Encore Amour (Englot)

Chapter 10: Strings of Memory

Charlotte woke up in the hospital, her eyes fluttering open as she adjusted to the bright lights above her. As soon as Engfa saw her open her eyes, she immediately rushed to her side. "Charlotte, you're awake!" Engfa exclaimed, relief flooding her voice.

To her surprise, Charlotte turned her head, searching the room. "Dad? Why are you here?" She didn't look at Engfa or her other friends, her eyes filled with confusion.

Her father stepped closer, his face etched with concern. "What do you mean, Charlotte? You're in the hospital. You lost consciousness earlier. How are you feeling?"

Charlotte looked around, even more confused. "I mean, why are you in Thailand?"

Everyone exchanged puzzled and concerned looks. Her father tried to clarify, "Charlotte, we're in London right now."

"London?" Charlotte repeated, her confusion deepening. "Wait, what about Miss Grand? I should be in Thailand for the competition, right? Why am I here?"

Aoom stepped closer to Charlotte, trying to stay calm so as not to stress her friend too much. "Char, what are you talking about?" she asked gently.

Charlotte looked at Aoom as if trying to remember her, then said, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Engfa was shocked. "Charlotte, she's Aoom. Don't you remember her?"

Charlotte stared at Engfa, her confusion evident. "Wait, Engfa, why are you here in London too? I'm really confused. What's going on?"

Her father came closer, trying to soothe her. "Sweetie, try to rest first. I'll call the doctor to check on you." He then turned to her friends and asked them to follow him outside.

Once outside the room, Meena voiced what everyone was thinking. "Something is off. Why does she seem not to remember who we are, Aoom?"

The doctor arrived and entered Charlotte's room, followed closely by her father and friends. After checking Charlotte's vitals, which seemed good, her father spoke up. "Dr. Lee, she seems to not remember some of her friends and she looks confused about the current situation."

Dr. Lee approached Charlotte gently. "Ms. Austin, can you tell me what year it is?"

Charlotte answered confidently, "It's 2022."

The doctor nodded. "What was the last thing you remember before you collapsed?"

"I was with the other candidates, and we were rehearsing. Then I felt dizzy. I think I was too exhausted. But when I woke up, I'm now here in London, and that doesn't make sense."

Dr. Lee looked at her with understanding. "I understand, Ms. Austin. For now, please rest. We'll run some tests and see what is really the problem."

Outside the room, the doctor addressed her father and friends. "Did your daughter experience anything traumatic or distressing recently?"

Engfa, her voice shaky, asked, "Why? What's wrong with her?"

Dr. Lee sighed. "It seems like Charlotte is experiencing what we call dissociative amnesia. This is when your mind blocks out important information about yourself, causing gaps in your memory. Essentially, her mind is protecting her from unpleasant, distressing, or traumatic experiences."

Aoom looked worried. "Can she get her memory back?"

"We will check further and order some tests, an MRI, and other necessary evaluations," the doctor explained. "This kind of illness doesn't have a specific cure, but we can treat the factors contributing to it, like anxiety and depression. For now, let's keep her away from anything that might trigger her depression more. It's important for her to get enough rest and as little stress as possible. You can explain what's happening to her, but we must be careful. We don't know how she will take it or if it will trigger some flashback, which could be hard for her right now."