Gotcha...

Monroe and I looked at each other confused. When I turned back to look at Joel his brow was furrowed and he asked “You are Anna right?!”  I shook my head and bit my lower lip. Monroe gripped my shoulder and turned to leave and find the doctor.

“How much do you remember Joel?” I asked.

“Well I was in Afghanistan and ...” he replied

“No, anything beyond that?  Like what year is it?”  I asked again...

He looked at me like I was asking him if he had just walked across the moon.  Then all of a sudden his demeanour changed and he a huge smile broke out across his face as he yelled “GOTCHA”.  I slapped his arm and was crying and laughing at the same time. 

“You’re an asshole!!  I seriously thought something was wrong!!!!”

“Hey don’t abuse the patient! They will call security for stuff like that...” he was holding his arms up to protect himself.

“They will need a coroner when I am done with you!! Do you know how much you scared me?!”

Joel continued to laugh and then stretched his arms behind his head “Baby I am fine, it is a broken leg and some rehab.  I have been through worse, but this doesn’t change anything. I still want us to be together.  So the move will have to happen pretty quickly because I can’t get around on my own just yet...”

“Baby about that...there is so much paper work we have to do, we haven’t even filled in any forms, we only have so long to get married...I ...”

“Isabella, I already started some of the paperwork.  I’ve retained an immigration lawyer; I know what we need to do.  All I need for you to do is be ready to go.  Are you ready to go?”

I realized then that I wasn’t ready to go and shook my head. Joel sat there staring at me with bewilderment in his eyes.  It was almost like I had told him I wanted to break up. 

“What happened? What changed?   You were ready to go a week ago...”

“Joel I want us to be together, I really do.  And I will come home with you and be there for you for your entire rehab.  I am just not ready to uproot my life permanently.  We can play house for a few months or whatever it is, and see how it goes.  We get to see if we are fully compatible living together before we actually live together.”

Before he could answer Monroe walked in with the good doctor.  He wanted to examine Joel and asked us to step outside.  Monroe asked if Joel had remembered and I told Monroe about his practical joke.   Monroe smirked and said “Well he is messing with us now...pay back is going to be a bitch!”  I giggled at his statement because I knew Monroe was not going to drop that.  The doctor came out and was trying to explain why Joel may have had spontaneous amnesia to which we both apologized and explained that Joel was playing a practical joke on me.  The doctor smiled and walked away shaking his head. 

We walked back to the waiting area and found Duane and Trevor asleep on the couch.  I felt bad that I had kind of ditched both of them, but was happy that we were together. Monroe started tapping around on his phone and he booked us into a Hilton that was close by.  I leaned over and gently shook the guys awake and told them we were going to a hotel.  Monroe offered to drive over, to which Duane sleepily agreed to.  I excused myself and went to Joel’s room and told him we would be back in the morning.  “Please don’t go, can you stay with me?  I can shift over and you can sleep in the bed with me...” He went to move and winced in pain.   “Joel I will stay, but I will sleep in the chair here.  But I need to get some caffeine so I will be back.”  I kissed his forehead and then again softly on the lips and walked out of the room.

I went back to the waiting area and told the guys I was staying but I needed to find some caffeine, so I told them to go ahead and just bring me some clothes tomorrow.  I hugged all three of them and went in search of a coffee machine.  I sought out someone in scrubs and asked where I could get a coffee, to which the person directed me towards a bank of vending machines.  I got myself a horrible machine coffee and a bag of chips and headed back to Joel.  When I got back he was semi awake, my guess fighting whatever they had given him to sleep.  I sat in the chair next to him, putting my items on the bedside table, and grabbed his hand gently.  He smiled and gripped my hand “We have a lot we have to talk about...”  I shook my head “Not tonight.  Get some rest.  We can talk tomorrow.”

The next morning I woke up to the sound of laughter, and when my eyes opened there were my guys all standing around Joel.  The three of them seemed to be enjoying some Starbucks; I stretched and sat up in search of my caffeine.  Monroe handed me a London Fog and winked; not even breaking stride from the conversation.  I took a long sip of my drink and gazed around.  I knew Joel and I had a lot to talk about, as I watched them all laugh and joke with each other I was hit with a wave of sadness.  This is what I would miss...my little family.