MADNESS

6. What happened?

I wake up to the sound of a continuous sharp beeping. The unfamiliar sound confuses me so I open my eyes widely, but because of the dizziness, I put my head back down on the bed and shut my eyes. Why am I in a hospital? I can't hep but smell the distinctive perfume of hospitals, a mix of disinfectants, cleaning agents and a sterile environment. Never particularly enjoyed it.

What happened? I search my mind for the most recent memory.

Tyler punched me in the face while I was at work, I remember now.

But they transported me to the hospital for it? It was that serious? I hope I am alright, for now I just feel the typical headache of a person who blacked out, nothing more.

I wonder how Emma and Noah are right now. Emma is probably still at work, it wasn't her fault that I was hit in the face during her shift, she can't be here because of it. Joseph wouldn't allow. I wish she was, though. And Noah didn't even get to be stitched up before another severe injury, caused by such an aggressive patient that it makes me nauseous. Not Tyler makes me sick, his aggressiveness does. I can separate character from mental illness. It rarely happens for patients like Tyler, who's usually calm, to become that violent.

I try to lift my head up again-

"Don't even think of that. Put your head down." I hear someone chuckle lightly.

Oh, it's Luke.

"What happened?" I ask, even though I remember almost all of it. I need to know what happened after I blacked out too and perhaps he knows.

"Some guy hit you in the face."

Great answer.

"No shit, Sherlock." I laugh. "Elaborate, please." I open my eyes again. I see Luke in a chair next to my hospital bed. I still have the bandages on my right hand, but when I touch my face I feel some new patches that I know weren't there before.

"Well, Emma called me to tell me what happened, which I assume you already know, and then I came directly to the hospital since someone requested an ambulance for you in fear you might have a concussion."

"And do I?"

"No, just a bump, don't worry."

Thank. You.

"I thought it was bad since I'm here." I say.

"No, it was just to make sure it won't get worse." He assures, but then his smile fades into... fury.

"That guy has to pay somehow for what he's done."

Did I give him the wrong idea?

"No, it's okay, Tyler never acts that way, people who are mentally ill happen to have breakdowns like that one, it's nothing. Sure, I don't want it to happen again, I'm just not angry with him." I take Tyler's side even though I know I should be upset with him. And I am a little bit, how can I not? But he's still my patient and I am aware that under all that anger, he thought he was doing the good thing by punishing Noah, but that just wasn't the case. Not to mention he was provoked by someone not respecting the most important rule of them all.

"Tyler?" Luke raises a brow with confusion.

"Emma didn't tell you names, did she?"

"No, I was told a name, but it wasn't that one."

Now, I'm the one confused. I might've blacked out, but I remember what happened clearly, it couldn't have been anyone but Tyler's, he's the one responsible for this.

"Who were you told did this to me then?" I frown.

"Someone called Noah." He answers, making me shift in place with a disagreeing look on my face.

No. It couldn't have been him. I remember what happened, and everyone was there to witness it, Emma, the guards Noah and Tyler. Noah cussed Tyler off about what happened just before I passed out, it's the last thing I remember.

Wait.

"Emma told you this?" I question.

I don't understand.

"Yes. She called me about 10 minutes after seeing you weren't waking up."

This can't be right.

Unless I actually don't remember what happened correctly, but I highly doubt that. I never forget- I don't forget when I black out while being drunk, I don't forget when I black out in pain, I don't forget when I take strong meds. I never forget, especially something of such importance.

But also, Emma never lies. She's the most trustworthy, honest person in my life, she's proved me that so many times before. I trust her with my life, there has to be something in the middle. I will ask her in person tomorrow.

"Are you sure she didn't mention both names and you got them wrong?" I ask Luke.

"Yes I'm sure, because she's never mentioned the name Tyler in the phone call at all." He shakes his head. "Maybe you don't remember all of it well and that's absolutely fine, you've been through a lot and the doctors have given you strong meds for the pain. It's normal to be confused, don't worry." He softly speaks, trying to calm me down.

"But I.." I sigh. "I don't think that's what happened.. I just-"

"Syd, it's okay, we don't have to talk about this right now, we can talk about it when you get better. You need some rest." His face fades into concern.

Maybe he's right, I should just rest right now and figure this out later. I'm sure there's an explanation for this.