Clementine squinted when she became aware of the bright light she was staring into. Her mouth was extremely dry and her nose felt stuffy.
She laboriously turned her head away and realised that she was lying on her back in a clean white bed.
There were rows of mostly empty beds, identical to hers, surrounding her. Three of them across the room had people in them.
The room was sterile, it smelled of vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Clem turned her head to the other side. Resting on the nightstand was a chipped vase of yellow primrose flowers.
She reached out to touch them but a shooting pain erupted from her side, making her yelp.
"Clem!"
Quick, tiny footsteps thudded across the room and AJ threw his arms around Clem.
She winced from the pressure on her ribs, but she smiled nonetheless.
"I'm really sore, goofball. Can you get off for a second?" She chuckled weakly, her voice rasping.
"Sorry." AJ replied, jumping off the bed.
"Where am I?" She asked, craning her neck to get a better view of the room.
"It's the building where they put hurt people to help them."
"A hospital." Clem clarified.
"Hospital..." AJ repeated slowly, rolling the word around.
Shoes clacked on the linoleum floors and a young man walked down the long room, passing the other beds and making a beeline for Clem's.
He looked to be in his mid twenties, sporting a dark high-and-tight haircut and stubble.
The man held a clipboard and was wearing a white button down shirt.
"You're awake, good." He said flatly, barely looking up from the notes on his clipboard.
"Why am I here?" Clem asked.
"You're injured, and it's my job to patch you up." The doctor snarked.
Clem shot him a glare, she was in no mood for jokes.
"I know why I'm here. How did I end up like this?"
The doctor rolled his eyes and lowered the clipboard.
"You were beaten, pretty severely at that. As for who's responsible, I was hoping you could tell me that."
Clementine thought back to the attack, only, there was no attack.
Her thoughts were muddy, she struggled to recall something, anything. Her heartbeat quickened when she realised she couldn't remember a single thing after a certain point.
The last thing she remembered was leaving the shower block after speaking to Minerva, but beyond that there was nothing.
"How long have I been here?" She asked, her voice trembling.
"You've been unconscious for two days now."
The doctor stepped closer, taking a small penlight out of his pocket.
"Look here, please."
He clicked it on and shone it into her eyes one at a time. Clem tried to keep them open without
squinting. The doctor turned the light off and scribbled down some notes onto his clipboard.
"Can you tell me your name? First and last please."
"Clementine Marsh." She replied.
"How are you feeling? Any headaches? Nausea? Are you tired at all?"
"I have a headache, that's all. I still don't feel good, why can't I remember anything?"
"You're suffering from a concussion. Memory loss isn't uncommon in patients with mild traumatic brain injuries."
YOU ARE READING
The River (Clemerva)
Fanfiction"I haven't been avoiding her. I mean, I have. But it's not... I just don't want to talk to her until I know exactly what I want to say. Fuck, relationships are hard." The redhead sighed. "I wouldn't know, I haven't been in one before." Clem shrugge...
