Bitter Sweet

~chapter one~

No one seemed to know where I came from. Everyone was saying that I just.. showed up. It's not like I could've told them any different though, I didn't even know who I was. And since this is a small town, news traveled fast. I guess nothing really exciting happens here.

A male doctor walked into the room, breaking my train of thought. He had a soft look about him, and a face that made you want to trust him. He took a seat beside my bed. I looked around the small hospital room waiting for him to break the silence.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Fischer. I am just here to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you." He looked up from his clipboard, and waited for my nod before continuing. "Alright, so we will start off with some simple questions first. What is your name?" My name? I racked my brain, and came up with only one.

"Samantha." My answer sounded more like a question, and I winced when I heard my voice. It was hoarse and scratchy. My throat felt like I han't had water in years. He motioned towards the small plastic cup by my bed. Water? Why hadn't i noticed that before? I reached over and gingerly took the cup in my hands. I slowly tipped my head back and drank the entire cup. My motions were slow and clumsy, and everything ached in protest.

"Alright Samantha, do you have a last name?" I spent a few minutes looking down at my hands thinking of an answer.

"I.. I don't know."

"Do you remember your address?"

"No." He looked sad for a moment before continuing.

"Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I don't  remember." He searched my face for a moment before getting up from the plastic chair.

"Okay Samantha, I will be right back. A nurse will be in to assist you in the mean time." I nodded up at him, and he turned and left the room. All I could think of was, why couldn't I answer those questions? I searched my mind again and could only remember a boys face frantically calling for an ambulance, and the brief ride to the hospital before I blacked out. I guess that's how I ended up here. I looked up in time to see a nurse in her mid-forties cautiously walking into the room.

"Hey sweetie, my name is Cindy. Do you want some help getting cleaned up?" She looked down at me with nothing but kindness in her brown eyes.

I looked down at myself noticing the caked on dirt for the first time. I looked back up at her and shyly nodded. "If it's not too much trouble.."

"Oh honey, that's nonsense! I would be glad to help you. What's your name?" She asked as she smiled down at me before walking over and gently helping me get off the bed.

"Samantha." I said before standing for the first time. I slammed my eyes shut as the pain rippled through my body like a burning fire. She smiled sadly and waited a minute before slowly helping me get into the wheelchair that had been in the corner of the room. She wheeled me to a room down the hall. I looked around at the shower and sink that had a curtain separating it from the door and a small chair placed beside it.

"Alright, so I'll just be waiting over here," she motioned toward the chair, "so you can just tell me if you need me. And be careful, you don't want to rip your stitches." She started pulling the curtain across, to give me privacy.

"Wait." She stopped pulling the curtain and looked at me. "Thank you." She gently smiled at me and finished pulling the curtain. I slowly got up from the wheel chair using the sink to support myself. I took off the hospital gown and looked up at the mirror. I almost screamed. The girl looking back at me had hollow looking cheeks with matted dark brown hair. Her dark blue eyes looked scared. I let my eyes travel downward and took in all of the blue and purple bruises littered all over her body, she was covered in them. I looked down at her stomach and gasped when I saw the stitching stretched across it. That girl... was me? I moved around a little bit, and when she copied my movements I was sure of it. What happened to me?

I slowly walked toward the shower, turned it on, and stepped in. The warm water comforted me as I let a few tears slide down my face. Maybe I don't want to remember what happened to me... I don't know anymore. I used the soap and shampoo provided to wash away the dirt that I was covered in. My movements were painful and gentle. After wrapping myself in a towel that was hung next to the shower to dry off, I put the gown back on. I thought for a moment as I tried to run my fingers through the dark mass on my head.

"Cindy?" She peeked her heard around the curtain.

"What can I do for you Samantha?" I looked around shyly for a moment.

"Can you help me brush my hair?"

"Of course!" She beamed up at me. I noticed for the first time that I was taller than her as she walked past the curtain.

A half an hour later my hair was finally combed out and dried thanks to Cindy, and it fell to my waist in natural loose, big curls. I thanked her as she brought me back to my room and helped me get back on the bed. Dr. Fischer came in as i was settling in. Cindy was arranging my blankets as he started to talk.

"It appears that you have amnesia from the traumatic events that you have faced recently. Your memory should come back bit by bit with time. For now it might be best for you to stay here and live as normal as possible until your memory returns, although I don't know how that is possible unless someone would be willing to take you in for a while... Also I should tell you that you were found two days ago in the ditch off highway 28 badly beaten and stabbed. There were also many signs that you were raped, we will have to check again later to be sure. You would have died had that boy not found you when he did. Your bruises will heal and the knife missed any major organs which means you will be okay, besides a nasty looking scar on your stomach. It is a miracle."

"Two days ago?" My voice was quiet as the shock settled in.

"Yes. You have been asleep until today, which is completely understandable."

"It is?"

"Yes."

"Okay thank you doctor." I smiled faintly.

"You're welcome Samantha."

"Wait!" Cindy interjected hurriedly. "She could stay with me and my family, we have a spare room that would be perfect."

"Are you sure Ms. Miller?"

"Yes I am positive Dave." She smiled at him.

"Alright, I suppose that would be okay for now. She still has to stay at the hospital for a while yet though."

" I understand. Would that be okay with you Samantha?" Cindy turned to look at me. I thought for a moment. If Cindy's family was as nice as her, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad. So I turned and nodded at her.

"Perfect." She smiled.

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Wheu! Chapter one!!! Hope you like it guys! And if you do, let me know please :)

~Rachel