Inside An Amnesia Patient's Mind

I. Notebook of Queries

Loud and angry voices awaken my spirit. I started to gain consciousness but no one seems to care. The tension around me kept rising as time goes by.

I slowly opened my eyes and the noise stopped. Just for a while. Those angry voices changed into a voice that's full of concern.

"Arc, do you hear me? Please, wake up now. Please." a girl's voice asked.

I eyed her, gathering some information but I can't remember her. I can only answer her question with a confused look and a blank stare.

She's tall but a nerdy-type girl. She has black shoulder-length hair with curls in the tip, tanned skin, pale lips, a pair of swollen brown eyes with dark bags underneath which is visible under her thick-rimmed glasses.

"He needs to rest more. His mind is still in shock. You can't force him to remember or he'll lose the hope he had to regain his memories. He's in a 50-50 state. So, please?" a man said to the woman who keeps on staring at me with sorrowful eyes.

The man seems like a doctor. He wore a white lab coat, a stethoscope in his neck, and a folder in his hand.

Confused on what I saw, I began opening my mouth but not a single sound was uttered.

"Don't force yourself. You've been unconscious for two months. Regain some energy first." he said with full authority.

But I don't want to sleep for too long again.

My mind is screaming but I just can't voice it out. My throat seems so dry.

"Visit him more often. He badly needs someone right now. But don't open up the topic we argued about. He doesn't need to know a thing about that." the man quietly instructed the woman who is now holding my left hand tightly that it began to hurt.

The man left after reading some devices placed next to my bed and injecting something in the bag full of water that's connected to the back of my palm. The door closes, leaving just the two of us inside.

The woman smiled lightly but the pain is still evident in her face. Who is she? Why does she care too much for me?

But a bigger question mark was left in my mind before the medicine that the doctor took effect.

Who am I? Why am I here? What happened?

***

"Hey? Wake up. It's already nine o'clock. You need to eat." a woman gently touched my bare shoulder with her cold hands causing me to jolt away.

With my sudden movement, pain registered in her face for a few seconds. But she's good at easily changing her expressions.

"Who are you?"I asked.

I finally found my own voice again. It may sound harsh knowing that she's the one who took care of me, but I can't stop myself from asking that question. It feels like my mind is clouded with question marks and that's the only way to save myself from drowning in my own thoughts.

It seems like I caught her off guard. A clinking sound is evidence of her reaction.

*cough*

"I'm your, uhm, neighbor." She said with a big smile on her face. Fake. She can't hide what her eyes are screaming at me.

"You're too generous to be JUST my neighbor," I commented with a hint of disbelief.

Is she telling me the truth? How can I ask her about me if I know that she's lying? But I don't have any other choices. I'd go crazy if I won't.

"Who am I?" this time she stopped preparing the food and sat beside my bed.

With her eyes locked with mine. She told me:

"You are Ashley Rogue Collins." it's my most awaited answer but it seems like it hasn't had any effect on me. Not even a single recognition about my name.

"What happened to me? Why am I here? Why are you here?" I bombard her with questions but she seems deaf and hasn't answered even one. She just smiled.

"Why are you smiling? I can't remember a thing and you seemed so happy. Is that it?"

"No. Pfft ... I just...you...hahaha..." I'm started to get irritated by her reaction. I glared at her but if she just ignores it.

"I'll answer your questions..." she paused for a minute while intently eyeing me.

"But not today. I'll answer every question you have in your mind if you'll do me a favor." she seriously said. Gone is the jolly face she has just a while ago.

"What favor? Is this some sort of a bargain thing? I'm not playing games missy I'm---"

"Neither do I, mister." she cut me off.

I reconnect her eyes with mine again and stare for a minute before giving up with a sigh. She's really not joking, huh?

"What is it?" I looked away and asked. She went to her bag which is placed on the couch and got something out of it.

"You need to write your questions here," she said while handing me a notebook and a pen. With my arched brow and the confused look she further explained.

"One question per day. Saturdays and Sundays are excluded so that means five questions per week. But since I answered one question today, then the next question will be for tomorrow." What?! This is really a joke.

"This is insane." I throw the notebook and pen at the foot of my bed.

"Very well then, I won't give you any answers. Simple." she took the notebook and pen and placed it inside the drawer on the right side of my bed. I watched her back as she went to get the food she prepared earlier.

"Now, eat. Your wound is healing which means you'll be discharged next week. You need to regain a lot of energy. If you won't, then I'll leave you here." she said as she cupped a spoonful of food and stuck it into my opened mouth.

That's when I realized that I'm indeed too weak as of this moment. I can't even raise my own hands to feed myself.

I watched her as she is busying herself in feeding me.

Who are you? Why do you care so much about me?