With groggy awareness, Donald realized he wasnāt in the black hellhole that haunted his dreams. "Edie, youāre here," Donald said as he removed his oxygen mask.
"Yes, itās me," Edie said, feeling relieved. "Iām going to get the doctor. Iāll be right back."
Edie started to get up from the bed, and Donald grabbed her arm. "Please, stay with me," he said, pleading with her.
Donaldās hands were sweaty and shaking, but he held a firm grip. Edie gazed up at him. "You look terrible, and your face is so pale. You need help!" she said, staring at Donald, looking very worried.
A slight grimace of pain flickered across his pale face. "Do you know? About my..." Leaving his sentence unfinished, he managed a smile.
"Lie down. Youāre still too weak. I want you to conserve your energy and regain your strength," Edie said, and there was a touch of anxiety in her voice.
"Wait! I need you to listen to me," Donald took a deep breath and continued. "Did the doctor tell you about my condition?" he asked.
Edieās voice stayed level, while her eyes darkened in sympathy. "Yes, Dr. Clark told me everything," she said.
Donald lowered his voice. "Why did you come? Because you feel sorry for me?" he asked.
Edie didnāt know how to answer his question and quickly changed the topic. "I donāt understand why youāre here all alone. Whereās Joanna or Karen or your mother?" she said, "Did you tell them you were in the hospital?"
Donald was exploring the truth that Edie would never know the truth of three womenās disappearance. He broke off with a shake of his head and reverted to the conversation. "Why did Dr. Clark call you?" he asked.
Edie looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Did you not tell him too?" There was a brief silence, and Edie continued. "Why did you keep your illness a secret?"
Donald remembered the night before he lost consciousness; he repeated her name over and over again. His love for Edie had grown over the past year, and he realized that Edie was the only woman for him. He wished he could live with her forever and knew in his heart that Edie would never feel the same way about him. "Thank you for being here for me," Donald said, looking at the woman that he had missed so much. "Since you know about my illness. Does it scare you?" he hesitated. "You probably donāt want to be around me?"
"Donāt talk such nonsense! Iāll help you anyway, and I can," Edie said. "Thatās what friends do," she added.
Edieās next words were nothing that he could have expected. He wondered if he was in hell. Dreaming of her with dreams, he could not escape, and now she says "friends." His journey of fear and depression had led him to a cave where loneliness overwhelmed him, and there was no escaping it. Donald smiled and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but you can leave, Iāll be fine."
"What are you talking about? Youāre all alone!" Edie said, recalling what the doctor had told her. She raised her voice. "Youāre aware of your illness and refuse treatment. Is this how you want to live the rest of your life," she asked. "You just want to get better?"
"I refused the treatment because thereās a possibility I can lose my memory again. I donāt want that to happen," Donald answered.
Edie was quiet for a moment, digesting his answer and taking it apart. "None of that matters. All that matters is you get better. Your family will stand by your side and help you through it," she said.
There was a long pause after Edie spoke. āHow can I tell her what Iāve done?ā Donald wondered. "No," Donald said, shaking his head.
Silence filled the room. Neither of them knew what to say at his point. āWeāre only friends, and I have no right mingling in his affairs.ā All these random thoughts skittered through Edieās brain. She took a deep breath and said, "Iām going to call Karen. You need help, and Iām not leaving until I know youāre going to be okay." She took out her phone and started to dial Karenās dial.
Donald jumped up and grabbed her phone and threw it on the floor, smashing it to pieces. Edie was shocked at this sudden madness and stood there, staring at Donald. Then she remembered what happened the night of the Charity Ball and how Donald was acting like a maniac. "Donald, take a few deep breaths and calm down," Edie said.
Donald comes back to his senses and realizes what heās done. He dislikes himself intensely in the state heās in. Looking at Edieās pale face, he takes a step back. He falls to his knees in pain. His arms flailed, and his hand raked through his hair in desperation. "Please forgive! I canāt control myself anymore." Donaldās groaning and holding his head. "I canāt tell them, and I canāt tell anyone. If anyone finds out, Iāll lose everything," he shouts. His face was brick red, and he was filled with rage. Then suddenly, he burst into tears and sobbed, his face buried in his hands.
Edie stood there frozen, unable to move. Thinking about what the doctor told her, Edie walks toward him and kneels down beside Donald and tries to comfort him."Everythingās going to be okay," Edie said.
Edie no sooner got the words out, and Donald pushed her away. "Stay away from me, or I might hurt you. I am no longer the man I used to be," he said.
Donaldās voice broke, and he laid his head down on the floor as the sobs took over again. Edie watched, her own heart aching. She could see that he was suffering, but didnāt know how to ease his torment. "Donald, all youāve done, I know you didnāt do it on purpose. It was your illness," Edie said.
Donald pleaded with Edie. "No one can know about my illness," he said.