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Chapter 3. Everything is a mess

Her point of view
I open my eyes and this time I know where I am. I panic when I realize what happened with my suitcase, but then I see the middle-aged man, that broke it while only trying to help, sitting at the chair across my bed.
I try to get up but he stops me.
"Please Miss. Lay down. You will only find yourself on the floor again". He is English just like me, I can easily tell that from his accent.
"Where am I? Who are you? Where are all of my belongings? Please tell me you didn't leave them at the airport." And in much desperation I start crying.
"Relax Miss. You are in New York, obviously in a hospital. I am Mr. Anderson's chauffer and I was asked to stay with you until you came around. I have placed all your belongings in a new luggage because your old one broke and I will now call my boss to tell me what's to follow next. After that, I can call anyone you would like to inform them of your situation." As he finishes his last sentence, he is already exiting the room.
I try to find a way to call for the nurse to come. I find the nurse button on the remote control of my bed and press it. A high pitched noise hurts my ears and I tightly close my eyes from the pain I feel in my head.
A male nurse enters the room.
"Don't worry! Now that you are conscious again, the doctor will be here shortly and she will explain everything to you. I will go get her ok?"
I nod yes and I am now sitting on the side of the bed, feeling I can actually stand up, without collapsing. I feel stronger and I know it's because of the liquid solution that is flowing in my veins. I never saw the needle nor I remember anything. My last image before waking up in this hospital was my things scattered all over the road back at the airport. Finally the middle aged man, enters the room and I am so grateful he has somehow gathered all my things in a new bag. I don't know how he found the time to do that and bring me here at the same time, but I am grateful nevertheless.
Then I suddenly remember the other man from the airport. I am sure I saw him here too. He was the last thing I saw, before I passed out for the second time. I wonder if he is here, as he was the one who repeatedly picked me up from the floor every time I fell down and it seems that this was the repeated pattern of my day so far. The lack of food and sleep was taking its toll on me and I knew that at one point I would collapse if I kept on mistreating my body like that.
I was so embarrassed with the way I treated him. Spending most of the time locked in my room for so long, with no actual human contact, I was basically a hermit, unable to behave socially like a normal person and thank him for being nice to me.
I was nervous while waiting for the doctor to come. The middle aged man enters the room and stands next to the door.
"Thank you for everything. I am much obliged to you as now I am safe and I feel much better. I am sorry if I caused you any problems, please accept a symbolic appreciation for everything you did for me." I grab my bag, that was placed on the furniture next to me, as that was still hanging from my body when I fell and I offer him £200, to at least cover for that Samsonite, he bought for me.
He refused the money and he told me that his boss would be here any minute. But who was his boss and why would he come here? Maybe he didn't believe the poor man and he requested to come here, to see for himself.
Before I even finish that thought I see the man from the airport with the piercing emerald eyes entering the room. Is he the chauffer's boss? It would definitely make sense. He could be in that car that barely stopped in time sparing my life. I only wish he wouldn't stop to finally take me out of my misery and once again I am terrified from my own pitiful self-destructive thoughts.
His point of view
"Did she wake up?" I ask my driver when I answer the phone.
"Yes sir. She is asking me a lot of questions. She is very confused. She now awaits for the doctor".
"Fine. I am on my way there". I say to him and hang up the phone.
While driving I can't get rid of today's thoughts. I had enough drama to last me for a month, but then again that's the story of my life so far. Full of drama and action. When I arrive at the hospital, I just leave the car in front of the main entrance, as I have no patience to circle around for a parking spot, in what seems to be a fully occupied area.
I rush up and I send the driver back down to attend to the car. Then I turn my eyes towards the bed to find that strange woman I rescued today and for who, I had to go through all that mess back at the office. Then the bathroom door opens and she comes out standing in front of me, holding the serum, staring at me, but not talking or moving.
"I think you better sit down" I say to her.
She is no longer that pale and looks a lot better, but when she opens her mouth, she doesn't speak to me.
"What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me? Do you even know all the trouble I am in because of you? What 's wrong with you anyway? I hope it's not contagious, because honestly, I don't know how I would react to that. Hey, TALK!" I feel my face turning red as my blood pressure rises, when she starts writing on that notebook she has in her hands.
"Great! I spend my day helping after a mentally ill person. I didn't know crazy people were allowed to travel unescorted." I see a tear rolling down her eye while I say these awful things to her and I realise I am only being a jerk.
"Look, I am sorry" would you please tell me who you are and..." she doesn't let me finish me sentence and she passes me her notebook.
*Thank you for everything you've done so far. You shouldn't have. I wish you had just left me there. *
I am now extremely irritated from this woman. Not only she is ungrateful and obviously unaware of the situation she is in, she is mocking me by refusing to speak to me. Was her head injury so serious, that it harmed her ability to talk?
"You may have cost me millions, so please don't make me regret helping you, as I am not leaving this room until you speak to me." I was shouting, as I really could not believe the nerve of this woman. What was she after? My money surely. Maybe she thought of accusing me of pushing her and press charges against me. And there she was once again, asking for her notebook back, behaving like a mute.
"If you remember, I did hear you speak back at the airport, so if you please do me a favor and cut the act."
Then I read the note and I am honestly more confused than before.
*I am suffering from selective mutism, this has nothing to do with you. I don't know why my voice left me again* she wrote.
By now I am furious and she seems to be scared of me. I am certain she made this up.
"What is this? Stop messing with me. I know you can speak. I am telling you, I already heard you talking. I don't understand what sort of a game you are playing, but I know you are definitely not a mute. I don't have time for your sick games. If it's my money you are after, you better forget about it, as I have witnesses of what happened."
God.. this is not a good day for me. I 'm deciding I 've had enough of this lunatic and I storm out of the room before I say something I'd regret.
Her point of view
I open my mouth to call for him but no sound comes out. I am now crying like the good old times. I thought I had dried all out by now, but once again, my face is wet and I can taste my salty tears, that are now pouring silently from my eyes. It's good to be able to cry, as it kind of washes away my sadness by expressing it and slowly taking it away from my body.
He is right. That man said something about me costing him a lot today. That's the effect I seem to be having on people after that traumatizing period of my life, as I am like a black cat to anyone that comes near me.
And why couldn't I speak? I was speaking earlier today, why did I go back to my old voice lockdown? I am so tired and all I want is to die and finally get some peace. Yes, I am tired and I've had enough of this life.
His point of view
I come across to that blond doctor on my way out of the hospital.
"Are her test results ready?" I ask.
"Yes. Everything is in her envelope. Would you please follow me to her room, to give you the diagnosis?"
"Hell no." I hiss.
"Mr. Anderson..." she begins to say.
"How would you know my name?" I ask.
"Your employee has already filled a form with your information as you were the one to bring her in. It's standard procedure and nothing you should be alarmed of she calmly replies.
"Look, as I already explained earlier, I am in no way related with this woman. I was just being kind to a fellow human and look where that got me. Not to mention that she wasn't worth it to begin with." I say in pure anger.
"Why would you say such an awful thing?"
"I only want to know if she has anything contagious, because I had her blood all over me, for a long period of time, as I decided to play hero with her".
"Yes, her blood test results came and I am afraid she is HIV positive."
The doctor's words shocked me. My eyes look like they'll be falling off my face, any minute now.
"Sh...Should I have a blood test?" I manage to stutter. "I swear to God if she..."
"You are babbling Mr. Anderson and it's not very flattering." She unemotionally interrupts me.
"That poor girl is suffering from selective mutism and most definitely not by choice. Obviously, this occurred after an emotional shock, or trauma and it's not easy to treat, as it is not an easy condition to occur. Obviously something extremely shocking happened to her and no, she doesn't have anything contagious, if that's all you worry about. I couldn't help myself from telling you she did, hoping to snap you out of your ego, since you don't seem to care about nothing but yourself and I am wondering if this indeed was an accident and you really don't have anything to do with that girl."
"What? Am I being accused of something? Did she say anything to you? She is lying."
"You have to excuse me now, but I have a lot of people to attend to." She turns away annoyed and walks towards the room.