There are seven sectors in our city. In each of the seven, there is a representative chosen to come to the capital and work along side the King and Queen, otherwise known as Mom and Dad.
As I made my way down the hall, making sure to dodge and smile as I weaved through the people, I watched through the windows on the right side of the hall. There was something on the other side of these walls that I needed to get to. I ran until I reached a spot where there was no one. It's meeting day, which means everyone in the city goes to the central room. Everyone but me. Who would really want to waste their time sitting in a meeting in the middle of a huge circular room instead of going on an adventure? I press my back against the windows and lower myself onto the floor. I stare at the curved wall for a moment; the sun shining so bright through the windows that it makes the silver, iron wall in front of me no longer the same, dull gray it always is. I rise to my feet and glance out the window again. I guess I wasn't the only one who wanted whatever was outside. A large ship, half the size of the sector, was heading straight for whatever that thing was. Did they think they were just going to take it like that? I ran to the end of the sector. Dead end. Which ever way I choose to go, I run the risk of not making it to the thing before that ship does. Which way? Left or right? Left, right, left, right. "Dads map of sector seven! I remember examining it while it was on his desk. I guess photographic memory does come in handy." I smirk when I say that last sentence. 'Focus,' I remind myself. I turn to the right and run to the end of the hall. There is a door leading to the outside at the end of this hall. I run to it and nothing. It has to be weight sensitive. I sprint back to the circular wall and the windows. The ship is retrieving the thing. It's too late. I turn to leave to go to the meeting just as I am hit with something. I fall to the ground and glare at the window pane. Shattered glass covers the floor. I cover my face with my hand. I lift my right hand off of my face, staring in disbelief at the bloody mess. I run, my head throbbing from the loss of blood. I press my palm at my temple, hoping to stop the bleeding, at least for a second. All feeling has been lost, but I continue to run.
My eyes squint, trying to adjust to the harsh, white walls, which shone brighter than the sun itself. I could only make out the shapes of silhouetted figures. Was this what heaven looked like? I didn't have an accurate way of knowing how much time I spent squinting at the walls, but I'd guess long enough. My eyes have adjusted to notice that the room was large, and the hospital bed I lay on is in the center, along with some very intricate machines standing on either side of my head. A single light fixture hung from the ceiling, lining up with my forehead. I let my eyelids relax and as they fall over my eyes, my mind fades back into the darkness.
My eyes jerk open when I hear the click of a door. A white door, that blended in with the bright walls, opens and allows a black figure to enter the room. I can hear the heart monitor begin to beep faster and faster as the silhouette approaches my hospital bed. When the figure is within arms reach, I notice the fiery mass if curly hair that sat on top of her head. I guess it's a her; I'm not really sure. I close my eyes before she can turn toward me. She glances down at me and whispers something. I jerk my eyes open again. I guess she wasn't expecting that because as soon as my eyes open, she drops to the tile floor, bringing the machine, that she grabbed on her way down, crashing onto the floor with her. I couldn't help but giggle as she clumsily got back on her feet. She began mumbling under her breath as she stands the machine and returns it to its original place. "What? I can't hear you." I tell her. I could tell from the profile of her face she was startled by the sound of my voice. She slowly turned her head so that the back of her head faced me. "I'm sorry. Maybe you didn't hear me or maybe you didn't understand what I meant. What did you say?" She whipped her head around and stared into my eyes, like she expected them to be closed. After a few seconds, she begins to say something. "Hello. My name is Chloe. I am your nurse. Please tell me when you're feeling well enough to eat and I will bring you your dinner." She then proceeded to walk out of the room, closing the door behind her.
After around an hour or two of falling in and out of sleep, I call my nurse back in. "Could I have that dinner now, please?" I asked, my stomach growling.
"Oh absolutely! I thought you'd never ask!" She replied cheerfully.
'Is it bad that I've forgotten her name already? I guess not because I don't remember anything. Have I always forgotten things?' My thoughts were interrupted when my dinner came strolling through the door, in the arms of the red head who's curls bounced wildly as she skipped into the room. 'Oh please don't drop it; I'm starving!' I thought as she set it on my lap. She adjusted my bed so that I was no longer on my back. I ate so quickly that before my nurse was out of the room, my plate was finished.
"Excuse me! I'm done." I say, just after she stops checking my machine. She turns and looks at my tray, then back at me. She giggles. I do not understand. Did I do something funny?
"Geez Vic! You must've been hungry!" She smiled and laughed. "Thanks.... I think." I say, a slight confused look on my face.
Now I feel bad because she knows my name but I forgot hers. It couldn't hurt to ask right?
"Yeah. I'm sorry but I seem to have forgotten your name." I said, half stating it, half making it a question.
"Chloe. I'll guess I'll leave now. Let me know if you need anything else, Miss." She said. Tears welled up in her eyes. If there was a way to make someone feel worse about something, Chloe knew how to do it. She picked up the tray and turned to walk out the door. "Thank you." I say just as she steps out the door. The room is silent again. I couldn't help but feel bad about Chloe. Do people usually get upset if someone forgets their name? I let the thoughts slip away as I fell asleep.
