Awakening Memories

1. Awake

I heard people murmuring from a distant. Probably the voices I used to hear constantly around me in a place that I didn’t know of. I had never seen their faces or even applied my flight or flight instincts where necessary. I wondered who they might have been, and how they looked in person. The fact still remained that I had no clue on who they truly were, no matter how I pictured them to be. To me, they were utter darkness, and that scared me, fear of the unknown. My body couldn’t move from where it was fixed at. It felt as if a huge stone was laid on it, weight on every part. Whenever I cried out, no one rescued me; I was all alone in this dark world of mine.

The sound of a phone ringing emanated, louder than the murmurs. “Mr and Mrs Santoro, you might want to rush to the hospital. Now, please.”

‘So, I’m…in a hospital? Santoro? I’ve heard of that name being mentioned a couple of times.’ The heaviness exerted on my body parts begun to wear off. Darkness was slowly evading, a peculiar force lifting me up to the surface, far up from the pit I had fallen into.

“She’s waking up,” said the woman who had answered the phone earlier.

My eyes made movement,piercing light illuminating my surroundings. I strained to cover my vision with my hand, which still had some heaviness in it; tremblesome. Through shaded vision, I saw a woman smiling at me, wearing a white coat, stethoscope hanging on her neck. At the far end of the room was a man standing next to a door, also dressed in a white coat, holding a wooden clipboard. I slightly flinched when he approached closely.

“Don't be scared. You're going to be okay. We just want to assess you on some things,” he assured, glancing at me then back at the clipboard, with a pen in his hand.

“Can you tell us what your name is? Feel free to take all the time you want.”

“My…name…is…Bea…Beatrix.” At least that was what I heard from the voices in the place I was in, before coming back. My throat hurt worse than having tonsillitis when I spoke. I likened the sensation to swallowing a bunch of razor blades.

“Well, Beatrix, where are you?”

“Hospital.” My mouth was drier than a desert that I immediately had to ask for water. The man hold me a glass of water with a straw beneath my chin, telling me to drink from it. They both waited patiently for me to finish, before continuing with the  questions. I couldn't argue since I hadn't got the energy to do so.

“What do you see around you?”

“Doctors, stethoscope, white room, heartbeat machine.”

“Do you remember anything that happened to you before the hospital?”

I stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened to me in the past. Nothing. All I remembered was hearing voices of multiple people, including the doctors’ that I heard just a few moments ago.

I shook my head in response. I did not want to strain my vocal cords. Doctor Ross, the one with the clipboard, scribbled down everything that I had described. “I called your parents to come check on you. They're on the way as we speak. Tomorrow you'll go home,” articulated Doctor Mayfair. “I suggest you rest for now as you wait,” she continued.

“Wait,” I nearly shouted, regardless of the pain. They turned simultaneously to me before exiting the room. “what happened to me, before I was admitted?”

“Your recovery wouldn't be speedy if you knew that now,” Dr Ross apologized then continued. “you've been here for a couple of months. We'll let your parents know the results of the test, immediately they arrive. Happy resting.”

I was so hopeless. They could've just told me what happened. From their information though, I learnt that I had been in a coma for an unidentified number of months. The reason for this I would come to establish on my own later.

The kind nurse gently pushed my wheelchair to my parents’ car. I didn't know its make, but it was one pretty huge sleek silver car.

“Take care of yourself Beatrix.” I settled in the vehicle with my mom next to me, aided by the nurse. My body was nimble compared to the previous day that I woke up, except for my legs. The door clicked shut then dad started the engine. Off we went, out of the hospital.

The drive was silent and seemed long. “Mom, do you know what happened to me? What did the doctors tell you?” Luckily, after they gave me some medication, the pain in my throat reduced.

She sighed, placing a palm on my hand. Her dark brown eyes were weary and glossy, displaying a state of hopelessness. “Firstly, they  instructed not to remind you of what happened on that day. Nothing at all, or your health won't improve. Secondly, cariña, you won't be able to remember most of your past. They diagnosed it as retrograde amnesia.” Tears welled up her eyes as she described the last part. Immediately, I pulled her into my embrace, her invigorating perfume filling my nostrils. I didn't mind when her tears dropped on my neck. Personally, my eyes remained the same. Maybe shock had gotten the best of me.

I wouldn't be able to remember a lot people more so what led to me into a coma. The event of that day that no one will tell me about. Dreams that I had as a lad. Secrets that I kept hidden from and for certain people. That explained why the doctors kept pestering me with those questions. Who knew if I could ever regain those memories again?

“Shh,mom, it's okay. At least I didn't forget who my parents were,” i patted her back for comfort. We finally arrived at a huge house.

I liked the exterior’s beige painting and the cobblestone pathway to the door. Not to mention the perfectly trimmed lawn that surrounded it. “You like it?” Dad inquired, showing me around the house. “Yeah, I love it actually. It’s not giving off a creepy atmosphere since several other houses surround it.” The backyard space was large enough to accommodate a pool, a place for grilling barbeque and also a chilling zone. “Glad to know, dear.”

He wheeled me into the interior which was so gorgeous. The decor for the rooms on the lower floor were done in shades of white grey and black mostly. I really admired that. Dad had to carry me up the stairs to get to the other rooms. Like a newborn child, he held onto me diligently. I was ashamed by the action but there was really nothing I could do. It was as if the bolts on my leg joints were jammed.

“Here's your room.” The door swung open, revealing my bedroom. My eyes sparkled on seeing how beautiful it was; a mixture of different shades of color. “ Did you know that this was one of your dreams?” Mom entered the room sitting next to us on the bed. Basing on the smile that beamed on her face, she had forgotten all about earlier.

“Really?” My eyebrows rised up in glee. It was a pity though, that I couldn't remember what it exactly was. Maybe the room idea or even the whole mansion idea. Either way, both were pretty cool. “We're just really glad that you're here with us again,” Dad uttered then we all had a family hug. “We missed you so much Beatrix.”

After that, they left my room. Later that day, a physiotherapist would come home to check on my mobility and basically I would relearn how to use my legs again. A slow but useful essentiality. Having a nap would kill the time as I waited. I was a little tired anyway, and a headache begun blossoming from the sides of my head. They were worse on the night before, but got better if I just relaxed.

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