Author's Note: Sorry so short, but hey, it's been over a year. Be glad for updates.
Johnny stared up at the doctor from his perch on the bed. The doctor stared back, apparently debating what to say. Johnny would have saved him the trouble, but he seemed to be at a loss for words himself. Why were the details of his life so fuzzy? Dream or not, shouldn't he be able to remember where he lived? He was feeling very strange. Knowing all this wasn't real, he somehow…wanted it to be.
The doctor pulled one of the plastic chairs over. Sitting down, he faced Johnny, clasped his hands. "I know you don't remember much right now, Jon-Johnny, and this must be very confusing for you. I'm sure that given a little time, though, your memories will start returning. In fact, the dreams that you had while in your comatose state suggest that your subconscious does remember quite a bit."
Forgetting himself, Johnny blurted out, "So, you're saying that the things I remember…are actually part of this life?" He remembered the doctor and his mother's – supposed mother's – reactions when he mentioned the girl at the party. "The girl with the blue hair. Kat? Who is she?"
The doctor frowned slightly. "That's something you should discuss with your parents. But yes, that is basically what I am saying. Look, Johnny. I know you're confused and 'freaked out.'" Nny smiled slightly; he could almost hear the quotation marks around the slang term. "Given that you seem to have no problem being up and around, we can discharge you, and you can go home today. If you'd like, though, you can stay here in the hospital until you start remembering a few more things. I'm sure your parents would understand."
Suddenly, this whole situation seemed somehow even more surreal. It was the doctor's firm refusal to accept Johnny's disbelief. This was life, he was Jonathan, he could either go home or stay in the hospital, and that was it. Having little choice, Nny decided to play along. A small voice in his head asked if it was beginning to be more than just playing along, and he promptly squashed it.
"No, I'll go home," he said, and strangely enough, it sounded…right.