What Was Missing

Five: -Madeline-

Note: The placement of this section is odd, to say the least. It takes place in the morning of the day described in previous sections, right after Madeline exits the hospital.

The glassy doors close silently behind me, and I breathe in pure, natural air. The sun is warm on my cheeks, hot enough to feel relaxing, but not so glaring as to become unpleasant. A few fuzzy white clouds inch across the morning sky, and I smile. It's so nice out. Way better than the hospital room, at least.

The slight breeze helps, I realize. Its whispering fingers playfully brush my hair away from my face, and I tuck it behind my ear. The feeling stirs a memory from somewhere deep within me, but I can't grasp it properly. Why can't I remember?

I sigh, and the wind caresses me again. I do like that feeling. Tentatively, I lift a hand into the air. Swirls of wind snake through my fingers, and a lingering laugh escapes me. It feels so good to be outside again. So refreshing. My moment of awe is interrupted, however, by a itch in my brain.

Mom's communicating again.

"We don't have time for this," she sends worriedly. "We have to hurry. As soon as they realize you're gone, the whole facility is going to start looking for you."

Right. Reluctantly, I ease open my eyes and drop my arms. I need to get the headsets. To bring back my Mom. To save my father.

A second later, she speaks in my mind again.

"It's been a while- Do you remember how to get home?" I scrunch up my face, my smile fading. "What?"

"The hospital used to be the Iss Tower. It was converted after the company shut down. Do you remember? How to get home?"

I glance at the hospital for a sec, then frown. Nothing. Seeing it makes me feel oddly depressed, but I can't remember the ride back, or how the tower used to look. I can't even remember my-

I stop, shocked, and shudder.

I can't even remember... my father. The man I'm trying to save. I already knew that I wouldn't be able to, but it seems so much bigger now that I think about it. Dad...

My blank memory creates a sinkhole in my attitude, and I fail to hold back unreasonable tears. Why did this have to happen to me? Why is my mind so... empty?

My loss reforms into irritation, and I furiously yell at her.

"No, mom. I have no memory, remember?" I clench my fist, and my face reddens.

"All because of your stupid experiment!" My eyes widen. I cover my mouth with my hand, immediately regretting speaking. She was only trying to save Dad...

"...Sorry, Mom," I mumble, "I didn't mean-"

"No, it's my fault," She interrupts. She pauses for a second, and I can feel her regret in my head. It's blue, a darkened swirl that slowly consumes you in despair. Slow. Endless. Infinite. For me, it feels like a knife in the gut.

Eventually, she wearily continues.

"I shouldn't have dragged you into all of this." I feel even worse. I probably just lost all of her respect.

"No, Mom, I'm not stopping. I just... got mad, that's all."

There is a long silence, and I feel horrible. Has she given up on me? I can't stop myself from sobbing. A single tear drips out of my right eye, snaking a course on my puffy cheek. She's all that I have now.

"...If you're sure you want to do this, I'm going to have to give you a memory of the drive back. It may be a little... painful... to recall."