Silent Love (Published)

Chapter 1

A/N: This book is now available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online book retailers

  It feels as if someone was pounding the back of my head with a hammer. The continuous loud beeping noise wasn't helping much with my headache. I want to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock, but I don't have the energy to reach over and switch it off. Actually, I don't think that's my alarm at all. It sounds different. It sounded like it was coming from a machine. An unfamiliar male's voice begins speaking. He wanted to know how some patient name Ruby was doing. A female voice follows, saying that there were no changes in her.

I lie there, confused about what's going on around me and what these two people are talking about. I was sure it was some crazy dream I haven't yet woken up from. That's the only explanation why I'm hearing all of this. Yet again it may not be a dream.

I slowly open my eyes to see what's happening. The minute I open them, everything became bright and I quickly shield my eyes with my hands. A sharp pain pounds the back of my head from the sudden movement. I try to stay still so it wouldn't hurt. Oh gosh, what did I do last night to get this massive headache?

"Ruby?" I hear the male voice say to me.

I don't respond. I don't think he is talking to me, is he?

"Ruby, can you answer me, please?"

I remove my hands from my face, my eyes adjusting to the light. A man with brown hair and eyes dressed in a white coat stands beside my bed, staring down at me. Beside him is a pale blonde woman in blue scrubs. I'm not sure who they are or what they are doing in my room, but they looked to be a nurse and doctor. They must be talking to me because when I glance around the room I find that I'm not in my bedroom at all. I'm in a ward. What am I doing here? I don't have any memory of how I got here.

I turn back to them, still wondering whether or not if they had the right patient. I glance at my right wrist where a plastic bracelet is strapped around it, showing my name, my date of birth and my gender in black ink. Ruby Madison. Is that who I am?

They have the right patient, but still my own name sounded unfamiliar to me. How can they be certain that my name's Ruby and not another name?

"Ruby, I'm Dr Sharland," the man continues talking when I don't respond. "Do you remember what happened?"

I stare at him, unsure what he is talking about. I try to think but my mind is blank. I open my mouth to speak, but instead of words, it was just babble, like a baby learning to say sounds for the first time. I struggle for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to say. Not being able to pronounce anything, I shake my head in response.

"You were in a car accident and have been unconscious for a couple of days."

I stare at him, puzzled. I don't remember being in a car accident. I still don't even remember or know how I got here.

"Do you remember any of it?"

I shake my head. I can't even recall my own name so why would I remember whether or not if I was in a car accident?

"Are you in any pain, Ruby?"

I nod. I open my mouth to say my head hurts, but once again only babble comes out. I struggle to say the words I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to. What's wrong with me? How come I couldn't speak? I rub the back of my head, hoping he would figure out what I was trying to say.

Dr Sharland stares at me for a long time. "What's wrong, Ruby?"

I shrug. How should I know why I couldn't speak? I don't even know the answers to anything he has been asking me, except for the part where I was in pain. Everything was just a blur to me.