Chapter 6: Past Pains

Jack had been up a couple of hours when Sam had decided to come down for a bite to eat. As she entered the kitchen she could see him outside walking round the pond. He looked deep in his own thoughts and decided that she better not disturb him just yet so she made herself some breakfast and washed up.

He still hadn't come in half an hour later so she decided to go and give him some iced tea. As she stepped out of the door she could feel the heat from the sun beating down on her but the gentle breeze made the temperature very comfortable. She walked up to him and tapped him on his shoulder.

He jumped and turned around.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scary you. I just wanted to see if you wanted some iced tea." Sam said holding out the glass.

"It's ok. Thanks." He took the glass of her and tasted it. "Wow this is nice."

"Yea I know. I woke up this morning and I just remembered how to make it." Her face lit up at the thought of her memory returning even if it was only a recipe for a beverage at least it was coming back.

"Great remember anything else?"

"No that's it." She still smiled.

"Well then why do you still look so cheerful?" he asked unable to stop a smile creep onto his face. Her happiness seemed to be contagious.

"I don't know, just am I guess. Can you blame me? Just look at the situation we're in and tell me everything seems wrong. You can't! No matter what happened in the past this seems right for the here and now." And with that she stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She just turned and left offering no explanation to what had just happened and jack just stood there shocked especially after what had happened last night.

Once he came out of the trance he was in he followed her in. He entered the kitchen to find her preparing a salad lunch.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" she put the knife down she had just been using and turned to him.

"That?" he indicated to his cheek. "I thought…"

"I know what you thought and sorry. I know I'm confusing you. I'm confusing myself. Yesterday it felt wrong some how but I thought long and hard about it and realised it is only wrong if we don't try."

"Sam, you know me I'm slow on the uptake, what are you saying exactly?"

"Exactly? I'm saying sorry for the way I reacted yesterday and once we have both sorted out what is going on in our minds I would like something more to happen."

"Sam my heads sorted now." He said with a cheeky smile. He stepped forward to kiss her. She stepped back.

"Well I'm sorry but mine isn't. Not yet anyway. Just… for the moment can we just stay friends and just let everything run its own path." There was a knock on the door.

Jack went to see who it was and Sam carried on making lunch. When Jack came back in it was with Cris.

"Hi. I thought I would come by; see how you we're both settling in."

Sam didn't stop this time she carried on chopping as she replied. "I love this place. It's amazing."

"I see you already have her made into a house wife." Cris said looking at Jack. Sam looked up first at Cris and then at Jack with her 'You better watch what your saying' look.

Jack saw the look he was being given and decided he better not risk it. "Nope it's just if I cook I'm likely to burn the house down."

"How do you know that? Has your memory started to return?" Cris said eagerly.

"Nope just a feeling I have. Also Sam seems like a natural cook why don't you try her iced tea?" he walked over to the jug with the drink in a poured Cris a glass. Sam had finished making the salad and had covered the bowl it was in with a plate.

"Iced what?" he looked at the glass cautiously but ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach he tried it. "Amazing, I have never tasted anything like it. Where did you get the recipe from." He looked at Sam.

"I don't know I just remembered how to make it when I woke up this morning and with weather like this I thought 'why not give it a try it might trigger some other memories.' It didn't but it could have."

"Well that's the attitude. Could you give me the recipe? It really is delicious."

"I'm sorry no for some strange reason it feels like a very closely guarded secret in my family." At that she went light headed and pictures of a man came into her head. Jack instantly ran over to her and sat her down on a stool.

"Are you ok? What is it? Sam talk to me what's wrong?" he looked her frantically wishing they had never left the hospital because now there were no doctors or nurses to help them. He looked at her and saw that she was crying. "Sam what's wrong? Go and get a doctor will you?" he barked at Cris.

"Stop. There's no need." The pictures and memories had stopped.

"Sam are you ok? You need to be checked out." He looked at her still panic stricken but his face also showed relief.

"No I'm ok. I just had a flash of a memory." She noticed she had been crying and quickly wiped her eyes.

"What was it Sam?" Cris had walked back to them. She looked at Cris and then and Jack her eyes fixed on Jacks eyes.

"It was a man, I think my dad. He walked into my room and sat down on my bed. I knew something was up and asked him where mum was. He looked at me a tear fell from his eye and he just said sorry. Sorry Sam." Her eyes started filling up again.

"I asked him again where was mum. He took my hand looked at me and said there had been an accident. I asked was mum ok." She was now crying again.

"He told me there was nothing anyone could have done. I jumped up of my bed and started crying I asked him what happened. He said she had called a cab when he was held up in meeting. He said there had been a crash and she didn't feel any pain."

"He went to hug me and I just lost it starting to hit him as he tried to pin me to his chest. I demanded to see mum. He said that he was sorry. I shouted he should have been there. He should have picked her up it was his fault. He said he knew it was."

"I screamed at him that he never cared about me or my brother or my mum all he cared about was work. He was crying, I was crying. He said that I should be angry with him, that it was all his fault and that all he wanted was to know that one day we would be fine. I spat at him and ran out of the room shouting never."

She finally finished recalling the memory and Jack just hugged her. She embraced him still crying. The world seemed to melt away all worries disappeared it was just him and her. It was so comforting knowing he was always there for her and she started to calm down as Jack hugged her tighter.

Cris just stood there in disbelieve and after recovering from the thought of losing a parent he just left leaving Jack to comfort Sam.