Chapter Twelve

 

Deidra took a deep breath as she approached the hospital's entrance—She unashamedly missed Marcus. It had been hell juggling her exams and missing him. Her last exam had been today and she had walked right out into the overcast day and into her car, determined to see Marcus. She could always use the excuse that she was planning Kylie's wedding and wanted to know if he was able to attend.

She stood at the entrance of the hospital for a long time, but it was the incessant spatter of light raindrops that had her running for cover into the building.

"There is a list of approved visitors for Marcus Bancroft," the nurse at the front said to her. "He dictated it himself today."

Deidra almost turned around. He wouldn't want her visiting. He didn't know her now.

She murmured, "Okay then." and was about to leave.

"You are Deidra Durkheim?" the nurse asked, holding up the paper.

"Yes." Deidra nodded.

"Well, your name is at the top of the list," she smiled warmly. "I have been watching reruns of your Christian Gems program on MFTV. Keep up the good work."

"Thanks," Deidra said in relief, as she headed to Marcus' room. Her name was on the top of the list. Did he remember her?

She stepped into the room and was pleased to see that they had removed his head bandages. There was only a small bandage where he had hit his head. He looked more like his old self.

"Oh, you look healthier already," Deidra said, when he turned his head to see who was at the door.

"It's you." He smiled widely. "I was wondering when you would come and see me again."

Deidra laughed uncomfortably, "I felt awkward coming since you don't know me and all… and I had exams."

Marcus nodded. "I know you had exams. I asked Kylie about you. How did you do?"

"Pretty badly," Deidra walked closer to his bed. "I was a bit distracted."

Marcus veiled his eyes with his lashes. "You had somebody or something on your mind?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Deidra said. She sat down in his chair. "Today I had my last exam. I think I am going to sleep all day tomorrow."

"What's his name?" Marcus asked looking at her. "My brother said you had been hanging out with a handsome, rich, and popular guy."

Deidra grinned. "Which one of your brothers? Micah, I bet."

Marcus shrugged. "Does it matter which one of my brothers? "

"Yes," Deidra nodded. "It would be the one who would like for you to be jealous and would enjoy seeing you squirm."

"I am not jealous." Marcus scowled. "I am just curious."

"Then it's not important." Deidra bit her lip. "Why should it matter?"

"Who is he?" Marcus asked, through gritted teeth.

"Do you remember me?" Deidra asked, moving closer to the bed.

"No," Marcus shook his head. "I feel extraordinarily jealous though. Sorry."

Deidra nodded. "The guy was you. We hung out. Your doctor says we shouldn't give you any specific details; that's all I can say."

Marcus sighed and closed his eyes. "Thank you for that. I was going crazy not really knowing if you had a boyfriend."

Deidra smiled.

"This rest thing is not all it's cut out to be," Marcus said, gesturing to himself. "I actually started hopping around on my good leg today." He sighed. "Believe you me, never take for granted having two working legs."

Deidra laughed. "I kind of had that lesson lately too, not nearly as bad as you though. Had to retire my heels for flats."

"How?" Marcus turned the full wattage of his brown eyes on her, and Deidra inhaled a little. "I was in an accident too, twisted my ankle."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "That's a coincidence."

"Not that coincidental." Deidra shook her head.

"Was it the same accident I was in?" Marcus asked anxiously, wanting to know how well they knew each other.

Scrap “wanted to know”; he needed to know. She was sitting near him, and he felt as if he knew her. Like he had some sort of bond with her. The thoughts were bottled up inside him, in some part of his brain and wouldn't reveal themselves, but the harder he tried to remember, the more elusive they became.

"Please Deidra, just tell me. Nobody tells me anything. Everything about the last six months is like some top secret."

Deidra shrugged. "Your doctor said if we helped you with memories you may lose the real ones forever. He explained to your family that your brain's memory pathways have been disrupted by the amnesia…your injury caused a blockage in your pathways. It's best to let the memories come back naturally."

Marcus sighed. "Just tell me one thing. Do we know each other well?"

Deidra nodded.

"Intimately?" Marcus asked softly.

"Er..." Deidra squirmed. "You know my birthday. You know my favorite color, that sort of thing."

"What about inner thoughts? Have we kissed?" Marcus looked at her lips.

Deidra shook her head. "Not really. We pressed lips together once. I wouldn't call it a proper kiss. You know, you have a girlfriend and I am not into sharing."

"I bet it was intense." He caught her hand that was lying on the sheet and fitted his palm with hers. There was an instant tingle.

He squeezed her hands tighter. "I have done this before, haven't I?"

Deidra nodded.

Marcus sighed. "Thanks for telling me, at least that's something."

He still held her hands and Deidra curled her fingers into his. "Oh Marcus, I am so sorry about this accident. I know it must feel strange being in bed and not being able to train."

Marcus grimaced. "It's hell, but hearing how my father tells it, I should be happy to be alive. My coach said I can run again, I am just going to need some rehab. Until then I'll be here, in Mount Faith."

He looked at her. "You'll be here too, right? I heard that you live with my parents."

"Yes, I do. I was thinking of moving back to my house though," Deidra shrugged. "I only have one semester left here. And then graduation. And then work."

"What type of work?" Marcus asked.

"I am going to open my own design studio in Kingston." Deidra smiled. "I am looking forward to it."

"Low-end, or high-end stuff?" Marcus asked.

"I am doing everything," Deidra said excitedly. "I can't wait to start. I am even thinking of going mass market with a t-shirt line. I know t-shirts are not original but you gotta start somewhere, huh?"

"Sounds like fun," Marcus said. "I'll be doing my rehab in Kingston. Sometime around May. My physiotherapist is there. My coach has it lined up for me already."

"Good," Deidra nodded, "maybe we'll see each other."

"I was hoping we would." Marcus felt a sharp pain in his head and grimaced. He held Deidra's hand tightly.

"What's wrong?" Deidra asked anxiously,

"I get these sharp jabs in my temple sometimes," Marcus panted, "whenever I think too much I guess."

He closed his eyes. "Don't stay too long to visit me again, Deidra." He swallowed, and then he opened one eye. "I feel better when you are around."

Deidra nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "I will come and visit you every day for the rest of the time you are in here."

"Really now?" Tiffany said from the doorway.

She advanced into the room. "Don't let her tell you anything to mess with your memories, Marcus."

Tiffany leaned over Marcus and kissed him on his lips. "I am here, darling. Do you want me to ask her to leave?" She looked at Deidra's hand where they joined with Marcus and raised her eyebrow. "Release my mans hand, hussy."

Marcus closed his eyes again. The pain was stabbing him incessantly now. "Get the doctor," he said weakly.

Tiffany pushed Deidra out of the way and said to her smugly. "Wipe that lovesick look off your face, Deidra Durkheim, and stop playing hand-holding with my man. You know why?"

Deidra looked over at Marcus and then back at Tiffany, "I'll get the nurse."

She walked away from Tiffany who was triumphantly walking her down, intent on taunting her.

"Well, since you aren't going to ask, let me tell you. I'm pregnant, and I'm not going to be a single parent. So you can take your hopes and dreams and lovesickness elsewhere. Leave my man alone!"

Deidra looked back at Marcus. He had heard Tiffany, of course he had. He had gone extremely still.

"Well, congrats you two," Deidra said carefully. "I'll go get the nurse." She turned back to picked up her bag from the chair.

"Deidra, don't leave." Marcus winced from the effort it took him to talk, but Deidra was not listening.

"I wish you all the best," she said to no one in particular, grabbed her things and marched to the front desk. "Marcus Bancroft is in pain."

She then walked slowly outside into the driving rain, as if she was burdened, and stood beside her car.

How ironic it was that when she got into her car and turned on the engine the radio was playing the song, “I do my crying in the rain”.

She rested her head on the steering wheel and sniffed. We were never meant to be together anyway.

 

*****

 

Tiffany was pushed out of the room as the nurses and Marcus' doctor attended to Marcus and his headache. He was in excruciating pain. She didn't mind being given the time to herself though. She was feeling nauseous anyway and relished the chance to sit in the waiting room and ruminate.

She had finally done a pregnancy test this morning and had been unpleasantly surprised to realize that she was pregnant. It was fortuitous that Marcus did not have his memory because he would instantly deny having anything to do with this pregnancy.

The baby could not be his. Not by a long shot.

Marcus had not slept with her since he met Deidra in Miami. It was as if since that meeting he had disconnected from her. She searched in her bag for her cell phone and contemplated telling Neil that she was pregnant.

She wondered what his response would be. Neil was not into babies. One day he had even jokingly told her that he hated children. If she told Neil the news, she knew almost certainly that she would be on her own.

She also wondered how likely it would be that Marcus would fully regain his memory. She really hoped he would never. The doctor had said that the longer it took for him to remember the last six months, the more likely it would be that he would lose those memories forever.

She was exactly nine weeks pregnant. She could not pass off this pregnancy as his, unless she could claim that his accident caused him to lose a day or that he had stopped by when he came from the airport and they had a fight after sex.

The more she thought about it, the more comfortable she became with the lie she was hatching. She could tell Marcus that he came back from Africa and spent the day with her and then came to Mount Faith.

With this announcement, she could convince Marcus that they needed to get married. Hopefully, before he figured out what was going on, she would finally be Mrs. Bancroft.

More importantly, Marcus would not abandon a child of his. She knew him that well; she also knew that this little announcement was the end of him and the annoying girl, Deidra.

What was she doing here today anyway? Holding hands with Marcus and promising to visit him everyday? Not anymore she wouldn't.

She needed to keep a close eye on that girl because it seemed as if even without the benefit of his memory, Marcus was still attracted to her. That was reprehensible, but fixable.

Obviously, she couldn't trust Neil to do anything about Deidra. He had botched the job and hurt Marcus instead and she couldn't even go to him now—It wouldn't take a Math genius to figure out that she was pregnant with his child.

She didn't even know any criminals who would be willing to hurt the girl. She needed to expand her acquaintances. She chewed her lips contemplatively. If Deidra didn't back off, she was going to hurt her. This time it wouldn't be a simple hit and run.

"You may see him now," The doctor said to her sternly from the doorway, as if it was her fault that Marcus had the headache.

Tiffany nodded and went into the room.

They had drawn the window blinds and had turned off the television.

She walked to the bed softly. "Marcus, I am sorry I blurted out news of the pregnancy like that."

Marcus swallowed. He had his eyes closed and a twist to his mouth. "We planned to wait before we started a family. Didn't we?"

"Yes," Tiffany said slowly, "but accidents do happen."

Marcus grunted. "How pregnant are you?"

Tiffany paused. This was not the line of questioning she was expecting. "Four weeks." She soldiered on. "When you came back from Africa, you stopped by the house. I was so happy to see you. We were at it all night." She chuckled.

Marcus frowned. "I wish I could remember."

Tiffany held his hand. He made a mental note of how repulsed he felt when she touched his hand, unlike when Deidra touched him.

His life was no longer going to be the same. He felt a painful tug at his heart. He had noticed how Deidra galloped out of the room, and he knew, deep within himself, that she was not coming back. That made him feel out of sorts and vulnerable.

He then registered what Tiffany was softly saying to him. "Maybe we should get married sooner than later, don't you think?"

No, his mind was screaming, but he had always planned to do things the right way: get married, then have children. Even though he had been living with Tiffany, he had always known that he didn't want children while they didn't have a deep commitment.

He suddenly remembered having a conversation about rules and God and him not wanting to abide by his fathers rules. He had been talking to Deidra! That was a real memory.

His mind gripped it like a straw to a stranded man at sea and then it drifted from him.

"Marcus, are you listening to me?" Tiffany's voice came into focus. "I was thinking we should just get married tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a good way to start the day?"

Marcus groaned. He could barely walk on his unbroken foot; his head was in agony, and Tiffany wanted to get married!

"No," he said weakly. "I want to rest. Can you just give me some time to think? Why don't you go back to Kingston, Tiff. I'll call you when I get out of here. I will! This is just big news for me. I need time to process it all."

Tiffany moved away from the bed. She could push, but she didn't want him to push her away. "Of course dear, but I don't want to go down the isle with a big belly. I'll see you before I go back to Kingston tomorrow."

Thankfully, she left the room. Marcus released the deep sigh he was holding in and picked up his phone. He idly scrolled through the phone, the headache medicine was kicking in and he could see straight again.

In the list of names, he saw Deidra Durkheim and a love sign beside it. When had he done that?

It took all his willpower not to dial her number. He had a baby on the way, and serious responsibilities now.

His chest constricted at the thought and he put back the phone beside him on the bed. Deidra would not want him now. Why did he sleep with Tiffany if he loved Deidra? He felt an ache in his chest when he thought about not being able to see, or to speak with Deidra again.