Granger awoke to a gentle knocking on the door. He glanced at the clock and noticed that he had only slept an hour. “Come in.”
The door opened slowly almost as if whoever was there was hesitating, unsure. He saw a dark head in a scrub uniform walk in backwards dragging a blood pressure cart with her. When she turned, he took a deep breath. It was Carly. She had always been the nurturing type so he wasn’t surprised to see that she was his night nurse.
“Let’s get your stats and I will leave you alone.” She said solemnly. “I know we have a lot to talk about but now is not the time. You need to recoup and when you are ready, I will answer all your questions.”
Granger couldn’t speak so he just nodded. All his questions that he was planning on asking her flew out the window once he saw her face. She was still beautiful as ever, as if child birth had not bothered her. In his heart, he still and always would love this woman and she would always have a place in his heart, but the flash of his daughter’s eyes steeled his resolve.
“We are going to have to talk, might as well be now.” Granger growled feeling anger bubble up.
Carly looked him in the eye then, “Dr. Colton told me to let you rest and not to bother you. He didn’t want you to relapse. I covered this floor because I wanted to make sure you were alright. In hindsight, I guess this wasn’t the best idea.”
“The best idea! I am a father! I have missed almost three years of my daughter’s life. You of all people know how much I love children and wanted one of my own.” Granger said getting louder with each word.
“Fine!” Carly snapped back and then softly added. “Fine. You want to talk about it today; I will be on break in one hour and will be back here then. You can ask all the questions you want.”
“How about right now? You have had the last three years to tell me so I have every right to demand this now.” Granger’s face was getting a bit red as his blood pressure seemed to be rising.
“Calm down. I promise to be back. I can’t let our problems interfere with the other patients. I have to have this job to take care of Allison.”
“You wouldn’t have had to scrounge if you would have just called, text, hell even sent a letter. I would have been here for you and my girl.” Granger sat back when he seen the confused look on Carly’s face that turned into that stubborn tilt of her chin and the glint in her eye. He knew she was getting angry but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why she would be mad. She was the one who decided to leave and not tell him about his daughter. Something didn’t seem right to him.
Granger sighed, “Fine, go do your work and be back here in an hour. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Carly finished up with the stats and walked to the door lugging the cart behind her. She looked back and said, “I don’t know what game you’re playing but I sent letters every month since I found out I was pregnant only stopping five months ago when you finally wrote me back. Maybe your amnesia isn’t completely cured. I will let Dr. Colton know.”
With that she was out the door before Granger could deny it. He had not received any letters from Carly. She had to be lying. He would never neglect them. If she sent a letter asking for help he would have flown to her no matter where she was, child or not. He had loved her with every inch of his being and still had a place in his heart for her but anger filled him even more. He would get to the bottom of this.
Granger watched glanced at the clock yet again.
One hour! He thought to himself. He tried flipping through the channels but nothing could keep his interest. He looked at the clock and swore. It was eight fifteen I have twenty minutes ago. Guess it goes to show that if you watch a clock it seems to go slower. Granger groaned. He decided to call his wife and check on her.
The phone to the hotel rang and rang as did her cell phone. She must be asleep.
He didn’t bother trying to call back. She needed rest too. It had been a trying day for them all. A knock at the door brought Granger up. He glanced at the clock it had only been thirty minutes since Carly left. “Come in!”
Instead of Carly it was Dr. Colton. Granger’s hopes fled. Carly must have spoken to him about having some relapse of amnesia. “Before you say anything doctor, I feel fine. I remember everything.”
“I spoke with Ms. Carly and she seemed concerned about selective amnesia and a rise in your blood pressure.”
Granger took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the doctor was checking him. “I got a little riled.”
“Understandable.”
“I swear I knew nothing about any letters if she even sent them. I admit I was clearly shocked. I mean I have a child. I have always wanted a child and she knew it. Why on earth would she even think I wouldn’t be there for her, is completely ridiculous. I have cared about her for a very long time and she knows that. I would have been there for her and our baby.” Granger looked at the doctor who was studying his face. “I would have been there every step of the way and now look at all that I have missed. First smile, first laugh, first steps, and even her first shots, I would have been there. I want to be there. I want to kiss the boo-boos better. ”
Granger stiffened his shoulders realizing that he was babbling but he didn’t care. “I will be there for the rest of her life. The question that bothers me most is, why? Why would Carly lie about letters? I never received anything. My number is still the same as is always has been for the last twelve years, home and cell numbers. I just don’t get it.”
Dr. Colton sat his electronic tablet in his lap and gave Granger the sternest look. “Alright. I understand where you are angry and confused; however there is something I would like you to think about. The Carly I know has never lied or sugar coated anything I have asked her even when she should have. The question I ask you is, the Carly of your past, was she anything like this? Would she have said something and it not is true? Think on that because I know that my Carly would not have uttered such nonsense.” Dr. Colton stood to leave. “I had her reassigned to a different floor and she will not be in tonight. You clearly have to think on some things before speaking with her. I don’t like the spikes in your blood pressure and even though you think that you can handle it right now, I have serious doubts. You two will have to set this meeting up elsewhere in a calm environment where you won’t feel intimidated. A hospital isn’t the best place to handle something so personal. I will be back in the morning to check on you. If your blood pressure hasn’t spiked you can go home to your lovely new wife but if not I will keep you in here another night or until I see that you have improved. Now get some sleep or will you need some help with that? I know you have a lot to think about but rest is the best medicine for your particular condition.”
Granger just nodded. His mind was reeling and he couldn’t speak, all he could think about was how the good doctor said “my Carly”. Was the doctor and Carly together and why did it bother him? Something that felt like jealousy reared its ugly head. That wasn’t good, not good at all. How could he feel jealousy toward them when he was newly married to Beth? He had loved her dearly and wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. He had to figure this out before things went any further out of hand.