I couldn't find any words.
"Wha-you-Zayn?" I stammered, my hand covering my mouth. My tears of joy had suddenly become dark and thick.
Zayn stared at me blankly.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" he asked. When I didn't answer him, he huffed and scanned the room for the doctor.
"Uh, can you go get the doctor? Are you the doctor? God my head hurts," he sighed, falling back onto the pillows and pile of stuffed animals that had accumulated on his bed.
"What are all of these toys doing here anyways?" Zayn pulled a fuzzy elephant from under his back, tossing it aside. "Who brought these?"
I raised my hand weakly.
"The elephant is my favorite animal." His voice was flat and it felt like he was looking straight through me, as if I were a ghost.
"I know that," I said quietly.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing, I'll just go get the doctor."
I exited the room, feeling sick. When I saw the doctor, my knees buckled and I collapsed to the spotless tile floor, sobbing. I didn't have to say anything. He knew what was going on.
He hurried to Zayn's room and began running tests to see how bad the amnesia was. I stood in the doorway, watching him question Zayn about his past.
"Where did you attend middle school?"
"Did attend? I'm at Robertson right now."
The doctor sighed deeply and rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the stress. I realized that this wasn't easy for him either.
"Okay. Where do you go to high school?"
"Well I plan on going to Lestershire next year. They have a very good soccer team you know."
Zayn seemed so young. He had changed so much from middle school. All he needed was one summer to become the care free and careless boy he had been not too long ago. It made me wonder what had happened to him. As he answered the doctor's questions, his face lit up. He talked about his mum and his sister and how much he loved soccer. I didn't even know he had a sister. I didn't even know he could play soccer. When he noticed me standing there, he stopped speaking and his expression became serious.
"Why is she still here? And why does she keep crying?" Zayn asked to my horror. He really couldn't remember me. He hadn't the faintest idea of who I was. The doctor looked at me with pity. His eyes were clearly saying, I'm so sorry.
"Zayn, I have one more question, do you know why you're here in this hospital?"
"Yeah, I fell out a tree in front of the school and passed out."
The doctor shook his head and gestured for me to join him next to Zayn's bed.
"Actually Zayn, you jumped in front of a car to save her."
My mind told me to smile, but my heart refused to. So there I stood, emotionless.
"But I don't even know her. Why would I do that? Jump in front of a car? Ha. Only an idiot would do that." His words stung more than he realized. The doctor wasn't sure what to say either so he tried to explain in a professional manner.
"You had severe brain swelling and are now unfortunately experiencing amnesia, memory loss if you will."
Zayn scratched his head and winced. Certain areas that had been really damaged were still tender. Then he looked at me and said childishly,
