A Broken Frame - Martin Gore ff

Chapter 1: The Rising of Lazarus

I see blurry whiteness when I open my eyes. My lids feel like they are made of lead and weighs a ton. I blink a couple of times slowly, waiting for my sight to clear but the whiteness stays nonetheless. An unbearable, sharp pain strikes the left side of my forehead and I feel so weak I let out a painful moan. It doesn't go away and it's so sharp like my head is ready to blow up anytime. I can't sit up, but now my sight is getting clearer and clearer. A white room... white walls and white ceiling even the blanket on my body is the same colour. My ear beeps loudly, I place my hand on it. There is a tube coming out of my head, but why it is here? Where am I? What happened?

There's something soft around my hand. Soft like skin, someone's hand and a thumb rubbing mine gently. I glance in the way and yes, there's someone sitting next to me. A young man with blonde curls, dressed in black. There's a leather cap on top of his head and wears a comfy, loose black sweatshirt. I can't see his face properly, only that his eyes are closed and his lips are wide, full. As I'm moving around, he lifts his gaze on me. A kind, but stressed expression.

- Are you alright? Don't you want to rest a little more? – he asks quietly, almost whispering.

- Where am I? – my voice is weak and hoarse.

- At the hospital. But don't worry, I call the doctor here.

- Wait... - I want to call his name, but I can't remember. I don't even know who is this guy. – What happened?

He sighs, his expression becomes more stressful. Probably collecting his words and memories.

- You have been operated. Can you remember?

I shake my head in response.

- No, I can't. What's going on?

- I go and find the doctor.

He storms out through the door, leaving me alone. I try to look around. There's table next to my bed with papers, on the other side, there's a stand with infusion, which is connected to my forearm with a tube, the one coming out of my head is filled with blood. There's a chair next to the stand with dirty clothes on it, probably mine. The beep that fills the room comes from an ECG. Luckily, I have some strength now to sit up and I see that my right shoulder and arm is totally bruised, huge black and blue spots on my skin.

The door opens again and a doctor walks in with the unknown but still familiar looking guy.

- Good morning, miss. Would you mind if I ask some questions beforehand?

I nod as an answer and the doctor stands right next to me with papers and a pen in his hand.

- Can you tell me your name?

My name... I don't know, what is my name? I can't remember but I try it with all my might.

-  Something with... a... ana... or K... Kava... - I hold my forehead in my palm, trying so hard. – or D... oro... I think it is Doroth... tea... Dorothy, no it's Dorothea. Dorothea... nagh... Ka... Kavanagh. My name is Dorothea Mary Kavanagh.

-  And your mother's maiden name?

-  I think it's... Sylvia maybe... O... Rea... Ra... Sylvia O'mara.

-  First, Ms. Kavanagh... do you know why are you here?

-  No – I shake my head. – What happened?

The unknown blonde guy stared at the doctor, furrowing his brows with a bitter expression and worry. The doctor glanced at his papers and then he started to talk.

-  You were injured in an accident, Ms. Kavanagh. Yesterday a small truck hit you and from the impact, your frontal lobe was damaged and started to bleed. We had to operate you. It's completely natural if your memories are blurry, the sedative and the brain trauma can be blamed for it. But to be certain and accurate, you must stay in the hospital for a few days to wait for your memories to come back. If not, then you will be visited by a neurologist, to see if there's a chance for some kind of amnesia. Sadly, in cases of accidents like these, it is very common... but let's hope for the best.