Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The following morning Ted woke up to Erin’s empty bed. His mind was awake as he got up and spun around making sure he was not seeing things. She wasn’t in the room. His heart began to race as he grew panicky “Where is she?” he asked himself while rushing outside to find a nurse.
Ted was relieved to see Mia supporting Erin, they were on their way back to the room “Morning. You look like you just saw a ghost.” Mia commented.
“I thought Erin was missing…” Ted smiled “You were elected for the early shift huh?”
She nodded while covering a yawn “You have Chuck to thank for that.”
Erin laughed as she patted Mia’s hand, which was supporting her elbow “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay but when you get your vision back, you owe me.” Mia promised. She turned to Ted who had bags under his eyes “Ted, you should go home and sleep, you look like a panda bear.”
“Okay. I’ll be back later, Erin.” He patted her shoulder as she smiled and heard his footsteps getting softer.
"He's gone." Mia reported when Erin was standing still.
“I want to see Shelly.” Erin turned to Mia.
“Sure.” Mia began leading her to Shelly’s room where she noticed was getting tidied up by a nurse. Ryan was there but Shelly was not there “Hey Ryan, where’s Shelly?”
“Restroom.” He smiled and his face saddened at the sight of Erin, he heard from Darren the night before of her condition “How are you Erin?” he wasn’t sure how to comfort her.
“I’m okay.” She nodded briefly “I have my human canes.” She turned to Mia with a nod “I’ll be just fine, thank you.”
“Ga Jei!” Shelly called from the door. She rushed over to Erin’s side “You shouldn’t be walking around. Go back to your room and rest.” She scolded lovingly.
Erin laughed as she shook her head at Mia “And all this time I thought I was the older sister.” She sensed the glances moving around the three people “Tell me.”
“You tell her.” Ryan whispered.
“No…YOU should.” Shelly pushed.
“I’m blind not a mind reader.” Erin made light of the situation.
Ryan stuttered, “Um…it’s…well, you know all the stuff that’s been going on…and well, I got to thinking…that uh…I…was uh…”
“Oh my gosh! By the time you spit it out, we would be growing white hair.” Mia retorted, she turned to Shelly “I’m sure you can do better than that.”
“Ryan asked me to marry him!” Shelly burst out the words. Mia squealed as she hugged Shelly and congratulated her.
Erin showed no emotion while Ryan noticed, “You don’t agree to this Erin?”
She shook her head with a small smile “No, it’s not that. I’m very happy for you…But why so sudden?”
“Well, when Shelly was kidnapped, I was so scared that something might have happened to her. My heart almost stopped when I saw her lying on the ground unconscious, I realized then that I can’t live without her. I want to be able to protect her always and watch out for her.”
Erin nodded with sympathy “I know how you feel…but how are you able to support a wife?”
“Oh, I’ve thought about that already. I’ll be graduating in a couple of months and I can work as a paralegal until I take the legal examination to be a lawyer. I’m living with Dai Lou right now and he is ecstatic that Shelly is moving in with us.” Ryan explained. He glanced at Shelly who nodded for him to continue “And we want you to come move in with us too.”
Erin chuckled at the thought of a handicap and a blind person living together. Imagine the horror of constantly being taken care of. She knew it was not her way of living “Thank you for the thoughtfulness but I think I will have to pass.”
Shelly’s face fell “But Ga Jei, I want you to live with me.”
Erin reached out her hand and Shelly quickly clasped it between her hands “Silly girl. You’re old enough to get married, you should be old enough to take care of yourself. You don’t need Ga Jei living with you. I was worried for a while but now that I know how Ryan feels and how serious you two are. You have my blessings. Besides, I couldn’t leave Mia behind.”
Mia took a step up while grinning ear to ear “That’s right!” she wrapped a comfortable arm around Erin’s shoulders “Your sister will be just fine living with me. We’ll stay up all night eating chocolate ice cream and talk about everything. It’s going to be like a slumber party. Just like old times!” she laughed with excitement.
“We’ve NEVER done that.” Erin reminded her friend.
“I know, but a girl can dream.” Mia said with sarcasm.
“It does sound fun.” Erin could imagine the talks that they could have.
Ryan glanced at his watch “I’m sorry we have to run off like this. But Dai Lou made an appointment with us for lunch. We’ll be back soon to visit you, Erin.”
“Eh, eh, eh…I think you should change your words. Call her Ga Jei.” Mia corrected.
Shelly giggled as she pointed at Ryan “You have a sister now.”
“And I couldn’t imagine a better one.” Ryan added.
Mia wrinkled her nose “You don’t have to kiss up so soon. You haven’t married Shelly yet.”
Erin shook her head teasingly at Mia “I think someone’s jealous of the fact that I’m gaining two family members.” Mia kept the secret tight lipped, she knew Chuck would appreciate it if he was the one to tell Erin. She wondered if Shelly had any clue “Don’t be late now, go.” She pushed.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Shelly reached over and gave her sister a short hug before taking Ryan’s hand as he led her out of the room.
Mia linked her arm through Erin’s and walked her back to her room “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked Erin who was getting on the bed and under the covers.
“Of course I am. But to be honest, I am a little jealous.” Erin said honestly.
Mia quickly assured her friend “You shouldn’t be. You’ll find someone to love one day. Just like Shelly.”
“No, I meant Ryan. I’m envious of him because he gets my job. I feel like I haven’t been a sister that long and now someone else is taking over for me. I guess I should be grateful for your amnesia…” her smile slowly faded “How are things with you and Darren?”
She sighed with her head shaking, Mia pulled the chair closer to Erin’s bed “It’s weird. I’m so confused, Erin. My feelings are so twisted.” Erin’s face squirmed confusingly and Mia knew she needed to explain further “I recently found out that a very close friend has a crush on me. But at the same time, I feel that he deserves a chance for the things he’s done for me. Yet I feel that it’s unfair to Darren just because I can’t remember the past, maybe he’s done more for me that I can’t remember. It’s not right.”
“Sounds complicating.” Erin felt her friend’s pain.
“It is. Now I don’t know what to do…my friend doesn’t want to stand between Darren and myself just in case I regain my memory one day. I guess it’s understandable but I…” she was at lost for words.
Erin finished for her “But you want to give your heart a chance to accept something new.”
“Exactly.” Mia sighed.
“I thought Ethan would never come clean.” Erin smiled, she could almost see Mia’s shocked expression “I pay attention.”
Mia laughed “Obviously. Anyways, my problem will eventually solve itself, how about yours? Has Ted…”
“No.” Erin shook her head with a distant expression “Every time he brings up the subject, I change it.”
“You don’t like him romantically?” Mia asked. She often tried to analyze Erin’s feelings but she had a way of masking her emotions when it came to Ted. Yet she always had a sinking feeling that they were attracted to one another.
Erin snorted at the irony “I don’t know how many times my stomach turned whenever he was around. But it was nothing compared to how I felt about Brad. I always convinced myself that Ted was just an infatuation. The feelings were not real.”
“But maybe it was because you didn’t want to hurt Brad so you convinced yourself that your feelings for Ted is a mere imagination.” Mia observed.
“You have been talking to Ethan way too much.” Erin joked. She shook her head “I don’t know what it is anymore. But I know that I cannot get involved with him right now.”
“Why?” Mia asked “TK?” it was her best guess.
Erin nodded “Yes. I don’t want him to turn into another Brad. This guy is serious, he’ll be back once he finds out that I’m here. Or maybe he’s watching me right now.” Mia snapped her head around her and looked outside the room door. Erin smiled “But I’m not afraid even if he is. I have you guys to protect me.” She said with much confidence.
“Are you sure, Erin? I mean it is me you’re talking about. The same girl that was so deathly afraid of heights that you had to push me off the plane. Remember that?” Mia chuckled nervously while recalling her ‘near death’ situation.
“You remember?” Erin frowned “Is your memory coming back?”
“Only the ones that Reina told me.” She said casually and quickly caught herself “I mean, in my dreams…” she trailed off when Erin’s brows furrowed.
“Mia, what have you been doing?” Erin asked in a motherly tone.
Mia wanted to slap her mouth for being so stupid “I visited her.”
“In jail?!” Erin was shocked.
“Yes.” Mia nodded “A couple of weeks ago, I had a dream about Reina and I decided to see her. Doug was with me." it made Erin feel better that she didn't go alone "She told me a lot of things, most were unbelievable and most were pure lies…but there were things she told me that I knew were true. I don’t know how I know, I just knew.” Erin’s face twisted with concern “I know you guys think its dangerous for me to see her, but I feel like she’s the only person that’s helped me with my memory.”
“How about Darren? Do you remember anything at all?” Erin asked.
She shook her head “Nothing.”
“He loves you.” Erin said softly.
“I know.” Mia nodded “Love should not be pressured. Although I admit that he’s been really good about giving me space so far. I know it must be hurting him but I’m really appreciative for that.”
The girls talked on into the afternoon. Their conversation was so concentrated that they didn’t hear a knock on the door. Chuck let himself in after a couple of knocks. He found Mia and Erin talking in a serious tone. He cleared his throat to get their attention “Chuck!” Mia announced as she got up from her seat “Is my shift done already?”
“As far as I know.” Chuck smiled as he watched Mia say goodbye to Erin. The girls have gone through so much together, he often hoped that maybe one day he would be able to have the same relationship with his two nieces. But that day was unknown since he has not told her yet. Mia walked by and gave her friend a last glance before nodded to Chuck.
“Hi Chuck.” Erin greeted with a smile “I’m sorry about last night, I didn’t want anyone to see my panic like that.”
He placed the bag on the table the patients used to eat from “Everyone has a weak spot Erin.”
“I smell lunch.” The sweet aroma of lobster legs tickled her nose “You have some stress to relieve?”
“No, you do.” Chuck replied wisely as he pulled out a leg from the container and handed it to her.
Erin tilted her head with a smile of pure admiration “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” he went along with her game eventhough he understood.
“Know that something is bothering me. I can’t remember the last time I met someone that was able to read me within a short period of time.” Her smile grew crooked as she realized “Actually, NO one has ever been able to do that.”
“Should I feel special?” he asked while chomping on his own lobster leg.
Erin laughed as she spit out the crunchy shell into her empty hand “I don’t know about special. Maybe it’s a curse?”
Chuck took the container out of the bag and gave her the bag to dispose the shells “A curse would be living with Becca. But it’s definitely a gift to be able to read you.”
“She’s not that bad.” Erin came to her friend’s defense “Becca is very…different. You have to understand her to be her friend. Most people tend to judge her too quickly.”
“You mean I didn’t give her a chance.” Chuck reached for another leg.
Erin wiped the corner of her lips with her hand “She’s just very straight forward. Give her another chance, she’ll grow on you.”
“Like a fungus?” Chuck’s description made Erin laugh.
“Well…now that you mention it. Yeah, it’s kinda like a fungus. But she’s also like a leech. She sucks out the bad stuff in you and leaves you with the good parts.” Erin smiled as she put out a ready hand for another lobster leg “Anymore left?”
“I brought enough for me, you and my stomach.” He chuckled while the two continued their conversation.