AN- Thanks to everyone for reading. Here is a little more for you. :)
As it turns out, Gail was suffering from memory loss due to the brain injury she sustained when she tackled one of the abductors and they both bounced off the wall. Gail couldn't help wonder how the other guy made out since he hit the wall first. She had a little chuckle to herself.
The doctor continued to question Gail further on what exactly she remembered as he and a team of nurses continued to monitor her vitals. She felt as if she was telling her entire life story. If it weren't for all the sad faces looking back at her, Gail wouldn't have thought anything was wrong.
Holly, on the other hand, just sat there dumbfounded. She watched from a distance as the nurses worked. She listened to the doctor's questions and she heard the devastating answers that Gail was giving. Gail could remember the kidnapping, but nothing before that for at least the last eight months. She especially had no recollection of Holly's return or the relationship that had developed between them. Holly listened for a few minutes, trying her best to stand back and yet be supportive but it was all becoming too much. She just couldn't contain her emotions anymore and ran from the room.
"What is her problem? I'm the one all banged up and bruised" Gail scoffed in her jokingly snobby way.
"Gail!" Chloe scolded, a look of shock and anger spreading across her face.
"What?" Gail said, looking over at a very irate looking Chloe. "I never asked her to be here" she added trying to justify her earlier comment.
"She's your fiancée. Of course she would be here" Chloe huffed as she turned and followed Holly out of the door.
"My fiancée?" Gail's face dropped. "But she's in San Francisco. How can she be my fiancée? She's the one that left me. She didn't want to be with me."
"Well, she came back for you" Susan said, taking a step closer to the bed and into Gail's eye line. "She has done nothing but care for you, and I am so sorry that you can't remember that."
Gail looked up at Susan who stood at the end of the bed. She had kind eyes like Holly's. They were also sad like Holly's. She the same lopsided smile that was barely shining through, just like Holly's. She had dark wavy hair like Holly's but Gail couldn't place her. She had never seen this woman before but at the same time felt like she knew her completely.
"I'm…I…I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Gail asked softly, suddenly feeling very scared as the reality of not knowing began to hit her. Especially since the woman before her seemed like someone she should know and know well.
Susan turned to look at the doctor as Chris came over and put a comforting arm around Susan. She was hurting for her sister, but she was also hurting for Gail. Gail put on this tough, cold exterior, but Susan could tell she was hurting inside.
"Gail, this is Susan, Holly's sister" Chris said gently.
"I'm sorry, Susan. I don't remember you, but you look just like Holly" Gail said, tears slowly starting to fall from her eyes. She turned and looked up at the doctor.
"It's okay Gail. You got a pretty nasty bump on your head. We will run some more tests, and see what exactly is going on, but hopefully, with some rest, your memories will start to come back to you" Dr. Scotts said.
Meanwhile, Holly made her way outside, tears streaming down her face. Gail didn't remember her coming back. She didn't remember that they had moved on and begun a new life together. Holly couldn't help but cry.
"Holly! Holly, wait" called Chloe as she ran outside after the doctor.
Holly turned to look at Chloe. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out were sobs.
"Shhh. It's okay" Chloe soothed as she pulled Holly into a hug. "It will be okay." She gently guided Holly over to a nearby bench. They sat down together, Chloe's arm still wrapped around her shoulder.
They sat like that for the next fifteen minutes in the crisp cool air. Chloe could feel Holly's body start to relax as her crying began to subside.
"I…I know all about this…I know how the brain works, but…." Holly began before becoming overcome with tears again.
"Everything will be okay" Chloe reassured as she rubbed Holly's back lightly.
"I know, I know, it's just…it's just the way she looked at me" Holly said, turning to look at Chloe. "She hated me."
"No, she doesn't hate you" Chloe stammered. "She…she was just surprised to see you."
"I saw the look Chloe. I know what that look means" Holly said, looking tearfully over at Chloe.
"Just give her some time. She probably just needs a good night's rest. You'll see. She's got a lot going on right now and you know how great Gail handles any sort of change. This must be totally messing her up really" Chloe continued.
"I know, I know. It's okay. I'm okay" Holly said, but not fully feeling it. "I know I need to be more supportive. I'm just tired."
"First of all, you are very supportive and secondly, of course you're tired. It's been a stressful couple of days, but we will get through this together. Why don't you come back inside and I'll buy you a coffee" Chloe smiled.
"Sounds great, but you go in and I'll be in soon. I going to sit here just a little bit longer."
"Okay, but don't stay out here too long. I know it is unseasonably warm, but it is still ruddy cold and we can't have you getting sick" Chloe smiled.
"I promise. I just need a little more fresh air" Holly reassured her friend.
Chloe reached over and gave Holly's knee a squeeze as she stood up. "We all know how much Gail loves you. She'll remember soon" Chloe said before turning and walking back into the hospital.
Holly watched as the young officer walked back into the building. She leaned back again on the bench, looking up at the sky as she pulled her jacket tighter against her body. She let her eyes drift shut as she took a deep breath.
Once inside, Chloe marched herself straight to Gail's room. She was upset. She was more than just upset, she was angry and she was going to let Gail know. She walked with determination straight up to the bed, startling pretty much everyone in the room.
"How dare you!" she practically shouted as she pointed a finger at Gail.
"What? How dare I what?" laughed Gail, very surprised to see the fuming officer in front of her.
"Holly is the best thing that ever has happened to you and right now she is outside crying her heart out because of you!" Chloe wagged her finger to add emphasis to her words and feelings.
"I don't know what has your panties in a knot, but I did nothing to her. She is the one who left" Gail said, scrunching up her face, and using her sarcasm to hide the fact that she was feeling very overwhelmed by Chloe at that moment. She could only imagine how Holly was feeling, and even if, in her mind, they had broken up and gone their separate ways, Gail still didn't want to see Holly hurting. Except, that wasn't exactly the impression she was giving Chloe, or anyone else for that matter. She was a Peck and she needed to act like everything was okay and she was cool.
"Yes, she left" Chloe continued, "but she's the one who came back. She's the one who loves you even if you are a cold hearted bitch. She's the one that makes you better and you just treated her like garbage. How do you think she felt these last few days knowing that you were missing and then only to find out that your body was found, but her Gail was still gone?!" Chloe huffed.
The room was silent as all eyes were on Gail waiting for her response. No one even dared to breathe. They had never seen Chloe that angry, let alone stand up to and tell off Gail Peck.
"I…I…" Gail stumbled, taking in all of the words Chloe just spat out at her.
"You, you" Chloe mimicked, "It's always about you Gail. For once, get your head out of your ass and look around. Look at everyone who loves you. If she didn't love you, she wouldn't have been here. She wouldn't be out there right now crying. If you just opened your freaking eyes every once and a while you would see how good you actually have things" Chloe said without even giving Gail a chance to interject.
"I…I don't know…" Gail attempted.
"You never know!" Chloe interrupted again. "You never know how much you are loved. You never know how special you are to us" Chloe said gesturing to the group, "and you never know how much she loves you" she added, pointing towards the door, "because you never stop long enough to think."
"If…" Gail began once more only to be interrupted again.
"If what? If she never left in the first place? If she only realized to begin with? Gee, Gail, you are an idiot" Chloe laughed out her frustrations, "You are lucky she is even willing to give you another chance. If I were her, I would have stayed in San Francisco" Chloe said with a growl.
Everyone looked back and forth between Gail and Chloe. They was shocked to see such anger come from Chloe. They were even more surprised to see that Chloe didn't let Gail get the upper hand or force Chloe to stop talking. Gail just took it.
"Are you done?" Gail asked hesitantly in a soft gentle voice.
Chloe folded her arms in front of her and nodded her head.
"I just wanted to say that while you were out, these kind folks here, filled me in on everything I have forgotten" Gail said, nodding her head slightly to everyone around her. "And, you are right. I am a cold hearted bitch. I am an ass. I don't deserve Holly. I still can't believe that she would ever want to come back here to me. So I was trying to say to you that I would really appreciate it if you could get Holly for me. I need to talk to her."
And with that, Chloe's mouth dropped open and her face turned a deep shade of red. Gail merely smiled at her and everyone else started laughing. "I…I didn't realize" she said softly.
"That's okay. I'm just happy to see that Holly has the support that she needs right now since I am obviously not okay" Gail shrugged.
Back outside, Holly was having the hardest time stopping the tears from sliding down her cheeks. She berated herself for not being more professional. She was a doctor. She knew how the brain worked. But she just couldn't keep it together. She took another deep breath.
"Holly, is that you? Why are you out here, dear?" came a voice, startling Holly from her solitude.
"Oh, hello Elaine" Holly said, slightly taken aback. She sat up and looked up at Gail's mother.
"My dear, is everything okay?" Elaine asked, suddenly very concerned as she looked down at the red puffy eyes of her soon to be daughter-in-law. "I thought Gail was awake. I thought everything was okay."
"Yes, of course. Gail is awake. She is okay. She's…she has…" Holly began to explain but had to stop when tears threatened to spill over once more.
"Honey, please. What's wrong" Elaine asked as she sat down beside Holly. She was never usually this motherly, but there was something about Holly. Maybe it was how gentle she was, or how she captured her daughter's heart or how she oozed confidence but humility at the same time. There was just something about her had this effect on Elaine. She felt pain seeing Holly so upset.
Holly took a deep breath before turning to look at Elaine. "She as amnesia. She doesn't remember me coming back from San Francisco. She doesn't remember us" Holly managed to say before tears took over again.
"Oh, please. No more tears" Elaine said, reaching into her purse and handing Holly a tissue. "What have the doctors said?"
"They said it is probably temporary, but Elaine, she doesn't remember" Holly said, looking back at her.
"Oh pish posh. If the doctors say that she will get better, then she will get better. She is a Peck after all."
"But what…what if she…what if she doesn't?"
"Well, she fell in love with you once. Just get her to fall in love with you again, my dear" Elaine smiled before standing up from the bench. "Come on, let's go see this stubborn daughter of mine."
AN- I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Shall we get our ladies back together?