Maybe

Chapter 31

"Do you know Grayson?" I asked

He was silent.

"I met him a few months ago. After I escaped from this crazy house. He saved my teammate and I in this cellar a while ago." I said

Ethan turned his head slightly to face me when I uttered the word cellar.

"That's riveting." He said sarcastically

"Well, I thought so. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for him." I said, "Neither would you." I said a little quieter

"What?" He asked as he sharply turned his head to look me dead in the eyes

"Never mind." I said

"Well, thanks for that interesting anecdote, but we're here." He said

I was about to turn into my lonely room when I decided to try one more thing.

"So... are you always this serious or do you ever smile?" I asked as I turned to face him

His mouth opened slightly and the crease between his brows faded. Still, he stayed completely silent.

"Well... maybe one day." I said as I turned back towards my room

I will never speak of the actions that occurred every day in that lab for the next two weeks although as to say that I was extremely weak. Ethan was only occasionally my escort to these events and I subtly hinted at different memories each time. I could tell he was getting more annoyed with me as time went on, but every now and then I would see a larger indication that he was beginning to remember and that kept me going. By the end of the two-week period, I could barely walk without getting winded. That morning, Ethan came to pick me up. I was determined to make a larger dent in whatever was blocking his memories today.

"Get up." He said

I struggled to maintain an upright position as I shuffled for the door. I was walking slower today; partly because of my physical strength, and partly because I needed more time to talk to him.

"I think you know enough about my past life now, what about you? How have you survived this long?" I asked

I was met with silence.

"Maybe an amazing teammate? A sibling? Brother possibly? Are you really good with a gun or something?" I asked

Again, I was met with silence.

"Come on, there must be something in your past that you can tell me." I said

Silence.

"Ethan?" I asked

I was not met with silence this time. As soon as I uttered the name "Ethan" I was pinned against the cold tile wall, his forearm at my throat, cutting off my air. His face was centimeters from mine.

"How do you know my name?" He snarled through gritted teeth

I clawed at the arm on my throat. My eyes began watering as a single tear fell down my cheek. I tried to choke out words, any words. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. His grip loosened slightly.

"Can't... breathe." I managed to get out, "Ethan."

I looked into his stone cold eyes, pleading with him. The real Ethan had to be in there somewhere. The one that loved me, not this unfeeling robot.

"How do you know my name?" Ethan yelled louder this time

He removed his arm from my throat and placed both hands on my shoulders, pushing me back into the wall. His arms trapped me. The arms that used to protect me, keep me from freezing, pulling me closer to him.

"It's me! It's Olivia!" I yelled back, tears streaming down my face

His grip loosened slightly on me as an emotion that I could only call recognition flashed across his face.

"O-" He said before his icy expression replaced the recognition again

"Wait! Olivia! Your teammate! Don't you remember?" I asked

We were too in the open for this. While he was in another transition from unfeeling to recognizing, I escaped from his grasp and pulled him down another hallway.

"Why do I know your name?" He asked softly

"Because we are a team. I met you in a grocery store where you tried to shoot me. We fought off walkers together, camped together, lived together. We got kidnapped by those crazy survivors, almost died in a cellar, but Grayson, your twin brother, Grayson saved us." I said

I could see the memories flooding back into his brain as he tried to fight off the emotionless robot that kept trying to come back. I continued, fighting against the robot.

"We went to another grocery store and Grayson accidentally shot you when you went out to get water. You were bit, see?" I said as I pointed to the bite on his arm

He looked down and seemed to become entranced with the scar on his arm.

"We tried to save you, but you came up with this plan to start a fire in the store so that I wouldn't have to watch you change into one of those creatures. You were dead! For sixth months you were dead to me! I thought you burned in that fire!" I yelled

Ethan held his head in his hands, trying to fight off the poison that was finally disappearing.

"I know your name because... you loved me." I said