Chapter 12

I looked desperately back at my friends. Why didn't he know who I was?

"It's Dougie," I told him. He stared back at me blankly. I looked back again and Kelsi whispered, "Amnesia."

"What?"

"Memory loss," she told me, "You can lose your memory from head injuries, which is probably what's happened here."

I knelt down beside the hospital bed pleading with my eyes that he remember me. "Aden," I whispered, "You don't remember me?"

He shook he head, "Sorry."

I fought back tears. After everything we've been through he didn't remember me. He had no idea who I was. I couldn't believe it. Kelsi grabbed my hand and I let a tear fall down my cheek. I just couldn't believe he didn't know who I was. It absolutely broke my heart.

"Why am I here?" he asked me grabbing his head. I sighed, "You...uh...Well you fell down the stairs and you hit your head which is why you don't remember me."

"How'd I fall?" he asked me. The innocence in his eyes cut through me like a knife. I couldn't tell him his own dad hit him. Kelsi tightened her grip on my hand and I said quietly, "Well, your dad hit you."

"My dad?" he asked, his eyes widened. I nodded.

"My dad wouldn't do that." he told me, "My dad loves me. Where is he?"

"He..." I felt a lump in my throat and I managed to choke out, "He got taken to jail."

"Why?" he asked me.

"Because he hurt you." I told him. This was so hard explaining this to him. "Aden, do you remember your dad?"

He shook his head, "No. But...but he's my dad. Why would my own dad want to hurt me?"

"I don't know," I told him wiping a tear from my eye, "I don't understand it either, kid. But for whatever reason he did it you don't have to worry because he's never going to be able to hurt you again. You're safe now."

He ran his fingers over the stitches in his head and flinched, "My dad did this to me?" Tears came to his eyes. I nodded slowly.

He started to cry and I ran my fingers through his hair, "You're okay now, Aden. I promise."

"I just wish I could remember," he cried, "You're upset 'cause I don't know who you are and I feel bad."

"No, no, no." I said quietly, "No, Aden don't feel bad you can't remember me. That isn't your fault. It's fine because whether you remember me or not I'm gonna be here for you, okay?"

"Dougie..." he said to himself trying to remember then he just started crying harder because he was frustrated with himself, "I just can't remember."

"Don't worry about it," I told him, "If you remember me later, then that's fine. If not that's fine too. But don't worry about it. It isn't your fault okay?"

"Okay," he sniffled, "So you're Dougie. Who are they?"

Kelsi smiled at him. The same smile that made me fall for her the first time I met her, "I'm Kelsi." she told him.

"I'm Tom," Tom told her, "Kelsi's cousin."

"I'm Harry," Harry told him smiling, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"And I'm Danny!" Danny gave him a goofy grin and a high five. Aden returned the smile, "Danny was your best bud," I told him. He smiled, "Really?"

"Yeah, dude." Danny told him, "You and me played video games all the time together."

"You beat him at Guitar Hero," Harry added and everyone laughed.

"You guys all seem so nice," Aden said, "I'm sorry I don't remember you. I really want to. But...I can't."

"It's fine," I told him quietly, "Don't be sorry."

The nurse came in and told us we had to go. It was getting late and we all had school the next day. I smiled softly at Aden before I left, "I have school tomorrow, but I promise the second I get out I'm gonna come see you, okay?"

"Thanks Dougie," he smiled, "I'll try my hardest to remember you before you come back."

"Get some sleep," I told him before leaving that hospital room. I held up as best I could on the walk home. "You okay?" Kelsi asked me. I nodded and kept walking.

"He'll remember you sometime," Danny told me, "I mean, this memory loss isn't permanent...is it?"

Kelsi shrugged, "It depends. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. All we can do is wait and see."

That killed me. There was a fifty percent chance he wasn't ever going to remember who I was? The rest of the walk home I was silent and when I was safe in my room away from everyone else I broke down. My mother knocked on my door and I quickly wiped my eyes. "Come in."

She walked over and sat on the edge of m bed. I messed with the buttons on the bottom of my shirt avoiding eye contact.

"Are you alright?" she asked me. I shook my head.

"Would this have anything to do with the little boy I saw on the news today?" she asked me. I looked up at her, "Mum he was my English assignment. My 'little brother.' I've spent every day with him for a week. I knew this whole time that he was getting hit. I knew all along! And I didn't get him help and now he's in the hospital and he can't even remember who the hell I am!"

My mother held me in her arms like she did when I was a small child, "You couldn't have stopped this, Dougie. Don't blame yourself. All you can do is see him in the hospital and pray he'll be okay. Maybe in time he'll remember you."

"And if he doesn't?" I asked.

"Then just know you were there for him. If he doesn't remember you then that means he doesn't remember being hit by his dad," she shrugged, "And maybe that's what's best."

Okay, sorry so short. But thereee ya go :D
Reviewsss xD haha thanks guys