Page 16 of Forgetting the Enemy
Ricco nods. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But I’m gonna say this because you are not only my boss and it is my job to protect you, but you are also my friend. Be careful. She’s a Bonita. You’re teetering on shaky ground.”
“I know. I know it’s a risk, but it’s a risk I am damn sure gonna take. How can I not?” I reply, defeated.
He nods and drops the subject.
A few minutes later, the orderlies arrive and prepare to take Zaira away. Once they have her on the stretcher and are proceeding out of the room, Mary says, “It should only be about an hour, Mr. Vitali. May I get you and your friend something to drink? Coffee perhaps?”
“Nah, I’m good,” I reply. I turn toward Ricco.
“Yep, I’m good too.”
“Thanks, Mary,” I say, and the smile that crosses her face surprises me. I realize the woman has been a bit leery of me since I arrived, and I have given her nothing to put her mind at ease. She obviously knows who I am and knows about my family. Anyone outside the family would fear the Vitali name, so it’s only natural I get the same reaction from her.
There are magazines on the table next to the bed, so I grab one and sit my ass down. It’s gonna be a long hour.
***
About an hour and a half later, Dr. Siegel enters the room.
“How is she?” I ask immediately.
“She’s fine and awake,” he replies.
Relief washes over me from the news. She’s gonna be okay. Or not. The look on his face tells me more and that I should not assume everything is okay.Fuck, what now?
“But?” I ask ’cause there’s always a “but” in situations like this.
He takes a deep breath and says, “Like I said, she’s awake, but there’s a problem.”
“What?” I ask impatiently.
“The test showed there is some swelling on her brain but no bleeding, which is a good thing. For the most part, physically, she is a very healthy young woman,” he says.
“Physically? So it’s a mental issue?” I ask.
“Yes, she doesn’t know who she is.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t know who she is? Of course she knows,” I reply.
“No, Michael, she doesn’t. She remembers things like what she’s been taught. Basic things like how to talk, what a fork is for, learned actions. But she doesn’t have memories of her life experiences or the people in her life. She doesn’t know her name, and she has no recollection of family. She may have instances where she feels more familiar with one person than another, but that’s it.”
“So you are saying she has no memory? Will she always be like this, or will it return?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “At this point, I don’t know. We won’t know anything until the swelling goes down.”
I reach forward to grab him, but before I could make contact, Ricco pulls me back. I glare at him with a look that says,you fucking touch me again, and I’ll kill you, but he doesn’t release me and holds my gaze. He’s making sure I’m in check, and fuck, he’s right again. I really don’t need to be going all rogue on the doctor. I collect myself and nod at Ricco to let him know it’s okay to release me. “Dr. Siegel, can you explain, please?” I ask calmly.
“Basically, Ms. Bonita has amnesia. I know you are familiar with the term, but many people don’t fully understand whatamnesia is.” He looks at me like he’s wondering if I need an explanation, so I nod. He continues. “Let me explain. Amnesia is a form of memory loss. Some people lose their existing memories and surprisingly enough have difficulty forming new ones. They can’t recall past experiences. People with amnesia usually retain learned skills, such as motor skills, language, and general knowledge. Some will remember their own identity, and some will not.”
“And where is Zaira?” I ask.
“That’s hard to say. She just woke up, so I haven’t had time to speak with her much more than determining the basics of what she remembers. She’s still getting used to coming to terms with what’s happened to her and that she is here in the hospital. It can be very disorienting for amnesia patients. When they have no memory of the past, it can be very confusing for them to wake in a hospital with nothing but strangers around them.” He waits to let his words sink in. “I won’t be able to pinpoint her amnesia and help her move forward until her swelling goes down and I speak with her more.”
“I see. Is this permanent?” I ask.
“Again, Michael, I don’t know. You need to be patient, son, and give this time. I’m not making any guarantees, but I have seen many cases like this all work out in the end. You just have to have faith.”
I nod. “So where do we go from here?”
