Help Me Remember

Chapter 3

 Marinette opened her bright blue eyes and sat up, confused. Where was she? Almost everything around her was white and sterile under the bright fluorescent lights. She furrowed her brow, trying to focus and remember, and a blur of red in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She turned towards it.

A boy. Tomato-colored hair, purple socks and slacks, blue-green eyes. He seemed to be about 15 years old. He was focused on an open sketchbook that lay in his lap. Marinette had no idea who he was.

"Hello?" Marinette asked timidly.

The boy jumped up, snapping his book shut. "Marinette! You're awake! How do you feel?" Before she had a chance to respond, he held out a vase filled with pink roses. "Th-these are for you." He placed them on the table by her bed.

"Thanks." She didn't speak for a moment as she looked around the unfamiliar room again. "I feel...empty. And dizzy. Where am I?" Marinette asked.

"You-you're in the hospital, Marinette. There was an akuma attack, You got hurt, and Chat Noir found you and brought you here." The boy explained gently. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Oh." Marinette felt lost. Nothing the boy had just said made any sense to her at all. The words were strange and meaningless. Akuma? Chat Noir? Marinette? She assumed the latter was her name. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think. She gave up and turned back to the boy. "Who are you? A-and...who am I?" She asked quietly.

The boy furrowed his brows. "What?"

Marinette's eyes filled with tears as she gave up on trying to think. Nothing made sense. The full force of how lost and alone she felt hit her. "I don't remember anything. Who you are, how I got here, what's going on, or even who I am. I'm scared."

The boy's shoulders drooped with understanding. "You're serious. You really don't remember anything, do you?"

Marinette shook her head, crying. There was a sad silence, and then the boy approached Marinette, holding both of her hands.

"I'm Nathanäel. I'm in Madame Bustier's class at school with you. Your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You're 15 years old. Your parents are named Tom and Sabine, and they own a bakery. You love to design fashion, and you're amazing at it. You're always late to everything. You're really friendly to everyone you meet, right from the second you meet them. You're brave. You care about everyone and you're not afraid to stand up for them or yourself. You like Jagged Stone's music. Your best friend is Alya. You love the color pink. You're kind and sweet and creative and clumsy and...you're one of the best people I know."

Marinette stared into Nathanäel's beautiful eyes. "I can't remember if any of that is true...but I trust you."

Nathanäel held Marinette's hands tighter. "Then let me help you remember."

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