Several months pass, and Tobias and I really begin to know each other. Everyday after work we will either go out to eat, to the movies, or even just mindlessly wander around the mall. With everyday that passes, I become closer to him.
Today, though, I am sitting with him in a hospital waiting room. We decided that we should definitely have his brain looked at, before we start to accuse Marcus for his lack of memories. My heart wrenches at the thought of Tobias possibly having some brain disorder. I tap my foot on the tiles of the waiting room. I'm nervous.
I'm nervous for Tobias, I'm nervous that he might have to go through some unbearable procedure, but I'm also nervous that if he does have some disorder, that it will strip him from my life once again.
In the past few months, I've learned more about him then I've ever learned about anyone. We have become inseparable. I'm so thankful our paths have crossed again.
A couple weeks ago, he took me to Millennium Park. He pulled out a blanket and we sat in the lawn and shared fizzy drinks. They were kind of gross, actually. But it felt magical nonetheless. He took my head and his hands and asked me to be his girlfriend. And of course, I said yes.
And that's when I realized that I love him. It's a strange feeling. It feels almost as if there is a fire where my heart should be, burning brighter than the sun. My love for him could burn down all of Chicago, and maybe it will.
He places a firm hand on my bouncing knee, to stop my nervous tapping. "I'm going to be alright, Tris." He says, softly.
"But, what if you're not?" I say, biting my lip.
His eyes soften. "I will be." He whispers.
I stare at the floor. He takes my small hand in his large one, and rubs circles on my palm in attempt to calm me down. I try to relax as Tobias's thumb glides against the soft skin of my palm in a soothing manner. It's more likely that it was Marcus, anyway. But how? I shake my head. None of this makes any sense.
I didn't even remember until a few months ago, so, maybe there's something wrong with me too.
"Maybe they should check me, too." I say after a moment.
He nods. "Good idea."
Sure, it would be understandable if both of us didn't remember a small encounter, but a whole night? You don't just forget things like that.
Tobias must notice my mind racing back and forth, because he gives my hand a squeeze. "We'll figure it out." He says.
I look up at him. "I really hope you're right."
A nurse walks through a door, wearing bright pink scrubs with a cartoon design. She balances a clip board on her hip, and looks down it, looking bored.
"Tobias Eaton." She says, looking up.
He stands up, pulling me up with him, and we walk toward the nurse. Her skin is a dark chocolate brown, and her black hair is straightened around her shoulders. Her eyes flicker back and forth between Tobias and I, as if questioning why the two of us are coming, when clearly the appointment was for him.
"She needs to be examined too," Tobias says. "She's my girlfriend."
The nurse's plump lips pull into a smirk. "Alright." She says, still smirking.
She turns around and leads us back into the door from which she came from. I walk close beside Tobias. The haul seems to starch on for a long time and is lined with lots of doors. I would get lost here.
The nurse stops at one of the doors, that has a label that reads, Examination Room. I tense up a little as the Nurse pulls open the door. She ushers both of us in.
"The doctor will be with you in a moment." She says quickly, and then exits the room, shutting the door behind her.
The room is like any other doctor's room, with an exam table covered in paper, cabinets filled with medical supplies, two chairs next to the table, and a small sink. Tobias and I sit in the chairs, and wait for the doctor. I lean my head against his shoulder.
"We're going to be fine." He murmurs.
The door in front of us swings open, and a middle aged man appears, dressed in a white lab coat.
"I'm Dr. Robinson, and I'll be assisting you two today." He pauses for a moment. "Sorry you weren't able to get an appointment sooner. I've been packed."
I nod. "I'm sure you have been."
It's taken us months to get an appointment with him. My mother believes that he is the best doctor in town, especially for what we're here for.
"So," Dr. Robinson says. "What's the problem?" I shift a little and Tobias explains our situation.
Dr. Robinson pushes his spectacles farther up his nose. "Interesting." He says. "So you remember?" He looks at me. "And you don't?" He looks at Tobias. We nod in unison. "But," he continues. "You didn't remember until a few months ago?" I nod.
"Well," he says. "I'll do a regular physical for both of you, then send you in for MRIs."
"Alright." I say.
"Have a seat Miss Prior," The Doctor says, patting the paper on the exam table.
I get up from the chair and hoist myself up on to the table. The paper rips a little. Dr. Robinson looks in my eyes, ears, and throat, and listens to my heart. Then he asks me to lay down on the table, and I do, hesitantly. He lifts up the bottom of my shirt, and starts to feel my stomach. I tense. Tobias glares at him from behind. But after a moment, he takes his hands off of my abdomen and pulls my shirt back down. I sit up quickly.
"Alright," Dr. Robinson says. "Now let me have a look at you Mr. Eaton."
I hop down off of the table as Tobias sits on it. The Doctor repeats the same medical things he just did with me, but for some reason I feel a hint of anger whenever the doctor touches Tobias. I quickly push the thought from my head. He is a doctor. A middle aged doctor. He's just doing his job.
When he finishes with Tobias, he escorts us into a large room with an interesting machine in the middle. It is big and round, and a man sized tray protrudes from it. The far wall is a window, and people sit behind it, typing on computers.
"Is that an MRI?" I ask Tobias, pointing at the machine.
Tobias looks at it and pales. "Yes." He says, so low I can barely hear him.
Why is Tobias nervous? I look at the machine. Oh. It looks as if the tray slides into the machine. It looks pretty tight. I do remember Tobias telling me he was claustrophobic.
"Hey," I say, grabbing Tobias's hand. "I'll be here the whole time."
He swallows hard, but manages to nod.
The doctor instructs me to lay down on the metal tray. I do as I'm told. The doctor comes around and places three large straps over me, securing me tightly to the tray. He then presses a button, sending the tray into the machine. Once I am completely in, the doctor yells at me, telling me to lay perfectly still. I close my eyes, and someone places a hand on my calf. It must be Tobias.
The machine makes several noises, and then a pounding begins. It starts out softly, but begins to grow louder and louder, until the noise begins to hurt my eardrums. It sounds as if a thousand people were punching a wall. I try to imagine my coworkers hitting the wall, instead of the strangers. I try to picture Lynn, Uriah, Christina, Zeke, Marlene, and Will all banging against the wall, in a flurry of black fabric. I've always admired my friends, or coworkers, for their bravery. But along with that bravery, we all tend to be reckless. As I imagine all of them pounding against the wall in a dauntless manner, the noise becomes bearable.
I don't know how long it has been when the tray pulls out, and the pounding stops. I am unstrapped from the metal tray, and Tobias helps me to stand up.
"It's not as bad as it looks." I murmur to Tobias, caressing his arm.
He nods and steps up on the tray. The doctor once again straps him down, and his MRI starts. I place my hand on his calf too, just so he will know that I'm here.
—-
About an hour later, Tobias and I are sitting our original exam room eagerly awaiting the results. We haven't spoken for a while. Perhaps it is because there is just nothing to say. Or maybe, it's because there is too much to say. I'm scared to find out if we have a disease, but at the same time, I'm also afraid to find out if we don't have a disease. The latter is more likely. My mind races back and forth with itself, trying to understand what we should do for both situations. I don't think I'd be able to handle the even slight chance of Tobias having something, that could potentially, be fatal. But I also can't handle the fact that something, or someone, was able to get into our heads, and erase something as personal a memory. But that brings me to another thought, what if I have more memories I don't remember? What if they're with him?
"Beatrice Prior and Tobias Eaton." A voice says, as the door to the hospital room opens. It is Dr. Robinson.
He is holding what appears to be images of a brain. Our brains, I guess. He pulls a swivel chair in with him, and closes the door. He the plops down on it, causing it to speak under his weight.
"No tumors, lesions, or abnormal growths for either of you." He says, spreading the two pictures out on his lap. "And you don't have Alzheimer's either, which is what I was expecting, as it is extremely rare at your age." He pauses for a moment. "The only thing I did find," My hearts skips a beat. "was that you Beatrice," He looks up at me and points to the picture of the slightly smaller brain on his left knee. "have an abnormally large prefrontal cortex. But that shouldn't lead to any memory issues." He sighs. "You guys' problem is definitely not medical related, so I suggest you talk to your father to see if he knows anything." Dr. Robinson stands up, and grapes the back of the chair. "Good luck, you two." And with that, he leaves, dragging his rolling chair behind him. The door slams closed.
I look at Tobias. His eyes are dark and filled with an emotion that is definitely not aimed at me. There is a crease between his furrowed eyebrows, as he glares at the floor.
"Well," He says, continuing to glare at the floor. "It was definitely Marcus." His voice is thick with hatred, and I can tell that this is his way of telling me it's game time.