Last Night

Bad

BRAD'S POV

I lie in bed for a few minutes, thinking about Lani. I'm so lucky. Man, she's so perfect. Then James walks in holding the home phone with a grim look on his face. 

"It's for you man," he says. I take the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi is this Bradley Simpson? This is The Royal London Hospital, Jane speaking."

"Y-yes. Yes it is...."

"I'm afraid to tell you that your girlfriend, Alana Grace, has been in a serious car accident. She's in a stable condition, but she's in a coma. Now I know that this news is very confronting and serious, but I am here. There's no exact telling when she will wake up but we can be quite sure that she is ok. Would you be able to please come to the hospital immediately? We think it will be ideal if she has your support even if she isn't awake."

I slowly put my hand over my mouth and my eyes well up with tears. 

"What is it man?" James asks and I flick my eyes, which are filled with hurt, to him. 

"It's Alana. I have to go and see her." I run out and grab my keys. 

James calls out "Wait!! Brad what is happening??" But I can't stop. I won't stop until I get to her.

When I arrive, I run into the building and call out to the people at the desk, asking where she is. I run and find where they say Alana's room is. I throw myself in through the door and stop to catch a breath when I see her. Looking so perfect and innocent as always. I rush over to her side and just look at her. I begin to cry hysterically and a nurse comes in. I look up at her with glistening eyes from the tears. 

"Hi. You must be Bradley."

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and try to pull myself together. "Yes uh...hi." 

"I'm Jane, the lady you spoke to just before on the phone." I nod and, although we're strangers, I find myself so vulnerable that I just hug her.

"So since this is a recent accident, we will have to run tests overnight so you may have to stay in, if that's ok?"

"Of course, of course. I need to be with her." The nurse leaves us alone and I just sit with her for ages, stroking her hair, talking to her. I wonder if she can hear me......

(The next morning) 

I wake up with a sore neck and I look around as my eyes adjust. I've slept beside Lani on her arm all night. The nurse hasn't come back, at least not while I've been awake. So I just go on my phone. There are all these notifications on Instagram and Facebook and everything else but I ignore them as I see all these missed calls from the boys. I ring James.

"Brad! Oh thank God! What is going on??" 

"Umm....Lans was.....she was in a car accident. She's ok- but she's in a sort of coma thing. I know it sounds crazy and it is but they calmed me down and explained."

"Oh my God. Are you ok? Do you need us there?"

"I think I'll be ok. Just let the boys know yeah? I don't want to keep it from them. Just say exactly what I said though. Anything over-exaggerated will freak them out."

"Of course. And Brad- when she wakes up, tell her we love her. T-tell her I love her."

Once I hang up, I hear Lani stirring.

"Lani? Baby it's me."

It takes several minutes before she opens her eyes. I hope for her to smile at me or something, but her expression is blank. 

"Lani? Lans......it's me, Brad." Once again, nothing. She frowns at me, like she's confused. Or seeing me for the first time. 

"How do you know my name? Wait- you're Brad from The Vamps!!! Oh My God I can't believe this!!! Are you here for a hospital visit? I went to your show in Sydney!!" My heart drops. 

"No no no. Oh baby no please!! I'm Brad, I'm your boyfriend!!"

"What?? that's ridiculous. You don't even know who I am, I'm just a fan." 

I'm so confused and upset, I'm trying to peace together what is happening.....she remembers who I am, but not our relationship. But how.....?
On cue, the nurse returns with a clipboard and a sympathetic look on her face.

 
"Hi Mr Simpson. We've run some tests on Miss Grace. Although it has only been a short amount of time, we were able to detect what has happened."

"Yes?"

"I'm very sorry to inform you that we found damage in parts of her short term memory, as she suffered head injuries in the accident."

"What does that mean?" I ask frantically.

"It means she has no recollection of some of the things she has done or people she met in the last few months. But it isn't all entirely negative."

"W-what are you saying? Can it be fixed?"

"Well we've done an analysis and concluded that with the type of injury, she may actually be able to recover her memory in parts at a time from certain triggers. But we cannot actually know what these triggers are. That's up to her and whether a certain thing lets her recall a memory. It's something only she can control." 

"Ok. Ok. She's gonna be ok." I still know it's going to be a long road, though.