there's just this waiting game

​

@ momentai.

Adam tried to get up off the bed, again, but he was pushed back down by the E.R. nurse that was trying to examine him. He'd tried to stay with Cassidy, but she'd been wheeled away to... O.R., I.C.U., someplace like that. He couldn't quite remember, but last he'd seen her, she wasn't doing good, and he needed to make sure that she was okay. Except he'd been dragged away to a bed in the emergency room so that the nurse could check him out, make sure he didn't have a concussion or any broken bones or need stitches, except, "I don't feel anything hurting--I only had a few scrapes. I need to get to my girlfriend."

"You aren't going anywhere until someone's looked you over to make sure that it's only just a few scrapes," the nurse replied, giving Adam an uncompromising look that only softened after a few, tense, moments had passed. "Then we'll find out where your girlfriend is and see about getting you in for a visit."

---

The first thing Gabriela was aware of when she woke was a rhythmic beeping and soft humming. The second was the sharp throbbing in her head and various aches that plagued the rest of her body. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she was in a hospital, though she had no idea why she was there, much less how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered... dinner? She'd argued with her brother over whose turn it was to wash dishes. So what was missing? And where were her parents or even Elijah for that matter? Her family had to know what was going on.

Cassidy's eyes blinked open, though her vision was blurry for a moment. The light above her was bright, the ceiling plain and full of squares that were easy to recognize as that of a hospital room. The sound of beeping caught her attention and she peered over towards the source of the sound, her brows furrowing slightly at the green line that was signalling her own heartbeat. Her head hurt, her body ached, and she wasn't sure what was going on. Needless to say, she felt disoriented and lost, and her eyes closed over for a moment as she tried to calm herself. But, when she opened her eyes back up, she spotted a doctor entering.

"Oh, good, you're awake," the man mentioned as he made his way over, pulling out a light to flash in front of her eyes. "I'm Dr. Palmer. Do you know who you are?"

"Cassidy Hunt," she answered, though her voice sounded rough and tired. "What's going on?"

"Can you tell me what you last remember, Miss Hunt?" Dr. Palmer questioned.

His questioning caused her to groan, because he was ignoring her own question. "I don't know," she muttered quietly. "I was... Studying for an exam, I think."

The man arched a brow at that. "Can you tell me what today's date is?" he asked. When she answered, though, his frown only deepened. "Do you remember being in an accident?"

"What accident?" she asked with confusion, though she was beginning to feel a little panicked.

---

Dominic tapped his phone against his knee a few times as he stared at it with a small frown. Gabriela was meant to call him once she arrived home safely, since he was busy dealing with something in town, but she had yet to call and it was getting late. His concern was beginning to grow, but he tried to keep calm and keep a level head about it. Gabriela was fine, he was only being overly-concerned. That's what he had to keep telling himself. Before long, though, his phone rang and, without looking at the caller ID and expecting it to be Gabriela, he answered immediately.

"Hello?" he questioned quickly, hoping to hear his girlfriend's voice on the other line, though he instead heard a masculine voice clearing their throat.

"Dominic?" the voice asked and Dominic recognized it, but he wasn't sure why Thomas would be calling. "Sorry, I think you should know something."

"What is it?" Dominic asked with a frown, still trying to figure out why Thomas would be calling. Shouldn't he be busy at work? Unless it wasn't a busy night at the hospital, at least.

There was a pause on the other line, then a sigh. "Gabriela just got brought into the hospital. She was in an accident," Thomas said quietly.

Dominic could feel himself tense but he stood from his seat immediately. He didn't respond to Thomas's words and instead hung up, quickly exiting the building he was at. Getting into his car, he drove straight to the hospital, though he was thinking the worst the whole drive there.

@ momentai.

In the end, Adam impatiently sat through the examination, and it was determined that he did not have a concussion nor any broken bones. He was bruised in quite a few places, had some scrapes, and a cut across his leg needed a couple of stitches, but after that, he was deemed fit enough to walk out of the hospital on his own. "You'll take me to see Cass now?" he demanded of the nurse.

She answered even as she finished scribbling notes onto the papers that were attached to the clipboard she held, "I'll help you figure out where she is, but it's up to her doctor to decide whether or not you can visit. Okay?"

Adam wanted a guarantee that he could see her, but at this point, he'd accept what he could get. If the doctor tried to keep him out, he'd take up the argument again then. So for the moment, he accepted, and after giving the nurse Cass' information so that she could find out where she was at, and once she came back, he followed her to the room.

Without checking to see whether or not it was actually okay for him to go in, Adam opened the door and rushed into the room, only to find Cass looking panicked as she talked to a doctor. But she was talking. She was bandaged, bruised and scraped like him, in a hospital gown, and overall looked like hell, but she was awake and talking. She was okay. He felt like he could fall in on himself from relief. "Oh god, you're okay, Cass. I am... sorry doesn't begin to describe it."

---

Gabriela was alone in the room for what seemed like forever, mentally trying to figure out what had happened that had landed her in a hospital, feeling like she'd been run over by a truck. Then, finally, a nurse showed up. Gabriela shot straight up, past the point of remaining calm, and shot off a series of rapid-fire questions, "What happened? Where am I? Where's my family?"

"Calm down. It'll be okay." The man, his shirt said Thomas, walked over, motioning for her to lay back. She ignored that as she stared at him, waiting for him to answer. "You said you don't remember what happened?" When she was still quiet, he sighed. "I'll answer you in a minute. Please, this is medically important. You have a head injury."

That caught her attention, and after a moment, Gabriela nodded. Thomas looked mildly relieved, though he also seemed strangely concerned--for someone she didn't know. "Okay. Do you know your name?"

"Of course." It was his turn to remain silent this time, and she added, "It's Gabriela Pelligrad. My brother is Elijah, my mom is Frances, and my father is Nicholas."

"Okay, good. Date of birth?" She rattled it off, and despite being told it was relevant, she was growing impatient with the line of questioning. "What's your address?"

She gave her parents' address, down to the state and zip-code, but rather than just nod, Thomas' eyebrows dipped together in a frown. He hesitated, looking like he was carefully considering what to say before he asked, "Gabriela, how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen. What's the problem?"

Just as the doctor was about to explain what had happened to her, his attention was caught when a male ran in and began speaking to Cassidy. He was clearly a patient, judging from the hospital gown, and the doctor assumed it was the other person from the accident. "Sir, I think you should wait-" he started, however he couldn't get his words out because Cassidy interrupted.

"Who are you?" Cassidy asked, her eyes wide with panic and concern. When she looked to the doctor, tears were forming in her eyes and the monitor was beeping faster with her fear growing. "Who is he? What's going on?"

"Sir, I think you should wait outside," the doctor mentioned as he moved over to Cassidy in hopes of calming her; otherwise, sedation might be the only option. "In the meantime, I need to calm my patient and explain the situation to her."

---

As Dominic reached the hospital, his attempt at parking was messy. He didn't feel like correcting it since he wasn't sure what state Gabriela was in at the moment. His concern for Gabriela outweighed his concern for his car possibly getting towed away. Climbing out of his car, he rushed into the hospital and searched for the right area, though he eventually had to ask for help on Gabriella's whereabouts.

Once he got her location, he was in a rush once again, rushing through the halls before he stopped at the room he'd been told Gabriela would be in. Peering in, he spotted Thomas inside and Gabriela on the bed, but he was relieved to see she was alive.

"Gabriela," he breathed out as he entered the room and he rushed to her side, nodding slightly in both acknowledgement and gratitude to Thomas. "Are you okay? What happened, babe?" His eyes looked her over and he could feel his jaw clenched at the sight of her injuries, but he only wanted to be near her now.

@ momentai.

Adam was in the process of walking to Cassidy's side when her words hit him. Not only that, but the fact that she was looking at him as if she had no idea who he was, as if she were scared of him. He stopped approaching her and went still as he searched her face for some sign, any hint of mischievousness or a wink or anything to tell him that it was a joke. Except the monitor beeped rapidly in time to her heart, and there was nothing. No recognition whatsoever.

"I just--I... Cass, come on, it's Adam. Your boyfriend." He started as he felt a hand on his arm, and when he turned, he realized it was the nurse from earlier. Apparently she had followed him in the room.

"I know you don't want to, but you need to leave for the moment." She'd heard enough of the conversation to take a good guess as to what was going on, and if the girl was suffering from a case of amnesia, his presence would only scare her worse. "The best thing you can do at the moment is listen to the doctor and wait outside."

Adam didn't want to leave; he wanted to stay with Cassidy, think of something he could do. Whatever had her not remembering him had to be temporary, and he could jog her memory. However, he was too stunned by the news to put up a fight as the nurse gently took his arm and led him outside the room, his mind still reeling. How could she not remember him? They'd been dating forever; they'd been living together almost a year. It was unreal.

---

"Can you tell me the last thing you remember before waking up here?" Thomas asked without answering her question.

Gabriela narrowed her eyes on the ginger-haired man. "What's.Wrong?" She enunciated each word carefully even as the heart-monitor began to beep more rapidly. Whatever was going on, the fact that he was avoiding telling her wasn't good, and her mind could only cycle through the possibilities, each worse than the last.

"Gab--" Thomas was cut off as Dominic suddenly appeared, rushing to his girlfriend's side before a word of warning could be said.

"Babe? Who the hell are you? How do you know my name?" Gabriela moved as far away from the stranger as the confines of the bed allowed, even going so far as to stand up as she put the bed between herself and the two men that stood in the room. It felt like every part of her ached, and she could see scratches on herself that she hadn't known were there, but she stubbornly remained standing. "Someone better tell me what's going on right now."

Boyfriend? Cassidy didn't understand how that was possible. If she'd had a boyfriend, she definitely would have remembered him. But, she didn't know this guy, so there was no way that he was her boyfriend, right? She watched him leave but turned her attention to the doctor once the guy - Adam, he'd said was his name - left. "What's going on?" she asked quietly.

The doctor moved to close the door before he turned his attention back to Cassidy. "It seems you're suffering from amnesia," he answered her after a moment, "You were in a car accident and you were brought in with another patient - the male who just walked out, I'd assume."

"Amnesia?" Cassidy was reeling from the information, though it only served to put her more on edge. "I don't understand - why? Why would I have amnesia? How can I have amnesia? How can I forget something like a boyfriend?"

"It's not uncommon, especially with head injuries. Considering this, though, we may have to do a CT scan in order to make sure that whatever head injuries you sustained aren't incredibly serious."

"Amnesia's not serious?" Cassidy sounded bewildered and almost angry; how could it not be serious? She could feel herself growing more concerned, though. Was anything else wrong with her?

"It is, but... Well, there are possibilities of worse scenarios and we need to check for those."

---

Dominic was surprised with Gabriela's reaction to him and he stared at her for a few long moments, trying to figure out what was going on. How could she not know who he was? They'd only spoken a mere hour and a half ago, at the most. How could she possibly forget who he was between then and now? It didn't make sense to him and it left him confused.

"Ba-" Dominic started, but stopped himself, unsure of whether he should risk saying it and putting her on edge even more than she already was. Clearing his throat, he watched her and shook his head. He didn't want to push his luck, but it was hard to really think of what to say.

"Gabriela, I'm Dominic." He was slow with his words, trying to ensure that they got through to her, hoping that his voice, his name, something would help her in remembering who he was. "I'm your boyfriend. We've been together for almost a year and half."

His eyes ran over her features, but he mostly focused on her face, her eyes, looking for some sign of recognition after he'd given her the information he just had. He could only hope that she'd come to her sense, that something would help her remember him.

But, he turned his attention to Thomas before long, hoping that Thomas would have some answers or that he'd know what to do. "Thomas, what happened to her? Why doesn't she remember me?"

And, when he realized that she was standing after being in a bad accident, he panicked a little and wanted to move over to her, but stayed where he was to avoid freaking her out. "You should sit down, Gabriela. Please, I don't want you hurting yourself."

@ momentai.

Adam let himself be guided to a waiting area just down the hall--in sight of Cassidy's room actually--and even accepted a glass of water when it was offered as he tried to wrap his mind around what was going on. "It's temporary, right?" he asked the nurse as he accepted the paper cup full of cold water. "The... amnesia, or whatever it is. It's because she bumped her head, and it'll go away soon enough."

"I don't know," the nurse admitted, offering him a sympathetic look. "I don't know anything about what's going on with her. Those are questions to ask her doctor. Look, I need to get back to the E.R., but if you need anything, ask one of the nurses. There's a station right around the corner," she pointed down the hall towards the direction he would follow. "In the meantime, try to calm down a little. "I know it seems bad, but you're both alive. Not all car accidents have such a happy ending." She squeezed his shoulder briefly and then went on her way, leaving Adam to wait for Cassidy's doctor to emerge and tell him what was going on.

---

As Dominic gave his name and gave the claim that he was her boyfriend, Gabriela watched him, her mind trying to decide what to make of his claims. Before she could say a word, however, Thomas interrupted. "I know it may be a little hard to believe, Gabriela, but he's telling the truth. You aren't actually nineteen, and you are no longer living with your parents. You were in an accident, and you got banged up pretty good. If you'll feel the back of your head, you had to have stitches. It may be that you're suffering from a case of amnesia due to the head injury." The explanation was as much for her as Dominic, and Thomas tried to keep it as calm and open as he could so that both would understand. "Would you please sit down now? No one is going to hurt you."

Amnesia? That couldn't be right. "My memories are fine. I was answering all of your questions perfectly," she argued, ignoring both men's requests that she sit down. "I mean... I don't remember what happened to me or how I got here, but otherwise..." she trailed off as her mind accepted the possibility that perhaps, just perhaps, she had forgotten a little more than she'd thought.

Gabriela's legs suddenly felt weak, and she sat down heavily on the bed, searching her mind for something beyond that memory of dinner and then arguing with Elijah. The accident, this man who claimed to be her boyfriend, school, anything. "If I'm not nineteen, how old am I really? How much time am I missing?" She finally asked quietly, looking between the two men that watched her. At this point, she didn't care who answered her. "And where's my family? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

(Since I don't know what you want Gabriela's age to be, I'm going to keep Dominic's answer vague-ish on that bit)

Cassidy struggled with trying to accept that something was wrong with her, but she eventually offered a small nod. It was frightening, thinking that somebody who was supposed to be important to her was more of a stranger right now. She couldn't remember anything past studying for an exam and, idly, she wondered how long ago that actually was, because it clearly hadn't been just hours before this.

"I'll go put in for the CT scan. I'll be back once they're ready," the doctor assured her after a moment before he moved away from her. "For now... Try to relax as much as you can. I know it will be hard and I know this is difficult to process, but stressing about it and freaking out may only serve to hurt you more." He stared at her for a few moments before he turned to the door and walked out.

---

Dominic could feel himself tense with the knowledge that Gabriela had amnesia. For a few moments, he wondered on how long it would take to get her memories back, but he eventually looked to Thomas and addressed the question to him. "How long will she have amnesia? How will she get her memories back?" he asked, though he wasn't even sure Thomas could answer him. Amnesia was unpredictable, even Dominic knew that.

He blinked, though, to Gabriela's questions, and he looked to her for a moment, his expression softening as it often did in her presence. Something about her made it easy for him to forget the hard world he was stuck in, and he didn't want to lose that with her amnesia. He took a breath before he told her how old she was, assuming she'd have the answer to her second question from that. But, he frowned at the mention of her family and looked away. "I'll call them," he assured her after a moment. Her family didn't really like him, but he knew they had a right to know what was going on with her.

@ momentai.

(That's fine! I figure she's probably around 23)

Adam intercepted the doctor as he left Cassidy's room in order to get his questions answered, and after a brief conversation, he sucked in a breath and retreated once more to the waiting room to call her parents. It was something he hadn't done yet, first out of his own worry and then because of getting blindsided by the whole amnesia thing and not knowing for sure what was happening. However, it didn't sound like the doctor knew much more than he had, not surprising considering amnesia tended to be unpredictable.

Soon enough, the call had been placed, and he'd been informed by Mrs. Hunt that they were on their way. And though Cassidy's parents liked him, he wasn't looking forward to having to face them. He'd been the one driving, yet she'd been hurt far worse than he had.

After he got off the phone, he headed back into her room. He'd been told earlier that it was just best to leave, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad now that the doctor had explained everything. "Hey," he said quietly, seeing that she was awake, and though he wanted to be by her side, he made himself sit in a chair several feet away, guessing it would make her feel better. "I'm sorry if I freaked you out earlier... I didn't know. I just had to make sure that you were okay..." He trailed off, uncertain of what to say.

---

Twenty-three? That was four years Gabriela couldn't remember, and apparently a year and a half that she'd been dating Dominic, though as she looked at him, she recalled none of it. He was a complete stranger to her, and though he did look very handsome, she just... couldn't imagine herself dating him. He just had this look that seemed to scream trouble, and she couldn't imagine herself wanting to get mixed up in that. "They haven't even been called yet, but you were?" She stared at him. Boyfriend or no, wasn't family supposed to be contacted first?

Thomas cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. "There isn't really a way for us to know how long the amnesia will last. It could be less than an hour or, well... years. Maybe even permanent. Memory triggers may work, or they may not. It differs from case to case. For now, we need to do some brain scans to make sure that everything is alright and nothing was scrambled in the accident. I'm sorry, but brain injuries are their own beast, and they're hard to predict."

(Okay! Also, sorry, I was finishing up my homework.)

Cassidy's gaze lifted when she heard the door open and she expected it to be the doctor, but it was the guy, Adam, instead. The guy who was supposed to be her boyfriend. The guy any person normally shouldn't forget. The thought made her feel slightly guilty and she didn't like that feeling. Dropping her gaze, she listened to him speak and she tried to stay calm. If this guy was her boyfriend, she shouldn't have a reason to be afraid of him, right? But, then, with her not knowing who he was or anything about him besides his name and the fact that he was her boyfriend, how could she even know if he was a good person or not? But... If he wasn't a good person, would he really be as concerned as he was?

"I'm sorry," she murmured after a moment, "I'm really sorry I don't remember you." She felt bad about it, she really did. He seemed so worried about her and she hadn't missed the look he'd had earlier, either. To think that she'd made him have that expression, that her memories missing had affected him that much, it hurt her and she could only imagine how he felt when he had all the memories that she didn't. "What kind of accident were we in? What happened?"

---

"We've been living together for a while, so I'm listed as the person to call," Dominic answered her as he watched her for a moment. It wasn't just that; Thomas knew him and he was sure Thomas would know that calling Dominic was best. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do or say. He was sure this was hard for her and he wanted to comfort her but... After her basically rushing to the other side of the room, he wasn't sure that he had the right to try that right now. He frowned, though, to Thomas's words and nodded slightly. It wasn't really what he wanted to hear, but at least Thomas was trying to help them both understand the situation.

"I'll be right back. I'll go handle calling them real quick," he told Gabriela quietly before he moved to step out of the room so he could handle making the call. It ended with him and the members of her family arguing, but he tried to stay quiet for Gabriela's sake. When he came back in, he still looked annoyed after the conversation but he didn't want to show it much. "Are you in any pain?" He supposed it wouldn't matter, since she probably couldn't have pain medicine until after they did a full check on her, but he still worried.

@ momentai.
(You're fine! I fell asleep, and then I was so busy yesterday that I didn't have time to reply )

It didn't escape Adam's notice that Cassidy dropped her eyes to her lap as if unable to make herself look at him--or maybe as if she were nervous, anxious, or even afraid to be around him. He wasn't sure if it was worse than the complete lack of recognition he'd seen earlier--it hurt just as bad--but he did know that the last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid to be around him because he couldn't stop freaking out around her. He'd already determined that, at the very least, he could pretend to be calm around her.

Even if Cassidy didn't remember him, Adam still loved her, and he'd do everything he could for her.

"No, no. You have no reason to be sorry," he argued in response to her apology, and despite the fact that she continued to avert her eyes, he offered up a little, reassuring smile just in case she happened to look up at him to see his reaction. It died when she asked about the accident, however, and it was he who turned his gaze away this time even as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair he sat in. "It was a car accident. I was driving..." He trailed off. "We were talking, I glanced at you, and when I looked back, I wasn't able to hit the brakes in time. Someone had decided to try to cross the highway despite the traffic or maybe they didn't see us. I don't know. But it was your side of the car that got hit." He clenched his hands in his lap, unable to look up.

---

Years. Permanent. The thought sent a shiver crawling down Gabriela's spine. It could all come back one day or only bits and pieces hard-earned collected over time or she might never regain those missing years. If no one had told her, she wouldn't have missed the time, been aware of it, but now that she knew... what sort of things was she missing?

Aside from the obvious. A boyfriend she didn't remember meeting, much less dating, one whom she'd apparently moved in with... who was listed to be called instead of her parents. He looked pretty calm about the whole situation, but even so, there were tells that he was actually worried about her. He'd come right to her asking if she was okay and what happened. He was trying to figure out what was going on; he almost seemed as if he was trying to figure out the best thing to do. This stranger she'd just met--because that's what he was to her at that moment in time. Still, she couldn't help but feel more than a twinge of guilt about that, knowing that she wasn't just a stranger to him.

"Wai--" she started as he told her that he was going to call her parents, but he'd left the room before the word fully left her mouth. So much for talking to her parents herself, maybe reassuring them a little. She didn't even know what sort of relationship they had with him, how well they knew him or how they'd take the news coming from him. She definitely would have preferred to talk to them herself. She was distracted from those thoughts, though, as Thomas checked out her vitals and reflexes and then talked to her about the tests that he wanted to schedule and informed her that he wanted her to tell someone immediately if she regained any of her memories or showed any significant change in symptoms.

When Dominic stepped back into the room, Gabriela couldn't help but notice that he looked mildly annoyed and guessed that the conversation he'd had hadn't gone well. Knowing how her parents were, it was undoubtedly because they were hearing second-hand that their daughter was in the hospital. Before she could say anything, Thomas was telling Dominic that he should let a nurse know if she showed any odd symptoms, and then the man stepped out of the room, leaving her alone with the boyfriend she didn't remember. "My head hurts, but apparently it's been a bit abused, so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me." She paused before she added, "You should have made the call in here and let me talk to them. It would have ended better." Despite that twinge, she couldn't bring herself to apologize. What good would that do? It wasn't as if she'd chosen to forget him, tried to hurt him, and she couldn't help that she didn't remember him anymore than he could help that he did remember her.

(Finally on my laptop! This may be short, though, because I'm mostly trying to catch up with all my late replies. x.x)

Cassidy listened to his explanation quietly, but she was still finding it difficult to look at him or to talk to him. There was nothing familiar about him and it usually took her a while to warm up to people in general, much less to speak openly with them. How long had she known him before they had actually started dating? How long had it taken her to open up to him or how long had it taken for her to decide she liked him and wanted to be with him? It was difficult to process, but she didn't want to think about it too much. "You blame yourself," she murmured after a moment before she rubbed at her face. "You shouldn't."

---

Dominic offered a small nod, though he frowned slightly with the news. He wished that Thomas had stuck around long enough so that they could find out whether she could have any pain medicine for the pain she felt in her head. Sighing, he looked to her. "It wouldn't have mattered either way," he told her honestly. "They're not fond of me. That dislike increased when you moved in with me." He was sure they probably blamed him for what had happened to her; it wouldn't surprise him. Really, a part of him was beginning to wonder if it was his fault, too. "I'd rather them yell at me than you, especially if your head's hurting."

@ momentai.
(haha you're all good! I generally just write whatever length reply comes natural anyway, whether it be short or long)

"Same old Cassidy, even if you don't remember me, huh?" Adam smiled a bit. It was reassuring, somehow. Even if she didn't remember who he was, who she was to him, she was still herself. It wasn't as if he were being faced with a stranger. And that alone was hopeful in a way. She was the same person that he knew, and if her memories didn't come back on their own, then at the very least, he had some pretty good ideas on how to trigger them. Everything would be fine... He had to believe that much. "You don't remember the crash, so no telling me who is and isn't to blame," he added, gently teasing, though what she said was entirely true. He wasn't sure, though, if it was just that obvious or if some part of her brain still knew him. Damn, did he hope it was the latter. "I called your parents by the way; they should be here soon, if your mom's promise to break every traffic law invented holds up."

---

At the news that her parents didn't like them, Gabriela frowned at Dominic. "What did you do to them?" Unless something had changed in the years she couldn't remember, her parents generally liked most people. They had always been a little hard on boyfriends, but not in the way he was describing. She sighed, shaking her head. "They wouldn't have yelled at me, unless they aren't happy with me either..." She trailed off, making it a question as she looked at him. If they really disliked him that much, she couldn't help but wonder how well-off her relationship with her parents was. They were opinionated and strong-willed, traits they'd passed down to their children. Even so, she couldn't imagine an outsider causing a rift in their family... "Was it--I mean, is it really serious between us?" She asked the question quietly.

His words caused Cassidy to look over at him. Was that true? If he knew her well enough to see that she hadn't changed without her memories, she really couldn't help but wonder why it was him that she ended up forgetting about. It seemed like some kind of cosmic joke, to make her forget somebody who knew her so well. She blinked, though, at the mention of her parents, and offered a small nod. "It wouldn't surprise me," she murmured honestly, though she sighed and shifted to lie down, wondering if she should rest. She knew her parents would be worried and they'd likely be overwhelming and she wasn't sure she was prepared for that. "Can you... Make sure they don't get too crazy about everything? My mom panics so easily, who knows what's going through her mind..."

---

"Nothing. They just don't really approve of me," Dominic said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair with a small frown. He knew it had made things difficult for him and Gabriela in the past. With her memories gone, he couldn't help but wonder if her parents would get what they wanted now, if they'd be able to completely break them up. He hoped not, but he couldn't really be sure; Gabriela didn't remember him, after all, and didn't remember anything about their relationship. Her parents might try to take advantage of that. Looking over at her, he watched her for a few moments. "They're not happy that we moved in together. They hated that you were with me in general but, when you moved in with me, it just made them all that much worse. And, yes, it really is that serious between us." He was even looking into engagement rings at this point, because she was who he wanted to be with, who he wanted to stay with.

@ momentai.

When she finally looked up at him, Adam smiled a bit. It wasn't much, but hey, she was able to bring herself to look at him. Earlier, she'd freaked out, and then she'd refused to look at him when he came back in the room. It was a brief, wondering look he couldn't quite decipher, but he'd take it. Still, he was a bit surprised when she asked him the favor of trying to calm her parents as much as he could. That was... a lot of trust to put into someone you didn't remember. "I'll see what I can do... if nothing else, try to draw the attention away from you a bit and get them to focus on me, if it comes to that. Considering I was the one driving though, I'm sure it won't be too hard..." He winced at the thought of what was coming. He was sure they'd worry over Cassidy, thoroughly question the doctor, and only when they were sure that she was okay by the basest of terms, they'd turn on him and demand to know how he could let this happen to their little girl. If the situation weren't so serious, Adam might have tried to avoid it by sneaking out ahead of time or even while they were distracted.

---

It wasn't really an answer, but Gabriela could read between the lines enough to figure out that no, her parents weren't particularly happy with her, and if they didn't like him to begin with, she could only imagine that his saying their moving in together making the situation worse was a bit of an understatement. And even if it wasn't particularly good news, she was at least glad that she knew before her parents arrived, rather than be left wondering what the hell was going on. His answer to her final question didn't exactly make her feel better either. "I know the amnesia isn't really my fault and I shouldn't be... but for what it's worth... I am sorry." She rubbed at her face. "Just from the way you've been acting, I can tell you care, and as frustrating as it is not being able to remember years of your life and having to ask questions about everything, I can't imagine it's exactly easy being on your end of it... Actually, if I were you, I'd probably be crying," she murmured as she glanced up at him. And despite Thomas mentioning the possibility of returned memories, there was absolutely nothing as she watched Dominic.

Cassidy watched him idly, though she sighed quietly. "Sorry, I don't mean to put you on the spot," she murmured quietly, knowing that her parents would probably blame anybody and everybody for the accident until they had the answers they wanted. They were a little... Hectic and difficult to deal with, in that sense. It was why she didn't really want to deal with them herself. "I'm really sorry."

---

Dominic's attention went to her with mild surprise and he watched her for a few moments before he shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault this happened," he assured her quietly before he sighed. Shifting, he sat up in his seat and stared at her for a few moments. "If you want... I know it may not bring any memories, but you can ask me anything you want and I'll tell you the answer."

@ momentai.

Adam shook his head. "Don't apologize, really," he said. "I knew what I was getting into when we started dating." He offered her a little smile. "Actually, your parents pretty much insisted on grilling me back in... my grades in school, jobs I'd had, life goals, how I felt about you and how I'd treat you... I think they even did their own version of a background check on me using social media," he admitted. "I don't know if I ever told you about that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But the point is, I've had to deal with it all before, and I'm sort of used to it. It hasn't scared me away yet, and I don't intend on letting it now."

---

"Well, it felt like I should," Gabriela sighed as she tugged on a piece of her hair, a habit from her childhood she'd never quite gotten rid of. More than anything else, it was how anyone who really knew her could tell that she was worrying about something. At Dominic's offer though, she paused and forced herself to lay her hands down in her lap. "I really don't know where to begin with that," she admitted with a quiet sigh. "Is there anything I should know? Either about us or my parents or my life in general?" Obviously, there was a lot that she should know and didn't, but in this case, she just meant anything important that hadn't yet come up.

Cassidy peered over at him with mild surprise. As far as she could remember, no guy could really deal with her overbearing parents. It was hard to imagine that somebody had actually dealt with all their interrogation and investigation and still decided that they wanted to be with her. "What were your answers to all their questions, then?" she asked with curiosity. Her curiosity was even more prominent hearing that he couldn't remember whether he'd told her about it or not; it meant that the amnesia her might learn something that the her he knew hadn't known.

---

Dominic watched her for a moment, taking in her actions when she began to play with her hair. Shifting, he reached out to take her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. While he wasn't sure if she'd be okay with it in the state she was in, it was how he usually comforted her when she got this way and started to think too much. He'd never really had to say anything to comfort her, but he'd let her know that he was there through his actions, like he was doing now. "You should know that... We've had ups and downs, because of what I do, but we've been happy together," he told her, "And that you bring out a far better side of me than what most people get to see."

@ momentai.

As she asked about his answers, Adam was actually startled into a laugh. "Well, I was too intimidated to tell them anything except the truth, even if it meant that they might not like me," he admitted. "I told them how I was an okay student in high school, pretty average, about the boring jobs I'd held, how what I really wanted to do was start my own photography business as opposed to anything skilled or important, that no, I didn't do drugs or plan on ever doing them, that I wasn't an alcoholic, and I didn't smoke and wouldn't pressure you to... And even though we'd just started dating at the time, I told them I was crazy about you already and just wanted to make you happy." He'd hesitated before saying the last, and even though this was his girlfriend that he'd been with for a couple of years that he was talking to, Adam's face warmed.

---

Gabriela was a bit surprised when Dominic reached out and squeezed her hand. Since her initial reaction to him, he'd been carefully keeping his distance, almost as if afraid of startling her into getting up to face him off again, but now, all of a sudden, he did this. When she thought about why he might have suddenly changed his mind about it, she remembered how she'd been tugging on her hair; considering everything he'd said so far, he would definitely know her well enough to know what that meant, and she guessed this was his way of trying to tell her to calm down and reassure her that everything would be fine. And though it was strange to her, it actually was kind of nice. If he really was like this with her, maybe it wasn't so much of a mystery why she'd been dating him. "Are you saying this because it's true and you want me to know... or because you think my parents are going to try to convince me that you're an awful person I shouldn't be around?" She smiled wryly. "You know, since I have amnesia, and of course that means that I've lost the ability to make character judgements, especially about people I apparently knew and trusted beforehand."