"Can you remember anything?"
"No."
"Your name?"
"No."
"Friends, family?"
"No."
The doctor who was questioning Martin stood back and muttered something under his breath to the nurse.
"You know…nothing. Is this right?"
"Yes. Please stop asking me the same questions. I don't remember anything. My head hurts a little though," he responded.
The doctor stood back again.
"I think he has anterograde amnesia."
The nurse looked at Martin sympathetically.
"How are we going to identify him?"
"All we know is that his name is Martin."
As if on cue, Ruthie and Jack walked through the door. Simultaneously, so did Annie, Eric and Kevin. (Savanah was being babysat)
"Martin! You're alive!" Ruthie yelled running to give him a hug. The rest of the family followed, beaming.
"Whoa!" Martin yelled pushing himself out of Ruthie's hug. This made her frown, and she looked to the doctor for an explanation.
"He doesn't remember a thing. We believe he may have anterograde amnesia."
Ruthie's throat swelled up and surprisingly, she turned to Jack looking for comfort.
Eric frowned upon seeing Ruthie cozy up to Jack.
"How long does this last doctor?" asked Annie, worriedly.
"I can't say. If this is only temporary, he'll start remembering his older memories first. Then gradually he will move on to remember the rest."
"What do you mean if?" Kevin asked.
"Well… it may be permanent."
Ruthie walked towards Martin's bed.
"You don't remember me?"
"As much as I want to…I can't," Martin sighed.
"When can he come home, doctor?" asked Eric.
"Well, he can go home with you today. Perhaps if he is around the people he used to remember, everything will come back."
"Eric, why don't you call Martin's father. We should've told him by now," suggested Annie. Eric nodded in agreement and left the room.
Ruthie's heart was crushed. Even if Martin did once have feelings for her, chances were, she would not know, ever. Martin got out of bed, rubbing his bruised head.
"So, what's my name?"
Ruthie was the first to answer, "Martin. Martin Brewer."
"I need to pick up the twins. Our neighbors have been outstandingly generous in babysitting them for us. Ruthie, why don't you come with us?" Annie asked.
"Mom, no. I want to go with Jack and take Martin home. Since his dad's out of town can he stay with us? Please mom. He needs me-us," Ruthie pleaded.
"Okay, go ahead." Annie left the room, Kevin following her.
"Martin, were going to take you home. We'll explain things on the way," said Jack.
As they got into the car, Jack stared at Ruthie. She still hadn't given him an answer yet. Their eyes met.
"So what's your name?" asked Martin noticing their staring.
"I'm Ruthie," she said as she slammed the car door. She sat in the back next to Martin feeling it would be easier for him to talk to her.
"I'm Jack," he said starting the car.
"Are you two…together?"
Jack looked at Ruthie.
"No," Ruthie answered first. Jack stared at her in a strange disappointment, but continued her sentence.
"We're just friends."
"You and I are best friends. Without you, I don't know what I'd do," Ruthie said making Martin smile and Jack jealous.
Ruthie explained Martin's history, how she knew it, to Martin on the way home. Jack listened silently. He felt that even without his memory, Ruthie was attracted to Martin.
They reached the Camden's house and as they got out, almost the whole family was there to greet them (except for Mary, Matt, and Lucy).
Everyone had been given the news and advice to have a happy, normal mien. They wanted Martin's memory back.
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Lucy was on her way home, leaving Sandy at the hospital for the operation of removing the baby. It seemed like days since she had been home.
She decided to stop at her parent's house first and tell them the bad news. She found her family, including her husband and daughter, eating dinner. As she saw Martin, anger overwhelmed her.
Annie was the first to notice Lucy's presence.
"Lucy, honey!" she yelled making everyone turn to look. Annie ran towards her and gave her a hug, "How's Sandy?"
Before she answered, she looked around at everyone. Her eyes stared at Martin's for the longest.
"I have some bad news. Sandy's baby has been miscarried," she said, her gaze struck Martin to see his reaction. It was plain. Breaking out in anger, Lucy marched over to him, "You insensitive jerk! YOUR baby has just died because of you, and you don't even react to the news," she yelled shaking her head.
"Lucy, stop!" yelled Ruthie, "You don't understand. Martin has been in the hospital too, you know. He didn't just escape home. As he was running away from the big mess that, I don't know whose fault it was, started, he was hit by a car. Jack was the driver. He's been in the hospital. The doctors said he had amnesia. He almost died," Ruthie was breaking down in tears. Realizing the state she was in she excused herself from the table and ran to her room.
Lucy closed her eyes realizing her mistake. Upon opening them, she looked around.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Martin was in the most shock at the moment. The Camden's had filled him in on several things: his family, his friends, baseball, and his love life. Yet, they hadn't told him that he was a soon to be father. They didn't tell him he was hit by a car, a car Jack was driving. His head ached as he got up and followed Ruthie upstairs.
There was a silence.
"Boys, why don't you go upstairs," Annie told Sam and David.
"But mom, we're not finished," commented Sam.
"Boys, please go upstairs," said Eric, "to your rooms."
"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't know. But Martin caused the miscarriage. I was angry. So far he's been acting so rude to Sandy, and I just couldn't take it," Lucy said guiltily.
Annie looked to Eric.
"Don't feel bad honey. Everything has been so hectic and busy for you lately. All of this happened so sudden and all of us are acting a little crazy," Annie said.
"And you never know, this may be a blessing in disguise," added Eric.
This made Lucy smile as she remembered saying that to Sandy. It made her feel like everything would be alright.