Time Will Tell

“Mom,” Noah says. “Could you give us a minute?”

“Of course,” the woman in the hospital room with us says, opening the door and stepping out, taking the baby with her.

Noah, the hot guy who I don’t know comes and sits next to me on the bed. He takes my face in his hands and stares into my eyes. I’m trying so hard not to cry but I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes.

He leans in and kisses my forehead. “You really don’t remember me?” he asks.

I look up at him, feeling panicked. “I don’t know,” I complain. “I’m so confused.”

He smiles softly at me. “I’m Noah Roberts,” he says, shaking my hand. I actually laugh a little. “I’m your boyfriend.”

I nod. “Why am I here?” I ask.

He grabs me gently by my chin and turns my head to the side. He runs the tip of his finger lightly along the back of my head, barely touching me. He sighs.

“All I know is that you hurt your head. I know my ex was involved in it but I don’t know how. Kim just called me, panicking, but she didn’t have the time to explain anything to me.” He strokes my cheek. “Are you feeling alright?”

“My head hurts,” I complain.

He laughs. “I wonder why?” he says dryly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I lean away a little bit. “I don’t know you,” I say softly.

He kisses my cheek. “I know, I’m sorry – but I love you, and I’m sorry about Reese. If you did remember me and what we’ve gone through with him, I think you’d be proud of me, though.” He smiles proudly at me.

“Reese can be a handful,” I sigh. “But when did me and Reese break up anyway?”

“A little before we got together, I think.” He answers.

I just nod.

“Does that make you sad? Do you wish you hadn’t broken up with him?”

He doesn’t sound mad, or panicky, he just sounds genuinely concerned for me. I smile – it’s nice to know that he cares, even though I don’t even know him.

“Not really,” I answer honestly. “It’s just… Reese has been such a big part of my life for so long.”

He nods. “I understand. But we’ll get through this, alright? I promise.”

I nod and decide to cuddle up with him. If Kim calls him, even for an emergency, then she must at least half-way think he’s okay.

There’s a knock on the door and the woman from earlier, Noah’s mom, steps in, a doctor right behind her.

She smiles when she sees me leaning against Noah.

“Hey, sweetie,” she says. “How’re you feeling?”

I shrug, smiling a little. “Fine, I guess.”

“How’s your head feeling?” the doctor asks me now, flipping through a chart.

“It hurts a little,” I answer. “Where’s my mom?”

“Oh, honey, she’s on her way. She was here, but you were sleeping, so she left to pick up Kim and Emma.”

I watch her talk and it suddenly dawns on me. “I saw you at that shop? On 59th street? You were asking if Emma was my baby.”

“You were still with Reese then?” Noah asks me now.

“Yea—no?” I have no idea. “I don’t know.”

“Alright, Teagan, I’m going to need you to answer a few questions for me, okay?” the doctor says to me, flipping her hair over her shoulder. The movement tugs at my memory and I rub my temples.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asks me.

“My head hurts.” I say.

She leans out the door and says something to a nurse who comes in and puts something in my IV.

“That should make you feel a little bit better,” the doctor says.

“Thank you,” I say softly.

“Okay, now,” she flips through a chart again. “Can you tell me your full name?”

I look at her, confused. What kind of question is that? “Teagan Elizabeth Foster.”

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen…” I pause. “No, I think I’m eighteen.”

She nods. “Okay. Do you know your mother and fathers names?”

“Emile and Scott,” I answer, bored. There questions are stupid.

“When is your birthday?”

“April 11th 1993.”

“Are you in a relationship?”

I glance up at Noah. “Yes?”

“Can you give me his full name?”

“Uh… Noah…” I shake my head. “I don’t know his full name.”

“Alright,” she nods, writing something down on a clipboard.

“Can you tell me his birthday?”

“No,” I say, starting to get frustrated.

“Can you tell me how you met him?”

“No,” I sigh.

“Does Noah have any siblings?”

“I don’t know,” I groan. “I don’t know anything about him, alright?”

Noah rubs my arm soothingly and kisses the side of my head. “It’s okay,” he mumbles softly into my ear.

“Okay,” the doctor says, scribbling away on that fucking clipboard. I’m two seconds away from grabbing that stupid thing and flinging it at the wall.

“I have just a few more questions,” she continues.

I sigh, rolling my eyes, and try and relax into Noah’s side because I feel like we’re going to be here for a while.