Chapter 1 ~ What’s Your Name?

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sound drilled into my skull like an alarm I couldn't snooze. My eyelids felt like they had been glued shut, my body heavy like I'd been hit by a truck—or maybe an entire army of them. Everything ached.

I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blinding fluorescent lights. White walls. A hospital bed. Machines blinking beside me.

Okay... I was definitely in a hospital.

"Can you hear me?"

The voice came from a man standing way too close to my face. I squinted, trying to make sense of his blurred features. He was holding something—oh. A flashlight.

Before I could react, he flicked it straight into my eyes. "What the hell, man? You trying to blind me?" I snapped, instinctively jerking my head away.

The guy—who I now realized was a doctor—chuckled. "That's a good sign."

"Says the man trying to burn my retinas."

Behind him, a woman in a nurse's uniform smiled as she scribbled something on a clipboard. They didn't seem particularly horrified by my presence, which meant I hadn't done anything too crazy before ending up here... right?

"Can you move your body?" the doctor asked.

I flexed my fingers, shifted my legs, and even wiggled my toes for extra effect. Everything worked, which was great, but also terrifying because—

"Why am I here?" I blurted.

The doctor ignored my question. Rude. "What's your name?"

"My name is..." I opened my mouth, fully expecting an answer to roll off my tongue. But nothing came. I frowned. That couldn't be right. I knew my name. I had to.

I tried again. "My name is..."

Blank.

Pure, terrifying blankness. A tightness crept up my throat. My heart rate spiked, and the machine beside me beeped in betrayal. The nurse and doctor exchanged glances.

"You don't remember?" he asked, his voice softer this time.

I shook my head, my pulse pounding.

My palms started to sweat. "No, but that's temporary, right? It's not like I forgot forever. That would be ridiculous."

He sighed. "It's normal. You've been in a coma for two years."

Two years?

My stomach twisted violently, nausea crawling up my throat. My fingers clenched the sheets, the room spinning for a second. Two years? As in... 730 days of my life just gone?

"No," I whispered, my voice barely there. "That... That can't be right."

The doctor must have seen the panic on my face because he quickly added, "Your memory might return with time. Just take it easy."

"Take it easy?" I repeated, voice rising. "I just woke up from two years of being unconscious, and I don't even know my own name! How do you expect me to—"

"Your family will be here soon. They never miss a day," the doctor said, cutting me off. Family? My heart leaped. Maybe they could tell me who I was.

The doctor left, and the nurse checked the monitors. Before walking out, she gave me a quick smile. "Welcome back to Earth."

I blinked. "Where else would I have been?"

She chuckled and disappeared, leaving me alone.

I flopped back against the pillow, exhaling sharply. Okay, nameless one, let's not freak out yet. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Maybe I'd remember something soon.

I squeezed my eyes shut, digging through the fog in my brain. Anything. A name. A face. A memory of my favorite snack.

Nothing.

I groaned. This sucked.

Just then, voices drifted through the open door. "Honey, the doctor said she's awake."

I looked up just as an older couple stepped into the room. The woman had short bobbed hair and teary eyes, while the man beside her looked strong, with streaks of gray in his blond hair. They looked like the kind of couple that had been together forever—the kind that finished each other's sentences and held hands at the grocery store.

My chest tightened. Were they my parents?

The woman gasped when she saw me, covering her mouth. "Oh, honey, look at her. She's awake. She's awake."

She rushed forward, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a gentleness that made my throat ache.

"Hi," I said, feeling strangely awkward.

"Hi," she echoed, her eyes still wet with emotion. "Your eyes... they're so pretty." I let out a small chuckle. "I mean, I don't remember picking them, but thanks?" Her lips trembled before she laughed, and something about it made me feel... safe.

Then the doctor called from the hallway. "Mr. Evans, can I speak with you both in my office?"

Mr. Evans—the man—nodded. "We'll be right back, dear." Then they followed the doctor out, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

I had no name. No memory. No idea why I was here. And now, apparently, I had family?

Something wasn't adding up.

"Sorry for the short chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the next one!"

                                                      LadyHedti❤️