Everyone was shocked to hear that Marty was no longer catatonic. It seemed like good news, but when Andrew further explained that Marty didn't seem to remember anything about the past nine months, including her child, worry began to show on everyone's faces again.
Luna was Marty's first visitor the following day. When she came in the room, she saw that the tv was on, but Marty wasn't watching it. She was too busy studying the crystal she had around her neck.
"Hey sugar." Luna said amiably.
Marty looked up and smiled. "Hi Luna."
Luna could tell that both the smile and the greeting were forced. She went to the edge of Marty's bed and sat down.
"You gave this to me, didn't you?" Marty said grasping the crystal.
Luna nodded.
"It's beautiful. Thank you. I don't know if I thanked you when you gave it to me. Sorry." Marty said softly.
"Honey...is everything...alright." Luna said with a concerned expression.
"It's a beautiful day outside isn't." Marty said turning toward the window. "I can tell that's it's really hot out. Doesn't feel like September at all." She continued in a faraway tone. "But then again it isn't. It's a beautiful, June day. You know if the year wasn't on this paper." Marty picked up the paper on the dresser by her bed. "I wouldn't be sure if time had gone forward or if I had gone back in time."
"Marty-" Luna said.
"A lot must have happened during that time." She kept talking as if Luna hadn't spoken. "You know the nurse came in here today and asked me if I wanted to feed my baby." Marty smiled. "My baby, I almost laughed in her face, but then I realized it would certainly explain all the stuff in here. But I still thought that I could just be in the wrong room. So, I kindly said 'no thank you nurse, but could you give me today's paper.' 'Sure,' she said, 'and how 'bout I put on the tv.' ' That's fine.' I said. So, she put on the tv and got me the paper. And now I know for sure that it is a lovely June day." Marty's eyes filled up with water.
"Marty, sugar, you just need time to come to grips with everything." Luna said.
"Time, Luna. It's seems as though time has left me a long time ago. Nine months in fact. And in that time, I seemed to have given birth to a child." Marty said right before she began crying.
"It's go'in be alright." Luna said, her eyes filling up as well.
"How can you say that Luna? There's a baby out there that has a mother who doesn't remember carrying him or giving birth to him. He has no name because until she was told, his mother didn't know he existed. Why is this happening? Am I going to wake up any second now from a nightmare?"
Luna shook her head. Unsure of what else to say. Their silence was soon interrupted by the opening music of the news program on the tv.
Yesterday in Lanview General Hospital, a woman who had been raped and beaten at the Kappa Alpha Delta fraternity house nine months ago and rendered catatonic by the experience has "woken up". Her recovery occurred a day after she gave birth to a baby boy. The pregnancy may have been the result of the rape. This new development could give new light to the upcoming trial of the prime suspect Todd Manning. Manning was arrested at the scene of the crime and his pardon was immediately revoked. Manning has spent the last nine months in jail awaiting a trial. The police have not questioned the woman yet and have not made any comment as to whether this will affect the trial. It is also unclear-
Luna finally found the tv controller and shut the television off. However, it was too late. Luna looked at Marty and saw that the she was still staring at the tv, her eyes wide.
"Marty." Luna said softly. "Honey, please look at me."
Marty slowly turned and faced Luna. "That was me they were talking about, wasn't it Wasn't it!" Marty shouted as more tears escaped her eyes.
"Sugar, you really don't remember what-."
"No, no. I can't believe this. I just can't. I'm tired. I want to..go..to...sleep. I'm tired. I don't want to hear anymore." Marty kept saying as she laid back down on her bed.
"No, Marty." Luna said as she pulled Marty up by her shoulder. Luna knew that if Marty gave in and went to sleep there would be no telling when she'd wake up again.
"Marty, no. You've been asleep too long. You have to get up." Luna said forcefully.
'No, I don't want too. I want to go back to sle-." Marty said her eyes closing.
"NO!" Luna shouted. "You are getting up. Come with me." Luna dragged the limp woman out of the bed. "Come on." Luna began leading Marty out the door.
"I don't want to go. I just want to go back to bed. Please, just leave me alone." Marty said and began to resist Luna.
"I can't do that, sugar. Because I'm not just doing this for you."
Luna pulled Marty down the hall to the maternity ward. Once inside the doors, the two stopped in front of a large window. On the other side was a room filled with tiny beds with tiny babies in them.
"There." Luna pointed to a bed with a sleeping baby boy in white pajamas. There were traces of dark hair sticking out of his white cap. The little blue covers were down at his feet, as if he had kicked them off during his slumber.
Marty stared in awe at the small child. She didn't notice Luna had walked away to go speak to the nurse until the nurse and Luna came over and spoke to Marty.
"Would you like to hold him?" The nurse said with a smile.
Marty nodded. She knew she would cry if she tried to speak.
A few minutes later, Marty was sitting in a chair staring down at the baby in her arms. Hours passed before she finally let the nurse return him to his crib and she to her room.