Chapter 249
The lights in the therapy room faded until everything felt calm and quiet. Felice’s voice was so soft, it was like the ocean, slowly pulling Mamie under. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
Everything turned dark. She was running, breathless, down a hallway that seemed to go on forever. Doors blurred past on either side, and from somewhere inside them came the faint sound of a baby crying.
“Baby?” She called out, pushing open door after door. Every room was empty, except for a bassinet rocking gently in the corner. The crying kept slipping farther away.
Mamie kept going, her bare feet cold on the tiled floor. Her chest ached like something invisible was squeezing her heart. At the very last door, she found only a tiny sock, hanging from the edge of a bed.
She paused, reaching out for it. Just as her fingers brushed the little sock, the whole world vanished. The room, the bassinet, the sock-gone in an instant.
Mamie jerked awake, gasping for air. Her whole body was clammy with sweat. The therapy room lights flashed on, so bright she had to squint. She glanced down at her empty hands, feeling lost and confused.
Felice watched her carefully. “Are you alright p>
Mamie shook her head, still shaky. “I heard a baby crying in my dream, Felice. What does that mean p>
Felice’s brow furrowed. “You were crying the whole time. Have you ever had a child p>
Mamie stared at her, then laughed nervously. “Felice, I don’t even have a boyfriend. How would I have a child p>
Felice still looked concerned. “Is there any chance you might have been pregnant before and lost the baby? Your memory doesn’t go back before you turned twenty- one. Maybe you had a boyfriend, got pregnant, and lost the baby… That could be why you can’t remember p>
Did she ever have a boyfriend? Mamie couldn’t even picture it. Her mind felt blank.
Felice’s voice softened, but she stayed steady. “I’m just guessing Mamie You should go to the hospital and check. If you’ve ever been pregnant or had a procedure, the doctors can tell
Mamie nodded. “Alright, Felice. I’ll go now p>
Felice gave her a gentle look. “You don’t have to rush. You can always go another day p>
But Mamie barely heard her. She walked out in a fog, almost stepping into traffic at a red light. She knew spiraling. If she didn’t get
she was
answers now, she wouldn’t be able
to think about anything else.
She flagged down a taxi and headed for the hospital, her mind racing. At the OB- GYN desk, she blurted out, “Doctor, is there any way to tell if I’ve ever been pregnant or lost a baby p>
The doctor pushed up his glasses and gave her a puzzled look. “Wouldn’t you know if you’d had a miscarriage p>
Mamie swallowed hard. “I had a head injury. I lost my memory. Can you check for me p>
The doctor glanced at her chart,
about to write up some tests. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at
her more closely. “There’s no need
to check. You gave birth to
baby boy here seven years ago. Haven’t you ever seen your son p>
Mamie went completely still.
She had a son? Seven years ago?
A sharp pain shot through her head, leaving her reeling.