Haunted by His Memory

Drip. Drip. Drip. Grace’s eyes fluttered open and she was greeted with nothing but a bright light from above her. Where was she? More importantly, where was Regie? Blinking, her surroundings came into focus. She was in a small hospital room. Her bright green eyes gazed around the room, her attention moving from object to object. Attached to her arms were several wires connecting to machines, one of which was the source of the dripping sound that had brought her out of her slumber. She tried to sit up but groaned in pain. What was wrong with her? Glancing down her body, she saw a cast on her leg. Was it broken? How had she gotten here? Thoughts began to swirl around in her mind. From the amount of light streaming in through the window across from her, it was still daylight out. Where was her husband? They had been on their way to this very hospital. They were going to see a doctor, yes, to see if she was carrying their child. Then it hit her. Images ran through her head, memories replaying like a broken record over and over again. The screeching tires, the sound of metal against metal, the car flipping over and over again. They’d been in an accident.

Rationally. She had to think rationally. The nurses would know something, wouldn’t they? Her hands reached for the nurse call button and she pressed it over and over. She was beginning to panic. Where was her husband? Why wasn’t he here with her? Had he been injured as well? “Nurse!” she was practically screaming but she didn’t care. She needed to know that he was safe, that he’d survived the crash and wasn’t harmed at all. Footsteps echoed in the hallway before entering the room. “Yes, Mrs. Desseaux?” The nurse was petite and blonde and looked friendly enough. “My husband. Regie. Where is he?” Grace’s voice was shaking. Worry was crystal clear on her face as she waited for what seemed like an eternity while the nurse thought over her response in her head. “Sweetheart… I… have to go and get the doctor. I’ll be right back, alright?” Then as quickly as the nurse had entered the room, she was gone.

If the nurse was going to get a doctor, didn’t that mean something bad had happened? Why wouldn’t the nurse tell her anything about Regie? Then it clicked. He was gone, wasn’t he? But that couldn’t possibly be the truth. She was sure he was waiting somewhere close, or maybe she was trying to make herself believe that, but he just couldn’t be gone. Before she could think anything else, footsteps approached the room once again and a tall man walked in. “Grace, I’m Dr. Jacob. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you… your husband… Regie… I’m afraid he has passed on.” There was a moment of silence, just long enough for that to register in her mind, and the doctor began speaking again. “I promise you, the paramedics did everything they could to try to save your husband. I’m afraid he was already too far gone when they got there.” All was silent again.

More tears fell from Grace’s eyes. In that moment, she broke. In that moment, she was alone. But wait… a thought crossed her mind. “Dr… How is… I mean am I… pregnant…?” Maybe there was still a baby, someone to help her with this. Maybe Regie’s memory could live on. The doctor deliberated before speaking. Grace simply sat there, biting at her lip and holding her breath. Maybe she was lucky… “Grace… You were pregnant. But you lost the baby in the accident… I’m so sorry…” That was all the doctor had to say. Grace’s hand immediately went to her stomach. So that was it. She had been pregnant and now her baby was gone as well? Two people. She’d lost two people in one day. How was that fair? The sound of her broken sobbing was heart wrenching, and the nurse and doctor soon left her alone to cry her heart out. The nurse mumbled “I’m so sorry…” before she disappeared behind the doctor.

Eventually, all of Grace’s tears ran out. There were no more. She could no longer cry, so her eyes fell shut and the sweet darkness of slumber surrounded her.