Uncomfortable, bright light filtered through my eyelids. With a painful jolt, I opened my eyes and spluttering, sat up in a strange, white bed. I immediately regretted it because my head started to sting and a very forbidding scene opened up in front of me. I saw white almost everywhere. Walls were a bleached white; the sheets starch white, white curtains, spotless – wait, what was I wearing?
A blue and white checked uniform? What was going on? I nearly screamed in frustration. Beds all around me all a metre apart. Some had a little dressing table for a few get-well cards and flowers. The room was also a blinding white with a few warmer blue colours. The room seemed so neat and formidable that the question - what I was doing here – just made my head hurt even more.
So you could just understand my surprise as I saw the top of somebody's head just to my right. I nearly yelped and jumped two metres in the air! I peered from the bed I was currently in, scared to move as I saw straight but ruffled, soft brown hair and saw the figure with his head buried in his hands and hunched. Hmmm, probably this person might know where I am. "Um…excuse me," I began.
The person whipped his head out of his hands in a flash. He stared at me with narrowed most piercing sky-blue eyes I had ever seen. Then it widened and his face broke into a sorrowful grin. "You're awake," he said softly as I continued to stare in confusion. "Yes, I am but could you just tell me where I am? I'm a bit lost."
The shock was really obvious on his face so I tried to explain.
"Well – you see – I know this might really sound strange but I can't remember anything. There's this black gap and I'm here. You must think I'm crazy but I'm really…" I hastily bit my lip, I almost blurted out that I was scared. Scared out of my wits – beyond anyone's imagination. I didn't know who I was, whom I know. There was a dark, deep chasm in my mind and I was totally lost…I was blank…I was scared.
The utter shock did not leave his face as he repeated, "You – can't – remember – anything?"
"Yes," I replied, a little annoyed, "So if you could just tell me where I am – it's a start."
He continued to stare at me and I grew quite self-conscious because he was quite handsome with gentle features (except his eyes, which were just mesmerising) and the most comfortable and familiar air about him. Unexpectedly, he had trouble saying the words that seemed to be choked tight in this throat, "Then – you don't remember who I am?"
"No," my brow furrowed, "Am I meant to?"
I felt extremely guilty as I saw his shock become replaced with hurt that overwhelmed his lovely face. "I was your…your…" he paused.
"My what?" I asked impatiently.
He shut his eyes for a moment, "I was your – close – friend," he mumbled, barely audible.
"Really?" I almost shouted. I cleared my throat hurriedly, "I mean – that's so strange…I mean…"
There was awkward silence as I tried to grasp the concept. It wasn't happening.
I just looked wildly around the room to just start a different conversation with him. I noticed lovely blooming crimson roses in a vase on the little dressing table next to me. "These flowers are very beautiful," I commented as the boy just continued to gaze at me with confused yet most grieving eyes. I didn't mean to but the attention was getting on my nerves. I needed find information fast and get out of here fast; the more time passed I grew paranoid.
"I'm glad you like them – I gave them to you on your birthday…" he stopped and took a deep breath, "I guess you don't remember."
"My birthday?" I nearly choked. "What birthday?" I asked again more urgently.
"Your birthday where I was taking to your favourite place…our favourite place…"
"Wait, our favourite place?" I asked – stopping him again.
His eyes widened and he hastily mended his sentence, "No, I meant we were just going out for your birthday to this café when you had a car accident…"
Suddenly this was too much to handle, I had kept quiet when he claimed to be a close friend of mine but this was just a bit too much, "How can I believe you?" I asked abruptly.
He looked at me surprised, "What do you mean?"
I stared at him, "I mean – for all I know you could be conning me or…"
His face whitened and I immediately regretted what I said. He was the only one who could help me now and I just had to go ahead and wreck it. I sighed in disbelief.
"But Yuri…we were - " he was unable to finish his sentence.
I glanced at his face once more, avoiding his penetrating eyes but saw what suspiciously looked like tear tracks that had apparently made their way down his cheeks. Oblivious, I reached down and tried to touch the track to see if it was real or wet. As I touched his smooth skin, I suddenly realised how rude I had been and tried to retrieve my hand like it was burned.
I wasn't successful – quick as a flash he held my hand in a tight grip.
I heard a gasp come out of my mouth. This time I was forced to gaze into his worried eyes and somehow I knew he was telling the truth and I also knew that those tear tracks were real. He had been crying over something bad – like a car accident he had just mentioned.
I sagged visibly as I withdrew my hand even though his touch was warm and comforting, "I'm sorry – I believe you…it's just that…"
I felt my own tears forming in my eyes. It was so frustrating! This feeling of such hopelessness was too much for me.
The boy who was my close friend had been sitting on a stool but now he stood up. Now I could see he was the same age as me and a little taller but it made him look more powerful and handsome. I shuddered, what was I thinking? Maybe the car accident had muddled my senses as well.
He looked at with a very cold expression as if he had just decided something then he slipped his hand underneath the sheets of this spotless white bed and held my hand reassuringly again. "It's going to be alright," he said. So short words except I really felt at peace – that is – until two people walked into the room.
A tall, grim man in a similar white uniform with a clipboard, glided into this ward and next to him was a blubbering old lady who didn't dress like an old lady at all. Her clothes were really showy and her hair was a bright magenta. "Miss Yuri?" the man inquired. I had heard my close friend using my name so I guessed that was me. I nodded slowly – I still had that skull-splitting headache.
"I've got some distressing news for you,"
I felt my chest tighten. Did my internal organs get damaged from the car accident? Was I disabled – to think about I haven't stood up or tried to move that much yet.
"You're suffering under a psychological disturbance at the moment called amnesia. Test results clearly, to our relief, shows that this is only temporary."
As I looked totally blank, the (I presumed) doctor cleared his throat, "You have lost your memory due to a great shock or injury. I am glad to say it is only due to great shock so once that is settled I am sure you would remember everything perfectly."
"I see…" was this man nuts? Of course I knew I had lost my memory, I couldn't remember anything the first thing after I woke up!
The doctor sighed in relief, "Well I am glad you take this quite easily. Most our patients in this state would be so suspicious of us and accuse us of trickery since they are so vulnerable. (I glanced guiltily at the boy) I can imagine the fright you care going through but your mother here," he gestured towards the woman, "Can help you while you have temporary amnesia,"
As I only goggled at him and the woman, he nodded politely, "I'll leave you some quality time," was all he said as he left the room. The soft tapping of his feet was still heard as he disappeared down the aisle.
The woman who had the straight, shocking pink hair approached me and the first thing she did was have me in a crushing hug.
I gasped for air but she had me smothered in tears as well. "I was so worried! They all presumed you were dead! Oh, oh – thank the lord – anything! Oh, my…my…" she gave me time to inhale as she blew her nose noisily on a handkerchief. I hurried looked at the boy who was just observing the scene quietly.
"Um…mother," I was unfamiliar with the term, "Can you kind of explain to me…"
"Oh, yes – sorry dear! I was just so glad! It was a tragic accident. It was on your birthday too. You and Fuji-kun were just going out for a surprise when that damned car hit you! Oh, we need to explain so many things! So little time and I am afraid I have to continue sending you to school despite the problems…exams you see – highly important they insisted!"
"Wait, exams?" I asked, becoming a little panicked.
"Yes, I am so glad that Fuji-kun is in your class – he can get you through everything in school. That would just leave me to go through everything about our home and …oh my, so much to do – so little time. Fuji-kun – I'm very sorry but I need your assistance to support Yuri at times like this, can you help me?"
I saw my mother turn to the boy and plead for his help.
He nodded impassively.
I presumed he was Fuji – so …I racked my brains…I would be calling him Fuji-san.
"Thank you Fuji-san," I said barely audible but he heard it.
He cocked his head in my direction and looked surprised, "Fuji-san?" he asked,
"I can obviously remember basic knowledge like that," I retorted a little crossly for if I couldn't remember absolutely everything then I would be like a dummy!
However, the look on his face told me that, that was not what he was questioning but I did not have time to find out or ponder about it. My mother was already making plans to get me out of this hospital.