Dr. Hart shone a flashlight in Andy's eyes, checking her reactions. He had been poking and prodding since she had come out of her coma, trying to gauge the damage that could have occurred.
So far, so good. The worst that seemed to have happened were some lost memories, but it was nothing major. She still remembered everyone in her life. It was mostly just some childhood memories that seemed to have slipped her grasp, but nothing she couldn't handle.
The thing that bothered her most was that she couldn't remember a thing that had happened while she was in her coma, no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to be able to tell the doctor or even Sam when they asked, but she just couldn't remember. She also had this nagging feeling that something important had happened, something she should tell Sam…but she was at a loss.
All she knew right now was that her head hurt; the pounding against her skull made her want to scream. She was sick of everyone in her face and she just wanted Sam. She looked over Dr. Hart's shoulder to where Sam was standing, leaning against the wall and sighed impatiently which caused Sam's mouth to curve in a delicious smirk.
"Alright," Dr. Hart said, stepping back. He sounded far from satisfied, but he could tell that Andy was growing anxious and impatient. "How are you feeling now? I know things were pretty disorienting at first, but if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them."
Andy blinked, twisting her mouth in thought. "What exactly happened?" she questioned in a meek voice. Things were returning to her, but slowly and she wanted to know exactly why she was in this hospital.
Sam went to step forward and open his mouth to explain about the explosion, but Dr. Hart held up a hand to stall him. "Try and think. Do you remember how you got here?" he asked her gently.
Andy's brows furrowed as she tried to piece together the holes in her memory. Her head continued pounding, but she needed to get through this. "I had gotten married to Sam, that I remember clearly…We went to a…a hotel, for our honeymoon." Her face reddened as she recalled the passionate night they spent together. She paused a moment, straining her mind. "And…and then…when I woke up the next day, Sam had left a note. I got up and went to take a shower…"
Andy gasped, her eyes growing wide, her mouth dropping open. "I heard this…horrible noise. I must have been knocked out or something because I don't remember what happened after that." Sam watched as her eyes brimmed with tears.
Ignoring the doctor's protests, Sam went to her side, comforting her in only the way he could. Just with him being in closer proximity had Andy's breathing regulating. "What happened?" she asked, looking back and forth between Sam and Dr. Hart. The innocent look in her eyes broke Sam's heart.
Looking at the doctor for encouragement, Sam explained, "There was an explosion at the hotel. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, but I rushed back into the building and tried pulling you out."
Sam hung his head, partly reliving the moment, the blinding fear that had encompassed his entire body. Andy placed a hand on Sam's cheek, getting him to look at her. "You saved my life," she said simply. "I will never forget that."
Sam leaned in for a kiss, lost in Andy's eyes when Dr. Hart cleared his throat uncomfortably. Sam pulled back, slightly embarrassed, but didn't let go of Andy's hand.
"We will be keeping you for observation for a few more days, but everything looks good so far. Nothing bad has stemmed from your brain injury; no loss of motor functions or anything major. The memories will probably come back with time. If you'd like, I can go over your other injuries that you withstood from the accident."
Sam noticeably cringed at the word 'accident'. He knew this wasn't an accident at all, but now was not the time to address these concerns. His focus was on Andy now.
Andy nodded weakly, so the doctor went on. He explained how her two of her ribs were still broken and healing but the three that were fractured looked good; they had been constantly monitoring her progress. This made sense to Andy; it explained the pain she felt every time she tried to take a deep breath. Dr. Hart said her left wrist was broken, but in a month or so, the cast would be removed. Her sprained right ankle had come a long way, but some physical therapy was recommended to get some more movement back.
Towards the end, Andy couldn't keep paying attention and she slumped against Sam's shoulder. "Dr. Hart, my head…it really hurts." She hated the way she sounded like a whining little kid. But this was a headache like she had never had one.
Realizing that Andy had taken all that she could today, Dr. Hart smiled and said, "Of course. I will have a nurse come and administer some medication that should help you sleep and dull the pain…" He trailed off at her panic stricken look.
"I…well…I will wake up, won't I?" Andy asked hesitantly. Sam hated the way her voice broke at the end. He wished he could take away all her pain, all her fears. Tragedy was sure turning him sappy. But he would do anything for Andy and that was a fact.
Sam held her closer while the doctor said, "Of course. There is a slight chance that you could relapse, but the fact that you even woke up from the extent of your injuries means the odds are in your favor. But this medicine can only help you."
His tone was reassuring and Andy relaxed almost instantly. She was so damn tired.
"I will send the nurse right in. Please, either one of you, feel free to address any concerns or questions with me," Dr. Hart said, tucking the clipboard under his arm and making his exit.
He was still dumbfounded; he never would have guessed that anyone with the type of injuries that Andrea Swarek had would ever regain consciousness; he would have bet his license on it. But one thing was clear, Andy was a fighter. She was going to pull through this.
Still, as he walked on, he shook his head, trying to make sense of this mystery.
Back in the room, Andy and Sam were finally alone. At first, all they could do was stare at each other. Sam couldn't believe it.
Neither one of them were sure how, but before they knew it, they were kissing, Sam being extra careful of her injuries. Her unbroken hand fisted in his shirt, dragging him closer. She used her tongue to part his lips; she needed him, she was so happy to be back.
Sam eventually forced himself to pull back, groaning as he did so. He leaned his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I love you, Andy."
The words sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. She could feel his breath tickle her top lip. He smelled just like he always did and she was glad that was something that she could remember. "I love you, Sam."
There was a knock on the door and they jumped guiltily apart. It was a nurse, carrying an IV bag. The woman was looking at her as if she knew her, but Andy was sure she had never seen her before.
"I'm glad to see you are finally up and about. You sure are a trooper!"
Andy froze. A memory stirred…or was it a dream?
"Andy?" Sam questioned, concerned and jumpy.
"I'm sorry," Andy murmured. "Your voice…it sounds so…familiar?" She made it sound like a question. But every time she tried to concentrate on where she had heard her voice, it slipped away. Frustrated, Andy rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand.
"Oh, sorry dear. I'm Nurse Stonewall! I took care of you a lot while you were out. Talked with you. We had some nice conversations."
Andy couldn't recall, but it was like she was on the border of remembering. Now her head felt like it was splitting in two and she couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain.
Nurse Stonewall realized that Andy was getting discouraged and quickly fitted the IV. "That should do it. And don't worry about forgetting, dear. I'm sure your memory will return soon." With a cheery wave, she was gone.
The medicine worked quick and no sooner was Nurse Stonewall out of the room then Andy was slumping over. Sam gently took her and settled her down so she was laying on the bed again. When he tried to move back, she took his arm whispering, "Don't go."
"Shh…It's okay Andy. Just rest now. I'll be here when you wake up," he promised.
Andy was silent for so long that Sam was sure she had fallen asleep, but just before she drifted off he heard her say, "Jerry says…he misses you…"
Sam's jaw dropped open. "What?" he whispered. But Andy's breathing had grown steady and she was snoring softly. She wasn't in pain anymore.
Sam waited a few more minutes before making sure she was really asleep before he quietly made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.
Sam was exhausted and he didn't realize how much time had passed until he passed a window and saw that the sun was beginning to set. He had been at the hospital essentially all day and his stomach now growled in protest.
Resigned, he made his way to the cafeteria, deciding to wait in the elevator. He was lost in his own thoughts. Today had been very overwhelming and if he felt that way, he could only imagine the way Andy must have felt. He was so happy that she had woken up, despite what all the doctors had said and he was ready to be there to help her recover in any way he could. But he couldn't get the thing that Andy had said about Jerry out of his mind. Was it possible that she really saw his best friend? It must have been while she flat-lined during surgery, he reasoned.
But that was crazy, wasn't it?
The elevator doors slid open and he shook his head as he walked, trying to clear his mind. He needed to go for a run. But coffee at this point would do. A nice strong cup of coffee.
After waiting in the small queue, Sam settled himself at a table, coffee and an oversized cookie in his hand, and fished his cell phone out of his pocket. He had turned it off upon entering the hospital so as not to be disturbed, but sitting here, he took the chance to power it on. As soon as he did, his cell went crazy with missed calls and voicemails.
Most were from his friends and colleagues from the precinct, but Sam steeled himself to go through all the messages. He started with the message from Tommy McNally, Andy's dad. He had been notified that Andy had woken up and let Sam know that he would be there soon. His words sounded slurred. Sam pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at what time the message had been left. 10:45 that morning. Not long after Sam had arrived at the hospital himself. "Tommy," Sam sighed. "What trouble have you gotten into now?"
Sam moved on to the next messages. There was one from Traci asking if everyone could stop by after shift tomorrow because they didn't want to overwhelm her. She also asked him to call her back with any details.
After her message, Sam sent a quick text to Traci. She is doing well. Sleeping now. Had a headache and some memory loss. No other damage. Doctors are shocked. Should be fine to stop by tomorrow. Let you know.
Sam looked down and chuckled as he realized he was still in his uniform. After downing the cookie, he got up and made his way out to the squad car, planning on getting the spare set of clothes he kept in the back. He continued listening to messages on the way.
The message from Ollie was short and sweet. Heard the good news. Call me back when you can.
Sam was surprised at the voice that he heard next. Sam, hi. It's Nick. Collins. I got your number from Gail. I'm glad to hear that Andy's awake. But that's not why I'm calling. I mean it is, but its…anyway. I found the list that you left in Booking. I figure that you think the explosion wasn't an accident. I checked some things out and I think we should talk. I know things will be crazy once Andy gets home, but let me know if you want to talk.
Immediately Sam exited voicemail and hit the re-dial button. He slammed his trunk closed while he waited impatiently for Nick to pick up the phone. On the third ring, he did. "When can you meet?" Sam demanded.
Sam reentered the hospital, duffel bag in hand. He and Nick had agreed to meet in two weeks at a little restaurant on King Street. It should be plenty of time to get Andy settled and he wasn't planning on being gone for long.
Sam's skin was crawling at the thought of what Nick could possibly tell him, but Nick had refused to tell him anything over the phone. But he had sounded as anxious as Sam felt.
Making a quick stop in the restroom, Sam changed into his normal everyday clothes, folding the uniform as neatly as possible in the duffel bag. Then he made his way back up to Andy's room, pushing all other thoughts out of his head. Andy was the most important thing right now. But, he argued with himself, finding out who did this to her would be justice.
All arguments with himself were stalled when Sam caught sight of Tommy McNally. He was waiting outside his daughter's room on one of the padded benches against the wall. When he saw Sam, he jumped to his feet.
Although a little disheveled, Sam was relieved to find that he didn't smell like a brewery and when he spoke his words weren't slurred. Whatever binge he had been on earlier seemed to have passed.
"They said she was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her," Tommy said. "How is she?"
"She's doing really well. Better than expected. She always was a fighter," Sam replied. He resisted the urge to ask why Tommy hadn't showed up earlier. There was no sign of Andy's mother yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Sam and Tommy made small talk for a while. Sam offered to take Tommy in to see her but he declined, saying that he would wait until tomorrow; she needed her rest. He then said he would sleep in the waiting room and meandered down the hallway.
Sam watched as he went and then stepped back into Andy's room, wincing as the door creaked. Thankfully, Andy didn't stir. Must have been the meds.
Sam set his duffel bag on the chair. A wave of exhaustion swept over him and without further thought, he crawled into the narrow bed beside Andy. Subconsciously, Andy cuddled up closer to him.
Lying in the bed beside the love of his life, Sam couldn't help thinking about how he had slept alone these past months. It had been lonely and knowing that Andy was lying in a hospital bed hadn't eased his mind. It had been many a sleepless night in the Swarek house. But that would be no more. Soon Andy would be back by his side, sleeping beside him every night, once more.
With a sigh, Sam wrapped his arms around Andy and fell into the deepest sleep he had in a while.
So this chapter was more of a filler, but it was necessary. Already working on the next one! Thank you all who have continued to read and comment/follow/favorite. Your endless support continues to get me through this story.
If Andy can't remember anything from when she was in the coma, how will she tell Sam who was trying to kill her? Think she will get her memory back in time?