Title: If I Never Knew You (2/?)

  Authors: Sarah ([email protected]) and Alex ([email protected])

  Disclaimer: See part 1

 

*********************************************************************

 

  Rick had been waiting outside her room for hours. As soon as he had gotten her into the hospital, the doctors had take her from him into the operating theatre and told him to stay outside. He had paced the entire length of the corridor countless times and suddenly it occurred to him to call Johnathan. He found the nearest payphone and called home. When Alex picked up, the happy sound of his voice almost made his heart break.

 

  "Dad!" he exclaimed. "When are you and mum coming home?"

 

  Rick sighed. "We'll be home just as soon as possible, but for now, can you get your uncle for me please? I need to speak with him."

 

  Johnathan saw his excited nephew run to the phone and he patted the six year old on the head. "Hello is this Rick or Evie? He's only ever that happy when its one of you." He chuckled and handed the young boy the glass of juice he had gotten for him.

 

  "Johnathan, it's me," Rick said. "Um, I have news for you." He took in a deep breath. "Earlier on we were in a car accident. Evie got hurt pretty bad, she's still in the operating theatre. Now I need you to come down to the hospital, okay, and bring Alex with you. I'll explain more when you get here."

 

  Johnathan swallowed hard and nodded. He wanted to ask more, was his sister okay? He figured that he would have to wait until he got down there. He said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. "Come on, partner. We're going down to the hospital to see your mum and dad." He grabbed his own coat along with Alex's.

 

  Alex frowned, putting down his juice and letting his uncle help him into his coat. "What are they doing in hospital, uncle John? I thought hospitals were for sick people," he added, following him outside and into the car.

 

  "Well, it sounds like something has happened to your mum," he replied, hurrying him into the car. "I'm sure she's all right, but we need to go see her." He turned the key in the car and backed up out of the driveway. "Don't you worry, Alex, we'll go right to her."

 

  Alex watched out of the window impatiently as they drove to the hospital. As soon as they got there, he jumped out of the car, taking his uncle's hand and following him inside. He caught sight of his father sitting by himself looking sad and he let go of Jonathan's hand and ran up to Rick. "Dad, what's wrong with mum?" he asked, raising his arms to be picked up. "Why do you have blood on you?"

 

  Rick lifted him up and held him tight. "Your mother and I had an accident in the car, Alex," he said. "The doctors are still with her."

 

  Johnathan walked over to join them and placed his hand on Alex's shoulders. "What's going on? She okay? She is going to live isn't she?" he asked and looked around, impatient as Rick's six year old son.  

 

  He bit his lip, looking back over his shoulder at the operating room. "The doctors won't speak to me yet, or even let me in to be with her, but she won't..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'die' in front of his son.

 

  The doctor made his way out of the operating room a short time later and over to the O'Connells. He had on a fresh white coat after operating on the young Mrs. O'Connell. "Richard, I presume. I'm Doctor Robinson and I just finished with your wife. She is in recovery coming out of sleep. I'm afraid however that your wife is suffering heavy amnesia, along with some other more minor things. Her brain was bruised from the impact. We aren't sure how long it will take for it to recover."

 

  Rick stood up quickly, taking Alex with him. "What do you mean, you're not sure how long it will take?" he asked, trying not to get impatient with the doctor, but having a hard time being otherwise. He was worried sick. He paused. "But she *will* recover from this, right? She'll get her memories back?"

 

  "It depends on what things take place and how she comes through.  She should get all her memories back, it could be a couple days or a couple months or years. It's hard to say with brain trauma. You need to be very careful with her and not be too pushy."  

 

  Rick nodded. "Well, can we go see her?" he asked. "Is she awake yet?" He shifted Alex to his other hip and looked down when he felt a small tug on his sleeve.

 

  "Dad, I want to see mum," he said, not exactly sure what the doctor had been talking about, but feeling afraid nonetheless.

 

  "I know you do, Alex, I'm working on that right now," he said, placing a kiss on his forehead.

 

  "Yes, it shouldn't hurt. But do your best to be gentle with her. Remember that she isn't likely to remember you, so you should take care of this slow and easy. Perhaps not even sleeping in the same room with her for a while and no sexual actions," the doctor told him, knowing that this was going to be hard on them.

 

  Rick nodded, following the doctor into the room and biting his lip when he saw Evie laid out on the bed. She looked so small and fragile and he held Alex tighter, walking over to the bed. She was awake, but he wasn't sure how alert she was right now. "Hey, honey, how are you feeling?" he asked softly.

 

  She brushed her hand over her forehead, trying to comprehend what was going on. "You again..." she said, trying to figure out who this man was and why he kept staying around her. Did she know him? She closed her eyes; thinking made her head hurt.

 

  "Yeah, it's me. It's Rick," he said, hoping that if he kept repeating his name, it would stick or maybe even help her remember. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and placed Alex in his lap, taking her hand.

 

  Alex clung to his father, feeling scared by seeing his mum all wrapped up and hurt like that. "Dad, can I talk to her?" he whispered, afraid to even raise his voice.

 

  Rick nodded at him.

 

  Evie placed a hand to her head and sighed, sinking back against the pillow. She looked at the young boy in his lap. "Is this your son?" she asked and again wondered what he was doing here, and why he was bringing his children.

 

  He nodded, squeezing her hand. "He's *our* son," he said gently.

 

  Alex looked at his mother, wondering why she was acting this way. "Hi, mum," he said quietly, wanting to touch her, but not daring to in case he hurt her further. "Are the bandages hurting your head?"

 

  She pulled her hand out of Rick's. She felt uncomfortable and wanted to know what this man wanted from her. She shook her head. "I don't have a son, I'm not even married," she told him. "Stop playing games with me."

 

  Alex's eyes grew big when he heard that. "But I am your son," he said, his lower lip trembling a little. "I'm Alex and you're my mum and we live with my dad and uncle John."

 

  Rick hugged him. "It's okay, Alex," he said softly. "Your mother hurt her head and right now she can't remember some things." He looked over at Evie, feeling a little upset that she had pulled away from him, but remembering what the doctor had told him.

 

  Evie sighed. She felt bad making him cry, but she couldn't remember any times that she had shared with this child. None of it made sense and she turned away from them, wanting to know what was going on. "Why are you here? What proof do you have that I am your wife and his mother?"

 

  "Hey, hey, calm down, sweetheart," he said softly. "You're Evie. I'm Rick and this is Alex, our son. I know that this is frustrating for you right now, but I need for you to believe me, okay? We are who we say we are." He took hold of her hand again and kissed it gently. "We'll work through this, Evie, I know we will. I'm here for you," he promised. "For better or worse, just like I promised you in that church," he said, grazing his fingers over her wedding band.

 

  She frowned and rolled over so that her back was to them. Whoever he was, he seemed to love her, but she didn't know anything about him. She turned back after a few minutes. "I want to see my parents," she announced and looked back and forth between him and his son.

 

  Rick frowned, trying to think of the best way to say this. "I'm so sorry, honey, but you can't see your parents right now," he said. He sure as hell didn't want to tell her that they were dead, not when she was so upset and still finding her way. "Your brother is here though," he said, motioning to Johnathan who had been standing silently in the doorway. 

 

  "Hey there old mum." Johnathan had heard her ask for their parents and he sighed and came over to sit down on the bed.

 

  "I want my mother," she told Jonathan, not recognising him either. At least he seemed to know about her parents. "Where is she? Why can't I see her?" 

 

  He shook his head, not wanting to tell her but knowing there wasn't anyway out of it. "Evie, we lost them about a decade ago, in an accident," he told her softly, wanting to die when he saw the familiar look of pain cross her face. 

 

  "Dead?" she repeated. Her face mirrored the way she had looked the first time she had heard that new, tears rolling down her face.  

 

  Alex had started to cry harder when she began crying and he buried his face in his father's chest. "Dad, she isn't mum," he sobbed. "She looks like mum, but she isn't mum. She doesn't know who I am or you or uncle John. I want to go home now."

 

  Rick lifted his chin, making him look at him. "Hey, settle down," he said softly. "It's your mother, I promise you. She's feeling a little sick right now, but soon her memories will come back, you'll see. We just have to be patient."

 

  She watched the child getting upset and it broke her heart. "Hey there, don't cry. I hate it when children cry. I'm sorry." She had tears in her eyes and she stroked the boy's cheek. "Can you forgive me?" She paused, not remembering his name. "Please, I'm sorry. I just...my head hurts, little boy."

 

  "Alex," he corrected softly, leaning into her hand. "I'm Alex and you're my mum." He looked over at his father. "Dad, she says her head hurts. Maybe if we give her an aspirin, she'll go to sleep and when she wakes up, she'll feel better and remember everything," he suggested.

 

  Rick smiled sadly. "That's a great idea, Alex, but I think it'll take a little more than that."

 

  Evie brushed her thumb over the little boy's cheek. Was this really the boy who had grown within her belly for nine months because she and this handsome man beside her bed had made love together? None of it made sense and she pulled her hand back to rest it on her stomach.

 

  Rick sat patiently, holding Alex. "I know this has been overwhelming for you," he said softly. "And that right now, this might seem a little scary and that you might have a hard time remembering anything, but I love you so much and I'm going to help you, Evie." He reached out and touched her hair. "Maybe you should get some rest."

 

  She looked at him. "You promise you are my husband?" she queried as she stared up at him. How could she get him to prove this to her? 

 

  Johnathan decided to let his sister have some time alone with her husband and he looked down at his nephew. "Come on, partner, let's go get home for a while so that your mother can rest. Give your dad a kiss and we'll go get some ice cream."

 

  Alex hugged his father, leaning up for a kiss. "Bye, dad," he said, nuzzling his nose. He looked over at his mother. "Bye, mum. Get better soon and then you can come home," he said, getting off his father's lap and taking his uncle's hand. "We'll save some ice cream for you," he promised.

 

  Rick smiled. "That'd be great, Alex," he said. "You be good for your uncle and don't stay up too late, okay?" He watched as they left the room, sighing and then turning back to his wife. He reached out to touch her cheek.

 

  Evie closed her eyes at his touch. "How do I know for sure that you are my husband?" she asked softly. It was a reasonable question. She couldn't remember anything and many people would take advantage of a situation like that.

 

  He gently stroked his fingers over her skin. "All I can ask you to do is trust me right now," he murmured. "Tonight we were celebrating our anniversary before...before the accident. Next time I come in, I'll bring you the certificate and the pictures to help you remember. I'm telling you the truth, Evie," he insisted. "It breaks my heart that you don't remember this right now, but I'm going to help you get through it, I promise."

 

  She sighed and tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she told him and sat up, leaning back against the bed. "I just can't think of anything right now, it's all a mix of images."

 

  Rick reached up and brushed the tears away. "Hey, don't worry too much right now," he told her. "The doctor said it could be any amount of time before your memories start coming back. Right now I just need you to concentrate on getting better." He wanted nothing more than to lay down with her and hold her in his arms, but he knew he couldn't. "I love you, sweetheart. It's going to be all right."

 

  She leaned forward until her head rested against his shoulder. She didn't understand why she should feel so completely attached to him, but she needed to be close to him.

 

  He shifted so that he could get a little closer to her, placing an arm around her and squeezing her gently. "You get some sleep now," he whispered, slowly stroking over her hair over and over. "I'm right here, sweetheart." He placed a kiss to her forehead.

 

  Evie gazed up at him. He was beautiful and she couldn't believe that such a handsome man had fallen in love with her. She sighed and after several minutes, she fell asleep.

 

  He stayed with her, watching her as she slept. He gently touched the bandages on her head and sighed, wondering if she really would get her memories back. His jaw tightened and he promised himself that she would. Right now he had to stay strong for her and for Alex. He gently disentangled himself from her at the thought of his son and made his way back to the payphone, calling home to check that they had made it back okay.

 

  Johnathan had almost been asleep, but he jerked up, grumbling as he picked up the phone. "Yes, Jonathan speaking," he said and moved Alex over a bit in the bed so that he wouldn't wake him up.

 

  His brother in law sounded cranky and that brought a small smile to Rick's face. Either he had just woken him up, or Alex had been a complete hellion with him, he wasn't sure which. "It's Rick. Sorry if I woke you, I just wanted to check up on Alex. Is he doing okay?"

 

  "Oh yes, he's fine, he decided to sleep with me tonight. Hope you don't mind." He whispered so as not to wake up the young boy.  "Otherwise he's fine, the ice cream helped and he talked me into a new battle ship at the toy store." 

 

  Rick smiled at that. "You spoil him, you know," he said. "All right, you stay with him, make sure he's all right. I'm staying with Evie at the hospital in case she needs me. I'll give you a call in the morning. They won't let her come home for a while yet, so bring Alex with you when you come over."

 

  Johnathan was a bit grumpy at that idea. He wanted to be near his sister, he knew her better then Rick...or was convinced he did. Besides, she had known him longer, surely she would be quicker to remember him. "What gives you the right to stay with her? Maybe I should come watch over her while you take care of Alex."

 

  He sighed, not wanting to get into a fight after all this. "Johnathan, it's just for tonight," he said. "I doubt her memories will come rushing back after a few hours, the doctor said it would take time. Right now I just need you to take care of Alex. He isn't feeling at his best, he's scared and he needs someone to be with. Just please listen to me, I really don't need this right now."

 

  Johnathan gave in. "Fine, just take care of her. I'm going to go and get a drink or something since I am awake. I'll bring him in tomorrow after school to see her." He said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

 

  Rick hung up on his end and walked back into Evie's room. She was still asleep and he sat back down in the chair, pulling it closer to the bed and resting his head on her pillow. He sighed, reaching for her hand and closing his eyes and drifting off into a restless sleep.