"The family of Shawn Hunter?"
I raised my face from the cluster of heads and hair to make eye contact with the doctor. I didn't know who was crying or who was laughing; all I knew was that I still had both Topanga and Angela in my arms and we'd been holding onto each other for dear life in the hospital's hallway outside my best friend's room. In an instant reaction we all broke out of the hug to face the doctor but my arms stayed firmly around both girls' shoulders, my wife on my right, and Angela on my left.
"Yes sir. That's us." I answered the man in the white coat. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face.
"Well, I'm not going to lie to you" he started with a serious expression on his face. I felt Angela tense next to me; I gripped her shoulder tighter.
"We, that is to say the rest of the team of doctors and I, didn't think Shawn would be able to pull himself out of this coma." Then he smiled good naturedly and I felt Angela relax, "But it seems your faith was not been misplaced. AS I'm sure you're already aware Mr. Hunter just woke up."
It was strange how the words "Mr. Hunter" set off an instant vision of Mr. Feeny in my mind. This Doctor Kale was kind of old and smiled at us in a wise kind of way, just like Feeny. Huh.
"Now I do have to warn you. He is not out of the woods yet. I just looked him over, and I think it is safe to assure you he is on his way. But some patients never fully recover. Mr. Hunter has suffered memory loss and possibly brain damage. Now, for some patients memory is easily re-attained, for others, memories are lost forever. I'm not really sure how extensive the memory loss may be yet and I have Shawn scheduled for some tests to find out. In the mean time, I would ask you all to go in and visit him - but one at a time. We don't want to overwhelm him. And be warned" His tone and his expression turned serious again. This is a man trained in delivering bad news. I wonder if he likes his job when he has to act as the devil's messenger.
"He may or may not remember who you are." He paused as if waiting for a response, but all of us were speechless. I wasn't smiling any more. Shawnie might not remember me?
His tone softened again, "I know this must be scary. But its still good news. You have your friend back. It just might take him a bit to remember who that is. Who would like to see Mr. Hunter first?"
My first selfish thought was that it should be me. But then I lowered my gaze to Angela's eyes. Her deep brown eyes were shining with pure fear and I thought about how I would feel if it were Topanga maybe not remembering who I was and I just nodded to her solemnly. She blinked once then stepped forward out of my arms.
"I will." She replied quietly. Dr. Kale nodded then opened the door to Room 715. Angela looked back to us once before walking in. shut the door after them both.
As soon as the door was shut Topanga looked up at me and smiled tentatively. I smiled back. God, this roller coaster of emotions was making me dizzy.
"Cory?" She said, keeping eye contact with me.
"Yea?"
"Shawn woke up." I smiled broadly and she smiled back.
"I know."
"That means you have your best man back."
"I know."
"You realize what that means?" It took me a minute for my brain to jump back into action and then I burst into a carefree laugh. A burden of happiness I'd been carrying around guiltily exploded in my chest as I realized I was allowed to feel happy again.
"Yea. I know."
"We should see how much he remembers."
I grabbed Topanga and held her in my arms, both of us giddy on relief and excitement. Then I brought my head down to hers closed my eyes as our lips met.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The longer the doctor talked to us the more nervous I got. My Shawn was awake. Why was he bringing us down? He might not remember me? What if he doesn't know who I am? Finally when he asked who should see him first I was petrified.
I looked into Cory's eyes and saw the brief second of determination. I almost hoped he would throw his hand in the air and go first. But he didn't. The almost jealous barrier in his eyes dropped away immediately and he nodded to me.
My knees started shaking, but I knew what I had to do. So I stepped forward. Looked over my shoulder once uneasily, then proceeded into the room with Dr. Kale.
As soon as I was in the room all fear melted away. All thought was replaced by one thing and one thing only. His face.
Shawn's face. He was smiling. And he put his hand up in greeting.
A torrent of emotion burst thought my chest. I was still mentally preparing myself to see him asleep like he'd been every other time. "Shawn?" I said timidly, not able to keep the wide smile off my face. He nodded.
Dr. Kale took a step forward. "Shawn can't really talk right now. Because the breathing tube was only taken out a few days ago and its been so many days since he exercised any of his voice muscles, it will be exceedingly difficult for him to talk for at least a few days. If you walk over to him he can write on the legal pad I gave him a few minutes ago. He knows who he is and what happened but other than that things are a little foggy."
Shawn nodded again, the smile never letting off his face, he just stared at me and I could tell from his gaze that he wanted me to walk over.
I walked to his bedside and sat in the chair I'd been practically living in for over a week now, trying to not become an emotional mess.
"Shawn. Do you remember who I am?"
He looked into my eyes so passionately and I felt my eyes water up. God, I'd missed those brilliant blue spheres. He dropped the pen into his lap and took my hand stroking it with his thumb just like he always used to do whenever he held any part of me. I put my other hand over my mouth and he let go in order to pick up the pen and scrawl onto the page
You're the angel that was in my room when I woke up.
My heart sank. So he didn't remember me.
"But do you remember who I am? From before the accident? Do you know my name?" My voice broke. Oh look, that fear I lost before when I walked in - I think I found it.
He stared at me with such an intensity. The smile that had been there since I walked in started to falter a little bit. I could tell he was really concentrating, trying hard. Finally the smile fell completely off his face and an apologetic look that nearly broke my heart again replaced it. He wrote again.
No, I don't.
He looked up at me devastated. Then scribbled very fast, two words.
Remind me.
I was taken aback. Then it was my turn to take his hand and stroke it. If this is scary for me then I imagined how it must be for him. Not to remember who you are.
"Shawn. I'm Angela. We've been dating since high school. We went to college together, and almost wound up not being together. But you wouldn't let me shut you out. And its because of you that I found the man I love." I smiled at him. "We promised we would never leave each other…and I…" My voice died right here and Shawn looked at me curiously. He closed his eyes for a few seconds then shook his head no, and I stopped. He wrote something down and tapped the page impatiently.
Europe doesn't count. Don't feel guilty. I told you to go. I know you never really left me. We were just a bit far apart geographically for a while.
I gaped at him, and he regarded me uneasily when I didn't continue. He looked from my face to the paper and back again.
What? He wrote, raising an eyebrow. I could see the uneasiness I remembered so well playing across his face.
"You remember!!?!" I practically shouted at him.
He tilted his head to the side, then realized what I'd meant and what he'd written. I could see the comprehension, as well as the confusion.
Whoa. Yeah. I do. Of course I do. You're Angela. I'm in love with you. But I didn't remember that until you started talking…
We just looked at each other in awe.
How did we meet? Tell me more.
I read the question and smiled.
"Well, we met back in high school when I joined John Adams High. You were the class man-whore who didn't date girls for more than two weeks at a time. But that was okay because I'd never had a real relationship either. But then you decided that you really liked me and wanted to try a real relationship. It took you a little convincing, but soon we were both hopelessly in love."
The grin was back on his face and he nodded very animatedly, then began scribbling excitedly.
The purse girl!! Yea! I remember! You're the one that got me into classical music, and poetry. Poetry! I'm a poet? Yea, I remember writing. Always about you. And coffee on the floor with a giant dog. Kissing you. I remember kissing you, all the time. And that day I went to your apartment, and you cried and said you loved me because both our mothers left and you didn't want to hurt me. And the other two! Who were the other two, a girl and a boy? I remember them, but I don't remember names. Who are they?!?
I started laughing. He was so excited. And I was excited too. He remembered. He knew me. He loved me, and he knew me. I was so relieved. I grabbed his face and I kissed him. His eyes shut and he threw the pen down passionately, his lips immediately making out with mine. Just like we used to. He was back. I moaned in concentrated happiness into his mouth.
Finally I came up for air, and his eyes were still closed, his face happy.
"Cory and Topanga, our best friends. That's who the other two are. Cory's been your best friend since you were four and Topanga is his wife." I could see the pieces clicking in his brain and he excitedly began scribbling things down again. But I honestly didn't care what he had to say, I just leaned back in and kissed him. Again and again.
As soon as my face started toward him the pen lay forgotten on the bed sheets. Conversation interrupted mid-sentence as proved on the yellow page. But neither one of us cared.
We had a lot of catching up to do.
--------------------------------
A.N. : So I'm really glad I got to update tonight because i'm kind of going on vacation in about an hour. So I don't know when I'll be able to upddate next, hopefully soon. The story's not quite over yet. But i woke him up - whoo! Please please please review. :) -FA