I stood up from the hospital bed and then I said, « I know that that my name is Danielle, that I'm a twelve-year old girl, I love school, I'm good at school, I love reading the book series Harry Potter and that for some reason my favourite smell in the world is the smell of mint and pine trees. Other than that, I don't remember much. » All the doctors and nurses nodded and took notes. Then Somer muttered something that I couldn't hear, and three more people walked into the hospital room that I am staying in. The first person that walked in was a boy that was the same height as the doctor named Logan. I think he was about 16 or 17 years old. Probably in high school. Anyways he had the same coulor hair as me and had the same nose and eyes as me. His hair was He must be my brother. Then I remembered that my brothers' name is Gale or as he prefers Garry. After Garry there was a very tall man that I would say was in his late 40's. Probably about 46 years old and 6 feet, and five inches tall. He had all the same features as me and my brother, so I was assuming that he is my dad. My dad had the same brown hair as me and my brother. He also has the same light blue eyes and the same nose shape as his children. Then I realized that I resemble to my dad much more than my brother. Me and my dad also had the same style of straight thin hair which is one of the features that my brother doesn't have. There are many more features that me and my dad share that Garry doesn't have. I would try and point all of them out but, that would take a while. There were two things missing. Those were that I couldn't remember my dad's name and where was my mom? Finally, a woman walked into the hospital room. In my head I thought, this woman must be my mom. Then I realized that this woman not my mom because she was wearing a lab coat just like all the other doctors. I managed to read this older woman's name tag. Francis Green.
Francis said, « Hello Danielle. The nurses and I don't know how to tell you this news. » she inhaled deeply and said, « I am very sad to inform you that your mother and rabbit have passed away. » I had no idea what to think. All of a sudden, as if I knew these people, I gained another memory from my past. As if I had a photographic memory, I remembered every detail of my rabbit named Algebra. But no memory of my mother. Then, out of the blue I started crying. I was overcome with emotions. I felt a mix of sad, angry, confused and lonesome all at the same time. I sat back down on the hospital bed and started thinking. Who was my mom? I desperately wanted to remember my mother. Who was she? I want to know! Then my brother interrupted my many thoughts.
He said, « Dan. We all know about your brain. The doctors have said that it could possibly be a case of Alzheimer's disease. I'm very sorry Dan. » then he came and sat on the hospital bed and hugged me. « The good news is that in three days you are going to be able to come home and two weeks after that, you get to start eighth grade! » Garry said. Alzheimer's disease? I thought. I'm not very sure what that is. Then, silently in my head, I started attaching strings of unfinished thoughts that people have told me recently. The nurse named Mia said that my there is something wrong with my hippocampus which is the part in my brain that holds memories. And Garry just told me that he knows about my brain. So that would mean that he knows that there is something wrong with my hippocampus. And that is part of my brain holds my memories. After that, he said that it could be a case of Alzheimer's disease. When all this recent information adds up, it means that there is a possibility that this Alzheimer's disease that I might have, is affecting my memory. « Dan, we'll leave so that you can have some time to process all of this information. Bye. I hope your foot feels better soon. » Garry said. Then, in a blink of an eye everyone left the hospital room, and I was alone. All alone with only my thoughts that I need to sort out in my head.
*****
It was three days after that I figured out that my mom and rabbit died when my dad asked, « Are you ready to finally leave this hospital room, Dani? » I nodded my head and picked up my glasses case and looked back at my dad. I mouthed, Are you ready? And he gave me the thumbs up sign. Then, me and my dad thanked all of the doctors and nurses and then, we confidently walked out of the hospital. I don't think that it ever felt so good to walk out of a building, even if I was still walking with crutches.
« So Dad, who was my mom and why did she die? » I blurted out and immediately regretted saying it. I looked at my dad who was driving the car. Then I thought, Why should I be worried? I have the right to know who my mother was and why she died. I avoided eye contact with my dad and then he said,
« Dani, you don't have to regret asking me who your mother was. She was an important part of your life that both me and Garry want you to remember. »
« Oh. » I said trying to hide the level of surprised in my voice, « I didn't know that you felt that way about this subject. »
« Your mothers name was Monica. She resembled a lot to your brother with her very light brown hair and the fact that she had absolutely no freckles unlike you and I. » my dad said. « She died about a week ago. She had really bad anxiety because she was nervous about your health. She suffered for a week until she » my dad paused « Then she passed away. But the good news it that I get to see her every day in Garry. » After that conversation with my dad, the rest of the drive home was silent other than the faint sound of the radio.
YOU ARE READING
Under the Earth
CasualeDan, Danielle, Dani or Nerd. They are all the same twelve-year-old girl. All she ever wanted was for people to notice her and to be normal. When she runs into a few problems such as the loss of a few loved ones and moving up a grade in school, Danie...
