re-written

Chapter 2: First days after the shock

After: 

I fluttered my eyes, totally unaware of where I was. Or of who I was for that matter. For some strange reason I felt as if I couldn't remember my name. Someone walked into the room I was in and a smile spread across her face. Who was she? "Hi Olivia, glad to see you're awake. Do you know who I am?" I looked around the room, completely unaware she was talking to me. She walked to the side of the bed. "Oh honey, do you remember anything?" I quickly shook my head. "Who are you? Who am I? Where are we? What happened?" The woman held my hand and started to tell me something that would take a long time to understand. "Your name is Olivia, Olivia Axton... your house was struck by lightning last week, you were taking a shower and were electrocuted. Your parents brought you to the hospital and you quickly slipped into a coma, which is where you've been the past week. You are sixteen years old... I'll let your parents tell you the rest about yourself. I'm nurse Amy, you are in the hospital. Can I ask you some easy questions to see if they help you to remember anything?" I nod. "I'm going to continue asking questions and you just say when you know the answer to one." I nod again. "What is your birthday?" Silence. "What grade are you in?" Silence. "Who are your parents?" More silence. "Is there anything you can remember?" I didn't know what to say so I just stared at her and a tear slipped out of the corner of my eye. "Oh sweetie, don't cry. I have to go and let the doctor know you are awake, I'll be back shortly." I nodded and she left the room. My mind was filled with blurred thoughts and confusion. I was shaken from my thoughts when I heard a commotion outside. It sounded like an argument between two men and a woman. I quickly assumed whomever was outside was talking about me, I could vaguely hear what they were saying. "We want to see her!" "Please you need to hear this first. Yes, she's waken up but there have been some side-effects." "Side effects?" "Olivia appears to have forgotten everything." I heard cries from outside the door.

A couple of minutes later two people walk into my hospital room and immediately run to my side, clutching my hands and hugging me. I get nervous and start to scoot away from them. The woman starts to cry so I hold her hand. "Honey, Olivia? Do you remember us?" "I'm sorry but I do not know who you are." They cry more. The man then speaks, "we are your parents, Chris and Sarah. You can call us Mom and Dad but if it's too early we understand. "I'm sorry for making you cry, I wish I could understand who you were." "It's okay we are just a little shaken up that's all." "I do not wish to trouble you but may I ask something of you?" "Anything" I paused, a little hesitant to ask so much from these people I hardly knew. "Can you tell me everything about my life? For I remember nothing." "You a junior in high school, you have boyfriend named Leo, you kept to yourself around the house, you seemed to always be listening to music, you are smart and beautiful and you love the rain." "The rain." Suddenly a wave of much needed comfort washed over me. "Do you remember something?" "No just the rain sounds so comforting. Will my memory come back over time?" Before they could answer a man, I assumed to be my doctor walked in and answered my question. "I wish I could say yes. They electrical surge that surged through your body seemed to wipe your memory completely leaving nothing for you to remember. You are permitted to go home with your parents and can return to school whenever you feel comfortable." I nodded and he left the room. These people who I would have to learn to accept were my parents had already packed the small amount of things I had in the room with me. They placed some clothes by the edge of the bed and told me I could come outside after I had changed so we could go home. I took the clothes into the bathroom and changed out of the hospital gown. From my chest down I was scattered with bruises, I guess from the lightning. Embarrassed of my bruises, I put on the clothes that had been left for me. Walking out of the hospital room I was almost immediately joined by my parents. They led me towards the car and the ride to the house was a loomed with a deafening silence.

When we arrived at the house I once called home I was taken back. Here was this quaint little house that I had grown up in yet had no memory of. Before going to explore I asked my parents a question. "When will I be able to return to school?" "Whenever you feel comfortable sweetie." "Well if it is okay with you I would like to maybe go shopping to get some supplies for school and some clothes and then return to school the following day." "If you would like we can do that, but you already have all of your stuff here from before the accident." "Oh sorry, I had not realized... never mind then I suppose..." "Okay honey, we are going to head to bed, let us know if you need anything." I was quite tired myself, which I thought to be ironic considering I had been asleep in a coma for the past week. Either way, I walked back to what I had assumed had once been my room and lied down to quickly fall asleep in the comfortable bed.

I woke up the next morning around ten. After getting dressed, I decided that I would devote today to trying to get a better idea of my past and then returning to school tomorrow. I swear that day I looked through every photo album, scrapbook, and journal in the entire house. As much as I tried to understand what was happening in these pictures, I could only feel like a stranger looking in on the life of a different person. I went to sleep that night feeling as if I had only accomplished gaining knowledge of past events, no memories of what they actually meant to me.

The feeling of being shaken awake scared me until I remembered everything that had happened in the past two days. "Hun" it was my mom. "You have to get up, we have to leave for school in twenty minutes. You used to walk but I'll give you a ride until you start to feel comfortable again. I don't know how you will feel about this but pretty much the whole town, including everyone at school, knows about what happened to you..." "Honestly, I feel like I should angry about this but I don't really see the point. If everyone already knows about it, that just means I don't have to try and explain to anyone who asks." "Good perspective Olivia, it seems like you are changing from who you were before." I wasn't sure what she meant by that but I just decided to shrug it off and get ready for school.