Don't Forget Me

The next morning, I awoke to a thunderstorm coming through the area. The thunder rumbled as I remove the covers from my bed and get up. I look out the wow and watched the rain fall from the sky and onto the pavement below. I thought about what Zack said last night, that Laney potentially has a case of amnesia and that explains why she was so pissed. Taking her to a doctor is our main concern right now, just so we can get this fully diagnosed and figure out ways to possibly jog her memory. Zack and I ate, got ready, and headed out into a dull, rainy atmosphere. I let Zack drive his car so I didn't waste any time panicking before driving.

"Yeah, just down the street here, yup. There it is." I pointed to the building where I last saw Delaney. Zack parks the car on the edge of the road and we both get out and run for cover from the rain. We reached the door and opened it to a very nasty and dirty lobby with a staircase winding up for three floors. There were two apartments for each floor, so we had six chances to find Delaney.

I knock on the first door to my left and a few seconds later, a nice looking elderly woman answers the door.
"Oh hello, can I help you young men with anything?" Her overall demeanor was pretty inviting, so we had no reason to worry.
"Yes hi, I was wondering if you happen to know of a young woman who lives in this building. She's 18, has brown hair, a fair complexion, and has a tattoo on her leg." I hoped for a positive response.
"Why, as a matter of fact I do! She lives just right above me with another older couple! I've seen her with them and they treat her so well!"
"Well that's all I wanted to know, ma'am. Thank you so much!"
"Any time, to the both of you!"
Zack and I climb the stairs to the second floor and stopped right in front of the door. I started getting nervous.
"You okay, Alex?" Zack seemed a little concerned with how I was taking this.
"Uh, yeah, can you knock for me please?"
Zack knocks at the door, and we waited about ten seconds before I hear an older man's voice.
"I got it, Sarah, don't worry!" I hear his voice through the door and I start to get more nervous. The door opens and there to invite us was a man about 70, graying hair, and big pair of glasses hanging off his nose.
"Uh good morning, sir," Zack greeted the man with a smile.
"Good morning, can I help you boys with anything?"
I decided to speak up. "Do you happen to have a young girl living with you? We just talked with a lady downstairs and she said she's in this apartment?"
"Oh! You mean Delaney?" The man exclaimed with such joy on his face.
"Yeah! Well you see, I'm Delaney's fiancé, Alex. This is her brother, Zack. Five months ago, Laney was in a car accident and she left the scene before anyone could actually arrive to retrieve her. I've been searching for her for five months like I said and just last night, I found her crossing the street and I almost hit her. I got out of the car, elated that she was okay, but she totally bashed on me and didn't even know who I was! I swear on my life it's Delaney, but she treated me like a stranger. I have all her paperwork if you need any sort of proof, but Delaney and I were suppose to get married in a couple months and......and......oh God, I just want her to remember us." I broke down crying in front of a man I barely knew. Zack held me as I continued to cry. I saw the look in the old man's eyes, sympathy engulfed them and I can tell it hit him hard. Just them, the man's wife comes around the corner to see what's going on.
"Harold, what's going on?" Sarah asked, taking off her apron.
"Sarah, these two boys know Delaney! Zack here is her brother, and Alex is her fiancé. What they said explains why Delaney is the way she is!"
Sarah looks at Harold with a shocked expression. "What? You can't be serious!"
"Yes, it's true! Just look at the proof!"
I showed Harold and Sarah all of Laney's things, and as I showed them more things, the more surprised they got, especially Sarah.
"Well I'll be damned..." said Sarah, shaking her head. "I'm so glad you found her and told us this or we would have never known. What are going to do about this?"
"We need to take her to the doctor to diagnose her amnesia. It's the only probable thing. Does she only remember her name?"
"As far as I'm concerned, yes," replied Harold.
"As it goes, the only thing some people with amnesia can only remember as much as their name, so that's a start," said Zack.
Harold turns around and looks over his shoulder and then back at me.
"Well....would you like to see her?" asked Harold.
My heart literally sank from my chest and into my stomach, but I have to get Laney back.
"Yes please," I said. I had a lump in my throat the size of a bowling ball it seemed like.
"I'll get her," offered Sarah, and she turns around. "Delaney, sweetie! Can you come here?"
I waited patiently as what it seemed like centuries past before I heard the opening of a door and the creak of it its hinges are forever engraved into my mind.

Notes