His Memories of Her

22nd

“Henboy?” the man called out to the spacing out Henry with a pained expression on his face.

Henry looks at him and said “Sorry. I was just wondering of how is she doing right now.” Giving the man a weak smile.

The man looked back at him and give him a smile before he said “She has been doing great, and even right now, I am sure she is enjoying her life. But this is something I have been meaning to tell you. She had gone another accident just a few years after we have arrived there. Making turns and changes in life and even in her."

“But you said, she is doing great, and so I could just take that as even though something happened, she still is fine and that is already enough.” Henry said smiling so weakly.

“I am still sorry for what we have done to you, for what I have done. I know you did not deserve that, no one does. And believe me, until to this day, until earlier the moment I saw you again, the weight of my actions that I did not because I have choice, but because I do not have. The only thing that lessens that even just a little bit, was the fact that when she woke up after her surgery there where she was fixed is that she did not remember all the three years she had with you, she thought we never left that place to live here. I was saved by that because I did not know what would I have done if she does not remember anything. But the happenings when I told her age without remembering the three years that have added without her knowing.” The man said with the trace of devastation and pain.

Henry looked at him with a thought running through his mind. That night, they slept on the same room, he was lying next to her as he did collapse just a few hours after Irene has gone out of the operating room and brought to a private room where everyone will be staying with her. He collapsed, fell on the floor but without any intention of taking a rest as his hand has been holding Irene’s since she was pushed out of the O.R. until he has slept sitting next to Irene, while his mother ask for him to be sedated so they could lay him down on the bed that they asked for to be put in the V.I.P. room they got. And Henry did not know anything of it until he woke up the next day, with his parents looking at him apologetically and turn his head to find the bed next to him empty. Irene is gone, so is her brother. He did not know anything about it. And there, at that moment Henry became hysterically doing things, almost hurting his mom. He has gone crazy not knowing where Irene has gone to, where in the whole world her brother took her to. His mother could not take it, could not help feeling helpless for him. Making her decision to sedate him once again only to wake up in a strange environment, in another land that he has never been to before.

“But I am happy to know that you are doing better now. After all that happened in the past, my thoughts of these things have comforted me, you being happy with somebody else. I am sorry that I separated you two when you guys still have not started yet. Thinking every now and then that if only that night did not happen, I guess I already have a nieces and nephews from the both of you. She liked you too much, too much that she hated me because I made you that deal.” The man added.

“This kind of life I am living now, it did not happen that quick, it took me years, it took me to the point of choosing this line of work which I know will occupy too much of my time and attention from that time. I felt sorry for being mad with my family for they did to me, for letting you take her away while I was asleep. When I could not even say goodbye. That night, I have made my decision, of letting you take care of her because she will be fine as long as it is you looking over her and would have just made a request of letting me know about your plans. If my appearance would have been a problem, I was willing to stand on the side, to stay low so that I could see her. I have made up my mind for so many things while I held her hand which comforted me letting me fall asleep giving them, you guys a chance to sedate me. And when I woke up, I lost my mind, I even lost my soul. I died the moment I saw the bed next to me is empty. Because I had trouble breathing as words wanted to come out all at once. And one morning, I just felt tired, tired of everything I am feeling, tired of not talking to my parents for years only then I took my first step to pull myself together. Which also took long enough until I could finally get back on my feet, take steps without crumbling down on the floor on my knees and started to feel light, free from that nightmare. It is just that whenever I remember her, my mind would be just occupied of wonders about her, if she is doing great, if she is still like how I met and known her and the answer were just all my imaginations, the only things I wanted to imagine, so that I could keep my new self, maintain the new start I got. But I have never loved again since then.” Henry said looking around and give him a smile when he got done.

“I knew you could have done it. Just the gut I tested from you by waiting for her to graduate is already enough to know how much resolve you have in you. I am just so glad that you made it to this day. And now also, she had learned to accept her missing memories, even started going to psych trying to fix it since I could not take the responsibility of triggering her in any way for that accident. If you want, I could tell her. She knew she lost three years’ worth of memories, and she knew to herself, a lot of things could happen, and people she could have met in that time.” The man said with a smile on his face, feeling relief by everything he heard from Henry but still guilt is visible in his eyes.

Henry chuckles a little bit before he said “What will happen then? I will tell her the story of us? I do not think that you and I would want where that would end. And so, I think, it should be better for her to get the treatment she should from an expert that could also deal of the aftermath. And maybe, at that time, I will be ok enough to handle it.” 

“Well then, I will just let you know, now that I know where to find you. Until we see each other again Dr. Henry Altman.” The man said who pats Henry’s back after hearing his answer.

Just in time that the man’s phone rang which he answered and said “You are done now? Ok, I will head now.” And hung up the call before he faces Henry again and said “I need to go now.” With a small smile.

“Do you have kids now?” Henry said suddenly.

“I do, and she is doing so great being the aunt.” The man replied after a nod.

Henry smiled and nods, before he waved at the man and walk towards his car which he opened the door without looking back to the man who just left. He closed the door with surprisingly low noise, held the wheel and buried his face at the same time on it with full silence.