Not Mine

Chapter III

Carter slowly opened her eyes to the sound of someone pressing buttons. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked over to see a young woman, a nurse, packing up some machines in the corner. Carter had no idea who the woman was, or where they were... Carter started to think about it, and came to the conclusion that she didn't know anything. She couldn't remember anything. She didn't even know who she was.

The nurse left the room before Carter could make her voice work. Her throat was so dry she could barely make a sound. She looked at her hands, they had bandages on them, and oh goddess her shoulder hurt! What happened? Why was she in a hospital? - if that was actually where she was and why couldn't she remember anything? The harder Carter tried to remember something – anything, the more blank her past seemed to be. She didn't even recognise her own reflection in the mirror across the room. Tears started to stream down her cheeks. She didn't understand.

"H-hello?" Carter called, her voice cracking. She sat up, nursing her shoulder. She coughed and then spotted the glass of water by her bed side, she grabbed it and downed all of the cool liquid quickly. She placed the glass down and looked around the room again. "Hello?" she called louder. No one answered her and no one came rushing in, so she pushed herself off the bed. The moment she was supporting her own weight, dizziness overwhelmed her, and her legs buckled beneath her. She collapsed backwards, crashing against the bed. Carter groaned. Her head was throbbing and she was so confused. She pushed herself up, gripping the light blue bed sheets and pulling herself to her feet. The moment her feet were flat against the cold marble she tried to stand up straight again. She managed to support herself, even on shaking legs for a few moments before the nurse came in.

"Oh Carter! You are awake! Come here sweetie, you shouldn't be standing!" The nurse gasped at the sight, darting over and prodding her gently until she was back onto the bed. Carter thought about the name the nurse had used; Carter.... It seemed right. Carter finally looked up at the nurse who was looking at her with hopeful blue eyes. Carter coughed again and the nurse handing her the empty glass, and refilled it with more water from a jug on the table. She encouraged Carter to drink the whole cup before they talked any further.

After Carter had finished taking the 'gradual sips' the nurse had instructed her to do, the woman sat on the edge of the bed.

"Now. What do you remember?" She asked, with a kind smile on her face.

"Nothing..." Carter swallowed. She really had no idea. "W-what happened to me?"

The nurse frowned and looked at the ground, before composing herself and looking up, cheerful again.

"Well, I'm Marnie for starters. We're friends." She explained, "oh, and you fell out of a tree."

"I what?" Carter asked, studying the woman who was apparently her friend. She instantly felt terrible. How could she not remember anything?

"You fell out of a tree and you landed awkwardly, hitting your head pretty bad. You had a concussion, and a broken shoulder and we were starting to get worried that you were going to slip into a coma... but you are awake now! So that's a good sign. And, you are lucky, because your shoulder is almost done repairing and all of your cuts and bruises have faded. Now. I need to go get the doctor and some food for you. You have been asleep for a few days, so it is very important that you keep off of your feet. Please stay in bed, please! And I'll be right back!" The nurse said quickly before she high-tailed it out of the room. Carter was left to her thoughts. Her name was Carter. That was all she had. And she only knew that because she was told so. How could she have forgotten her whole life?

After a few more minutes of remembering nothing, she heard footsteps echoing in the corridor and the door opened again. A man in a white coat and blue scrubs came in. Carter assumed he was the doctor. He held a clipboard with her name on the back of it.