Over the next few days JC had sudden flashbacks and dreams that may or may not have been memories. He was determined he wasn’t going to get his hopes up until he knew for sure that the scenes were actually bits and pieces of his memory. JC wanted someone to talk to about it besides the people at the institution that he hardly knew. The young man just wasn’t ready to forgive the people that had put him in this place to start with.
He talked to his parents on the phone a few times but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to ask them about the memories. He hated to make them worry. He just tried to act like everything was fine. The guys still came by and visited him often. Johnny had even stopped by a few times. Madison had made sure that she had introduced herself to all of them since JC wouldn’t do it for her.
As JC sat in the reading room, he stared across the room at Madison. She was curled up reading a book. He wondered if she ever got lonely here and wanted to go home. Madison always seen like nothing ever bothered her. Madison felt JC’s eyes on her and she looked up and caught his gaze. She flashed him a giant smile and winked at him. He looked at her rather shocked for a few seconds before her attention turned back to her book. JC was embarrassed that he was caught staring and didn’t want her to get the wrong impression. After contemplating what had just happened for a few seconds, he finally got up and left the room.
The brunette quickly made his way up the stairs. Just as he was about to reach his room something caught his eye. He stopped and took a couple of steps backward to get a better look. The female that lived in that room was doing yoga. She was bent over backward with her palms touching the floor. A strange feeling suddenly washed over JC. He didn’t know how to describe the feeling. The man resumed walking towards his room. He reached his hand out and flung the door open. The door slammed shut as he leaned up against it and slumped to the floor. The room was spinning. He closed his eyes trying to get the spinning to stop. Images began to flood his mind. It was all happening so fast.
JC leaned against the door frame as he watched the pretty blonde switch positions again. Upon closer observation he realized it was the same girl that Justin had shown him the picture of earlier…Hailey.
“Are you just going to stand there? You are making me nervous.”
“I am just trying figure out why you do this yoga crap. I see no purpose.” JC told her matter-of-factly. She came out of one of the yoga positions and sat on the floor to look at him.
“No purpose? Are you kidding? This is a great stress reducer plus it helps with flexibility. You haven’t complained any about that,” a sly grin slid across her face. “Besides, it just makes me feel good. You should try it some time.”
“I don’t even think so,” he replied and crossed his arms over his chest. Hailey slowly got off the floor and walked over to him. Her long arms wrapped around his waist and her sparkling green eyes looked up and locked with his ice blue ones.
“Please,” she said as she batted her eye lashes at him.
“No.”
“Pretty please.”
“No,” he told her again.
“Come on, it will be fun!”
“Hailey…”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to look stupid,” the boy admitted sheepishly
“Who is going to see you besides me? I won’t tell anyone,” she smiled. JC shot her a look but finally allowed her to lead him into the room. “Now take off your shoes and socks.” JC quickly kicked off his shoes and then he just stood there. “Socks too!”
“Are you kidding? My feet will get cold! What’s the worst that could happen?”
“OK, but I don’t say that I didn’t warn you. Let’s start with what I was just doing. You can do back flips so it should be easy.” Hailey showed him how to get into position. He watched with earnest interest. Then his girlfriend stepped over to help him. She quickly helped him go through the motions and then stood back to look as his hands finally touched the floor.
“See, that wasn’t so bad now was it?” Hailey asked.
“No, I guess not. Can I get up now? I think all the blood is rushing to my…WHOA!” SMACK. Hailey couldn’t help but burst out laughing as she watched her boyfriend’s feet slip out from under him. His butt hit the hardwood floor.
“OW! Damn it!” JC cried as he hit the floor. He rolled his head over to look at his laughing girlfriend. “I am glad you find this so funny.”
“Hey, I warned you!”
The sun shining in through the window woke JC up. He didn’t know how long he had been out. What he had just experienced was indescribable. The young man felt completely different; as if a huge load had just been lifted off his shoulders. For some reason this flashback seemed…almost real. An unbelievable urge to talk to someone about what just happened flooded up over, causing JC to quickly get off the floor and head back downstairs in search of a friendly face. The brunette, not looking where he was going, slammed into one.
“Geez Madison,” JC said reaching up rubbing his head and then he looked up. Standing before him was the answer to his prayers…Joey. “Joey. Wow, you have perfect timing.”
“Well I wouldn’t say that, I think I could have done without the head on collision. Where are you heading to in such a hurry anyway?”
“I was looking for someone to talk to. You would be perfect. Do you have time?” Joey was shocked that JC was actually excited to see him and now he was just dumbfounded that JC wanted to talk to him. So far every time he had ever come JC had stormed out of the room within minutes or sat and pretended that he wasn’t there.
“Sure buddy, I have all the time in the world.” The two friends walked outside and took a seat at one of the tables inside the courtyard. “So what is it that you want to talk about?”
JC couldn’t keep anything in. Out flowed all the details of the dreams, flashbacks, and memories he had had in the past few days. He let him know how skeptical he was everything.
“They were all just so generic. That is until today.”
“What happened today?”
“Joey…did Hailey do yoga?”
“Oh yeah, all the time. You always thought it was stupid. You made fun of her constantly. So she made you try it one time.”
“What happened?”
“She was making you do some position, I think it was called ‘The Wheel.’ Anyway you wouldn’t take off your socks and your feet slid out from under you. She laughed and laughed. You asked her not to tell anyone but she told everyone just as soon as she saw them.” Joey finished a smile on his face. JC looked at him expressionless. Joey’s smile fell into a troubled expression. “Something wrong?”
“Joey you just described everything I just saw.”
“JC, do you know what this means?” JC looked up and meet his friend’s eyes.
“My memory is starting to come back,” JC said with wide eyes.
Though JC knew this must the explanation behind recent events it was still hard to believe. Now that he had gotten a taste of his old life he wanted more. Joey stayed with JC until visiting hours were over. They spent the time talking about the past. Joey told him as many stories as he could think of about times since they had met. JC listened trying hard to remember these stories that Joey told. Finally time came for Joey to leave. Both wished they had more time together. Joey missed having his friend and JC missed his old life.
When Joey got into his car, he sat in disbelief. He couldn’t believe the sudden change in JC. He was so happy for JC. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard this time had been on him. The young man started his car and pulled out of the parking space. He got out to the road and was about to go home when he changed his mind and headed the other direction. He had to tell the rest of the guys the good news.
(Meanwhile)
JC searched around the large institute trying to find Madison. He wanted to tell her the good news. Madison was sitting in the game room watching two other residents playing a board game.
“Madison!” JC called out when he finally found her. “I have been looking all over for you,” a huge smile spread across his face.
“Jace, what’s going on?”
“Come up to my room, I want to talk to you.” JC motioned for her to come out of the room. Madison quickly rose from her seat and joined JC in the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Madison asked again once they were in the room.
“I have good news!” JC beamed as he closed the door. “I really am beginning to get my memory back.”
“Are you serious?” JC nodded and smiled. “That is great! How do you know for sure?” JC told her about the visions he had had earlier.
“Joey came to visit right after that happened and I told him about it.”
“Oh Joey was here?” Madison asked a hint of sadness in her voice. She loved it when the guys came to visit JC. They were always so nice to her and she loved the attention since no one ever came to visit her.
“Yeah, he said that what I had seen really had happened. He said Hailey made fun of me for weeks. I also told him about some of the earlier “memories” I had and he confirmed most of them. There were a few that would have happened before I knew him.”
“JC that is great. I am so happy for you.” The two talked for a little longer before the staff announced it was time for everyone to go to bed. Madison said her goodnights before retreating to her room. JC quickly got ready for bed and slid in. He lay awake for the longest time trying to remember anything he could. He couldn’t wait until in the morning so he could tell the doctor what was going on. Maybe he would get to go home soon!
(Two weeks later)
“You ready to go?” Justin asked JC as he loaded the last of JC’s belongings into the trunk of his Benz. JC turned around to give the place one last look. If he never saw this building that had been his “home” while he was recovering, it wouldn’t hurt his feelings one bit.
“More than you will ever know,” the older man responded. He had wanted to leave that awful place since the first second he realized that he had his memory back but the doctors still didn’t think he was quite ready yet. They were afraid that the sudden flood of memories plus having to deal with the loss of Hailey would be too much for him. The past two weeks JC had undergone a lot of therapy and now the doctors were convinced he was ready to rejoin society. JC joined Justin in the car and soon they were heading for JC’s house.
Once there, Justin helped JC take his things inside. “Do you need anything else?” Justin asked.
“No, I think I’m fine. I just want to spend some time alone. I haven’t been really alone in a long time,” JC replied.
“OK, well just call me if you need me.”
“Thanks,” JC answered as Justin turned to leave. “Justin?”
“Yeah?” The blonde asked as he stopped and turned back to face his face.
“Um…what cemetery is Hailey buried at?” Justin couldn’t help but noticed the pain that came across JC’s face as he spoke the words.
“She’s at Greenwood Cemetery. Do you want me to go with you?”
“No. This is something I need to do on my own.” Justin nodded and turned to leave again. Once Justin was gone JC carried his bags up to his room. The young man quickly put away his stuff. Afterwards, he began to wonder around his house reacquainting himself. Everywhere he looked seemed to remind him of Hailey. He knew what he had to do, but it was just so hard. Ever since he had gotten his memory back he had been in the institute. It was almost like he hadn’t had to face the reality that Hailey really was gone. Now he couldn’t escape it.
JC walked out to his car and started it up. Soon he was on the way to the cemetery. He didn’t think to ask Justin where to go, but he had a hunch. Hailey’s aunt had died of cancer a couple of years back. He figured Hailey would be buried near her. Sure enough she was right next to her aunt. He looked down at the headstone and then feel to his knees. The young man’s hands reached out so he could run his fingers over the letters. The index finger traced every last letter and tears began to slide down his face.
“I can’t believe you are gone. How could I have been so stupid? This is all my fault. I am so sorry. I loved you so much. I still love you. You will always hold a special place in my heart. I may have forgotten you once…but I swear I will never forget about you again. I just wish you could give me some sort of sign that you forgive me.”
Suddenly a small blue butterfly landed on his outstretched finger that was still touching the headstone. A butterfly…Hailey’s favorite creature on earth. The butterfly sat peacefully on his finger as he pulled it towards his face. It held it up to his lips and let the delicate wings “kiss” his lips with each movement. Then as suddenly as the butterfly appeared it was gone. He knew it wasn’t possible but it was almost Hailey herself coming to say she forgave him. “Good bye Hailey…I love you,” JC said with a smile as he watched the butterfly float away. He stood and wiped his tear-stained face and began to walk back towards his car.