Second Chance Romance (Southern Nights) Completed

Chapter 16

 “Second Chance Romance”

Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved

Chapter 16

  

     “Jade?” Austin stood up at her bed side and stuffed his hands in his pockets in order to keep himself from touching her.  Lying there like that, she just looked so tiny and so vulnerable to him. He purposefully gentled his tone. “It’s me baby. Austin, don’t you remember me?”

     She narrowed her eyes on him and slowly shook her head back and forth. Austin took notice of just how scared she really looked. “I have no idea who you are,” she whispered.  She turned and glanced over at the doorway where Oliver was standing, trying to comfort a distressed Libby.  “Or him for that matter.  Hell, I’m not even sure who I am.”

     Her eyes rested on the little girl and Austin could see that she was trying really hard to place her, but it was more than obvious she was drawing a complete blank.  She really had no earthly idea who they were.

     “Excuse me,” the doctor entered the room, with his hands folded behind his back.  “As you may have already denoted, Jade seems to be having some memory loss.  She suffered a concussion when the board hit her head and knocked her unconscious.  There was some slight swelling on the brain.  For a while there it was touch and go, but it seems to have corrected itself now. However, I do want to keep her here for at least the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours under continuous observation.”

     Austin pulled his gaze away from Jade and turned his attention to the doctor.  “So,” he asked him,  his forehead wrinkling with worry, “exactly how long is the memory loss supposed to last?”

     The doctor’s face remained expressionless.  Everything about the elder gentleman with the white coat screamed professionalism.  “That depends; it could be several hours to several days, maybe even months or years.  A few rare cases have been documented where the patient never fully regains their memory.  Amnesia is a peculiar disease and it’s going to take a lot of patience to deal with it.  Only time will tell in this case.”

     Now that Libby’s soft cries had stopped, Oliver stepped further into the room.  He cushioned her bottom with one arm and held the back of her head with the other.  Keeping his voice low, he stared at the doctor.  “Are you seriously telling me that she may never remember her own daughter?”

     Libby’s head snapped up.  She twisted her small body around so that she could see Jade.  “Mama?”  Her chubby arms reached out and her tiny feet started to kick.  “Mama?” she cried out, “I want my mama!” 

     Austin closed his eyes.  Seeing Libby so upset like that was ripping at his soul.  Her little girl cries continued to resonate in his ears.  She was just a little girl that wanted her mama.  The last few hours have been hell on her and she couldn’t possibly understand anything about what is happening now. 

     He opened his eyes back up, and turned to Jade whose face had suddenly seemed to pale even more, if that was even possible.  She was staring at Libby, wide eyed and the turmoil in those eyes border lined on the edge of panic.  A single diamond droplet tear ran down her cheek.  She may not recognize her daughter but she understood her pain.