Project Lazarus

e

hospital, I felt like the sun finally

squeeze in relief. The doctors were shocked by how fast he'd healed. Honestly, I was too. Just days a

, standing beside him as the nurse pushed

aised. "I'm fine, Leona. It

. "A bump? You nea

g. "But I didn't. You can'

could tell she still looked

es, memory problems. They warned me he might not act like himself for a wh

o think too m

im into the passenger seat. He gro

kay?"

stiff. I'll be better aft

ing the way he looked out the window, like everything was brand new. His face was calm, but

chirping. The neighbors' cars parked in their u

home,"

't seen it before. He nodded slowly and g

first. Our dog, Milo, came running

umping up on me, then

th a smile. "Co

fr

racks, tilted her hea

asked, st

. "Yeah. That's

name's Milo. We've had h

his head. "Huh. I could

bly just the memory stuff the

caught a flicker of something in his eyes. Lik

ent to disable the securi

p behind me. "What

. "You forgot t

d. "Yeah.

Same one we've us

. "Zero-seven-three-t

ean, head injuries mess with your memor

e dog's name...

went to the kitchen to make some tea. As the kettle boiled,

me. That

g, and even cracking j

verything fe

through a photo album. One of our old ones from our early

ting at a picture of us at th

id. "Remember? We took

furrowed. "I don't really re

ng beside him. "That was

"I wish I rememb

nd. "It'll come b

ook in his eyes told

th mashed potatoes. He ate quietly, like he was still figuring o

the kitchen, like he did

I helped him upstairs to bed. As he lay

n't need anythin

d," he w

but before I left, I hea

the bathr

own the hall. Second door o

, eyes ha

t, I coul

ng at the ceiling, list

live. He

about him fe

y he looked at things. Like everything w

r and watche

as Har

oved. The m

like a stranger had

-

ant him to see me worried. So I made breakfas

irs slowly, rub

che?"

"Feels like my brai

able, and I ser

plate. "Did I a

Yeah. You lo

ly. "Right... right.

ostly in

nto the living room and stoo

nged these?

It's been the s

't say

stood

aring at himself in th

sta

ay anythin

t wat

admit it, but fea

't just m

't just c

like somet

I didn't u

say that out

ng, "It's okay." I kept preten

e he w

o badly for th

down, I

asn't exactly the man I said