Remembering Her

01: Please, Remember Me

I remember a very, very bright, white light. 

I remember intense pain, shooting up my spine, a splitting headache.

I remember a blood curdling scream.

They were screaming my name. I know that much.

I don't remember much else.

*****

 When I wake, I have an instant panic attack- I've woken in an unfamiliar room. I don't know where I am. 

 I don't remember what happened to me, either. Now that I have a good look around, I can see that I'm in a hospital room. The curtains in both windows facing outside are shut, as are the ones that probably see into the hallway. The door is shut and I'm all alone. The room is silent, aside from the occasional beep from my heart monitor and other whirring machines.

  I try and sit up, but there is a ferocious pain in my back that prevents me from doing so. So, I study every aspect of the ceiling, trying to remember, anything and everything. I try to dig through the archives of my brain, but I come up empty handed. 

'Okay,' I think, 'Let's try this again. What is your name?' 

 I think long and hard before remembering my name. 

'Daniel. My name is Daniel....Evans.'

'What is your hometown?'

I think as hard as I can, but I can't remember. I sigh in frustration, though it comes out like a cough. I must not have used my voice in a long time. 

Suddenly, the door opens, and a man in a white coat walks in. His sees my eyes open and his own widen. 

"Daniel..." he croaks, "You're awake." He gives me a smile, one that I halfheartedly return. Who is this man? His nametag says 'Dr. Windom'. 

"Now, Daniel, I know you've just woken up, but I'm afraid you have to go back to sleep. Just for a little while....Please, forgive me..." says Dr. Windom, injecting something into my arm. Probably a sedative… 

Instantly, my eyes begin to flutter shut. Dr. Windom waves me goodbye, as I fall into a dreamless sleep....

*****

The next time I wake, the room is considerably brighter. There is something warm in my hand, a small sniffling noise. I still remember my name, and Dr. Windom’s. But I don’t remember anything else. What’s happened to me? Where am I?

 The curtains on both sides have been opened. I can see outside, if I look out of my peripherals, since I can’t move my neck, it’s so stiff. If I look out of the other side, I can see a window looking out into the hallway.

 But I can also see someone’s head.

I groan, trying to lift a hand to rub my bleary eyes, but my strength is depleted, so my arm doesn’t move a muscle. However, the person next to me lifts their head.

With some effort, I move my neck to look at her. Yes, her. I can clearly see that it is a girl next to me. She has beautiful blue/green eyes that remind me of the sea. Her hair is tangled and messy and back in two charcoal black braids. There are tears shining in her eyes, falling down her porcelain face, dropping onto my hand, which I now see is occupied by one of her own.

“Daniel,” she whispers, “Oh, my god, Daniel.”

The angel cries more, upon saying my name, bowing her head and crying, but this time, I believe they’re happy tears. She picks up her head and smiles so brilliantly at me, it reminds me of a ray of sunshine. What luck I have to have this angel beside me.

“Who…who are you?” I croak out, wanting to know the angel’s name. As soon as the sunlight peeked through, a cloud came by to cover it.

The smile on her face melts off like butter. Her lower lip quivers as her eyes shut, tears overflowing from them. Her grip tightens on my hand.

“I’m….Jade,” says the angel. I’ve obviously upset her…I can’t imagine why, though. I don’t even know her.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jade,” I say, my voice coming back to me with every word, “Do you mind telling me…exactly where I am?”

She nods curtly, seemingly removed now. Her sea-like eyes have gone cold, much like the ocean in winter.

“You’re in Abraham Lincoln Suburban Hospital, in Northern California. And…..it’s nice to meet you, too.” Tears are coming, more and more, falling down her cheeks like a waterfall.

But I smile. She thinks I didn’t notice.

“Oh, but Jade, if you know my name, this obviously isn’t the first time you’ve met me,” I said, with a small smile.

She closes her eyes again, jerking her head away, kind of like in a wince.

“I…I…I c-can’t…Daniel…I….” she stutters, her voice impaired by her crying.

As she tries to get herself together, I notice a face- or maybe three- watching from the window.

One is a young man’s. He has tan skin and brown hair, and a very handsome face. At first, his eyes flicker towards Jade, and I wonder if she’s his girlfriend. Then, with heavy emotion dancing in his eyes, he looks at me. He looks shocked. He wipes his eyes, and then bangs on the window, screaming something I can’t understand.

Next to him are an older couple, who must be somewhere in their forties. When they see me, the woman turns away, burying her dark brown haired head into the man’s neck. He holds her tightly while she sobs, a few tears falling from his own eyes.

He is silent, unlike the young man, but he puts a hand up to the glass. I have a sudden impulse to reach out to him, and the woman, and the young man.

Jade is breathing deeply, almost able to speak, when the door bangs open. It’s Dr. Windom. We both turn to face him, but Jade doesn’t let go of my hand.

“Jade….how long has Daniel been awake?” he asks in a panicky tone. Jade shakes her head.

“Maybe…five…minutes,” she manages to choke out. He paces around the room before stopping, pinching the bridge of his nose behind his glasses, messing with his gray hair.

“What did you tell him?” Dr. Windom asks her.

“My…name….and…the…hospital.”

“Anything else?” Dr. Windom presses. Jade shakes her head.

“Well…Jade, you need to leave now…he’s just woken up…” Dr. Windom says, and though he doesn’t cry, his voice shakes dangerously.

Jade’s face goes slack with horror.

“No!” she screams, as Dr. Windom grabs her by the shoulders, tearing her hand free of mine as he yanks her upward. She struggles, kicking and kitting the doctor, but she’s too weak, and she sobbing hard.

“Daniel! Daniel!” she screams, as Dr. Windom pulls her out of the room. She grabs on the doorknob.

“Please….remember me.”