Chapter 21: I'll Remind You
Derek's Point-of-View
"I'm not sure your wife would've wanted this."
I narrowed my eyes at the woman arguing with me in the office at Ridgecrest Assisted Living facility over whether I would be able to take my wife home or not.
"I know what she wanted." I uttered back "I don't care, I'm her husband and I'm taking her home."
"Do you have any idea how to even take care of an Alzheimer's patient Dr. Shepherd?" she questioned my intelligence "She's very ill, some days she doesn't even know how to dress herself or to eat. Other days she thinks she's in a completely different place and time."
"I never said this was going to be easy." I muttered "I just said I was going to do this. For your information, I know exactly what an Alzheimer's patient goes through on a daily basis, after all I am a specialist of the brain myself. Now…I'm not asking you I am telling you. I'm taking my wife home."
"Dr. Shepherd."
"Who is her power of attorney?" I glared. She shifted uncomfortably as she scanned the file.
"Um…well it says you are."
"Then, as her power of attorney I am exercising my right to take her home."
She let out a sigh of defeat and nodded at me "I'll start the paperwork."
An hour later she was signed out of Ridgecrest and in the front seat of our SUV, looking out the window with silent confusion. She wasn't speaking much today, just observing as if she were trying to figure out her surroundings.
"Where am I going?" she finally asked.
"I'm taking you home."
"I thought I was home." She frowned, finally throwing me a glance.
"No." I gently shook my head "No, you weren't home."
"Oh." She breathed.
The rest of the ride home was quiet. The kids were at school, for which I was grateful I didn't want to overwhelm her, but they all knew that Mommy was coming home and that she wouldn't be the same person she used to be, she would be really confused and we needed to be patient with her.
"This is my house?" she asked as I held the door open for her, she looked around it in a child-like wonder.
"Yes," I smiled "this is home."
"It's a nice home." She mumbled "I always wanted a nice home."
"Would you like a tour?" I asked, she nodded with a flat smile as she took everything in. "Over to your right is the office, it's where I do my work from home, but you're welcome to go in there for anything you need. The living room is through here, then the kitchen and laundry room, but don't worry about laundry, I'll take care of that and the kids will help."
"Kids?"
"We have four children." I informed her.
"What." She gasped "No, no I don't have four children, I would remember having four children."
"It's ok." I soothed her, reaching out to rub a hand up her arm for comfort "You're confused right now…it's ok."
She nodded her head as she swallowed down her tears of frustration. "I saw stairs coming in."
"Yes, there is an upper level." I said, I led her to the stairs and then up them to the second floor of the house, "These four bedrooms are the kids rooms, Delilah, Winston, Ian and Dani." I turned and pushed open the door to the master bedroom "And in here is your room, there's a bathroom in there and your clothes are still in that closet next to the dresser. I'll be in the guest room down the hall."
"This isn't your bedroom too?" she asked. "I thought you were my husband."
"I am." I said softly "I don't want to overwhelm you; I want you to be comfortable so I can sleep in a different room."
"Why can't I remember anything." She whimpered as she looked around in horror "Why can't I just see something familiar."
"You're sick." I sighed "It'll be ok, I'm here to take care of you and whatever you need."
"Maybe I should go back to the other place." She panicked "Maybe I don't want to remember. This is too hard, I should go back."
I reached out and took a hold of her, so I could look her square in the eyes and smiled "You're scared, and I understand it's hard. That's fine if you feel that way, but I am still going to take care of you. I messed up, I made mistakes and I didn't listen to my vows that I gave to you before…but I am listening now. Even if you don't remember, even if it's too late for you. It's not too late for me, it's not too late for me to take them seriously."
"What if I can't ever remember you, or the kids." She whispered, "What if I don't even know who you people are?"
"Then, I'll remind you." I mumbled into a soft hug "Every day."