Cowboy Casanova

Chapter 46

TIM POV: It's been two months since Faith fell into her coma state. I bring her flowers everyday. Of course, they're her favorite. She loves Daisies. I always would try to give her roses, but she always smiled brighter when I brought her back Daisies. I still don't understand why she chooses half of the things she does... 

She hasn't woken up yet. I get a little disheartened everyday I come to see her sleeping. One day, her hand wrapped around mine, but she didn't open her eyes. That alone gave me the strength to hold on to her longer. She's a fighter, what can I say? 

Kendricks says the activity in her brain has increased, meaning she could wake up anytime now. Recently, he's been letting me stay overnight with her, just in case something does happen. He wants me to be the first person she sees. For memory and sanity's sake. 

"Tim!" I hear Kendricks scream as he runs down the hall to me. I stand up, a little alarmed as he races in the room. "Look at these." He says, handing me scans. I stare at them for a moment, and try to see differences from the last scan. 

"What's that?" I ask, pointing to a dark mass on the picture. He smiles. 

"That my friend, it the memory section of her brain. She's coming back." He says. I smile briefly, before fading away due to reasonable doubt. 

"Are you sure?" I ask. He laughs. 

"This is the best evidence we have, Tim. I don't think I've ever been more sure in my entire career." He says. I nod and look over to her. 

"When?" I ask. He shrugs his shoulders. 

"Soon. Just stay by her side, okay? She'll probably be up by the end of the night." He says. I get comfortable and watch her. I've got a long day ahead of me. 

I begin to tap the arm of my chair as the clock verges on six o'clock. If she's planning on waking up today, then she sure is taking her sweet time. I grasp her hand gently and study it. She's pale, and cool to the touch. I hold her hand between both of mine, and blow into them, warming them up. As I'm doing so, I feel her hand wrap around my fingers. I look down to see her eyes fluttering open.

I smile as I hit the call button for Kendricks. He rushes in and removes her breathing tube and begins to batter her with questions. I feel like I'm going to puke at the sight of her awake. It's like two months worth of nerves are just melting away. Kendricks gives her the all clear and lets her get comfortable. She lays back and smiles at me. I brush back her short hair and give her a kiss on the forehead. She holds onto my hand and lets out a little laugh. It's music to my ears after two months of silence. 

"I thought I lost you." I say. She smiles. 

"No way." She says. "What happened?" She asks. 

"You had an aneurysm." I explain. She cringes. 

"It wasn't like an Elvis style, sort of embarrassing thing was it?" She asks. I shake my head. 

"You were asleep." I inform her. 

"Thank god!" We laugh. She sighs. 

"Why don't you get a little sleep?" I say. She nods. 

"That's what I was thinking." She says. "Oh, how's the baby?" She asks eagerly. 

"Great. Growing fast." I say. Faith smiles. "She's starting to walk a little better now." I continue. She rubs my knuckle. 

"I can't wait to get to see her again." She says, as she lays back to sleep. I also lay back, feeling more than relieved. 

I'm rudely awakened my her grabbing my arm. She keeps shaking me as I try to make myself aware. 

"Baby..." She says. 

"Mmmm, what?" I groan, rubbing my eyes. She points out at the hallway. I wipe my eyes one more time to reach enough clarity. I look out to the hallway to see Mom and the girls all huddled out there, talking to Kendricks. 

"What are they doing here?" She asks. I laugh. 

"They're here to see you." I say. She looks at herself for a moment. 

"Really?" She asks. I laugh yet again. 

"Of course! Why else would they be here?" I say, getting up and calling them in. The three of them walk in cautiously as Mom follows with Emily. Gracie is the first to speak up. 

"Hi..." She says hesitantly. I laugh at how nervous she is, as I take Emily from Ma. Faith stares at Gracie and finally manages to utter something out after a few awkward moments of silence. 

"Hey." Faith replies. Audrey sees this as a right of passage, and pulls herself up on the hospital bed like no one could stop her. She gives Faith a tight hug. 

"I missed you Momma!" She says, smiling brightly. I smile, until I catch Faith's eyes. She looks horrified. My chest begins to hurt. 

"What's wrong baby?" I ask. She shakes her head, and slowly pulls Audrey away. 

"I don't know..." She says, looking at the girls, then desperately back at me. She see's Emily and begins to smile, only relieving me for a moment. 

"You okay?" I ask. She nods, pointing to Emily. 

"I thought Sarah had blue eyes?" She says. I feel sick as she looks at me. Mom looks at me with sad eyes and takes the girls all out of the room. 

"Faith, this isn't Sarah." I say. She scrunches her eyebrows together. 

"What are you talking about?" She asks, acting like I'm joking. Her smile begins to fade as she realizes I'm not laughing. 

"This is Emily. Those girls were our kids..." I say cautiously. Her jaw drops, with tears emerging in her eyes. She looks at me and shakes her head. Mom walks back into the room just in time to hear the major blow.

"Stop playing with me, Scott." My chest is tied as I try to recover, but I can't. She knows I'm not Scott, doesn't she? I think back to the array of questions Kendricks was asking her earlier. 

"Do you remember who he is?" Kendricks asked. 

"My husband." She replied. She thinks I'm Scott... 

"Faith..." I start. I take a deep breath. "I'm not Scott." I say. She stares at me. 

"What?" She asks, after sitting for a moment. I pull out a picture of me and her, and another of her with all of the girls. 

"We're married, but I'm not Scott." I say. 

"What's your name then?" She questions. 

"Tim." She says. She stares at the picture. 

"I'm so old..." She says. She looks at the picture with her and the girls. She takes a deep breath. 

"So those are our kids?" She asks. I nod. "Why don't I remember them, or you?" She asks. I shrug my shoulders. 

"You have brain damage, Faith." I say. She nods and stares at me. 

"Can I remember?" She asks. 

"I honestly don't know."