Amnesia

2

His head throbbed. He was now seated upright in his hospital bed, repeatedly jamming his finger into the call button. Despite the sedatives in his system, his heart was racing.
Dr. Cooper hurried back in, her ponytail bobbing. "Are you okay?"
Ryan shook his head in bewilderment. "I'm in ... Italy!?"
"Good," she said, with a smile. "You're remembering."
"No!" Ryan pointed out the window. "I recognize the Palazzo Vecchio."
Dr. Cooper flicked the lights back on, and the Florence skyline disappeared. She came to his bedside, whispering calmly. "Mr Hanson, there's no need to worry. You're suffering from mild amnesia, but Dr. Taylor confirmed that your brain is fine."
The bearded doctor rushed in as well, hearing the call button. He checked Ryan's heart monitor and spoke to him in rapid Italian.
The older doctor scratched at his beard and continued adjusting equipment while Dr. Cooper sat again beside Ryan.
"You're going to be okay," she reassured him, speaking gently. "We've diagnosed you with amnesia, which is very common in head trauma. Your memories of the past few days may be muddled or missing, but you should suffer no permanent damage." She paused. "Do you remember my first name? I told you when I walked in."
"Cooper, Dr. Izzy Cooper."
The pain in Ryan's head was almost unbearable, and his near-field vision remained blurry. "What ... happened? How did I get here?" His heart rate accelerated further.
"Okay, just breathe easy," Dr. Cooper said, exchanging a nervous look with her colleague. "I'll tell you." Her voice serious. "Mr. Hanson, three hours ago, you staggered into our emergency room, bleeding from a head wound, and you immediately collapsed. Nobody had any idea who you were or how you got here. You were mumbling in English, so Dr. Taylor asked me to help."
Dr. Cooper leaned over him. "Please, Mr. Hanson," she whispered. "Head trauma is delicate in the first twenty-four hours. You need to rest, or you could do serious damage."
Dr. Cooper smiled patiently and lowered her voice, leaning closer. "Mr. Hanson, there are some things you don't know about last night ... about what happened to you. And before you speak to anyone, I think it's only fair that you have all the facts. Unfortunately, I don't think you're strong enough yet to-"
A thought now occurred to him.
"Did I cause an accident? Am I responsible?" He stammered.
"No, no," she said. "I don't believe so."
"Then what?" Ryan insisted, eyeing both doctors furiously. "I have a right to know!"
There was a long silence, and Dr. Taylor finally gave his young colleague a nod. Dr. Cooper exhaled and moved closer to his bedside. "Okay, let me tell you what I know ... and you'll listen calmly, agreed?"
Ryan nodded, the head movement sending a shot of pain radiating through his head. He ignored it, eager for answers.
"The first thing is this ... Your head wound was not caused by an accident."
"That's a relief"
"Not really, your head wound was caused by a bullet."
"What!?"
"The bullet grazed the top of your head, giving you concussion. A centimetre lower and..."
A voice suddenly crackled through the speakers, calling Dr. Taylor. He nodded and left the room.
"It seems you have a visitor, Professor." A smile crossed her attractive face.
The speakers suddenly hissed and went quiet again, making them jump.
"The speakers can be faulty sometimes. Just ignore them." Izzy said.
Hearing footsteps, she turned expecting to see Dr. Taylor. Another figure approached, shrouded in a leather jacket and with long, blonde hair. Dr. Cooper recoiled in shock as she saw the silenced handgun in the assassin's hand.