Chapter Two - Tea

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

A muffled beeping intrudes on my sleep. I'm tired. I just want to sleep.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Someone, turn it off. Please. I would, but I feel like my arms and legs are coated in lead. I can't even tell if I'm breathing.

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

That sound is deeper, longer. Is that me breathing? I had no idea I was so obnoxious.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Great, this whole room is just chock full of annoying sounds, isn't it?

Straining, I force my eyes open, only to be bombarded by harsh white lights. I grunt, and squint slightly. I turn my head to the side, and see a bag of...water?...dripping into a tube below it. I follow the tube with my eyes and see it enter my hand. My eyes widen, and I have to close my eyes to cancel out the nauseating sight.

There's another mask over my face, which I guess is what's making the whoosh sounds.

"Hey," A soft voice beside me says. I open my eyes and turn my face to the other side. A woman with long black hair sits in the chair beside me. Her face is tilted, and looks sympathetic.

"Your doctor told me you'd be waking up soon." She said quietly.

I hesitate, blinking uncertainly. "Am...am I okay?" I ask, my voice somewhat muffled by the mask.

The woman cracks a smile. "I was just about to ask you that. How do you feel?"

I think, mentally assessing my multiple injuries. "Like I was run over by a truck." I decide, and the woman chuckles again. Then her expression sombers.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" She asks.

I swallow. "Do I get three guesses?" I wisecrack, trying to relieve the tension.

Her mouth turns up in a smile. There is a long silence. "What's your name?"

I gaze up at the ceiling, rummaging through my brain, scrambling to come up with an answer, but I fall short.

"I give up. Can I get a hint?" I joke.

The lady's smile fades, and she looks at me in genuine concern. "Can you remember anything?" She asks gently.

I shake my head and turn back up to the ceiling. "Nope. Blank as a slate." With a deep breath, I shove down the tears I feel coming, and turn back to her. "You don't think I was, like, a drug addict or something, right?"

The woman looks down at the ground. "We didn't find any drugs in your system. Only a weak sedative."

"A sedative?" I look at her in alarm. She won't meet my eyes. "Do you think I was kidnapped?"

The woman sighs. "That's one theory we're checking out."

"Don't you check out on me! Pay attention!"

I wince as a stab of pain rips through my skull. The woman looks at me in concern.

"Are you okay?" She asks. "I can go get the doctor if you want some more painkillers." She stands, moving towards the door.

"No!" I protest. She halts, looking at me in surprise. My face red at my outburst, I fiddle with the edge of my sheet. "I don't like the drugs. They make me feel tired. I'd rather be awake, figuring this out."

The woman looks uncertain. She hesitates, opening her mouth to say something. Suddenly, I realize I don't know her name.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Lisbon. Teresa Lisbon." She answers. "I'm with the CBI."

"CBI?" I repeat. "That like the FBI?"

Lisbon shrugs. "Sort of. FBI is Federal Bureau of Investigation. CBI is still a Bureau of Investigation, but in-"

"California." I cut in.

Lisbon looks excited. "Did you remember something?"

I offer a half smile, and shake my head. "It's on the calendar." I admit. Lisbon glances over, and nods.

"I've got to go talk to some of my colleagues. Is there anything I can get you before I go to make you more comfortable?" Lisbon asks. I'm about to shake my head, but then I consider her offer. What would make me feel better right now?

A smile spreads across my face as I find the answer. The first true bit of information that I have discovered about myself since I woke up.

Lisbon copies my face, a smile spreading over her own face. "What?" She says cautiously.

I meet her eyes. "Do you think I could get some tea?"

line break

"I'm telling you, Jane, you should meet her." Lisbon protested. "She's a sweet girl."

"Lisbon, I would love to, but I'm sure you and your team will be more than enough to track down this girls parents." Jane said as he rummaged around his desk, looking for a specific paper.

"Jane, this girl might be connected to Red John." Lisbon spoke the words before she had a chance to consider them. Jane froze. He turned around carefully, and Lisbon recognized the carefully arranged mask he put on whenever he came across any mention of Red John or anything related to him.

"Well, then." Jane deadpanned, his eyes already looking calculating. "When can I meet this girl?"

Let me know what you think. Like I said in the last chapter, I'm mostly doing this for me...but it's always nice to know that people like it.