Just To Have You Back Again

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Nick turned on the coffee maker as Beth sat down on one of the dining chairs with her head in her hands. She was in disbelief. She knew she was engaged, but it was different now that a man claimed that he was her fiancé. In the flesh. Jake sat from across her and looked at her worriedly.

"I guess it's gonna be a long night," Nick exclaimed.

Nick sat next to Beth and put a hand over her shoulder. He looked sympathetically at her as she gave him a small smile. Jake couldn't help but feel jealous. This man just said earlier that he would like to make Beth the mother of Lizzie, in not so many words, and he's had her with him for the last five years. He wasn't just going to let Nick have the woman he loves without a fight.

"You up for this?" Nick asked Beth.

"I guess so."

"I want to know how Beth got here first, please," Jake looked at Nick.

Nick stood up once more and poured coffee into three mugs and handed one each to Beth and Jake before sitting down. He took a sip and proceeded to tell his tale.

***

Nick and his pregnant wife Anna were on the two lane road driving back to La Union. They had just spent a weekend getaway, a chance to recharge before Anna can no longer travel on her last trimester. He wanted to give his wife her every whim, her every heart's desire. Her being pregnant was already a huge gamble for her; he wanted to make sure that she would be happy all the time, no matter what happened.

They were travelling at a leisurely speed, not really in a hurry to get back to the hustle and bustle of real life. They wanted to savor the peace and quiet and stretch time for as long as they could. He was rounding the corner when they saw the car about half a mile in front of them smash into the car heading the opposite direction at maximum speed. The car at fault hit a cluster of trees, smashing the whole windshield, denting the whole front side of the car, crushing it like it was nothing but paper. The other car spun out of control before hitting a huge boulder and stopping to teeter over the edge of a cliff. Nick immediately stepped on the brakes, stretching his right arm over his wife, instinctively protecting Anna and the baby. When they came to a halt, Anna grabbed his arm.

"Hon, we need to check if they're okay," Anna told her husband worriedly.

"Stay here, hon. I'll go," he said as he took his seatbelt off and stepped out of the car. He first approached the car that hit the tree, looking the driver over, wincing at the carnage he saw. He quickly looked at Anna and shook his head. He then approached the other car and checked on the driver first. He checked for a pulse, but sadly found none. He opened the passenger door behind the driver where a woman sat. He felt a faint breath on his hand, and he quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. He carried her to their car and carefully laid her on the backseat. He was about to return to the wreck to get her purse, but the car suddenly completely went down the cliff and blew up. Anna just looked at her husband in horror. It was such a close call! Nick checked the woman for any wallet or identification, but came up empty handed. He called the police and told them the location of the accident, but said they have one survivor and would be taking her to the hospital.

***

A few days after Beth finally woke up from her coma, she was finally able to speak. She's been going through rehab, waking up her long asleep limbs, and going to therapy to jog her rusty memory. She didn't remember anything at all, just that her name was Beth. She didn't even know what her last name was. Nick and Anna took her back with them to their house in Manila. Anna was sitting with Beth in the latter's bedroom, talking with her.

"Beth, do you remember anything else yet?"

Beth just shook her head.

"I'm sure your family is looking for you now. We can post your picture on the TV, if you want."