The Choice Read Online Free PDF Page B

pushed. She went down hard and smacked her head on the concrete.”
    “Are you family?”
    “No, I don’t know her. I was just behind her in the airport.”
    “Is there any family we can contact?”
    “I don’t know. Hey Jesse, was there any ID in her pockets?”
    Jesse wandered in from the nurse’s station. “Nothing. Suppose if she doesn’t remember anything we can get her picture up on the news.”
    A tall, lanky orderly wheeled Marcie back in and helped her into bed.
    “Listen, is it common for someone to lose their memory from banging their head?”
    The intern was busy scratching notes onto Marcie’s chart. But when she looked up, with those twinkling light brown eyes, she gave Sam a pleasing smile. “Not necessarily. We’re only seeing symptoms of a mild head injury. I’ve seen nothing that makes me believe this is anything permanent.” The Barbie doll intern wore blue scrubs. She wiggled her rounded bottom a little extra as she wandered over to Marcie and shone her pen light in Marcie’s eyes.
    Sam shared an amusing glance with Jesse, and both pointed at the other.
    “Her pupils are normal and reactive. There’s been no vomiting. She’s sitting with relative ease. Do you have a headache, hon?”
    Marcie glanced up at Sam first before answering. “No, not overly bad.”
    “Very good. Your speech sounds clear, and I like your eye contact.”
    The intern stepped closer to Sam. “I don’t see anything leading me to believe this is more than a mild concussion. Memory loss can happen. But I’ve rarely seen it. Sometimes it can be an underlying psychological condition. I’ll ask the psychiatrist on call to do a psychological workup. Other than that, if the head CT comes back normal, she probably just needs a few days of rest. Her memory should return.”
    Sam watched the worry build up in Marcie’s shoulders. She hunched forward and played with a piece of lint on her blue hospital gown before looking helplessly at him. “I still don’t remember who I am, or why I was at the airport.”
    Sam was disturbed to see this vulnerability. He didn’t quite know what he’d do if everything familiar disappeared from his memory. So of course, he was embarrassed by the response hovering on his dry lips. Say goodbye. Wish her well, hell leave your number just in case she needs something. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t be that cruel.
    “Marcie, do you remember what the guy looked like who stole your purse?” Jesse crossed his arms.
    “Jesse, I’m pretty sure it was a backpack.” It was Jesse’s way to trap her, but Sam, too tired to play games, interrupted. He wanted this done.
    “Yes Sam, good thing you’re here, or we’d never get to the bottom of this.” Jesse snapped .
    Marcie’s eyes darted between the two of them. “I didn’t see anyone, and I don’t know what I had. The only thing I remember is seeing my hand covered in blood, and you stopping to help me.” Her hand flattened, palm up in a powerful gesture toward Sam. “I’m pretty sure my name’s Marcie. I don’t know my last name. I don’t know how I got to the airport, or how I ended up with my head cracked open. And I don’t even know if anyone’s looking for me.”
    The intern patted her hand. I’m going to have the psychiatrist come by and have a chat with you.”
    “Is that going to help me get my memory back and provide any of these answers?”
    Sam liked that spark of personality.
    “It’s too soon to tell, but psychiatrists can decipher all kinds of things going on in someone’s head that we can’t see.” The intern smiled warmly at Sam, ignoring Jesse who stood off to the side. Then she deliberately placed her back to Marcie, glancing down at Sam’s ring finger. “You know, there’s really nothing more you can do here, and I get off in an hour. Any chance you’d like to grab a coffee?”
    Jesse chuckled from the corner reminding Sam how easily women flocked to him. But it was the bright tears sparkling in