The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once (6 page)

“I do.
 
What is it?”

“It's surreal.”
 

“Meaning...”

“I think you're a fan of Salvador Dali.”

“I hope I get to see it and remember it.”

“You will.”
 
Claire
encourages tenderly.

Duke struggles again for another spoonful of chili.
 

“Let me help.”
Claire offers.
 
She feeds him a
spoonful of chili.
 
He chews and
swallows.
 
She feeds him another
spoonful.
 
He relishes the taste.
 
“Is today Friday?”
 
Duke asks.

Claire smiles at his question, pleased that her plan to help trigger
memories may already be working.
 
“No.
 
Why do you ask?”

“I don't know why but it seems like Friday.”

“Maybe you used to have chili and French fries on Fridays.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“When I was a kid, I used to have clam chowder with my dad on
Saturdays.”
 
Claire shares.
 
“He'd take me to this little seaside clam
shack.
 
Had the best chowder,
really creamy and clammy, not too many potatoes.
 
I'd load it up with
tons
of saltine crackers.”

“Tons, huh.” Duke responds, bemused.

“At least five of those little cracker packets that come with take out
soup.
 
I'd crumble the crackers and
pile them in the soup so it was thick like stew.”

Duke eats a French fry.
 
As
he chews the fry he has a pensive look.

“What is it?”
 
Claire asks
off of his look.

“I think I have a memory. I think I used to tear up my fries and put
them in the chili, like you did with the crackers in the chowder.”

“Would you like me to fix the chili like that for you?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Claire tears up some fries, mixes the pieces in the chili and serves
Duke
a spoonful.
 
He enjoys the bite.
 
“
Yuup
, I used to do that.”
 

Claire serves
Duke
a couple of more
spoonfuls.
 
She studies his
face,
he looks so content enjoying the chili and fries.
 
It’s a very intimate moment between
them.

“You should try a bite.
 
The
fries make it like a stew, like your crackers did the chowder.” Duke offers
with kindness.
 

“I appreciate the offer, but I'm pretty sure that would be against
hospital policy.”
 

“Well, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble.”

“I don't mind living dangerously.
 
Just not at dinner time,” Claire jests.

“I'll remember that,” Duke returns in jest.

“Hey, there we go, the makings of a new memory.”
 
Claire responds.
 
The comment causes Duke to smile wide,
with one corner of the grin a bit higher than the other.
 
Claire’s caught off guard by Duke’s
warm expression.

She looks down at the food and away from Duke’s face.
 
She scoops up another spoonful and is
about to feed him when he asks her a question.
 
“Do you know anything about me?
 
What I did?
 
If
I have any family?”

“I'm sorry, I don't.
 
The
only
thing
I've been told is that you were part of a
jewelry store heist.”

“Did I shoot anyone?” His
voice cracking with worry
and regret.

Claire studies the remorseful look on Duke's face. “I really don't
know.
 
I'm pretty new here, and
very low on the nursing totem pole.
 
Probably because I'm not that good at it.”

“Not the best admission to make to a patient.”
 
Duke playfully chides.

Claire counters with an equal amount of tease.
 
“Don't worry, I won't mix up your meds.”

She pauses for a moment before adding, “Hopefully.”

“As long as you keep wearing jasmine, I'll forgive anything.”
 
Duke responds with so much sex appeal
it causes Claire to blush.
  
She tries to brush off her emotional response and retain her focus.
 
“What if I switch to lilacs?”

“That might be unforgivable, I’d have to think about it.”
 
He teases.

Claire spoon feeds
Duke
another couple of bites
of chili.
  
He takes a sip of
the milkshake when his expression takes a serious turn.
 
Claire notices.

“Are you remembering something?”
 
Claire asks, inspired by Duke’s look.

“No.
 
I'm not sure I want to
remember.
 
At least about being a
criminal. I don't want to be a criminal.”

“You're not one right now.
 
You're just a guy who likes Salvador Dali and fries in his chili.”

Fumbling, he tenderly finds Claire's hand and squeezes it in his.
 
“Even though you know what I've done, I
don't hear any judgment in your voice, only kindness. You have no idea how much
I appreciate that.”

His words and actions knock her way off guard.
 
“It feels easy to be kind to you,” she replies honestly,
shocked at
herself
for confessing that.
 
She tries to regain control by turning
the focus back to the meal. “Ready for another bite?” she asks, her voice
quivering a touch.

“Yeah, thanks,” he replies.

She silently feeds him a few more bites until the chili and fries are
gone.
 
“All done, you ate every
bite, good job.”

Worry furrows into Duke’s brow.
 
“Does that mean you’re leaving?”

“Heck no, you’re my only patient and I’d much rather hang out in here
than at the nurses’ station.
 
How
about we find something fun on TV and since you can't see, I'll provide running
commentary on what's happening.”

Claire gets a big smile out of Duke for this idea.
 
“Sounds fun.”

Claire turns on the television hanging above the bed.
 
She laughs heartily at what she
sees.
 

“What?”
 
Claire’s laugh has
Duke curious.
 

“The Three Stooges are on. Get ready to yuk out loud,” Claire states as
she settles into the chair with a view of the television.
 
As she watches the television,
observing the crazy antics of the Three Stooges, Claire regales
Duke
with funny and crazy quips.
 
He laughs out loud, enjoying, and especially appreciating,
Claire’s efforts.

*****

After having spent the night at the hospital with Duke, Claire enters
her condo – carrying a take-out bag.
  
She heads straight for her desk area.
 
She removes a soup container from the
take out bag.

She has a seat at the desk and immerses herself in Duke's dossier and studies
the presentation board as she cracks a whole bunch of saltines into her clam
chowder.

She eats, reads and studies, learning all about Duke.
 
She learns that for a few years Duke
traveled the country providing security at Blues festivals.
 
She then looks at a crime scene photo
and notices that Duke was wearing a Blues Fest black tee shirt when he was
shot.

She turns her attention to her computer.
 
She searches for blues music and, without listening to any
of the tunes, she downloads a bunch of songs.

Duke rests in bed.
 
Eyes
closed, right-hand still handcuffed.
 
Claire enters wearing a different pair of scrubs and carrying an
ipod
and splitter earphones.
 

Duke takes a breath.
 
“Nurse
Jasmine.”

As soon as he turns his head, she can tell he still doesn't have his
sight back, but he does have a warm and welcoming smile for her.
 
“I have a name, you know,” she
comments.

“I know.
 
It's Claire.
 
The doctor told me.”

“I hope he didn't spill any more secrets.”

“That was it.
 
But if
there's anything worth spilling, go for it, I'm
kinda
bored.”

“Sadly no.
 
My life is
pretty dull.
 
Work,
home, work.
 
I don't even
have a cat.”

“You must like being a nurse.”

“I was on the fence about it, but at the moment I like it,” she tenderly
admits.

Duke sincerely appreciates her response, although Claire doesn’t.
 
She’s shocked that she said that.
 
How is this guy having such an effect
on her?

She shakes her head as if shaking the feeling off and regains her
focus.
 
“When you were brought in
you were wearing a Blues Festival tee shirt, so today I downloaded a
compilation of blues tunes hoping that maybe the music will trigger some
memories.”

“You did that for me?”
 
Duke
is touched.

“Would you like to listen?” Claire asks as she moves closer to the bed.

“Yeah, I would.
 
Thanks.”

“I'm putting the earphone in your ear,” Claire tells Duke as she places
the earphone in his ear.
 

“Won't you be able to listen?”

“I will, I have a splitter set of earphones,” she places the other one
in her ear, then takes a seat on the chair next to the bed.

“I'm turning the music on,” Claire preps
Duke
.
 
She starts the music.
 
Duke closes his eyes, relaxing into
it.
 
Claire studies him, noticing
how the bluesy music affects him.

An hour goes by as Claire and Duke continue to listen.
 
They both have their eyes closed
enjoying the music.

A new song begins – Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s I Found Love When I
Found You."
 
As the song plays
Duke opens his eyes.
 

He looks directly – and intently - at Claire.
 
He takes in the moment, appreciating
what he is seeing, and he’s seeing her!

He reaches out with his left hand and touches Claire's cheek.
 
Which startles her.
 
She opens her eyes.

Her eyes lock with Duke’s.
 
Their eyes stay locked as the
smokin
' hot
music continues to play.
 
It's a
powerful, intense tide-turning moment between the two of them.

Duke gives Claire a warm, appreciative smile. “I can see.”

Claire, lost in his gaze, barely utters “great news.”
 
She breaks the momentous moment between
them by averting her eyes, removing the earphone and standing up.
 
“I should get the doctor.”
 
Flustered and flushed she hurries out
of the room.

Claire, shutting the door behind her, nearly crashes into the cop posted
outside of Duke's room.
 
“Excuse
me.”

She disappears around the corner to a quiet space where she can catch
her breath and regain her focus and resolve.
  
She then heads to the nurses’ station.

“Duke Reeves has regained his sight,” Claire tells the nurse.

“I'll let the doctor know,” the nurse replies.

“I’m going to go get a water, Claire informs the nurse.
 
She walks down the hallway and
purchases
a bottled
water from a vending machine.
 
As she takes a drink of water she sees
a room at the end of the hall, a solarium.

She enters the solarium and looks around.
 
It's a quiet sitting room filled with comfortable chairs,
plants, a water feature and calming prints hanging on the walls.

One wall is floor to ceiling windows offering a dazzling view of the
city lights.
 
She consumes the
water as if trying to wash down her conflicted feelings.

The doctor enters and joins Claire.

“Your stunt seems to be working,” he states. “His sight, as you know, is
back, the swelling is subsiding. We have surgery scheduled for the day after
tomorrow.”

“But he doesn't have his memory back yet.”