Healing echos

Chapter five

Chapter 5

"Where is my mom?" Ray asked

Sand's smile dropped, uncertainty flooding his mind as he grappled with what to say next. "Uh," he stuttered, trying his best to think of something. But he knew he needed to be honest with Ray.

"Ray," he began, his voice trembling slightly, "there's something I need to tell you. Your mother... she passed away when you were in high school."

Ray's face fell, confusion and sorrow mingling in his eyes. "What? But... I remember talking to her yesterday..she was still here. I remember... I remember talking to her."

Sand took a deep breath, squeezing Ray's hand gently. "I know this is hard to hear, and I'm so sorry you have to go through this again. You were really close to her, and it was a difficult time for you."

Tears welled up in Ray's eyes as he struggled to process the news. "Why don't I remember? Why can't I remember anything clearly?"

Ray's tears slowly, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I just feel so lost, Sand. Everything is so confusing."

————

It was currently evening, and the nurse had just given Ray his dinner: an unappetizing-looking mush. "You really need to eat," Sand insisted, watching as Ray stared at his food and poked at it with his fork.

Ray wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I don't know, Sand. It looks pretty bad."

Sand chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "It can't be that bad." He picked up the extra soup and took a small amount of the food, grimacing slightly as he swallowed. "Okay, I might have been wrong about that," he admitted with a smile. "But you still need to eat. You need your strength."

Ray sighed, looking at the mushy food again. "I guess I don't have much choice, do I?"

"Nope," Sand said, encouragingly. "I'll stay with you while you eat. We can talk about something to take your mind off the taste."

Ray picked up his fork again and took a tentative bite, grimacing as he chewed. "Fine. But you better keep talking, or I might not make it through this."

The two chuckled. "Okay, let's see... you loved going to clubs. You always liked to party no matter where or who you were with," Sand said, smiling.

The word "club" triggered another faint memory in Ray. He could now recall being heavily drunk, using tables for support as he made his way to a booth where he sprawled out. He also remembered the urgent need to throw up, but after that, everything went blank. Ray found himself stuck on the fact that he couldn't remember a single thing about the night of the crash.

Sand was still talking, but Ray wasn't paying attention. His mind was fixated on the hazy memory, trying to piece together the fragments. "I was so drunk... I remember needing to throw up," Ray said, more to himself than to Sand. "But after that, it's just... nothing."

Sand's smile faded as he noticed Ray's distant expression. "Ray, are you okay? You seem lost in thought."

Ray shook his head, trying to clear the fog. "I can't remember anything about the night of the crash. I've been trying, but it's all just a blur."

Sand took a deep breath, his heart aching for Ray. "It's okay, Ray. The doctors said it might take time for your memories to come back. You've been through a lot, and it's natural for your mind to block out traumatic events."

Ray looked up at Sand, his eyes filled with frustration. "But I need to remember. It feels like there's this huge gap in my life, and I can't move forward until I know what happened."

Sand sat down next to Ray, his expression serious. "I understand, Ray. And I'll be here to help you through this, no matter how long it takes. But you need to be patient with yourself. Your brain is trying to heal, and sometimes that means memories come back in bits and pieces."

"You're right. I also think I need some sleep," Ray yawned. "Good night, Sand," he said, closing his eyes.

"Good night, my love," Sand whispered as he quietly got up from the chair. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Ray's forehead before heading out of the room.

Ray's eyes quickly snapped open, his face turning pink and his heart racing. Did Sand really just call him his love? He lay there, staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling in his mind.

The words replayed over and over, and Ray found himself questioning everything.

——————-

A week had passed, and Ray and Sand's bond had grown tighter. Ray could feel the strength returning to his legs, and the doctors had told him earlier in the week that they would help him start walking again with the aid of a physical therapist.

Sand had left early that morning to head to work, as it had been a while since he had performed. Ray was alone in his room when the doctor opened the door, with a woman following right behind him.

"Mr. Ray, this is Sun. She'll be your therapist for the time being," the doctor said with a smile.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," Sun said warmly. Ray could sense a friendly and supportive aura around her.

"Hi, Sun," Ray replied, returning her smile. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

"Great to hear," Sun said, stepping closer. "I've reviewed your case, and we'll take things one step at a time—literally. We'll start with some gentle exercises today to see how your legs respond."

Ray nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Okay, I'm ready."

Sun set up a small area with some equipment. "First, let's try some simple movements while you're still in bed. Can you lift your right leg for me?"

Ray concentrated, focusing on the movement. His leg trembled slightly but lifted off the bed. "There, I did it!"

"Fantastic!" Sun encouraged, her eyes lighting up. "Now, let's try the left leg."

Ray repeated the action with his left leg, feeling the muscles working harder but managing to lift it as well. Sun guided him through a series of exercises, gradually increasing the difficulty as Ray's confidence grew.

"You're doing really well, Ray," Sun said after about twenty minutes of exercises. "You've got a lot of strength already. Tomorrow, we'll try getting you to stand with some support."

Ray felt a surge of hope and determination. "Thank you, Sun. I really appreciate your help."

"Of course, Ray. We're in this together. Just keep a positive mindset, and you'll be up and walking in no time," Sun said warmly.

Just as they were wrapping up, the door opened, and Sand walked in, looking a bit tired but happy to see Ray. "Hey, how's it going?"

Ray's face lit up. "Sand! It's going great. This is Sun, my physical therapist. She's been helping me with some exercises."

"Has she?" Sand smiled as he placed his bag down on the chair. But his smile quickly faded as he looked up at Ray and Sun, and recognition dawned on his face.