One Week Later
Louisa walked into the Emergency Department at Rampart General Hospital . She greeted Nurse Dixie McCall, who was busy updating a stack of patient charts. "Hey, Dix ," said Louisa with a tired smile. "Lucky you; the never ending chore," she chuckled.
"Hello, yourself," answered the nurse, putting down her pencil.
"Is Dr. Brackett around? I wanted to talk to him about something."
"He's in his office at the moment," replied Dixie . "But he has a meeting with the Administrator in fifteen minutes."
"This won't take even half that long," said the young woman. "Do you think he'd mind talking to me?"
Dixie smiled. "I think he'd welcome anything that would distract him from his meeting. He's always a bear before them, for some reason. Come to think of it, he's even worse after one of those meetings."
"Thanks, Dix ." Louisa knocked on Brackett's office door, then pushed it open.
The tall, dark-haired Head of Emergency looked up as his visitor entered his office, and rose to greet her. "Hi, Louisa . What can I do for you?" he asked with a smile.
"I know you have a meeting soon, so I won't take up too much of your time. I know how much you're looking forward to it," she joked.
" High point of my day," countered Brackett.
"Doc, I know you're not Hank's physician of record, but could you answer a question for me?"
"If I can," returned the doctor. "What's on your mind?"
Louisa paused, forming her query in her mind. "When I was in my coma, after I hit my head, I could hear some of what was going on around me. Do you think Hank is experiencing the same thing?" she asked.
Brackett leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. "It's entirely possible," he said. "I've read some of the studies done with coma patients, and a high percentage of them said that they were aware of what was going on around them."
"Is there any way you could get me a copy of that study, Doc? I'd really be interested in reading it for myself."
"I still have a copy in my files," answered the doctor. "Let me see if I can find it for you." Opening the top drawer of his massive file cabinet, he rummaged for a few minutes, then pulled out a stapled report. "Here we are. If you come to any terms you don't understand, feel free to call me and ask. Unless you still have you medical dictionary, that is."
Louisa reached out and took the article. She skimmed the first few paragraphs and smiled. "It looks pretty straight forward. Dr. Early gave me a Neurology text after I woke up from my coma. He said it might give me a better understanding of what happened to me. Thanks, Doc. I'll get this back to you as soon as possible." She stood up to leave. At the office door, she turned. "Oh, and by the way, have fun at your meeting," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Dr. Brackett laughed. "Yeah, about as much fun as a root canal in a heat wave," he laughed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Up in the Intensive Care Unit, Hank Stanley opened his eyes. He looked around, wondering where he was. The nurse on duty noticed the Captain's actions, and picked up the phone to page Dr. Early .
"Welcome back, Mr. Stanley ," she said, standing over his bed. "I'm Sheila , your nurse. Do you know where you are?"
Hank licked his dry lips and tried to answer. His voice emerged as a weak croak. "Hospital," he whispered. "Is that right?"
"Yes, sir. You're at Rampart, in the Intensive Care Unit," answered Sheila . " Dr. Early is on his way."
Dr. Joe Early came into the room, in response to the page. Seeing Sheila standing by Hank's bed, he smiled. "Welcome back, Hank," he said. "How do you feel?"
"Rotten," muttered Hank. "What happened? Why am I in the ICU?"
"You had a little accident at a warehouse fire a couple of weeks ago. Your crew, not to mention your wife, have been very worried about you, Captain."
Hank frowned. "I don't remember any fire," he said. "What happened?" he repeated.
Dr. Early turned to the nurse and whispered, " Sheila , call Mrs. Stanley and let her know her husband has regained consciousness. Then call Station 51 and fill them in. Both phone numbers are in his chart."
"Yes, Doctor. Right away," answered Sheila , returning to her station and picking up the phone.
"Doc, tell me why I'm here. I don't recall being at any fire," said Hank, anxiety coloring his voice.
Dr. Early pulled a chair close to the bed. "A ceiling support beam fell on you, that's what happened. You sustained a head injury, a broken shoulder, and numerous cuts and bruises," he said.
"That explains the headache," replied Captain Stanley . He looked around, his eyes darting around the room. "Is my wife here?" he asked.
" Sheila is calling her right now, Hank. She'll be here shortly."
Twenty minutes later, Louisa walked through the heavy ICU doors. Dr. Early rose to intercept her, guiding her back out into the hallway.
"Is Hank really awake, Doc? Is he all right?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Sit down Louisa . Yes, Hank is awake, but he doesn't remember the accident. He's a little out of sorts right now, but I think seeing you will do a world of good."
"He doesn't remember? That's a surprise. What does that mean in regard to his prognosis?"
"I see you've been making good use of your medical dictionary," smiled Early. "It looks good right now, but time will tell if Hank will make a full recovery. Now, go in and see your husband."
Louisa slowly approached her husband's hospital bed, smiling slightly. Hank stared up at her, his brows drawing together in a confused frown.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Are you a nurse?"
The young woman's eyes widened in alarm. "No, honey, I'm not a nurse, at least not yet. Don't you recognize me? It's Louisa ," she said softly.
" Louisa ? I'm sorry, have we met before?" questioned Hank.
"I certainly hope so," answered Louisa . "After all, we've been married for over a year."
Hank shook his head vehemently "No, you're not my wife. I've never seen you before in my life!" he stated angrily. "My wife's name is Sarah , not Louisa !"
Dr. Early reached out and grasped the young woman's elbow. "Wait out in the hall, please," he whispered.
Louisa left the room, biting her lip. She saw Hank's crew coming down the hallway, and tried to compose herself. "Why doesn't Hank remember me?" she thought. "And why does he think he's still married to Sarah ?"
" Lou , how's Cap?" asked John Gage . "We got a call that he's out of his coma?"
"He is, Johnny , but I'm not sure exactly what to think at this point." She blinked, tears welling in her eyes. " Dr. Early told me that Hank doesn't have an recollection of the accident. And he doesn't know who I am either," she sobbed. "He said he's never seen me before!"
Roy Desoto gently patted her shoulder. "Cap has amnesia?" he asked, shocked.
"I don't know what he has, Roy . I was told his CAT scan didn't show any significant brain damage."
Just then, Dr. Early emerged from the ICU. " Louisa , could I speak to you privately for a moment?" he asked, his face set in a deep frown.
"What's wrong with my husband?" demanded Louisa . "Why can't he remember me?"
"Calm down. I had a talk with him, and I believe he is suffering from a condition called Post-Traumatic Amnesia, or PTA," replied Early. "It's not all that uncommon with comatose patients. If you remember, you had a mild case yourself, after your head injury. From what I can gather from talking to Hank, he doesn't remember anything about the past two years."
"Oh my God," breathed Louisa . "Is it permanent, or is there some kind of therapy we can try?"
"Usually, PTA doesn't last, unless there is damage to the cognitive areas of the brain. Hank's CAT scan didn't show any signs of that. I'll be scheduling some tests to get a grasp on just how serious his condition really is."
"What do we do until then, Doc?" put in Marco Lopez .
"Right now, we try not to upset him. If the tests come back negative, the treatment is usually therapy to reorient the patient. That means we make him feel comfortable, try to keep him from becoming agitated, and try to help him regain the memories that he has lost."
Dr. Early , you said this doesn't usually last. What exactly does this sort of thing last?" asked Louisa , her face pale and drawn.
"PTA can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, sometimes even less. Hank may regain parts of his memory bit by bit, or they could all come back at once. What is important now, is not to confuse him by attempting to force him to recall what he's lost."
The young woman paused, digesting what Dr. Early had just said. She nodded. "Okay, what's the first step? After the tests, I mean."
"Right now, we wait until the Captain is a little stronger," said Dr. Early . "Then, begin with regular visits from family members and friends. That shouldn't be difficult, but the fact that Hank still thinks he's married to Sarah complicates things. He clearly does not recall that she is no longer alive."
"If he doesn't remember that, I don't think we should tell him right away," replied Louisa . "It wouldn't be good to upset him at this point. It would just delay his recovery."
"You're absolutely right, Louisa . I think it would also be best if you stayed away for now, too. I know that upsets you, but it's crucial that Hank isn't confused by your presence."
"I'll do whatever you feel is necessary," answered Louisa . "I want Hank to get better, but if my being here confuses him, I can understand that."
"Okay, let me order those tests so we can see what we're dealing with here. Gentlemen, if you'd like to see Captain Stanley , go in one at a time, and keep your visits brief."
"Okay, Doc," agreed the men. Marco slid his arm around his sister's shoulders, hugging her gently. "Don't worry, Lou . Cap will remember. It will just take some time, that's all."
Louisa smiled faintly. "I know, Marco . It just scared the daylights out of me when he woke up and didn't know who I was."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Three Days Later
Louisa stood outside of Hank's hospital room, waiting for Dr. Early to return with Dr. Leslie Franklin , who was to be Hank's therapist. Louisa had worked with Dr. Franklin after her kidnapping and had a high opinion of the psychiatrist. She paced nervously, listening as Chief McConikee spoke with Hank inside.
"So, how you feeling, Hank?" asked McConikee.
"All right, I guess," answered Hank. "My headaches are better, but I still don't remember the fire or that beam falling on me. The boys filled me in, but it's still a blank."
"Give it time, Captain. It'll come back. Has your wife been in to see you?"
"That depends on which wife you're talking about. I finally remembered Sarah 's death, but I'm still not exactly sure just who that Louisa woman is." The Captain paused, running a hand through his hair. "Everything is just so hazy right now. My instincts tell me that she's someone important, but I can't figure out just what she means to me."
"Be patient, Hank. Don't you start therapy with Dr. Franklin today? Maybe she can put things into perspective for you."
"Yeah, this afternoon. I don't understand why, but the name Franklin sounds vaguely familiar."
The men looked up as Dr. Early came into the room, followed by a tall, auburn-haired woman Hank assumed was Dr. Franklin .
"Hello, Chief, "greeted Early. "Hank, this is Dr. Leslie Franklin . She's done some work with patients in your situation before, with great success, so I think she might be able to help you."
"Hello, Captain Stanley ," said Dr. Franklin . "We've met before. Do you remember?"
Hank frowned, searching his foggy memory. "I'm not sure, Doctor. You name is familiar, but beyond that, it's still hazy."
Dr. Franklin smiled. "That's all right; it will come back to you. Now, what do you remember?"
Hank sighed. "Just that I'm a Captain at Station 51, and the names of my crew, mostly. I recall losing my wife about two years ago, along with the circumstances."
McConikee got to his feet. "I better be going. Dr. Franklin , it was a pleasure to meet you. Hank, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call."
"Thanks for stopping by, Chief. If you see my crew, tell them not to worry so much," said Hank with a grin. "One thing I can remember is how much those boys worry about each other, and me."
"Sure thing, Hank," answered McConikee. The Chief left, smiling at Louisa as he passed her in the hall.
"Okay, Captain. Is it all right if I call you Hank? Or do you prefer Captain?" questioned Dr. Franklin .
"Hank is fine. I suspect we'll be working together for a while, so we should be on a first name basis."
"Fine. What is the last thing you can clearly remember?"
"I recall going to work, and Marco Lopez was saying something about his sister coming to visit from Montana , I think it was. Yes, definitely Montana . Gage said something about being from there as well, and I believe that he has a relative there, too."
Dr. Franklin wrote quickly, taking notes on a small notepad balanced on her lap. "Please continue."
Hank paused, his eyes shut tight as he remembered something else. "I remember meeting her," he whispered. "Her name is…… Louisa !" he exclaimed. "So that's who she is," he mused. "She worked on a horse ranch, and she teased Kelly about scalping him!" said Hank, his words coming as fast as machine gun bursts.
Dr. Franklin stopped writing. "She's outside, Hank. Would you like me to ask her to come in?"
"Yes, please. Now that I know who she is, it might trigger something."
The doctor rose and walked over to the door. Seeing Louisa leaning against the opposite wall, she gestured for the young woman to enter the room.
Hank looked up as Louisa came into the room. She smiled at him hesitantly, but didn't speak. Hank reached out and offered her his hand. "Please, come closer. You're Marco 's sister, from Montana , is that correct?"
Louisa stared at him in surprise. "That's right!" she gasped. "What else do you remember about me?" she asked.
"I think someone was trying to hurt you in some way, but it's not very clear. An old boyfriend?" said the Captain slowly.
"Yes, a man by the name of Tom Parker . He was angry because he thought I was responsible for sending him to prison."
Hank nodded. "It's kind of fuzzy, but it had something to do with a warehouse?" He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. "He kidnapped you! And took you to a warehouse near the airport!"
Louisa 's eyes filled with tears, recalling the terror she had felt during that time in her life. Hank gazed at her, confused by her reaction.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said. "Are you okay?"
Louisa smiled, blinking away the moisture. "No, it's all right. That person can't hurt me anymore. He's safely locked away where he can't do anymore damage."
"I'm glad to hear that," smiled the Captain. "Didn't you drive some sort of old car? I can't recall, but wasn't it red?"
"My red Mustang. I was driving it the day Parker took me."
"I thought so. Dr. Franklin , can we stop for now? I'm getting tired. Louisa …..I'm sorry. I don't even know your last name. Louisa Lopez doesn't sound right, for some reason."
"It's Martin . Louisa Nicole Martin Stan ……." The young woman stopped, biting her lip.
Louisa Nicole ," echoed Hank. "That's a pretty name. Can I call you Nikki ?"
"You can call me whatever you want, as long as it makes you feel comfortable," answered Louisa . "I'd like to come visit you again, if Dr. Franklin will allow it."
"Certainly, but now Hank needs to rest. I'll stop by before I leave for the day," said Dr. Franklin , her eyes bright with optimism.
The two women left the room and went into the lounge at the end of the hallway.
"So, what's your opinion, Dr. Franklin ? Do you think Hank will remember everything?" asked Louisa , nervously chewing on a fingernail.
"It's too soon to make an accurate prognosis, but I'm confident that most, if not all, of his memory will return. He's already making good progress. I'd like you to continue sitting in on my sessions with him, if you could spare the time. I know you have two babies to take care of at home. Congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks. I'll do whatever it takes to help my husband. No matter how long it takes."
"I thought you would feel that way, Mrs. Stanley . But I want you to understand, under no circumstances, are you to push him into anything he isn't comfortable with. It could lead to a serious setback," cautioned the doctor.
"No, no, you're right. I've done some research on this, so I have some understanding of what to expect," replied Louisa . "If you can help Hank the way you helped me, I'm sure he'll make a complete recovery."
Dr. Franklin laughed softly. "A lot depends on Hank himself, Louisa . But thank you for the vote of confidence."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Over the next few days, Hank's memory improved by leaps and bounds. With Dr. Franklin 's permission, John Gage showed the man some photographs that he had taken since Louisa had come to Los Angeles . Hank's interest peaked when he saw some images that had been taken at the Fireman's Picnic.
"I recall some of that day," commented Hank. "We played baseball against Station 36, and Nikki , I mean Louisa , made a bet with one of their paramedics." He smiled. " Sanchez ! She made the bet with Miguel Sanchez ! He was teasing her about her ability to play the game."
"That's right, Cap," grinned Johnny . "Anything else you remember?"
" Kelly hit her with a ball, and she got hurt. And while everyone else was watching the fireworks, we talked about Sarah ." The Captain grinned triumphantly.
"Right again. Chet felt really bad, but he perked up when Louisa made her bet with Sanchez . Miguel was pretty bummed about getting beat by a girl," chuckled Gage, recalling the look of complete disbelief on the paramedic's face.
" John , can I ask you a serious question?" said Hank, looking down at his hands.
"Sure, Cap. What do you want to know?"
"Something else happened, a while after the picnic. I think you and Louisa went horseback riding? The rest is kind of hazy. Can you tell me about that?"
Gage studied his own hands for a long moment, unsure what to say. He finally took a deep breath, and said, " Yeah, we did. She slipped on some loose gravel and hit her head. She was in the hospital for a while. I blamed myself because I didn't warn her about the trail."
"But she's fine now, right? I vaguely remember visiting her, but it's not all that clear."
"You did visit her, Cap. You were there at her bedside whenever you were off-duty," answered Gage slowly.
Hank sat quietly, gasping as a very vivid memory floated into his mind. " Marco caught us holding hands," he whispered. "And he wasn't happy about it."
Just then, Marco himself walked into the room. He stopped short, apologizing for interrupting.
"No, come in, Marco . Gage was just showing me some pictures. Have a seat."
Marco pulled a chair over to the men and sat down. He stared at his Captain, wondering how much the man remembered. "How's it going, Cap?" he asked.
"Pretty well, pal. I think things are starting to become clearer now."
"That's great!" enthused the Latino man. "By the way, Louisa is outside. She didn't want to interrupt you and Johnny ."
"Well, tell her to come in! The more the merrier!" grinned Hank.
Marco went out into the hall and returned, Louisa in tow. The young woman was dressed in white jeans and a white blouse, her hair pinned back from her face, a few stray wisps curling around her cheeks. Hank's eyes widened, as everything came back in a rush.
"I remember!" he shouted. " Louisa and I got married in the Station. She was wearing white cowboy boots under her dress because her shoes pinched her feet! It's all coming back now. The trouble with Parker, our wedding, the trial, everything !" Hank's eyes filled with happy tears as he grinned. "I even remember us fighting about you going back to school, sweetheart!"
"Oh my God!" gasped Louisa . "You're sure? Johnny , go find Dr. Early ! Oh, Hank!" she said, leaning down to hug her husband. "I knew it was only a matter of time!"
"Honey, I just want to tell you, I'm sorry that I was so against you going back to college. I was being foolish. Can you ever forgive me?" asked Hank, his gaze settled on Louisa 's face.
"Forgive you ? I'm the one who was to blame for that, Hank. I'm just sorry that it took you getting hurt, not to mention a talk with Dixie McCall, to realize that," whispered Louisa , tears running down her face.
Dr. Early entered the room, followed by Dr. Franklin . "Hank, Johnny tells me you remember everything. Is that right?" he asked.
"Sure is, Doc. And now I know why Dr. Franklin seemed so familiar. She helped Louisa after she was kidnapped. Looks like she performed another miracle with me," replied Hank with a broad grin. "Thanks a million, Dr. Franklin , not just for helping my wife, but giving me back my life."
The psychiatrist smiled. "You did that yourself, Captain. I just gave you a push in the right direction."
"Still, it was a big push. Now, I just have one question."
"What's that?" asked Dr. Early .
"When can I go home?" said Hank, loud laughter following his statement.
"I'd like to run some more tests, but if everything looks good, how does….tomorrow morning sound?"
"Like a gift from Heaven," answered Hank, pulling his wife down onto his lap. "That okay with you, sweetheart?"
"You better believe it, hose jockey."