Jackson got up from where he sat. He paced around the living room. Things were going to work out he told himself. He'd make sure of that. He knew that people would be looking for her. The Air Force for one would not let her disappearance pass. Also, any family would undoubtedly report her missing. He was amazed that there had been nothing on tv about her disappearance up to now. After all, she'd been here for over a week. If he wanted to keep her he would have to make sure that nothing would lead them here. He had no known connection to her. How would anyone find out she was here if they couldn't track her? He would make sure that she couldn't tell anyone. He searched through her backpack and found her cell phone. He promptly put it in his pocket. She wouldn't be able to use it now. He didn't have a phone at the cabin, but did carry his own cell phone. He would have to make sure she couldn't get to it either.
Now, all he had to do was convince her that she was Karen Thomason. Right now she didn't know who she was, but he had no doubts that at some point her memory would return. The concussion could make one very confused, but rarely did amnesia last for long. He quietly went to the master bath and opened the medicine cabinet. He took out all the old medication that he had used for Karen and placed it on the counter. Maybe he could use some of this to convince her that she WAS Karen. Being a doctor, he knew how drugs affected the mind. He had kept some potent medicines because he couldn't bear to throw them out. He would just brainwash her and make her into Karen. The pain pills he had given her were a good start. He went into the bedroom and began talking to her while she slept.
"You are Karen Thomason, my wife. We have been married for 15 years and have been very happy together. You fell in the snow and hurt your head and broke your leg. You have been very ill. I am Jackson, your husband and will always take care of you. I will not let anything happen to you and we will always be together. I promise you this." He knew he had stepped over the line into madness, but he didn't care. He had his Karen back and that was all that mattered to him. He smiled as he watched her sleep, then closed his eyes.
He awoke the next morning sleeping in the bedside chair. Looking to the bed, he saw that she was still asleep. He moved to the kitchen to prepare both of them some breakfast. Carrying a try with a steaming bowl of oatmeal into the bedroom he stopped. She had begun to stir. He set the tray down.
"Good morning," he smiled as he placed a kiss on her forehead. Her eyes flashed open in surprise. "How're you feeling?"
"I...I don't know. Where am I?"
"We're at our cabin. You fell and hurt yourself and I'm taking care of you. I need for you to eat something so I can give you something for pain."
"How did I get here and who are you?" She asked
"What do you remember?" He countered.
"I really don't remember much except waking up and you giving me something for pain. Everything before that is blank."
"Well, Karen," he stressed the word, "you fell outside in the snow, cracked some ribs and broke your leg. You must have hit your head when you fell. I found you after a little while and you were soaked. I brought you into the house and got you into bed and warmed up. You've been out of it for a while because of the concussion and pneumonia. You really scared me. But you are feeling better now."
"Am I supposed to know you?" She asked.
He smiled. "I am your husband, Jackson. I guess the bump on the head has you all confused. I'm trying to make you more comfortable. Here, let's eat this oatmeal while it's still nice and hot."
He helped her shift into a better position and started to feed her.
She was confused. None of this seemed right. She didn't know who she was, but this wasn't real, was it? Not having the energy to protest she opened her mouth to the spoon. He was so intent on feeding her he didn't notice her eyes. She was watching him, trying to remember him. He continued to talk as he helped her eat.
"I'll just fill in some details for you since you're confused. I'm Jackson, your husband. We've been married for 15 years. I'm a doctor, an MD, but I have 'retired' to take care of you. You had cancer, but you've beaten it and are in remission. We moved up to this cabin to be away from everyone so I could focus on you. You are still very weak from the cancer treatments and we're working on getting your strength back. I was out in the 'Springs getting supplies and you must have gotten gone outside. You always loved the fall, loved seeing the aspen turn. You also loved the snow. I guess you went outside to see it fall.. All I can figure out is you got dizzy and fell of the porch. I don't know how long you were in the snow, but you were hypothermic when I came home and found you."
"Now you're even weaker after getting over pneumonia. I think you need to stay in bed to start to get your strength back. Not to mention your leg. Your right leg is splinted and it will hard for you to get around. I'll get your wheelchair out in the next several days and we'll get you up and about a little. But I don't want you to overdo it. Now, when we finish the oatmeal I want you to take your meds like a good girl and get some rest." He continued to feed her until she held up her hand.
"That's all I can take. Thank you, Jack....Jackson." The name was somewhat familiar, but it wasn't quite right.
He set the bowl down and bustled out of the room, returning a few moments later with several capsules.
"Before I take those, could I please go to the bathroom," she asked shyly, starting to get up. She grimaced as her ribs protested and dizziness swirled in.
"I haven't put a cast on that leg yet. Let me carry you." He easily lifted her, blanket and all and carrier her to the bathroom.
Something about this did not seem right. She had no memory of him, of being married to him. But then again she couldn't remember anything different either. If this was true, wouldn't she feel something? Her head hurt so much that she didn't feel like trying to remember. She just wanted to lie back down. He gave her some privacy. When he returned he brought a clean flannel gown and helped her into it. Their interaction felt wrong to her. They had been married for 15 years for crying out loud. Why did this feel so awkward, so wrong?
He carefully lifted her and carried her back to bed, tucking her in and brushing the hair off her forehead so he could kiss it. She settled back and closed her eyes, too exhausted to think about all that was going on. He pushed some capsules into her hand and helped her sip the water to take them. Within just a few minutes, her breathing slowed and she slipped into a heavy sleep. He took her hand and began to repeat: you are Karen Thomason my wife. You have been ill but are now getting better. I will take care of you always. After a few minutes, she mumbled in her sleep "Karen". He smiled and slipped out of the room. It was all going to work out!
Now, all he had to do was convince her that she was Karen Thomason. Right now she didn't know who she was, but he had no doubts that at some point her memory would return. The concussion could make one very confused, but rarely did amnesia last for long. He quietly went to the master bath and opened the medicine cabinet. He took out all the old medication that he had used for Karen and placed it on the counter. Maybe he could use some of this to convince her that she WAS Karen. Being a doctor, he knew how drugs affected the mind. He had kept some potent medicines because he couldn't bear to throw them out. He would just brainwash her and make her into Karen. The pain pills he had given her were a good start. He went into the bedroom and began talking to her while she slept.
"You are Karen Thomason, my wife. We have been married for 15 years and have been very happy together. You fell in the snow and hurt your head and broke your leg. You have been very ill. I am Jackson, your husband and will always take care of you. I will not let anything happen to you and we will always be together. I promise you this." He knew he had stepped over the line into madness, but he didn't care. He had his Karen back and that was all that mattered to him. He smiled as he watched her sleep, then closed his eyes.
He awoke the next morning sleeping in the bedside chair. Looking to the bed, he saw that she was still asleep. He moved to the kitchen to prepare both of them some breakfast. Carrying a try with a steaming bowl of oatmeal into the bedroom he stopped. She had begun to stir. He set the tray down.
"Good morning," he smiled as he placed a kiss on her forehead. Her eyes flashed open in surprise. "How're you feeling?"
"I...I don't know. Where am I?"
"We're at our cabin. You fell and hurt yourself and I'm taking care of you. I need for you to eat something so I can give you something for pain."
"How did I get here and who are you?" She asked
"What do you remember?" He countered.
"I really don't remember much except waking up and you giving me something for pain. Everything before that is blank."
"Well, Karen," he stressed the word, "you fell outside in the snow, cracked some ribs and broke your leg. You must have hit your head when you fell. I found you after a little while and you were soaked. I brought you into the house and got you into bed and warmed up. You've been out of it for a while because of the concussion and pneumonia. You really scared me. But you are feeling better now."
"Am I supposed to know you?" She asked.
He smiled. "I am your husband, Jackson. I guess the bump on the head has you all confused. I'm trying to make you more comfortable. Here, let's eat this oatmeal while it's still nice and hot."
He helped her shift into a better position and started to feed her.
She was confused. None of this seemed right. She didn't know who she was, but this wasn't real, was it? Not having the energy to protest she opened her mouth to the spoon. He was so intent on feeding her he didn't notice her eyes. She was watching him, trying to remember him. He continued to talk as he helped her eat.
"I'll just fill in some details for you since you're confused. I'm Jackson, your husband. We've been married for 15 years. I'm a doctor, an MD, but I have 'retired' to take care of you. You had cancer, but you've beaten it and are in remission. We moved up to this cabin to be away from everyone so I could focus on you. You are still very weak from the cancer treatments and we're working on getting your strength back. I was out in the 'Springs getting supplies and you must have gotten gone outside. You always loved the fall, loved seeing the aspen turn. You also loved the snow. I guess you went outside to see it fall.. All I can figure out is you got dizzy and fell of the porch. I don't know how long you were in the snow, but you were hypothermic when I came home and found you."
"Now you're even weaker after getting over pneumonia. I think you need to stay in bed to start to get your strength back. Not to mention your leg. Your right leg is splinted and it will hard for you to get around. I'll get your wheelchair out in the next several days and we'll get you up and about a little. But I don't want you to overdo it. Now, when we finish the oatmeal I want you to take your meds like a good girl and get some rest." He continued to feed her until she held up her hand.
"That's all I can take. Thank you, Jack....Jackson." The name was somewhat familiar, but it wasn't quite right.
He set the bowl down and bustled out of the room, returning a few moments later with several capsules.
"Before I take those, could I please go to the bathroom," she asked shyly, starting to get up. She grimaced as her ribs protested and dizziness swirled in.
"I haven't put a cast on that leg yet. Let me carry you." He easily lifted her, blanket and all and carrier her to the bathroom.
Something about this did not seem right. She had no memory of him, of being married to him. But then again she couldn't remember anything different either. If this was true, wouldn't she feel something? Her head hurt so much that she didn't feel like trying to remember. She just wanted to lie back down. He gave her some privacy. When he returned he brought a clean flannel gown and helped her into it. Their interaction felt wrong to her. They had been married for 15 years for crying out loud. Why did this feel so awkward, so wrong?
He carefully lifted her and carried her back to bed, tucking her in and brushing the hair off her forehead so he could kiss it. She settled back and closed her eyes, too exhausted to think about all that was going on. He pushed some capsules into her hand and helped her sip the water to take them. Within just a few minutes, her breathing slowed and she slipped into a heavy sleep. He took her hand and began to repeat: you are Karen Thomason my wife. You have been ill but are now getting better. I will take care of you always. After a few minutes, she mumbled in her sleep "Karen". He smiled and slipped out of the room. It was all going to work out!