Call from Destiny | COMPLETED | English

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: Unconscious

E T H A N

My hands were shaking as I stared at the busy hospital right in front of me. I had already parked the car right at the parking lot and I still couldn't shake off the fact that Vanessa was here — in a coma. 

It all seems so sudden to me. All those dates that I had with Claire, was that the time that she got into this accident?

No, it's not possible, right? Vanessa's probably just been silent for those past few days.

I immediately took my phone, locked my car, and ran inside. I could see Mom and Dad in the lobby — their faces were far ghastly than I expected. 

Yen, on the other hand, was absolutely calm. I knew she was hurting on the inside but she still tried to manage to keep a straight face on.

She accidentally glanced at me once I approached the information desk and I could see her widening her eyes in my peripheral view. 

I guess she decided not to tell our parents since her expression suddenly changed into a calm one before my mom could even ask her — probably about when I'll arrive.

I wore a black cap that hid my face a bit so I figured that my parents wouldn't notice me that much, considering that they're not focused on their surroundings. Their eyes are most likely fixated on their phones and probably waiting for Ray to come back.

Turning my attention back to the desk, I asked the woman there. "Excuse me, what room can I find Vanessa Jimenez?"

She suddenly looked it up at the computer before she answered me shortly. "Ms. Jimenez is currently in Room 305, sir. Third Floor."

I didn't even spare a second, I quickly thanked her and ran towards the escalator. I didn't want to take the elevator since I could see that there were other people using it. My legs rushed as fast as they could to get to the third floor. 

As soon as I arrived on the floor, a notification popped up on my phone.

I received a message from Ray, asking where I was. I just put my phone in my pocket and knocked. There were loud footsteps so I could tell that Ray was rushing his way to open the door. 

Ray greeted me and he was a disheveled mess. His collar wasn't fixed, his hair wasn't even combed yet, and his voice already sounded raspy when he said my name. 

It was the first time that I saw him like this. Though, I could only give him a pat on the shoulder before he lets me in the room. 

"What happened to her?" My voice deceived me as I asked him. I could barely speak and my voice was too low and he could already tell that I was a bit in shock as well. He raised his head to look at me, I could see how dull the color of his eyes was.

Though, he quickly looked away and turned his back on me. "She got involved in a car crash. Her car was hit by an oncoming truck."

My eyes turned to my left, seeing the bed where Vanessa was. I could see Ray immediately sitting next to her while I stayed there in my spot. I feel like I couldn't move at all. 

Seeing her right there, terrified me. She wasn't moving at all. Her hair was a bit messy but I could see how pale she was. There were some bandages on her head and her arms as well.

I knew Vanessa and I was sure that she wouldn't drive on her own. She'd take an Uber if she had to. 

After a few minutes, I finally had the courage to approach her state but the doctor had knocked on the door. Ray told me to stay on her side and decided that he'll be the one to go. 

"Mr. Guitterez, we only allow patient's friends and relatives---" Before Ray could even answer, I decided to intervene. 

"I'm Vanessa Jimenez's friend. Sorry for the sudden visit, doc," I told the doctor as he nodded before looking right at Vanessa. 

"Ah, so you must've known Mr. Guitterez here." Both of us only agreed and the doctor told us to sit down on the chairs away from Vanessa. I guess that he's about to tell us what her condition was.

Judging the look plastered on the doctor's face, however, made us fear what he was about to tell us. There was no smile in his expression. Just a painful gaze towards us, almost solemn in fact.  

"Actually, there are good news and bad news," the doctor started. 

"The good news is, she's continuously recovering. Her vitals are stable, and all of her injuries are bandaged up. We will have the nurses change them and monitor her condition." That sounded like she'll recover quickly so we were relieved. But, the bad news was still there so we were still worried. 

The doctor noticed how silent we were so he took a bit of pause before he continued. "The bad news is that the impact on her head had severely damaged her limbic system."

"Is that all, doctor?" Ray asked as he looked at Vanessa's state. I couldn't help but be silent. She and Ray had been on good terms ever since they were in the States. It would be no mystery if they were already friends by the time I was gone. 

"In some cases like this, a person normally experiences traumatic amnesia. However, we had run a few tests but unfortunately, she has dissociative amnesia. It rarely happens to women but it seems that Vanessa experienced it." Ray and I looked at each other.

"W-what does that mean, doctor?" There was a long pause after that. He was probably hesitating at first but then decided to tell everything since we do need to know the truth since we were friends of the patient.

"It is a rare phenomenon to happen in such a car accident. If she experiences this kind of amnesia, she will forget her relatives, friends, and even herself. Her memories could slowly be retrieved within a few days. But, it still depends on the time itself," the doctor explained.

He then sighed afterward. "Recovering her memory would require patience. Still, we would run other tests such as MRI and X-rays to see if there are no physical illnesses that could affect her amnesia." 

After that, the doctor left us again in this silent room. Ray and I decided not to speak. We were still processing what the doctor had explained to us. It was too much for us to handle, I assumed since Ray couldn't even bear to look at Vanessa anymore.

Looking back at her, I sighed. I know that she had hurt Claire and even did the most hateful things in these few weeks but it still hurts to see my childhood best friend in front of me, with amnesia and not yet waking up.

Though, I still couldn't help but ask myself. 

Did she forget who I am?