*Big thanx to my reviewers: DHARKE and CHARLES KIZZIAR. A Fata Morgana? Well, maybe u use a different word for that. It's kind of an illusion. Images of things that don't exist like that on a certain place, formed through mirages, often seen in deserts and above oceans. – Wow, I can't hardly believe it, I kept my promise concerning the update-date. Basically something always gets in the way, lol *
Chapter 1
Kincaid drew little circles on his jeans with his finger and yawned bored. It was in the early afternoon but after another sleepless night he wasn't in the best mood. They had been waiting for more than fifteen minutes for the second psychiatrist. The others seemed to be as listless as him. He involuntarily looked at Terry who was tying one of her ribbons as usual. She looked up but quickly away as she noticed his scornful expression. Two seconds later she risked another look towards his direction. He forced himself a smile and raised a thumb to show her that he liked what she was doing. Actually he didn't give a damn but he couldn't even stand the imagination of her being mad at him – either she yelled at him at the top of her voice which only made his headache increase or she was in a huff and didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. Both kept him from making out with her which was unacceptable. He knew he had won when he saw her smile proudly as she continued her work.
The door was opened and the discussion between Carter and Larry instantly stopped as the jock caught sight of the person beside Matt who was one of the psychiatrists. Actually his name was Dr. Matthews but he didn't insist on being called by his title like some others did. The boy that had entered the room with him was of their age, a somewhat dirty blond and had blue eyes that he now narrowed, turning his head to the boy that spoke to him.
"Fuck man, that just perfectly matches! Actually I expected you to be here a long time before me and actually instead of me at all. – Damn, thought I'd got rid of your fucking mug like forever, shithead, and now it seems like you're haunting me even here."
The new boy frowned. "Do I –" he made an undefined gesture with his hand, "should I know you?"
"Aw, what's that?!" Carter asked in a bored tone. "Faking Amnesia?"
"I honestly have no idea –"
"Aw shit, Browning, that's pathetic! Come up with something better."
"You know him?" Matt interfered.
"Know him??" Carter gave a cold laugh, not noticing the astonished glances Matt and Dr. Cole exchanged. "Man, I been beating the shit outta this fucker since –" he stopped as Terry dug him in the ribs with her elbow. "Yeah …. I mean …. we …. kinda grew up together, uh huh. Basically all of us here did."
The boy with the re-found name stared at the dark-haired he kinda grew up together with while him repeated the name and his address for Matt. He asked him whether he remembered this name but he didn't. The entire time in the hospital he had been sure that if only someone would tell him who he was all the memories would come rushing back to him though Dr Stanford had warned him not to consider it to be so easy. Dr Stanford. Alex was sure his jaw would be okay again soon. As well as the one nurse's hand and the other one's eye. He still couldn't explain what had come over him. Whatever it had been was the reason he now was here for.
"Hey", the curly blonde beside Carter greeted him. "I'm Terry. Terry Chaney. We been together in Mount Abraham School since first grade – err, I mean at the same school, not together like …. u know." Glancing at them he tried to find anything familiar in their faces but couldn't.
"Hi Alex, I'm Larry St. Patrick", the boy with curly black hair, Carter had talked to as Alex had entered, said. "And I know just as much who you are as you obviously do. What's the reason for –" he tipped against his head.
"Car crash. A black sports car that came out of nowhere is the last thing I remember."
"Don't look at me", Carter grumbled, skimming through a comic as the two girls instantly did so. "I have a damn good excuse. And I'm sure my car didn't return from the scrap press itself."
His eyes turned to the last person sitting there. "Hi Alex." A blonde girl with a shy expression on her face said. He returned the smile, studying her features and for a moment there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in her eyes that maybe he recognised her, but again he didn't.
Matt had just told him to sit down as the door opened again and another psychiatrist entered the room. Dr Cole her name plate read.
"Aw no, finally", Carter said sarcastically.
"Kincaid, why don't you just –" she began but he interrupted her again.
"Well; I dunno what you been told as a child but we always begin the day with a friendly Good Morning."
"For all I care: Good Morning", she replied ironically and had to endure every imaginable welcome formula in not less than eight different languages during the next minutes.
Dr Matthews raised his hand in a soothing gesture. "I think it's enough now."
"Uh oh, I guess someone's jealous over there", Larry remarked. "I think we didn't welcome Matt seemly."
"Don't you dare!" The psychiatrist grinned. "Otherwise we gonna discuss the mental duress to greet in a four-hour extra session."
"Sorry", Larry played the peeved, "we simply wanted to be polite."
"Then prove that by shutting up", Matt gave back friendly and turned to Alex. "Don't worry, they're not as half as bad as they seem to be."
"No, actually they're even worse!" Dr Cole grumbled.
"Whose fault that might be", Kincaid mumbled but she intentionally ignored him.
"Hey!" he turned to Alex, folding his arms. "After all you do remember the fucking crash don't you?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you listen to me? This is basically all I-"
"Naw, not that one!" he was unfriendly interrupted. Apparently impatience was that guy's biggest problem. "Talkin' 'bout the plane crash. Huh, Mr Prem? Bells are ringin'?" Fixed ideas were another one.
Alex felt anger raise inside of him. "Which part concerning 'I don't remember anything except that car crash' didn't you get?"
Carter", Matt began, "I don't think this is the right time to-"
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt this dear souly here, I just wanna know whether he's aware of the fact that he's the reason why I'm here!" His blue eyes had become darker and even the cold smirk had disappeared. Though he didn't know this guy Alex wasn't sure if he had survived if it had been just the two of them in this room. This from his point of view made that institution the perfect place for the jock.
"I'm sorry", Alex started, then hesitated for a moment, obviously trying to find an excuse before continued: "but I have to admit that I don't give a fuck about your accusations. Whoever you are, don't try n blame me for your problems, man!"
Terry's hand, raised to grab her boyfriend's arm to prevent him from jumping from his chair was left useless in the air. The next moment Alex found himself smashed to the ground and a fist crashed into his face. A second later two strong male nurses tore them apart and dragged the still cursing and fighting Carter out of the room.
"A normal day", Terry said after the door had been closed. Dr Cole had a grimly expression on her face, sure that Carter now was in the cell for solitary confinement, totally unsuspecting that Matt and the male nurses in tacit understanding considered the TV room as such.
Alex gazed across the scene. It wasn't just that he felt terribly misplaced in here, he further doubted that this might be of any help at all. Surely the doctors would find out soon where he came from, call his parents and they would come to pick him up and get him out of here, back into the outside world.
To a normal life.
*A/N: Dear reviewers: thank u soo much! I was quite surprised to find two reviewers so soon! Unfortunately I had not much time during the last week n no chance to get into the net during the last days. I hope to publish more at Tuesday, December 16th. Thanx for ur patience. lc277*
