Chapter Three - Oscar

Dr. Munro did an MRI before I could be released from the hospital. I was diagnosed with Post-traumatic amnesia considering I had a head injury from what we believed had been a car accident. How I ended up at the hospital was still a mystery. I remembered my first name and the fact that I had children, but everything else was clouded. Since no one knew how long my amnesia would last and I was suffering from a mild concussion, Dr. Monro agreed with Dr. Nero that it would be best that I be released from the hospital under her care. "I want what's best for the patient and her unborn child," said Dr. Munro as he signed my release papers. "Let me know if there's anything you need, Kim. I'll be available day and night."

"Thank you, Dr. Monro," Kim said. "I'll take excellent care of her and I'll let you know if I need anything."

After my release, I was able to get dressed in the clothing that I had been wearing prior to having awakened in the hospital. I realized that the clothes on my back were my only possessions. I was homeless, penniless, and suffering from severe memory loss. I was in a really bad way. I felt anxious and uneasy as Kim prepared to take me home with her from General Hospital. "Everything is going to be alright, Arielle," Kim reassured me, but I really didn't believe her. I felt so vulnerable as a nurse pushed me in a wheelchair out to Dr. Nero's car that had been parked on the street in front of the hospital.

I was lost in my own thoughts, terrifying as they were on our way to Kim's apartment. I was trembling when we arrived. She had to help me from the car as I was unsteady on my feet. Even though I hadn't spoken a word, Kim continued to talk to me in a calm, soothing voice. She was telling me about her son whom I would be meeting soon.

We took the elevator up to the fourth floor of her apartment building and minutes later, we arrived at our destination. "Hopefully Oscar's home. I'd love for you to meet him," she said as she unlocked the door.

We stepped inside her apartment which I found to be charming and cozy. I could be comfortable here, I was sure of it. Strangely I felt right at home as Kim was showing me around. We walked into the living room first, followed by the kitchen. It was then that a dark-haired teenage boy entered the room and said, "Hi Mom. Who's your friend?"

"Oscar, I'd like you to meet Arielle. Arielle, this is my 14 year old son, Oscar."

I stared at the teenage boy for the longest while, then I looked at Kim. "I have a 14 year old boy, too..."

My words trailed off. "Or maybe it's a daughter. I am not really sure. My head is aching so whenever I try to remember," I stated.

"Hi Arielle," Oscar said to me, flashing a smile that was so much like his mother's.

"Oscar, Arielle's going to be staying with us for a while. She'll be sleeping in the extra bedroom," Kim said.

"Nice to meet you, Oscar," I said as I shook his hand.

"Great meeting you, too," said Oscar. "Mom, I'm going to the library now. Josslyn and I are going to study for our history test."

"That's fine; just remember your curfew. I expect you home by 9 pm and no later. It's a school night," Kim reminded her son.

"I'll be back at 9," Oscar promised.

Kim and I said our goodbyes to Oscar, then he grabbed his book bag and headed out the door. "Josslyn is Oscar's girlfriend. They spend all their time together," Kim told me.

"So that's why you're lonely," I responded.

"Yeah, my son is growing up so fast and sometimes I do get lonely. It's really quiet here when he's gone."

"I like the quiet. I really needed some peace," I said. I knew that I had been in great need of a vacation, but the reasons why escaped me.

"You'll get plenty of it here," she said with a smile. "Would you like to see your bedroom?"

"Yes," I replied.

She lead me down the hallway to her guest room. It was small but cozy. The bed looked comfortable and inviting. Part of me wanted to crawl under the covers and rest, but I knew I couldn't possibly sleep. I was starving. I had no clue when I had last had anything to eat.

"Do you like the room?" Kim asked.

"It's perfect," I replied. "I'm tired, but more than that, I am starved."

"I don't do a lot of cooking," Kim admitted. "Oscar and I usually have take-out, considering my job keeps me on my feet for most of the day. How would you like to go to Charlie's and get some burgers?"

"Charlie's?"

"Yeah, it's a little pub just down the street. A friend of mine owns the place. His name is Julian."

"Burgers sound good," I said. "Let's go."

It was in that moment as if we'd been friends forever. Kim smiled and took my arm as we were going on a little adventure - to a pub called Charlie's to get some burgers.