Another First Love

f o u r

My eyes shot open and I realized it was no longer happening. I started to say her name but stopped before the sound left my lips. I noticed my head was wrapped with thick white bandages to cover the exposed flesh that was left when I fell down on the ground. I swung my legs out of bed and, using my hands for propulsion, pushed myself off the bed and stand up. Then I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to throw up. I felt dizzy, my head was killing me. By this time I was thrashing about screaming like a wild animal. I yelled and several men came running to my bed and calm me down.

Their torn and blackened shirt was stained with blood and their eyes seemed hollow. I presumed they were perhaps survivors. I followed them as they took big deep breaths, inhale and exhale. Repeating the progress again and again. My breathing was ragged. One man held out a bottle of mineral water straight in front of me. I stared at the bottle and the old man seemed to have all the patience in the world. With a swift motion, I took big gulps.

'Thank you.' I smiled warmly and they left me alone for a little while, so I occupied my time trying to figure out what to do. Getting up quickly, I looked around and I found myself in one of the patients' rooms in the shelter building. I made my way across the hallway to the wing where Emily was.

My feet took me all the way to her bed. I knew she was there, lying peacefully with her eyes closed. Just seeing my beloved face again made me smile, and that stopped me in my tracks. To my surprise, she wasn't there as what I'd been expecting. I just stood there and froze as if I was about to collapse. She was here yesterday. But now she's gone. Many questions ran through my mind some new and some I had asked before. I could think of no one wise enough to answer my questions. I then gently placed my hand on the bed as tears began to form and then drop slowly from my eyes. My lips quivered, as tears spilt down both cheeks. I pinched myself, hoping this was just another nightmare.

Forcing myself to sit up, I gripped my dizzy head. I need to find someone who can give me a little extra help when I can't. When I closed my eyes, I see a person's face and then suddenly it appeared clear as day. That hospital girl.

So I ran all over the place looking and asking for her to the hospital workers. People shook their head signalling no until one worker called her name and she turned around in my direction.

'My wife, she-she's gone. She's not in that room anymore.' With my right hand, I directed it towards the wing as I made a steady approach towards her. 'Where is she? Do-do you know?' Every word spilt out of my mouth, and everything in me wanted to react, explode.

Here she was watching me talking to her with a concerned look on her face. It had to be hard for her to listen to me and there was nothing she could do about it. She looked at me and said, 'Calm down. You have to calm down first. Are you sure she's not there? Maybe she-'

'No!' I blurted, cutting her words off before she could finish the remainder of the sentence.

And, before she could say another word, she walked over to the other workers and spoke with them. One of the others shook their heads and said something I didn't understand. They talked quietly and intensely for what felt like a lifetime.

After a while, she shifted to where her back was to me and she gave me a disappointing look. I was still shaking, and now I was nervous. She sighed, fighting down the panic she felt. 'She woke earlier this morning, but she doesn't know who she is including her name, and in fact, denies that she has any.'

'What!' I almost shrieked. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard what happened. I was aware that Emily has lost her memory now, though, and was coping with it quite well. For a moment I remembered the time when she fainted during the second wave and caused us to lose our grip at the same time.

'They said a man came claiming that he will help to find her relatives.' She said gravely. What story can that man have told her? He must have taken her by surprise, in her innocence.

I tried to talk, but only garbled words and noises came out of my mouth. To stop my trembling, I rubbed my hands together and wiped my forehead, staring steadily in the same place. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard what happened. I muffled, 'Oh, God.'

I stared at the female worker for a few seconds, blinked my eyes a few times, turned around, and walked back. 'Do you have a cell phone?'

She reluctantly nodded her head. She turned away from me and forced herself to walk at a steady pace, went straight to a room filled with files and it seemed like their temporary office. With a grin on her face, she waved her hand, signalling me to come in. She did not want the noise of the people voices disturbing us, so she closed the office door behind us. There was no one in the room except us. 'Telephone, right here.' She motioned toward a telephone on a table in the corner. 'You can use our landline phone. I can't use mine because there's no line at the moment.'

I took a deep breath, let it out in what was nearly a sigh, be bold enough to pick up the phone and make a few calls. They turned out to be the hardest thing for me. The phone ranged twice, on the second ring, someone picked up. It was my brother-Nathan. 'Hello,' He said. And that was what got me to break down — hearing his voice.

I sniffed, trying to hide my tears. There was a short silence before Nathan spoke, 'Pete, is that you?'

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Author's note: How do all the chapters come along? I hope you all enjoy the story so far!

Thank you for your time and consideration. You may vote, comment good/bad feedback. It would mean the world to me.