Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the characters of Everwood. They are
just a borrowed medium I use to disperse my creativity. Puppets.
Author's Note: What if you were to wake up one day and suddenly realized that the life you believed to have lead was a complete lie - a fabrication of the truth? (My 5th fanfic and counting!!)
Title: Mind Tricks
Chapter 1: A Ghost From The Past
His senses were coming back to him slowly. The strong smell of disinfectant and Pine-Sol stung his nose when he inhaled the air. He heard a curious soft drone of sounds, which his brain did not permit him to understand. His motor skills were minimal but his fingers were the first part of his body he was able to feel. He wiggled his fingers and the drone of sounds became louder. As he drew a deep breath, he heard quick shuffling of footsteps but wasn't able to differentiate if they were approaching or departing from where he lay. His throat hurt when he tried to swallow and his tongue felt swollen - like it was twice its normal size. The unidentifiable bitter metallic taste in his dry mouth lingered until his salivary glands started working. Finally, he opened his eyes to a bright magnitude of white. Thru his blurred vision, he had difficulty figuring out what he was focusing on. He squinted to make sense of his surroundings but it was useless. As his temporary impairment gradually started to clear, he realized his attention had been fixed on cool white florescent lights on an off-white tiled ceiling.
Bewildered, he turned his head to see where he was. A woman in a nurse's uniform was by his side injecting medication thru a clear bendable tube, which he later realized the tube was an IV connected to his wrist. His hearing ability weaved in and out. One minute, the sounds and voices were loud and the next minute, they were fading whispers. It was like as if someone was playing around with the mute button on the TV remote. He felt something squeezed his arm and turned his head the other way to find another nurse taking his blood pressure. And yet another was tinkering with the noisy machinery next to the bed. It finally dawned on him that he was in a hospital.
He tried hard to concentrate on remembering how he ended up at a hospital. But his exhausted mind wouldn't allow it. Did he fall ill? How long had he been unconscious? Was he in an accident? 'An accident?' he thought.
He suddenly became agitated. If he was indeed in an accident, were was his father?! Was his father ok? Was Delia ok? He had to know. He let out a monstrous sound making the nurses distraught with concern. With all his strength, he tried to pull out the wires attached to his temples and the IV in his wrist along with the stupid clip on his index finger because it was uncomfortable and it drove him crazy. The nurses struggled to stop him from doing so. They kept telling him nicely he shouldn't remove anything. He tried multiple times to talk but his sore tongue disabled him.
"Where's dad?" He called out once his tongue felt less irritable. "Delia. Is she alright?" He searched for answers in the nurses' faces. "Dad. I want my dad." He moaned almost in tears.
"Relax, your family is fine." A middle-aged nurse said holding a metal clipboard in her hand. "He doesn't seem to be suffering from amnesia." She observed. "Do you know who you are?"
"Dumb question." He drawled realizing for the first time that his head was bandaged tightly with gauze.
"Just humor me kid. What's your name?" The same nurse replied with a clever smile.
"Ephram Brown."
"Good. That's right." The nurse congratulated. All the vigorous movement made Ephram weak enough for the nurses to overpower him and reattach whatever wires he removed from his body. "Do you remember what happened?"
"No." He was frightened.
"You were in a horrible car accident. You really don't remember?" The nurse asked again. Ephram shook his head. "It left you in a coma for two weeks."
"Coma?! I was in a coma?" Ephram wondered out loud. "Just like Colin." The nurses looked at each other. "Did Amy come see me?"
"I'll page Dr. Brown." One nurse said and scurried out of the room.
"Darling, your father is on his way." A pretty, young nurse spoke as she perched on Ephram's bed.
"Amy didn't come, did she?" Ephram said sadly. The young nurse shook her head.
"It's a 4 hour drive but she went out of her way to see Colin when he was here." He wanted to cry. "I don't get it. Edna could've driven her. Even Irv."
"Are these people your friends?" The young nurse asked.
"Yea. They're all from the same crap town." Ephram started getting angry because it was apparent that Amy never bothered to visit him.
"And what town is that?" She asked.
"Everwood - where else?!" He shot back.
"And where is this Everwood?"
"Is this some sort of test for my memory? I'm tired of playing this game." He sighed. "Colorado. Everwood is in Colorado. That's where we've lived for the past year and a half. My address is 15 Maple Drive. It's the 5th house on the left - the one with the big lacquered porch swing and the big pine tree in the yard. Is that specific enough for you?" Ephram said in one big breath putting strain on his throat. "What I would give to be back in New York." He added leaving a blank look on the young nurse's face.
"Let me ask you this. What city are you in right now?" The young nurse spoke slowly. Ephram watched her red lips move.
"Denver." Ephram replied as the young nurse's face turned white.
"Sweetie, you're not in Denver. You're at St. Vincent's Hospital." She said seriously. "In New York."
"Wha - how? No! Can't be." Ephram stammered in shock. "How did I end up in New York?" Disturbed, he tried to sit up but the nurse held him down.
"Don't do that. Please lie down." She panicked. "Everything will be ok. Look, here comes your father."
Dr. Andrew Brown's eyes lit up seeing his son lying awake when he rushed into the small room. He was in such a hurry that he absentmindedly left his stethoscope dangling around his neck like a noose while his unbuttoned white lab coat flailed against his legs. The young nurse pulled him aside for a minute and they appeared to be in deep conversation with an occasional glance over at Ephram. He finally walked over to his son's bedside.
"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Andy said humorously.
"Dad - we're in Denver, aren't we?" Ephram questioned. His father frowned.
"No, Ephram. We're in New York. You're a bit confused." Andy said scratching his beard. "But that's expected. We're all glad you came out of the coma. The nurse says you can't remember what happened."
"Yea. The last thing I can remember was saying bye to Amy at school and leaving for home on my bike. I don't remember anything after." Ephram started. Before his father could say anything he began again. "Dad, am I going to turn out the way Colin did after he woke from his coma - with the violent seizures and behavioral problems?"
"Let's not push it, shall we? Just take it easy." Andy said with a perplexed look on his face.
"Why am I able to move my arms and feel everything but when Colin woke from his coma, he was paralyzed on one side and had to go to rehab therapy?"
"I wish I knew what you were talking about. Who's this Colin?"
"You're kidding, right? Colin Hart. Car accident on July 4th. He went head first thru the windshield. You were the one who operated on him and saved his life. He was in a coma for four months!"
"OK, Ephram. You are really starting to freak me out. I've never operated on a Colin Hart in my entire career. I would know it if I did." Andy was getting nervous about his son's condition.
"Yes, you did!" Ephram heaved in frustration. "Why are you doing this to me?? Stop joking around. It's not funny, dad." Seeing Ephram so excited, Andy stroked his son's hand gently to calm him down after realizing his son was a bit more than just confused.
"Ephram, there is someone here who is dying to see you." Andy smiled trying to change the subject. "Nurse, can you tell her to come in?" He instructed one of the nurses.
'Was Amy really outside waiting to see me? She hadn't forgotten about me after all!' Ephram thought cheerfully.
The door opened and she stepped into room. A glowing aura surrounded her as she stood there - unless it was his eyes playing tricks on him. He had never been so glad to see someone in the entire 15 years of his life. Her long sandy brown hair was full of sheer radiance and her smile was so comforting that it can cure any ailment. Whatever pain he felt was temporarily taken away. She looked almost perfect - angelic was the word - well, aside from her left arm in a sling. Upon seeing this inviting vision, his heart nearly stopped from pure joy. He shook his head to clear his mind from this unruly trance-like dream.
To his surprise and horror, he realized he wasn't dreaming and this person standing before him was very much alive and breathing. It was not possible. No way on earth could it be really her. His heart raced and terror spread throughout his body. It was not Amy he saw grinning at him. It was his mother.
* end of chapter 1 *
Author's Note: What if you were to wake up one day and suddenly realized that the life you believed to have lead was a complete lie - a fabrication of the truth? (My 5th fanfic and counting!!)
Title: Mind Tricks
Chapter 1: A Ghost From The Past
His senses were coming back to him slowly. The strong smell of disinfectant and Pine-Sol stung his nose when he inhaled the air. He heard a curious soft drone of sounds, which his brain did not permit him to understand. His motor skills were minimal but his fingers were the first part of his body he was able to feel. He wiggled his fingers and the drone of sounds became louder. As he drew a deep breath, he heard quick shuffling of footsteps but wasn't able to differentiate if they were approaching or departing from where he lay. His throat hurt when he tried to swallow and his tongue felt swollen - like it was twice its normal size. The unidentifiable bitter metallic taste in his dry mouth lingered until his salivary glands started working. Finally, he opened his eyes to a bright magnitude of white. Thru his blurred vision, he had difficulty figuring out what he was focusing on. He squinted to make sense of his surroundings but it was useless. As his temporary impairment gradually started to clear, he realized his attention had been fixed on cool white florescent lights on an off-white tiled ceiling.
Bewildered, he turned his head to see where he was. A woman in a nurse's uniform was by his side injecting medication thru a clear bendable tube, which he later realized the tube was an IV connected to his wrist. His hearing ability weaved in and out. One minute, the sounds and voices were loud and the next minute, they were fading whispers. It was like as if someone was playing around with the mute button on the TV remote. He felt something squeezed his arm and turned his head the other way to find another nurse taking his blood pressure. And yet another was tinkering with the noisy machinery next to the bed. It finally dawned on him that he was in a hospital.
He tried hard to concentrate on remembering how he ended up at a hospital. But his exhausted mind wouldn't allow it. Did he fall ill? How long had he been unconscious? Was he in an accident? 'An accident?' he thought.
He suddenly became agitated. If he was indeed in an accident, were was his father?! Was his father ok? Was Delia ok? He had to know. He let out a monstrous sound making the nurses distraught with concern. With all his strength, he tried to pull out the wires attached to his temples and the IV in his wrist along with the stupid clip on his index finger because it was uncomfortable and it drove him crazy. The nurses struggled to stop him from doing so. They kept telling him nicely he shouldn't remove anything. He tried multiple times to talk but his sore tongue disabled him.
"Where's dad?" He called out once his tongue felt less irritable. "Delia. Is she alright?" He searched for answers in the nurses' faces. "Dad. I want my dad." He moaned almost in tears.
"Relax, your family is fine." A middle-aged nurse said holding a metal clipboard in her hand. "He doesn't seem to be suffering from amnesia." She observed. "Do you know who you are?"
"Dumb question." He drawled realizing for the first time that his head was bandaged tightly with gauze.
"Just humor me kid. What's your name?" The same nurse replied with a clever smile.
"Ephram Brown."
"Good. That's right." The nurse congratulated. All the vigorous movement made Ephram weak enough for the nurses to overpower him and reattach whatever wires he removed from his body. "Do you remember what happened?"
"No." He was frightened.
"You were in a horrible car accident. You really don't remember?" The nurse asked again. Ephram shook his head. "It left you in a coma for two weeks."
"Coma?! I was in a coma?" Ephram wondered out loud. "Just like Colin." The nurses looked at each other. "Did Amy come see me?"
"I'll page Dr. Brown." One nurse said and scurried out of the room.
"Darling, your father is on his way." A pretty, young nurse spoke as she perched on Ephram's bed.
"Amy didn't come, did she?" Ephram said sadly. The young nurse shook her head.
"It's a 4 hour drive but she went out of her way to see Colin when he was here." He wanted to cry. "I don't get it. Edna could've driven her. Even Irv."
"Are these people your friends?" The young nurse asked.
"Yea. They're all from the same crap town." Ephram started getting angry because it was apparent that Amy never bothered to visit him.
"And what town is that?" She asked.
"Everwood - where else?!" He shot back.
"And where is this Everwood?"
"Is this some sort of test for my memory? I'm tired of playing this game." He sighed. "Colorado. Everwood is in Colorado. That's where we've lived for the past year and a half. My address is 15 Maple Drive. It's the 5th house on the left - the one with the big lacquered porch swing and the big pine tree in the yard. Is that specific enough for you?" Ephram said in one big breath putting strain on his throat. "What I would give to be back in New York." He added leaving a blank look on the young nurse's face.
"Let me ask you this. What city are you in right now?" The young nurse spoke slowly. Ephram watched her red lips move.
"Denver." Ephram replied as the young nurse's face turned white.
"Sweetie, you're not in Denver. You're at St. Vincent's Hospital." She said seriously. "In New York."
"Wha - how? No! Can't be." Ephram stammered in shock. "How did I end up in New York?" Disturbed, he tried to sit up but the nurse held him down.
"Don't do that. Please lie down." She panicked. "Everything will be ok. Look, here comes your father."
Dr. Andrew Brown's eyes lit up seeing his son lying awake when he rushed into the small room. He was in such a hurry that he absentmindedly left his stethoscope dangling around his neck like a noose while his unbuttoned white lab coat flailed against his legs. The young nurse pulled him aside for a minute and they appeared to be in deep conversation with an occasional glance over at Ephram. He finally walked over to his son's bedside.
"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Andy said humorously.
"Dad - we're in Denver, aren't we?" Ephram questioned. His father frowned.
"No, Ephram. We're in New York. You're a bit confused." Andy said scratching his beard. "But that's expected. We're all glad you came out of the coma. The nurse says you can't remember what happened."
"Yea. The last thing I can remember was saying bye to Amy at school and leaving for home on my bike. I don't remember anything after." Ephram started. Before his father could say anything he began again. "Dad, am I going to turn out the way Colin did after he woke from his coma - with the violent seizures and behavioral problems?"
"Let's not push it, shall we? Just take it easy." Andy said with a perplexed look on his face.
"Why am I able to move my arms and feel everything but when Colin woke from his coma, he was paralyzed on one side and had to go to rehab therapy?"
"I wish I knew what you were talking about. Who's this Colin?"
"You're kidding, right? Colin Hart. Car accident on July 4th. He went head first thru the windshield. You were the one who operated on him and saved his life. He was in a coma for four months!"
"OK, Ephram. You are really starting to freak me out. I've never operated on a Colin Hart in my entire career. I would know it if I did." Andy was getting nervous about his son's condition.
"Yes, you did!" Ephram heaved in frustration. "Why are you doing this to me?? Stop joking around. It's not funny, dad." Seeing Ephram so excited, Andy stroked his son's hand gently to calm him down after realizing his son was a bit more than just confused.
"Ephram, there is someone here who is dying to see you." Andy smiled trying to change the subject. "Nurse, can you tell her to come in?" He instructed one of the nurses.
'Was Amy really outside waiting to see me? She hadn't forgotten about me after all!' Ephram thought cheerfully.
The door opened and she stepped into room. A glowing aura surrounded her as she stood there - unless it was his eyes playing tricks on him. He had never been so glad to see someone in the entire 15 years of his life. Her long sandy brown hair was full of sheer radiance and her smile was so comforting that it can cure any ailment. Whatever pain he felt was temporarily taken away. She looked almost perfect - angelic was the word - well, aside from her left arm in a sling. Upon seeing this inviting vision, his heart nearly stopped from pure joy. He shook his head to clear his mind from this unruly trance-like dream.
To his surprise and horror, he realized he wasn't dreaming and this person standing before him was very much alive and breathing. It was not possible. No way on earth could it be really her. His heart raced and terror spread throughout his body. It was not Amy he saw grinning at him. It was his mother.
* end of chapter 1 *