A Dream Unfolding (62 page)

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“Hannah,” Will spoke his voice barely audible but it cut through the silence.

She looked up from her weeping and stared into his eyes.
 
The startled look on her face went to confusion, then to relief.

“I love you,” he said.
 
Had she not heard him?

“My love, why are you crying?” he asked his voice hoarse.

“Will?
 
Are you really alive?
 
Are you really okay?”

What did she mean? He wondered.
 
What happened?

He lifted his stiff and heavy arm, relieved that it finally obeyed his command.
 
Cupping her face, he wiped away the tears from her cheek.
 
His heart soared when she turned her lips, placing a kiss in the palm of his hand.

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Hannah blinked, shocked at the sound of Will’s voice.
 
Had she dreamt it?
 
Did he just speak her name?
 
Could she dare hope?

Looking up, she saw the most beautiful sight.
 
Will’s golden brown eyes were open, staring back at her.
 
Tears of joy streamed down her face.
 
He was alive, awake!
 
He moved his hand to cup her face and she turned placing a kiss in the palm of his hand.
 
He came back to her!
 
Praise God!
 
Thank you, Father.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she tried to compose herself before speaking.
 
“Will,” she whispered.
 
“How are you feeling?”

“Stiff and sore.
 
It hurts some when I breathe deep,” he said lightly touching his bruised ribs.
 
“What happened?”

Hannah moved from kneeling next to his bed, to sitting on the edge.
 
Wiping her tears with her handkerchief, she answered, “From what we were able to piece together, about ten days ago you were riding in the far east section.
 
Your horse threw you.
 
You hit your head pretty hard,” she choked on the words.
 
Taking a deep breath, she continued, “It was hours later that Ben went looking for you because you didn’t show up for supper.
 
They sent Covington out for the doctor but brought me when the doctor couldn’t be found.”

“Ten days?
 
I don’t remember any of it.”

“You’ve been unconscious this whole time.
 
What do you remember last?”

Will thought for several minutes.
 
“I remember being angry about something.
 
I snapped at Rosa in the morning over something stupid.”
 
He paused, then whispered, “I was angry with you.”

“At me?
 
Whatever for?
 
The last time I saw you was the day we spent here with the picnic by the lake.
 
When you came with the delivery for the boardinghouse, Betty said you left abruptly.
 
I was crushed.
 
I had been looking forward to seeing you.”

When she mentioned the boardinghouse, she saw a frown pass over his face.
 
He looked like he was either angry still or trying to remember something.
 
Maybe both.

“I saw you with Harrison.
 
I saw you kiss him.”

That’s what this was all about.
 
He had seen Harrison talking to her that day and must have seen when he tried to kiss her.
 
“That’s impossible.
 
I never kissed him.
 
What you saw,” she said, her voice taking on a sharpness she hadn’t intended, “was Captain Harrison coming to tell me was leaving.
 
When he tried to kiss me I backed away because I don’t love him.
 
I love you.”
 
No need to mention that Harrison asked to marry her, again.

Will looked down at his hands.
 
Several emotions passed across his face.
 
Anger, regret, pain.
 
And then as if a light dawned, he looked up and asked, “You love me?”

“Yes, Will
Colter
.
 
I love you!
 
Why else would I sit by your side for ten days begging God to spare you?”

His laughter sounded so good, washing away any irritation Hannah had a moment ago.

“I love you, too, Hannah,” he said smiling.

Standing, she returned his smile.
 
“There’s a whole ranch full of people that are going to want to know you are okay.
 
Rest now.
 
I will be back to check on you later.”
 
She squeezed his hand, then left, closing the door behind her.

Walking outside, she headed toward the bunkhouse.
 
Before she made it there, Ben rode up on horseback.
 
He must have seen her out of the house and been worried.

“He’s awake,” Hannah said.

Ben let out a “whoop.”
 
“When did he wake up?”

“Just a few minutes ago.”

“I’ll have Covington ride for the doctor, then I’ll be in shortly.”

Hannah nodded returning to house.
 
Joy filled her soul.
 
Thank you Lord for your mercy.

A few days passed and Will continued to heal from the injuries.
 
Dr. Murphy checked on him several times and was scheduled to return this morning.
 
Hannah fluffed another pillow, placing it behind Will as he leaned forward.
 
Then she handed him a plate of bacon and eggs for breakfast.
 
She sat in the chair next to his bed as he ate, studying him.
 
Each day he grew stronger.

A light knock on the door alerted Hannah to the doctor’s arrival.
 
“How is our patient doing?” Dr. Murphy asked looking at Hannah.

Before she answered, Will said, “I am just fine Doc.
 
Ready to get back to work.”

Dr. Murphy laughed.
 
“That’s what all men say.
 
But, let’s not rush things.
 
You’ve suffered a serious injury that will take more time to heal.”

Will scowled as he finished his breakfast.

“Let’s get you out to the table this morning,” Dr. Murphy said.
 
“I would like to run through some tests to check your memory and cognitive abilities.”

Hannah stood.
 
Taking Will’s plate she left the room.

A few minutes later, Dr. Murphy assisted Will to the kitchen table.
 
The doctor asked for some paper and a pencil as he eased Will into the chair.
 
Hannah retrieved the items and laid them on the table.
 
Looking at Will, she saw the color drain from his face.
 
He braced his palms against the table, straightening his arms.
 
She witnessed his dizzy spells many times over the last few weeks, and each time she worried he might land on the floor.
 
A few seconds passed before Will dropped his hands to his sides, the dizziness gone.

“First, let’s test your memory,” Dr. Murphy said.
 
He had Will list off his family members names, and Hannah confirm the ones she knew.
 
Then he had him recite Psalm 23, which Will recited to perfection.
 
Dr. Murphy asked him the names of each of his men, each of the horses, all recounted accurately.

“Next, let’s try some math,” Dr. Murphy said as he jotted several problems onto a sheet of paper.
 
“Can you cipher these?”

Will took the paper and stared at it for a moment.
 
Taking the pencil in hand, he quickly jotted the correct answers to the various problems.
 
When he pushed the paper back across the table to Dr. Murphy, he smiled.

“Very good,” Dr. Murphy said.
 
“Next, let’s try some reading.”
 
He wrote a few sentences on the reverse side of the paper then handed it to Will.

Will lifted the sheet of paper.
 
Staring at it, his expression went from hopeful to confusion to disappointment.
 
Hannah waited silently cheering him on.

Will cleared his throat, “Is it right side up?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Will stared at the paper some more.
 
A few more minutes passed before he tossed the paper aside in frustration.

Dr. Murphy said, “Tell me what you just experienced, Will.
 
Were you able to recognize the letters?
 
The words?”

Will looked down, ashamed.
 
“It’s like I know they are words.
 
Even some letters look familiar…but it’s like the letters danced on the page.
 
I don’t know.”
 
He looked away, shoulders slumped.

“Let’s try this,” Dr. Murphy said, writing out the letters of the alphabet in order.
 
“Can you tell me what each of these letters are?”

Again, Will stared at the page.
 
Hannah watched, holding her breath.
 
Perhaps something would be familiar.

Will shoved the paper away again, seemingly distraught.
 
“Why can’t I read?
 
Why can’t I make sense of the words and letters, but I can solve math problems as quickly as always.”
 
He slammed his hand down on the table causing Hannah to jump.
 
“It doesn’t make any sense!”

Hannah hurt for him.
 
How awful it must be to have learned a skill, know that you once knew it, only to have it taken away.

Dr. Murphy placed his hand on Will’s forearm.
 
“Will, the mind is a complex thing and we know very little of how it works.
 
I’ve seen patients who were unconscious as long as you with far less cognitive ability than what you are displaying.
 
The reading may come back in time, but you will have to work for it, practicing daily despite the frustration.”

Will refused to look up.
 
“I am feeling tired and would like to rest now.”

Hannah’s heart ached for him as she watched the doctor help him back to his room.

When Dr. Murphy returned to the kitchen, he said, “This is a difficult thing to face.
 
I wish I could tell him he will be able to read again, but I just don’t know.
 
However, I think with time, if he starts again with the basics, it may come back.”

Hannah nodded.

“Has he been able to get around better?” Dr. Murphy asked.

“Yes.
 
As you saw, he barely needs help getting from place to place—even then it is mostly if he has overexerted himself.”

“Well, tell Will I’ll come to check on him the day after tomorrow.
 
Keep him off horses until then.
 
I want to see for myself just how mobile he is before we let him try that.”

Hannah nodded and walked Dr. Murphy to the door.