She felt like she had been ran over by a bus. She felt weak. Her eyes felt weak. She could barely even open them. She tried, hard, pushing them, willing them to open. It was dim in the room and she couldn't tell where she was. She tried to move but was too weak. Not only that, someone was in bed with ger, holding her.
She tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Her mouth felt dry and all that came out was a brief cough. She tried licking her lips, but her tongue was dry and it didn't make her lips feel that good. Trying to speak again, she barely made a whimper escape her lips, followed by another cough. Her body felt kinda sore, or maybe it was just weak. Why did she feel so weak? She felt like she'd been sleeping forever. She didn't know where she was or who was in bed with her...
'Oh, help!' She screamed in her head. 'Please don't tell me I got drunk and had sex with a total stranger.'
She finally realized she was in a hospital gown in a hospital bed in a hospital room... which only leads that she is in a hospital. But why? Why was she in a hospital? What happened? She tried to move more, hoping the person beside her would wake up. She couldn't make out who they were. They were close, his head on the pillow against hers. She tried to slide away, hoping that would wake him, but she couldn't move very easily at all.
"Wa... wake... up," she weakly told him, hoping he'd stir enough so that the rest of what she was doing to wake him wake up completely.
Troy was sure he was dreaming. He kept ignoring the noises he heard because he was sure it was only his mind playing tricks on him. It had before and he had opened his eyes and been extremely disappointed; however, when he actually heard her voice, his eyes snapped open. That had never happened before. He turned slightly, looking at her face, seeing her dark orbs looking back at me. He felt shocked, like someone had dipped his hand into a batch of water and an electrical chord.
"You're.. you're.. awake?" He let go of a heavy breath, shaking himself slightly and sitting up. "I knew this was going to happen. I never gave up, but... Oh God, Gabriella!" He whispered heavily, smiling brightly. Leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I knew you'd come back to me." He knew I should go get the doctor, I knew that, but yet he was frozen right there, staring at his lovely Lily, too shocked to move. "God, I love you," he whispered, smiling as he stared down at her.
She didn't know whether to be scared or even if she had a reason to be scared. Actually, she knew. She wasn't scared. She was sure he wasn't going to hurt her. She felt that level of comfortability, but she had no idea who the man was, or why he was kissing her, or why he had said he loved her.
She coughed, looking away from him, trying to find something to drink. "Wa... wa...ter?"
She was a bit disoriented and confused to say the least, but she needed something for her dry mouth, something to drink, then they'd go from there. She wasn't panicked by any means, but she was disoriented.
"Right. Sorry." Troy slid off the bed, walking over to the counter and poured her a drink of water, bringing the glass over and putting the straw to her lips. "Here, slow sips," he whispered. When he could tell she had enough, Troy sat the glass on the counter and turned back to her. "I think I should get the doctor to see you, make sure you're okay. Just relax and I'll be back, okay?"
"No!" she told him quickly, blinking her eyes and taking a slow breath. "Please don't." She closed her eyes, breathing more slowly. "I don't want a doctor. Not yet."
Opening her eyes, she looked back at the guy through the dim light in the room. She still didn't know who he was, but he seemed very concerned for her. How did she tell him she didn't have any idea who he was or who she even was for that matter?
"Lily, honey, a doctor should really look at you." Troy sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Okay, I'll sit here for a second and then go get her. How are you feeling?" he asked, smiling, still not believing she was back and at the same time knowing she was. She was sitting right in front of him.
She was now even more confused. First he had called her Gabriella, now he just called her Lily. Lily seemed more likely. Gabriella didn't even sound familiar to her. But even Lily didn't seem like it was really her name, but it seemed familiar.
"I'm alright. Feeling a little... misplaced... What am I doing here?"
Troy took in a deep breath. "You... were... shot. You don't remember that night?" Troy really hoped he didn't have to explain it because he was pretty sure – No, he knew that night was the worse night of his life.
Gabriella looked down at her hands, trying to figure out something. She couldn't really remember anything. There was nothing. She could remember basics like math, 2+2=4; English, i before e except after c; science, cross-pollination; movies, music, just generalities, but she couldn't remember who she was, who this guy was sitting with her, or no other faces or names, unless it was historical people like Bill Clinton, Abraham Lincoln, Mozart. She didn't know anything about who she was, what she liked or anything along those lines.
"I... don't know what night you're talking about. I don't know how I got here or why." She looked back up at him slowly. "But that's not all... I don't know what I don't remember."
"You don't know what you don't remember?" Troy asked, wondering what that meant. "What does that mean?" He raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't remember your accident... or don't remember anything?"
She shrugged slightly. "I remember a white guy means walk, a red hand means don't walk. I remember red is hot and blue is cold on a faucet. I remember the sky is blue and the grass is green. Most rivers flow toward the equator which is the middle of the earth. I remember there are 365 days in a year, seven days in a week, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute... But ... other than... things like that... I don't remember... anything." She swallowed, this next one being the biggest reason why she really felt so confused. "I don't even know who I am."
Troy's eyes opened wide, his heart dropping in his chest. "Oh..." He took in a sharp breath. "I really need to get a doctor if you can't..." He felt tears burn at his eyes and blinked them away, "remember. That could be because of your head wound... a side affect. I need to get a doctor. They need to examine you, okay? Can you understand that?" he asked, standing up.
He also needed to breathe. The idea that Gabriella didn't remember him, and might never remember him, was tearing a hole in his chest so big he could barely breathe.
She nodded, turning her head back to look at her hands. "I understand." Looking back up at him, s asked slowly. "But we can... talk after?"
Troy nodded. "About anything. Everything. Whatever you want. Promise."
And with that, he walked out of the room to find her doctor. Dr. Hodgens was at the nurses' station entering some information into the computer. When Troy saw her, he wasted no time telling her what had happened.
"Gabriella's up. She's awake. She doesn't remember anything, but she's awake."
Dr. Hodgens looked up at Troy Bolton as he told her about Ell- Gabriella waking up. It only took her a millisecond to process what he was telling her. Handing the chart she had been looking over to the nurse next to her, she pulled Gabriella's file out of the chart rack and headed with Mr. Bolton toward Gabriella's room. She walked in to the room and flipped the light switch on, putting the chart down on the bottom of the bed.
"Gabriella, my name is Dr. Savannah Hodgins. You can call me Van." She stepped closer to her, looking over her eyes, making sure they had adjusted well to the light. "Do you know where you are, Gabriella?"
Gabriella looked up at Troy before focusing on the doctor. "A hospital? Beyond that, I don't know."
Dr. Hodgins nodded her head, taking out the otoscope from her pocket. "I'm going to take a look at your eyes, make sure they're responding correctly to light stimuli." Gabriella nodded slightly and Van held the scope up to her eyes, watching the dilation. "How does your head feel?"
When doctor lowered her flashing light thing, Gabriella looked over at the guy who had been in the room when she woke up. He had come back with the doctor.
Gabriella answered the doctor, still looking at Troy. "He told me I had an accident..." She then turned her attention to the doctor. "That I was shot?"
Gabriella couldn't remember it. She couldn't even remember who he was, how was she supposed to remember what happened on the night he said this had happened? She remembered some things, but there were some things she just didn't know.
Van nodded her head, putting the otoscope away in her pocket and lifting her hands to Gabriella's head. "I'm going to take your bandage off and check your wound." Gabriella nodded slightly and Van undid the bandage, looking at the sensitive skin of the wound. "It's looking really good." Van smiled at her. "We'll let it get some air. I'll schedule an MRI and a CT Scan and be back in to check on you after we get the results. Then we'll have a better idea of what is going on in that delicate head of yours." Gabriella nodded slowly and Van smiled again. "I'm glad you're awake. I know your fiancé is and everyone else will be as well."
Fiancé? As in... man Gabriella was going to marry? She shook it off and forcibly returned the doctor's smile. "Thank you, doctor."
Still smiling, Van turning back toward Troy. "I will check in with you soon."
The doctor left the room, leaving Gabriella alone with the guy. She smiled softly over at him, a real smile, not the fake one she'd just given the doctor. She didn't think the doctor knew the smile was fake though. At least, she didn't seem to. But the smile she gave this guy was real.
"She didn't stay long, did she?" Gabriella slightly laughed, taking a deep breath. "You said we could talk..."
"Yeah..." Troy nodded, sitting on the chair next to her bed. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable and if she didn't remember him, his being that close might bother her. "Any and all questions you have for me I can answer. No problem. Lay them on me."
He seemed so sweet and caring. She felt bad that she didn't know who he was. "I think the biggest thing that is bothering me is ... I don't know who I am." She swallowed, inhaling slowly. "I mean, you called me Gabriella and Lily and that doctor called me Gabriella, but that just doesn't seem to... it's not feeling right. Lily, even though I'm not sure if it is my name either, feels more right to me. So, what's my name? Who am I?"
"Well, your name on paper is Gabriella Monte; however, your a famous singer so you have a stage name – Ella Leigh. Lily is my nickname for you. I've called you it since we were younger." He shrugged, smiling. "I'm sorry I confused you. I flip back and forth between Lily and Gabriella so often I don't even realize it. Oh, and your sister and others call you Bri. Your best friend and manager calls you G. So I guess you have quite a few different names you go by."
He laughed slightly. Part of him was still aching, but he was trying to keep it together for her. He didn't want to upset her. He was trying. It wasn't easy, but he was holding it together the best he could. None of the names he mentioned felt right except for Lily. She didn't know who her sister was or her manager or best friend, but she wasn't sure how Bri or G felt to her yet.
"I like Lily," she told him, smiling softly at him. She slowly inhaled, looking at him directly. "And I am sorry... but I... Don't know who you are." She did feel bad. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she was pretty sure it would.
"I know you don't know me.. and that's okay. It's not your fault. Just know I care very deeply for you and I'm willing to do anything you want or need. I will answer anything you ask with honesty and with the best knowledge I know. And I'm willing to go as fast or slow as you want. I guess what I'm saying is... I'm here for you." He shrugged again. "So anything else you wanna know, Lily?" he asked, calling her the name she said she liked.
Again she thought he was very sweet and he was very caring. "You didn't tell me your name." She didn't like not knowing things, and she was sure it wasn't easy on him, but she didn't know how else to go about things.
"Oh, right," he laughed slightly. "Troy. Troy Bolton." His laughter shifted to a soft smile. "Sorry, I have no idea why that didn't register with me. I guess I'm just use to you knowing. Again, that's not your fault. I just didn't think about it.."
He wasn't going to force who he was on her. Not till he was sure she was okay with me. He didn't want to hurt her or make her feel uncomfortable. Gabriella smiled, holding her hand out to him.
"Hello, Troy. I'm Lily... Something." She looked down at her hand and then back up tho him. "I'm sorry. That's what people do when they meet each other, right? Shake hands?"
Why did it seem so formal? But he lifted his hand anyway and she smiled, pulling him closer and kissing him, once on one cheek and then once on the other. Slowly pulling back, she looked into his eyes... They were... like the sea after a storm. They made her heart leap in her chest. Biting her lip, she pulled back, blushing.
"I don't know why I just did that..."
Troy sat back, trying to take in a breath that felt hitched in his throat. Clearing it, he smiling softly. "Well, you're Hispanic, and Hispanics are very loving people. Very touch feely. Don't feel bad." He finally got the breath cleared. "As for what you said, it's nice to meet you too, Lily." He laughed again slightly, smiling.
God she was beautiful and her being awake was the best feeling in the entire world. Even if she didn't remember him and didn't ever remember their lives together, she was awake and she was Gabriella. She was Lily. She still had that heartbreaking smile that tore at my heart like a knife. The one I was trying hard not to let me drown me. Gabriella reached out, taking his hand in hers again and giving it a soft squeeze.
"I'm glad you're here, Troy." She smiled softly at him again. "Thank you."
Troy looked down at her hand in his and back up at her face. "You're welcome... I should go call everyone... tell them your awake... but at the same time I know they'll all come running and probably overwhelm you so I'll wait." He smiled. "Your head feels okay, right?"
Gabriella nodded, reaching up with her free hand and tucking her hair back behind my ear. "My head is ..." She focused on it a little bit. She was still feeling disoriented, so she wasn't sure what she was feeling and what I wasn't. "I think it's alright. It doesn't hurt or anything, if that's what you're worried about. I feel like I've got some wires crossed or something. But, yeah, I think I'm alright."
"Great.." he said, moving slightly in his seat, putting his elbows on my knees, leaning forward some. "Anything you want to know about your old life? Well, not really an old life. More so a life you can't remember. Not an old one because you aren't reborn or anything... God, I'm rambling." He laughed. "This never happens to me... I'm just not sure what exactly to say."
He was cute. Really cute. He made her heart do funny things in her chest. She couldn't quite describe it. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she tried to think of something she wanted to know. She didn't know what she didn't know, so figuring out what she should know was difficult.
"I guess the beginning? How did we meet? You and me."
"Well, we met basically in diapers. You moved to Arizona. Albuquerque... and you were my neighbor. Our parents became friends and from there, we pretty much became inseparable. We met our other friends later on, but a group of us were really close in high school. Especially me, you, Chad, a friend of ours, Taylor, your best friend, we all went to the same schools forever. We were unbreakable, the four of us were pretty much the closest bunch in school... we also knew another girl.. but she's not really important anymore. She was for a long time, but..."
He let the subject of Sharpay trail off. He didn't need to bring her up right now. Not when her being pregnant was the reason why Gabriella had run away like she did. Sharpay wasn't going to go away quietly. He knew that much, if he knew her at all, she'd show up sooner or later and make things difficult. When Gabriella remembered, the the Sharpay shit was going to hit the fan again.
"I mean there was a period of time you and I didn't really speak but we've always been a part of each other's lives in one way or another..."
Gabriella was sure he wasn't trying to overwhelm her, but that was a lot of history packed into a few sentences. Letting it all process in her mind, she thought about all of it.
"I can't remember any of those names. I can't even picture faces." She frowned slightly, but didn't want to dwell on that. Looking back up at him, she asked, "You said there was a time when we didn't even speak to each other? Why's that?"
"Eh, a really long story, but the short version is you left to become an actress, became one, and I became a basketball player and now coach, and we sorta just didn't speak to one another."
Troy knew he was leaving out all of the damage that had piled between them because of those choices they both made, but he couldn't burden her with that now, not when she just woke up.
She narrowed her eyes on him, trying to think about it all. "So, you're some hot shot basketball coack and I'm some hot shot actress?" She tried to remember, but nothing was registering. "And... we're... together?"
Troy raised my eyebrow. "I never said we were together..."
At least he didn't think he did. Gabriella remembered the doctor calling him her fiance. It was him she was talking about, wasn't she?
"...but yeah... we are... I didn't want to tell you only because I didn't want to upset you or force myself on you, but yeah... we're even planning on getting married. Well, we were." He stood, moving closer to her. "We have... a daughter."
He supposed that since she knew we were together she could know about Tori. She didn't need to know about how she hid her, but she deserved to know about her. "Her name is Victoria. Tori. She's ten."
Gabriella's eyes widened. After all the things he was telling her, him saying she had a ... a daughter... that they share a daughter, was the most shocking thing he had said so far. She found it difficult to breathe.
"Troy... I don't know how to process that. All of this." She looked back up at him from where she had turned her head down to her hands. "It might be easier if you call whoever you said you were going to call."
Troy sighed. "Sure..." He stood, knowing he messed up. "You relax here. Try to rest. I'll go call the others. I'll be back." He turned, heading to the door, but stopped to look back at her. "I know you don't remember me.. but I'm really glad you're awake." He smiled at her and shut the door behind him to go make the calls.
Gabriella closed her eyes, resting back against the bed. She hated that she couldn't remember all he had told her. She hated that she couldn't remember a daughter he said she had. She couldn't remember any of it and she hated it more than anything.
Dominick looked up when Troy came running out of the room again, this time reaching for his phone.
"Troy, I have already called Temperance. André is bringing them down." He looked back at the door through the glass at Gabriella who looked like she was resting, but she wasn't asleep anymore, you could tell that. He was thankful for that. Turning back to Troy, he asked, "Is she alright?"
Troy stopped, putting his phone away and looking through the window at Gabriella. "She's as okay as she can be. She doesn't remember anyone. Not me... not Tori... you or anyone else. She doesn't remember her own name, but she seems okay, outside not remembering. I'm just grateful she's okay."
He remembered Taylor, after thinking he should call Chad, and pulled his phone out again. Taylor had been here almost as often as Troy had. He needed to call her and let her know Gabriella was finally awake.
"I don't know if and when she'll get her memory back, but you have to tread lightly with her. Too much is overwhelming. I know because I told her about Tori and she basically shut down."
Dominick nodded. "Sí. I think it would be best if I stayed out here for a while. I mean, I do not know if there is anything I would do to upset her, but I would not want to take the chance."
"Why do you think I'm out here?" Troy asked with a half chuckle. "I had no idea how to talk to her or what to say. I felt like all I was saying was wrong, so I just sorta took her suggestion about making the calls and ran out the door. I'm so happy she's awake but this is so strange I have no idea how to handle it."
"She does not remember anyone or anything?" Dominick lifted his hand to Troy's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I can understand how that would upset you. What do you believe we can do to help her?"
"I guess just tell her stuff – little things – and try and help her remember. That's all I can think of, but don't force her to remember. You know?" Troy shrugged slightly. "We just need to offer our support to her and hope she takes it."
Dominick nodded, letting his hand fall down to his side. He did not feel best qualified to help. He was sure the three, maybe four people would be Troy, Taylor, Tempe and Victoria. Honestly, he hadn't even thought she would wake up at all, but she had proved him wrong.
"I believe that she will be alright, Dante." At least he did now.
Troy nodded. "I believe that too. It's just going to take time. That's all." He smiled at Dominick and looked back through the glass. "Just a little bit of time. I think I'm going to leave her for a bit. Give her some space. Tori and Tempe should be here soon and she doesn't need all of us in her face. I'm going to head down the street and get some coffee. If she asks for me tell her I promise I'll be back."
Troy turned and headed for the elevator. Dominick didn't think that Troy would leave her, not more than he already had, but he figured he didn't want to upset her, and from the sounds of it, he already had. He hadn't wanted to, but Dominick don't think Troy knew how to handle things with Gabriella right now. Dominick didn't really know how to handle Temperance most of the time either. Something about those Montez sisters, he supposed.