Not Him

Part 1

My head hurt. And I wanted to open my eyes, but I could not. I was lying on a bed. It was comfortable to lie there. I could just simply lie there and continue to sleep. That was a nice idea. But I felt like I had been asleep like this for hours, days even.

I did not want to open my eyes. I felt tried. And as I said, my head hurt. It was hurting really badly.

So maybe it was the fact that my head hurts that made me wanted to open my eyes. I needed to tell someone that my head hurts.

So I opened my eyes.

The light blinded me for a second. It was too bright. But after a second my eyes adjusted to the light. I breathed.

Somebody gasped and came closer to me. "You are awake." She said. With tears in her eyes. It was a middle-aged lady I did not know. But she was staring at me with happiness and love. That was kind of strange.

It took me a moment to find my voice. "My head hurts." I managed to say.

"Oh, does it sweetie?" the lady asked. "I will call the doctors at once. We have to tell them you woke up." But then instead of walking out of the room, she came closer and gave me a hug. "Thank you... Thank you for waking up, Rahul." She backed away and then went out of the room. I was in a hospital room.

I tried to remember what happened. The accident.

I remember the flash of headlights and the crash. I did not know how many days passed after that. While I was trying to get a clearer image of things, two doctors rushed into the room.

"How are you feeling?" One of them asked.

"My head hurts," I said.

"Yeah. You had a mild concussion." The doctor said. "It will get better. Can you move your hands and legs? Is there pain anywhere else? You have a fracture in your left hand. But you should be able to move it."

I tried moving my hands and legs. They were okay. Nothing hurt. I tried to sit up, the doctors helped me with it at once, and I could sit up. I looked at my hand in a sling. It did not hurt as my head hurt. My head still hurt.

"Do you remember what happened?" The doctor asked.

"Accident?" I said with doubt.

"And your name?" The doctor asked.

"Rahul," I said my name.

"Good." The doctor said.

I looked around the room. I could not see my parents. The lady who was there when I woke up was still there. I wanted to ask where my parents are. But before that, something felt odd and different. I felt strange. I felt strange since I woke up. Or even before that. I don't know. But it was like I was in someone else's body. Did the accident mangle my body so much that I was feeling like my body was not mine? It felt so unfamiliar.

When I looked down, my hands and legs were different. Different shape. Different length. My height seemed to have altered a bit as well. It did not make sense. Accidents do not alter people's height.

Then I saw my own reflection on the glass of specks the doctor wore.

And I freaked out. I did not look like me anymore.

Maybe this was a dream. A nightmare. Maybe even the accident was the part of the dream.

The doctors left me and asked me to take lots of rest. I was made to lie back down on the bed. I did not react or cry out loud on the realization that I did not look like myself. I was just confused. I was still thinking that maybe it is a dream.