Finding love - 6. Chapter 6

“Brody?” I croaked. I really needed to figured out why my brothers best friend was here and why did it look like he’d been crying.

“Mattie?” he seemed a bit shocked. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Water.” My throat was dryer than the Sahara. Brody jumped up, ran out and brought someone back with him.

“Sleeping Beauty,” the Doctor said with a smile. “You asked for some water?”

I nodded my head in the affirmative and in walked a person I assumed was a nurse with a cup.

“Mr. Jacobs here are some ice chips for you to let melt in your mouth,” the doctor said. “We need to run some test could you wait outside?”

“I’ll be back,” Brody said smiling but his voice sounded a bit shaky.

“Now Mr. Jacobs, first you think you can talk?” the Doctor said while scrolling through his ipad.

“Yes.”

“Do you know what day it is?”

“Wednesday,” I said hesitantly.

“The?”

“September 5^th,” I said confidently.

“Do you remember what happened?”

“My mom and dad took me to school,” I said looking at the doctor.

“Do you remember anything else?

“No,” I said tears welling up. “Where’s Noah?” He’d know what’s wrong. I started to panic and the doctor looked at the nurse and she injected something in my IV and it was lights out.

When I woke, I turned expecting to see Brody but I was taken aback by who was there.

“Hey Champ,” Mr. Andrews said and he smiled. Brody is just a younger version of his dad, same build, muscular, blond. Jeez do I have the hots for Brody’s dad?

“Your parents had an important meeting and didn’t want to leave you alone, so I volunteered to stay here. Brody would have stayed but he had college.”

“College? He’s a senior,” I was totally confused.

“Yes, my mistake. How are you feeling?”

“Where is Noah?” If anyone knew where Noah was it was Mr. Andrews.

“He’s um,” I’ve never seen Mr. Andrews so nervous. Just then my parents walked in.

“Mattie,” mom began.

“Where’s Noah!” I shouted

“Mattie,” Mom began.

“Everyone get out and don’t you come back unless you bring Noah.” I screamed and started to cry.

“Nate, let’s give them some privacy,” Mr. Andrews said grabbing dad by the arm.

“Mattie, honey, there is no easy way to say this, but Noah is dead,” Mom said and I screamed so loud that the nurses came running with the doctor behind them. I was crying so hard and couldn’t hear what Mom was telling the doctor. Why would she lie about Noah?

“Megan, Alvin, would you let me talk to Matt,” some lady said who came in the room at some point. She looked very familiar to me but I couldn’t place her.

“Sure,” the doctor said and mom must have trust her as she left too.

“Hi Matt,” she said sitting on the stool next to the bed. “I’m pretty sure you don’t remember me but we have a history.”

I couldn’t place her yet but I felt safe with here. “Who are you?”

“Well Matt, I am Dr. Elizabeth Mason, but you can call me Liz.”

“Well, Liz, how do we know each other,” I was so confused.

“I am Psychiatrist, here at Children’s; you were under my care for a while.”

“I was? When?”

“Quite a few months ago and I helped you deal with a huge tragedy. I’ve been checking in on you daily.” She said and adjusted the chair.

“Tragedy?”

“Matt, when you lost your brother, you had a hard time dealing with it and shut the world out and stopped eating. Your parents brought you here to try and help you and you were doing well enough that I released you. Unfortunately the hospital assigned you an idiot of a therapist and I think you may have regressed a little but I don’t know for sure. You’ve been in a coma for over a year and I won’t know how you’re doing until I run full testing. So, first things first, you never told me you knew Coach Andrews.”

“Yeah, he is friends with my parents. I’ve known him my whole life.”

“So that cute boy, is that his son?”

“Brody? He’s a little young for you.”

“Not for me,” she laughed. “He’s been here every day and I’ve talked to him a few times when I’ve come to check on you.”

“Can you help me….” I couldn’t remember her name and felt like a deer in headlights.

“I sure can try. I’m going to write down my name so you work on remembering it. Do you remember everyone else who was in here before?”

“Sure; it was my mom, dad, and Mr. Andrews.”

“Good, do you remember your brothers?”

“Noah,” I said.

“The others?”

“Nathan and Nicky.”

“Ok, so we need to work on your short term memory but I think you’ll be ok. Promise not to throw a tantrum about Noah again?”

“No promises, Lizard.”

“It’s just Liz,” She said smiling. “I think there is some hope for you.”

Lizard, I mean Liz opened the door and stepped out. She said months or was it a year had gone by.

Mom, dad and Mr. Andrews came back in the room.

“How long?” I asked no one in particular.

“How long what sweetie,” Mom asked.

“Was I here,” I demanded.

There was some silence and they looked at each other.

“A year,” Dad said and I gasped.

“What?” I said looking back and forth between them.

“Mattie, it’s a long a story,” Mom said sitting in the chair just as Brody and Nathan came bounding in.

“What’s up?” Nathan asked. “Why’s it look like someone died?”

“Nathan!” Mom said in a panic.

“What? You all look sad is all. Can I sit here?”

“I guess,” I said and scooted over and he sat next to me and I could see the sadness in Brody’s eyes.

“I’ve missed you and I’m glad you’re ok. Uncle Ron and Uncle Tony said they are coming by this afternoon, I saw then when I dropped Nick off this morning.”

“Where did you see them?” I said confused.

“Uncle Tony is the Principal now, don’t you remember?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yeah he took over when that slime ball Hastings was dragged out in cuffs. Not before someone beat his ass,” Nathan said making eye contact with Brody.

That is when I took a look at his hands and could see a few scars. Brody quickly put his hands in his pockets and left the room.

“Why would someone beat Hastings?”

“Oh, you don’t remember?”

“Nathan,” Mom said voice rising. “Enough.”

“I think we need to leave Matt alone for a while,” Dad said.

“I just got here,” Nathan said protesting.

“We will be back later. Matt needs to rest and take some things in.”

“Take things in?” I was confused “I am not a tailor.”

Everyone laughed but it wasn’t funny. I pulled the blanket over my head and hid. I could hear everyone shuffle out but I could see a silhouette standing by the bed.

“Mattie,” Brody said. “I’m glad you’re ok and hope we can talk soon.” I heard him retreat and then I pulled the blanket off my head. I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes it was dark and there was someone there with me. It took a few minutes to focus but I gasped,

“Jonah”