She heard voices around her but she didn't recognize any of them. She tried hard to figure out what was going on but nothing came to her. She slowly forced her eyes opened and blinked to clear her vision. Once she was able to focus she looked around her. She was laying on a bed in a small room. The bed, along with a dresser, a nightstand and a chair, were the only furniture in the room. She started to sit up but realized she was incredibly weak. She settled back down onto the pillow. Where am I? she thought, What happened?
Before she had time to ponder these questions, the door opened and a woman in her late sixties entered. She looked up and her gray eyes went wide when she saw the woman on the bed was awake. She smiled and brought her hand to her chest.
"You're awake," the older woman smiled, "You startled me when I walked in. I didn't expect to see your eyes open."
"I'm sorry," the younger woman murmured.
"Oh don't be," the older woman insisted, "it's all right. How are you feeling?"
"Tired," she answered, "weak. I can't even sit up."
"The doctor said you'd feel that way when you woke up," the elderly woman informed and turned back to the open bedroom door. "James! Come in here, she's awake!" A moment later a man about the same age as the woman entered.
"Well hello," the man greeted warmly, "it's good to see you're awake."
"What happened to me?" the woman on the bed asked.
"We were hoping you could tell us," James replied, "we found you on the beach three days ago while we were walking our dog. You were wearing that." He pointed to the wall next to the dresser where a tattered peach dress hung on a hanger. "Do you remember what happened?"
The young woman thought for a moment. "No."
"Well, that's all right," the older woman comforted, "the doctor said there might be gaps in your memory. Oh! How rude of us! We haven't even introduced ourselves. My name is Marta Ericson and this is my husband James."
"I'm…" The woman on the bed paused and her brow furrowed in concentration. "I'm…I…I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" Marta inquired.
"No, I mean, yes, I mean…" she looked at the elderly couple, "there are a bunch of names floating around in my head but I can't grasp any of them. Wait…" She closed her eyes tightly, "Seifer."
"Your name is Seifer?" James asked doubtfully.
"No," the woman shook her head, "that's not right." She concentrated hard and grabbed a hold of the only other name that sounded remotely familiar. "Um…Angelica?"
"Angelica?" Marta repeated.
"Yes," the blonde nodded, "that sounds right."
"Do you know where you came from Angelica?" James asked.
"No," Angelica answered, "I can't remember anything. My mind is completely blank."
"Well, you get some rest dear," Marta told her, "and we'll have the doctor come and check on you in the morning. Maybe by then you'll remember something."
"Okay," Angelica agreed and the couple started to leave. "Wait! Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Marta said.
"Where am I?" Angelica questioned.
"In Winhill," James replied.
"Thank you," Angelica called as they left. Winhill. It sounded familiar but she didn't know why. She figured that there was no sense in contemplating it at the moment, so she took Marta's advice and went to sleep.
Outside the room, the couple went into their tiny kitchen and sat down at the table to have some coffee. Once the brew was poured and they were both seated around the table, James spoke.
"Do you think she's hurt worse than the doctor suspected?" he asked his wife.
"Who?" the gray haired woman inquired as she sipped her coffee.
"Angelica," James clarified.
"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine," Marta assured, "the doctor said she might have gaps in her memory. He had a scientific name for it…" She trailed off as she tried to remember the doctor's words.
"Post Traumatic Amnesia," James offered.
"That was it!" Marta agreed, "Post Traumatic Amnesia. He said she might have that. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, he said she was fine."
"Remember when he said he sensed magic around her?" James questioned. He continued without waiting for an answer, "He said that it probably saved her life. Who do you think she is?"
"I don't have any idea," Marta responded, "She sure is a beautiful girl though. I'm sure someone must be looking for her. She's obviously not homeless or she wouldn't have been wearing such a nice dress."
"You're right," James nodded, "When I go into work tomorrow, I'll get the doctor to come out here and I'll spread the word about her. Maybe someone will know something."
"That's a good idea sweetheart," Marta praised. The couple fell silent, sipping their coffee and pondering the mystery of the woman in the other room.
Angelica was awakened the next morning by Marta and a dark-haired man in his early thirties. He wore casual clothes and had a black bag in his hand. He smiled when he saw her eyes on him.
"Good morning Angelica," the man greeted, "I'm Dr. Lockheart."
"Good morning," Angelica said politely.
"Sorry I'm here so early," he apologized, "but I wanted to see you before my other appointments."
"No need to apologize," Angelica assured.
The doctor smiled again and began pulling things out of his bag, which he sat on the chair next to her bed. Angelica decided that she liked the doctor. He had a friendly aura about him and he was handsome on top of that.
"If you need anything Doctor, I'll be in making the coffee," Marta told him and exited the room, leaving the door opened. Dr. Lockheart pulled a pair of stethoscopes out of his bag and put them around his neck. He put his bag on the floor and sat down in the chair it had occupied.
"So Angelica," he began, "how are you feeling?"
"Weak," Angelica answered, "Yesterday I couldn't even sit up."
"What about today?" he asked.
"I don't know," Angelica admitted, "I haven't tried."
"Why don't you try now?" the doctor suggested.
Angelica pushed the blankets down a little and, bracing herself, pushed up into a sitting position.
"Good!" the doctor praised, "You're strength is already returning." Angelica smiled shyly at the doctor's enthusiasm. "You've still got a ways to go until you're back to normal. Now, Marta tells me there are some gaps in your memory."
"That's an understatement," Angelica scoffed, "I can't remember anything."
"You remembered your name," the doctor offered helpfully.
"That's true," Angelica started, "but now I'm starting to think that it's not the right name. There were so many names floating through my mind and I just latched onto one of them."
"Don't be discouraged," Dr. Lockheart instructed, "I'm almost 100% sure that the amnesia is temporary."
"Almost?" Angelica questioned tentatively.
"There's always a chance that your memory won't return," Dr. Lockheart informed, "but trust me, you have a better chance of getting hit by lightning." Angelica nodded, "Well, let's get on with the exam."
The doctor examined the young woman quickly. Five minutes later, he was packing up his supplies. "I'll be back to see you tomorrow. Until then, eat something and get plenty of rest."
"Okay," Angelica said, "thank you Doctor."
"No problem," he smiled again and picked up his bag. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Angelica nodded and the doctor left. She heard him say goodbye to Marta and exit the house. A few minutes later, Marta came into the small bedroom carrying a tray with a bowl, spoon and crackers on it. She placed it on Angelica's lap.
"The doctor said you needed to eat something and suggested soup," Marta informed, "I hope tomato is okay."
"Tomato is fine," Angelica assured, though she didn't know if she liked tomato soup or not. She picked up the spoon and scooped up some soup. She brought it to her lips and sipped it carefully. The red liquid covered her tongue and she realized that she really did like tomato soup. She put the spoon all the way into her mouth and pulled it back out, minus the soup.
"This is delicious," Angelica commented as she took another spoonful.
"Thank you," Marta smiled, "so how are you feeling?"
"Better," Angelica answered, "I don't feel so weak."
"Do you remember anything more?" Marta prodded.
"No," Angelica answered and dipped a cracker into the soup, "but Dr. Lockheart seemed optimistic about my recovery."
"That Dr. Lockheart is an incredible physician," Marta commented, "I baby-sit his children sometimes."
"Children?" Angelica asked as her face fell.
Marta chuckled. "You aren't the first woman to have that reaction when they learned of Dr. Lockheart's marital status. He is a very handsome man."
"Indeed he is," Angelica agreed. Suddenly, her face turned very thoughtful. "I wonder if I'm married. Maybe I have a husband and kids out there somewhere waiting for me to come home."
"I don't know for sure," Marta told her, "but I don't think you've had any children. When I changed your clothing I didn't see any stretch marks. As for a husband, I'd have to say no on that one too but I think you might be engaged."
"Why?" Angelica questioned. Marta pointed to her left ring finger. "Oh my Hyne!" she gasped as she saw the sparkling diamond.
"You were wearing it when we found you," Marta informed, "it's an engagement ring."
Angelica brought her left hand up and watched as the diamond caught he light and broke it into a dazzling rainbow. She brought her hand down and laid it next to the tray. "Do you think he's looking for me?" she asked.
"I'm sure he's doing everything in his power to find you," Marta comforted.
Angelica nodded and continued to eat the soup. After she was done, Marta took the tray and left the room. She came back a minute later with a large, golden dog following her.
"This is Tank," Marta introduced, "he is the one who found you on the beach."
"Hello Tank," Angelica greeted. The dog wagged his tail enthusiastically and laid his chin on the bed. Angelica stroked his ears gently. She looked up at Marta. "Where is your husband?"
"He's at work," Marta informed and sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Where does he work?" Angelica questioned. Since her memory banks had been wiped clean, she was hungry for any knowledge she could come by.
"He works in the item's shop at the far end of the town," Marta replied.
"Do you have any children?" Angelica asked.
"No," Marta answered, "James and I aren't able to have children."
"I'm so sorry," Angelica said sympathetically.
"It's all right," Marta smiled, "I've babysat most of the children who were born in this town since I've been here."
"How long have you lived in…" Angelica trailed off, trying to remember the name of the town.
"Winhill?" Marta offered, "Since I was seventeen. It's been forty-six years. James and I moved here after we got married."
"How did you meet?" Angelica inquired.
"That's actually a very funny story…" Marta began telling Angelica about how she and James had met.
The women talked for most of the day. They only stopped after Marta insisted that Angelica get some rest. "We've been chatting all day," Marta said, "You must be exhausted."
While Angelica was enjoying Marta's stories, she had become quite tired. "Thank you for making me feel so welcome." Angelica smiled as Marta got up to leave.
"You're welcome dear," Marta smiled back, "and you will be welcome as long as you want to stay with us."
"Thank you," Angelica repeated.
Marta smiled again. "Come on Tank, Angelica needs her rest." The golden retriever jumped up from where he was lying on the floor and followed the gray haired woman out of the room. Marta closed the door and left Angelica along to rest, which she did.
------------------------------------------------
The next week progressed in much the same way. The doctor would visit every morning and Marta and Angelica would talk about various things during the day. Over the days, Angelica grew stronger and got more acquainted with the Ericsons. Once she was cleared to get out of bed by Dr. Lockheart, Angelica began helping Marta with the chores around the house. Marta had declined her help at first but Angelica had insisted that she earn her keep. Marta had finally relented and Angelica had been doing the dishes and other various household tasks.
On the seventh day since Angelica had been found, Marta informed her that she was going to the store to do some grocery shopping.
"I'll probably be gone for a few hours," Marta informed.
"Can I come with you?" Angelica asked eagerly as she finished the morning dishes and dried her hands on a dish towel.
"You do too much already," Marta declined, "I'm beginning to feel rather useless around here." She chuckled, "Besides, Dr. Lockheart said you shouldn't strain yourself. You're still not 100% better."
"All right," Angelica agreed reluctantly.
"Good girl," Marta praised, "I'll be back in a few hours and the entire house better not be clean when I get back. You just relax."
"I will," Angelica promised as she took her honey colored hair out of the ponytail she had put it in while she washed the dishes. "Bye."
"Bye," Marta waved and grabbed her purse. She looked down at the dog lying by the front door. "Take care of Angelica while I'm gone Tank."
The dog lifted his head and wagged his tail, his lips pulled back in a doggy smile.
Angelo used to do that all the time, Angelica thought. She shook her head quickly. What was that? Who's Angelo? Angelica snapped back to reality as the front door shut, leaving her standing alone in the entry way between the kitchen and the living room with the dog staring at her curiously. Angelica shook her head again and walked into the living room. She pulled a deck of cards out of her pocket and sat down at the table.
She had received the cards as a gift from Dr. Lockheart the second time he had come to see her after she had awakened. They were called Triple Triad Cards and were quite popular in Winhill and all over the world. They were sold in one of the stores at the far end of Winhill and the doctor had brought them to her to give her something to do.
"My kid's love them," he had told her when he had given her the cards, "I thought that maybe they'd keep you busy for awhile."
Angelica had been practicing with them ever since and was getting quite good with them. She now separated the cards into two piles and after picking five cards out of each half-deck, she began to play against herself. She was well into her fourth game when there was a knock on the door. She put down the remaining cards and walked over to the door. She saw the Tank was still lying in front of the door and was waiting for her to open the door so he could see who their visitor was.
Angelica opened the door and was surprised to see Dr. Lockheart's wife Analise an their two children. Analise's face lit up when the door opened.
"Angie!" Analise exclaimed, "is Marta here?"
"Oh I'm sorry," Angelica told the brunette woman, "she went shopping."
"Oh no!" Analise wailed, "there's an emergency in Timber and I need someone to watch the kids!"
"We're not babies you know," the Lockheart's ten-year-old daughter Tifa told her mother, "we can stay home alone."
"Yeah right," Analise rolled her eyes, "And by the time I got back there wouldn't be a home to leave you alone in."
"I could watch them for you, Mrs. Lockheart," Angelica offered.
"Could you?" Analise's face lit up, "I'd appreciate it so much!"
"No problem," Angelica assured and stepped aside so the kids could enter. "I hope everything is okay in Timber."
"It'll be fine," Analise told her, "Just another overly dramatic client." Analise Lockheart worked for an interior decorator in Timber. She looked through the doorway at her two children. "The two of you better behave for Angelica or you'll be in big trouble when I get back."
"We will!" the brother and sister said simultaneously. Their mother stepped forward and kissed them both on the forehead. "I'll be back in a few hours. Be good!" Analise waved goodbye and hurried out of the house, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Angelica turned to the brunette siblings.
"So," the blonde woman started, "what do you guys want to do?"
"I brought my cards," Tifa informed as she pulled them out of her pocket, "Wanna play?"
"Sure," Angelica agreed. She had played Tifa a few times when the Lockheart's had come over for dinner and knew the girl was good.
"I play winner!" Jessen, her seven-year-old brother, announced. The three of them left the entryway and went into the living room. The three sat down and Angelica gathered up her cards.
"Let's start with easy rules," Tifa suggested, "you can pick your cards and get to choose one if you win."
Angelica agreed and the two females began their game. The end result was 7 to 3 in favor of Tifa and Angelica loosing a T-Rexaur card. After their game was over Jessen sat down to play his sister. The three continued to play for a few more hours until Marta got home.
"It looks like I've got a houseful," she joked when she saw the kids.
"Mom had to go to Timber on business," Tifa told her as she helped with the groceries, "something about a client having a heart attack because they got the wrong drapes or something."
"Well, I'm glad you two are here," Marta said as she began putting the groceries away, "because," she reached into a bag and pulled out a cake in a plastic container, "I just bought this chocolate cake and there is no way James, Angelica and I can eat the whole thing by ourselves." The two children crowded around Marta eagerly. "But first, you need to eat some lunch. I'll make some sandwiches."
"I'll do it Marta," Angelica offered, "You've been on your feet all day."
"Thank you dear," Marta said and sat down at the table, "sometimes I forget how old I really am."
"You're not old Marta," Angelica smiled. She turned to the kids. "What do you guys want on your sandwiches?" The kids came over and began helping Angelica with the sandwiches. Once they were done, they took them to the table and ate their lunch.
They had just finished their cake when there was a knock at the door. Marta went to answer it while Angelica put the dishes into the sink. The children, anticipating that the knock was their mother, went into the living room to get their cards.
"Analise, so good to see you," Marta greeted after opening the door, "Is everything all right in Timber?"
"Everything's fine," Analise assured, "Were the kids good for Angie?"
"I only just got home twenty minutes ago," Marta informed, "but I'm sure they were."
At that moment, the siblings and Angelica came walking up behind Marta.
"Hi mom," Tifa called.
"Hi," Analise greeted, "we're you two good for Angie?"
"Yes," they replied simultaneously with an air of annoyance.
Analise looked past her children to the blonde woman. "Were they?"
"Of course," Angelica answered.
"All right," Analise said, "we'd better get home."
"We'd love it if you'd come by for dinner," Marta invited, "I'm making lasagna."
"Can we Mom?" Tifa asked eagerly.
"Yeah, can we?" Jessen begged.
Analise chuckled at her children's enthusiasm. "We'll be here," she told Marta.
"Excellent," Marta said, "we'll see you then."
"Great." Analise turned to go, then turned back around quickly. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out a neatly folded stack of gil. She handed it to Angelica. "Devlin asked me to give this to you. It's not much, just a thank you for watching the kids."
Angelica looked at the gil and pushed it back towards Analise. "I can't accept this."
"Of course you can," Analise insisted, "Devlin said that I was to make you take it, no matter what."
"But…" Angelica started.
"No buts." Analise shook her head and stepped back, "Buy yourself something with it."
"Thank you," Angelica smiled.
In between the women, the children looked at each other.
"Why are adults so weird about money?" Jessen questioned.
"I don't know," Tifa admitted, "but if Mom was offering me twenty-five gil, I'd take it in a second."
"All right you two," Analise called, "time to go." Marta waved goodbye and went into the kitchen. The three Lockhearts began to leave the Ericson residence but were stopped by Angelica calling to Tifa. Tifa stopped and turned around as Angelica stopped in front of her.
"I forgot to give this back to you." Angelica pulled a card out of her pocket and held it out to the girl. It was a high lever GF card that Angelica had won in a game earlier.
Tifa looked down at the card and her brown eyes scanned it quickly. "I don't want it back. You won it fair and square."
"But it's a valuable card," Angelica insisted, "I don't want to take it from you."
"Don't worry about it," Tifa grinned mischievously, "I'll just win it back from you later."
Angelica chuckled. "You're on kid. Bring your cards to dinner. Maybe we'll get a chance to play."
"Okay," Tifa agreed, "bye!" She hurried out to where her mother and brother were waiting. Angelica shut the door and looked down at the card in her hand. It depicts a blue humanesque GF with blue hair and one yellow streak running though it. The GF was female and her name was Shiva.
Shiva. That sounded so familiar to Angelica but she couldn't figure out why. She shrugged her shoulders and went into the kitchen to help Marta with the dinner preparations.
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I'm so sorry it took so long to update! My mom's truck broke down and I couldn't get to a computer until today! I know that this chapter is kinda long and boring but I just wanted to show how "Angelica" is adjusting to her life without a memory. And I added a little cameo by Tifa from FFVII as a child. There is a reason the doctor's last name is Lockheart but I couldn't resist making his daughter's name Tifa.
Thank you all for your reviews! I appreciate them so much! I hope to have the next chapter up tomorrow. Hopefully. Til then...