To Forget The Unforgettable

Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys! Exams are over and Summer is here at last, which means no more excuses for slow updates! Hope you enjoy :)

Then it all came back to her, and her eyes shot open.

Her gaze darted around the room she was in. There were screens, medical equipment. Feeling a pressure in her arm she glanced down, seeing a tube attached there. What was going on? Where was she? Cautiously, she sat up and saw a man approaching her. His greying hair and crooked smile made him appear soft and harmless.

"You must have a lot of questions, right?" He didn't wait for an answer, turning around to check the readings on the screens. "I know I would." Spinning back around, he reached for her arm, removing the tube. "I'm probably not the best person to explain, I get told I tend to ramble. Are you able to stand up?"

Ruth nodded mutely, determined to get out of the ward and to somewhere she could get some answers.

"Excellent." The man held out a hand. "It's Ruth isn't it?" Warily, she took it, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"How'd you know that?" Her voice cracked.

"You forget we had someone on the inside." He answered amused. Ruth got to her feet, more unsteady than she would've liked.

"The Right Arm." She stated, piecing it together.

"That's right." The man smiled and passed her a small pile of clothes. "There's a bathroom through that door. If you're feeling okay, someone can take you to the main hall afterwards."

"Thank you." Ruth offered a small smile before shuffling to the bathroom. Her mind was still processing how all of this could be happening right now. It was such a big change from, well, everything. For once, she wasn't under the scrutiny of WICKED, wasn't being used or manipulated. Shutting the bathroom door behind her, she headed for the shower.

She stopped cold. Turning her head to face the mirror, her stomach twisted. She looked ill. Her complexion pale and sickly, her hair greasy and matted, she should have expected that after being locked away for so long. Her cheeks had sunken in and her clothes were noticeably larger on her than they used to be. Ruth grimaced. She hadn't had much of an appetite with everything going on. She was quite the sight. No wonder Newt and the others had been scared of her when she'd leapt at them.

Oh, she'd forgotten about that part. Heat flooded to her cheeks in embarrassment and she hid her face in her hands, pushing the heels into her eyes. Groaning, she abruptly dropped her hands and marched to the shower. She stepped in and harshly twisted the knob. Lukewarm water beat down against her and slowly, she peeled the dirty clothes from her body.

She half expected herself to cry, break down into a sobbing mess, but she didn't. She couldn't. Her eyes burned but the tears wouldn't come.

Eventually she turned the water off, it's soothing sound vanishing. In the cold and quiet, Ruth padded to the pile of fresh clothes the man had given her. The fabric was rough and worn but it was nothing Ruth wasn't used to. Putting on the faded t-shirt Ruth was surprised that it fit. The trousers, however, were a size too big. They hung loose on her hips and Ruth bent down to fold the cuffs, stopping them from pooling at her feet. Realising there wasn't much else to do, she sighed and, slipping on the scuffed shoes she'd been given, left the bathroom.

Across the ward, the old medic was speaking to someone. With his back to her, Ruth couldn't see his face. As she approached, the medic caught her eye and his face lit up, waving her over.

"Ruth, this is Mr Janson." The man turned around, allowing Ruth to see his face. She paused, eyes scanning him carefully. Why did she feel like she recognised him?