Chapter Fourteen: Tabula Rasa

A/N: I guess the title gave it away, huh? lol. :P

"Wh-who are you?"

His smile froze on his face. Did Connie just ask him who he was? "It's me, Adam," he answered gently. Probably just the drugs. Adam smiled at her reassuringly.

"Adam?" She uttered his name like a foreign language. Confusion was still etched across her face.

Well, it must be the drugs. "Yes, as in Adam, you're, uh, friend." He stuttered, the stigma of their last conversation still fresh from his memory. If Connie had noticed, he wasn't sure. What she had noticed, though, – and he was pretty sure of it – was his hand that was clutching hers.

Suddenly embarrassed, he cleared his throat and gently untangled his paw from hers, before glancing at her expectantly.

The look on her face told him that she still didn't recognize him.

"It's gotta be the drugs." This time he muttered aloud, looking at her disbelievingly. After all, why wouldn't she recognize him, right? Well, how else could he explain this, other than as a drug-induced hallucination?

But the wide chocolate brown eyes staring at him told otherwise. In fact, by now he was pretty sure she was completely lucid. Not to mention looking a little panicked.

"Wh-why can't I…" He could see tears building up in her eyes as she looked at him in trepidation. The heart monitor beside the bed was starting to beep a little faster.

"It's okay, just, uh, just calm down." Adam quickly placed a placating hand on hers. "I – I'm sure it's just temporary." Now was not the time to worry her, although he was starting to panic himself.

What exactly had the surgeon told him earlier? Something about reinflated lungs… low oxygen to the brain… He bit his lip, as he furiously racked his own brain, trying to recall his earlier conversation with the doctor.

"…may have suffered cerebral anoxia… …complications…. ….spasms, amnesia… …hallucinations…"

Amnesia. Oh shit. He gave a loud sigh as he rubbed his face in frustration. "Maybe I should get a doctor," Adam stood up and started to head for the door.

"Wait!" Connie called out to him weakly. "You're leaving me here?"

Adam turned around and saw the look of fear in her eyes.

They were silently begging him to stay.

"No, no I won't," he quietly answered, taking a seat beside her bed.

It took a while before Connie had finally calmed down and drifted back to sleep. Adam took that time to go and talk to her doctor once more, who had confirmed the high possibility of amnesia.

He was told that recovering her friend's memory should be a gradual process. That information should not be forced on her. And this is exactly why he is sitting by her bed again; anxious as hell.

Back to where he started.

Adam sat there, lightly tapping the edge of Connie's bed. He was seriously contemplating about jumping off the window; save his teammates the trouble. Even if he miraculously survived that, they can't possibly do anything to a brain-dead vegetable, could they?

Or they could just pull the plug on you. The tiny voice in his head retorted.

Huh. Or that.

Figures.

He suddenly shook his head vigorously, trying to get rid of the terrifying mental scenario he had painted himself. Adam wearily rubbed his bloodshot eyes.

Sleep. Sleep would clear his mind. Sleep was what he needed. Especially right now. His internal dialogue with himself was starting to scare him.

He closed his eyes and gingerly laid his head on the bed, right next to her arm. Solution would surely present itself in the morning, when his mind would be crystal clear. He gave a tired smile to no one, and drifted off to sleep.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

"Well, it's official. Adam is not staying in their house and is currently in the middle of god knows where." Averman announced, hanging up the phone on the bedside table.

"That's it?" Julie asked from the foot of the bed. "The butler actually told you that?"

"Actually it was along the lines of 'Mahster Adam is indisposed right now'." He mimicked using a thick English accent. "Or, you know, something like that."

"That doesn't really mean anything, right?" Charlie piped from where he was seated, glancing from Julie and then to Guy. The latter was lying across the other bed, with both arms jamming a pillow into his face. "I mean, other than they must be staying elsewhere."

Guy stopped smothering himself with the pillow and tossed it away. "It's just that, don't you find it weird that they haven't tried to reach us yet?" He continued to stare at the ceiling. "What if… what if something's happened?" His voice was quiet.

"And you're basing this on some stupid nightmare you had last night?" Averman asked with a laugh.

Charlie and Julie both spun their heads so fast they could practically hear the whiplash. And, if glares were indeed daggers, Averman would have been a goner a long time ago.

"I don't know," Guy admitted with a heavy sigh. "It just doesn't feel right…"

Julie tried to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, Guy. The moment we arrive back home, we'll send out a search party for her." She declared jokingly.

Just then there was a sudden knock on the door. Charlie got up from the other side of the room and opened the door.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Portman asked as he crossed the threshold. "Come on, the sun's been up for hours. Fulton and the others managed to get someone to tour us around the island." He started yanking them all off the bed.

"Alright, alright!" Averman glared at him, rubbing his shoulders as he stood up. "And you know," he started, turning his attention back to Guy. "If something was to happen, you could always ask Portman here to tear Adam's arm off."

Guy looked stricken.

Great. The last thing they needed was to implant that idea on his head.

"He's just kidding, Guy." Charlie quickly supplied, but Guy didn't even looked half convinced.

Julie silently walked over to Averman, stopped, and punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey, that hurts!" He exclaimed indignantly. She just gave him a withering glance. "I think Portman's rubbing off on you, Cat Lady. Better lay off on those make out sessions."

Portman opened his mouth angrily, but Julie had already grabbed his arm and dragged him outside before he could say something. Guy followed suit, leaving the two of them inside the room.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder how you managed to stay alive all these years."

"Yeah," Averman nodded wistfully. "Me too."

"Here we are," Adam explained as he pushed the door wide open. He tossed aside the bag he had been carrying and waved her to get in.

Connie hesitantly stepped inside, eyes wandering a bit. It stopped wandering when it fell on the smiling figure in front of him.

Adam Banks.

Her lifeline. Her only connection to herself, and to the world.

The only person who could prove to the world the identity of Connie Moreau. To assure everyone – herself included – that she just didn't pop into the world and into lonely existence.

After gaining enough senses, the first thing she asked him on the hospital was about her family. He was hesitant at first, but she finally pestered him enough for him to tell her about her family, or lack thereof.

Fact: the only thing worse that waking up not knowing anything, was waking up knowing you have not family at all. Knowing that you were basically alone.

Then this man came along; a stranger claiming to be her 'friend'.

Adam had been nice and sweet; a perfect gentleman. He made her feel safe. He didn't leave her like she asked. And he was just always… there for her.

There was comfort in his eyes when he carefully explained the situation to her, and their current 'arrangement'. Of course she was initially skeptical, no matter how he made her feel. When a guy you barely even knew came and told you you've been living together, who wouldn't be? For all she knew, he could be a homicidal nymphomaniac preying on helpless girls like her. A guy this nice, it was almost impossible. She probably never knew another guy like him.

He was too good to be true… so she waited for the other shoe to drop.

But it didn't.

Because there was no shoe. This guy genuinely cared for her, right from the start. The tingling feeling she felt when she saw him? It was recognition. He was a friend.

So now here they were.

He started to walk towards her, but she waved him off. "I'm fine, thanks." Connie closed the door behind her.

"Okay," Adam nodded, grabbing the phone. "You must be starving after all those crap they call 'food' that they've been feeding you. Why don't you rest for a bit while I order us some take out?" He suggested and motioned towards the hallway. "Room's at the end, to the left."

"So, um, where do you sleep?" She asked awkwardly.

"Wherever I fall asleep." He answered jokingly. "Usually on the couch, though."

"Oh, I wouldn't mi-"

"It's comfier than it looks, so don't even think about pulling a switch with me. You weren't quite convincing the last time, either." He playfully shooed her away. "Go try it. It's way better than your old hospital bed. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

Connie smiled at him appreciatively.

Both of them had settled on the couch and into a comfortable silence soon after dinner. The tv was currently tuned in on a channel showing reruns of some comedy series. It had been part of their daily ritual come nighttime, and she found herself lost in it. Not long after though, Connie found herself glancing curiously towards the other side of the couch. Adam was snoring lightly; his head tilted slightly in her direction.

He was close. Close enough for her to reach out and touch him.

She gently twirled his golden locks between her fingers, careful as not to wake him. The more she looked at him, the more she saw it. There was something about him that was so familiar.

Sometimes those things made her heart skip a beat.

Connie closed her eyes. She had a dream about him once. About Adam. But somehow he was different. His hair had seemed longer, and lighter. His eyes were softer. And those deep blue eyes. They were just… not the same. It was… a different color… a different shade. She never did have a good look on his face. He disappeared right before she could go near him.

To her it was Adam, but at the same time it was not.

In that dream she felt safe. She felt… loved… cherished… cared for. Very much like the way Adam made her feel the day she met him… again, apparently. And to a person like her, with no recollection of her background, of her history, it was something. It was everything.

With a smile on her she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head towards him.

She liked him, this stranger.

Her only friend.

Her maybe 'more-than-a-friend' friend.

Hockey-girl90: hey, thanks!

Banksiesbabe99: Really, you're killing me here! lol.:P babbling is good. it makes me laugh, especially yours.:P but before you call me a sadist (well, i actually kinda am) you'd be surprise how well-versed i am in the art of babbling... so anyway, i don't thinkbabblingis a sign of beinga nutter.. ha,it's not like you're foaming at the mouth... are you? lol. :P

SweetNJuicyX0: I'm glad you like it. thanks!

zshp1411: Thanks! Hope you read this chapter as well.

Emily: Aha! Se pierde Bruno, eh? I'm freeeee! Bwahahaha! lol. :P okay, before you set out Bruno for my head, just remember: nothing is set in stone. heck, i could even pull a fast one and pair Connie with that doctor... or - heeey, that's not a shabby idea at all... hmmmn... :P

Connie/Charliefan: thanks! Alright! We got another one rooting for Adam...so that makes the score... um... pretty close, i guess..

Cakeeater: Cyprus, huh? Haven't been there yet. Hope you had a great time! Anyways, nice to know you're still enjoying my story. :-) i hope you'll stick around to find out who she ends up with...