Do You Remember Me?

Chapter one. Blank Canvas.

"It appears he's finally awake," one voice piped up, addressing the man lying immobile on a bed.

"He is awake, indeed," a second voice chimed in from the opposite side of the bed.

The man lay motionless on a bed, his eyes slowly flickering open, welcoming a bright flood of light into the sterile room. Voices buzzed around him, filling the space as he quickly took in his surroundings. It was a square room, roughly ten by ten meters, equipped with an array of electronic devices, cameras, and several monitors connected to large computers. Four figures clad in white coats loomed over him, in a room full of monitors, watching a man lying on a bed. The man sat up in his bed very slowly after reaching the conclusion the place was a hospital.

"Take it easy while moving," the first voice, a cheerful woman, advised. "It's been quite some time since you were last awake," she continued when he stopped in motion, before carefully repositioning in place.

Another woman joined her, displaying enthusiasm. "Or you could use one of these remote controls for your bed. They're pretty nifty..."

A firm "Not now..." from a man cut her off.

The patient turned silently his attention to an older man who seemed to carry an air of authority. There was a brief pause, as though everyone was expecting the patient to speak but he just simply moved his eyes from one person to another around the room. Without emotion, he noticed a frown, a smile, an avoidant gaze, and an unwavering enthusiasm. He finally nodded in some sort of general acknowledgment without any expression changing his features. 

"I'm Dr. Brown," the older man introduced himself, the frown still evident. "This is Dr. White," he mentioned a younger man who didn't look like wanting to be there. "Then, we have Dr. Moreno," he nodded toward the woman who had been speaking, "and Dr. Grey," he concluded the introductions with the owner of a bright smile.

Dr. Grey extended a small hand toward the man, who accepted it with both of his own. She maintained her warm and encouraging smile, despite his lack of emotional response. The patient noted that she was around thirty-five years old, with short, naturally blonde hair and large brown eyes that seemed to have lost some of their sparkle the longer she observed him. A ring on her finger bore an unusual design.

"It's good seeing you awake," she mentioned keeping her smile on, warm and encouraging despite the man's lack of emotional response. "It might be confusing for you where you find yourself..."

"I'm in a hospital, with four doctors checking on me. All with names reflecting colors, maybe a code names..."

"No code names," Dr. Brown interjected, "just labels for our department teams - Brown, White, Moreno, and Grey."

"What's my label?" His initial question slipped out reflexively, and a moment later, he corrected it. "What's my name?"

The voice was cold, without inflexions and eyes had no emotions when measuring them again, one by one, placing a label. Her hand slipped out of his making him refocus on her again. 

Dr. Morena seemed eager to respond, but Dr. Brown's raised hand halted her. "It's better to clarify your situation first. You were involved in a car accident, which resulted in a coma. Thanks to recent medical advancements," he motioned around the room, "we were able to bring you back to some normality. However, it seems you are experiencing some memory issues, which is not uncommon considering the trauma your brain has endured."

A heavy silence hung in the room as they awaited a response from the man. "Thank you for bringing me back," he felt compelled to say, though it was clear that his words were devoid of emotion. "How long have I been gone?"

"Two years."

"Three years."

Simultaneously, both women uttered their conflicting accounts, casting a shadow of perplexity over Dr. Brown's countenance, his brow furrowing as he obviously struggled with their discordant timelines. It was a moment of revelation as the patient, until then inscrutable, betrayed a glimmer of emotion—a spark of curiosity that danced in his eyes. In their zealous attempt to make sense of the temporal conundrum, the four doctors missed this subtle yet pivotal transformation.

"Give or take about three years," Dr. Grey reiterated with unwavering assurance. "Blake..."

The patient's curiosity surged like an unstoppable tide. "Blake? Is that my name?"

Dr. Grey's face illuminated with an even broader smile, mirroring the suspense that enveloped the room. "Do you remember?"