"Her reflexes appear to be fine," Dr. Anderson stated after checking the dilation of her eyes under heavily shut lids. "As I said before, Mr. Frayne, you’re friend had a severe impact to her head. There are no broken bones and there is no swelling in her brain that we should be concerned with. If your friend is disoriented now, I figure she may have a slight case of amnesia, but all factors being that as they are, any amnesia should only be temporary. Of course, we’ll have to do some further tests once she awakens again. For now, sleep is the best medicine. We need to allow her body to recover from the strain of the accident."

"Of course, Doctor," replied Jim. "Are you sure that there is nothing permanently wrong with Trixie?"

"There is no reason why there would be any permanent problem, Mr. Frayne," the doctor assured. "If you don’t mind an educated man saying, you don’t look very well yourself. Have you slept any since the accident yesterday?"

Jim grimaced at that. "No, sir, I haven’t. But I couldn’t rest while Trixie was unconscious!"

"I understand that. But your friend is no longer unconscious, she is just asleep. I suggest you get some. Why don’t you pull that recliner over to her bedside and try to get some sleep. You’re friend is going to need your strength when she awakens."

Jim looked the doctor in the eye. "I think I’ll do that sir. Thank you for coming right away."

"I understand how hard it is to see our loved ones suffer, Mr. Frayne. Call me if you need anything else."

"I will, sir. Thank you." Jim waited for the doctor to depart from the room before moving to pull the recliner over to the bed. Once there, he took hold of Trixie’s right hand in his right, his thumb automatically moving to rub the metal of the bracelet on her wrist.

So much has happened since I gave you that bracelet, Trix. We’ve grown up, but not apart. We were able to explore our own desires, but somehow, it’s only made us stronger. God, Trix, I can’t imagine my life without you! >From the time you saved me so many years ago, you were always my girl. I was afraid to totally express how I felt all these years. I knew you were infatuated with me, but you were younger, I couldn’t take advantage of that innocence! But now we’re adults, and I want to claim you as mine as you have always been in my heart. We’ll get through this as we made it through many hard scrapes in our lives together. Baby, I love you!

Jim dozed off with his head resting on Trixie’s bed, her hand cupped between his hand and his head on the crisp linens.

                                                        * * *

Jim raised his head slowly off the bed, grimacing at the crimp in his neck. Automatically, he looked over for Trixie in the bed and clear blue eyes met his green orbs. The hand within his clasp wriggled and was gently pulled away. Trixie moved the fingers of that hand around as if to get blood flow running once again.

"Sorry, I didn’t want to awake you," she said shyly.

"Trixie, you look much better now. Are you okay?" Jim asked anxiously.

Trixie looked confused and so much smaller than her large personality. "My head hurts badly and my face is sore."

"That’s understandable, Trixie," Jim said quietly. "Trix, do you remember me, now?"

Trixie looked over at him with sadness in her eyes. "I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything. You seem like such a nice guy and I’m sure that you’re telling me the truth…" Her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Baby, don’t cry!" The site of unusual tears in Trixie’s eyes nearly broke Jim’s heart.

Trixie took a deep quavering breath and held the tears at bay. She nervously started rubbing the bracelet on her wrist out of habit. Realizing what she was doing, she lifted her wrist and read what was engraved on the bracelet. "James Winthrop Frayne," she said slowly, "Are you James Winthrop Frayne?" Her eyes keenly peered into his.

"Yes, Trixie, I’m Jim," he said quietly, heart beating, but afraid to do anything that might upset her.

Her eyes clouded with confusion. "This bracelet looks old, like I’ve had it for a long time. And if I’m wearing a bracelet with your name on it, you must be really special to me…"

"I gave you that bracelet many years ago, Trixie. After a pretty dangerous situation that I wasn’t sure we would survive."

"But I’m still wearing this bracelet after so many years." She looked at him as if daring him to fill in the holes of her memory.

"Jim, are we truly special to each other? I mean, are we significant to each other?

Jim couldn’t help grinning at that, "God, yes, Trixie! We’re very significant to each other."

"I have to admit. I don’t remember you, but I’m not afraid of you. Actually, I feel very safe with you, cared for; cherished."

"You should feel that way, Trixie, and I’m glad I make you feel that way…even now when you can’t remember anything."

"So, Jim," she started tentatively, "am I your girlfriend? Is that why we were traveling alone together?"

Without thinking, Jim said, "Trixie, you’ve always been my girl. Hopefully soon, you’ll be my wife."

"So, I am your girlfriend," Trixie murmured to herself with a soft smile on her lips, as her eyes began to droop and she scrunched down into a more comfortable sleeping position. "That’s nice." She then fell asleep.

Girlfriend? Frayne, what have you done now? How will you ever explain this to her when she remembers the truth? She has to remember the truth! But, if she does, she’ll know that I lied to her…and she will wonder why I said she would be my wife someday. Good god, what have I done? I could lose her forever when all I want is for her to finally be fine!

Jim sighed heavily and realized that he couldn’t do anything more about the situation currently. With a heavy heart, he left the room to allow Trixie some peaceful sleep while he went to call the rest of the families and the Bob-Whites to report her condition.