Yours, Always....

Chapter 2:-Meeting Daniel

Emily sat at her desk, tapping her pen lightly against her notebook as she reviewed her notes. The name "Daniel" was circled at the top of the page, and though she tried to focus on the patient she had just seen, her thoughts kept drifting back to him. Soon, it would be time to meet him. A man with no memory, no past, and no idea who he once was. Emily couldn't imagine how hard that must be. She wondered what kind of person he would be now—after the accident. Would he be anxious, frustrated, or calm about it all?There was a soft knock on the door, and Margaret peeked her head in. "Your new patient is here, Emily. Ready?"Emily nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yes, send him in."Margaret disappeared, and a moment later, Daniel walked into the room. He looked a bit lost, his eyes searching the space, as if trying to figure out where he was supposed to go. Emily noticed the tired lines on his face, the way he held himself, like he was carrying a heavy weight. "Hi, Daniel," Emily said gently, standing up and offering her hand. "I'm Emily. Please, take a seat."Daniel smiled faintly, shaking her hand before sitting down. He glanced around the room, his gaze settling on the small plant in the corner. "Nice place," he said quietly. "Feels... peaceful.""Thank you," Emily replied, sitting across from him. She studied him for a moment, taking in the way his hands rested in his lap, the slight nervousness in his expression. "How are you feeling today?"Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Confused, I guess. It's like... I'm trying to remember something that's just out of reach, but the harder I try, the more it slips away."Emily nodded, her expression softening. "That must be incredibly frustrating."He met her eyes for a second, then looked away. "Yeah, it is. I want to remember. I feel like... if I can just figure out who I was, everything will make sense again."Emily leaned forward a little, her voice calm. "We'll take it one step at a time, okay? You don't have to do this all at once. It's about learning to live with where you are now, and we can work on helping you find your way back, slowly."Daniel let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "It's just hard. I wake up every day, and it's like I'm a stranger to myself. I don't even know if I like tea or coffee."Emily smiled softly. "Well, I guess that's something we can figure out together. Do you want to start with something simple? We can talk about what you feel when you think about certain things, even if they don't make sense yet."Daniel looked at her, really seeing her for the first time. There was a warmth in her eyes, a kindness that made him feel like maybe things wouldn't be so bad. "Yeah... maybe that could help."Emily nodded, scribbling a quick note. "Let's try it. Tell me—when you think about your life before the accident, do you feel any strong emotions? Even if it's just a flash of something?"Daniel hesitated, then frowned slightly. "I don't know. Sometimes I get this weird feeling, like I'm missing something important. Like there's a hole inside me. But I can't figure out what it is."Emily listened carefully. "That's normal. You're still processing everything. But we'll figure it out, little by little. You don't have to rush."Daniel relaxed a bit, leaning back in his chair. "Thanks. I guess... I just don't want to be stuck like this forever.""You won't be," Emily reassured him. "We'll make sure of that."They continued talking for the next hour, and Emily noticed how Daniel seemed to slowly open up. There were moments when he seemed lost in thought, trying hard to grasp at memories that weren't there. But there were also times when he smiled, even laughed lightly, as they talked about everyday things. As the session came to an end, Emily stood up, giving him a reassuring smile. "You did great today, Daniel. It's not easy to talk about all this, but you're making progress."Daniel smiled back, a little more genuinely this time. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I'll... see you next time?""Definitely," Emily replied. "Take care, and don't be too hard on yourself."As Daniel left, Emily sat back down at her desk, her mind still on him. There was something about him that tugged at her heart—a vulnerability she hadn't seen in many of her patients. She hoped she could help him find the answers he was looking for, but deep down, she knew it might not be that simple. For now, though, she would take it one day at a time, just like she had told him.