It seems the last chapter gave people a lot of feels. Thank you for all your great reviews, I'm loving them all! Please continue talking to me, I love knowing what you think.
Angelofdarkness: I hope my Hanna save is what you were after!
Darkredeyes: It's always darkest before the dawn, keep the faith.
Sophia Dantas: Your review is much appreciated, and there shouldn't be so many duplicated POV's form now on.
F.A: Angst is my middle name at this point!
Mimezz: I hope I didn't make you wait too long.
Charmedrocks33: I'm glad you liked nurse Brenda, she was great fun to write. Emily knows a good thing when she's lost it, can't blame a girl for trying to get it back!
Waiting-all-night: Thank you for reading my story, the review is just an awesome bonus! I'm glad you like, and think it is flowing well. I work really hard to try and keep it as authentic to the characters as possible.
Various guests: Your reviews are awesome, love you all!
InsanityatBest: I would NEVER disappoint you, I wouldn't dare!
Jillbone: Don't blame a girl for trying!
Chapter 29
'WHAT?!'
I can't help the high pitched squeak that escapes, completely thrown by the two simultaneous revelations hitting me back to back, and I gawp at Spencer in confusion.
Spencer, in turn, is staring at Emily, looking just as surprised as I feel. 'Em, what are you doing? You know full well that's not true'.
I turn to Emily, who is still holding my hand, and see that she is staring at Spencer, looking sheepish but defiant at the same time. Before Emily can say anything, either to clarify or confuse me more, I hear my name yelled at full volume and a blur of blonde hair speeds across the room to engulf me in a bear hug, knocking Emily completely out of the way in the process.
I let out a squeak of surprise and pain, the move putting pressure on my sore ribs, and I am released immediately. The whirlwind leans back and looks at me with guilt all over her face, tears streaming down her face as she babbles out an apology. 'Oh gosh Paige, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about your ribs! Are they ok? I didn't make them worse did I? I'm such an idiot, it's just that I got so excited to see you awake that all your injuries flew out of my head, which is ridiculous as you're in a hospital, you'd think that would be my first reminder, but nooooooooooo, there I am just hugging you all willy nilly without even giving a thought to your ribs, or your wrist, or your head! Geez, maybe I should stop with the hair dye, I swear I'm losing brain cells quicker than Britney Spears loses husbands'.
I smile despite my confusion, the hyper fast babble from the blonde that I remember from the photo as Hanna too cute to do anything else, and I reach with my right hand to cover hers in an attempt to calm her down. 'It's ok Hanna, you don't need to apologize. I can withstand a hug or two from my friends, even ones as strong as you'.
Spencer and Emily gasp at me, their standoff momentarily forgotten as they both turn their gaze on me. 'Paige, do you remember Hanna?'
I look at Spencer, the feeling of her lips on mine echoing in my mind before I can stop it and I involuntarily lick my lips to see if her taste still lingers, then shake my head; to both clear it of the unhelpful memory and to answer Spencer's question. 'I don't remember anything beyond the last time I woke up, when you stopped that doctor'.
'So how do you know who Hanna is?' Emily steps in closer again as she asks the next question. 'She wasn't here when you woke up last time'.
I decide to face Hanna as she is the only one currently not frowning at me, and am rewarded with an extra large smile for it, her tears now stopping as she beams at me. 'From the photo in Spencer's wallet. The one she showed me when she was trying to calm me down. She told me the blonde girl was Hanna, and the girl with earrings larger than her own head was Aria'.
My answer causes Hanna to giggle, her face lighting up with amusement, and she squeezes my hand enthusiastically as she exclaims. 'Oh Paige, I've bloody missed you!'
I grin back at her, the enthusiasm and energy emanating from Hanna helping to distract me from the lingering tension in the room, and I keep my attention focused on her as I talk. 'So, Hanna. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we are fairly good friends, given how you nearly crushed me to death with that bear hug of yours and all'.
Hanna taps my legs so that I move them over to one side of the bed, then hops up into the new space and sits crossed legged facing me. 'Are you kidding me? We're closer than friends Paige, we're sisters'.
'She doesn't mean that literally'. Spencer is quick to interject. 'You're an only child Paige, so you have no siblings. What Hanna meant to say was that you are best friends, which can feel as close as family'.
Hanna rolls her eyes at Spencer, then looks back at me. 'We're sisters from different misters sure, but family isn't always about sharing the same blood type; and in all the ways that matter, we're sisters. Plus, we're room mates, how cool is that?!'
I can't help smiling at Hanna, her bubbly personality making it easy to see why I like her so much. 'So..., you would know everything there is to know about me then?' I regard her optimistically.
Hanna grins at me before she looks at Emily, then Spencer, her eyes glinting as she inclines her head towards the pair. 'Better than these two put together I'd wager'.
'Then you'd be able to tell me who my girlfriend is?' I mentally cross my fingers, hoping she will make things clear for me, but Hanna's scrunching her face up in confusion is not a good sign.
'You haven't had a girlfriend in over three years. Why do you think you do?' My eyes automatically swing to Emily, and Hanna's follow them.
Emily blushes under our combined scrutiny and actively avoids Spencer's gaze, which is currently glowering at her, and keeps her eyes on Hanna as she talks, stammering out an explanation. 'Well, ok...technically we're not girlfriends anymore; but we're still close, and I still care for Paige, just as Paige still cares for me, and we've been growing closer over the last few weeks. I thought it was inevitable that we would be together again so I thought instead of trying to explain our complicated past I would just keep things simple and say we were together'.
'You're not together though, and trying to avoid explaining why you're no longer together because you don't want to admit your own past actions is no reason to tell her she's your girlfriend, Emily!' Spencer's voice is full of disapproval, but there is also an undertone of hurt that makes me curious.
Emily bristles at the tone and turns to face Spencer across the bed. 'You're one to talk! You claimed all that "I'm her girlfriend" bull you spouted to the hospital was only so you could get information about her condition, yet I walk in here no more than five minutes ago to find your tongue halfway down her throat! You seemed to be pretty into it before from where I was standing, or are you going to claim you were an unwilling participant?!'
I wince at the accusatory tone in Emily's voice, as well as the possessiveness. Emily seems to believe she has some claim on me, which makes my heart sink as I have felt nothing towards her, other than curiosity, since I woke up. I can admit that Emily is a beautiful woman, even while I was freaked out I still had enough brain function to register that, but the only woman I feel any pull towards is Spencer, who it seems only pretended to be my girlfriend so that doctors would release information to her.
'How dare you...'
I can see Spencer winding herself up, no doubt intending to rip into Emily the way she did to the doctor, but before she can do more than puff herself up like the big bad wolf about to blow some houses down, Hanna clambers off the bed and turns to face them. 'OUT'.
They both look at Hanna, their faces showing their surprise at her brusque tone, and they open their mouths to talk; but they get shut down before either one of them have the chance to utter a single syllable. 'I don't care what either one of you has to say, you're BOTH acting like children and I will not tolerate it around Paige while she still so confused. I SAID OUT. NOW!'
The change in Hanna is dramatic. Gone is the bubbly, if weepy, carefree girl that breezed in a few minutes ago, and in her place is a lioness intent on protecting her cubs from a pack of hungry hyenas. Hanna is glaring at Spencer and Emily with an intensity that makes even Spencer wilt slightly, and I can see that they are not used it as they are practically gawping at her in shock, though both shuffle towards the door without further argument.
Once the door closes behind them I see Hanna's shoulders relax, and she turns back to me, once again smiling away. 'My god, how badly did you want to smack their heads together just then...oops, sorry. That might have been a somewhat slightly inappropriate thing to say given the current condition of your head'.
I grin at her chagrined expression, feeling myself warm towards her more and more, every second I spend in her presence telling me that this woman is one that I can completely relax around. 'If your sister can't make a head injury joke in your company, then when can she make one?!' I throw my hands up in the air for emphasis, but feel my left wrist twinge at the move, reminding me that there is in fact a cast on it.
Hanna sees the move and clambers back up on the bed again, this time keeping her legs dangling over the edge so that she can scoot closer to me and wrap her arms around my body, pulling me into a gentle, but firm, hug. I hug her back, loosely at first, but as her scent surrounds me and connects with some dormant memory locked inside my brain I find myself pulling her tighter against me, until my arms are like vices around her back and my head is buried in her shoulder, seeking comfort against the unknown entity that is my life. We stay this way for a while, supporting each other in ways that need no words, and it is only when I hear her sniffle and feel her try to wipe her eyes surreptitiously that I realize she is also crying.
I pull back gently, slipping my hands down Hanna's shoulders and arms until I can hold her hands with mine and look at her. Her mascara has smudged around her eyes, and she now has the appearance of a rather sad, though stylish, giant panda. Hanna lets me look at her without complaint, her eyes shining with unshed tears, but she fights them back with a watery smile and holds herself together admirably. I feel a genuine affection towards her, despite only meeting her in the flesh a few minutes ago, and I believe Spencer's assessment that Hanna is the closest thing I have to a sibling is true. I use my thumb to wipe the mascara away from below her eyes and Hanna helps, realizing the state of her makeup as she snaffles a tissue from the bedside cabinet to try and wipe away the damage.
'I'm sorry I don't remember you'. I say the words quietly, though with plenty of feeling, and see a tear escape from Hanna's right eye to roll down over her cheek and hang from her chin for a second before dropping to the bed below.
Hanna's fingers find mine again and tighten around them as she speaks, her voice matching mine in pitch and tone. 'You almost died Paige, so you have nothing to be sorry for. Though I have to warn you, as soon as you get your memory back, I'm going to kick your ass for scaring the holy beejeesus out of me, again!'
I laugh gently at the playful tone of Hanna's last words, feeling relieved that she can still find some humor in this situation, and find that I am feeling hopeful that having no memory won't be such a scary thing with Hanna by my side. 'What do you mean, again?'
Hanna bites her lip, her expression clouding at something. 'Oh, that's a..., that's a longer conversation, for a time when we're not in the middle of a hospital'.
I can tell that it isn't going to be a happy conversation, but I guess that many of the things I've forgotten won't be, and I'll just have to take each memory as it comes. 'So, what do you think the chances of me blowing this popsicle stand today are?'
'Popsicle stand?' Hanna eyes me curiously.
I shrug. 'It was the first thing that popped into my head. Am I not a blowing popsicle stand kind of girl?'
Hanna scrunches her face up as she considers the question. 'I dunno. I've just never heard you use that expression before'.
Ok, how about get the hell out of dodge? Or, make like a tree and leave?' I make my eyebrow bounce in question.
Hanna giggles at me and rolls her eyes. 'You may not remember yourself, but you're still the same goofball I remember!'
'Well I'm glad I can amuse you madam,' I tip an imaginary hat at her. 'But seriously, when can we get out of here? All I want to do is go home and relax in a bed that doesn't smell of bleach.'
Hanna tips her head to one side as she regards me. 'You don't remember anything about me, but you're happy to come home with me, a complete stranger?'
'You don't seem like the kidnapping type. Plus you're way prettier than I am, so I know you're not after body parts to upgrade with'. I shrug at her nonchalantly, keeping my voice deadpan.
Hanna gawps at me for a second, then unceremoniously punches me in the shoulder. 'You're such a nerd!'
'Hey(!)' I clutch my shoulder dramatically. 'Injured woman here thank you very much. You really need to improve your bedside manner if we are to continue being roomies, or I may find myself deciding I like the look of Spencer's couch a bit better.'
'I doubt it, unless you fancy sharing that couch with Emily.' Hanna scoff at me, then elaborates when I frown. 'Emily and Spencer are room mates'.
'Oh'. I take a second to digest this nugget of information, then a host of questions flood my brain. 'Is that why Emily was so pissed at Spencer about the kiss? Emily thinks Spencer somehow betrayed the friendship code even though I was the one to kiss her, which means Spencer didn't break anything; plus Emily and I are broken up, so how does me kissing Spencer have anything to do with her? Unless we're not as broken up as Spencer seemed to think...'
'Whoa, whoa, whoa there Harris, take a breath why don't you!' Hanna holds her hands up to try and slow the barrage of words leaping out of my mouth, laughing lightly at me. 'The whole Spencer/Emily debacle is a whole heap of complicated we're not even going to touch until I've got you home, so for now lets just put a pin in the hard questions and stick with ones I can answer without having to draw you a diagram, ok?'
I nod in agreement, though have a new question to ask. 'What's with calling me Harris? I thought my surname was McCullers?'
'It is McCullers. I call you Harris because you're as smooth with the ladies as Xander Harris, from Buffy'. Hanna sees my blank look at the name and suddenly squeals in excitement, bouncing up and down the bed in total excitement. 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD! I've totally just found the silver lining to your brain trauma! You get to watch Buffy, and ALL your favorite shows and films again, for the FIRST time! Holy frick, that's AWESOME!'
Hanna is still bouncing up and down when Spencer peeks round the door cautiously, no doubt wanting to find out what the high pitched squealing is all about, but not wanting to get her head bitten off again either. 'Is er, is everything ok in here?'
I smile at the timid sound of Spencer's normally strong voice, and make eye contact with her to show her that all is well. 'Yeah, we're good. It seems Hanna has found a way to make my lack of memory work for her, and is rather excited about introducing me to someone called Bunny?'
Spencer's eyebrows crease for a moment, then she visibly relaxes as a smile appears on her face and she steps further into the room. 'Do you mean Buffy by any chance?'
'Of course she means Buffy, what other demon slaying, super powered chick could I possibly be talking about?!' Hanna exclaims excitedly. 'Paige has the chance to watch the whole show, from start to finish, with a completely new set of eyes and experience it for the first again!'
Spencer chuckles at Hanna and takes another cautious step closer, clearly gaining confidence from the fact that Hanna hasn't booted her back out of the room yet. 'Not exactly new, just...altered, but I can assure you Paige, you're in for quite the treat. You were the one that introduced me to Buffy, and I can assure you that you're going to love it, especially when Faith makes her appearance!'
The wink that Spencer gives me makes my mouth go completely dry, and I am suddenly eager to watch this show continuously until this mysterious Faith appears, just so that I can maybe get Spencer to wink at me like that again. I'm still so confused by my feelings for Spencer, which seem to have no real basis in reality, yet feel incredibly strong given the fact that I know nothing about her except her first name. Brenda had seemed so convinced that Spencer was my girlfriend, citing several of her actions as signs of love, and had even said that Spencer seemed willing to stay by my bedside no matter how long I took to wake up, yet Spencer told me that we are nothing more than friends.
Is Spencer merely a friend, or is there something more going on? Are her actions ones of platonic friendship, or does she care for me more than she is letting on? When I'd kissed her, Spencer had hesitated for barely a second before kissing me back, only pulling her lips away from mine when Emily had walked in on us. If we are nothing more than friends, then surely she would of pulled away and explained the situation the second she realized my intent, rather than deciding to kiss me back? The thoughts buzz round my head like an endless carousel, twisting and turning my brain until I have no idea which way is up, so I decide that I will have to find a moment alone with Spencer to ask, because just looking at her is making me desperate to kiss her again.
'Earth to Paige, come in Paige'.
I blink as a hand is waved in front of my face, snapping me out of the Spencer induced daze I have fallen into. 'Er, sorry about that. What were you saying?'
Hanna laughs at me and lowers her hand, her smile so bright that I feel myself smiling too. 'You space cadeted on us for a minute, something you probably shouldn't do in front of the doctor if you hope to get out of this place anytime soon'.
'Oh, yeah. Good point'. I fight the blush trying to paint itself over my cheeks, not wanting to give away what caused me to daydream, and focus on the getting out of here part of Hanna's statement. 'When can I leave?'
'Hold your horses, you two. Paige might not be fit to be released just yet, she did only wake up this morning after all.' Spencer has her serious voice on, and a frown on her face to match.
'But Spence, she's been in here for so long already! As her next of kin, can't I just sign a waver or something?' Hanna looks at Spencer pleadingly, her eyes full of puppy dog sadness at the thought of leaving me here.
'It's no use looking at me like that Han. I've seen that hang dog look before, and I'm not going to fall for it like Paige does every time you use it to get her to make you breakfast in bed because you've got a hangover'. Spencer harrumphs at Hanna.
Hanna flashes me a guilty look, but then grins. 'I only do it occasionally, because you're so awesome at making a proper cooked English breakfast, and I love it when you pamper me. Besides that wasn't the point, I want you home where you belong, so why don't we just make a break for it and see how far we get before they notice you're gone?'
'I don't like Paige being in this place anymore than you do Hanna, but she's just had major head surgery, and may need to stay in for observation.' Spencer sounds like she'd rather be agreeing with Hanna's plan to leg it, her reluctance to leave me here clear in her voice, and it makes me feel good to hear it.
'Why are you my next of kin? Am I an orphan or something?' My question is a bit of a delayed reaction, but it takes me a few seconds to decipher everything that Hanna manages to fit into one simple sentence.
Spencer responds instead of Hanna, and it gives me an excuse to look at her, which I gladly accept. 'You and your father had a falling out a few years ago, nothing we need to go into now, but the crux of it was he was too controlling. After you left home you made Hanna your next of kin so that he could never have any sway over your life again, something Hanna only found out about after your accident'.
'Yeah Paige, you could of given me a heads up that you left me all that mo...major responsibility!' Hanna stumbles a bit over the end of her sentence and I wonder at it, but decide to add it to the growing list of questions I need to ask her once we're home instead of asking her now, so instead I look at Hanna and smile.
'Well, you just seem like such a responsible adult...' Spencer snorts in amusement at my reply, the smile that appears on her face making me want to kiss her all over again, and I have to look away to regain my focus.
Hanna tries to look indignant at my remark, but instead she looks constipated, and the whole thing makes me burst into gales of laughter; something I start to regret when my ribs begin protesting. 'Ha ha ha, ow ow ow, oh jeez Hanna, stop making me laugh, you're killing me here!'
Spencer immediately steps closer and places a worried hand on my shoulder, her face a mask of concern. 'Are you ok Paige? Should I go get the doctor?'
The skin beneath her hand starts to warm, as if her palm is laid on my bare skin instead of the material of Spencer's hoody, and I can't help the shiver that goes through me at her proximity. Spencer clocks the move and her frown deepens, her hand now rubbing over my arm as if to warm me. 'Maybe you should stay here a few extra days, just to make extra sure everything is really ok'.
Spencer's concern makes me feel warm in a totally different way to the hand currently moving against my arm, and I reach for it and hold it between both of mine as I catch her eyes. 'I'm fine Spencer, really. Yes my memory is so screwed up right now that I can't even remember my own date of birth, but on the bright side, you don't have to try and explain what the internet is'.
'Cats and porn'.
Spencer and I frown at the same moment and turn to look at Hanna, though Spencer is the one to verbalize our confusion. 'Cats and what now?'
Hanna looks at us both like she doesn't understand why she needs to elaborate. 'The internet isn't difficult to explain. It mainly boils down to people watching cats, and porn. Or both, but that's a subset of people that I don't particularly want to think about'.
'You're the weirdest person I've ever met'. I smile at Hanna to show I'm only kidding.
Hanna smiles back at me. 'Says the girl who can only remember the past two days. Just wait til you remember yourself, you'll soon change your tune!'
I roll my eyes and look at Spencer, the smile on her face as she watches our interaction telling me that she is used to seeing Hanna and I banter like this. 'Come on Spencer, I know you want to take me home!'
The words come out of my mouth with innocent intentions, but I see Spencer register the innuendo behind them, because she flushes red and takes a step back, unable to maintain eye contact with me. 'Well...er, I mean...Hmmm'.
Spencer suddenly does that shutting down thing I'm growing to hate, and I watch in helpless fascination as her spine straightens and her chin lifts; the easy going and relaxed Spencer I was just enjoying bantering with now gone, in her place an almost identical, yet colder, replica. 'Of course I would like to see you back home with Hanna, Paige. You're sure to recover faster once you're surrounded by things that can trigger your memory, and the sooner that happens, the sooner we all get to go back to normal; but if the doctor thinks you need to stay, then you should stay'.
To an unaware observer this Spencer looks the same as the other Spencer; same hair, same face, same clothes; but for anyone looking closely, and I am looking extremely closely, you can tell the difference, because her eyes are completely different. Where once warmth and affection shone, now there is only distance and emotionless detachment. Spencer's eyes were glowing at me just seconds ago, the love she felt for Hanna and I, some of her closest friends, bright and strong; yet now it has completely disappeared, as if it never existed at all. The change in Spencer is disconcerting, and it leaves me feeling even more lost that I already am.
I want to call Spencer out on her abrupt change, but before I can there is a knock on the door, and a wary looking Emily pops her head around the door. 'Hey, sorry to interrupt,' Emily doesn't look that sorry, especially when she gives Spencer a dirty look, 'But the doctor heard Paige is awake and he wants to examine her'.
Spencer returns Emily's glare with a cool look of her own, then turns to speak to me instead of responding to Emily. 'The doctor will need to give you a check over before he will even consider discharging you, but I want you to be honest with him, and if you feel at all dodgy then you have to agree to stay in until he is happy you can be released, ok?'
I lock eyes with Spencer, intending to argue that I am fine and can be discharged this instant, but just as I am about to open my mouth I see her eyes soften, the emotions she locked away shining through for a few seconds, and it unravels me all over again. Instead of back chatting like I had been going to, I find myself meekly nodding in agreement instead. Damn this woman and her ability to turn me into putty with nothing more than a warm gaze! Spencer smiles at my acquiescence, her hand brushing against my shoulder again briefly, then turns to leave.
Emily must of waved the doctor in as an older guy in a white jacket shuffles through the door, eying Spencer warily as he passes her. I see Spencer clock the move and she half turns back towards me, but her eyes stay on the doctor as she speaks, her voice low and serious sounding. 'I'll be right outside the entire time Paige, so just holler if you need me. I don't mind taking out another doctor if I need to'.
I can't contain the giggle that bubbles up at the sight of the doctor's eyes practically popping out of his head, and I have to cover my mouth with my hand to try and hide my amusement, but I see Spencer's lip quirk in recognition the second before she turns and disappears through the door.
Hanna jumps off the bed to follow Spencer but I catch her hand before she can, squeezing it gently as she looks at me in question. 'Do you mind staying with me? I'd prefer to keep a friendly face nearby'.
'Of course sweetie, whatever you need'. Hanna returns my squeeze and smiles at me, then rounds the bed and settles down into Spencer's armchair.
I turn my attention to the guy in the white coat, trying to give him a genuine smile in case it aids in my release. 'Hey doc, I'm feeling much better, really. I've got a bit of an achy head, which is no surprise given that it bounced off a car, but I feel right as rain apart from that. I'm sure my memory will come back in no time, which can happen just as easily at home as it could here; so, can you discharge me?'
'Miss McCullers...' The exasperated tone he uses doesn't bode well, and I brace myself for bad news. '….you were involved in a very serious car accident that left you unconscious for five days, and the resulting head injury has rendered your memory of self null and void. I would be remiss in my duty of care if I didn't at least conduct a cursory exam before signing your release papers, so why don't you let me do my job. Then, and only then, will I be able to tell you whether you're fit to leave the safety of this establishment or not'.
His scolding is warranted, I am being difficult, but I can't help feeling like calling Spencer back in so that she can kick his ass for me. Instead I settle for sulking, and remain quiet as the doctor goes through his exam; letting him take my blood pressure, shine a light into both my eyes, place his cold stethoscope onto my chest and back to listen to my lungs and heart (I refuse to take the hoody off as I can't bear to be parted from it), and make several attempts to find the rather stubborn vein in my arm before being able to draw two vials of blood.
Once he is finished, the doctor peels off his gloves and regards me gravely, his watery grey eyes stern beneath his glasses. 'Both your heart and lungs sound good, even with the restriction of your damaged ribs, and your eyes are bright and clear. I won't have the results of your bloods for a couple of days, but there has been nothing in any of your previous bloods to indicate any kind of issue, so I can find nothing physically wrong to keep you here'.
My hopes lift at his words and I start to bounce in my seat. 'So, I can go home?'
'I would of course prefer you to stay here, even with the...ruckus, your presence has caused, but there is nothing in your physiology that ties you here, so you are free to go if you so wish'.
I ignore the protests of my ribs and leap off the bed to engulf him in a hug, much to his befuddlement, then spin round and hug Hanna as she bounders over to me with glee. I pick her up easily and spin us around, my whoops of joy at being able to leave almost eclipsed by Hanna squeals of excitement at the move. I stop spinning us when I start to feel dizzy, not wanting to throw up and give the doctor a reason to withhold his signature from my release papers, the grin on my face feeling like it is going straight from ear to ear.
'Yes, well'. The doctor straightens his jacket where my hug creased it, and shuffles his way back to the door. 'I shall leave your discharge papers with the nurses, so you can leave whenever you are ready'.
As soon as he exits the room Spencer and Emily appear, their faces wearing matching expressions of curiosity. I release Hanna and turn towards them, the grin on my face starting to make my cheeks ache. 'The doc says there's no reason to keep me here, so I'm a free woman just as soon as someone finds me a pair of pants and a shirt I can change into!'
Something passes across Spencer's face at my words and her eyes flick to Hanna, who also seems suddenly perturbed. My smile slips as I register there is something they're not telling me, and my gaze goes between the pair as I try to work out what it could be. 'Ok, keeping secrets from the girl with no memory is a definite no no. What is it you're not telling me?'
Emily looks just as confused as me, but I see it when Hanna looks at Spencer and inclines her head slightly, then she places a hand on my arm. 'We need to talk, Paige'.
'It's time for us to wait outside again'. Spencer turns to Emily, her tone mild, though brooking no argument, and shepherds her out of the room.
Just before she closes the door completely, Spencer looks up and me, her eyes capturing mine with the intensity in them. 'Paige...,' Her eyes have dropped their shields again, and I can see a mix of concern, worry, love, and fear swirling in them, the complete honesty she shows me making me trust her words. '…...please listen to what Hanna says, and try not to freak out. Once we get you home I will tell you anything you want to know, but for now just try and remember that the whole reason that you're here is because you're such a selfless person, and trust Hanna. Ok?'
Spencer's cryptic words do nothing to allay my fears, but the intensity of her gaze is like a warm caress against my face begging me to understand, so I simply nod in agreement and she leaves with a final, small, smile.
Once the door is closed I turn to Hanna, my face set in a look of determination. 'Ok Hanna, spill it. What the hell is going on?'
Hanna takes my hand and leads me towards the bathroom, but turns back towards me when I hesitate. 'You heard what Spencer said, Paige. Trust me, please'.
'This is a hell of a lot to take on faith, Hanna. I hope you appreciate that'. My heart is beating out of my chest, and there is a thousand thoughts a minute charging through my mind, but I nod for her to proceed.
Hanna resumes walking and leads me into the bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror against the wall. I take a moment to study my reflection, the stranger looking back at me still taking some getting used to, and I see for the first time the bandage wrapped around my head from where the surgery was performed. The side of my head had been shaved for the operation, with the other half of my head still covered in brown locks that reach down to my shoulders, and I wonder if I'm the kind of girl that can rock the punk metal look.
'You're going to need to take your hoody off for this'. Hanna sounds nervous, her voice wavering with unease.
I turn to her in frustration. 'What is "this" Hanna? I don't understand why you don't just tell me what's going on'. I'm trying to keep calm like Spencer told me to, but all this is freaking me the hell out.
Hanna rubs her forehead, the sweat on her brow telling me just how much she is stressing about this too. 'It's more a show and then tell kind of thing; but I'm worried about you flipping out, or fainting, because I don't think I'm strong enough to catch you, or restrain you if necessary'.
I can hear how worried about me Hanna is, and the concern in her voice seems to settle my nerves as I try to allay hers. 'I'm not going to freak out Hanna, or faint. That was a one time deal, I think; but I really need you to tell me what is going on, because my mind is conjuring all sorts of horrors in lieu of your explanation'.
Hanna nods at me, understanding that not knowing is far worse than knowing, and cuts to the chase. 'You have scars on your body, Paige. Lots of them, and not just from the accident'.
My eyes widen in surprise at her words, not expecting this to be her revelation, and my hands automatically rise to my torso, peeling off the hoody without hesitation. The gown is easy to remove, a swift tug and the flimsy ribbon holding it together snaps, the thin material floating to the floor to puddle at my feet, and I am left in my underwear, gazing at myself in stupefied disbelief.
My body is incredibly toned, fit and lean with well defined muscles that would make even the hardest of gym goes envious, but I barely see this as all I can focus on is the damage. My frame is littered with a multitude of bruises, all in the latter stages of fading, but it is not the purple and green marks that capture my attention, in fact I hardly register them at all. Framed around and through the thick tape currently securing my damaged ribs are a host of scars, all much older than a mere five days, and all indicating that my body had been subjected to a lot more trauma than just a car accident in it's time. I raise my hand slowly and trace over a particularly nasty looking scar, the original injury clearly one that would of caused me a great deal of pain at the time.
'How did I get them?' My voice is quiet, a whisper on the exhaled breath I let go in the small room, too wrapped up in the marks I have been wearing without my knowledge to focus on how loud my voice is.
'Do you remember who Batman is?' Hanna answers my question with an even more perplexing question, and I look up at her in confusion.
'Batman? As in the fictional superhero?' I frown at her in consternation. ' Are you telling me Batman gave me these scars?'
Hanna's bark of laugher is loud in the otherwise quiet room, the sound reverberating off the tiles, making it seem to echo. 'No, I'm not telling you Batman did it. What kind of nut job do you think I am?!'
I look back at my reflection, my eyes scanning over each scar, seeing a crazy time-line of pain etched into the skin currently attached to my body. 'At this point in time I think I'd believe just about anything you said, because this is some crazy shit right here'.
Hanna steps forward and places her hand lightly on my arm, her voice full of comfort as she talks. 'These wounds are battle scars, Paige. You spend your nights helping people in trouble, people who can't help themselves, and you prevent bad people from doing awful things to innocent people. I asked if you knew who Batman was because I wanted to know if you remembered what superheros are, because that's what you are Paige, you're a superhero'.
My eyes fly to Hanna at her words, a joke ready on my lips, but it dies on my tongue as I see just how serious she really is. I return my gaze to my marked body, my voice hoarse in disbelief as I talk. 'Judging from the state of my body, I don't seem to have many superpowers'.
Hanna wraps her arm around my waist and leans her head against my shoulder, gazing at my reflection ruefully. 'Three years of going up against the lowest forms of life leave their mark on a person, but you must know that there are people in this world that wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for you'.
The information is a lot to process and my head is swimming with questions I am desperate to ask, but I also know that a hospital bathroom is not the place to delve deeper into my extracurricular activities. I pick up Spencer's hoody from the floor and slip it back over my head, covering my body from my gaze, and turn to look at Hanna.
Hanna waits patiently for me to speak and I know that she is worried about me processing this information, so I smile at her softly. 'So, are you going to get me some pants so we can go home, or do I need to walk home with my ass hanging out?'
