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Chapter 2: Green Eyes

I pass out and don't wake up until I'm sitting in a white hospital bed with a light blue blanket draped over me. I feel woozy. They'd probably given me pain meds. I sit up slowly and run my hand along my back. A bandage is taped from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.

The room is a regular hospital room, with white walls and a cold white tiled floor. I slide off the bed. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I feel the ice cold chill of the tile.

The room is eerily silent except for the heart rate monitor that is attached to my chest. There's also an IV bag that's slowly dripping saline into my blood stream.

I pull the loud metal rack, with my IV bag and heart monitor, to the side of the room that has three cabinets.

The first cabinet has bandaids and other first aid related things. The other two have extra blankets and pillows and two thin white cotton robes. I take one of the robes out and try to put it on, but the sleeve won't go over the tube from the IV. The hospital gown I'm in keeps slipping open in the back and sends chills through my body each time. Besides, the needle is already irritating me, so I just rip it out of my arm and quickly put a bandaid over the red speck of blood that forms. I also peel the sticky things off my chest from the heart monitor because they are very unnecessarily irksome.

I slide the robe on and open the door to the hall way. Right outside my room is a nurses station. There's one lady sitting their but she's to wrapped up in paper-work to notice me.

My heart stops when I hear the toilet flush in the bathroom behind me. I whip around and back up to the door as I slowly close it. I watch the bathroom door. The sink turns on and then off a few seconds later. My pulse races as the handle tilts to open.

I let out a sigh of relief. It's just the guy from the park.

"You're awake." He jumps a little, as if he's surprised to see me--in my own hospital room.

I wrap my robe tight around my body to give off a defensive vibe. "Why are you here?"

"I've been asking my self the same question." He casually walks over to the table next to my bed and pours a glass of water using the pitcher that sits there. "I found you. You were alone, injured. I kind of felt obligated to make sure you were okay. I had to see if you were gonna wake up."

He hands me the plastic cup.

I cautiously take it and walk over to sit on the bed.

"Well, I'm fine now. So you can leave."

"Wait, what? I kinda just saved your life", he say matter-of-factly--like I'm about to let a complete stranger stay with me just because he was the one who happened to stumble upon me.

"It could've been any one", I counter. "Other people were at the park."

His confident posture dwindles. "Geez", He scoffs. "I guess I'll leave then."

"Wait.", I say, before he could get to the door. There were other people there, but it's true that he was the only one that chose to give a damn about an unconscious woman laying on the ground. He didn't have to do anything. "I'm sorry. That was harsh." I look down at my hands. "You can stay, if you'd like."

"I mean, I guess I could stay." He slowly turns around. "But only since you asked."

I let out a small laugh. "We should probably call a nurse though, now that you're up." He turns to go to the nurses station.

"Wait, what's your name?"

He turns back to me. "Max"

"Cool" I grin "It's nice to meet you, Max." He nods, and walks out of the room.

I go into the bathroom and close the door behind me. I look at myself in the mirror, and I don't mean to sound cocky or anything but I am very attractive. It's like I'm meeting a stranger for the first time, and she's beautiful. Her hair is a soft brown, almost blonde with a bit of a orange-y tint to it. Small freckles dot her nose and underneath her bright earthy green eyes. She's on the shorter side, maybe 5'4"-5'5".

It's odd.

I realize that I don't feel the pain I felt before, and the pain I felt before was excruciatingly intense. There are no pain killers that could mask what I had felt.

I slip the robe off and untie the top of my gown. I slowly remove the bandage from my back. It's clean. When Max found me he freaked out about how much blood there was. If that was the case, then there's no way the bandage could be dry. I turn my back to the mirror. There's an X-shaped cut on my back. But, it doesn't just look like a scratch, it's a perfect X. It looks almost surgical. I notice that I'm not bleeding anymore because my back is stitched.

There's a knock and Max's voice carries through the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"Uh-- yeah. I'll be right out." I quickly tie up the back of my gown and put the robe back on.

I jump back a little when I walk out of the bathroom because I almost run right into Max.

He crinkles his nose. "You didn't wash your hands."

"What-- no... I was just checking out the damage", I say, lightly patting my back.

"Oh. How is it?", He asks in a sincerely concerned tone.

"It's nothing", I brush it off. "Just a few scratches."

"I'm surprised to see you up and around." I look to the door. The doctor is now standing in the room. "Especially after not eating for so long. We have someone getting you food now but take it slow because you've only had the IV giving you the nutrients you needed."

"Wait" My heart stops for a second. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Five days", Max admits.

"Oh my god." I stumble back little, now realizing how dizzy I really feel.

"I just need you to fill out these papers", The doctor says and hands me a packet. "After we get you food, you're honestly, good to go home. We will just need you to return in several week to get your stitches removed. Despite a scar, you should be as good as new."

I nod absent-mindedly. "A nurse will be in soon to check on you."

"Thanks doc", Max cut in. And with that, the doctor turns and leaves.

I turn towards Max. "You've been waiting here for five days?" Everything that happened suddenly hits me all at once.

"Well, I mean, I went to work and stuff", he says defensively. "...And out with friends." His previously white complexion turns bright red out of embarassment. "I just happened to be here when you woke up."

I can't help myself but laugh when I realize that this guy has no life. I bet I'm the most interesting thing that's happened to him this whole month.

"What? What are you laughing at?"

Something about his facial expression makes me laugh even harder. "Nothing" I spit out between laughs.

"It's not funny", Max's face grows angry. I look down at the papers the doc handed me. It asks for my name and my address and emergency contact. 

I finally realize that I have nothing...No one. I hadn't processed how truly alone I was until now. I don't even have myself to rely on because I have no clue who I am.

Warm tears start to roll down my face as I continue to laugh harder and harder. "I have no one", my laughs slowly turn into sobs. "I have no one."

Max's expression softens and changes into worry

"Nothing. I- do--nt--...No--one." I cry harder.

Max grabs my shoulders. "It's okay. But what do you mean you have no one? You gotta have family or something."

I catch my breath for just enough time to yell, "I don't even know who I am!" Max looks deeply at me, processing what I said, and I start crying again. He puts his arms around me and pulls me into is chest. I bury my face and let it all out.