All Grown Up

Chapter 29

“How long has she been awake?” Sam asked the nurse just outside the door, she had just arrived and as soon as she heard she sent them the text message. None of them had answered back.

“I believe she awoke at 11 last night, there is a problem with you going to see her,” the nurse said.

“I can go see her, you should have called me as soon as she woke up,” Sam said walking past the nurse and into Jo’s room the room she had become so familiar to.

Something was off; Jo was staring at her in an unfamiliar way. “Hi,” she said, shyly.

“You’re finally awake, I’ve missed you,” Sam said hugging Jo, she hesitated then wrapped her arms around her tapping Sam on the back.

Sam pulled away, then Jo took a deep breath, “I’m sorry but who are you?”

Something happened very slowly, she didn’t know what to do or say for that moment Sam was at a loss of words. “Jo?”

“They said my name is Joana,” Jo said swallowing.

The doctor came into the room. “Ms. Nantais,” he said to Sam then turned to Jo, “Hello Joana”

“Hello, doc,” Jo smiled.

“Do you mind if I take Sam away?” The Doctor asked Jo. She nodded no.

Sam walked into the hall with the doctor. “What’s happened?” Sam asked.

“It’s normal for coma patients to come out of the coma being disoriented. It just seems she has memory loss; it’s not something we can predict. But I’m sure she’ll be able to gain her memory soon,” the doctor said.

“So, what can I do?” Sam asked.

“Honestly be there for her, she feels completely alone. Maybe have some friend visit her,” the doctor said, he was about to say something else but he didn’t he got called away by the nurse. Sam just stood rooted to her spot. She took a deep breath and went back into the room.

This was the worst that could happen, but when she noticed the look on Jo’s face, she realized it might not be such a bad thing that Jo doesn’t remember lots of things. A fresh new start.

“Hi, I’m Sam,” Sam said sitting on the chair next to her bed.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jo said smiling as big as she could.

3 hours later

Sam had answered every question Jo had asked. Age date of birth but it seemed that Jo was more interested in Sam then herself, in her family, then her past. It wasn’t hard to talk to her it was hard when he spoke. There was no joke or amusement just wonderment.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Jo said.

They all tumbled in one by one; Jimmy had a big teddy bear in one hand and his camera in the other. Then it was Johnny with a guitar in hand and a bag that smelled like tacos. Brian with a big smile on his face then came Matt with flowers in his hand. Sam looked behind but there was no one else.

“You’re awake,” Johnny said sitting on the bed.

Jimmy gave her the teddy bear and pointed the camera at her, she only smiled. “Dude, we fucking missed you,” Brian said.

“Um, guys,” Sam started to say.

“Yeah?” Brian walked to her and gave her a hug.

“It’s ok, Sam.” Jo took the teddy bear and the flowers from Matt.

“What’s going on?” Matt noticed something was off, Jo wasn’t careful around him she looked like she trusted him.

“I don’t know who you are,” Jo said simply.

“What?” Jimmy asked.

“She doesn’t know who we are,” Johnny repeated automatically.

“I got that much, smarty fucking pants,” Jimmy said.

“To be more precise I have amnesia.” Jo smelled the flowers. “These smell really good.”

“They’re your favourite,” Matt said, everyone looked at him surprised.

“What are they?” Jo asked.

“Lilies,” Matt said as he sat down in the chair Sam had vacated.

“So is that like a fungus?” Johnny asked, trying to make a joke. No one laughed but then Jo cracked up.

“You’re really funny, you must be Johnny,” Jo said.

“You remember me,” Johnny jumped off the bed.

“No, Sam has been telling me about you guys; since that man over there is holding Sam I’m guessing he’s Brian. You must be Matt; you’re tall and big, just like she said. And who can forget Jimmy, the camera gave you away.” Jo took a breath, as she pointed to them. They all looked at her in amazement.

“Wow, you remember all that?” Sam said.

“Yeah, but where’s Zacky?” Jo asked.

“Um...” Brian started to say.

“He...” Matt said at the same time.

“Had to use the bathroom,” Johnny said haply, then he looked at the guys and they shook their heads it didn’t sound believable. The old Jo would have wanted to know more, but Joana accepted it like there was nothing wrong, like she had not picked up on the tension.

“Ok, I’ll meet him later, I’m so glad you guys are here,” Jo said as Sam took the flowers from her and placed them in a vase.

Someone knocked at the door, the doctor came in, “Well look who we have here the whole gang, it’s good to see you guys again.”

“You know everyone?” Jo asked.

“Yes, Joana, they have been here a lot of times, sat with you for hours. Where’s Zacky?” The doc looked around.

“He’s busy right now,” Jo supplied.

The doc raised an eye brown but didn’t ask anything else. “Well the nurse needs to check some things, but I will take these guys out in the hall, as the nurse will change the bed and they take up a lot of room.”

They all followed the doc and promised they’re not leaving, “Ok what’s going on?” Matt looked at the doc like he needed to know what they had done wrong.

“She’s had a major hit to the head, she might be blocking out her memory, it’s hard to say, when she would get it back. It takes times, sometimes days sometimes years.

“Can we do anything to help?” Jimmy asked all his amusement gone; he was very serious for once Sam was amazed.

“You can, but it depends on you, this is a fresh start. I heard there are videos that you might want to show her, it might jog her memory the key is not to push her to far, just take your time,” the doc said his pager went off and he excused himself.

“What do we do? I didn’t show her anything yet, I’m not sure if I can,” Sam said Brian had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“I think we should show her,” Johnny said. He was serious too.

“I don’t know,” Jimmy looked down at the tiles on the floor.

“I don’t know either,” Matt backed off, he felt like it wasn’t his place to make a decision.

“No,” the voice came from someone that no one noticed had joined the group. They all looked at a freshly showered, shaved Zacky. He had a light in his eyes. “I talked to the doctor. We are no telling her, about anything until she remembers it.”

“But,” Sam started to say.

“No, we all need a fresh start, some more then others. Are you willing to tell her she was sad? Or that she tried to kill herself or the fact she lost the love of her life? I’m not I want to start new, she needs to be happy and for now forgetting is going to make her happy. When’s she’s ready she’ll remember,” Zacky said and he went to the room and knocked on the door.

“What did he mean she tried to kill herself?” Matt asked, he was about to go after Zacky but Brian stopped him.

“You didn’t figure it out?” Sam asked as Matt came back into the group.

“Figure what out? How come I don’t know this? I don’t even know what this is,” Matt said his voice raising.

“The movie stopped because the writer fell off the grid,” Brian said raising his eyebrows.

“No,” Matt denied.

“Yeah,” Johnny said. Then Matt looked at everyone.

“You all knew?” Matt asked. “She’s Liddy.”

“Yeah,”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Matt asked. They all shrugged.

“It wasn’t our place to say, she should have told you, and she didn’t for a reason. Her reason is hers alone,” Jimmy said. He looked at the closed door, the nurse walked out of the room and smiled at the group.

“Let’s go get some food,” Johnny said.

“But didn’t you bring tacos?” Jimmy asked.

“Yeah let’s go get food,” Sam picked up on the fact that Jo needed time with Zacky or Zacky needed time with Jo without anyone around.