"You know the deal."
She stares at him in silence.
"You do as I say and they all stay alive."
"As I have done since you imprisoned me."
He bellows laugh louder than an accordion.
"Don't think I have no idea what you've done. As long as these chains are on you, everything you do is known to me."
She stares as him, showing no emotion.
"Just how long do you think you can hide him from me, hm? I will find him and destroy him just as I did with HIM."
Her stare finally twitches into a glare.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Oh, I think you do. I don't know where he is nor what you plan to do with him but he will die. Just. Like. All. Your. Other. Children."
He turns and leaves.
She stares at the spot he was and finally lets out a single tear.
"It's a good thing I have a plan, then."
Where was he? An annoying beeping echoes from his left and the ever present buzz of chatter and work came from in front of him, dull and muted. Upon opening his eyes, the light coming from the window to his right burns them. After blinking an excessive amount of times, he looks around him. White walls, a tiled ceiling and tiled floors make up the room he's in, the wall behind him is full of medical tools of all kinds. Half of his body is covered in stiff itchy blankets and the bed is as hard as a rock. When Johnathan tries to move, he is immediately startled by the straps that held his body down and by how weak his limbs feel. It is then he also notices the dark edges to his vision. He searches for a mirror and find a small one above the sink off in the corner by the clear sliding doors, which are currently covered in curtains. His face is covered by a white mask, oddly resembling a hockey mask but its purpose was clear when he tries to speak. Something inside the mask is in his mouth, preventing him from fully closing it. Johnathan closes his eyes and huffs in frustration. The sound of curtains being drawn aside and glass doors being slid aside catches his attention. His blue eyes watches as a nurse comes in looking at a clipboard. She walks up to his left and fiddles with the equipment and writes on the clipboard.
With a sigh, she shakes her head and says, "Today makes another year here, Mr. Green."
Another year? Johnathan furrows his brow in confusion. How long has he been here? He tilts his head to get a better look at her but the movement catches her eye. With wide eyes her head whips over to face his and she gasps at seeing his blue eyes through the mask.
"Oh my God!" She screams and for some reason taps her forehead then her shoulders.
She sprints out of the room, and not even five minutes later, the glass door is slammed aside and the nurse returns with a doctor. Johnathan turns his head in the doctor direction causing the doctors eyes to widen. The Doctor rushes to his left and checks the equipment beside him. A machine that seems to constantly produce paper is what the doctor reaches for first.
"It's a bloody miracle!" The doctor mutters. He turns and takes the mask off of Johnathan. As Johnathan makes some motions for his mouth, the doctor finally talks to him, "Well, Mr. Green, its about time you woke up."
Johnathan tries to speak but begins coughing from how dry his throat is. The nurse rushes to the sink and brings back a small paper cup full of water. The doctor unties the straps and he drinks the water.
"H-how long have I been here? Where am I?"
"You've been in a coma for five years now, Johnathan. You're at St. Tristan's General Hospital."
The name causes Johnathan's eyes to widen. Memories flash across his mind but are they real? Johnathan couldn't recall any memories of before hearing Void's story, not even the month before when she was supposedly transferred. Why? Then it hit him, the coma. It was all just delusions from his brain, trying to keep him sane and itself safe. Then why can't he recall anything from this world? Memories of his childhood, schooling, his hobbies, his job, all gone, nowhere to be seen. Amnesia but what caused it? The mask.
"Why was I wearing that mask? Why was I strapped down?"
The doctor sighs tiredly, "Well, it's strange. You were in a comatose state, but regular activity from your brain could be seen. Late last year up until now you would have these seizures and fits. They started out once a week but they got more and more frequent. So, to prevent you from biting your tongue off and injuring yourself, we created the mask and strapped you down. About two days ago, you had your biggest fit yet. It caused your brain to cease all activity, you were brain dead. If you showed no activity in the next month we would've had to pull the plug, so to speak."
"How long have these seizures been going on?"
The doctor looks at him confused but replies, "About four months, give or take a few days."
That explains the Amnesia. The trauma from the seizures must have cause his brain to damage itself. Four months? It hits Johnathan in that instant. His brain must have created that world to replace the memories lost and to try and heal the trauma. It took the environment around it and morphed it into a place it can hide in. A memory flashes across his eyes. The shadows! Those were signs of a fit! The brain tried to interpret the trauma into the world it had created. Not because it wanted to but because it had to or the damage would've worsened! This big seizure he had, the only thing he could really think of is...
A flash of darkness, fire and blood. Shadows dancing a dangerous fight, betrayal, death. Johnathan shakes his head to try and forget the memory. Was it a memory or was it an illusion his brain came up with? He can't tell.
"Mr. Green?"
Johnathan look at the doctor with a frown, "It would seem, doctor, that I have a bad case of amnesia."
His eyes go wide, "You mean..."
Johnathan nods, "I can't recall anything of my past, only my name."
"I knew it was too good to be true." The doctor sighs, "It's a miracle you are even alive, so I'll take that as a win. Becky, go and get his file."
The nurse nods and rushes out of the from.
"File?"
"Yes. It's so you can get acquainted with yourself again. It holds facts such as name, age, birth date, family members, your address and other such things. It's procedure to give a patient their file in any case where amnesia or memory loss in present. It's supposed to help us avoid a lawsuit but I wouldn't put it past someone to try." Johnathan giggles at the doctor scowl.
They both look at each other, startled. Johnathan has no memory of laughing but even he didn't think his laugh would sound like a mad clown. It both soothed and made him uncertain. The nurse returns with a file and hands it to him.
"If you need anything, just press this button." The doctor points at a red button beside his bed. With his nod, both the doctor and the nurse leave the room.
Johnathan takes a look inside.
Name: Johnathan Green
Age: 30
Birth date: May 2nd, 1987
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Living relatives: Casey Green (Sister)
Occupation: None
The more he read, the more he seemed like a stranger in his own skin. None of this information was sinking in nor was it triggering any memories. Thankfully, he lived about twenty minutes away. Turns out he's not in Oregon but in North Carolina. After reading the file he slowly gets up and leans on his IV stand for support. Five years of laying down had caused his legs to weaken considerably. He stumbles from the room and places the file on the nurses desk. A nostalgic memory crosses his mind, Johnathan distantly remembers doing the same exact thing within his coma dream. With a sigh, he smiles charmingly at the nurse before him.
"When can I check out?"