Love Will Remember

Recovey Ward

I've been awake for nearly a week now. I've been moved to a room where doctors and nurses are constantly in and out. It's scary, I still don't remember anything. I know now that tomorrow is finally the day I can have visitors. I just want somebody who I knew to tell me what happened.

These doctors are all pointless and ignorant they don't care, they just keep telling me to remember but I don't know how to! Nothing has come back to me yet! I still don't remember what my family and friends names are or what they look like, I want to go home and be around my stuff and my own home, surely that's what would trigger memories rather than idiot doctors who think just as they have a PhD they can tell me how to remember the life I had before my amnesia.

"Francesca." I hear someone say, I look round and see Dr.Carter, she's the one doctor I like, she actually seems to help me remember by giving me prompts and signals to trigger even the smallest of memories, it never works but it's nice of her to do so. I give her a smile and she says,"I have amazing news! I have convinced the other doctors that you should get a small visit today from a family member!"

I squeal,"Thank you! That's amazing! Who am I allowed to see?"

"Your older brother, Luca his name is. He's 33 and when you were little the two of you were very close but when you were 17 he moved back to Italy to start a family with his wife." She explains,"Do you think you'll be able to handle this?"

"I'll do my best." I tell her.

Finally! Maybe something will actually come back to me today! Even if it's the tiniest thing like what me and my family did together on Christmas-It sounds bizarre and crazy but it will be a start!

***

The recovery ward has a special meeting room for patients like myself who are well enough to be out of bed to meet their visitors. This is so exciting, I'm meeting my brother who I remember from my coma, was desperate for me to wake up. I'm just hope he's okay with the fact I don't remember much.

The door begins to open and I freeze, suddenly the nerves kick in.

A really tall man walks in, I'd say over 6ft. He has a lean face and scruffy hair that kind of suits him-with a stubble beard. he's wearing jeans and a green shirt with trainers giving me the impression he's a pretty casual kind of guy.

"Francesca!" he says with a strong Italian accent.
"Hello." I say shyly and look over to my doctor, she gives me a thumbs up so I continue talking.
"I take it you're my brother Luca?"
He nods,"I'm you're big big brother Luca. when you were younger you used to be always so small and I was so much taller than me so you called me your 'big big brother.'" he tells me with a tear starting to form.

I just feel heartbroken, my brother is trying to get me to remember him but nothing is coming back. I give him a hug and he wraps his arm around me saying something in Italian.

Something triggers, the Italian thing he said,"say that again. the thing you muttered in Italian."
He gives me a confused look,"mio sorellina."
That triggers something somehow in my brain and Luca and Italy and my patents-it comes back to me!
"Mio fratello grande grande Luca!" I exclaim,"Luca! I remember! Well I can remember you and Italy and mom and dad and Karlina and even little rosa!"

Luca looks as if he's about to cry as I tell him I remember my Italian life and he and his wife and their daughter-my niece! I give him the hug of a lifetime as I tell him it all and he takes it all in.

I turn my attention to Dr.Carter,"I know this sounds crazy but for some reason I think the Italian triggers my memories! My native Italian has sorta come back to me, I mean I'm not ready to speak in Italian all the time now but I remember more than I did. Is it possible that getting people to speak to me in Italian will help me remember?"

"Well I've only ever seen this case once before-a young polish boy had a major head injury like yourself and when his mother came to him he didn't remember her but she sung this nursery rhyme in polish and it suddenly triggered childhood memories. so I think it's very possible, I will let the other doctors know and try this experiment out." she explains and I smile.

I remember my family! That's the most important part! I have one more week in the recovery ward before I'm allowed to leave and the fact I know who my family are Is a good start! maybe when I'm at home Ill start to remember other parts to my life.