I'm Really Not Fine At All

1. It's Like We Never Happened

Street followed the stretcher closely behind. "Please help her!" He begged to the doctors pulling Chris on a gurney into the hospital.

"Sir, please stand back and let us take care of her," a nurse instructed in English with a thick accent.

He looked down at Chris, who was unconscious on the stretcher and gently tucked some wet hair behind her ear, and then she was rolled away.

"Go sit over there," the nurse directed, pointing to a collection of plastic chairs in the distance, and then she walked down the corridor where Chris' gurney was pushed away.

Street took a seat in a chair, surrounded by a group of others patiently waiting on their loved ones, and then he realized he should probably make a few calls to the people in his life, but he didn't know who to start with and what to say. He stared blankly at his phone and then put it back in his pocket. He decided he should just wait until there was news from the doctors.

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Chris' head was throbbing, and she heard subtle machine beeps. Her eyes burned as she opened them, and instinctually, she searched the room. Her eyes finally found a person next to her.

With a dry, scratchy voice, she croaked, "Street?"

"Hey, babe, how are you feeling?" He asked sweetly.

"I...what happened? Wait, what did you just call me?" She inquired, completely confused.

"You hit your head when we were cliff diving. I was so scared," He recounted and gently stroked her forehead.

She flinched at his touch, not understanding why he was acting like this. "Why were we cliff diving together?" She questioned.

"How are you feeling, Chris?" A doctor interrupted as she walked into the hospital room.

Chris looked to Street and then to the doctor, "My head hurts," she reported.

"You experienced a bad concussion, and you were unconscious for quite a while. We took scans, and we can confirm no internal bleeding and no broken bones. You're very lucky," the doctor said.

"Sure," Chris replied with a tight smile as her headache intensified.

"And I'm sure you feel even luckier to have your husband by your side," the doctor added, regarding Street, who beamed at Chris.

"My what?" Chris asked in disbelief.

"Are you having trouble hearing?" The doctor inquired.

"No, no...I just...I thought I heard you say 'husband'. He is NOT my husband," Chris clarified with disgust.

"Babe, what are you talking about?" Street asked and reached for her hand, but she pulled away from his touch.

"Don't call me that! What the hell is going on?" Chris asked angrily. This was all becoming so bewildering.

"Chris, just calm down. I told you that there was a cliff diving accident," Street reminded, trying not to be annoyed.

The doctor saw the look on her patient's face.

"Can you tell me what your name is?" The doctor asked.

"Christina Alonso, but everyone calls me Chris."

"Okay, Chris, can you tell me what year it is."

"2017."

"No, it's 2024," Street replied.

"20...2024? That can't be right," Chris said and shook her head, but it made the pain in her skull feel more intense.

"Sir, please. It's best not to agitate her right now. With a head trauma, there can be all sorts of side effects," the doctor explained.