Forgetting Faith
He Doesn't Remember
Lorraine sat on the cold hard plastic chair near Jeff’s hospital bed, she held onto his hand tightly as she stared at his peaceful body unconscious in front of her. Elaine stood behind her, her hand firmly placed on Lorraine’s shoulder for support, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what Lorraine was going through having to watch her boyfriend hooked up to multiple machines and tubes not knowing if he’d ever wake up.
“Lor, I’m going to go check on Sage, I’ll be back soon.” Elaine informed, Lorraine nodded her head but didn’t say a word, Elaine gently squeezed her best friends shoulder before walking out of the room.
The two of them had spent days in the hospital, Elaine had walked back and forth from Jeff’s room to Sage’s room a thousand times since she’d arrived, she knew her way around the hospital in a matter of a day.
It had been days since she got the call from Lorraine, Elaine was in Pittsburgh with her boyfriend watching the 2014 Olympics when the accident happened, when she heard the news she booked the first flight out to Toronto and has been at the hospital ever since.
She gently knocked on the door before entering the room, Sage sat up in her bed watching the hockey game on the TV provided in her room, Megan sat in the chair beside her, both of their attention fixed on the game. They greeted her when she walked in and pulled up a chair for her to have a seat; Elaine sat in the chair beside Sage and crossed one leg over the other.
“Canada’s winning.” Megan playfully spat, every one of them were born and raised Canadians, Megan on the other hand was the only American, she wasn’t too thrilled to see the lead Canada had against her team.
Sage had gotten lucky, both of them did. Statistically Jeff shouldn’t be alive right now, most people in his position didn’t survive an accident the way he did. The doctors have informed his family that Jeff indeed had gotten lucky, but he was still in a coma and there was a chance he wouldn’t wake up from it. Sage on the other hand was in a better condition, she had suffered multiple broken bones, some internal bleeding but they fixed her up and would be able to leave soon.
Suddenly there was a scene going on outside in the hallway, Megan got up from her seat and ran towards the door to see what was going on. As she looked out into the hallway she noticed it was coming from where Jeff was located, instantly she became worried.
“Stay with Sage, I’ll be right back.” Megan spoke to Elaine; she quickly closed the door and jogged down the hall.
She noticed Lorraine seated in one of the chairs outside the room, she was hunched over her head in her hands sobbing, “Lor, what’s going on?” Megan asked nervously, there was a lump in her throat, she was terrified to hear that Jeff hadn’t made it.
“He woke up,” Lorraine cried, Megan let out a huge sigh of relief, it was just the news she had hoped to hear, “but he doesn’t remember.” Lorraine cried harder.
“He doesn’t remember what?” Megan asked confused.
“Everything.”
-
It had been weeks since Jeff got out of the hospital; he had been going to physical therapy and counseling with Sage to help deal with the traumatic event.
“I found more pictures!” His mom cheered as she brought photo albums into the living room, she sat down beside him on the couch and set the albums in front of him.
Jeff grabbed one and flipped through the pictures, but he couldn’t remember it, any of it, he didn’t remember his girlfriend, his family, he didn’t remember himself. His mom looked at him with hopeful eyes, he hated having to disappoint her, although he didn’t remember her he felt this closeness towards her and it hurt him to see her so devastated.
“It’ll come back to you soon.” Mrs. Skinner faked a smile and got up from the couch, she walked away not wanting her son to see her so upset.
There was a knock on the door, Jeff called out to his mom letting her know that he would answer it; he walked over and opened the door, behind it stood the girl who was with him when the accident took place, he tried to remember her name but ended up with nothing.
“Hey Skins.” She greeted with a smile.
“Skins. “ Jeff whispered to himself, something about the name hit him hard, his head rushed with thoughts trying to remember where he had heard it before, it was all too familiar to him.
Sage smiled sadly, “It was what I used to call you.”
Sage and Jeff had grown up together, they were practically inseparable, Jeff had always been there for Sage even when his career kicked off and wasn’t around as much, he always managed to be there when she needed him most. Sage didn’t have many friends up until she met Elaine and Lorraine who later introduced her to Megan; she never minded her lack of friends because she had him, Jeff not remembering her hurt a lot more than she would admit.
“Is that Sage?” Mrs. Skinner called out from the kitchen, “Tell her about the game.”
Sage raised an eyebrow wondering what she was talking about, Jeff smiled and motioned for her to follow him inside, he grabbed an envelope off the coffee table and handed it to her. She opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets to an upcoming Blackhawks game.
“We’ve been invited to a game by the Captain himself.” Jeff explained.
Sage shook her head and passed the tickets back to him, “You should take Lorraine with you.”
“I can’t, he specifically asked for you to come with me.” Sage smiled flattered, she had no idea why the captain of the Blackhawks wanted her at one of his games, she didn’t even know he knew of her existence.
Jeff wrapped his arm around Sage’s shoulder, “Now let’s get going to counseling.”
“Lor, I’m going to go check on Sage, I’ll be back soon.” Elaine informed, Lorraine nodded her head but didn’t say a word, Elaine gently squeezed her best friends shoulder before walking out of the room.
The two of them had spent days in the hospital, Elaine had walked back and forth from Jeff’s room to Sage’s room a thousand times since she’d arrived, she knew her way around the hospital in a matter of a day.
It had been days since she got the call from Lorraine, Elaine was in Pittsburgh with her boyfriend watching the 2014 Olympics when the accident happened, when she heard the news she booked the first flight out to Toronto and has been at the hospital ever since.
She gently knocked on the door before entering the room, Sage sat up in her bed watching the hockey game on the TV provided in her room, Megan sat in the chair beside her, both of their attention fixed on the game. They greeted her when she walked in and pulled up a chair for her to have a seat; Elaine sat in the chair beside Sage and crossed one leg over the other.
“Canada’s winning.” Megan playfully spat, every one of them were born and raised Canadians, Megan on the other hand was the only American, she wasn’t too thrilled to see the lead Canada had against her team.
Sage had gotten lucky, both of them did. Statistically Jeff shouldn’t be alive right now, most people in his position didn’t survive an accident the way he did. The doctors have informed his family that Jeff indeed had gotten lucky, but he was still in a coma and there was a chance he wouldn’t wake up from it. Sage on the other hand was in a better condition, she had suffered multiple broken bones, some internal bleeding but they fixed her up and would be able to leave soon.
Suddenly there was a scene going on outside in the hallway, Megan got up from her seat and ran towards the door to see what was going on. As she looked out into the hallway she noticed it was coming from where Jeff was located, instantly she became worried.
“Stay with Sage, I’ll be right back.” Megan spoke to Elaine; she quickly closed the door and jogged down the hall.
She noticed Lorraine seated in one of the chairs outside the room, she was hunched over her head in her hands sobbing, “Lor, what’s going on?” Megan asked nervously, there was a lump in her throat, she was terrified to hear that Jeff hadn’t made it.
“He woke up,” Lorraine cried, Megan let out a huge sigh of relief, it was just the news she had hoped to hear, “but he doesn’t remember.” Lorraine cried harder.
“He doesn’t remember what?” Megan asked confused.
“Everything.”
-
It had been weeks since Jeff got out of the hospital; he had been going to physical therapy and counseling with Sage to help deal with the traumatic event.
“I found more pictures!” His mom cheered as she brought photo albums into the living room, she sat down beside him on the couch and set the albums in front of him.
Jeff grabbed one and flipped through the pictures, but he couldn’t remember it, any of it, he didn’t remember his girlfriend, his family, he didn’t remember himself. His mom looked at him with hopeful eyes, he hated having to disappoint her, although he didn’t remember her he felt this closeness towards her and it hurt him to see her so devastated.
“It’ll come back to you soon.” Mrs. Skinner faked a smile and got up from the couch, she walked away not wanting her son to see her so upset.
There was a knock on the door, Jeff called out to his mom letting her know that he would answer it; he walked over and opened the door, behind it stood the girl who was with him when the accident took place, he tried to remember her name but ended up with nothing.
“Hey Skins.” She greeted with a smile.
“Skins. “ Jeff whispered to himself, something about the name hit him hard, his head rushed with thoughts trying to remember where he had heard it before, it was all too familiar to him.
Sage smiled sadly, “It was what I used to call you.”
Sage and Jeff had grown up together, they were practically inseparable, Jeff had always been there for Sage even when his career kicked off and wasn’t around as much, he always managed to be there when she needed him most. Sage didn’t have many friends up until she met Elaine and Lorraine who later introduced her to Megan; she never minded her lack of friends because she had him, Jeff not remembering her hurt a lot more than she would admit.
“Is that Sage?” Mrs. Skinner called out from the kitchen, “Tell her about the game.”
Sage raised an eyebrow wondering what she was talking about, Jeff smiled and motioned for her to follow him inside, he grabbed an envelope off the coffee table and handed it to her. She opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets to an upcoming Blackhawks game.
“We’ve been invited to a game by the Captain himself.” Jeff explained.
Sage shook her head and passed the tickets back to him, “You should take Lorraine with you.”
“I can’t, he specifically asked for you to come with me.” Sage smiled flattered, she had no idea why the captain of the Blackhawks wanted her at one of his games, she didn’t even know he knew of her existence.
Jeff wrapped his arm around Sage’s shoulder, “Now let’s get going to counseling.”