I woke up from a deep sleep, feeling refreshed, only to find the same guy from before in the room. Thankfully, this time he wasn't holding my hand; that had been a bit too much. A stranger holding my hand while I slept? Definitely creepy.
"Uh... do you want anything to eat?" he asked, and I blinked at him. There was something oddly familiar about him, like we'd met before, but I couldn't place it.
"Yeah, sure," I replied cautiously. He left the room to fetch food, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts. As he returned with hospital food, I thanked him and decided it was time to ask some questions.
"Mind if I ask you some questions?" I ventured as he handed me the tray.
"N-no, go ahead," he stuttered nervously.
"Okay so first of all who are you? And what are you doing in my room? And also how you know me. I just can't seem to remember you but you seem familiar though" I asked him everything I could think of at that moment, and it wasn't much.
"Okay, first of all, who are you? And what are you doing in my room? Also, how do you know me? I can't seem to remember you, but you seem familiar," I fired off my questions, trying to make sense of the situation.
"I'm Aiden Smith. We were friends before you had an accident. You had a lot of friends, actually—nine of us, including Ava and me. The others will visit you soon," he explained, offering a small smile. His words shocked me. Last I remembered, I had only Ava and Jay as friends; everyone else had seemed to vanish.
I racked my brain, trying to recall any other names or faces, but nothing came. It was like trying to grasp smoke.
"Don't stress yourself too much. You need rest. Just sleep," Aiden suggested, patting my head gently as he prepared to leave.
"Wait! I've been sleeping this whole time, and now I can't. Would you stay and talk? Maybe help me remember everything? I feel terrible for not remembering anything," I pleaded, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. Surprisingly, it worked.
He settled back into his chair, recounting memories and filling in gaps. He spoke of Ava, Ashton, Zoe, Jay, and the others, describing trips to his beach house and camping adventures. As he talked, flashes of laughter and moments of joy flickered in my mind. These were clearly cherished memories, yet they felt distant, like scenes from someone else's life.
"Oh, and there was this carnival we went to. Fireworks, ferris wheels—it was unforgettable. It was actually my first time on a ferris wheel," Aiden mentioned, hesitating momentarily. His pause caught my attention, but before I could inquire further, he continued.
"It was a great time. I wish I could relive those moments," he added wistfully, his tone tinged with longing. Despite his openness, I sensed he was holding something back. The way he stumbled over his words and avoided certain topics hinted at untold stories.
Aiden mentioned working at Smith Company now and recounted how we first met, recalling my infamous clumsiness that apparently led to many chance encounters.
"You're really fun to be around, you know. Thanks for sharing all of this with me. I'll try my best to remember," I said sincerely, grateful for his patience and willingness to help.
As the evening wore on, Aiden eventually decided it was time to leave. Once again, I found myself alone, left to ponder the fragments of my past that had started to resurface.
It was already late now and I told him go back home. It was just me again.
