Chapter Two: I Remember The Leaves...
Michael Sanders entered the room 245, immediately looking at the familiar bed. He noticed that the girl sat, her face turned to the window. Doctor took a deep breath, trying to slow down his unusually fast heart-beats. He was a doctor, yes; It wasn't his first time to talk to a person who was in coma… But this was different. This wasn't just some person – this was a child. A lost child whose parents or friends weren't here. Heavens know that Michael wanted to see her awake. It was his only desire for the past few months… He thought about her awakening all the time, but now that it had actually happened, he wasn't quite sure what to ask or what to say
Michael sat on a chair, deciding to ask the question doctors always ask their patients.
"How are you?"
The girl didn't look at him, just like he thought it might happen, she only continued staring through the window. Michael didn't want to push her too hard so he waited patiently for her to speak.
"Where am I?" she hoarsely asked after minutes of silence.
"You're at hospital."
The girl blinked. Hospital... The word sounded so familiar, yet so strange. She knew it had something to do with the people in white...
What were their names? Oh, yes. Doctors. Silly me. And… nurses, too. The man who entered the room must be a doctor... Hospital… Yes….Wasn't that a place where wounded or sick people would rest and recover? Then… what on Earth am I doing here?
But before she could ask that, there was another burning question. Much more important one. It was trying to get out of her mouth, but she didn't want to let it. Something was wrong… very wrong…
I can't ask that. He will think I am crazy!
Still, she needed to know. There was no way out – she needed to get the answer. I should be ashamed of myself… I really should… But I ought to know this.
"Who am I?"
Doctor's heart tightened. His hopes flew away just like they had came. If she didn't know who she was… how could anyone else?
The girl now turned her head to face the doctor, putting her bushy hair behind ears. For the first time in his life, Michael saw the colour of her eyes – they were dark brown and very deep and he could clearly read confusion and embarrassment in them.
"We…" he started, sighing deeply. It was so hard to respond.
Why the hell must life be so unfair?
"We actually don't know who you are. We had prayed that you'd be the one to tell us that…"
She blinked a few times, as tears immediately filled her tormented eyes. Michael could see she was bravely gritted teeth giving her best not to cry.
"So... You want to say - you don't even know my name?"
Michael avoided to answer this directly. He put his hand in a pocket and took out the necklace that belonged to the girl.
"We've found you wearing this the night you were brought here," Doctors Sanders showed the necklace to her. It had three small golden letters attached to it. "I figured they might be your initials… but they could be something else, too. Here, take a look."
The girl took the necklace out of the doctor's hand, trembling slightly. She stared at the three letters for a few minutes.
H R H
They looked so beautiful together. She felt some odd attachment to them. It seemed as though those letters were describing her entire life and everything that she had ever loved or cared about. That cannot represent my name then, can it?
"We'd also found a stick with you, but I don't have it here right now."
A stick? Why would I have a stick with me? That makes no sense... Can't break my head because of it now, really…
She squeezed the necklace harder.
"If I don't know mine," she quietly said, breaking the silence, "then may I know your name?"
Michael gave her an encouraging smile.
"Of course. I apologize I didn't tell you sooner. My name's Michael Sanders and I'm your doctor, as you may have already guessed."
She simply nodded and looked through the window once again, suddenly noticing something she didn't see earlier. The leaves of the trees were yellow and brown. Some of them were already on the ground. True, she couldn't remember her name or her life, but she was almost positive that the last time she had seen the leaves… they were green.
"I remember… I think I do, anyway… I remember leaves being green... healthy... fresh. How can it be they're yellow and dry now?"
"That's because you're here for more than three months. Almost four."
The girl didn't seem to understand.
"You were in coma until today."
Michael expected everything but not the reaction she had. Smile.
Is there anything else about me that I don't know? Probably. I am like a body with no memories now. No soul. Nothing. Just splendid.
She had no idea what to do. Or say. Everything seemed so hopeless.
Doctor Sanders realized that her smile was a sign of despair. Michael couldn't let her let everything go. He swore that he would help her even if it's the last thing he'd do.
"Don't worry," he said fatherly, ignoring the not interested expression on her face. "I will be there to help you get through the rough time. The nurses will help you overcome all the difficulties, too. I guarantee to teach you how to live a new life. And, believe me, you will remember your previous life one day. Sooner than you think! But first, we have some hard stuff to do and I'll need your cooperating more than everything."