Chapter 3

"How's she doing?" The doctor came back into the room a few minutes later.

"She's relaxed." The nurse said. "She hasn't said anything though, I can't even get a name from her."

He sighed and came to stand next to me, peering down at me indecisively. He gave me a soft smile when he caught me staring. "I'm Doctor Hastings, do you have a name?" Stupid question. I've found that people often ask stupid, meaningless questions when they already know the answer to them. If I had been crying he probably would have asked me: Are you okay? Which of course, he would know I was obviously not okay, otherwise I wouldn't be crying. And now, here he stands next to me, asking me if I "have a name". Is he expecting there could be a chance that I would say no? I thought. Again, stupid questions, it's what humans thrive on for the simple reason of small-talk.

I looked away from him and focused on the wallpaper on the wall in front of me. I wasn't being stubborn, honest. It was just that every time I went to speak, I would hear the sounds again. I would get these flashes in my head as if they were being played in front of me on a movie screen with the eerie inevitable setting being my pathetic existence more commonly known as life. Why did he want to know my name anyway? It's not like it would make a difference, it's not like three little letters could bring David back to me. I quickly realized that by my lack of speech they would most likely think I was either crazy or in shock, which would ultimately mean more meds. Conforming to societal norms, I looked him directly in the eye and opened my mouth. Again, no words would come out. I dug deep and pushed the flashes aside so that I could say my name.

"Samantha." It was a whisper, but at least the word came out that time.

He smiled and nodded. "Well, Samantha." He quickly scribbled on the clipboard he had been holding. "What's your last name?" Here we go again.

More words.

"Hatcher." The words were beginning to come easier now. "Sam Hatcher." The words stung my lips, and they felt like a lie. Like what had happened made me a different person, suddenly I wasn't Sam Hatcher anymore. I was this vile person with a dirty secret that no one would believe even if I did tell them.