Chapter 7

“I see you’re feeling better,” Doctor Silver said as he walked into the room.

James looked up and nodded, “Yes sir, much more aware than over the last couple of days. Although I do ache a little but nothing is causing me much pain.”

“Good to know,” the Doctor said as he sat down.

“So, what’s the schedule for today?”

The doctor smiled and noted how James had directed and took control of the conversation, “Aa very special day today.”

“You’re releasing me?”

“No, not quite that special,” Silver chuckled. “No, today we’re bringing in your parents.”

“Plural?”

“Indeed,” Silver nodded. “We managed to contact your father and he’s agreed to come in as part of your treatment to try and trigger any memories.”

James nodded.

“So, I’m curious,” James said.

“Oh?”

“Will he come in and announce with a song and a dance,” James continued. “I’m your daddy? Or will he simply walk in?”

“That would give away the surprise wouldn’t it?”

James turned to Silver, “You’re not my father are you?”

“Heavens, no,” Silver actually laughed at that.

“So the question of the day is,” James said, “who is your daddy.”

Silver snorted and shook his head.

“I still find it odd.”

“What?”

“I’m able to recollect information, casual phrases, hell, even slang and swear words,” James told him. “Knowledge that I’ve learned from some school, but I can’t recall the faces of my parents.”

Silver nodded, “Try not to worry about it too much, it’ll come with time.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

James smiled.

Silver left the room and went down to a small waiting area where he had James’ parents waiting. He took James mother aside to talk to her since his father was down the hall getting a cup of coffee.

“How is he doing?”

Dr. Silver sighed. “He’s doing much better, although he’s unable to remember anything about you or his family.”

“Why were we waiting so long?”

“I wanted to see if any memories would trigger without outside stimuli,” he said. “Truth be told, his memory now is simply amazing. Tell him anything and he can recall it with but a moment’s thought.”

“Maybe it’s God’s gift,” she reasoned.

“How do you figure?”

“The lord, in his infinite wisdom,” she answered, turning to the room, “took away his memories and gifted him with the ability to remember perfectly.”

“The fact is, he can now make new ones and remember them always,” Silver said. “ You can call it a divine gift or just a fluke in the way his brain recovered. I know of no way we can know for sure.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I never used to believe in any sort of afterlife, but now? Now, I’m not so sure.”

He nodded.

They walked over to the door and heard singing.

Every rose has its thorn

Just like every night has its dawn

Just like every cowboy sings his same sad old song

James had the bed up and sat up properly, his mother walked in and smiled. He had recognized her voice from the hallway, “James do you know who this is?”

“Yes,” he said. “This is my mother.”

“Indeed.”

“Hello, mom, nice to see you.”

She smiled and nodded as she walked over and sat down, “Hello, James, it’s nice to see you too.”

“How did you know she was your mother?”

“I recognized her voice,” James said. At the look on her face he shook his head. “Not like that, during my birthday party I overheard one of the nurses talking to you, they called you Rebecca.”

“You were aware?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I was just starting to regain consciousness.”

‘Such grown up words,’ she noted.

“How do you feel now?”

“Tired,” he shrugged. “But I’ve been that way all week. I’ve not been able to get out of bed other than to use the bathroom. That’s what is the most frustrating.”

“Why is that?” asked Rebecca.

“His muscles atrophied,” the Doctor explained. “He will need time to build them back up and reclaim his endurance.

James nodded. “Where have you been?”

“I’ve been here every day,” she said, lifting her chin. “But today I was told to give you some time to see if any memories surfaced.”

“Nothing new,” he flinched. “Bad pun.”

She snorted.

“James?”

James looked at Silver.

“Your father is here.”

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“Tis some visitor,’ James said aloud and then thought to himself, `tapping at my chamber door - only this, and nothing more.’

Doctor Silver frowned but nodded.

James nodded.

The man walked in. He wore a light blue long sleeved western shirt, with a black string tie held together with a large turquoise stone. On his head was a white Stetson and black western boots on his feet. Around his waist was a black leather belt with a large silver buckle that had an inlay in gold of a man riding a bucking horse. There was some writing on the buckle, but it was hard to make out without leaning in closer. James could only think of a wanna-be cowboy, the over dressing the part, how fancy the clothes were. It was obvious they would never work as working clothes for a real cowboy. He was sure that this man had never actually been on a horse. ‘What a phony,’ James thought to himself, ‘but I have to admit that he looks like he’s in pretty good shape.’