Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:20:06 -0400 From: Hank Subject: The Forgotten Love Please donate to Nifty.org at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html. Your donation will allow stories such as this to be published. The Forgotten Love Prologue The two young men were racing their bikes along a jogging path in Central Park, which was nearby their home. Neither of them was wearing a helmet. They were both expert bikers, and didn't want to wear the uncomfortable protectors. "You better speed it up, if you expect to beat me," the man in the lead yelled. "Listen Nerd, I'm saving all my energy for a final spurt," the other man yelled back. "I'll beat you by a mile." "In your dreams," the lead biker laughed, and looked back to gauge how far behind him the other biker was. As a result, he failed to see a small tree branch on the path. There had been a blustery rain the day before. The branch had broken off a tree, and landed on the path. His bike hit the branch at great speed, and tumbled over. The biker was hurled down a steep ravine. He was tumbling in circles, and the world was spinning around him. He was trying to figure out what was happening to him, but he couldn't think rationally. He tried to grab for some shrubbery, any kind of shrubbery, in a vain attempt to stop his fall. Suddenly, he got very cold, and he knew that he was going to die. Then everything went black. The other man got off his bike and wended his way down the muddy incline. He kept yelling at his friend, but he got no response. When he reached the unfortunate man, he was unconscious. His friend kept begging him to wake up. All the while he slobbered the unresponsive man with kisses. Finally, he reached into his pocket for his phone and called 911. -1- Marsha and Carl Gordon could not have been thinking straight when they named their first-born son, Jordan. All during his school years, he suffered ridicule from his peers, who called him Jordan Gordon, in a sing-song manner. Sometimes, as an alternative, the ridicule his tormenters chanted, was Jordie Gordie. Maybe it was because his parents weren't thinking straight, that Jordie grew up gay. Sharon and Thomas Cook were equally as addled when they named their first-born son, Captain. Most people were unaware that his given name was Captain Cook, because he was called Cappy, from the day of his birth. As a result, he didn't suffer the abuse that Jordan did. Jordie and Cappy met in kindergarten, and immediately developed a deep and loving friendship. They began to masturbate together when they were eleven. By twelve they were doing it to each other. In their teens, they entered into a full-blown gay love affair. They made love every chance they could, manually, orally, and anally. They just couldn't get enough of each other. They loved each other so strongly, that they would cry when they had to separate. They swore to each other that they would die for the other. They also swore that they could not live life without each other. They roomed together in college, and lived together after college. Jordie worked for a successful import export company, and Cappy was an executive in the corporate office of a national hardware chain. They made love every night, and all weekend long. They were almost nearly late to work every day, because they clung to each other at the front door of their apartment, reluctant to let go. Their love for each other was beautiful, but at the same time, it was morbid, exclusive, and maybe even dangerous. ***** Michael Baker was the same age as Jordie and Cappy. He was also as gay as they were. Mike earned a degree in nursing, and began his career at NYU Medical Center upon his graduation. In later years, he would become head of nursing, but he was a ward nurse at the time of the accident. Jordie Gordon was admitted to the hospital with severe head injuries. The only good news that Cappy and Jordie's parents received, was that there was no apparent brain damage. Jordie's EEG was normal. Nonetheless, he was in a coma, and it was uncertain when, or if, he would ever awaken. Cappy never left his side except to go to work. He held Jordie's hand and whispered to him all the time. Mostly he told him how much he loved him, and urged him to wake up. He refused to leave at night, often sitting up holding Jordie's hand until he had to go home and get ready for work. In exasperation, one night the nurse called security, and Cappy was escorted out of the hospital. After that, he left when they told him to. Mike Baker was Jordie's day nurse. He was struck by the beauty of both his patient and his partner. He was attracted to both of them, but especially to his patient. Because he was gay, his homosexual soul concentrated a lot of his attention on Jordie. Whenever he could, he lingered in Jordie's room, while Jordie remained comatose. When Cappy was at work, Mike nearly ignored his other patients to stay with Jordie. On his days off, he would come to the hospital and sit with Jordie. Cappy would rush over after work. He and Mike would say hello, and Mike would leave quickly. Poor Mike was ready to admit that he was madly in love with Jordie, but he could do nothing about it. One Saturday, Mike was sitting in Jordie's room, not as his nurse, but as a regular visitor. Cappy was there too, as he always was. He took Mike's hand. "Please," he said, "I have to go out of town tomorrow on business. I'll be in Milwaukee all week. I tried to get out of it, but I couldn't. Promise me, you'll take good care of Jordie while I'm gone, promise me." "I swear," Mike said. Early the next morning, just as Mike came on duty, Jordie woke up. He was confused and disoriented, but mostly he was scared. He grabbed Mike's hand. "Where am I? What happened?" he asked Mike. "You were in an accident. You've been in a coma for over six weeks. Your partner, Cappy, has been here every day." Jordie looked confused. "I don't know anyone named Cappy," he said. That statement was cause for Mike to be concerned. "What's your name?" he asked Jordie. Jordie became terrified, and even more confused. "I don't know," he said. A look of great fear clouded his face. His agitation was obvious. "Calm down and lie still," Mike ordered. "I'm going to call the neurologist." After a battery of neurological tests, the doctors determined that Jordie was suffering from global amnesia, also known as fugue amnesia. He had absolutely no recall of his life before waking up from his coma. He kept begging to get out of the hospital, but the doctors refused his request. He could not function on his own. He was told that he worked for an import-export firm, but he could not describe anything about his work. He was literally born that morning. Mike was with him constantly. He administered to Jordie's medical needs, but was warned by the doctors not to discuss his former life. They insisted that his family should do that. They could go way back to his childhood and answer his questions. Mike could not do that. On the morning that Cappy returned, he rushed right to the hospital. He ran immediately to Jordie's room without speaking to anyone. His heart leaped out of his chest. Jordie was sitting up in bed. Cappy wanted to cry out in joy, but his euphoria was quickly replaced by confusion. Both Dr. Bergen, the neurologist, and Mike, were in the room with Jordie. Mike was teaching him how to play Gin Rummy. Why? Jordie was an ace at the game. Dr. Bergen was monitoring the speed with which Jordie could learn the game, or not learn it. Before, he could think further on the matter, Mike spotted him. "Cappy," he yelled. "He's awake, but come out in the hall with us for a moment." "Not until I get a hug," Cappy said. "No," Dr. Bergen said with authority, "I need to speak to you first." Out in the hall, Cappy asked, "What's so important that I can't kiss my sweetie first?" "I have to warn you, that he's not going to know you. He's suffering from amnesia, and I don't think his memory will ever be restored." "That's crazy. He'll remember everything once he sees me." "I hope he does, but don't count on it," the doctor said. "He doesn't even know his parents. He tries to be pleasant to them, but he doesn't know them, and he's very cold and aloof when they visit. It's worse when a friend comes to visit. He doesn't know any of them, and it's causing great frustration in him. As a result, he's belligerent. He keeps ordering everyone to get out, and leave him alone." Cappy could not fathom that Jordie wouldn't know him. He pushed past the doctor and ran back to Jordie's room. He approached Jordie with the intention of kissing him, but Jordie looked at him, and said. "Look, if you're another doctor who wants to examine me, forget about it. I've had it with you doctors. I just want to get out of this prison. If you can get me discharged, I'll be forever grateful. If not, please get out of here. I don't need any more aggravation." "But I love you," Cappy sobbed. He could feel the bile rushing up to his throat. He wanted to vomit. He vaguely heard Jordie yell, "Doctor, Mike, get him out of here. I don't want a bunch of strangers telling me that they love me or that I love them. I can't take it anymore." Mike put his arm around Cappy's shoulders. Cappy was crying. "I think you should leave now," Mike said. "Come back tomorrow. I'll talk to him, and explain that you aren't a stranger. He's very agitated right now. Let's give him a chance to calm down." Cappy returned to the hospital early the next morning on his way to work. He ran to Jordie's room, praying that today would be different. When he got there, Jordie's door was open. He and Mike were holding hands, and Jordie reached over and kissed Mike on his lips. Mike reached under Jordie's bed sheet. It was no mystery where his hand was wandering to. Cappy could not believe what he had just witnessed. He couldn't think straight, so he ran from the hospital to try to make sense of it all. Jordie was alone in his room when Cappy returned the next day. Jordie spotted him. Cappy was literally standing in the doorway shaking like a leaf. "Are you Cappy?" Jordie asked. Cappy nodded. "That's a funny name," Jordie commented. "It's a nickname." "Mike tells me that we knew each other once, but I'm sorry I can't remember you." Jordie was much more relaxed than the day before, and Cappy's hopes were renewed until Jordie said, "Look, I'm very much in love with my nurse, Mike. He's called my boss, and he said that I could come back to work whenever I was ready, and he would retrain me. The doctor wanted to discharge me into my parents' care, but I refused. They're strangers to me. Instead, he's going to discharge me into Mike's care. I'm sorry, Cappy, but there's no room for you in my life. I guess I'm a one-man guy. I would appreciate if you would leave now. Seeing you, doesn't help me. In fact, it makes things worse." Cappy could tell that Jordie was growing more agitated again. He had no intention of giving up, but for now, he decided to leave. He could see that he was disturbing the man he loved. -2- Five years later, Mike and Jordie were living together, and still very much in love. With much patience, Mike had guided Jordie into coming back to the living. He was still cold to his parents, and he told his `old' friends to leave him alone. He would get really agitated if any of them wanted to be friendly. On the other hand, he and Mike had no trouble making a stable of new friends. Mike called them post traumatic friends. At the beginning, Cappy tried to come around to see Jordie, but his presence actually irked Jordie, and he would refuse to see him. Cappy was forced to leave. It took him a couple of years to accept the fact that he had lost the most precious thing in his life. He even contemplated suicide, but then he thought, what if Jordie regained his memory, and sought him out? He decided that until that blessed day occurred, he would just have to get on with his life. It was hard for him, but he began to see other men. He had no trouble getting laid, but he never met anyone he would want to share his life with. He doubted that he ever could or would. Jordie was the only one who had ever fulfilled him. He felt that way until he met Leo. Cappy had gotten into the habit of stopping off at his favorite bar after work. He reserved weekends for cruising, but mid-week he drank to forget. After a drink or two, the hurt he felt when Jordie rejected him was slightly eased. One day, Cappy entered the nearly deserted bar. It was a work day, and he had arrived early. Nobody was seated at tables. A few guys were seated at the bar. Cappy found a seat at the bar with a vacant stool on each side of him. He was sipping a vodka tonic, trying to make it last, when a handsome hunk of a guy sat down next to him. Cappy was not intimidated by the muscled god sitting next to him. To forget his sorrows, he spent many hours working out at his gym. He was just as muscular as the Mr. America who was sitting next to him. Much to Cappy's surprise, the hunk held out his hand for Cappy to shake. If he was honest with himself, Cappy would have admitted to being delighted. More than that, he was flattered. "My name's Leo Harte," the man said, as he shook Cappy's hand vigorously. "Cappy Cook, here." "Cappy! That's an interesting name." Cappy gave Leo his standard answer. "It's a nickname," he said, but he didn't offer to reveal his real name. The two men chatted animatedly for a couple of hours. They didn't realize that the bar had filled up nicely. It was getting noisier and noisier, and it was getting harder for Cappy and Leo to hear each other. Finally, Leo said, "I live really close by. Come home with me and I'll make us dinner." Since he had finally accepted that he had lost Jordie, Cappy was into one-night stands, and he accepted immediately. When they entered Leo's apartment, Leo grabbed Cappy and began to kiss him passionately. Cappy was very surprised, but he did not mind at all. Leo took out left over spaghetti with meatballs, and garlic rolls, from the freezer. He defrosted the food in the microwave oven, but he let the rolls defrost themselves. Then he transferred the spaghetti and meatballs to a sauce pan, and re-cooked them on the stove. As the meal was cooking, he broke out a bottle of red wine. "There you go," he said. "You have a fine Italian dinner, cooked in a matter of minutes." As he said that he kissed Cappy again. Cappy did not object. After dinner, the two men cleaned up, and the apartment was ready for captain's inspection in no time, but Captain Cook didn't even notice. He just wanted to get into bed and have sex with Leo. Leo took Cappy by the hand. "Come shower with me," he said. "With pleasure," Cappy cooed. They stood naked in the bathroom, studying each other's bodies, while the water heated to both their satisfactions. Cappy didn't want to do it, but he couldn't stop himself. He did it with all his tricks. He compared Leo to Jordie. There was a strong resemblance. They were about the same height. They both had sandy blond hair and blue eyes. The resemblance ended there. Leo was much more muscular than Jordie and better endowed. Jordie was about four flaccid inches and he was cut. Leo was at least five flaccid inches, and much heftier. He was uncut. At the moment he was eight hard, pulsating inches. Cappy was an inch taller than both men, but he had a swarthy complexion, and black curly hair. His eyes were hazel. His cock was about the same size as Jordie's but he was uncut. He too was erect, and about seven hard inches at the moment. In the shower, they bathed each other sensuously. They soaped their cocks over and over, and played with their assholes. They played so long that the water was getting cold, but they refrained from cumming. After they dried off, they lay down in bed facing each other. Their cocks were rubbing together, and Cappy's breath was shortening. Leo rolled over on top of him, and proceeded to give him a trip around the world. Leo bathed Cappy from head to toe, but avoided his genital area. Then he turned him around, and gave equal attention to Cappy's back side. He paid particular attention to Cappy's ass, rimming it as sensuously as he could. "Please," Cappy begged, "I need to cum," and he rolled over on his back. "Be patient," Leo said. "I want to taste you," and he went down on Cappy, but he didn't linger. Instead, after just a minute or two, he put a condom on Cappy, and lubed it generously. He also lubed his own asshole. With the preliminaries out of the way, he straddled Cappy, and sat down, pushing gently until Cappy was all the way in. The two men didn't move. They just smiled at each other. Cappy had an epiphany as he entered Leo. He wasn't having sex at all. He and Leo were making love. He was feeling emotions that had abandoned him since Jordie's accident. Suddenly, Cappy yelled, "I'm cumming," and he began to pump furiously. As he was cumming, Cappy began to sob. He was crying loud and bitter tears. He began to yell over and over again, "Jordie, Jordie. Why did you leave me?" When he came back to earth, he was surprised to find Leo cradling him in his arms. "You must have loved Jordie very much," Leo said. "How did you lose him?" "It was an accident," Cappy said simply. "I'm sorry," Leo mumbled. "Did he die?" "No. He's very much alive and apparently very, very happy." "I don't understand," Leo said. "I never wanted to talk about it before, but let me tell you the whole story." Cappy told Leo about their childhood, and how close they were during their growing up years. He made Leo understand how much in love, he and Jordie had been. Then he related the events of the accident. "Whenever someone from his forgotten past tried to get close to him, Jordie would become extremely agitated. He would order that person, including me and his parents, to get out of his life. I realize now that he was terribly frustrated about his condition. Even so, when he pushed me away, he put a knife in my heart." "What happened to him?" Leo asked. "He fell in love with his male nurse. They're married and live together now, and they seem to be very happy, at least that's what I hear. I haven't spoken to him since he kicked me out of his hospital room. I tried to see him a few times after that, but he wouldn't allow it. As far as I know, he hasn't regained his memory, and probably never will." Leo was still hugging Cappy. "I know that I can never replace Jordie in your heart," he said, "but is your heart big enough to let me in also?" Cappy remembered that Jordie had said that he didn't have room for him in his life, but Jordie was wrong. Although Cappy knew that he would never stop loving Jordie, he was certain that he had room in his heart for Leo. He answered Leo's question by kissing him passionately. Leo started to sob and laugh at the same time. For some reason, that amused Cappy. "Roll over on your back," he ordered Leo. "It's my turn to get you off. I think I love you." Three months later they moved in together. A year later they got married. Cappy was finally able to put Jordie behind him, some of the time. Epilogue One day, as over-populated as New York City is, Cappy and Jordie's paths crossed. They were both shopping in a bakery. Cappy spotted Jordie first. Without thinking, he called out, "Jordie, is that you?" Jordie looked at Cappy and asked, "Do I know you?" Cappy was brought back to reality. "Not really," he said. "I visited you in the hospital when you woke from your coma. Actually, you asked me to get out of your room and leave you alone." Jordie had long ago stopped getting agitated when old friends and relatives came to see him. He took it more in stride, so he said to Cappy. "My husband has told me how agitated I would get when someone from my forgotten past, would expect me to know who they were. I'm over it now, probably because nobody does that anymore. You said that you came to see me in the hospital. I suppose I knew you before the accident?" "Yes, but please don't get agitated. I'll leave you alone." Cappy started to walk away. "Wait," Jordie called after him. "I was just going next door for a cup of coffee and a donut. Please join me and tell me how we knew each other." "There's nothing to tell. We were just friends," Cappy lied. "Nevertheless, I want to know. I have a secret that I've never told my husband. It would never change how I feel about him, but I yearn to remember my past life. I won't feel like a complete person until I do. My parents have filled me in on my childhood, but I'm ready now to learn about my adult life from the people I shooed away. You're the first of them to come back into my life, so to speak." Cappy was conflicted. He was told how happy Jordie and Mike were together, and if Jordie was never going to remember him, what good would it do to tell him what they once meant to one another? Even if it jarred Jordie's memory, he said it wouldn't change how he felt about Mike. Cappy didn't want to do anything to upset Jordie. He loved him too much. "Please have a cup of coffee with me," Jordie pleaded. Cappy hoped that it was some sixth sense that Jordie wanted to be with him. Finally, he said, "Okay." After they were served coffee and a donut, Jordie said, "Please tell me about our relationship." Cappy smiled and lied again. "I would hardly call it a relationship. We met in college, and we remained friendly after graduation. Like you, I'm married now." "That's great. I don't remember you, but if we were buddies back in the day, would you like to renew our old friendship? How about double dating sometime with our husbands?" "I don't think that's a good idea. Mike might get upset. He might fear that your frustration and agitation will recur." "How did you know my husband's name?" Jordie asked. "We met in the hospital while you were in a coma." "You're right," Jordie said. "Mike tells me that I was pretty nasty to everyone when I first woke up." They said goodbye in front of the restaurant. They didn't even shake hands. "It was nice running into you," Cappy said. "Seeya." `Yeah, Seeya," Jordie echoed. Jordie was a little sad that Cappy didn't want to be friends, but his sadness was short lived. He forgot all about Cappy, when Mike came home from work, and they kissed. "Have we got time for a quickie before dinner?" Mike asked. "Always," Jordie answered, as he dragged Mike into the bedroom.