Jake stayed by Hannah’s side all night in some sort of chair-recliner mix. Whatever it was, comfortable, it was not. He nodded off here and there but for the most part, he was awake all night. In the morning, the same day shift nurse from the day before came in, gave him a once over and tsked.
“Go get some breakfast. I’ll keep an eye on her and text you if anything happens,” she said.
“You’re a lifesaver, Kate,” he said, glancing at her name tag to remember her name. “I’ll just run down to the cafeteria and be back in a few.”
He’d just dug in to a pile of pseudo-eggs when he got a text saying Hannah was awake. He shoveled in a few last bites and ran upstairs.
The nurse caught him before he went in. “The doctor’s with her now, so you’ll have to wait a minute,” she said. “Also, just to warn you, it appears she has amnesia.”
“What? Is it temporary?”
“I don’t know. I’m walking a thin line telling you anything—I really shouldn’t be discussing her medical condition with you—but since it will be self-evident when you see her, you may as well find out now.”
“Huh. That complicates things,” said Jake.
The doctor came out of Hannah’s room and introduced himself to Jake.
“I understand we haven’t been able to locate Hannah’s next of kin but that you’re a friend of hers?”
“Yes. She has family, but they’re estranged. She hasn’t talked to them in years.”
“All right. Well, we’d like to keep her for another day to monitor the brain swelling, but aside from the concussion and amnesia, the broken arm, and some minor cuts and scrapes, she’s relatively unscathed. She’s one lucky woman.”
“Yes. Luckily, the SUV that hit her was accelerating from a red light, so it wasn’t going all that fast. If it had reached full speed, this could have ended very differently,” said Jake. “What happens in this kind of situation, where you’re not sure who is responsible for her? Do you release her anyway? Does she even know where she lives?”
“That is problematic. Normally, yes, we’d just release her, but I’d feel better knowing someone was watching out for her. Do you know anyone who would be willing to take care of her for a few days? Does she have a roommate or friend that could stay with her?”
“I’ll ask around at the coffee shop where she works, but really, I’m not just worried about her injuries. You know she didn’t get them by accident, right?”
“Yes. I was made aware of that. I also understand you’re a police officer?”
“Yeah. I wonder if I should take her home,” Jake said.
“Are you willing to do that? Also, she would have to agree to it, and she may not even recognize you.”
“Let me talk to her coworkers first. Any chance she’ll have her memory back by the time you release her?”
“Anything’s possible, but I wouldn’t count on it. It could be a couple of hours or several months, but I’m fairly certain it’s only temporary.”
“Okay. Can I see her now?”
“Sure, come on. I’ll take you in.”
Nurse Kate was brushing Hannah’s hair, telling her how pretty it was, and asking if the color was natural. Hannah shrugged. The look of confusion and fear was unmistakable.
“Hannah, this is Jake MacDonald. Do you recognize him?” asked the doctor.
Hazel eyes met Jake’s, but there was no spark of recognition. She shook her head and turned away without saying anything.
“That’s okay. He’s a friend of yours and a Washington State Patrol Trooper. He knows you from the coffee shop where you work. Do you mind if he sits with you for a while?”
“Could I just have a minute by myself?” she murmured. Her eyes were heavy, and sleep appeared imminent.
“Yes, of course,” said Kate. “When you need something, just push the button here, where I showed you.”
The three of them exited quietly and huddled outside the room.
“She’s understandably wary and scared. I imagine it’s very disconcerting not to remember anything about your life. She’s also exhausted, and rest will be good for her. Let’s give her some time and talk again this afternoon,” said the doctor.
