Chapter 9

David sat at the kitchen table, running his hand through his hair for the hundredth time. Alex had been missing for three days now and he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out where she was. The last time he saw her was when he was fighting with that big red headed bloke, and then she'd disappeared. He probably should have told the guy he couldn't find her when he had gotten back to her apartment, that it was still locked and she hadn't even been there, but how was he supposed to find out where he was when he was trying to find Alex? He thought about it reasonably. He didn't have to know until David found her, then he'd be the hero coming to her rescue and he'd just casually mention that the big lug didn't go looking for her at all. He smiled to himself, but then his heart plummeted again. He'd done all the right things, contacted the police and filed a missing persons' and then waited miserably in her kitchen.

There was a knock on the door and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Running wildly to the door he wrenched it open. He was shocked, however, when a short man appeared at the door looking almost as bad as himself.

"David?" The man asked hopefully.

"Yea, who's askin'?" He asked wearily.

"I'm a friend of Alex's." He held out his hand, but took it back after David only stared at it.

"I know where she is." He said quietly.

David swore in relief and let the man in. "You have to tell me mate I'm going insane."

He looked reluctant. "Does Fred know?"

"The big guy?" David asked unkindly.

The man nodded.

David suddenly looked worried, what if this kid was a family member? He had red hair too…

"Don't tell him, if he doesn't know." The stranger said suddenly. "I don't want him to know."

David looked at him with a million questions in his eyes.

The man sighed. "I've made a mess of things, and I want to set it right for Alex. She was miserable when she left, but she's been so happy with you. Look, I uh- Alex is…" The man rubbed an anxious hand across the back of his neck. "Alex was hit by a truck."

David's eyes were wide, but instead of screaming in a wild frenzy, as Seamus thought he would do, David sunk down onto the floor.

"She's ok!" He said quickly. "She just doesn't remember anything."

"Remember anything?" He echoed, his eyes darting to the stranger in the living room.

"She lost her memory. I was the one who called the ambulance, I've been checking in on her."

"And you only just now thought to tell me?" David asked, angrily getting back to his feet.

Seamus took a step back with his arms up in surrender. "I was weighing the situation. I'm only looking out for her best interests."

David looked at the man as if he'd strangle him, but decided against it. Instead he asked, "So what you're saying is, you want me to go to her and never say a word about this other guy?"

Seamus nodded.

"What if her memory comes back?" David asked quietly.

Seamus frowned. "The doctor said there's some pretty significant damage, it's unlikely that it would come back. This could be your chance. Your chance to make her happy."

David looked at the man and crossed his arms. "So what kept you from doing the same thing?" He demanded.

Seamus shrugged. "I've already done enough damage. I just want her to be happy."

David suddenly smiled to himself. She'd been so wrapped up in her past she hadn't ever given him a fair chance, maybe this was exactly what they needed. A fresh start. He looked guiltily at his new friend.

"It feels like one big lie." He admitted.

Seamus shrugged nonchalantly once again and turned for the door. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her, and what doesn't kill her will make her stronger."

As he walked out into the hall David realized he didn't even know this guy's name. He ran out to follow him, but the mysterious stranger was gone.

David ran another hand through his hair, attempting to straighten it and ran back for the door. He was on a mission to interrogate every hospital within the district to find her. David would indeed, be her knight and shining armor after all.

When he strode into her room, looking like a ragged homeless man, she couldn't help but flinch away.

"Alex!" He looked excitedly at the doctor who had accompanied him. "This is her, no doubt about it!"

"Alex?" She asked.

The man knelt down beside her. "Your name is Alex honey, don't you remember?"

She liked how the name sounded; it seemed to fit her like a warm coat, enveloping her. Finally, something that she could start with!

The doctor placed a hand on the man's shoulder reassuringly. "I've just been in to explain to the miss-er –Alex, the extent of the damage. Really it's incredible, the truck should have crushed her but-"

David cut him off with an impatient look and the young doctor caught himself again. "It may or may not be reversible. Helping her remember by showing her things you've done together, family pictures, familiar songs, these things will help bring back her memory a little at a time."

When the doctor finally left, David let out a huge contented sigh.

"Darling you don't know how worried I've been. I had no idea you were here, I was worried sick!" David grabbed her hand and smiled into her face.

"Who are you?" She asked shyly.

David patiently stroked her hair. "My name is David, I'm your fiancé."

Alex stared at the man in front of her. He certainly looked like an adoring fiancé, stroking and petting her affectionately. She reached out and touched his face with hers, looking into his eyes trying to find something in them she remembered.

"When can I go home?" She asked after a long time.

David smiled widely. "Immediately." He ran out to find the doctor and order her release. Today was the beginning of the rest of their lives, David thought happily to himself.

Alex watched him rush out of the room and she leaned back onto her pillows in thought. She couldn't remember a single thing about anything. There were a few flashes of the accident, too many sounds and images that came rushing back to her making her hairs stand on end, but nothing at all about her past, or her present. She worried on her bottom lip distractedly trying to conjure images of David, but failed miserably. How frustrating it all was! She took solace in at least knowing her name, but there were so many questions still burning in her mind. Did she have family? Did they know where she was? Why was she hit by that truck anyways? Alex wanted to know all the answers, but found herself too tired and weak to avidly search for them. She'd start with the basics, she thought to herself. Starting with family.