Please Remember Me

“Gabriella,” I could hear the doctors voice calling me from the dark void I was in. No, Leave me alone I want to stay here. My entire being was fighting back the reality that was trapping me in the corner. I tried to cling to the darkness, but oh too soon was ripped back to life. I squinted my eyes open as they adjusted to the light. “Good, now that you’re awake again I can tell you how your surgeries went. First off, the surgery on your arm went great with some rehab and PT you should get your full mobility back. Second, your leg surgery went great also. We repaired as much nerve damage as we could to the limb, but you are going to have to really work at this to be able to walk. It’s gonna be a long hard process for you, but you seem to be a very determined little girl. In a few hours we will be sending you to our rehab center to further your healing process. There are just a few more tests we have to run. Now do you have any questions?”

It was so much to soak in emotionally I couldn’t handle it. I tried to listen to each word the doctor said and understand what he was telling me, but all I could think of was my leg. How could a girl like me live with only one leg? What kind of girl was I anyways? There was still so much I couldn’t remember.

“Gabriella?” The doctor asked bringing me back to reality.

I blinked twice realizing he had asked me a question, “Does my fiancé know about the accident? Is that why he isn’t here? He doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”

“Miss I don’t know where he is or why he wouldn’t want to be with you.”

“I was raped! What isn’t there to understand?” I yelled.

“Calm down Gabriella, You were in a plane crash you weren’t raped. Who told you that?” The doctor asked perplexed.

“That’s why I’m here. I remember the cop found me after and brought me here. Don’t lie to me where is he? Where is Deacon?” I asked pissed that a doctor would be trying to play games with my head. Especially, after they tried hiding the fact that those rapist had cut my leg off.

“Gabriella that was five years ago.” The doctor said checking my charts.

“What?” I asked choking out the words in disbelief.

“Alright there’s no need to worry, this is good actually. Is that the last thing you can remember?”

“Well yea.” I said utterly confused.

“Okay well I guess I should explain exactly what happened to you…” The doctor said going into every detail of her plane crash and explaining exactly what had happened.

“So I still don’t understand why my fiancé isn’t here- Oh my god was he on the plane with me? Doctor did he die?” Gabriella begged for information.

“I’m sorry I don’t know of any Deacon? He wasn’t in your emergency contacts?”

“Who’s my emergency contact?” I asked even more lost as to what kind of life I was living.

“I am.” A man completely out of breath said walking over to me and pulling me into the deepest hug.

I screamed from the fear of this random man hugging me. When he released his grasp on me, I slapped him straight across the face. “Who the fuck are you.”

I jumped from the bed and instantly fell to the ground. I had forgotten about my leg problem. The doctor rushed over to me as I was crying on the floor.

“Okay let’s not do that again, Okay?”

I simply nodded as tears of pain rolled down my cheeks.

“Let’s get you back into bed and check to see if you messed up any of your stitches.”

Bergeron just stood unsure of what had just happened until a nurse came in and immediately ushered him out.

~~~~

“What’s going on?” Bergeron asked once in the hall.

“Sir, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but she has suffered some amnesia along with her other injuries.” The nurse explained.

“What? So you're trying to tell me she has no idea who I am?”

“Yes, when someone goes through something traumatic like she has the brain puts up defense barriers to protect itself until it feels ready enough to handle everything. I assume that’s your girlfriend, Right?” The nurse asked sympathetically.

“My fiancé.” He said heart broken.

“I know this hard, but she is going to need you to be very strong for her. Can you do that?

All Patrice could do was nod.

~~~~

Once I was back inside the bed the doctor and the doctor examined my injuries I asked, “Who was that?”

“That was your emergency contact Patrice Bergeron.” The doctor said carefully trying to keep me calm.

“Who?’ I asked contorting my face.

“Well do you watch hockey?”

“Uh no I don’t think so? I mean I could have.” I sighed in frustration, “I don’t know what I do anymore.” Tears started rolling down my cheeks.

“Well he’s the alternate captain for the Boston Bruins, and if the rumors are true he’s your fiancé.”

“What? NO! Deacon is my fiancé.” I demanded. “Where is Deacon dammit?”

“I’m gonna go find deacon for you. In the meantime why don’t you rest?” The doctor said about to give her a sedative.

“No, no more drugs I need to be awake.” I begged.

“Can you handle it?” The doctor asked judging my reaction.

“Yes, I can stay calm. I just need to be able to think.” I said crying.

“I know this is a lot to handle, but if it helps any, you are handling it better than anyone we’ve seen. Most of the other victims haven’t even woke up yet. You are a strong woman Gabriella.” The doctor said before leaving.

The doctor walked into the hall to find Bergeron waiting there for him. “Doc, I need to know what is wrong with my fiancé what the total damage is. Is it just her memory?”

“I wish her memory was all that was wrong, you both have a long year ahead of you.” The doctor went into all of the details of her surgeries and injuries, when he was done Patrice felt like he couldn’t breathe. He held his head tightly in his hands as tears began to well up in his eyes.

“So what am I supposed to do?” Pat asked.

“Well I’d start by introducing yourself to her. Let her get comfortable around you. The only way she’s going to be able to remember you is if her self-conscious feels it can let its guard down around you. I know it’s not going to be easy but just try to talk to her. Don’t say anything to raise an alarm, just keep it cool.”

“Alright thanks.” Berg said letting out a deep breath.

He walked slowly back into my room. The moment I heard his footsteps my eyes were fixed on his body as he took a seat against the wall by my bed. I continued to stare at him as he just sat there looking at the ground. Something about his demeanor made me feel bad for him.

“I’m sorry I slapped you.” I said softly.

“What, no please don’t apologize for that it was an idiot move. I’m famous for them.”

I laughed softly, “So you like, play hockey?” I asked.

This in return made him laugh, “Yea, I do. You actually know that, you love hockey.”

“I do?” I asked completely shocked. I couldn’t remember ever watching a single game. I guess that I had changed a lot. This was so weird.

“Yea.” He said smiling at something.

“What is it?” I asked being my nosey self.

“I was just remembering you at one of my games.” He said giving me the most tender smile. “I’m so glad you’re okay Gabs.”

Ignoring his last comment I asked, “Can you tell me about what you were remembering?”

“You sure?” He asked the smile now gently playing at his lips.

I nodded encouragingly.

“Alright so…” He began to get lost in the memory, “The Game had just started, you had glass seats right next to the bench. Horton was on the ice after coming back from his second concussion. Somebody checked him into the boards from behind as he went to retrieve a puck. Well this didn’t go over well with Horty. When he got up off the ice, he skated right for the guy and started to fight with him. There was so much rage coursing through him that Horty beat the guy down to the ice, but then he started to pick him up off the ice and smash him down over and over till the ref finally grew the balls to break up the fight. Anyways this all happened right in front of you so I looked over from the bench. There you are smashing with your hands on the glass causing it to shake. And it’s funny cause I still remember what you were yelling,” Berg stopped to laugh, “’Break his skull Natey.’ You just kept yelling it over and over. You loved it when any of the guys fought unlike the other wives who foolishly thought it shouldn’t be allowed. You were such a hit with the team when they met you gabs you’re hockey mentality matched up with theirs. Plus your just so bad ass, this one time you knocked a guy out because he said something fresh.” Berg could tell he was overloading me with too much so he stopped rambling, “Sorry. I know it’s a lot to take in.”

I shook my head back and forth slowly, “I can’t even comprehend myself behaving like that. It’s really so strange to me to hear you talk about me like this. Tell me something else, less manly though.” I said unsure of what he was going to tell me.

“Alright umm let me think… Well how about this summer when Tyler was having problems with his girlfriend back home?”

“Uh I don’t know who Tyler is, but yea I’d really love to hear more about my life.”

“Tyler is on my line, he lived with me during the season, and he’s actually one of your good friends. All right so this summer I had to go back to Québec and you couldn’t come because of work so you were still here in Boston. Ty and you kept in touch while he was in Toronto, and one day he texted you about how his girl had cheated on him. You see you tried to set him up with one of your girlfriends but Ty was stupid and went for some slut back home. Well it kinda crushed him. So you told him to come back to Boston and live with you. Anyways he does you guys have all this fun and he eventually ends up with Emma. They’re still dating now by the way.”

“Emma?” I asked excited.

“Yea she’s your best friend.” He said hesitantly.

“Yea I know!” I was so happy that I actually knew something about myself. “Where is she?”

“Her work keeps her travelling.” He explained.

“Oh.” I said satisfied by what he had told me so far. It was a lot to grasp so I sat there thinking about all he had told me when his phone rang.

“Hello?”’ He started talking to someone.

His phone case caught my attention. When he was done talking on the phone, I asked him, “Why does your phone case say Berg’s Babe?” I asked laughing.

“This is actually your phone; we accidentally swapped last time I was here.” He said laughing.

“Could I look though it?” I asked.

“Yea of course.” He said handing it to me.

I without thinking punched in my code and unlocked the phone. Berg stared at me dumbfounded.

“How did you know that combo?” He asked shocked.

I stared down at the phone mystified. “I- I don’t know I didn’t even think about it. What is 0512?”

“That’s the day we first met.” He said with a proud smile on his face.

I couldn’t speak; I was so over whelmed by happiness that I remembered something from my life. This little progress was so huge to me. If I could remember a combo without even trying, I knew I could remember my life with a little effort. I began to look through the phone at pictures I had. I came across one that made me smile.

“This is us right?” I asked him showing him the picture.

His smile went warm, “Yea that’s us.”

I continued sliding through the pictures. There were a lot of pictures of cakes and other sweets, which I couldn’t figure out. I didn’t eat sweets. I shrugged it off as I continued to look through the pictures. I passed by a few of the same person.

“Berg who is this kid who keeps popping up?” I asked showing him three of the weirdest pictures I had ever seen.

“That’s Tyler Seguin the kid I told you about earlier. You’re the brunette and Emma is the Blonde in the last one you showed me. You are pretty funny when you’re drunk. That’s why I took the picture.” He said laughing.

“I do not get drunk.” I said appalled.

“Well you do now that your friends with Ty and Brad.” He said continuing to laugh.

“Who is Brad?” I asked.

He took the phone from my hands and showed me two pictures. ” He’s pretty full of himself, you bring out the dork in him though.

We both cracked up at the pictures, “He looks like a lot of fun.”

“Yea you really like him.” Berg said handing me back the phone.

I continued looking through catching pictures of Ty and Brad here and there. Then I came across a picture of a dog

“Oh dear god! Tell me this isn’t mine.”

“It’s not don’t worry. You did let Seguin bring him to your apartment when he came, look at this one .”

“Awww they are adorable together.”

“Yea Marshall is really big now though you hate him.” He said laughing.

A nurse came in as we were laughing about another picture, “Visiting hours are now over, I’m sorry, but you have to leave now.”

Berg stood up the smile instantly disappearing from his face. “Alright, can I have a short moment first?”

“Alright.” The woman sighed as she left the room.

He walked towards me in the bed, “I’ll leave the phone with you, if you need me my numbers in there. Continue looking through the pictures see if you recognize anyone else. “

I stared at the phone intently, “Alright, thank you so much for staying today. You made this a lot more bearable.”
“Don’t worry about it. Make sure to get some sleep, goodnight.” He said leaning in to place a kiss on my cheek.

He would have except that I flinched out of the way. He let his head fall in response, “I’m sorry.” I whispered. “I’m just really confused and-“

He placed his finger on my lips to hush my nervous rambling, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll get through this, okay?”

The sincerity in his voice melted my heart. I could feel how much he really loved me in that moment. Which is why placed my hand tenderly on his cheek. In that instant, I had a slight case of déjà vu or flashback or whatever it was.

I was lying in the bed as he kissed me gently down the neck =. His scruff scratching my soft skin just as it did in my hand. I snapped back to reality as I blushed.

“What is it?” He asked perplexed by my behavior.

“I think I just remembered something.” I said playing it back in my head. I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, “Goodnight Patrice, Drive safely.” I layed back into the bed.

The smile on his face showed hope. So much that I could feel it too, building deep within me, filling the dark void. I watched him walk out of the room, and then went back to looking at the rest of the photos saved to my phone. Once I had gone through all of them, I decided to get some sleep. Since the accident I felt truly happy, even though I couldn’t remember who Patrice Bergeron was, I now knew that he was a great friend. As I drifted off to sleep, I replayed the short memory repeatedly in my mind. It was a sign of things to come. I desperately wanted to know more about this person I had become. It shocked me how much I had changed in such a short time. I knew in my gut, as much doubt as I had, that Patrice was the key to regaining my memory.