as he stepped closer to his patient.

"I understand. Its scary waking up to the unfamiliar. Needing the comfort of your spouse is normal and often necessary. Speaking of which," he said, shifting his gaze from Ash to Scribbs. "You must be Emma, Kate's, er- wife?"

"Y-Yes," Scribbs said.

"I need to speak with Miss Ashurst for a few minutes alone, and then I'll have a chat with you separately," Dr. Pellow told her, and earned nods from both Scribbs and June.

"I'll be back in a bit," Scribbs told the brunette, who didn't try to hide the fact that she didn't want Scribbs to leave. "I'll be right down the hall if you need anything." Scribbs left another kiss on the top of Ash's head, and she seemed less reluctant to let her go. She followed behind June, who blew a kiss to her daughter before she led the way out of the room.

Once back in the waiting area, David and Sullivan rejoined the women; the four stood in somewhat of a circle until June said, "Perhaps I should go. Kate's had a lot of excitement today. I'll be by tomorrow," From the look on her face, it appeared as though she wasn't as pleased to meet Scribbs as she'd previously stated. She gave both detectives a small polite smile before she left, touching David's shoulder on her way. David looked after his mother before looking to Scribbs, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. Everything will settle down and get better," he said. "If you need anything, here's my card." Being closer to him, Sullivan took the card and stared at it. He looked up then and nodded. David walked after the older Ashurst woman throwing, "Take care of Katie, yeah?" over his shoulder.

Scribbs and Sullivan watched him leave before the blonde DS went to the nearest chair and sat down. Sullivan followed suit, sitting in a chair that was near her with one empty seat between them to respect personal boundaries. "I've never been anyone's wife before," was all Scribbs said at first.

"It can't be so bad, can it?"

"How would either of us know?" Scribbs asked, giving Sullivan a sideways glance.

"Good point."

"I don't know how to be a wife to anybody. Hell, I can't even be a girlfriend at this rate."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Scribbs," Sullivan said with a serious edge to his voice.

"I'll have to take care of Ash, and I'm not good with domestic stuff. I can't cook, I barely clean, and Ash would want that- that normalcy that I can't give her, even if it is just pretend for a few days. Besides Boss, where're we going to live and how are we going to manage our finances if Ash is in this condition? Ash is going to see through this-"

Sullivan cut Scribbs off before she could go on much longer, as he could see that she was in a panic now.

"She won't if you make it convincing enough."

"That means even more lies, and I can't do that. How could I keep up this façade for long with Ash knowing me as well as she does? She'll know when I'm lying."

"Don't quote me on this, Scribbs, but I'd guess that a lot of what she 'remembers' of you is fantasy, so I believe she's wanted these things for so long that she'll believe they've happened if, as I said, you remain convincing."

"That's still misleading and that's still lying to her," Scribbs argued.

"I know," Sullivan said.

It was quiet between them until Scribbs asked, "What'm I gonna do? There are no pictures of us together, no wedding photos, no marriage certificate, no rings- nothing!"

"Scribbs, calm down," Sullivan told the blonde, twisting in his chair in order to see her face to face. He placed a hand on her shoulder. When Scribbs looked at him, he removed his hand quickly and sighed. "I will do whatever it will take to help and to make the best of this situation. You are not alone in this. Pictures can be manipulated on the computer, I believe, and I can find you a set of rings. These things can be made or found or bought. We will find a way to make this work."

"Thanks. That actually helps a lot." Scribbs began to calm a little bit but not by much.

"As I recall, there is a picture of you two. Granted, you're in the background, but you're still together. The manipulations should take care of everything else."

"Really? When were we photographed?"

"You're in a picture from last year's Christmas party. You stayed together pretty much the whole time, so I got you in a shot as well."

"Oh yeah. We were trying to stay away from the mistletoe."

"Right, well, we could enhance the bit with you in it and make it look like you had a nice Christmas together."

"Wow, it's amazing what the geeks can do."

"Those geeks probably make more than you do."

"I know, and that makes me sad," Scribbs said with a somewhat wistful sigh.

It became quiet again between them and after a moment of watching Sullivan fidget, Scribbs handed him the very same health magazine she had looked at before receiving news of Ash's condition, and then reached for the parenting magazine for herself. She would have grabbed for the children's coloring book instead, but Sullivan was there, and there was nothing to use to color with in sight. "Here," she said, "I recommend the article on men's dieting for you to read."

"Are you saying I need to lose weight Scribbs?" the broad man asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm saying you need to stop jumpin' about like you're expecting a baby."

Sullivan opened the magazine and said nonchalantly, "Says the woman whose wife just woke up, sitting there reading an article about cheap diapers." Scribbs gave him a dirty look, but he didn't see it. Instead, he sat back in his chair, bringing his right foot to rest on his left knee as he flipped easily to the article Scribbs pointed out. There was, however, the faintest of smirks on his face as he did so.

About ten minutes later, Dr. Pellow exited Ash's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He spotted Scribbs right away and headed in her direction, sitting in a chair across from both her and Sullivan. He looked at his chart, flipping between the front page and the page beneath it. "Well," he began, "Miss Ashurst seems okay physically. She's healing well. Some of the information I've just gathered however, doesn't match her previous history, so I will need you to verify a few things the best you can. I was hoping her mother would still be here, but if she comes by again, I can speak with her as well. It is so hard to tell just what is true considering your line of work."

Scribbs nodded. "Sure," she said easily.

"As you know, Miss Ashurst believes that you are married, and when I asked her where she lived, she gave me a different address than what I have." Dr. Pellow covered most of the clipboard before he flipped it to show Scribbs. She nodded again as she recognized the set of numbers and letters right away.

"That is my current address," Scribbs confirmed.

"MM…kay," Dr. Pellow said slowly, making a note on the bottom page. "And does Birch Grove sound familiar to you?"

"Yes, we had a case there."

"She said that you started dating 'after Birch Grove'. She seems to fully remember names and faces, but when I asked her some things about work relationships, the story got a bit fuzzy for her. Who's Sullivan?" Dr. Pellow wondered. The man at Scribbs' right raised his hand a little bit as if to answer a question in class.

"That's me."

"And… Scribbs?"

"Me," the blonde said right away. "My last name's Scribbins, so that is my nickname."

"David's the brother and emergency contact, and then there's the mother…" Dr. Pellow clicked his tongue as he thought. "Okay, who's DCI Kingsley?"

At this, Scribbs frowned in thought. 'Now, I know that name,' the blonde thought. After a moment of coming up blank, Scribbs shrugged and looked to Sullivan for help. He looked down at his hands as he answered. "He was the DCI before me. If you need more information on him, Doctor, you can speak to me privately some other time." Scribbs' stare remained on her boss, but he said nothing more, so she shifted her attention back to the older gentleman in front of her.

"I will," the good doctor said. He then asked a few more questions, most of which Scribbs could answer, as they pertained to the last three or so years. Others had to be answered by Sullivan, mostly because they were cases from when they were partnered together. "From what I can understand, Miss Ashurst remembers everything from about 2001 and before perfectly, but her memory seems scattered from then to the present. She knows who you are, but she is still confused on some facts about you, Mr. Sullivan. She at first thought you were a Detective Inspector, then later a Chief Inspector. I think she was already beginning to remember a little more during the time we spoke." To Scribbs, he said, "Looks like she remembers how you met as well as a couple of dates, but she doesn't seem to remember the actual wedding or anything like that. From what I can tell… Well, maybe these other memories are really her daydreams."

"Yes, that would make sense," Scribbs replied with a head shake.

"She does seem distraught when you're not there though."

"Sullivan and I were talking, and he thinks that I should play the role of her wife until her memory comes back," Scribbs said. Dr. Pellow set his clipboard on his lap and folded his hands together on top of it. He sighed deeply as he seemed to think this over.

"Well, I can see the benefit of that, but I can also see where things could go wrong. Though most people with amnesia often regain their memories over time, some things just don't come back. It takes a lot of dedication to the patient to get their memories back, or at least get their lives back to what it once was before their trauma. If you parade as her wife, it may jeopardize her progress." Scribbs turned to Sullivan and gave him an 'I told you so' sort of look, but he only responded with a look of his own.

"But what about the short term, Doctor? You said yourself that she's distraught when Scribbs isn't there. If we can't get to her now, surely there would be no progress at all to speak of." Turning to look at the blonde he said, "Scribbs, you've already told her that you are her wife-"

"Because you said-"

"-so it'd be bad if you went back on it now." Sullivan went on as if Scribbs hadn't broken in at all.

"As I said, that's your call. You can get into some sort of married routine until her memories come back at the risk of them never returning, or you can break it to her gently that you aren't married but you are there for her as her friend and colleague. I'd reckon that whichever way you decide, Miss Ashurst will get hurt, and I don't know which would be worse for her."

"Damn it," Scribbs muttered. She knew that no matter what, somewhere down the line she'd come out the bad guy. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands to stop herself from panicking again. "I do want her to get better. That is the important thing," her muffled voice said.

"Yes," Sullivan agreed, "that is the important thing."

"I've scheduled Miss Ashurst for a CT scan to make sure everything's alright. That'll be at 7:30 tomorrow morning. If everything looks good, she'll be free to go home, wherever you decide that is. Whatever your decision, I'd advise you make it quickly, and believe me when I say that whichever you choose, Miss Scribbins, it'll not reflect badly upon you. You're simply doing what you feel is right for her." Dr. Pellow stood up then, and took both Scribbs and Sullivan's hands. "Talk to her mother and brother. Find some pictures from the last eight or so years to see if that jumpstarts her memory- and keep me updated if anything stirs."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"No need. Good luck with everything."

Once the good doctor was out of sight, Scribbs sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better go tend to my wife, eh?" she asked. Sullivan's smile was encouraging, but she didn't want to see it at the moment. The two of them stood at the same time and were once again silent. Then Sullivan did the unexpected and gave Scribbs a quick but awkward hug.

"I'll- erm- go do some research at the office. You know, pull up case files, especially about Birch Grove. We'll figure this out. Together, you know?"

"Yeah, thank you for that." Scribbs replied.

"Will you be in tomorrow? You can take the day off if you want."

"No, I'll be in, though I may leave early to visit Ash."

"You got it," Sullivan said, and then walked out the same way David and June Ashurst had almost twenty minutes previous. Scribbs watched him go, and then walked in the opposite direction towards Ash's room once more.