I wrinkled my nose at the smell of sharp cleaners (somebody had usedwaytoo much bleach recently). There was a beeping next to me that seemed to get quicker and louder as I twitch my nose again to try and dislodge the (straw...? Tube?) thing poking into my nostril puffing cool air into them. Rolling over to get away from it was useless as someone had also decided to trap me to the bed with how tightly the blankets were tucked. I wiggled my legs to try and loosen them which also proved quite useless. Finally with a great deal of effort I opened my eyes, which I should have received a medal for with how much they seemed to weigh.

(God, I feel like I've been run over by a truck.)

The lights were thankfully dim but also just enough to see the room and all of the objects around me. Looking around at the pale mint green walls and white tile floors, I conclude that this is not my bedroom. In the right corner of the room was the largest door I had ever seen. Big enough to fit five people through, with a rectangle window like you see on classroom doors. Across from my bed was a couch with a heap of blankets piled on top. Turning my head slightly to the left toward the beeping I can see medical equipment with a screen that is showing what I can only assume are my vitals. Some of the numbers in the bottom corner start to climb, making the beeping quicker and even more loud.

(Why am I at the hospital? What happened? Was there an accident? Was everyone okay!)

The beeping suddenly turns to shrieks, causing the woman in the chair to the right of my bed to jolt up, making me jump as well. She had a wild look about her that contrasted sharply with what you would expect from a hospital. Her strawberry blonde hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in years, and her green eyes were wide with dark shadows under them.

(Hadshebeentherethewholetime?)

I flinched away as she surged forward, hands reaching out to touch my cheek and shoulder gently.

"Elena, honey you're awake, oh thank god! Are you feeling okay? Let me get the doctor!" I had no hope of responding to any of this, as soon as I got my mouth opened, she was already halfway to the door. "Jeremy wake up! Elena's awake! I'm going to get the doctor." She paused briefly to give the blankets on the couch a quick shake before she was gone.

I watched in shock as the blankets gave a groan and became a person. He stumbled up off the couch nearly faceplanting when he became entangled in the blankets before finally reaching the bed.

(Howmanyofthemwerethere?)

I looked around sharply for any other people, hopefully no one else would pop up out of the woodwork.

My attention was brought back to the boy now at my bedside and he really was just a kid. Early teens, maybe fifteen at the most with a bit of baby fat clinging to his face, while the rest of him was thin and lanky in the way most boys going through a growth spurt were. With shaggy brown hair and brown eyes and a few pink dots marking his face with acne.

"Elena, you're okay! The doctors said that you might not wake up." He gripped my hand tightly with pure relief on his face. And I... could do nothing but let him. Despite the relief, his eyes were red and glistening with tears and something in my chest would notletmelet them fall. It was so very confusing, the concern and relief they showed said they had to be family or perhaps very close friends, but they were both complete strangers to me.

The door to my room slammed open (making me jump again), the lady from before charged in with a man following behind her. He (unlike these two) was wearing navy blue scrubs, so while he wasn't wearing a white coat, I think it was safe to say that he at least worked here. He flipped one of the switches next to the door making the light brighter.

"Miss Gilbert, so glad to see you back with us." He came around to the left of my bed causing the kid (Jeremy...?) to let go of my hand and take a step back giving him room. The kid then moved to the foot of my bed and gripped at the part of the blanket covering my feet, as if fearful that if he didn't have a hold of me, I might just disappear. Looking back at the Doctor (...? Nurse...?) I realized that he had a clipboard (when did he get that?) and was looking over both it and my vitals on the screen. "Everything is looking good. I'll get the doctor in here so we can start ordering scans just to be sure." Turning back to me, he pushed a button on the side railing causing the bed to move and lift me into a sitting up position, before bringing out a pen light from his breast pocket.

"Keep your eyes open for me." He then proceeded to shine it into my face. After a brief flinch I managed to force my eyes open long enough for him to see what he needed to. "Pupil dilation is looking great. Think you could answer some questions for me?"

This was all moving way too fast, as if waking up in a hospital wasn't bad enough, I was surrounded by strangers, but I nodded anyway.

"Can you tell me your full name and birthday?" He might as well as asked me what the square root of Pi was. I suppose the obvious answer they wanted would be Elena Gilbert, but that didn't feel like my name. Thinking about it, I couldn't come up with any name that sounded right.

After a bit of silence, I looked up helplessly at the nurse, who with furrowed brows moved on. "Okay, how about the current year?"

I looked around the room for at least a hint before finally croaking out, "Two thousand... and something...?"

Now he was looking really concerned, "Do you think you could name any of the people in this room?"

"No..." I looked over at them just in time to see that all of the happy relief that had been on their faces before was completely gone. The blonde let out a sob that she tried to cover with a hand over her mouth. The kid didn't even make a sound, just shook slightly with silent tears running down his face. "I'm sorry..." I didn't even know what I was apologizing for, just that seeing their tears opened up a horrible hole in my chest.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Miss Gilbert. You've just woken up after receiving a very serious head wound, a little memory loss is perfectly normal." I had to commend the man's bedside manners as he wasted no time in trying to sooth both the blonde woman and I, even giving my shoulder a squeeze for added affect. "In fact, I think I'm going to go get the Doctor now so we can put a rush on those scans." He gave me one last smile and squeeze before he looked up at the woman, "Jenna, why don't you step out with me for just a moment."

The now named Jenna simply gave a rather numb looking nod as she followed him out, leaving me alone once more with Jeremy. I could only watch as a few more tears slipped down his face before he spoke.

"Do you really not know who we are? Who I am?" My face crumbled without my permission, a stinging in the back of my eyes told me that I was close to shedding tears myself.

"I'm sorry, it feels like I should know you, like I've seen your face before. But other than that, there's nothing." This was all true, both of their faceswerefamiliar, but only in the way a face was when you had passed it on the street more than once. You'veseenthem before, but you didn'tknowthem.

Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the return of the nurse and Jenna, this time with a proper white coat doctor.

"So, Miss Gilbert, I've heard that we're having some memory problems, huh?" …

《》

After that I was put through a whole slew of tests and scans to ensure that, besides the amnesia, there was nothingelsewrong with my brain. When all the scans came back perfectly normal, they brought in a psychologist to ask me a million questions. I think to see if I was suppressing the memories due to trauma. (What trauma?)

During all the scans and questions, I finally was able to piece together all the facts.

My namewasElena Gilbert, my birthday was apparently June 22, 1992, and the current year was 2009 (I was pretty close with that one). The people who had been in my room when I had woken up were my younger brother Jeremy and my Aunt Jenna from my mother's side. I also learned that I had been in a coma for the past month. That on the 23rdof May, I and my parents were in a car accident resulting in the car going over a bridge and into a lake. They didn't make it… but somehow, I did. The EMTs found me passed out on the bank of the river with no clear sign of how I got out of the car.

Evidently, I was in pretty bad shape when I was first brought into the hospital. With a severe concussion that caused major brain swelling, almost to the point the doctors had wanted to go in and take out a part of my skull just to relieve the pressure. The doctors weren't optimistic that I was going to survive this.

For the past month I had been in a coma, it was now June 29, I had apparently turned seventeen while in acoma. While Aunt Jenna (who was barely twenty-eight) had not only assumed custody of both Jeremy and I but had also taken care of all the funeral arrangements for our parents. (I had only known her for a few hours and already I knew that this woman could take over the world if she ever wanted to put the effort in.) All of this while the doctors said that I was more than likely going to succumb to my injuries. (I guess there was also an uncle on our father's side, who had come to help for a bit, but he was already long gone by the time I woke up.)

The mere fact that I had not only survived but also had woken up all on my own was a miracle, according to the doctors.

After a couple of days of being put through every test or scan the doctors could think of, it was finally concluded that besides the amnesia there was nothing physically wrong with my brain. And so, with strict orders not to push myself, I was released. I was also ordered to, along with Aunt Jenna and Jeremy, not to try and force my memories to return. That I could refamiliarize myself with people and places, but to let them come naturally. Which is how I found myself sitting cross legged on a queen bed taking in a bedroom that just didn't feel right.

I felt like I had invaded a stranger's room. Like I shouldn't touch anything in case the true owner came back and got mad at me, despite the multiple reassurances that I could touch or move whatever I wanted. The feeling that I had never stepped foot in this room or house, hell even this town just wouldn't leave me.

I shifted into a more comfortable position, bringing my knee up to hug them to my chest as I glanced around the room again. The bed was nice, so was the window seat to the left of it. Both were places I could imagine curling up on during a storm with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa. The yellow walls and white dresser on the other hand… just gave me a headache.

(Did I really pick this color scheme?)

I turned my head to the right, where there were two doors, the first one leading out into the hallway and the second into a bathroom that connected to Jeremy's bedroom, with a bookshelf imbedded in the wall next to them. That seemed more me. I tilted my head sideways to read the book titles, most of them old classic types.

(Dusty boring old antiques.)

My lips pulled down (where had that thought come from?), I carefully slid to the edge of the bed, trying hard not to mess up the comforter and pillows. One of the titles had caught my eye, A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott. This was perhaps the first time since waking up that something truly stood out as familiar, like I hadreallyseen it before.

Reaching up to pull the book off the shelf I was distracted by my hand. This had been happening ever since I'd woken up in the hospital. Anytime I caught sight of myself I had to pause and make sure I was really seeing myself. I had asked the psychologist if that was normal with memory loss. She said that it sounded like Body Dysmorphia. She had never heard of a case where amnesia had caused it but she promised to confer with colleagues who might be more knowledgeable.

Shaking my head as I opened and closed my hand to remind my brain that it was indeedmyhand, I finally pulled the book that had originally caught my attention off the shelf. I flip it open to the first page to see a handwritten note.

Happy 16thBirthday Elena!

Love Dad

(I guess the saying that all doctors have atrocious handwriting is true.)

I flipped the book back closed and closed my eyes, running my hand over the cover. It was hard trying to remember an event when you didn't remember the when or where. I didn't even remember what kind of cake I had.

I couldn't help but sigh as I carefully slid the book back on the shelf. Only to jump a moment later when my phone on the nightstand (I had completely forgotten it was even there) gave a chime and vibrated insanely loud against the hard wood. I froze were I stood, watching with wide eyes as it gave one last buzz before going still. Another thing I was having trouble remembering was the fact that Elena…I… apparently had all lot of friends.

I wonder who was texting me this time, so far, I had received over a dozen messages. It was apparently true that everyone knew everyone in small towns.

Finally deciding to bite the bullet, I picked up my phone and navigated to the text message.

'Hey Elena, its Bonnie. Want 2 invite U to party at grill?'

(The grill? Where was that?)

Before I could even think of a response, the phone chimed again.

'Not a big 1. Just 2 introduce U to every1. U don't have 2.'

That… wasn't a bad idea, it definitely would be a big help having faces to go with the names. So, despite the butterflies in my stomach, I carefully typed (thank goodness this phone had a keyboard) a reply.

'I love 2, send time?'

There, no going back now. The response came eagerly quick.

'Thats GREAT! Hw abt 5pm?'

A quick look at the clock on my bedside table showed that it was only 3:30pm.

'Sound good. See U there.'

I tucked the phone into my back pocket, looking down at myself, wondering if I should change. The jeans looked fine but maybe I should change my shirt, it was a little wrinkled. Finally with a plan in mind, I made my way to the dresser in the room.

《》

After what was probably way too long just to find were I kept my shirts, I found a nice t-shirt to wear. I even found a cute purple flannel to wear over it.

A quick glance at the clock showed that it was now 3:49pm, I should probably find Aunt Jenna. After all, I had no idea where the Grill even was. And I would need a ride, sense the doctors still hadn't cleared me for driving.

So, with a deep breath, I finally opened the door to my room and stepped out.

I could do this; I've known these people all my life even if I didn't remember. Better yet, they have known me all my life. I can do this. This was my life and my home, even if it didn't feel like it, I just had to become used to it all again. After all, what could go wrong.