Unknown Identity

Chapter Sixteen

I woke up in a hospital bed. Elliot was resting his head over his forearm on the edge of the bed. I placed a hand over his head. I can't believe that he's really here.

He raised his head, and I removed my hand.

"Uh, Nick brought you here," he explained. "He just bought food, but he'll be back," he said as he stood up, stepping away from me as if I would scream at him to go away. "Do you want me to, uhm," he jutted his thumb at the door, "Go?"

I shook my head. I almost feel sorry for him.

He nodded as he shoved his hands in his pocket.

"What were you going to say?" I said.

"What?"

"You didn't finish what you were going to say in Marketing class."

"Oh, it was nothing--"

"I don't like it when someone doesn't finish what they say. It kills me to know."

He looked a bit surprised, but he quickly recovered.

"It's not important," he said, beginning to raise his voice.

I turned my head, facing the other side of the room.

The door opened and our heads both swiveled to look. It was Cam and Nick.

"Oh, hey! You're up!" Cam greeted, holding a KFC paperbag. He placed it on the empty wooden table by the wall. "Have you told her yet?" He asked Elliot.

Elliot, looked away, avoiding all of our gazes as he shoved his hands deeper in his pocket.

"Tell me what?" I said. "Is this about the "Would" question?"

"Wood question?" Cam echoed.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Must be something else. What is it? What do I have to know?"

Nick slapped Elliot's arm using the back of his hand. "Just say it."

"What?" I said, trying to control my temper.

Elliot mumbled something.

"What?" I said, waiting for him to repeat what he said.

"Louder!" His two friends said unison.

"I'm sorry!" he said.

There was a long moment of silence.

He slowly lifted his gaze from the wooden paneled floor to me.

Now, they're all looking at me.

"I'm sorry, too," I said, feeling my insides melt.

Cam and Nick grinned at each other.

"Let's get out of here," Cam said, turning Nick's shoulder to the door. "They've got some kissing and make-uping to do."

Nick snickered as they walked to the door.

And it was just me and him.

"Can I ask you something?" I said, deciding to break the silence.

He just stared at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Nevermind."

"What is it?" I can hear the rising agitation in his voice.

"Nothing," I said. Keeping a straight face, I turned my back to him.

"Say it!" He demanded, going around the bed to be in front of me. He leaned close when I didn't say anything. "Say it!"

"You say it first," I said sternly. "What was the Would Question?"

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His breath smells good. It wasn't mint. It was a handsome scent of aftershave.

"I was going to ask you...if you want to ride home with me," he said, his eyes still closed, as if it took him great effort for him to say it.

"No."

He opened his eyes. "What?"

"You said 'would' not 'if'?"

"'Would you like to come home with me.'."

"Oh."

"Now, what was it that you want to ask me?"

I grinned. "Nothing. I just tricked you to say finish the Would Question."

I thought he was going to scream at me because he squinted his eyes so hard at me. I giggled. He eventually broke into a grin and ruffled my hair, pushing my head down to the pillow.

"Hello, Brooke," the doctor in mid-40s said, smiling.

Elliot and I cleared our throats and fixed ourselves. I sat up and brushed my hair with my fingers. He walked to my bed and opened his metal chart. "Can I disturb you for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure," Elliot ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to act cool, then, headed out the door.

"So, do you remember what happened to you?"

I frowned at a distance. "Nick's black Mercedes almost ran into me, and my head hurt. I remembered the accident happening."

"Your memory is slowly coming back, Brooke, and that's a good sign," the doctor said as he scribbled on the chart. He smiled at me as he closed the chart and clicked his pen off. "You may rest for a while before going home." He turned and headed out the door.

I was alone for at least 5 minutes before Elliot and his friends came back in.

"You remember?" Elliot said as they all rushed towards me.

"I remember your car hitting me," I said.

They exchanged worried looks.

"Well? Do you remember anything else?" Nick asked. "Like where you were going and where you came from?"

I shook my head. "I just remember Elliot's car hitting me. Can we go home now?"

Elliot nodded.