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LJ Idol, Week 11 - Recency Bias
"We have to talk," Katie's eyes are hard and her brow's all creased up.
I nod and I try to look agreeable, but I don't say a word and I keep on brushing Daniel's hair. And I focus on the sweet floral scent of his shampoo and how soft his hair feels and the way it slides like black silk through my fingers. Katie wanted to cut it last year when all of this started, but I wouldn't let her. It's his pride and joy, or at least it was.
He won't be able to keep it up, Katie said, and you'll have your hands full anyway.
But my hands don't feel full, not with all I've lost.
"It's about Daniel," she continues, and her voice's so cold.
He doesn't react to the sound of his name, but I do. Because I don't want to talk about Daniel--not now with him here and not later, either. I know what Katie's gonna say, and I don't want to hear it. My hands won't stay steady and I almost drop the brush and it snags in Daniel's hair. And he turns to me with a small, hurt noise, and he's too pale and his eyes are big and shadowed and scared. But he's every bit as beautiful to me as he's always been, and for a second I swear he's there, really there--
And he blinks and the moment passes, and my heart breaks all over again.
"Sorry I scared you, dude," I whisper, and I lay a hand on his back. I can feel his ribs through his T-shirt and the too-fast beating of his heart. His whole body tenses under my touch, and I've gotta stay still 'til he relaxes. But then he leans in and rests his head on my shoulder, and I hold him close and breathe him in and remember how he used to be. How we used to be. And I remember those first awful weeks last year--how lost he looked and his endless questions.
What happened? Was I dead? Am I alive now?
One year and who knows how many tests and treatments later, and we still know so little.
Every thirty seconds and sometimes sooner, his memory resets and for him there's nothing in between. And he's quieter now with all the meds they've got him on, but those questions are still there and I can see them in his eyes whenever he looks at me.
Where'd I go? How long was I asleep?
But there's never any answers to give him, because even the doctors're stumped. It's a brain injury, they say, but they're not clear on the cause and I can't help because I wasn't around when it happened. They tell us it's a rare case and they look at Daniel like he's a puzzle for them to put together. But they can't find all the pieces, and they can't say for sure if he'll get better or how long it'll take if he does. It could happen tomorrow or in a year or not at all. And that's the worst part, that nobody really knows anything.
All I know is Daniel's gone, maybe forever, and I wasn't there when he needed me most.
"Jess?" Katie's voice is softer now, but she's not gonna let me ignore her.
"What is it?" I ask, and I'm so tired, all worn out from fighting so hard to hold onto what's left.
And I feel selfish saying that when Daniel's the one who's lost everything. It's not so much work taking care of him, really. Because it turns out he can take care of his hair and his showers and all those things just fine on his own as long as you remind him every day. The doctors call that procedural memory, and it means his body remembers how to do things even though his brain doesn't. So he can still tinker with his circuits and wires and stuff, and it makes him so happy and it's the only time he's almost him.
But you've gotta watch him so he doesn't get distracted and burn the house down... like he almost did the other day.
Katie twists a lock of her own black hair around one finger. "I think we need to consider... other options for his care."
My eyes well up and my stomach's in my shoes and I think I might choke on this lump in my throat. But I knew this was coming and I've gotta stay calm, so I wait to speak 'til my voice won't shake. "There are no other options."
"Jess." All the steel's gone from her now, and her voice's flat and kinda robotic. "He's not getting any better."
My arm tightens around him of its own volition and he lets out a soft little sigh. And there's no way I'm gonna abandon him again, not now and not ever. "He's--" My words come out all squeaky and I swallow and start over. "He's calmer, isn't he?"
Katie snorts. "More like catatonic." She shakes her head, and her dark eyes flash. "How long do you think you can keep this up? You're only nineteen, Jess. You're supposed to be going out to parties and... doing whatever normal people our age do."
"You don't understand--" I start, but Katie cuts me off.
"Understand what?" she demands, and her face might as well be made of metal except for the flush rising on her brown skin. "That you blame yourself for a breakup that wasn't your fault? Or that you're wasting your life playing nursemaid to make up for it?"
Her face's too close to mine and her breath's hot on my cheeks. Daniel squirms away and he huddles in the corner and makes himself small and I want to tell him it's all gonna be okay. But it isn't okay, and I don't know if it ever will be. And I want to tell Katie it is my fault, because I knew he didn't mean all those things he said to me, the last time I saw him before. I knew it was just a fight and I walked out on him anyway, and he never takes care of himself when I'm not around, and--
"Snap out of it, Jess," she growls, and she lunges toward me and I think she's gonna slap me. But she grasps me by the tops of my arms instead and lifts me onto my feet. She shakes me like a ragdoll and her long nails dig into my skin.
"H- he belongs with me, K--"
"Yeah, right," she snaps. "That's why you were on that six-week 'vacation' at your parents' house when all this started."
And she might as well have slapped me right across the face, the way that stings.
"You didn't break him, you idiot." Her arms fall to her sides and she stares at the floor, and I've never seen her look so sad. "I heard him yelling at you clear across the house, and I heard the front door slam when he left. He walked out on you first, and you were right to leave him when you did. He was broken from the start--"
"He's. Not. Broken," I hiss through gritted teeth, and that low, icy voice's coming from my mouth but it doesn't sound like mine. My blood's pounding in my ears and there's this crazy strength surging through me. And I'm shaking but it's not because I'm scared, and all of a sudden I don't feel like sweet, harmless little Jess anymore. I march right up to Katie and I stare her down and I swear I could throw her across the room. Daniel shrinks away from me, and he mutters something I can't make out.
But Katie doesn't back down one bit. "Well, he's not coming back, is he? Look at him."
He's cowering against the wall, and his eyes are bright with fear.
"Is this the man you love?" Katie won't let up, not for one minute.
And all my rage drains away in an instant, because that's a question I can actually answer. "Yes."
She hollers something back, but I don't hear what it is because my eyes are on Daniel. And he blinks back at me with this light in his eyes and I want so much to believe it means something. That this time it's him, it's really him and he's back for good. But I've been hoping so hard for way too long, so I swallow and I brace myself for the moment the light flickers out again.
But it doesn't come.
Daniel's perfect brows knit together and he clears his throat. "Don't fight," he croaks. "Please."
His voice's like a thousand rusty hinges but it's the most wonderful sound I've ever heard.
I throw my arms around him and I snuffle into his shirt and he holds me like he's never gonna let go. My hands tangle in his hair and now I'm the one with all the questions but I'm too busy clinging to him for dear life to ask them.
"She's right, y'know." His words're soft puffs against my ear and they make me shiver. "Did this to myself."
I'm drenched in tears and my head's spinning and I don't want to pull away, but I do. "What d'you mean, dude?"
"Might not want anything to do with me once I tell you," Daniel mutters.
He leans forward and he lets his hair fall over his face like he always does when he's ashamed. And it's so him it makes me ache, and there's nothing he can say that'll change the way I feel, and--
"You left, and I--" He pauses and picks at the carpet, and he takes a deep breath. And he leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. "Look, I fucked up, okay? Knew this guy..." He trails off, and he looks straight at me with his big wet eyes and shakes his head. "I don't deserve you, Jess. I wanted this."
And I can't think straight, because nothing makes sense. "You wanted this? To lose all your memories?"
"Not all of them." He sighs. "Guy wasn't supposed to take everything. Just--" His voice cracks, and my heart does, too.
Because I already know what he's gonna say, but knowing doesn't make it hurt any less. He cups my chin in one gentle hand and he plants a soft kiss on my forehead. And he whispers the words against my skin.
"Just... you."
Author's Note:
This story and its characters are fictional, but the idea was inspired by a real person. They did not teach me about Clive Wearing when I got my psych degree, and I feel a little cheated (especially since I'm still paying back my student loans).
I nod and I try to look agreeable, but I don't say a word and I keep on brushing Daniel's hair. And I focus on the sweet floral scent of his shampoo and how soft his hair feels and the way it slides like black silk through my fingers. Katie wanted to cut it last year when all of this started, but I wouldn't let her. It's his pride and joy, or at least it was.
He won't be able to keep it up, Katie said, and you'll have your hands full anyway.
But my hands don't feel full, not with all I've lost.
"It's about Daniel," she continues, and her voice's so cold.
He doesn't react to the sound of his name, but I do. Because I don't want to talk about Daniel--not now with him here and not later, either. I know what Katie's gonna say, and I don't want to hear it. My hands won't stay steady and I almost drop the brush and it snags in Daniel's hair. And he turns to me with a small, hurt noise, and he's too pale and his eyes are big and shadowed and scared. But he's every bit as beautiful to me as he's always been, and for a second I swear he's there, really there--
And he blinks and the moment passes, and my heart breaks all over again.
"Sorry I scared you, dude," I whisper, and I lay a hand on his back. I can feel his ribs through his T-shirt and the too-fast beating of his heart. His whole body tenses under my touch, and I've gotta stay still 'til he relaxes. But then he leans in and rests his head on my shoulder, and I hold him close and breathe him in and remember how he used to be. How we used to be. And I remember those first awful weeks last year--how lost he looked and his endless questions.
What happened? Was I dead? Am I alive now?
One year and who knows how many tests and treatments later, and we still know so little.
Every thirty seconds and sometimes sooner, his memory resets and for him there's nothing in between. And he's quieter now with all the meds they've got him on, but those questions are still there and I can see them in his eyes whenever he looks at me.
Where'd I go? How long was I asleep?
But there's never any answers to give him, because even the doctors're stumped. It's a brain injury, they say, but they're not clear on the cause and I can't help because I wasn't around when it happened. They tell us it's a rare case and they look at Daniel like he's a puzzle for them to put together. But they can't find all the pieces, and they can't say for sure if he'll get better or how long it'll take if he does. It could happen tomorrow or in a year or not at all. And that's the worst part, that nobody really knows anything.
All I know is Daniel's gone, maybe forever, and I wasn't there when he needed me most.
"Jess?" Katie's voice is softer now, but she's not gonna let me ignore her.
"What is it?" I ask, and I'm so tired, all worn out from fighting so hard to hold onto what's left.
And I feel selfish saying that when Daniel's the one who's lost everything. It's not so much work taking care of him, really. Because it turns out he can take care of his hair and his showers and all those things just fine on his own as long as you remind him every day. The doctors call that procedural memory, and it means his body remembers how to do things even though his brain doesn't. So he can still tinker with his circuits and wires and stuff, and it makes him so happy and it's the only time he's almost him.
But you've gotta watch him so he doesn't get distracted and burn the house down... like he almost did the other day.
Katie twists a lock of her own black hair around one finger. "I think we need to consider... other options for his care."
My eyes well up and my stomach's in my shoes and I think I might choke on this lump in my throat. But I knew this was coming and I've gotta stay calm, so I wait to speak 'til my voice won't shake. "There are no other options."
"Jess." All the steel's gone from her now, and her voice's flat and kinda robotic. "He's not getting any better."
My arm tightens around him of its own volition and he lets out a soft little sigh. And there's no way I'm gonna abandon him again, not now and not ever. "He's--" My words come out all squeaky and I swallow and start over. "He's calmer, isn't he?"
Katie snorts. "More like catatonic." She shakes her head, and her dark eyes flash. "How long do you think you can keep this up? You're only nineteen, Jess. You're supposed to be going out to parties and... doing whatever normal people our age do."
"You don't understand--" I start, but Katie cuts me off.
"Understand what?" she demands, and her face might as well be made of metal except for the flush rising on her brown skin. "That you blame yourself for a breakup that wasn't your fault? Or that you're wasting your life playing nursemaid to make up for it?"
Her face's too close to mine and her breath's hot on my cheeks. Daniel squirms away and he huddles in the corner and makes himself small and I want to tell him it's all gonna be okay. But it isn't okay, and I don't know if it ever will be. And I want to tell Katie it is my fault, because I knew he didn't mean all those things he said to me, the last time I saw him before. I knew it was just a fight and I walked out on him anyway, and he never takes care of himself when I'm not around, and--
"Snap out of it, Jess," she growls, and she lunges toward me and I think she's gonna slap me. But she grasps me by the tops of my arms instead and lifts me onto my feet. She shakes me like a ragdoll and her long nails dig into my skin.
"H- he belongs with me, K--"
"Yeah, right," she snaps. "That's why you were on that six-week 'vacation' at your parents' house when all this started."
And she might as well have slapped me right across the face, the way that stings.
"You didn't break him, you idiot." Her arms fall to her sides and she stares at the floor, and I've never seen her look so sad. "I heard him yelling at you clear across the house, and I heard the front door slam when he left. He walked out on you first, and you were right to leave him when you did. He was broken from the start--"
"He's. Not. Broken," I hiss through gritted teeth, and that low, icy voice's coming from my mouth but it doesn't sound like mine. My blood's pounding in my ears and there's this crazy strength surging through me. And I'm shaking but it's not because I'm scared, and all of a sudden I don't feel like sweet, harmless little Jess anymore. I march right up to Katie and I stare her down and I swear I could throw her across the room. Daniel shrinks away from me, and he mutters something I can't make out.
But Katie doesn't back down one bit. "Well, he's not coming back, is he? Look at him."
He's cowering against the wall, and his eyes are bright with fear.
"Is this the man you love?" Katie won't let up, not for one minute.
And all my rage drains away in an instant, because that's a question I can actually answer. "Yes."
She hollers something back, but I don't hear what it is because my eyes are on Daniel. And he blinks back at me with this light in his eyes and I want so much to believe it means something. That this time it's him, it's really him and he's back for good. But I've been hoping so hard for way too long, so I swallow and I brace myself for the moment the light flickers out again.
But it doesn't come.
Daniel's perfect brows knit together and he clears his throat. "Don't fight," he croaks. "Please."
His voice's like a thousand rusty hinges but it's the most wonderful sound I've ever heard.
I throw my arms around him and I snuffle into his shirt and he holds me like he's never gonna let go. My hands tangle in his hair and now I'm the one with all the questions but I'm too busy clinging to him for dear life to ask them.
"She's right, y'know." His words're soft puffs against my ear and they make me shiver. "Did this to myself."
I'm drenched in tears and my head's spinning and I don't want to pull away, but I do. "What d'you mean, dude?"
"Might not want anything to do with me once I tell you," Daniel mutters.
He leans forward and he lets his hair fall over his face like he always does when he's ashamed. And it's so him it makes me ache, and there's nothing he can say that'll change the way I feel, and--
"You left, and I--" He pauses and picks at the carpet, and he takes a deep breath. And he leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. "Look, I fucked up, okay? Knew this guy..." He trails off, and he looks straight at me with his big wet eyes and shakes his head. "I don't deserve you, Jess. I wanted this."
And I can't think straight, because nothing makes sense. "You wanted this? To lose all your memories?"
"Not all of them." He sighs. "Guy wasn't supposed to take everything. Just--" His voice cracks, and my heart does, too.
Because I already know what he's gonna say, but knowing doesn't make it hurt any less. He cups my chin in one gentle hand and he plants a soft kiss on my forehead. And he whispers the words against my skin.
"Just... you."
Author's Note:
This story and its characters are fictional, but the idea was inspired by a real person. They did not teach me about Clive Wearing when I got my psych degree, and I feel a little cheated (especially since I'm still paying back my student loans).
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Very interesting about Clive Wearing. I'd never heard about him before. It reminds me a lot of that movie "50 First Dates".
(So glad you're back in!)
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I had never heard of Clive Wearing before this topic, either. And I have a psych degree! What the heck is that about?!! Finding out about him was a result of my desperate Googling so I wouldn't have to write about all the other things people were saying this topic was about, ha.
And thanks! I'm glad to be back... except scared of getting voted out the first week back in. :)
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I'm really, really glad it worked for you. :D
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Thank you so much for turning me on to this fascinating history... I now have items to add to my reading and viewing list, and will do both with great gusto.
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I felt the same way when I found that article (about 15 minutes into Googling "recency bias" and "recency effect" along with other assorted words (I think this came up after I added "pathology") after the topic post went up). I was like, "holy crap, this is so amazing and awful and beautiful and how in the world do I use this for my post because omg." *flail*
FWIW, I would have loved to read about your TBI and how it has affected you. Brains and how they work (or in some cases, don't work) are completely fascinating to me. But I also understand how hard it is to write about something deeply personal and make it interesting--or at least I have a hard time doing it.
I have a lot of focus/memory issues due to psychological trauma and I remember all kinds of stupid things, too. And never the important things, of course. Another coping skill I have developed is an amazing ability to find things because I'm forever forgetting and misplacing. XD
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That's a really compelling story; I can definitely see where it captured your attention. :)
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I wonder if I should have had him allude more to the process involved. Bah, hindsight. XD
And yeah, holy crap at the real-life story, and all of that happening to a real person. I can't even imagine what that was like for him and his poor wife.
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It sounds amazingly awkward. Poor couple.
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Also I love how easy it is to tell who Jess, Daniel, and Katie are even though you were trying to make them not them. ;)
Also, also you know I was all "I hate you," about this piece because you seriously need to stop thinking everything you write sucks and that it's awful. Seriously, stop that. =p
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Thank you... and thanks for making me write it and helping me with the editing and stuff. Blargh, I'm working on it. <3
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Thank you so much. I'm trying really hard to get my fiction engines fired up again. They've been malfunctioning for quite some time.
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And Clive Wearing goes up on my google search as soon as the reading and voting is over :)
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His story is fascinating and touching... I highly recommend Googling him. And shame on my psych degree program for not teaching about him!
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And yeah..thanks for that link on Clive Wearing..an interesting read that one.
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Thank you very much. I haven't been doing much fiction for a while, because I struggle with it a lot lately. But this week's prompt begged for it, to me. I was worried I wouldn't make it work, but Idol is all about taking risks, right? :)
I'm kind of shocked Clive Wearing isn't more widely known (I mean, I have a psych degree and never heard of him). Why wouldn't everyone need to know about him?!!
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Glad you're back!
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Also, glad to see you back too. :)
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And yeah, when I found that link about Clive Wearing I was like I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING RELATED TO THIS OMG.
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I definitely feel for Jess the most.
I know a lot of the circumstances surrounding the breakup (they just didn't seem to fit into the story), so I do feel for Daniel as well, but. He's the kind of guy who'd go have brain surgery done to forget an ex, so there ya go.
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