Remember English is not my native language, I hope the translation is correct, I check it, but sometimes I miss some incorrect, sorry.

I repeat, I am not the owner of the characters, I only rely on them for the sheer pleasure of practice writing stories without any economic interest, and these two characters inspire me.

Chapter 4 - The Thaw and the Finding

The first days of april the thaw had begun in Biloeil, the grasslands between the road and the river ravine were soft and muddy.

Two children with their father were walking along them playing with some tree sticks they found along the way.

They were about 8 kilometers from Biloeil, when the children, removing the mud, found a bag...

They told the father, the bag was very wet and muddy, but it was like a waterproof fabric, the man opened it and found a mobile phone inside, a New York State driver's license in the name of Monica Geller Bing, credit cards, blush, lipstick, comb, and several photos of the woman with a man and a couple of children. -

The walker and his children rushed back to Biloeil and handed over the bag to the police. One of the lieutenants, upon seeing the photos, immediately remembered that she was the woman they found on the road to Chambly some 10 months ago, without any identification and, as she recalled, because of her injuries, she had been referred to the CHUM Center. -

The Biloeil police reported the news and sent the bag to the Montreal police, who went to the hospital to determine if the woman whose details were in the bag had finally been correctly identified and if she was still in Montreal.

At the CHUM the administration nurse immediately recognized Hope, and asked the police to wait for her to call Dr. Mercier as that lady was a patient of hers.

The doctor approached the police officer, introduced herself, and he told her "Look, ma'am, near Chambly a couple of days ago this bag was found in the mud, among the grasses, we believe it belongs to the lady who was found near Biloeil and that they were referred to this hospital."

Dr. Mercier was silent, the photos in the documents, the family photos, were undoubtedly of Hope, whose real name was Monica Geller Bing, she was from New York and, as she believed, Hope had a husband and children…

The doctor was happy, maybe now that beautiful woman could maybe remember something and return to her home…. but it also wouldn't be so easy in Hope's situation.

She discuss it with a colleague, who advised her that it would be better to bring the family in NY up to speed first.

Dr. Mercier also went to tell the prosecutor Simmons, and asked him to see the possibility of him, through the NY police, to find out if the family had been looking for her. -

Simmons contacted a detective friend, and asked him to make inquiries at the NYPD.

The next day Simmons called the doctor and asked her to meet, since he had a lot of information about NY and Burlington, Vermont. -

The doctor was surprised, since, although Burlington was in the USA, it was not that far from the border with Canada, and it was also relatively close to Montreal. And she wondered what would have happened….

Simmons told her that Mrs. Bing had attended a bakery convention in Burlington, that she was to return on a Wednesday but told her husband that she would stay one more day, from then on the family had no further news, they filed a police report in NY and then in Burlington, they personally went to that city and searched for her everywhere, they searched, the husband with his brother toured all the neighboring towns leaving posters, that was at the end of June of last year, and since then the husband travels every other weekend to look for her, to leave posters, and to urge the police not to drop the case. In the towns of the area they know him, they try to encourage him, since the man does not give up his persistence, they are all very sorry.

"But what was she doing on a country road between Chamby and Biloeil? ask the doctor.

Actually, it is not known for sure, but a couple of months after Ms. Bing's discovery, a car was found plunged into the river, there were the bodies of two friends from Montreal who operate a bakery, and who had also attended to congress. At that time there was no sign of another passenger, and the news went unnoticed. We now think that perhaps the friends invited Mrs. Bing to visit their bakery, since it involved a drive of no more than an hour and a half to Montreal, and the accident occurred.

"So no one knew where she was?" asked Dr. Mercier

"Exactly, the family was looking for her in Vermont, and they did not know that she had traveled to Montreal for a few hours, they never thought that she would have traveled to Canada"

"God, poor family, and poor Hope…"

"What are you going to do, Eloise?"

"I have to be careful for the good of both parties, I'll think about it tonight and I'll tell you tomorrow"

That night Dr. Mercier couldn't sleep, she had to think of a strategy that could bring them closer, but without getting hurt. Hope was fragile, and the family and obviously her husband were desperate.

The next day, it was already the second week of April, she made the decision and went to see prosecutor Simmons. -

"I was evaluating the situation, first I am going to travel to NY to notify her family that Hope, well Monica, is alive and relatively well, amnesiac, and try to calm them down because I know that the anxiety to see she could go wrong"

"Once the family knows the truth and how to behave in a meeting, I would tell Hope everything, and I would organize a meeting," said the doctor.

"But I need a favor, I hope the last one", and she smiled at him "I don't want to show up alone at Mr. Bing's house with this news, I would like him to believe me, that's why I would ask you if you can schedule a couple of police officers for me from NY come with me…"

"Eloise, you are afraid of some aggression…. "

"No, my God no, but for a strange woman to show up at your house a year after your wife disappeared and tell you that she found her, it may sound like a horrible joke, and I don't want to scare him, with the presence of the police my honesty will be unquestionable"

A couple of days later, Dr. Mercier landed in NY, first she stayed in a hotel and called a couple of her female colleagues who work in Manhattan to let them know that she would stay in the city for two or three days, so they arranged a meeting.

She then went to the police station indicated by prosecutor Simmons, she introduced herself, and they assigned two detectives to accompany her the next day to the Bing family home.

Since it was a business day and they had found out Mr. Bing's work hours, they headed there around 5:00 p.m. to his home and stopped the car a few meters behind the entrance to the house.

At around 5:30 p.m., they saw Mr. Bing arrive and enter his home. They got out of the car and headed for the door.

Meanwhile Chandler just walked in, got rid of his jacket and hung it on the hook by the door and put his briefcase on the floor, while he loosened his tie, the kids ran out of the kitchen to meet him laughing and hugging his legs . He reached down and gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek and greeting from July, the babysitter.

"Okay guys, I'm home, say goodbye to July who's leaving,..."

At that moment someone knocked on the door, Chandler asked July to open it and tell her that then she can go.

When July opened she was met by two very serious men and a woman. She turned to warn Chandler when he simultaneously turned to see who it was.

Instantly he knew… his legs gave way, his heart began to race, and he screamed:

" GOD IS SHE ALIVE?' "PLEASE TELL ME SHE IS ALIVE…" And his eyes immediately filled with tears"

Dr. Mercier, faced with the despair of that man, only managed to say "YES, SHE IS ALIVE..."

Chandler collapsed to his knees on the ground, sobbing.

The kids who were there began to cry saying "daddy, what's wrong with you, what's wrong with you"

Dr. Mercier asked July, who had been petrified at the door, looking at the scene, to please take the children from there"

July rushed to hug both children and led them up the stairs without a word.

Chandler was still on his knees crying with his hands over his face.

One of the policemen closed the front door, and Dr. Mercier also knelt next to Chandler and hugged him for a while, while he kept crying and his body trembled.

After a few moments, the doctor told Chandler to get up and walk her into the living room that she would explain everything about his wife, and she asked one of the policemen to bring water for Mr. Bing.

Chandler looked the doctor in the eyes and with a shaky voice he asked, "She's okay… no one hurt her…. Where is …. I want to see her…, please" he said begging

"Mr. Bing, I need you to calm down a bit, I am Dr. Eloise Mercier, her wife is physically fine,… no one hurt her…. and now she is in Montreal…"

"Montreal…. How is she in Montreal…?"

"And why didn't she come with you...is she sick...?"

"Mr. Bing, as we know the day she told you that she would be back the next day, apparently she went out with a couple of friends she met in Congress, who were Canadian and ran a bakery in Montreal," said the doctor and continued before the incredulous face Chandler's

"Apparently they had an accident, your wife would have been thrown from the car, we don't know for sure, the car fell from a barrier and plunged into the river, and the two friends died"

"We assume that your wife was disoriented, and she was found and taken to Biloeil city with head trauma and other injuries, and from there she was transferred to the CHUM Center where I work in the psychiatry office."

"And why didn't she come with you... Why isn't she here now?" I beg Chandler

"When your wife woke up from the head trauma, she had a picture of retrograde amnesia, and she did not remember, nor does she even remember, who she is, what is her name, where she lives, if she has a family, she does not remember anything from her the past"

"We didn't know who she was, and no one in Montreal was looking for her, so we registered her with the name Hope Smith, which is now what she calls herself," explained the doctor.

"She doesn't remember the children, she doesn't remember me, her family?" Chandler said with a shaky voice and still crying, only now his tears fell slowly on his cheeks.

"No sir, it may be that one day she will remember, or some memories will come back to her, we really don't know, but in these 9 months that I have treated her there has been no memory of her."

"And she knows that we found her…? …. She doesn't want to see us…? Chandler kept asking

"Look sir, she still doesn't know that we found you and that now we know who she is, first I wanted to talk to you and your family, the approach to her must be calm and gradual, she is fragile, she can be scared, she had a panic attack when she woke up from the coma and can retract even more, we have to give her time…"

"I need to see her, have her in my arms …. I love her so much …. I'm living in hell…" Chandler said sobbing again.

"Sir, you need to calm down, you have some calming medicine..." asked the doctor

"Ma'am, I don't want to calm down...I want to see, have my wife..." Chandler said loudly.

"I know, but for that to happen you have to calm down…. where is your medicine…?"

Chandler stared at her, and then said, "On the top shelf in our bedroom bathroom..."

"Do you have a problem with Lieutenant Wilson coming up to look for it?"

Chandler shook his head. -

"Okay, second step, it's better if the kids aren't home for a couple of days," continued Dr. Mercier, "do you have a place to take them?" …

"Yeah …. It's just that wherever they go they're going to be just as shocked as I am…" Chandler explained.

"I understand, but where are there other children that distract them"

"Yeah…. my brother-in-law's house, Monica's brother Ross.

Lieutenant Wilson came down with the pills and the Dr. took out two and gave them to Chandler to take, who obeyed without saying a word.

"Mr. does the babysitter who took the children upstairs know where your brother-in-law lives?

"Yeah, …. he is very close…. four blocks…. July also takes care of their girl sometimes "

"Ok, Wilson, you can go upstairs and tell July to come down, without the kids," ordered Dr. Mercier.

When July came down, with a scared and questioning face, the doctor told her "Look July, that's your name, isn't it? Mr. Bing needs you to take the children to his brother-in-law's house, prepare a bag for them for three or four days"

July looked at Chandler, questioning him with her gaze, and he said, "July, do what the doctor told you, and tell Rachel that I'll call her in a bit and explain what's going on."

July nodded, went up the stairs and moments later down with two bags and the two children.

Erika and Jack ran to hug their dad.

"Daddy why are you crying?"

Chandler hugged them both "Children, don't worry or be scared, everything is fine, sometimes we adults cry with happiness…. Dad received great news and cries with joy…. Now go with July, you're going to go to Aunt Rachel's house for a few days, and you're going to play and sleep with Emma…. that's not fantastic…!" and he gave them a wide smile, which the children returned with enthusiasm, he hugged them, kissed them and ruffled their hair as he always does"

July and the children left.

"Well, Mr. Bing, let's continue…. As I explained, your wife still doesn't know you found her, she's going to need time and space to assimilate the news….and I want to meet the whole family group, …. explain what happened to Hope…. sorry …. Monica, explain to them how they should behave in front of her…. Obviously you will be the first to go see her, but I consider it convenient that someone from the family accompany you… you will be mutually supportive, and I would like to see who could accompany you."

"But her parents wouldn't have to come…. her brother... They're just as desperate as I am…" Chandler asked.

"Exactly sir, for a "desperate" I already have you. I want someone more serene to accompany you..." the doctor explained firmly and added.

"Summon your entire family to come tomorrow at 11 am, I'm going to talk to everyone, and then we'll see who accompanies you on this first visit..."