Chapter 7
Louise walked towards the boardwalk, searching for Stephanie. She left again without telling anyone where she was going. Nobody contacted them about a missing woman, and Stephanie didn't get all of her memories back.
As she approached the boardwalk, she saw Stephanie's limp body in the arms of a dark-skinned man. A young girl was kneeling beside the man on the sand. Her fingers ran through Stephanie's curly locks.
"Hi, I'm Louise. I own the Honolulu long-term care facility. Did something happen to Stephanie?"
"You know Stephanie?" Julie asked. "She disappeared two years ago. We've been looking everywhere for her."
"I found her a few miles down the beach between here and the facility. How do you know Stephanie?" Louise asked. She was pleased this father and daughter knew the woman, but she wanted to make sure they didn't injure her.
"Could we go somewhere to talk?" Ranger asked. He stood up with Stephanie in his arms. Ranger positioned Stephanie to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Follow me. You can carry Stephanie back home," Louise replied. Ranger nodded and followed the woman as she walked a few miles down the beach. He saw a building in the distance and assumed they were heading in that direction.
Julie held onto Stephanie's ankle as they walked along the beach. She didn't want to let go of her. Tears kept dripping off her chin. Louise could see how much the man and girl loved Stephanie. "My dad, Ranger, had his company searched the hospitals in the states. I don't think Hector thought to look here," Julie said as they entered the building.
Louise guided them to Stephanie's room. "When we finally learned her first name, we wanted to notify the authorities. My husband, Barry, was concerned the person who hurt Stephanie might come here to finish killing her. She's been having bad dreams and talking in her sleep. Do you mind if I call her doctors? They'd want to know that she's been found."
Ranger nodded. Louise called the hospital, asking Dr. Frasier and Dr. Wallace to drop by the facility to release Stephanie. "How much was her medical expenses and care here?" Ranger asked.
"The hospital and this facility have a program for men and women without insurance," Louise explained, waving off the expenses. She wasn't expecting anyone to pay for Stephanie's care. "Barry and I were happy to help Stephanie." Julie grabbed her phone to message Hector.
Jules: Thanks. Text me a copy of the medical files, including blood type and dental records.
Hector: You found her.
Jules: Yes. Send one mill to Honolulu long-term care facility.
Julie showed her dad the message she wrote to Hector before sending it. He changed the one to two then added send five mill to Honolulu's hospital. Make sure Drs. Frasier and Wallace work there first. Personal account. Anonymous.
Hector: Okay.
Hector smiled as he made the arrangements to set up the money transfers and retrieved Stephanie's medical information. Hector sent the information to Ranger and Julie's phones. The money would get wired to the hospital's trauma centre and the facility's uninsured client program.
Dr. Frasier and Dr. Wallace were relieved that Stephanie could get released. It meant her family found her. "Hi, I'm Amanda Frasier," she introduced herself to the attractive man holding Stephanie.
"I'm Tim Wallace. We're the doctors who operated on Stephanie."
Julie said, "I'm Julie, and my dad, Carlos Manoso, is holding Steph. He goes by the name Ranger." Julie noticed the spark in Dr. Frazier's eye. She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm happy to hear Ranger is a real person. Do you have a photograph of Stephanie before we fixed the bones in her face? I developed a program to guide me during surgery, and I want to see how accurate it is," Amanda wondered.
Ranger pulled his wallet from his pocket and gave it to Julie. She pulled the picture of Stephanie from the protective plastic and gave it to Amber. "It was taken a month before she disappeared," Ranger quietly said.
"She's gorgeous," Amanda stated. She opened Stephanie's medical file to show him the photo her program produced. "It's almost identical. I had to shave a little from her cheekbones. Do you mind if I have a copy of this photo? I'll keep her name as Jane Doe."
Ranger nodded. Barry took the photo to copy. He returned a few minutes later with the original and copy. Ranger laid Stephanie on her bed before holding his hand out for the file. His face went blank as he studied the pictures of her injuries. It cost 1.9 million to repair all the damage and hospital fees.
Julie cried when she saw Stephanie looking so broken. She laid on the bed and draped her arm across Stephanie's waist. "I have copies of Stephanie's medical file from Rangeman," Ranger said as he showed the doctors her file.
Amanda gasped when she learned the injury to Stephanie's buttocks was from a bullet. "The medical evidence, blood type and dental records match," Amanda said while Ranger showed Dr. Wallace the proof. "Is there a possibility that the person or people who harmed Stephanie will come after her?" Amanda wanted to make sure Stephanie would stay safe.
Ranger replied, "No. He acted alone, and he killed himself." Louise wondered if there was more to the story. She wanted to ask but decided to remain silent. It wasn't her business to know.
"Thank goodness," Wallace stated.
"Why isn't she awake?" Julie asked.
"Did she recognized you?" Amber wondered.
Julie nodded. "She said my name before she ran towards me. But when she saw my dad, she collapsed."
"Stephanie must have experienced a surge of memories, and it overwhelmed her brain. She'll wake up when everything processes," Dr. Wallace reasoned. "We see this with some trauma patients."
Ranger understood what Wallace didn't say. Stephanie remembered all the details regarding her trauma. "Thank you for taking excellent care of my Babe. She's my world," Ranger said when the doctors announced their departure. "I have donated anonymously to the hospital and this facility. Please use the money to help others like Stephanie."
"We helped Stephanie because she survived a horrific event, not because we expected a reward. Someone made sure she got found by the right people for the best chance of survival. Even though she couldn't remember anything, she was always kind, thoughtful, friendly and generous to other patients and staff. It was a pleasure to help a wonderful woman like Stephanie," Amber spoke on behalf of the group.
Stephanie could hear the conversation around her but couldn't get her eyes to open or talk. She felt locked inside her mind, trapped like a caged animal. All her attempts to talk, scream or move got hindered by this invisible barrier. Stephanie felt the pressure of Julie's arm on her waist but couldn't acknowledge the touch. She willed her neurons to move her hand and hold Julie. Her brain and muscles refused to cooperate.
"Please stay until Stephanie regains consciousness. If you need anything, press the call button," Louise said as everyone else exited the room.
Ranger removed his shoes and climbed into the bed to spoon behind Stephanie. When Ranger wrapped his body around her, he unlocked the invisible cage trapping Stephanie inside of her mind.
Julie was facing Stephanie, her arm tightly wrapped around her waist. "What are we going to do now?" Julie asked when she saw Stephanie's eyes flutter open. Stephanie winked because she wanted to hear the answer. Julie maintained her worried look.
"When Babe wakes up, the three of us will return to our hotel. Tomorrow, I'll ask Babe to marry me," Ranger replied. Ranger didn't know why he grabbed Stephanie's identification, but he was thankful he did. She would need the legal documentation to marry him.
"Yes, Carlos. The answer will always be yes," Stephanie said before rolling over to face the man she loved.
April received a call from Abbie, telling her that family had arrived to take Stephanie home. She jumped into her car and drove across town to the facility. Stephanie wasn't just her patient. She had become her closest friend. It would break her heart if Stephanie got taken away without getting the chance to say goodbye.
"April, give Stephanie and her family some privacy. She wasn't awake when I left the room," Louise said, stopping April from entering the room.
"I need to see if she's okay. Louise, we've become close friends. Please, let me see her before they take her away," April begged.
Louise sighed before saying, "Stephanie would never leave without saying goodbye to her friends. Give her a chance to free herself from her mind. Trust her."
Reluctantly, April walked to the lounge area and waited for her friend to wake up. An hour later, she checked on a few patients before going back to Stephanie's room. April knew she should wait, but she wanted to see Stephanie. "Come in, April," Stephanie said when she heard April's familiar knock.
April slowly opened the door. Stephanie was sitting on the bed with an attractive man and a teenaged girl that could only be his daughter. "Hi, Steph. I heard your family came to take you home," April said, tears filling her eyes.
"I couldn't leave without seeing you first. We were about to ask Louise for your contact information," Stephanie explained. Stephanie patted the bed beside her. April took a seat and rested her head on Stephanie's shoulder. "April, Carlos and I are getting married tomorrow. Do you think Louise and Barry would give you a few hours off?"
"If I asked, I'm sure they would. You have a lot of friends here. Why don't you get married in the pergola? Then all of your friends could witness your wedding," April suggested.
Ranger raised an eyebrow before nodding. He could make the arrangements with an officiant. "Sure, we could do that," Stephanie replied. "Um. Ranger, would you and Julie give me a few minutes? I want to talk to April."
"We'll be on the beach, Babe," he said after kissing her forehead. Julie hugged Stephanie before following her dad outside. Stephanie could see them outside her window.
"You're happy," April observed as she watched Stephanie smile.
"I am. Most importantly, I know who I am, where I live and how I got here. Did you know that three dolphins rescued me?" Stephanie asked. April shook her head. "I know I blacked out when I got hit in the head. When my body hit the water, I woke up and felt smooth, leathery skin gently press against me. The dolphins worked together to push me towards the shore until the waves pulled me onto the sand. Every day, I came out here to see the dolphins, but they never returned."
April grimaced. "When I was sixteen, my parents, older brother and I went out on our sailboat. A storm came out of nowhere and capsized the boat. I'm a strong swimmer. I was on the swim team throughout grade school and high school. During the summer, I worked as a lifeguard. I always wore a life jacket. When I tried to convince my brother and parents to wear a life jacket or have a life preserver close to them, they told me not to worry," April began.
Stephanie had a feeling she knew where the story was heading. "They didn't have the means to stay afloat when they got plunged into the water," she whispered.
"You are correct. My family got recovered the following day after the storm passed over the island. Do you see where Ranger and his daughter are standing?" April asked. Stephanie nodded. "Move several miles to the left. They got found out there."
"Near the beach where I got washed ashore," Stephanie whispered.
"My family loved watching the dolphins," April added. "I remember my brother saying that if he died, he wanted to get reincarnated as a dolphin."
"I'm sorry for your loss, April. There's a reason I wanted to talk to you privately. Move to Trenton with me," Stephanie offered. "For months, you've been saying that you wanted to leave this island. Let me repay the kindness and friendship you offered to me."
"Can I think about it?" April asked.
"Of course. Ranger, Julie and I will be here for another ten days. I'll visit before we leave," Stephanie replied. April wrote her contact information on a scrap of paper and gave it to her.
Stephanie watched her sad friend leave her room. She hoped April would decide to move with them to Trenton. Leaving her behind wasn't an option. Ranger and Julie returned as Stephanie packed her bags. She had accumulated a few items during her time in the facility.
Dr. Masseo met with Stephanie in the morning to make sure she was of sound mind before entering into a marriage contract. Louise contacted Masseo when Stephanie announced she was getting married. After asking many questions, Stephanie was declared mentally capable before entering a contract.
April brought a pale blue sundress for Stephanie to wear. She got Julie to help style Stephanie's hair. When it got to fifteen minutes before the wedding, the three girls walked towards the pergola, arm in arm.
The second Stephanie saw Ranger standing on the beach with khaki shorts and a white short-sleeved dress shirt, she locked her eyes with him. Julie and April walked faster to keep up.
"Babe, when I first saw you enter the diner, I knew you would turn my life upside down. You challenged me to become a better father, friend and soldier. I never thought a stubborn, blue-eyed, curly-haired brunette would become my world. You and Julie are the most important women in my life. The past two years made me realize how much I love you. Today, I marry my partner, lover and best friend."
"Carlos, you affected me since the day I walked into that diner. I felt an instant connection to you and knew I could trust you with my life. You were always there to offer me assistance and support when I needed help, friendship and a job. Saying I love you was never easy for me. But when you walked into my apartment and sacrificed your life for Julie and me, I knew I loved you, that I was in love with you. Your words confused me, but your actions showed how much you loved me. I must admit I'm ecstatic that we're finally on the same page in our relationship book. The past two years taught me to be brave, strong and fearless. Today, I marry my partner, lover and best friend."
Stephanie and Carlos exchanged rings and signed the marriage license. Louise and Barry signed as witnesses. "Step one: get married. Step two: get custody of Julie," Stephanie whispered to Carlos. She looked at the gorgeous blue diamond engagement ring set in a platinum band. The wedding band was a simple wide platinum ring that matched the one Carlos on his finger.
"Proud of you, Babe," Carlos responded.
April made her decision as she listened to Stephanie and Carlos exchange vows. She whispered, "I'm coming home with you."