Sorry. It seems like a bit of the chapter had been cut off so this is is the corrected version!

Claire

She woke up for the second time in an unknown room; but unlike the first time, she felt her head clearer and much more lucid. The first thing she did was trying to replay her latest memories; it had become a small ritual for her, since she would often wake up with no recollection of what she had done the day before or even the past few hours. She was relieved when the small pieces of memories had come to her mind.

Claire pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around. The room was empty and silent; the white walls reflected the pale light coming from the fluorescent bulb on the the ceiling making the room particularly bright. That was okay, light was safety for her after all; but the lack of sound in the room made her feel uneasy. There were no nurses nor doctors; not even the sound of other patients around and it made a shudder run down her spine.

She let her legs hang over the edge of the bed and tested the strength of her muscles before she got up. The sensation was completely different from what she'd felt the first time she had tried to stand; her feet didn't tremble, nor did they feel like jelly sticks. They were strong and firm, almost normal.

Surprised, aren't we?

Claire turned to find her usual "friend" standing by the door with her arms crossed, her back resting against the wall and her eyes glowering with a playful look.

"Should have known you wouldn't leave me alone…" Claire replied in a whisper.

Have I ever left you? You and I… aren't we the same?

"Sometimes I wonder…"

Her doppelganger straightened herself and stretched her arms over her head.

"Where am I?"

I don't know. Maybe we should find out.

Claire didn't reply, but she soon found herself walking out the door and into a long white corridor. She looked around puzzled. The corridor extended to both sides with white windowless walls and white plain tiles; there were hanging lamps that filled the space with clarity and beside that, there was nothing else.

"Hello?" she called, but no one answered.

The corridor was deathly silent and deserted. Her doppelganger walked past her. She stood at the center of the corridor and looked down and Claire noticed that there was something on the ground: it was a photograph with slightly worn edges.

Claire looked at her closely and a sense of familiarity filled her chest. The photograph showed a man with chestnut hair that at first glance would seem intimidating, but the look he showed in the photograph was affectionate and gentle. He stood side by side with a younger version of her: one that looked much like her doppelganger. She was smiling happily while hugging the man's arm.

"I've seen this man before. He was in the room…"

He was. Hasn't he always been there when we needed him?

Claire looked at the photograph for a moment. With her hand she traced the outline of the image. They both looked happy and without realizing it, her lips curled into a smile.

"I know him, don't I?"

Perhaps….perhaps no. What do you think?

Her doppelganger walked a around her. The girl was staring at the walls as if she had great interest on them and Claire realized that, suddenly, there were frames hanging from the walls: more pictures. Claire moved closer and examined each of them with interest. Like the one she had found on the ground, all the pictures showed her along the man with dark hair.

" That's me and that man again? What's this place…?"

Isn't that obvious? This is your mind…

"My mind?"

Claire paced along the wall; her hand touching each of the pictures gently. There was an odd sensation of familiarity about them. Her eyes locked on the face of the man staring back at her. She traced the outline of his features and she realized that she'd seen his face long before meeting him in the room; maybe once or twice when she had skipped the pills. She remembered whispering his name in the darkness and hoping he would come and find her; wanting to see him and hear him. Wishing for him to come and protect her just as he did when they were kids…but what was his name?

Tic-toc...Tic...toc…. Time is running out. Hurry.

"Time?" Claire looked at her doppelganger in confusion.

The girl had stopped her pacing. She was standing a few steps from her with her head tilted at her direction.

A loud screech broke the silence of the place making Claire's heart stop. Her face paled as she saw the lights at the far end of the corridor go out creating a dark black patch.

Tic toc…. This is your chance...Remember… if you don't, you may lose it.

Claire immediate response was running; running as far as she could from the approaching darkness. She knew there were "demons" that lurked under the veil of darkness, and she knew she stood no chance against them. She wished he was here to help her the way he always came to her aid. Suddenly, a prick of pain pierced her head and the images fell over her in a painful cascade:

She saw the man running to her with a bright smile…

Do you see it?

She saw herself sitting on a living room chatting with him while eating pizza…

Try… Try harder...

She saw a younger him wearing black clothes and holding her hand as she cried.

It's getting closer.

She saw him hugging her in the lobby of and strange old house.

Hurry…

He was hugging her and spinning her around as she laughed.

...1…

Chris…

She knew him.

...2…

Chris...

He was important...She loved him.

...3…

The scattered images filled her head; she saw the dark haired man; she also saw a woman and older man with beard; she also saw a girl with short hair and rebellious look; she saw monsters and she saw a young man with dirty blonde hair...

It is here…

The lights of the rooms went off completely leaving her in complete darkness. Her heart beat raised, her breathing rushed and she could feel the panic growing. She didn't like darkness. When it was dark they came…and when they came…

She heart the heavy breathing behind her, the screeching of their nails, their fetid scent of blood…they were closer. She could hear them…feel them...

"CHRIS HELP ME!"

Her eyes snapped open. Claire looked around in panic, half expecting to find herself surrounded by the terrifying creatures from the dark that she had learned to fear, but instead, she was only greeted by the white inocuos walls and the bright light of the lamp over her head. Her breathing was uneven and painful and, as she tried to calm herself, she realized someone was holding her. A familiar scent, a familiar strenght that was firm and yet delicate; a sense of love she had grown with and she welcomed gratefully knowing how much had she missed it.

"Chris….? Is...is it really you…? I am not hallucinating, am I?" she almost sobbed"You really are here.".

She felt his hand stroking her back gently while the other held her firmly in his embrace. It was so nice to have a that bit of familiarity back after so long. Claire stared at Chris's familiar eyes; the same ones she had stared at in her dream state.

"Hallucinating? No,it's me...it is me…." he whispered "I am here...I am really here..."

"You found me; you really found me..….I hoped you would find me."

"I am sorry I didn't find you sooner. "

"You...always take your damn time anyway…"

"My bad…" Chris smiled "I won't let you out of my sight again."

Claire laughed weakly and then she broke. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks and she realized she had unconsciously started crying. She hadn't cry in a long time, not even when she had undergone the most painful tests; but there, in her brother's arms, she simply broke into a bag of tears and sobs. For the first time in long while, she finally felt that some of missing pieces of her mind were finally in their place.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you remember me…." Chris said " I thought…"

"Yeah...it's been like this for a while…"she replied with a watered down version of her teasing look "It comes and goes at times…my memories, I mean…"

"What?" Chris said pushing her back a little to look at her " What do you mean?"

"It's...complicated. I will explain...eventually, I guess…"

The scarce memories from the past few months that had come back to her weren't pretty; some of them made her shudder: nurses covered in blood; a doctor with blurred face injecting a dark liquid into the IV line in her arm; the screams from the other patients, the metallic scent of blood and decay; the piercing pain and the immense fear of the dark. She unconsciously grabbed her arm feeling the phantom pain of the thick thing going through her vein.

How was she supposed to tell him? Chris would surely get pissed, furious to be more precise.

We must tell him… We made it out this time, but how long will it last? Perhaps tomorrow we won't remember...just like it happened before...

The voice echoed in her head. She hated it, but her inner friend was had to warn him about the new virus; if only she could remember more about it.

"Chris?" she whispered in a trembling voice.

"Yeah?" he answered. He seemed so happy and relieved and she just hated that fact that what she was about to tell would most likely ruin his mood.

"Chris...there's something you must know. There's a virus…"

"Virus? Yeah...There's always one..." Chris sighed.

"It is a new virus…"

Chris looked at her and then shook his head. He then raised his hand and caressed her head like he always did.

"It's alright, Claire. We can talk about that later. You just woke and probably need a little more rest..."

"No…"

Tell him. He must know…

"No, Chris. You must know. The new virus...I...I have it."

The last bit had come out in soft whisper.

"What?"

"Chris…"

"Sorry… I think I heard wrong…"

" No, Chris. I am infected..."

Not sure if anyone reads the end notes, but here goes nothing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Claire memories are back...in a way.

Claire might seem a little OC at times, but it is due to the circumstances she's gone is all part of the story.

I wanted to give more backstory to CLaire and Chris relationship amd here it is!

Until next chapt :)