Catching a Wedding

The voice of a middle-aged woman came from the door. Rhodes looked up from the bed and saw a woman with a textured hairdo standing by the door. She looked at him coldly. She said as she approached him, "I didn't think you'd choose to wake up a day before your wedding."

"…are we going to continue with the wedding?" Rhodes softly asked. Based on her behavior and resemblance to Joan Wester, this was her mother.

"Damn right, we are. What do you think?" Mrs. Wester spoke as if she was not speaking nonsense. The bride was already dead, but she still insisted on a wedding. "Everyone devoted time and effort to that wedding. Just because you chose to kill my baby doesn't mean you can let everyone forget. Rhodes Huxley, I won't let you escape this."

Rhodes stared at the mother. He didn't know about her motivation, but this was improper. However, if he pushed back, wouldn't that look like he was indeed running away? The fiancee sent multiple texts of crying to her mother about Rhodes's behavior during the car ride. If he picked a fight with her and wanted to cancel the wedding, it would be a big motive for driving off the road.

His lips flattened into a line. It didn't feel like he had a choice. He looked away before murmuring, "When and where are we holding it? I forgot."

"…bastard…" The mother took out a blank invitation and threw it at Rhodes's face. "You better not make excuses. If you need a wheelchair, talk to your best friend. I haven't announced a cancellation. Everyone should still make it for the wedding."

"Okay…" Rhodes picked up the invitation and saw how elegant the invitation was. It looked like a happy couple fished for compliments long before their wedding. While he skimmed the invitation, the mother approached the door. She left a few more threats, but Rhodes somewhat ignored her.

Based on the invitation, the wedding would be held at First Sunday Church, a medium-sized destination church in a small county. It was built just ten years ago, but the architectural style imitated one from the Renaissance. That aspect, combined with its outdoor viewing deck for the sea, made it a popular place for weddings. It could also be rented to those who didn't want priests to officiate.

Rhodes didn't have a phone to look up the venue. However, he knew someone he could ask for help. Since Lionel presented himself as a friend, perhaps Rhodes could ask him for favors. Just as he thought of Lionel, the strangely repulsive kiss came to his mind.

Shaking off the memory, he slowly got off his bed. He was no longer connected to anything aside from a dextrose drip. He made his way to the nurse station on that floor, dragging the stand as if it were his walking support. This image made a nurse race to his side in worry. After all, Rhodes was a high-value patient they had to attend to very carefully.

"Dr. Huxley! What are you doing?" The nurse gasped in disbelief. "Please return to your bed. If you need anything, you could have pressed the nurse button!"

"It's faster if I come here. I want to borrow a phone. I want to look something up. Can you help me?" Rhodes smiled at the nurse. With memories or not, Rhodes was not an ordinary man. His looks might not be the most beautiful, but the ingrained pride and elegance in him radiated through. He might not have been born rich, but his wealth had been poured over him for decades. It was enough to coat him in gold.

The nurse was both stunned and embarrassed to meet his gaze. She quickly reached past the tall desk to grab her phone. With a meek voice, she whispered, "I have to supervise you. You might run off. Not that I think you'll steal my phone. I just… you can't be discharged yet, Dr. Huxley."

Rhodes wore a half smile and pretended to listen to her worries. He looked up the venue and how much time was needed to travel there. Strangely, it was only two hours away by car. After memorizing a few more details, he looked up where they were. 

New Pearson Medical Center… 

It was one of the most prestigious hospitals in the state. The website even had his face in the banner. The hospital had a page for their most decorated doctors. The one on top was no one else but him, Rhodes Huxley. He was only turning thirty-five next year, yet the number of his awards was already bigger than that. Dr. Huxley conducted multiple studies and published a mountain of papers about the human body. It was as if he only stood as a trauma surgeon in his free time.

The man on the website had a smile that Rhodes could mimic. However, the more he stared at that face, the less he recognized it as his. Without his memories and knowledge, Rhodes could never be this person. It was a waste to dream of returning to this life.

He glanced at the nurse. "That will be a problem. I need to be discharged tonight. Can you make it work? I have a wedding to catch."

"What? No, you can't… I'll see what your doctor says, Dr. Huxley." The nurse could only forward the patient's wishes. After all, they couldn't hold him there. As for payments, it could simply be deducted from his pay. Yes, he was employed here until the accident.

"Thank you." Rhodes cleared the searches, not realizing how it came as if muscle memory. When he locked the phone, he realized he was not holding his phone. He just gave it back to the nurse and returned to his bed to rest longer.

The nurse watched him leave. She murmured, "…I can't imagine what Dr. Huxley feels right now. He lost everything in an instant…"

…

Rhodes stayed on his bed for the remaining hours of the day. He was already eating soft food, so he had nothing stuck to him. Many colleagues and acquaintances visited him, but no one stood out to Rhodes. He wondered how badly his memories were wiped out. Either that or the Dr. Huxley from days ago had no strong impressions of them.

That was too sad. Rhodes chuckled as he thought about it. This hospital was so happy to have him, yet the person didn't even have any attachments.

"Rhodes?" Lionel's voice came from the door. Rhodes looked up and saw the exasperated doctor. The man even drew the blinds to hide the room from whoever passed. He sat heavily beside Rhdoes on the bed. "What am I hearing? You're leaving the hospital and traveling to Menorosa?"

"Yeah, my wedding…"

"There's no more wedding! Joan is dead! Why are you so insistent?" Lionel grabbed Rhodes's wrist, not letting the other move away from him. "What is this? Do you hate me that much?"

Rhodes stared at the angry man. He had no answer, but his instincts screamed. The patient turned away. "…yeah. I don't want to see you."