Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Sunday morning

December 21, 2003

Saudi Arabia

Hospital

Sarah couldn't believe how her life was going. One minute ArmAn and she were celebrating the fact that they were going to have a child by the end of spring and now here she was sitting in a hospital mourning the loss of her husband.

Gazing out the window, she wondered, 'How did this happen? Why did this happen?'

Half of the tribe was gone, all because some of the Taliban who had escaped into Saudi Arabia. It was last week when they attacked, most were asleep at the time, the only reason that Sarah was still alive was because of the dreams she still had. She was up walking in the tent when she heard the screams. Lucky for them, there was a military group over the ridge that had heard the noise and came to inspect it. They soon helped out, but not in time to save most of them, or ArmAn.

So here she sat, wondering what to do. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" She asked in Farsi, forgetting where she was.

"I'm sorry, but I do not speak Farsi," The white hair gentlemen said.

"That is alright, I speak English." Wondering what he wanted, she asked, "How can I help you? You do not look like a doctor to me." She really just wanted him to go away.

"Yes, well, my name is Samuel Nicolas and I'm Mr. ArmAn Muhammad's lawyer." He really hated this part of his job. "I have some papers for you to sign."

"Papers?" She couldn't believe he was here about some papers when she was trying to deal with ArmAn's death. "What papers would I need to sign?"

"Well, I was notified of his passing..."

She was kicked off now. "Passing?! No, Mr. Nicolas, ArmAn did not pass away, he was brutally murdered! He died in my arms!"

"I am sorry. I do not mean to upset you. Please, I only wish to help. I know that this is only money, but he also has a home in Virginia that is now yours. All you have to do is sign the papers and then you can leave here and start over." He really wanted to help her; she looked so sad and alone. She reminded him of his own daughter; when she lost her husband in an attack in Afghanistan this past year.

She calmed down some knowing it wasn't good for her baby and thought, 'Yes, ArmAn had told me of his home there, but what money was he talking about?' Shaking her head, she asked, "What money? He did not have any."

"Well, it seems that his grandparents left a trust fund for him in the hopes that he would return. If he did not or if he died then it would go to his spouse and/or children. And knowing you are with child, it would make you both in this case." Pulling out forms from his briefcase and placing them on the table in front of her; he continued, "The fund is now well over two hundred million, his grandparents were wealthy and had no other children, so when they passed away it all went into a trust fund. All you need to do is sign here and it is all yours." Handing her his pen for her to sign where he indicated.

Sarah didn't care about the money, but having a house and in the US, seemed like a miracle to her. She signed the papers, and then asked, "How do I get there? I do not have any papers or passport. Can you help me get one?"

"I see no problem with that; you are an American aren't you?"

"Yes, but I had lost my memory a little over two years ago. It has not returned yet; though I do have flashes of a few faces in my dreams, but don't know their names."

She wasn't sure if she should tell him that she was in the military, but decided that she would have to trust someone sometime; why not start now. "I also know that I was in the Military, but I forgot to ask Lilianna what part."

"Who's Lilianna?"

So Sarah told him the whole story, how she woke up with no memory, "And now here I am in this hospital all alone, mourning for my husband. I do want to go back, but I'm afraid of what might be there waiting for me. I don't even know what caused the amnesia." She had her hands to her face and was sobbing at this point. He handed her the box of tissues while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Sarah, I have friends in the military and the government that owes me favors. If you do not want anybody knowing where you are, or that you are alive, then they will not. You just rest and in two days time, you will be in your new home. Okay Sarah?"

He had such a nice smile that you couldn't help but trust him. Wiping her eyes and blowing her nose she said, "Okay and thank you so much for all you will be doing for me and my baby."

After he left Sarah thought that maybe this would work out and she and her baby would be okay. That maybe the pain in her heart and soul would lesson some.

She lay down to get some needed sleep, hoping the dreams would at least stay away for one night.

Wednesday

December 24, 2003

1500 Hours

Mclean, Virginia

Sarah was finally here in ArmAn's and his grandparent's home. Samuel had people come in to air it out and remove the sheets from the furniture and clean the house too. He also had them stock the cupboards and fridge with food.

He had dropped her off a few hours ago with a Christmas tree and decorations and also a wrapped gift; which was a quilt for the baby. He said it wasn't much, that his wife had made it. He said that it was Christmas tomorrow and that she should have a gift under the tree to unwrap. She just stood there crying and gave him a big hug. He had also invited her to join him and his wife for dinner tomorrow, but she said that she wanted to be alone.

Now here she was, after looking through the four bedroom house, and wondering what to do with herself. "I guess I could go for a walk and see my new neighborhood. It does look like a nice area with only a few people around."

So, she headed out and wondered if she would meet any of them today. She wrapped her scarf around her head and face and grabbed her new coat and boots.

Chegwidden Residence

AJ had invited Harm; Meg; Sturgis; Kate; Bud; Harriet and their kids to his house to help him decorate for Christmas and for dinner. They would all go to see Sturgis' father give his sermon this evening.

It was a beautiful day with enough snow for the kids to play and make a snowman, but not freeze. The adults just stood outside on the porch to watch. They all noticed the person walking along the side of the road and realized it must be AJ's new neighbor.

AJ had found out when he was on his morning run yesterday and saw people cleaning the abounded house out. They told him how the grandson of the original people who owned this house was killed and now his widow was moving in. He had mentioned it to everybody that he would be getting a new neighbor and the circumstance behind it.

"This must be your new neighbor, Sir," Bud said, then looked over to him and corrected himself with a sheepish grin, "AJ."

"That's better, Bud." Giving him that look, that said 'don't do it again'. He had told everyone to drop protocol for today. He should have known it would be too hard for Bud. "Yes, it would seem so. I guess we should go say 'hi'."

As they got closer to her they looked into her eyes and thought they might know her, but couldn't tell because her face was covered.

Meanwhile

Sarah had been watching the children play in the snow and wishing that ArmAn was here. She tried not to cry, but a few tears slipped out. She looked up and she saw a group of people heading toward her and thought. 'Well here goes, time to meet my neighbors.' Closing her eyes and giving a silent pray, she thought, 'Please, ArmAn, help me through this.' As she got closer she saw their faces and only four of them she realized were from her dreams. She was about to turn around, but they called to her.

"Hello, you must be my new neighbor. My name is AJ Chegwidden and these are my friends." He told her everyone's names including the children.

Getting nervous when she noticed that Harm just kept staring at her; Sarah spoke Farsi instead of English. "It is nice to meet you all. Do you all live around here?"She tried to make small talk and couldn't figure out why they were not talking.

Finally, Meg said, "We're sorry, but we don't speak Farsi."

Harm had come out of his daze when he heard Meg talk. "I really wish Mac were here to help. She could talk to her."

Sarah looked up to him and then looked to the rest. "Do I know you? I have seen your faces in my dreams; well except for you three." She said pointing at Sturgis, Meg and Kate. "But the rest, yes your faces have been in my dreams and nightmares. Who are you people?" She was really getting scared and wishing again that ArmAn was here with her.

Little AJ remembered hearing her voice on the tapes of bedtime stories that she and Harm had made up for him for his first Christmas. He came running over and jumped into her arms landing them in the snow. "Aunti Mac, it is you! Santa brought you back to us. I asked him to return you to us because uncle AJ was soooo sad and he really missed you a lot." Little AJ was more aware of things than anyone had realized. He might have looked like Bud, but was very much like his mom.

Everybody was in shock, not just by what little AJ said, but he had knocked her scarf off her head and they all could see who it was. It was Mac and she was alive.

Mac just looked at the little boy and had a vague memory of him being delivered in an office. Then she looked up and saw them looking at her as if she were a ghost. "I'm sorry, but I'm not really sure what is going on here. Could someone help me up?"

"Let me help you up and then we all can go inside and you can explain where the hell you have been for the past two years, Colonel." AJ was angry; all this time she was alive. Why didn't she contact them and let everyone where she was? The rest felt the same way too. They just looked at her with so much anger and confusion that she wasn't at all sure she wanted to be here.

When AJ reached for her hand, she felt a little jolt that went right to her soul. She looked up to see if he had felt it too, but he gave no indication that he had. What she didn't know was that he did. "Ah, I think I'll just go now. I have things to do."

"Oh, no you don't, Mac, you are going inside to tell us all what is going on." Harm could not believe this was happening. Where had she been all this time?

She looked to the ladies and they realized she was scared. "Sir, I think maybe us ladies should take her inside and that maybe you guys can calm down a little, then she can tell us what happened. That is if she can." Harriet came to the conclusion that Mac didn't remember them.

"What do you mean if she can?" AJ was looking at Harriet as if she had two heads.

Harm said, grabbing onto Mac's arm, "What's going on Mac, is this all a CIA mission, is that it?" If it was, he was going to have a talk with Webb.

"I… I… Please let me go." Sarah stuttered, while pulling her arm out of his grasp. "I don't remember any of you, just let me be." She was in tears now. It had just been too much to deal with.

Harriet came over giving her a hug and Mac just cried into her arms. They walked her into the house leaving the men outside and had her sit on the couch to calm down. Getting up and going to the kitchen. Kate said, "I'll go make us some tea and check on the dinner."

"That's a good idea, Kate." Harriet said, still holding Mac as she continued to cry.