Life at the cabin fell into a pattern. Sam would awaken and she and Jackson would talk. He called her Karen every chance he could. He was very attentive and affectionate towards her. He loved to reach out and touch her, brush her hair out of her eyes, plant a kiss on her forehead. These little things made her very uncomfortable. She would catch herself cringing at each touch. The first time it had happened she saw the hurt look in his eyes. After that she made an effort of controlling it. After all, he was her husband wasn't he?
He would sit beside her, holding her hand and tell her of their life together: how they met, about their wedding, about their future plans. He didn't seem at all concerned when she told him she didn't remember any of it. He brought her whatever she wanted to eat or drink, encouraging her to finish all of it, but would not let her get out of bed, saying she needed to get her strength back. And he was right. Just sitting up to eat and drink drained her energy to where all she wanted to do was sleep.
He refused to help her up into the wheelchair except for bathroom visits. He did carry her to the bathroom and help her bathe. This made her blush, but she chided herself.. "This man is your husband, he's seen this before." She still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Each time she would start to ask questions he would bring out 'her medicines" and tell her it was time to take them. He wanted to keep her drugged so that she never felt clear-headed enough to realize things were not as he said.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," he chirped as he brought breakfast. She mumbled as she rubbed her eyes open. He stood in the doorway holding a tray containing breakfast for both of them. He put the tray down and helped into a sitting position. She grimaced as her ribs protested, but it was getting easier to move about some. He climbed up on the bed beside her and pulled the tray closer.
"We have bacon and eggs, milady, grapefruit juice and toast. I want you to eat all of it, and then we'll see about getting out of this bed for a while."
"Really?" she asked. "Can I really get out of this room?"
"We'll see if you're a good girl or not," he said grinning. She grinned back. Their eyes met and held and he began to move closer to her. She closed her eyes, holding her breath. As their lips met, she jumped as if burnt. He pulled back quickly.
"I...I'm sorry," she stammered, and looked at her lap.
He shook himself. She wasn't ready for this yet. He would just have to bide his time and be patient. Then he would have Karen back.
"Don't worry about it," he smiled to her. "I know you're still recovering and I shouldn't have pushed you. We have the rest of our lives. There's no hurry."
They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they had finished, he removed the dishes and helped her into the wheelchair, pushing her into the bathroom.
"Want me to stay and help?" he asked.
"NO!" she answered too quickly, then felt embarrassed. "Uh, I think I can do it myself, but thanks." She still felt uncomfortable with him touching her. It seemed too intimate and she felt her skin crawl at the thought. "HE IS YOUR HUBAND!" she told herself harshly. "HE LOVES YOU!" Shaking her head, she finished her ablutions and called for him. He came in and helped her into a clean gown and brought a robe. He pushed her back through the master bedroom and out into the hall.
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"Thought you might like to see the rest of the cabin," he replied. "Maybe this will refresh some of your memories."
Eagerly, she looked about as he showed her around. She was disappointed that nothing looked familiar, but as he had said, her memory would come back in its' own time. She should just enjoy the time he was spending with her.
He took her into the living room and parked the wheelchair in front of the fireplace. "We used to sit here and plan our future," he told her, dropping to the floor beside her. "The places we would go, the things we would see." He seemed lost in thought and became silent. Sam watched him, seeing the sorrow written on his face. Without thinking, she reached over and stroked his cheek, startling him. He looked up into her eyes and smiled.
"I'm so glad you're here, Karen " he said quietly. "I've missed you."
"I'm here now, Jackson. I'm here."
They sat like that, looking into each others eyes for a few minutes. The moment was spoiled when she gave a big yawn.
"Let's get you back into bed. Just being up really tires you out!" he said, briskly getting up and grabbing her chair.
Despite her protests, he took her back to the bedroom and carried her to bed. "Now, let me get your medicines, and you can take a nice nap. I want you to get stronger so we can do those things we talked about."
He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with several capsules. Handing them to her, he poured her a glass of water from the bedside pitcher.
"What's this new pill?" she asked.
"That new pill is a vitamin," he told her. "You have lost weight more weight and I need to make sure you're ok." She took it without question and lay down. He sat beside her until sleep claimed her.
With one last look to make sure she was sleeping soundly, he grabbed up his keys and headed for the door. He needed her to sleep for several hours as he wanted to find out if the authorities were looking for her. There had been nothing on the tv news as yet and it had already been two week. He needed to know where he stood. He carefully locked the door and hurried to his truck. The snow had mostly melted and was able to get out for supplies. He stopped at the first convenience store he came to and picked up a newspaper. While there, he picked up supplies he needed and went back out to his truck. Not wanting to wait until he got back to the cabin, he opened the paper and hurriedly turned page after page looking for the story of her disappearance. Nothing. Surely he hadn't missed it?
Maybe everything was going to be alright. He'd just keep on as he was doing. She still didn't suspect that he was manipulating her. The drugs were doing what he wanted. He was turning her into his late wife. She would be his forever.
He would sit beside her, holding her hand and tell her of their life together: how they met, about their wedding, about their future plans. He didn't seem at all concerned when she told him she didn't remember any of it. He brought her whatever she wanted to eat or drink, encouraging her to finish all of it, but would not let her get out of bed, saying she needed to get her strength back. And he was right. Just sitting up to eat and drink drained her energy to where all she wanted to do was sleep.
He refused to help her up into the wheelchair except for bathroom visits. He did carry her to the bathroom and help her bathe. This made her blush, but she chided herself.. "This man is your husband, he's seen this before." She still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Each time she would start to ask questions he would bring out 'her medicines" and tell her it was time to take them. He wanted to keep her drugged so that she never felt clear-headed enough to realize things were not as he said.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," he chirped as he brought breakfast. She mumbled as she rubbed her eyes open. He stood in the doorway holding a tray containing breakfast for both of them. He put the tray down and helped into a sitting position. She grimaced as her ribs protested, but it was getting easier to move about some. He climbed up on the bed beside her and pulled the tray closer.
"We have bacon and eggs, milady, grapefruit juice and toast. I want you to eat all of it, and then we'll see about getting out of this bed for a while."
"Really?" she asked. "Can I really get out of this room?"
"We'll see if you're a good girl or not," he said grinning. She grinned back. Their eyes met and held and he began to move closer to her. She closed her eyes, holding her breath. As their lips met, she jumped as if burnt. He pulled back quickly.
"I...I'm sorry," she stammered, and looked at her lap.
He shook himself. She wasn't ready for this yet. He would just have to bide his time and be patient. Then he would have Karen back.
"Don't worry about it," he smiled to her. "I know you're still recovering and I shouldn't have pushed you. We have the rest of our lives. There's no hurry."
They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they had finished, he removed the dishes and helped her into the wheelchair, pushing her into the bathroom.
"Want me to stay and help?" he asked.
"NO!" she answered too quickly, then felt embarrassed. "Uh, I think I can do it myself, but thanks." She still felt uncomfortable with him touching her. It seemed too intimate and she felt her skin crawl at the thought. "HE IS YOUR HUBAND!" she told herself harshly. "HE LOVES YOU!" Shaking her head, she finished her ablutions and called for him. He came in and helped her into a clean gown and brought a robe. He pushed her back through the master bedroom and out into the hall.
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"Thought you might like to see the rest of the cabin," he replied. "Maybe this will refresh some of your memories."
Eagerly, she looked about as he showed her around. She was disappointed that nothing looked familiar, but as he had said, her memory would come back in its' own time. She should just enjoy the time he was spending with her.
He took her into the living room and parked the wheelchair in front of the fireplace. "We used to sit here and plan our future," he told her, dropping to the floor beside her. "The places we would go, the things we would see." He seemed lost in thought and became silent. Sam watched him, seeing the sorrow written on his face. Without thinking, she reached over and stroked his cheek, startling him. He looked up into her eyes and smiled.
"I'm so glad you're here, Karen " he said quietly. "I've missed you."
"I'm here now, Jackson. I'm here."
They sat like that, looking into each others eyes for a few minutes. The moment was spoiled when she gave a big yawn.
"Let's get you back into bed. Just being up really tires you out!" he said, briskly getting up and grabbing her chair.
Despite her protests, he took her back to the bedroom and carried her to bed. "Now, let me get your medicines, and you can take a nice nap. I want you to get stronger so we can do those things we talked about."
He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with several capsules. Handing them to her, he poured her a glass of water from the bedside pitcher.
"What's this new pill?" she asked.
"That new pill is a vitamin," he told her. "You have lost weight more weight and I need to make sure you're ok." She took it without question and lay down. He sat beside her until sleep claimed her.
With one last look to make sure she was sleeping soundly, he grabbed up his keys and headed for the door. He needed her to sleep for several hours as he wanted to find out if the authorities were looking for her. There had been nothing on the tv news as yet and it had already been two week. He needed to know where he stood. He carefully locked the door and hurried to his truck. The snow had mostly melted and was able to get out for supplies. He stopped at the first convenience store he came to and picked up a newspaper. While there, he picked up supplies he needed and went back out to his truck. Not wanting to wait until he got back to the cabin, he opened the paper and hurriedly turned page after page looking for the story of her disappearance. Nothing. Surely he hadn't missed it?
Maybe everything was going to be alright. He'd just keep on as he was doing. She still didn't suspect that he was manipulating her. The drugs were doing what he wanted. He was turning her into his late wife. She would be his forever.