𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙳𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚖𝚊

Chapter Twenty

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My legs felt like they were made of lead as i stood outside Jason’s room, the steady beeping of the machines inside barely registering in my mind. It had been hours since i overheard the doctors discussing the day’s tragic incidents, and yet, the words still rang in my ears—concussion, amnesia, no memory of the incident.

I rubbed my eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling at me.

Pushing open the door, i entered the room quietly. Jason lay there, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow but steady. The sterile environment of the hospital ward seemed to mute everything—the ticking clock, the hum of the machines, even my own thoughts.

Just as i approached the bed, the door clicked open again, and a doctor stepped in. He was tall, with a calm demeanor that seemed at odds with the news he was probably about to deliver. He glanced at the chart in his hand before turning his gaze to me.

“Um…I'm guessing you're his friend or family perhaps” he began, his voice measured.
Family…
I wondered what life would've been like if we were actually related by blood.
I nodded anyways and he continued “I wanted to update you on Jason’s condition.”

I nodded again, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“His physical injuries are healing well,” the doctor continued. “But the concussion he suffered from the fall was more severe than we initially thought. After running more tests, we’ve confirmed that he has post-traumatic amnesia.”

I blinked, trying to process the words I'd earlier heard interlacing them with my suspicions
“Amnesia? You mean...”

The doctor nodded.
“Yes. He probably wouldn't remember the events leading up to the injury—or much of anything from the days before. It’s likely a temporary condition, but there’s no telling how much of his memory will come back, or when.”

I stared at Jason’s unconscious form, my emotions swirling into a confusing mess. He didn’t remember. He didn’t remember what he said to me how he mocked me,for seemingly trying to “corner him”.
Pushed me to the edge until i snapped. He didn’t remember the argument, the anger, or the moment i  pushed him, not meaning to harm him but wanting, for once, to make him stop.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips before i could stop it. The sound startled the doctor, who glanced at me with concern.

“I—I'm sorry,” i stammered, covering my mouth, burning with shame. “It’s just... I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.” It was mortifying.

The doctor offered a small nod of understanding. “It’s not uncommon to feel conflicted in situations like this.”

I looked away, my mind racing. All those months of torment. Jason, with his smug smirk and cruel words, pushing me to the breaking point. Now, after everything, he didn’t even remember who i was.

The doctor continued, his tone gentler now. “We’ll keep monitoring him closely, and there’s a good chance he’ll recover most of his memories in time. But for now, he’ll need rest.”

I nodded absently, my thoughts already drifting to what lay beyond this hospital room. I muttered a brief thanks and left the room without another glance at Jason.

---

The campus was quieter than usual when i returned,my body weighed down with the events of the past days. The familiar hallways felt strange now, as if they didn’t quite belong to me anymore. I passed through the main building and made my way back to the dormitory, my feet dragging as i climbed the stairs.

When i pushed open the door to my room, i found Aisha, lounging on her bed with a magazine in hand. Aisha glanced up, her brow furrowing in concern.

“Hey, where have you been?” she asked, sitting up. “You didn’t even come to class today. I thought something happened.”
I glance up at her. I consider keeping it from her but she'll probably wound me with concern and I'll spill em' anyways.
Sigh
I dropped my bag onto my desk chair and sank onto my bed. The familiar smell of the dorm room, the comforting clutter of shared space, did little to ease the knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach.

“I was at the hospital,” i said flatly, rubbing my eyes.

Aisha’s eyes widened. “Hospital? What happened? Are you okay?”

I let out a long sigh.
“It’s Jason. He—he’s in the hospital because of what happened….well…between us. He got a concussion, and now… he doesn’t remember anything. The doctors said he has amnesia.”

Aisha stared at me, clearly trying to process the information. “Wait, Jason? As in that Jason? The one who’s been bullying you forever?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice thick with exhaustion. “That Jason.”

Aisha blinked, clearly stunned. “Oh my God. I'd heard sirens blaring and i wasn't sure who had gotten injured. So... what happens now? Is he going to get better?”

“I don’t know,” i replied, my voice quiet. “He’s got a good chance of recovering his memory, but it could take a while.”

Aisha shook her head, her face a mix of confusion and disbelief. “And you went to see him? After everything he did to you?”

“Come on Aisha,i almost killed someone so why not?!”
I sigh,lying back on my bed and staring up at the ceiling. “It’s complicated. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. We got into an argument, I pushed him, and... now he’s lying in a hospital bed with no memory of anything. It’s just... weird.”

She goes quiet surprisingly and I wondered if I'd hurt her by snapping. I dissected my thoughts for the day and my consciousness gradually slipped out of me.