Chapter Three – Amnesia
A bright light flooded the brunette's eyes which made her feel intruded upon, causing her to tense a little. When the doctor finally turned off the torch, she sat back, and blinked a couple of times to regain her vision. Throughout this, Nicholas could only watch with anticipation as the doctor stepped away from the patient whilst shoving his mini torch into his coat pocket. A frown on the old man's face was evident, and the hope that was swelling deep inside Nick's body evaporated. He had been expecting a good explanation for all this; most importantly he was seeking good news from the doctor.
"Amnesia," the doctor eventually mumbled after a long silence. "The woman has amnesia." He clarified bluntly.
Nick stepped forward, "It can be cured right?" He questioned with a tiny speck of hope still growing.
The deepening of the doctor's frown made Nick feel even worse, for he sensed what was coming. Immediately, the seed of hope died. "Well…" The doctor drifted, which didn't enlighten the mood. "It depends." He replied awkwardly, as he attempted to acquire the correct terms to deliver his explanation. "This woman is physically healthy; she has simply lost her memory. I'm not sure whether if it's temporarily or long term, but the only thing I can advise that will assist her in regaining her memory is to target specific sources. For example, family and friends will be able to help, objects, or emotions may trigger premonitions in order for her to recollect events that occurred in her life." The doctor elucidated. "That's all we can do. So I suggest we find her relatives."
Nicholas nodded his head feeling like he'd been kicked down low. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, and he knew that the best thing he could do for the woman right now, was aid her in remembering her previous memories.
"Thanks doc," Nick whispered hoarsely as the doctor gave him a pat on the back and left.
His hands rubbed his face out of frustration as his dazzling hazel eyes moved to be staring directly into the brunette's brown ones. She didn't know who she was, and the first task for him was to obtain her identity. As his mind ticked with resources he could use to assist him in searching for the woman's identity, he remembered her belongings. Striding over to the one and only closet, Nick retrieved her items, bringing them to the bed.
Taking a seat by her bedside, she didn't move away from him. The woman had become used to his presence and felt that he was no threat to her. As Nicholas placed her belongings onto her bed to share, all she did was stare at him with her remarkable wide eyes. A question pondered her as she opened her mouth with hesitancy.
"A-amnesia?" She stuttered.
The man nodded at her unable to explain for it was a weak point for him at the moment. "Do you know your name?" He interrogated, hoping that she would remember now that she was sober, but she shook her head at him. "Try," he urged and pointed a finger to himself. "My name is Nicholas Reeve, you have a name too. Just try to remember." He stated softly.
He observed as her brows knitted together in thought. She made an effort to remember. In fact, she had tried so hard to recollect her identity that her head began throbbing in pain. Placing a hand to her head, she used her slender finger to rub at her temple, grimacing.
Nick rested a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright. Don't push yourself too hard." He assured her as he grabbed her wallet. "We can still find out who you are, there's still a way." He informed with patience and was relieved that the woman had her wallet when the accident occurred.
The brunette fixed a trusting gaze on Nicholas as she removed her hand from her temple. Nicholas studied her, and with steady hands flipped open the black leather case, managing to locate an ID card. Extracting it from the rest of the cards, Nicholas' eyes scanned across the woman's name.
His mouth stood ajar as he read her first name aloud. "Tifa," He said softly as he fixed his eyes on her.
As the name escaped Nick's mouth, Tifa's eyes widened as a voice in her head called out the same name. It sounded so familiar, as if she had heard it many times before yet it appeared to be so faint, and far away. The tone disappeared as quick as it had entered her mind, but she could still hear the two words it said.
"Tifa Lockheart," she breathed in a trance.
Intrigued now, Nick looked at the woman. He hadn't even finished pronouncing her full name before she interrupted.
"Yes, that's your name." He informed, startled at her sudden remembrance. She turned back to him and he handed her wallet to her. "Here, this is yours. You scan through it; I'll go and see if anyone knows you." With that last information, he exited the room.
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Nicholas sat in his car feeling numb all over. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way. He'd been away for almost the entire day searching for people that knew Tifa Lockheart. It seemed, no matter how hard he tried, he came up with nothing. He went to nearby stores where the accident occurred, but nobody was willing to talk. They weren't very keen in talking to outsiders that didn't belong in their village, which made it twice as hard to find any information Nick desperately needed. The only data he managed to discover was that Tifa was indeed a resident in Kalm and had no living relatives.
With that information in his head, Nick felt lost. What was he to do now? He couldn't just abandon her and leave her alone. She had no relatives around, and now with her memories lost, he was the closest thing she had to being a relative. It was absurd to believe that he was the only chance she had, but Nick had to face the facts.
He was a man that did a lot of traveling in order to sustain a passion for life. That was why he had taken up the job his mother offered him; being her delivery man that picked up goods for her and the family store. That was the main reason why he was in Kalm: to pick up a package and return home. But now after the recent mess he got himself into, he wouldn't be returning home until he found a resolution.
He knew his mother was waiting for him to arrive home with the package, and he knew she was expecting him to be back by tonight, but things weren't going according to plan. Now as he sat in his car, he ran his hand through his short, dark brown, spiky hair, feeling pressured. Time was running out, and if he didn't find a resolution soon, the family business was going to plunge, and his mother's life would be in jeopardy if it did go down.
The car door swung open and Nick stepped out. He was tired, but knew he owed Tifa an explanation. As he entered the hospital and headed for the lifts, an idea popped into his head. It wasn't just an idea, it was the only resolution he could come up with. He smiled to himself at the sudden thought, it was reasonable, and it was the only one that wouldn't leave him in guilt. Stepping into the lift, he pressed to button, waiting for it to reach level two. There was a way to serve both parties, nothing is impossible.
A/N: Finally I manage to post up chapter three. Sorry for thedelay guys, but I had 'writer's block'. I couldn't seem to pinpoint the correct way to present this chapter. But now that I have, please do enjoy my dearest readers! And please do not forget to Review! Thanks for the support guys :D Keep safe!