Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters created by L.M. Montgomery and Moira Walley-Beckett. I do not claim any ownership over them and offer my writing to the world as a homage of appreciation to their creations as well as an outlet of imagination to imagine an infinity of alternate storylines. This is just one of them!

IX.

Anne felt as if she were wrapped up in cotton. She found herself slipping in and out of sleep. She wondered where she was and why was she now immobile? Her mind felt foggy as she tried to recall any detail, but could come up with nothing at all. She couldn't move or open her eyes. Her throat and lips were dry. Her head was throbbing—it was worse than any headache she'd ever had. Suddenly, a panic began to rise in her stomach, so she tried to focus on the one sense that was still within her control: her ears.

Anne wondered if what she was experiencing was just some kind of strange dream. As she focused on what she could hear, she sensed faint voices that sounded familiar: Aunt Jo? Matthew? Diana? Marilla?

As her hearing continued to improve, she heard an unexpected voice clear as a bell.

"Anne, all of us are waiting for you to wake up and enliven our conversation. You see, it's been too quiet and we need your voice. We need you back with us. I hope you can hear us. Anne?"

Gilbert Blythe! What was he doing there? Anne wondered why she was dreaming about him.

Anne put every effort into forcing her eyes to open, but it felt like there were weights on her eyelids keeping them shut. She then heard Cole's voice and then realized this was probably not a dream. Something had happened to put her in this state, but what, she could not recall.

"Anne, if you can hear us, I'm certain you would want to have your say. It must be torture for you to have to listen to each of us and not get to respond. Please, Anne, wake up."

Anne wanted badly to shout that she was doing her best to comply. She focused again on trying to get her eyes open as she tried to search her memories for why she was this incapacitated, but she could not think of anything. She felt so frustrated and confused, and those feelings finally found expression. Suddenly she was able to flutter her eyelids at last! She just needed to keep them open now...

"Look! Her eyelashes, they're moving! I think she's trying to open her eyes. Anne? Can you hear us?" She heard Gilbert's voice, full of animation and excitement.

With a great effort, Anne turned toward the direction of that voice and gradually forced her eyes open. There she saw Gilbert near her bedside on her right, tears in his eyes. "There you are," he whispered, smiling. Cole and Matthew were right next to him, also smiling. They all looked so relieved for some reason. What were they doing here and where was she? She blinked, wondering if she was dreaming or imagining this. But they were still there when she opened her eyes again.

Marilla, Aunt Jo, and Diana were on her other side, all smiling and crying as well. Anne felt overwhelmed with confusion and disorientation, as she tried to understand why so many of her family and friends were gathered at her bedside. It finally dawned on her that something bad had happened to her. So she wanted to ask.

Anne opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat felt too dry and she coughed instead. Aunt Jo then asked Rollings to find and bring Dr. Holmes immediately to see Anne.

Marilla asked her, "Would you like some water?"

Anne nodded weakly, as she was still trying to get back control of her body and voice. Matthew then came and helped put some pillows behind her back and head to prop her up. Marilla poured and brought a glass of water to her lips carefully. The water felt so good going down her throat, and she nearly drank half a glass before she had to stop.

Anne looked around at the room and saw that Diana's parents were also there near the door. The room looked vaguely familiar, and the furnishings reminded her of the time Diana and she had stayed with Aunt Jo in Charlottetown.

"Diana, are we at Aunt Jo's? Is this the room we stayed in?" Anne finally found her voice, but it was weak and scratchy. Her head still throbbed and felt as if it was wrapped in cotton, and indeed when she reached her hand to her head, she felt a bandage. "Something's happened to me. What-what happened?"

Anne looked at Diana, Matthew, and Marilla. Diana clasped Anne's in hers. "Yes, Anne, you're at Aunt Jo's in Charlottetown, and this is indeed the room we stayed in for her celebration."

Marilla stroked her hair. "You don't remember what's happened, how you got hurt?"

Anne looked at Marilla, stunned, as she shook her head. "No." She held a hand up to the back of her head where she felt a dull ache and found a bandage there. "It feels as if I hit my head very badly."

Matthew approached her, his eyes wet with tears, his head drooping in a guilty posture. "Anne, you were in an accident, and I-I couldn't protect you. I…"

Anne looked at Matthew in surprise. "An accident?" She frowned as she tried again to search her memory, but still nothing came to her. "I-I just don't remember being in an accident." She could see everyone looking at her with expressions of surprise and concern. It was infuriating not to know what they knew, and she wanted to say something but then her eyes landed on Gilbert. He looked at her in a way she hadn't seen before, a mixture of melancholy and passion, almost as if he could look into her soul.

Then Anne paused as she recalled how Mary had just passed away and broken all of their hearts, especially Bash's. Gilbert was probably also grieving Mary as she was almost like a sister to him. She gasped as an overwhelming grief flooded her mind. Immediately she wanted to know how Bash was, and knew that Gilbert would know best.

Gilbert came close to her. "What is it? Do you feel any pain?"

Anne looked up at him in sympathy. "Oh Gilbert, how are you? And how is Bash?" She reached out for his hand.

Gilbert grasped her hand in both his hands and looked at her in complete astonishment, but he immediately collected himself to respond to her calmly. "Anne, you're the one in bed with a head injury. You shouldn't be the one to ask how I am." He smiled as he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I know you're being brave, but I know how much she meant to you. And especially to poor Bash and Delly."

Anne could see that everyone in the room looked stunned at her words, including Gilbert. No one knew quite what to say.

Anne's eyes filled with tears. "Did something h-happen at the funeral? Did I hit my head there?" Suddenly she felt a sharp pain and winced.

"Anne? What is it?" Gilbert came closer, his concerned eyes fixed on hers. He looked at Diana and Marilla, and they looked equally concerned.

Anne looked into his eyes. "My head...I felt pain, but it's better now."

"Anne, what exactly do you last remember?" Gilbert asked his question slowly to ensure that Anne understood it.

"Mary's funeral of course! Oh, we lost her so quickly, it's so unfair…" Anne saw everyone looking at her with concern. "Wait, why is everyone…"

Everyone was silent, uncertain of what to say next. Anne then spoke, "What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that—like I've said something out of t-turn."

"Anne," said Gilbert gently. "Mary's funeral was nearly four months ago."

Four months ago. Now it was Anne's turn to be stunned as his words reverberated in her head. "What? No. It feels like it was just-just yesterday. Easter was just last week. Right?" Mary's loss was so fresh in her mind and it felt unbearable. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to process what she was hearing.

Marilla sat on the bed and put her arm around Anne. "There, there, it'll be all right. The doctor is on his way and we'll sort this all out."

"I don't understand." Anne looked at Marilla and Diana, and back at Gilbert, who looked regretful to have said anything at all. "Why don't I remember...how did I…"

Anne sobbed and she started to feel lightheaded as her chest began to feel tight as she started to breathe more quickly.

"Anne?" Gilbert's voice caught her attention as he gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, take slow breaths. In...and out…in...and out..." He looked into her eyes, and then Anne nodded as she followed his directions.

Anne's breaths began to slow down. She felt herself calm down and not feel as lightheaded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I could tell you were getting worked up and I didn't want you to faint when we just got you to wake up. I'm so sorry, Anne, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No…" Anne shook her head and it only made her feel more dizzy. She felt herself get lightheaded as the sensation of being wrapped in cotton had again enveloped her head. She tried to fight and keep her eyes open, but her eyelids grew too heavy again. All she could think of was Gilbert's words: "Mary's funeral was four months ago."

It wasn't possible, thought Anne as she felt herself drift back to sleep. But why would Gilbert tell me that if it wasn't true? What happened in the last four months, and why can't I remember any of it?