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Chapter 3: Pink Socks

"Something must've happened. Maybe you hit your head or something and that's how you ended up unconscious." Max paces back and forth.

"A knock hard enough to clear my memory would leave me with some sort of concussion though. Wouldn't it?" But the truth is, I don't feel like I lost my memory. I know every single thing going on in the world but I don't know a single thing about my self. It's like I never existed. But I do exist. I am real and in the flesh. It isn't possible for me not to be. I have to have some sort of past. I just have to figure out what it is.

"So I take it you don't have a place to go, huh?" I shake my head and start fiddling with the tag on the blanket.

Max looks at the floor in thought. After a moment he rubs the back of his neck and speaks, "I know it's kinda crazy since we just met... but I have an extra room at my place." He looks up at me. "You can crash there as long as you need.

I drop the blanket in my lap and look up at him. "Really?!"

"Yeah. I figure it's better than staying the hospital or trying to find some cheap motel." The corner of his mouth slightly rises in a smile.

I start to smile but then furrow my brow.

"What is it?", he looks concerned.

"It's nothing", I shrug. "I just hate to intrude on your life like that. I've been such a burden already."

He scoffs, "It's not like I have much of a life anyways. I work from my apartment so I rarely get out. It's just me and Chester. It'd be nice to have someone else in the house for a change."

"Is Chester your roommate?", I ask.

"No, actually, Chester is my dog." He laughs a little. "Got him when I was 16."

The name Chester instantly puts an image of a small chubby dog with a squished face in my head. "Is he a pug?"

"No he's actually a corgi." He laughs a reminiscent laugh. "My friend got him for me. And of course she insisted on naming him. I thought it was a a ridiculous name for a dog, but she loved it." He looks up at me and his smile falters a little. It's very slight, but enough for me to notice.

"So." he smiles brightly, interrupting me from pressing any further. "What's the plan?"

"Whaddya mean?" I turn my head to the side a little.

"We have to come up with some elaborate excuse as to who you are. We can't just walk out of a hospital."

I raise my eyebrows.

"What?-- No. We can not just walk out of here."

"Why not?"

I can see him struggle to find an answer. "No. It's just wrong. Besides hospital bills are like thousands of dollars, we can't just leave without paying."

"Oh you're right", I say, getting out of the bed. "Let me just go grab my wallet. See if I can find my health insurance while I'm at it."

His face falls in defeat. "You're right."

"I know." I walk towards the door. "What I am gonna go do though is find some proper clothes. I'm not about to leave this place with the wind blowing right up my behind."

"Classy", he scoffs a little.

"That's the goal." I open the door and step into the hall.

"I guess I'll just wait here th--" the door slams shut.

The hall is almost silent, with the exception of a few nurses running around swiftly from room to room.

The room two doors down from mine is open. I peek inside and see a young woman in the bed. She's either sleeping or in a coma. Either way I choose to slip inside. The room is empty besides her. She has a suitcase sitting in the corner of the room that looks to be full of clean clothes. I must've been a thief before, because without remorse or hesitation I run to the suitcase and quickly pick out a pair of jeans and an over-sized purple t-shirt. I then move to the side table and quietly slip fifty bucks out of the girls polka dot wallet. Her body stirs under the covers and she lets out a groan.

Okay. At least we know she's not in a coma.

When she sits up, I make a snap decision and roll under the bed. My movements feel so natural. I start to smile until her foot hits the ground just inches from my head. I keep my eyes on her pink fuzzy socks until she makes it all the way to the bathroom. As soon as she closes the door, I roll back out from under the bed and start heading for the hall. I snag her blue chucks before I leave and hope to god that everything fits.

I make it back into my room without a problem.

"Wow, that was a lot quicker than I expected." Max says as soon as I close the door behind me.

"Honestly, me too."

I move to the bathroom and replace the thin hospital gown with real clothes. I didn't bother to grab underwear or socks, but anything is more comfortable than the cheap piece of paper that they call a gown. The jeans are a bit long, so I roll them up. But other than that, everything fits fine. I tuck the bottom of the purple t-shirt into the jeans and tie up the shoes.

"You ready?" I ask when I step out of the bathroom.

"I mean I guess."

"Okay then", I shrug. " the quicker the better, I guess."

"Okay then." He opens the door to the hallway. "Lead the way." He waves a guiding hand through the door. I walk out the room and use my hand to wipe my name off the small whiteboard just outside the door. Or, fake name I guess.

We walk down the hall trying not to draw any attention to us. But that's kind of a hard task in an empty hallway filled with nurses moving from room to room. The elevator is at the end of the hall. We are about halfway there when I hear one of the doors behind us opens. I figure it's just another nurse until he begins talking. "Excuse me."

Max and I both stop and turn around to see the doctor moving towards us. "Did you finish filling out those papers?"

I was about make an elaborate excuse but Max takes my hand and pulls us both into a run.

"Hey!", I hear the doctor call from behind us. "Where are you going?"

I hear his footsteps behind us. He's not running but definitely walking fast.

We make it to the end of the hall and Max begins jamming the elevator button. It opens instantly and we move inside.

The doctor is only halfway down the hall, but I still mash the 'door close' button just to be safe. The door closes and the elevator shifts, slowly making its way down to the first floor.

I turn to Max. He's looking right at me. It's silent for a moment and then we both bust out laughing.

"Well that was... fun", Max offers.

"Yeah it was"

Max begins speaking again but is cut off by the elevator ringing. The doors open up to the main floor of the hospital.

The room is huge and open with floor to ceiling windows. There's a huge cylindrical area in the center of the room that's is made up of windows that look to the outside. I want to gawk at the beautiful architecture of it, but Max is already pulling me towards the front door.

The outside air is crisp and cold. Some dead leaves blow in the wind and some sit in large piles every few feet. I can hear car horns on every side of me. I start to shiver.

Max starts to take off his jacket "Do you want my--"

I cut him off, "No that's alright."

I turn around to look at the massive building behind us. The hospital is the shape of a giant X. I look to the right to see a skyline of giant skyscrapers. But there's one that stands out to me. It's gigantic and has two large white needles sticking out of the top.

"Chicago", I mutter. A puff of fog comes out with every breath I take.

Max steps directly next to me, admiring the skyline with me. "Welcome to the Windy City." He smiles.