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Love at the Drive-thru

Chapter 28

Staci arrived at the hospital with Ranger shortly before dinner. He escorted her to the psychiatric ward. "Why are we in this ward?"

"The doctors felt this was the best place for him. Before you see this man please keep in mind there is something wrong with him."

Slowly Ranger opened the door, "Dom, are you awake?"

"Ah Mr. Ranger come in. I am feeling much better, but I don't understand why I'm here." Staci stepped in the room after Ranger, "Is this your wife?"

Tears streamed down Staci's face as she saw Les in the hospital bed. Her tears were a mix of joy and sadness as she realized what he had asked Ranger.

"No. She is your wife. Your name isn't Dom, it is Lester Santos. This is Staci Santos."

"My name is Dom Rodriguez. I would never have a wife like this puta. Bigger breast, more curves is what I like. Like my Camilla back home."

"I'm sorry Les, but Staci is your wife. You had been married fourteen months when you left on an assignment that would finish your career in the military. Five weeks in you were supposedly killed in a grenade blast. I'm guessing that is when you got amnesia."

Lester's heavier Spanish accent began showing through, "This is bullshit. You took me away from my home and brought me here. Now you are telling me this?! I just want to go back to Camilla and home."

"Ranger what or who is he talking about?" Staci asked timidly, her voice becoming more shaky.

"Dom was married to Camilla supposedly."

Staci decided to talk to Les, "Do you not remember me? We have been together over three years. We are each others soulmates."

"Lady, I don't know you nor do I want to know you. Please leave."

She showed him her wedding rings, "Do you remember proposing to me? Or anything at all?"

"Rings can be bought and sold anytime, anyplace. They don't mean anything. Please leave me. I don't want to look at you."

Staci's voice cracked with emotion, "Ranger I'll be in the waiting room."

After the door closed behind her, Ranger turned to Les, "Les, she was the best thing to ever happen to you."

Ranger could see Les was getting more agitated it was even more evident in his voice, "I don't know why you keep calling me Lester or Les. I'm not that man."

"Your name is Lester Mateo Santos. You were born July eighth nineteen eighty-nine. Your father's name is Lucian Mateo Santos the second, your mother was Maria Loraine Santos. She has passed. Your paternal grandfather is still alive, he is the first. You met Staci around December first two thousand fifteen. She was working at Biscuits and More. You two dated for over a year and were married on May the fourteenth of two thousand and seventeen. You both now work for Rangeman Security. She has a dog named Daisy that she had when you two started dating."

"I don't believe you."

"You and I grew up together in Miami. We were in a gang that we started along with Tank and Bobby. We were teens when we started that." Flashbacks of that time popped in Lester's head. "What are you remembering? Your expression says you remembered something."

"Two guys leaning against a black car. One looks like a young you. I don't know the other one."

"That was us. It was in two thousand and seven in Miami, I had found an older model Trans Am. We had our picture taken that day. Three weeks later, I was in court and told by the judge, jail or military. You and I enlisted together."

"Tank and Bobby joined a few days later, we were all in basic together. I remember."

"What else do you remember?"

"Nothing at the moment. I don't remember anything else associated with that memory."

"You will."

"Tell me something. Am I really married to what's her name … that woman that was just in here?"

"Yes you are. Les you are madly in love with her. Bobby always thought he was your best friend until Staci came along. Then it became all about Staci. When you first met her you drove us all up the wall talking about her. I could have killed you after listening to you. You had it bad for her, hopefully you will again. You tried to get her pregnant before you left on that mission according to a letter you left for me."

"I don't remember her."

"Give yourself time, you will. In the meantime keep her around you and learn about her again."

"What happens if I decide I don't like her?"

"Don't worry. You're going to love her all over again."

"Would you have her come back in the room? I should probably apologize to her."

"Sure I'll be right back."

While he waited Les tried to remember more about his life as a young man. Various clips flashed in his mind. He remembered being with another woman, but she was not Staci. This one was pregnant and due any day in this memory. Sherry. It wasn't his kid. He had been deployed for nine months when he returned home he remembered after a few moments.

A flash of another woman came to mind. This one was a curly haired brunette with blue eyes, he remembered calling her beautiful. She didn't like to get shot, she didn't know how to have fun.

Twenty minutes passed before Ranger returned with Staci. She reluctantly came in the room. It was obvious she had been crying. His words had hurt her badly.

"I'm sorry. I have no memory of my previous life. Over the last few hours I've had flashes of what I can only presume is memories. So far, you are not one of them. If you are willing to tell me about our life we supposedly had I'll listen and see if it stirs anything. Right now it is the only thing I can do."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

He knew what Ranger had told him, and decided it was probably true, "Tell me about you and how we met."

"I began working at Biscuits n More in November of twenty fifteen. Late November you started coming in every morning through the drive-thru. On November thirtieth you asked me out. I agreed but only if I could meet you at the restaurant. I was ashamed of where I lived, I didn't want you to see it and feel sorry for me. The car I had at the time changed all of that when it burnt on the parking lot that night."

He chuckled even though he didn't remember. She continued on, "You had asked me to go to the Rangeman Christmas party and offered to buy me clothes to have to wear. I agreed to that. You tried to buy me a car. I drew the line there since I didn't know you yet."

She sighed before going to the next abbreviated phase of her story, "You helped me get a job as the receptionist at Rangeman. Had a desk set up for me in your office. Somehow you convinced Ranger to pay for me to go to college. Bought everything for me to have in school. Oh you also bought me an SUV for Christmas."

She smiled again at a memory, "I graduated from school in a year. At my graduation party the cake had on it will you marry me. I didn't hesitate, I said yes. You showed me what it was like to be loved and wanted. We married on May fourteenth twenty-seventeen."

The whole time she had been talking she had remained standing until now, "Then on July twentieth of twenty-eighteen you left for your mission. I tried to be so strong for you and not let it be any harder on you. I feared something would happen. Paranoia maybe from the fact I lost my parents when I was so young. You made all your check-ins for the first few weeks, then nothing. On Friday, August seventeenth we got word you were killed. That was the day my life ended. My world was gone. After wallowing for two solid weeks, I went to stay with your Papi and Grandpapi. They kept me there for five months. Eventually, I went to your home in New York. I couldn't go inside. After seeing it I understood when you said I would fall in love with the place."

Les knew her pain was genuine and she was telling the truth, he just didn't know what to do with it. "Thank you for telling me. Maybe later you can tell me the unabridged version of this."

The doctor came in the room. "Mr. Santos, how are you feeling?"

"I am having a few flashes. How long before I get all my memories back?"

"Hours, days, weeks maybe never. While we are learning more and more about the brain we still don't know all there is about that part of the body or how it heals. Don't pressure yourself to try to remember it all at one time. It doesn't always work that way."

"Would pictures and things like that help?" Ranger asked.

"They might, favorite food, clothing like the way he used to like his wife to dress or something as simple as watching his favorite movie. There is no one thing we can say. It is impossible to just say do this and everything will return to normal. Try anything and everything."

"How much longer am I going to have to stay here?"

"I'd like for you to be here a couple more days for tests and to see if you get your memory back. So lets plan on two to three more days. We are also waiting on some blood test that Bobby asked us to run. Normally we wouldn't run this particular series but your behavior led us to agree with him. I'll know more later today."

"Can you explain further?" Ranger asked.

"Normally amnesia doesn't last this long. Bobby thought maybe Lester had been given something perhaps in his food to prolong the effects."

After the doctor left, Les took Staci's hand to look at her wedding rings. "I have good taste. The rings are beautiful."

"They have never left my hand since you put them there."

"Staci, I really want to remember you. Do something for me, if you would please."

"Tell me."

"For dinner make my favorite dish and wear my favorite outfit."

"I can do that. I'll be a while, your favorite dish of mine is my lasagna. It is a little time consuming."

He smiled at her. Once she was gone he was glad she was out of the room. He couldn't say he loved her, she wasn't what he wanted in a woman. How he could have married her puzzled him.

As he sat there alone, flashes of his life entered his brain. He remembered missions he had been on with Ranger, Tank and Bobby. Flashes of his mom and dad appeared. He remembered his mom passing away after a car accident. His grandfather was another flash.

Three hours later Staci returned. He had a lot of memories come back but none of her. For the moment he was glad. The scent of the lasagna filled his senses making him drool. He wondered what it would taste like.

Staci sat in a chair near him, but not close enough to touch him. She knew he didn't like her.

Lester took a bite of the lasagna. It was delicious in his mind. At least she can cook he decided but it didn't stir any memories of her. He noticed she didn't eat. "Why are you not eating?"

Staci shook her head, "My stomach is too upset to keep anything down."

"Stress will cause it. But there is no need to be stressed."

"Yeah, there is. Les I know you well enough to know you don't like me, you would have just as soon had the hospital food. If you never get your memories back, it will be the same as when I lost you months ago. I will be mourning your loss again."

He stopped eating as he listened to what she was saying. She couldn't handle another loss especially him again. "Is that my favorite outfit on you?"

"No. I need to change into it." She moved to the door leading into the room. "Hal do not let anybody in this room under any circumstances unless I scream for help."

"Will do. I hope he remembers you."

"Les I'll be right back out," she told him as she entered the bathroom. Staci began removing her clothes. She decided if this didn't work, she would probably lose him for good.

Slowly she opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. Les took in her appearance in the white teddy she had wore for him three other times. It was his favorite piece of lingerie she owned.

"You have wore that for me before."

"Yes, I have. It is your favorite thing and you only wanted me to wear it on special occasions. It has been worn on three separate occasions. Today makes four."

"Tell me when."

"The first time was Christmas Eve of twenty fifteen. I offered myself to you as a gift. You turned me down and wanted to wait until we were married. The second time was our wedding night."

"I remember seducing you. You were a virgin. The last time you wore it was on our first anniversary."

"Yes it was."

"Pea, it is the only thing I remember about you."

"What did you say?"

"It is the only thing I remember about you."

"You said something else. What was it?"

"Pea. I said Pea."

Staci smiled, "Well there is two things now."

He looked at her confused, "What do you mean two things?"

"Your nickname for me is Sweet Pea. Most of the time however you just call me Pea. Ask one of the guys. I'm going back to the restroom to get dressed."

"Not yet. Let me ask Hal." Lester opened the door to his room, "Hal what nickname did I call Staci?"

"Sweet Pea, most of the time you just call her Pea. You've done it from the time you met her before she even came to work for Rangeman. Is she okay?"

"She is fine. I remember her nickname," Les replied as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"She loves you with her whole heart. When we thought you were killed, her life ended. She was a shell of her former self. I'm happy for you. I've got the door if there is something else you want to do."

He hoped she forgot or forgave the harsh words he had said to her earlier. More memories of her were flooding his mind. "Pea, are you coming out?" When she opened the bathroom door he was waiting beside it. "Come here."

Les pulled her against his body, "Will you forgive me for the way I acted and spoke to you earlier?"

"Les there is nothing to forgive." Deep down she wondered if that was how he truly felt and it was allowed to manifest itself given his mental condition.

He lowered his head to kiss her tenderly. Her doubts were going to be erased or at least she hoped. "I remember everything. In your brief recount of our history you left out about your trailer being shot up and the dead body. You also didn't mention about what happened at the Rangeman's party with the guys." He kissed her.

"Another thing you didn't tell me was you graduated with a four point o." The more things he told her the more he remembered. Ranger was right, he loved Staci. "I'm home Pea and I'm never leaving you again. Get dressed we are going home. I want to make love to you for the rest of the night."

As Staci got dressed, the doctor reentered the room. "Mr. Santos how are you feeling?"

"I'm ready to go home, I remember everything. I have a wife and a life to get back to."

"I got the results back on your blood work. It would seem you had a high level of Xanax in your system. With amnesia, you shouldn't have been taking it. I've already spoke with Bobby. He said he didn't give it to you, so it came from another source. Do you have any ideas?"

"Camilla. She gave me drugs everyday, she said they were vitamins."

"We have all the test results back and it sounds like your memory is coming back. That is probably because the levels of Xanax is dropping. As it continues, your memories will probably flood back. I would expect you to have ninety to ninety-five percent by tomorrow. I'll get your discharge papers ready."

Hal was more than glad to be driving Les and Staci home.