The room was silent but for the beeping and whirring of the machines. Too
quiet. Leaving her plenty of time to think. Think about everything that
had passed between them, and what they had meant to each other. Think the
futile what-if thoughts that she typically did not allow herself to ponder.
Brushing them aside along with the tears tracking her cheeks, Brooke
dragged her thoughts back to the present. And the man in the bed beside
her. He was always so strong. In control. She watched intently now as
the machines took control for him. Her investigative mind could not help
but wander to what could have happened. Why he was in this precarious
state. Why she could lose him forever. Focusing herself again, Brooke
willed him to open his eyes. There would be plenty of time for questions
and answers later. "Just please come back to me," she beseeched.
Brooke flew from her chair beside Edmund's hospital bed as his eyelids fluttered. Her prayers of the last hours finally answered, she found herself feeling uncertain at this moment that she had prayed so hard for. Unsure of his reaction, the man she once knew inside and out. Breathless, her chest tightening in anticipation, she surveyed him. Blinking against the intensity of the bright lights, Edmund struggled for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. As things come into focus, a big smile spread across his face. Relief washed over Brooke as she finally looked into Edmund's eyes. The same blue eyes that haunted her dreams. Unconsciously, Brooke reached for his hand.
Grasping her hand, Edmund proclaimed, "You came!"
Nodding her head, Brooke explained, her voice trembling, "Yes. I needed to know that you were okay."
"You came," Edmund repeated emphatically. "That means something," he declared, "it means everything."
As Brooke weighed Edmund's words, trying to decipher what he was trying to tell her, Edmund squeezed her hand. "Don't do it Brooke," he implored, his eyes searching hers, "Don't marry Tad."
A gasp escaped from Brooke's lips. She hadn't known what to expect to hear from Edmund when he awoke and found her next to him. This was the very last thing she would have imagined. "Why do you think..." she started.
Gripping both of her hands in his own, Edmund responded, "I could give you a hundred reasons why you shouldn't marry Tad, but the only one that matters is that I love you more than I ever believed it was possible to love anyone."
As Brooke stared at him in disbelief, Edmund promised, "I can make you happy Brooke. Happier than you even know at this moment you can be. Let me show you."
Brooke was saved from answering as Joe Martin breezed into the room. She was grateful for his presence, as she was certain that she could not string more than two coherent words together at the moment, let alone make any sense of Edmund's declaration.
Joe asked for a moment alone with Edmund, and as Brooke stumbled toward the door, she heard Joe ask, "What is the last thing you can remember, Edmund?"
Ignoring the question, Edmund stated, "I really don't have time for this. I have to get out of here. I have to stop Brooke from marrying Tad. If I lose her, I have nothing worth living for."
Slipping out the door, Brooke leaned against the wall for support. "My God," she gasped, "He doesn't remember! How can I tell him what I've done?"
~*~
Maria paced back and forth uneasily outside Edmund's room, not quite getting up the nerve to enter. The scene played over and over relentlessly in her mind. It all happened so quickly. Edmund was so angry. And then he was lying so still. She nearly collided with Joe as he came out. As Joe prepared to open the door to usher her in, Maria pushed it shut. "Try not to worry," Joe reassured her, noting her jitters, "the fact that he is awake is a very good sign.".
"Will he be okay?" Maria questioned. "How much...." she began.
Resting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, Joe calmly answered, "He suffered a great trauma, and there has been a memory loss."
At her startled expression, Joe encouraged, "Give it some time. I am sure he will regain all his memories."
Pasting a smile on her face, Maria exclaimed, "Thank goodness. Thank you for everything."
Her smile dissipated as soon as Joe was out of sight. She rushed down the hallway.
In hushed tones, Maria whispered into the phone, "It's Maur.... Maria. I need to see you. No, it's important! Joe says he will remember. I need you. I'll be there. Thank you."
Brooke flew from her chair beside Edmund's hospital bed as his eyelids fluttered. Her prayers of the last hours finally answered, she found herself feeling uncertain at this moment that she had prayed so hard for. Unsure of his reaction, the man she once knew inside and out. Breathless, her chest tightening in anticipation, she surveyed him. Blinking against the intensity of the bright lights, Edmund struggled for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. As things come into focus, a big smile spread across his face. Relief washed over Brooke as she finally looked into Edmund's eyes. The same blue eyes that haunted her dreams. Unconsciously, Brooke reached for his hand.
Grasping her hand, Edmund proclaimed, "You came!"
Nodding her head, Brooke explained, her voice trembling, "Yes. I needed to know that you were okay."
"You came," Edmund repeated emphatically. "That means something," he declared, "it means everything."
As Brooke weighed Edmund's words, trying to decipher what he was trying to tell her, Edmund squeezed her hand. "Don't do it Brooke," he implored, his eyes searching hers, "Don't marry Tad."
A gasp escaped from Brooke's lips. She hadn't known what to expect to hear from Edmund when he awoke and found her next to him. This was the very last thing she would have imagined. "Why do you think..." she started.
Gripping both of her hands in his own, Edmund responded, "I could give you a hundred reasons why you shouldn't marry Tad, but the only one that matters is that I love you more than I ever believed it was possible to love anyone."
As Brooke stared at him in disbelief, Edmund promised, "I can make you happy Brooke. Happier than you even know at this moment you can be. Let me show you."
Brooke was saved from answering as Joe Martin breezed into the room. She was grateful for his presence, as she was certain that she could not string more than two coherent words together at the moment, let alone make any sense of Edmund's declaration.
Joe asked for a moment alone with Edmund, and as Brooke stumbled toward the door, she heard Joe ask, "What is the last thing you can remember, Edmund?"
Ignoring the question, Edmund stated, "I really don't have time for this. I have to get out of here. I have to stop Brooke from marrying Tad. If I lose her, I have nothing worth living for."
Slipping out the door, Brooke leaned against the wall for support. "My God," she gasped, "He doesn't remember! How can I tell him what I've done?"
~*~
Maria paced back and forth uneasily outside Edmund's room, not quite getting up the nerve to enter. The scene played over and over relentlessly in her mind. It all happened so quickly. Edmund was so angry. And then he was lying so still. She nearly collided with Joe as he came out. As Joe prepared to open the door to usher her in, Maria pushed it shut. "Try not to worry," Joe reassured her, noting her jitters, "the fact that he is awake is a very good sign.".
"Will he be okay?" Maria questioned. "How much...." she began.
Resting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, Joe calmly answered, "He suffered a great trauma, and there has been a memory loss."
At her startled expression, Joe encouraged, "Give it some time. I am sure he will regain all his memories."
Pasting a smile on her face, Maria exclaimed, "Thank goodness. Thank you for everything."
Her smile dissipated as soon as Joe was out of sight. She rushed down the hallway.
In hushed tones, Maria whispered into the phone, "It's Maur.... Maria. I need to see you. No, it's important! Joe says he will remember. I need you. I'll be there. Thank you."