Brain Damage

by Freida McFadden

“The thing about my ex-husband Kyle is,” she begins, “he would never have shot you because he was angry about you breaking us up. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Dr. McKenna,” Regina Barry says, “Clark was my neighbor. He lived in the apartment down the hall from me and Kyle for several years.” The throbbing in my head intensifies sharply. “What?” “Clark and I were neighbors,” Regina repeats.

Not shocking

I gave Clark a chance for a second date was that Kyle Barry was threatening me, and Clark heroically stepped in and… Oh. Oh God.

Except when I see the silhouette framed in the doorway, I realize it isn’t my nurse at all. It’s Clark.

“I’m doing you a favor, Charlotte,” he goes on. “You realize that, right? Just like I did you a favor when I married you.” I stare up at him. “What?”

“You didn’t really think that somebody like me would really be attracted to a fat, bitchy, ugly doctor?

I actually cannot, how rude

“Frankly,” Clark goes on, “I feel like I’ve been putting up with it for far too long. It’s sort of gratifying to finally see you get what you deserve.”

I knew it

“I can’t believe it,” Clark mutters. “I can’t believe he shot you in the head and you’re still fucking alive.”

“Clark,” I gasp. It occurs to me that every word could be my last. “I don’t understand it,” he says, shaking his head. “It’s like there’s no way to get rid of you.”

“No,” Clark says quietly. “I’m not going to call 911. Not until I’m ready.” He stares down at me with his beautiful blue eyes. “Not until you’re dead.”

“Don’t try to manipulate me, you bitch,” he says. He leans in towards me. His lips part and he hisses the words in my left ear, “You deserve this.”

“The whole thing was Kyle’s idea,” Clark says. “I swear. I’m not a murderer, Charlotte. He didn’t get as much money as he expected from Gina, so he figured…”

Oh my God, Kitty! How could I have forgotten her? But why is Clark talking about her in the past tense?

Clark is in jail.

Good

“Is it possible that the reason I was having so much trouble seeing things on my left side was because I saw something so terrible on my left side that I needed to block it out?”

“My surgery? Why do I have to have surgery?” Dr. Greenberg laughs. “You want your skull back, don’t you?”

WOOHOO

“It was all Jamie’s idea. He really wanted to help me. I told him not to.” Kim laughs. “I believe it. Your boyfriend is certainly very dedicated to you.”

“Let me tell you something, Charly,” she says. “Every time that boy isn’t here or in therapy, he is out at the nursing station talking about you. ‘Where is Charly? When is her therapy going to be over?

It’s Jamie. I notice right away that he isn’t holding a cane. Apparently, his balance is good enough that he doesn’t need it anymore.

he’s leaning toward me. His lips are on mine. He’s kissing me. Jamie is kissing me.

Aweeeee I knew it. Eat THAT Clarke

“That might be the first thing I noticed about you,” he admits, “but it’s not why I’m in love with you.”

“Goodbye, Helmet Girl,” he whispers as he leaves.

When I see my friend Bridget walk into my room, I almost start to cry. Bridget has been my best friend since we met our first semester of college,

So why is she barely coming to visit

“I missed you so much,” she says softly. Um, so why didn’t you visit me?

Literally what I'm saying

she tells me about how Chelsea is doing, and updates me on Kitty, who is alive and well, and has been boarding at her place until I’m ready to take her back.

Thank goodness

“Bridget,” my mother says with a smile. “I’m so glad you were able to come.” “Yes,” I say. And I can’t help but add, “Finally.”

Literally

I don’t want Bridget to get upset and not visit again. But you know what? I am angry. Why hasn’t she been here before? She’s my best friend. What sort of best friend doesn’t visit me after I got shot in the freaking head?

“Charly,” my mother says quietly. “Bridget has been wanting to visit you for a long time. Clark has been calling her and telling her that you were refusing to see anyone.”

Damnnnn

And I was the one who convinced you to hide your assets in those overseas accounts so that Clark wouldn’t be able to get to them in a divorce.

I'm glad she did that though so now she'll have money

Suddenly, everything seems to make sense. Clark wasn’t after my meager disability payments or my apartment. He must have found out about the money I had tucked away, and that’s why he suddenly started visiting me again.

Bingo

Actually, if I had never met Clark in the first place, it would’ve saved me a lot of grief. But that’s life.

It may not be the kind of money that will provide for me the rest of my life, but it’s enough to hire help for me to come home.

Dear Charly, Good luck! I can’t wait to see your hair! Love, Jamie

Aweeee

“Congratulations! How far along are you?” “Three months,” she says. Three months. Bridget used to tell me everything, but somehow she kept this from me. “I just…” Bridget murmurs. “I know you have a lot on your plate, and I didn’t want to…”

A tiny green ball. I stare at it in confusion for a minute, then I pick it up to examine it further. It’s a pea.

And just as I suspected, there he is. Jamie. Oh my God, it’s Jamie.

“Charly!” Sam screams. He looks back at his father. “Daddy, it’s Charly! From the hospital.”

“This isn’t a coincidence or anything. Running into you here, I mean. I came here to find you.”

Sam and I are great. My life is back together, as much as it ever was.” He pauses to take another deep breath. “The only thing missing is you.”

And I know this is different. He’s different. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for.