+
nini adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked back through the entrance of the hospital, making her way past the counter into the hall that lead to ricky's room.
she'd managed to be convinced by carlos and seb to go home for a good night's sleep - though it was far from it like it had been every night since the accident - so this morning gave her the opportunity to stop by her bakery to get ricky's usual favorite order.
when arriving at his room, she opened the door but suddenly froze in fear.
it was empty.
not just empty as in he wasn't in it. empty empty. his belongings, the comforter that was on the hospital bed, the old hospital food he'd most definitely would've left alone; gone.
nini swallowed nervously, turning around swiftly before stopping in her tracks when seeing a doctor
"excuse me! excuse me!" she exclaimed breathlessly
"what can i help you with ma'am?" the man asked kindly
"um..." she mumbled "m-my husband was supposed to be in this room but-but it's empty. he's gone?? i-i just left for the first time in weeks to head back home to get a few things and i came back early so...i-i don't know where he could've gone."
the man took out a tablet, furrowing his brows "well, let's see if we can check out what's up. what's his name?"
"ricky." she answered "richard michael bowen."
"richard michael bowen," he repeated as he tapped away on the tablet before waiting a few seconds, nini impatiently glancing down at the screen while she tapped her fingers against the coffee cup in her hand "it looks like your husband's been moved up to the vip section of the hospital. he's just in another room. it's over on the third floor, east wing."
nini exhaled slowly and nodded "thank you."
"of course."
her heart was accelerated to a high speed and she hadn't taken a breath the whole way up to ricky's new room until rushing in through the door, seeing her curly-haired husband looking back at her in confusion
"oh...hey."
nini opened her mouth to say something before her eyes travelled to the right, seeing two older-aged adults stood there; a man and a woman. both looking a lot like ricky.
"uhm..." she swallowed and adjusted her bag again "y-you must be mr and mrs bowen..."
ricky furrowed his eyebrows when he realized that nini and his parents didn't seem to know each other. how would his supposed parter of three years not know his family?
"do you have any idea of the reaction we had when we got a call from the hospital informing us that our own son had been in an accident and had to undergo major surgery?" the woman questioned nini quietly with a serious face "and you didn't even think to tell us?"
"with all due respect mrs bowen..." nini began to say as she clenched her jaw but dr lee walked in
"ricky, good morning. how are you feeling today?" she asked with a warm smile
ricky took a deep breath and nodded "i'm...um okay."
"i have good news." she said "today's the day we discharge you. you'll have to go back to your usual activities and routine though. it's crucial for you to gain your memories back."
"what does that mean?" he asked hesitantly, glancing at nini who looked back at the doctor
"it means he comes home." lynne said evidently "with us. where he's most comfortable."
"woah-no, that's not what she means. if he's supposed to go to his usual routines he should go home with me? i'm his wife." nini said frustrated, folding her arms as she looked back at ricky's mom
"i'm sorry honey, but he doesn't even remember you. he remembers us."
"mom." ricky said in a low, warning voice
"the entire point is to gain those memories of us back." nini replied before she exhaled and looked at the curly-haired man "can i talk to you for a second. please?"
ricky took a deep breath and nodded, slowly following her out of the room as they stood in the hall
"look..." she began, her voice shaking lightly "i-i know you don't remember...anything. but i do. i can help you remember this. us."
"nini, i know-i know you have this idea of who i am..." he began in a whisper "but whoever you describe...whoever you love...it's-it's not me. it's not the me i remember i am-"
nini stared back at him, her mouth parted in surprise and disheartenment "you can't-you can't just give up."
he rubbed his hands over his face, taking a very deep breath "okay, maybe-maybe if you had proof? i mean...what if-who's to say this isn't something you made up?? you didn't even know my parents?? how should i know this was real if-"
"other than three years worth of a relationship? a year of marriage?" nini questioned, taking a small step towards him "why would i make any of that up?"
"did i have some sort of a journal?" ricky asked hopeful "but...i don't think so, i usually write my reminders on-
"your notes app on your phone."
he looked at her "how'd you know that...?"
"you...write your songs on there too." she mumbled weakly before sniffling "um...n-no. you didn't have a journal."
ricky frowned as he looked at her tired face "i'm sorry-"
he got cut off by the sound of nini's ringtone going off, her sighing as she took her phone out to decline the call from big red before she suddenly whipped her head up.
"what?" he asked confused
"i-i have proof." she said slowly, nodding "come on."
he furrowed his brows in confusion as he followed her back into the room, her on her phone as she went on her voicemails
"okay...um. i-i keep the voicemails you leave me..." she explained in a quiet tone "um, this is the latest one you left me."
ricky glanced at her, searching her face. it's the first time he saw her full of hope. or an emotion other than devastation and hurt. it strangely did something inside of him to see her better. he deep down somehow even hoped himself that it would be proof.
"hey baby..." ricky's tired yet upbeat voice came through "i'm going to be late from work tonight...i still can't get this song done." he sighed deeply before his breathless chuckle came through "i'm starting to miss you so much that i've written your name instead of other words for the past half hour. can't wait to come home and see you. okay...see you later. i love you."
nini bit the inside of her cheek when she looked up at ricky, who had kept his gaze on her for the entire message before she sighed in defeat
"i-i'm sorry—i-it doesn't sound like that much now that i let you all hear it but-"
"no." ricky said quickly, shaking his head "no...it's...it's actually good—i...i sound...really really happy."
nini felt her heart rise at the sound of his words and she nodded with the smallest smile "you do..."