River and I were sitting in the waiting room of the nearest doctors office I could find. I'd never been there before, but it seemed alright.
"Where are we?" River asked, his strange accent suddenly disappearing.
"At the doctors." I told him, for the millionth time.
"Oh." He said, tapping his feet.
"There's a hole in the ozone," He began singing.
"So life's worth giving up."
"Shut up, River. People are staring."
"And when I do now," He continued.
"Won't you please forgive me."
I slapped a hand over his mouth, signally for him to shush. About a dozen people were in the waiting room, ranging from little kids to the elderly; all of which had looks of disgust on their faces. The secretary was looking at him like he was insane.
"People will think you're strange!" I told him, hoping that would agree to be quiet.
"People are strange!" He started.
"Oh my god." I muttered.
"When you're a stranger!"
"That's enough River, time to be quiet." I told him. This time, he agreed.
"Okay, lassie. Whatever you say." His weird accent was making an unwanted return.
"Good. Sit there and be quiet." I said, crossing my legs over each other. It had been funny at first, now it was just getting annoying. I wanted the old River back.
"Phoenix, River?"
A doctor had emerged from a room and was standing at the entrance of the waiting room.
"That's you!" I told River, getting up, hoping he would follow.
"What seems to be the problem?" The doctor asked. I knew River wouldn't speak for himself, so I spoke for him.
"He's got a concussion." I said. River was playing with a miniature sized display skeleton.
"When did this happen?"
"He, uh, hit his head yesterday. But the concussion didn't kick in until this morning." I explained. River had twisted the skeletons head all the way around, breaking it off.
"Leave that alone, River!" I scolded. He looked at me with disgust, like the way a little kid would look at their mother when she wouldn't let them have another cookie.
"Does he remember anything?" The doctor asked, ignoring River's childish acts.
"Well, this morning he didn't know who I was, or where he was. I'm not sure if he realises who I am or not."
"Who are you?" The doctor asked, tapping his pen on his chin.
"Um, I'm, his girlfriend." I said.
"Right." The doctor answered. He turned to River and waited patiently until River noticed. Once he finally caught River's gaze, he spoke.
"What do you remember?"
"What is what do I remember and what I remember what is." He said. I think he just rearranged the doctor's question into a jumble of words.
The doctor turned back to me and sighed,
"He's completely loopy."
"I was afraid you'd say that." I replied. River tapped me on the shoulder.
"We need to get out of here. We need to find Nancy." He whisper-shouted.
"Make sure he takes two a day, before meals. And try to help him remember things, tell him stories about himself or yourself or whatever. Just try and jog his memory." The doctor explained, handing me a small jar of blue and white pills.
"Thankyou." I said. The doctor got up and opened the door. On his way out, River gave a death stare to the doctor.
"You took Nancy." He muttered with disgust.
YOU ARE READING
diamonds | river phoenix
Romance"But all good things have to come to an end, right?" 6 years ago they thought they'd never see each other again. 6 years later they realised they were wrong. She was a girl who knew where she was going. He was a boy who didn't.
