Memories That Vanished

The group of us sat in a circle of lawn chairs and some on the floor. I was sitting in a chair with Landon on my lap and Matt sat in the one next to me laughing everyone as Vladimir said something sarcastic, again.
I had a plate of cliche cookout food on Landon's lap that I was eating from and feeding him with. Michelle sat on the grass across from me, Brian next to her. Johnny sat next to Brian with Lacy next to him. And across from Johnny, next to Michelle sat Zacky with the six year old comedian to his right, scarfing down on his cut up pieces of chicken as he attempted to talk with his mouth full.
"Vladimir don't talk with food in your mouth," I said in a serious tone, but chuckling when he stopped abruptly and continued to chew. The laughter dyed down eventually and we finished our lunch with humorous conversation. That was until I noticed Michelle and Brian shooting each other nervous, but excited, glances.
I smirked to myself and bounced Landon on my knee while he grinned with a giggle.
A moment later Brian cleared his throat loudly, his wife's hand clasped with his own. I smiled at Michelle easily and she sent me back a nervous look.
"We have something to tell, you guys," Brian started with a small smile, "We found this out about a week ago..."
Michelle's confidence and excitement perked up and she finished Brian's sentence with a squeeze of his left hand.
"We're pregnant!"
Our circle of friends yelled out cheers of shocked enthusiasm. Everyone congratulated the couple with pats on Brian's back and jokes. I pulled Michelle into a tight hug after Johnny had released her and the two of us jumped around happily with squeals and both of my sons stared at me like I was crazy.
"I'm so happy for you!" I screeched, pulling away from the new mother but keeping ahold of both of her hands.
"I am too!" She yelled, pulling me into another hug as we spun in circles. Lacy was clapping her hands in excitement while Landon stood next to her with a bewildered look on his little angelic face. His hazel eyes were looking from face to face and then finally landed on his brother as Vladimir stood next to him with a grin on his face.
"What?" Landon asked somewhat loudly to the group of delighted and at this moment, untroubled adults.
I pulled myself away from Michelle with another, "Congratulations," and squatted down in front of my two year old.
"Mommy, what's pre... pre... What's that?" He stuttered, pointing between Michelle and Brian.
Everyone laughed at his young innocence even his older brother who had learned what the word meant four years earlier when Matt and I found out that we were expecting our second son.
"Baby, Pregnant means that Uncle Brian and Auntie 'Chelle are having a baby!" I told him with feverish eagerness seeping through every world that left my mouth.
Landon's eyes grew wide and he said, "Wow," His little mouth formed an 'o' even after the word had been said and he ran around me and hugged his aunts legs. Vladimir following after him and doing the same. Michelle placed her hand over her mouth and kneeled down to pull the boys into a hug, tears coming to her eyes. I grinned to myself and snuck a look to Matt who seemed to be off in his own world, the dimple grin that had adorned his face earlier on had now disappeared and was replaced with a look of concentration and pain. My own grin disappeared as I took three quick steps towards Matt, concern building in my chest as he raked his fingers over his head against his short hair.
"Matt?" I called as he didn't respond when I placed my hand on his forearm and tried to pull his arm away from his face. Matt's hand fell to his side.
"Matt?" I called more frantically, effectively catching everyone's attention.
Matt's eyes became more unfocused as his body froze completely.
"Matt!" Brian yelled and ran over quickly as Matt's eyes closed and he fell into me, fainting. Johnny and Zacky raced over to us as well, and the three men laid their singer and life long friend on a pool chair as Michelle called 911.
"Daddy!" Vladimir screamed, pulling me out of the shock I was in. I lurched forward and pulled both of the crying, distraught boys into my arms as Michelle rapidly told the 911 operator the address.
"Shh, boys," I attempted to quiet them as the tension shifted and an ambulance could be heard roaring down the street. Johnny took off towards the front door to lead the paramedics to were we all stood, helpless in this terrifying situation.

Four paramedics rushed to Matt and got him on a stretcher while the guys and I hovered around with tears in our eyes and the boys in my arms. They wheeled Matt away and I hurried after them.
"Ma'am, your children can't come with in the ambulance," The only woman told me as I cried and tried to furiously climb in.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see Lacey and Johnny there.
"Give them to me," Johnny pulled Vladimir from me.
"We can follow behind the ambulance," said Lacey as she took Landon, he clung to me and cried out when I kissed his forehead and handed Johnny my keys before I clambered into the big vehicle and took a seat next to Matt as two male paramedics hurriedly checked all of Matt's vitals.

Sobs racked me as they pulled up to the Emergency Door and whisked Matt away, not telling me any thing as they did so. I was led to the waiting room by a nurse and handed a glass of water. I sat in one of the burgundy chairs and soon after Johnny, Zacky, Brian, Michelle and Lacy came rushing in with my two boys running with them.
"Momma! Where's Daddy?" Vladimir cried, throwing himself into my arms.
I looked up to the other adults and answered their unspoken questions,
"I don't know,"

I spent three hours in the hospital before the familiar Dr. McCourdy came walking into the waiting room, calling me by my first name and quieting down when he saw the sleeping boy in my arms.
The guys, girls and I walked over to him quickly, demanding to know what had happened to the man that we all care about deeply.
"We think that Matt had a flashback," He said simply.
Dr. Greg McCourdy noticed the anxious looks that we were all sending him and he continued, "It caused some kind of over load to his system. We don't know what his flashback was about or if he'll even remember it himself, most likely he won't. But we do know that something that happened today, exactly, was the cause,"

We got to see Matt even though he was still unconscious, sleeping, in his own hospital room. And we spent the next hour sitting around trying to figure out what had caused it.
"It was most likely finding out about the baby," Brian sighed, running his fingers through his un-spiked hair and leaning back against his plush chair as Michelle tried to comfort him by squeezing his shoulder.
I shook my head slightly, pulling Landon higher up in my arms, "Dr. McCourdy said it was something that he had happen to him before. Michelle saying she was pregnant wasn't something that happened before,"
Johnny spoke next, "But you've been pregnant before,"
"But it had to have been something exact," Lacey murmured, catching on to what I was getting at. I sighed and looked to Zacky for comfort. He sat on the other side of Matt's hospital bed with Landon's sleeping body resting on his. The little boys head on Zacky's shoulder. But Zacky's eyes were closed as he rested his own head against the younger boys. Yet I could tell that he wasn't sleeping, his face wasn't peaceful enough for his mind to be set off into the calming world of dreamland.
Then, somehow, it came to me, "Michelle and I jumping around,"
"What?" Zacky asked, his eyes now open as he looked at me with confused glances that matched the expressions of everyone around me.
"Michelle and I have always jumped around like that when Matt and I told everyone about the being pregnant with one of the boys.
It seemed to click in everyones minds even before Michelle spoke,
"He remembered,"