** Carol and Doug have renewed their relationship…
**paramnesia is amnesia where one can remember familiar things, but memories of them are distorted

If Memory Serves Me Right

Carol and Doug have been together for 3 months already, when one day, Carol receives a call from her relatives in New York. She has to go there for a week-and-a-half long family reunion. She doesn't want to leave Doug behind, because she knows that she'll miss him dearly. Despite wanting to trust Doug fully and believe that he will hold true to her, Carol still has a hint of fear. Will he behave? Will someone come along and take him away from her? She's hesitant to go, but after gentle prodding from Doug, she reluctantly agrees to go.

"You'll miss me, won't you, Doug?" she asks, trying to stall for time. But she knows she needs the reassurance.
"Of course I will, Carol. This is harder for me than it is for you. Trust me." He secretly slips something into Carol's during-flight novel. Turning around to face her again, he says, "But ten days will pass by really quickly, and before you know it, you'll be back here in Chicago, back here with me."
Carol looks back at Doug, and then looks away. She bites down on her lip, just a bit. "I guess so. But will you be…um....alright? What will you do when you're off work?"
He eyes her silently. She seems worried, scared. Doug knows that Carol isn't afraid of heights, or airplanes, so it can't be her flight that's bothering her. It must be something deeper. "Don't worry, Carol. I'll be fine. It isn't hard for me to find things to do…I'll keep myself busy," he says.
That's exactly what she fears. What if one night, Doug has nothing to do, and decides to go down to the bar? Yes, she knows that he had promised her not to get drunk ever again, but one small beer leads to another small beer, and eventually, knowing Doug, he would end up drinking a whole case. If she wasn't there to admonish him, who knows if he'd get drunk and mistakenly pick up a lady at the bar? Carol's heart falls steadily, as she continues to discourage herself. "I……"
Doug senses something really wrong. He hugs her warmly, and says, "Carol, it's time you got going." He feels so sorry that he can't drive her to the airport, but instead has to meet with Mark, Kerry and Anspaugh via video conferencing. If Kerry hadn't been on his back the whole week, he could be driving Carol now. Doug hopes that Carol doesn't mind.
She doesn't say anything, but clings on to him, hugging him tightly, breathing in his scent. It may very well be the last time she'll be able to do this, if things turn out as she fears. "Ok," she whispers. Unwillingly, Carol lets go of Doug, and picks up her bag. She turns around, and starts to walk out to the front door. She's leaving now, and she'll be back in 10 days. Carol silently thinks to herself. Please, Doug, please wait for me to come back. Cause I love you…
"Carol?" His voice shatters her thoughts, and her fears.
She spins around, looking not at him, but at the wall behind him. Carol remains still, waiting for his next sentence. Is there anything he wants to say to her?
"You forgot your book. I know you can't stand not reading during a flight." He hands Carol her book. He hopes that she'll open it soon, so she can discover what he has just slipped in for her.
She's crushed, and accepts the book from him. "Thank you," she says, dejected. Then Carol turns around again, and makes her way to the door. Turning the doorknob dreadfully, she prepares to leave Doug. Possibly forever…
As he watches her leave, without making a sound, Doug's heart aches. He won't be able to see Carol, hold her, or be with her for 10 days. He wonders why she looked so sad, and why he felt her hold on to him tighter than usual. Perhaps she's thinking about how much she'll miss him, too? Doug studies Carol's beautiful dark curls, and realizes how much she means to him, and how much he loves her. He sighs. He has never been brave enough to tell Carol those three words, and wonders if she knows just how he feels for her.
Carol steps out of the door, and is greeted by a cold gust of wind beating at her cheeks. She thinks about how Doug didn't even say goodbye. But then again, she herself hasn't told him goodbye, either. She has an excuse, though. She can't let him go so quickly. Then without warning, she feels a pair of arms around her waist, pulling her close. She hears Doug's voice whisper in her ear fondly, "Bye, Carol. I'll miss you so much. But I'll wait for you to come back." He pulls her closer, and with his chin on her shoulder, his warm cheek against her cold cheek, he says softly, "I love you, Carol."
She doesn't bother fighting back her tears, and turns around slightly, to look Doug in his eyes. "Oh Doug, I love you too. I'll miss you not being there with me, to hold me, and kiss me, and cheer me up," Carol says, crying lightly and smiling at the same time.
They look at each other affectionately, happy that the other loves them, and then they kiss. When Doug pulls away gently, he wipes Carol's teary cheeks with his fingers, and licks a tear that has fallen down to her lips. Then he says, "Don't cry salty tears, Carol. Cry happy tears. Those are sweet."
She sniffs, then looks back at Doug, smiling. "I've…got to…go now, Doug." she says, sniffling between her words. Carol kisses him lightly, before they pull away. He holds on to her hand and walks her to the car, helping her put her bag in the passenger seat as she gets in the driver's seat. Then Doug goes to her side, and after she rolls down the window, he places his hand on Carol's cheek. "I'll wait for you, Carol. Come back to me. I'll be waiting."
And with that, he let go, and she started the car, taking one last look at him before turning back to the road ahead. To New York. To ten days without Doug.
~~~
On the seventh day without Carol with him in Chicago, Doug is starting to miss her deeply. With nothing to do after work anyway, Doug had decided to work to pass the time. Seeing that Doug has been working graveyard shifts, pulling doubles, and working overtime, Mark tells him to take two days off and get some rest. Doug tells Mark that he's fine, and has nothing else to do anyway, without Carol here. Mark gives up trying to persuade him, but when Kerry insists that Doug takes two days to himself, ("Well you wouldn't want to disappoint Carol when she comes back by neglecting her for sleep, would you?") he reluctant agrees.
As Doug heads outside to his car, he suddenly feels the strain on his body of having only napped for 5 hours in the past two days. He gets into his Jeep, and, yawning, starts on his way back to Carol's house. Fifteen minutes later, at a traffic light, Doug's eyelids feel heavy, but he fights off the temptation to doze off. But when the light changes and he steps reasonably on the accelerator, what Doug fails to fully notice is the swerving, speeding driver approaching his car.
The incompetent driver is now behind him, and a moment late Doug hears a sharp sounding car horn. Another moment passes, as he checks the rear view mirror, and the left bumper of Doug's Jeep is hit hard.
The impact throws Doug a bit forward in his seat, and his head hits the frame of the Jeep. He is conscious for enough time to exclaim, "What the hell?"
As he blacks out, Doug's last thought is, Carol…
~~~
The dull pain in his head is bothering him, and he wakes up, finding himself in a strange environment. Rubbing his eyes gently, Doug's ears recognize the familiar sound of ventilators. "Wha--?"
Someone says to him, "Mr. Ross? Doug, you've been in a car crash, and you hit your head. Do you know where you are?"
"County?" Doug mumbles. This place smelled just like the ER.
"No, you're at Mercy General Hospital. I'm Dr. Livingston, and I've been the doctor treating you since you came in." He checks Doug's vitals, and seems pleased with his stats.
Doug is confused, and sits up, with ease. "Who-----What's my name? I can't remember……" He's frustrated. " County General, pediatrics, I'm in pediatrics. The ER…pediatrics… a Jeep…What was I doing? I can't remember anything…"
"Don't worry, you're doing fine. You've just got a concussion. We're trying to contact--"
"Concussion?…Do I have skull fractures? Hemorrhaging?…I'm not seeing double…" Doug says.
Livingston is impressed. "So, you're a doctor, aren't you? A pediatrician, you said? Well, you're in stable condition right now, and you've obviously noticed that you can't seem to remember much, especially details and events. You probably may not remember much, or even anything, about people you once knew really well. You're suffering from paramnesia."
"Paramnesia? When will I recover? I remember the medicine I learned. But I don't remember anything else. I can't not remember things, I can't forget everyone I know……..What did you say my name is?" Doug was panicking. He hated this.
"Your name is Doug Ross. Dr. Doug Ross. It says here on your driver's license that your birthday is…Do you remember?"
Doug concentrates really hard. He closes his eyes for a moment, and suddenly says, "February…?"
"Good, you got that part right. Your birthday's in February, and you're 36 years old. Now, in your wallet, you had the name of a man named Mark. Do you remember who he is?" Livingston looked at Doug, judging his condition.
He shakes his head. "Mark…Mark ………I… he's got glasses……he's tall……and…….I don't remember anything else." Doug looks saddened as he tries to recall who Mark is. He looks over to the other stretcher and sees a kid who is being treated. Dispirited, Doug says, "I should be treating him. That's what I do. But I also need to remember things, I need to remember people. I need to get my memory back…"
"Don't worry, Doug. You know that it takes something to trigger your memory. These things take time. You'll be fine. At least your concussion isn't bad. Now, let's try this person. Doug, do you remember who Carol is?"
Looking blankly, and despondently at Livingston, Doug says quietly, "I don't know…..I don't know. All I remember is that she's got the most beautiful black, curly hair…."
~~~
At her aunt's house, in New York, Carol lies awake in bed, thinking about Doug. She thinks about how happy she's been with him ever since they got back together. Unable to sleep without Doug with her, Carol turns on the desk lamp, and takes her during-flight novel and flips it open to a page with a folded piece of paper. It is something that Doug slipped in her book for her to find while she was on the plane. She had discovered it when the plane was taking off, and Carol recalls how thrilled she had been after she first read it. She unfolds the paper, and reads it silently.
Carol,
I know that after we broke up, we drifted apart a lot. But ever since we got back together, we've never been this far apart. I know I can't come with you, or make you stay. After all, it is YOUR family reunion. Anyway, Carol, I just wanted you to be able to read this after you leave Chicago, so you'll know that I'll miss you a lot. Cause I will. I don't know if I can make it through 10 long days without you, but I'll try. As long as I look forward to you returning, I'll be ok. So come back to me, Carol. And I'll be thinking of you all the time. I love you, Carol.
Doug
"I love you too…" Carol wonders what Doug will do when she gets back. She can't wait to return to Chicago. I wonder if he'll show me he missed me as much as he said he will?
Smiling and turning out the light as she gets back in bed, Carol returns her thoughts to her memories with Doug.
~~~
3 days later, when Doug has recovered physically from his concussion, Dr. Livingston discharges him. Doug is warned not to go to work yet, for fear he may not be able to handle the pressure of having to save lives in such a hectic environment. He agrees, and goes home--his address is another thing he has managed to remember about himself during his time at the hospital.
Doug unlocks and opens the door to his apartment, and immediately takes a look around. As he explores every room, he seems to recall that this is indeed his house, but only faintly. "I remember this bedroom…….that green couch…and the tv…I remember that these were here…."
The phone rings. Doug picks it up, and cautiously says, "Hello?"
"Hey, Doug. It's Mark. How have your days off been?"
"I'm…I've been resting…..Mark."
"Good. I was just wondering if you were coming in today for your shift. Cause you sound really tired. If you don't want to come in, it's ok. We've got enough people to cover for you."
Doug remembers Dr. Livingston's orders. "Yeah, ok I'll stay home and----"
Mark interrupts him. "Sorry, Doug. Gotta go. Why don't you come back to work in two days? Talk to you later." And the line went dead.
Getting a clearer picture and memory of Mark, Doug nods slowly. He's a doctor I work with, at County. Tall…with glasses…….Greene. Mark Greene, that's his name. Doug sighs. If he has to remember everything and everyone he once knew, at this pace, he'd never make it. Now slightly tired, Doug lies down on the couch and dozes off soon after closing his eyes.
The knocking on the door wakes him up later. He glances at his watch. He's been sleeping for two hours already. Doug gets up off the couch, and shuffles to the door. When he opens it, he's greeted by Carol.
Doug stares at her for a second, before he slightly remembers who she is. "Hi…….Carol?"
"Yeah! It's me! Surprised, Doug?" Carol says happily. She's finally back.
Not knowing why she seems so happy, or why she would come to his apartment, Doug says politely, "Uh….hi."
"Oh, I missed you so much! But I'm finally back in Chicago!"
He doesn't know how to respond to that. What, is she high on something? Awfully nice, but a bit too perky… "Umm….yeah, me too…."
Carol leans into Doug and gives him a short, but heartfelt kiss. As she pulls away, Doug says under his breath, "Wha---?"
Before he can ask Carol anything, she suddenly looks concerned as she studies his face. "Oh you poor thing, you've slimmed down so much!" She holds his face in her hands. "I'll leave you to get your rest. You look like you were just sleeping. Goodnight Doug, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she turns around, carrying her luggage, and walks down the corridor to the elevator.
Baffled, Doug says to himself, "Does she like me or something?"
~~~
The next day, Carol has an early shift, so she decides not to call Doug and wake him up. She remembers how tired he looked and sounded last night.
Knocking on his door later that day, Carol finds she can't wait to see Doug and spend time with him. When Doug opens the door, he looks at her for a moment, then says, "Hi."
Carol says, "Hey Doug." And before he can say anything, she pulls him in, and kisses him deeply.
Doug obviously enjoys the kiss, but is confused as to why Carol has kissed him twice already. She's definitely a great kisser, but what is she doing here? Does she like me that much? He gently pulls away, hoping to spare her feelings. "Uh…..Carol?" He looks at her. Her green eyes gaze back at him in what seems to be anticipation. Doug takes a breath and says hesitatingly, "Why are you kissing me?"
Her heart drops suddenly. She looks at Doug with the saddest, most confused expression on her face, and takes a step back. He wants to say something, but she turns and runs out of Doug's apartment.
He sighs, and says to himself, "I meant no harm. I just wanted her to go after someone who would remember if they were dating her, that's all."
~~~
Carol is crying, and blows her nose. The used tissue is tossed into the growing pile in the garbage can. How could he be so insensitive? What was wrong with him? He just rejected me so harshly today! He was so distant……..Maybe something happened while I was gone. But what could it have been?! Remembering the detached expression Doug had had on his face earlier that day, Carol breaks down in tears again.
"I don't get it. He said all that before I left…He wrote that note to me …He'd wait for me. He said that. He said he loves me."
Thinking things over for a moment, she says, in distress, "I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe he was just in a bad mood today. But if he pushes me away tomorrow, I guess I'll just have to…"
But Carol stops. She doesn't have the courage to tell herself to break up with him. She doesn't want to believe that Doug will push her away again, tomorrow. She's in love with him.
~~~
"Doug, I love you." Carol says, looking into his eyes. She loves his deep, brown eyes, the way he looked at her comfortingly and warmly. At least, the way he used to look at her. She waits for his response, hoping for a good one.
"I…I don't understand why you do and say all this, Carol….You could try someone else, you know. Really. It's not you, though. Really…."
"Oh, Doug!" she exclaims, pained and frustrated. Carol, heartbroken, runs away, crying in despair.
Doug is confused, and watches as she runs away.
~~~
Two days later, Carol still hasn't seen or talked to Doug since he rejected her. At work, during her shift, she has been thinking about what to do. Reluctantly, she comes to a decision. After her shift ends, it is around 8 pm by the time the El makes it to Doug's apartment. Carol stands outside the building, across the street on the sidewalk. Downcast, Carol thinks her decision through.
So here I am, outside the apartment where the man I love lives. I don't know what has come over him this past week or so. He seems totally different, especially around me. He's ignoring me, and I don't even know if he thinks we're together, or whether he really knows how I feel. But I guess this is his way of telling me he wants to break up……This is killing me, cause I really love him. But I guess I have to do this. If Doug doesn't feel the same way I do, then break up is probably for the best. I really love him, though! Carol sighs sorrowfully. A tear slips down her cheek. At least he'll be happy. Wiping away the tear, Carol feels more tears fall, slowly making their way down to her chin. But what have I done wrong? Why did he suddenly change his attitude towards me? Everything was fine before I went to New York. But when I come back, everything comes crashing down on me. Could there be another woman? She shakes her head immediately, not wanting to believe that it might be true. No…Doug's changed. He has, but……I miss him so much… This leads Carol to think back. When she and Doug got back together for the second time:

~~ "What do you want?" Carol, flustered, had said harshly.
He had looked hurt. "I…I just wanted to, uh, to see how you were doing after you got over the, uh, flu. I haven't seen you in a while, that's all," Doug had said softly, and cautiously, afraid to aggravate Carol.
Carol had been thinking about something else the whole time, and had said, "What?…oh, yeah. That. Uh huh, gotcha. Ok Doug, now go, alright? I've got to finish this. If you want to talk, find me later."
"But……" He had sighed "I'm sorry…Ok then. See you, Carol." Then he had left in a hurry.
Carol had continued her thinking about what to do with her mother, even as Doug was leaving. Later, Doug had been on the roof, looking at nothing in particular. He had taken a sip of his coffee, and had said to himself, discouraged, "Do you really hate me? Was I really that annoying, earlier?" A wind had blown against him and chilled him instantly. Doug had wished he had worn his coat. "I'm sorry. I just wish I could tell you how I feel about you. I wish you'd feel the same," Doug had said sadly.
Meanwhile, there had finally been a lull in the ER, during which Carol had gotten a chance to think about Doug, instead of how to deal with her nagging mother. Carol had replayed her earlier conversation with Doug, and had realized that she had hurt the feelings of the man she loved. I've got to apologize to him. She had found Doug's coat hanging on a chair in the lounge, and asked Mark where Doug was. "I think he went up to the roof," Mark had said. So Carol had grabbed his coat, and went all the way up to the roof to find Doug.
She had arrived to see him folding his arms across his chest and hugging them near to keep warm. A gust of wind had passed by, and Carol had decided not to hesitate.
"Doug?" she had said, walking up behind him.
He had turned around quickly. "Carol, what are you doin---" Doug had stopped speaking suddenly. He had remembered not to annoy her, so he decided not to talk at all. Doug had lowered his head and looked at his feet.
"I came to talk to you."
Doug had looked nervous, but said, "Me?"
Carol had taken a step forward, and put his coat around him. "Doug, you should've brought your coat. It's freezing up here. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."
"Thanks," Doug had mumbled. He had continued to think about how much he loved Carol.
"Doug, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I was just worrying about my mom. You just caught me at the wrong moment."
"It's ok," he had said quietly. "I figured you were bothered by something."
Carol had smiled and said, "Thanks for understanding." She had thought of Doug. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, and…." her voice had trailed off.
Lost in thought, Doug had murmured, "Me too……" He had then been silent as he stared at the flashing of car lights driving by below.
"Doug?….." Carol had gotten no response from him, so, worried, she had tried again. "Doug?" she had said, touching his hand gently.
He had immediately responded to Carol's touch, and had caused her to shrink away, surprised by his response. "I…I'm sorry Doug, I didn't mean to---"
She had turned away from him.
"No….no it's not---I just----I'm……" Doug had been stammering incoherently. He had paused before speaking again. "I've been dreaming about your touch for such a long time……It's cause I love you, Carol. I have for so many years--ever since last time. And I know this is hopeless for me cause I'm positive you don't feel the same, but---"
Carol had interrupted him in the middle of his sentence. "Oh Doug! I do…I do feel the same way! I love you, but I never told you because I thought you didn't love me back…"
They had gazed at each other for a moment, and then kissed. When they had pulled away, they had exchanged smiles, and Doug had quickly left, leaving Carol on the roof, smiling happily. ~~

Now, as she stands on the sidewalk, leaning against a bus shelter across from Doug's apartment, Carol is sobbing uncontrollably. "What have I done wrong? I don't understand this at all… But if breaking up is what Doug wants, then it's what I want, too." She dabs at her tears with a tissue. "I just want him to be happy. I---I just wish I could've been the one to make him happy…I love him…...But I guess what I feared before I left has come true. All I can do now is wish Doug and her well…..." Shuddering slightly from trying to control her crying, Carol fails, and lets herself break down and cry.
Ten minutes later, she has cried all the tears she could cry in one day. When she looks up, Carol sees Doug coming out of the apartment, carrying a big box, which is obstructing his view. "Doug!?" Carol calls out.
Hearing his name, Doug turns and sees Carol standing across the street from him. Before he can say anything, a speeding bicyclist slams into Doug's box and knocks him down. Carol, watching, screams as she helplessly sees Doug fall to the ground, and hit his head on the sidewalk. Carol runs over to him and checks his vitals, her tears landing on his clothes. Doug is unconscious, but still breathing, with a bleeding forehead. Relieved that he's still alive, Carol calls 911 at the pay phone, and returns to Doug, hugging him close and stroking his hair, crying in despair. "I love you, Doug…Please don't leave me…" she whispers.
Five minutes later, the ambulance arrives, prepared to transport Doug to Mercy. Carol says, "Can we take him to County? We both work there."
The paramedics check over Doug, and respond to Carol, "Sorry, we can't. County said they were full. We've got to bring him to Mercy. You can come along with us, though." The male paramedic made room for Carol to jump in the back of the ambulance. When she was seated and the door was closed, the driver started the sirens. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Carol, holding on to Doug's hand, says, "Well, he came out of his apartment, carrying a big box, and I called his name. He turned and saw me, and suddenly this bicyclist…."
~~~
After the Mercy ER doctors have stabilized Doug, and his CAT scan results have been analyzed, Doug is deemed stable, and is now resting, unconscious, in an exam room. Carol has just finished talking with the doctor who treated Doug.
She sits by the bed, and watches Doug's chest rise and fall as he breathes. One moment, she takes his hand in hers, and the next moment, Carol is fast asleep.
A minute later, Doug's hand slightly tightens his grip over Carol's hand. But they both continue to sleep peacefully.
~~~
The next morning, Doug groans, and opens his eyes slowly. His head aches, and suddenly he gets the feeling of a déjà vu, like he's felt this way before. He hears a ventilator, and realizes he's lying in an exam room, which seems familiar. Everything in his mind is coming clear, and he finds that he remembers everything that has happened. "I'm at Mercy? Again?…" He closes his eyes to sort out everything he's beginning to remember, and says to himself quietly, "Paramnesia…….The Jeep, it crashed. I remember everything…I have to find Carol right away. I must've hurt her so much by not picking her up from the airport …." Doug opens his eyes again, and tries to sit up, but feels something resting on his side when he moves. He discovers Carol sound asleep in a chair, with her head resting on the bed. Feeling a surge of emotions, Doug lovingly strokes her hair, whispering, "I love you."
Slowly, Carol wakes up, and sees Doug awake. The first thing she says is, "Oh Doug! You're awake! Are you---" She pauses when she feels his hand touch her cheek, which seems totally uncharacteristic of Doug, considering the way he's been acting lately towards her. Unsure, Carol moves away slightly.
Doug is hurt by Carol moving away from him, as he doesn't clearly remember how he'd been so cold and apathetic to her the past few days after his accident. "Carol, honey…"
Carol thinks, It's been so long since I've heard him call me that, but…..but is he mocking me now? He hurts my feelings, and then he mocks me about it? How can he be so cold when he knows I love him? She doesn't dare look him in the eye, and instead lowers her head, turning away.
Upset by Carol turning away from him and not even looking at him, Doug tries to get her to talk to him, first. "Carol, why were you at my apartment?"
She thinks that Doug is mocking her, despite his voice making him sound like he cared about her. Wanting to make him stop, Carol heart aches as she knows she has to speak harshly to him--the man she loves. Carol determines what she has to say, and hesitates because she knows that this is when she'll have to break up with him. Once and for all. "Because I want to end this. I'm not going to be mocked anymore by you. Obviously," Carol says harshly, looking down, not wanting Doug to see her tears, "you don't want anymore more of this stupid game. You obviously don't love me."
"What?!? Don't love you? No, no, Carol….." Doug stops speaking when he has a flashback of how he rejected Carol when she kissed him. He knits his eyebrows together and realizes what Carol is talking about. "I…I'm sorry….." he says, defeated. He really had hurt Carol a lot.
She takes advantage of his silence. "Then what happened while I was in New York? Explain that," she demands sharply. She takes her first look up at Doug and sees his distressed expression. He is horrified at what he has said to Carol during the past few days, as he remembers bit by bit, in flashbacks. Carol can't hold back her tears any longer, and starts crying.
"Carol, d-don't cry, it's my fault. This is m-my fault, all of it…" Doug stammers. He wants to hold Carol in his arms and make everything better, but he knows that he has to reverse the damage before he can let himself touch Carol. "I…uh…during your trip, I…um…something happened to me…" he starts.
Carol sobs, and says between hiccoughs, "You found someone else, didn't you…" Anguished by this assumption, Carol buries her head in her arms, in the bed sheets, and continues to sob.
"No, never, Carol! I promised you I wouldn't, didn't I?" He bravely lifts a hand and touches her head. She looks up slightly, tears in her eyes. But she doesn't look back down. "While you were gone," he says softly, sadly, "all I did was work. It was the only thing I could do, to get my mind off of you. I did everything, I took the graveyard shifts, pulled double, worked overtime. I rarely slept because I didn't want to dream of you and end up making myself miss you even more than I already did. But after a few days with no sleep and just work, Mark and Kerry told me to take some time off. So, finally, I gave in, and I got in the Jeep and started driving to your house. I remember I was extremely tired, and was yawning a lot. Then suddenly this guy hits me from behind, and then my head starts to hurt. Before I black out, I remember, my last thought was of you." Doug stops when he hears Carol gasp. Before he can say anything, Doug feels Carol touch his hand.
"Oh god, Doug, I never knew…" Carol says.
"It's ok. I never told anyone…well, cause I couldn't really understand what was happening, but…" He pauses. "Well, they brought me here, and this Livingston guy was talking to me, and that's when I found out I had paramnesia. He asked me about things, whether I knew who Mark was, but I couldn't tell him much. He asked about you, and…" Doug looks at Carol sadly, "all I could remember were your beautiful curls…..He, uh, he discharged me after a few days, and so I went home, cause I remembered my own address. But then you came, and I could just faintly remember your name. Then you kissed me, and I remember I was thinking why such an attractive woman would be kissing me. And when you told me you loved me, and kissed me again, I was so confused, cause I couldn't remember dating anyone. And I remember making you cry, Carol. I didn't want to hurt you at all. I…I just thought that I'd discourage you so that you could go pursue some other guy. I couldn't remember us….. I'm so sorry I treated you like that. Carol, I'm so sorry I couldn't remember you…." Doug feels he isn't worthy of Carol, and lets go of her hand. "I'm sorry. I…I do love you a lot, and I'd never leave you if I were in my right mind but"
"Doug, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for even thinking of breaking up with you?" Carol blurts out, wrapping her arms around Doug and crying on his shoulder.
Taken by surprise, Doug is speechless. I'm the one who should be begging for forgiveness, but now Carol's begging for mine. I've hurt her so much. He hugs her back, and says, "Carol, it's not your fault. It's mine. I'm so sorry. Will you forgive me?"
Carol nods and says, choked up, "I'm so glad you're ok, Doug. If you didn't make it, I would've felt so horrible…It's my fault you were in the accident. If I hadn't left, you wouldn't have worked so hard like that. I'm so sorry…"
"I'm fine, now, Carol. None of this is your fault." Doug says, wiping her cheeks.
"But what about yesterday? If I hadn't called out your name, you would've been able to avoid that bicycle, and you wouldn't be hurt now." Carol touches his chin gently, guiltily.
"But I wouldn't have been able to remember everything again… Carol, none of this is your fault. Really. I'm just sorry for treating you how I did, during the amnesia." Doug holds Carol close, and they hug in silence. Then Carol pulls away, to look him in the eyes. She kisses him sweetly, and says, "I love you, Doug."
"I love you, too." Doug brushes a loose curl away from Carol's face, and kisses her.