004-Best Friend

Tina's POV

"Oh my God! She's awake! Stay with her! I'll go get Doctor Drew!"

Light enters my eyes as a shout bursts out, but it's dumb and thick as if traveling through water.

Later I get to know that the shout belongs to a cute little nurse named Daisy. She has been taking care of me during my coma.

Yes, I was in a coma for three months.

At least that's what they told me because I can't remember much. Apparently, I was in a car accident, and the crash broke my memory into pieces. I know who I am, and if I try, I can remember glimpses of my past.

But not all. I know. Something important is missing.

I just don't know what.

But every time I try to think about it, a huge, unreasonable tsunami of sorrow washes through me and puts me in a panic attack. It's not healthy for my recovery, and I was advised against doing that by the doctors.

"How's my favorite patient doing today?" Doctor Drew always greets me that way. He's friendly to everyone, and apparently, loved by everyone in return.

"Daisy stole meat from my plate today! Again!" I fake a pout and complain to him. Daisy gasps and covers her mouth in shock like a scared rabbit. She's so innocent and cute that she takes everything in the most straightforward way.

"But she only woke up seven days ago from a three-month coma, and it can be dangerous to try solid, indigestible food!" Daisy furrows her beautiful golden eyebrows, turning to Doctor Drew with a serious worried look.

Both Dr. Drew and me laugh. They are really nice people, just not werewolves. I don't know if I should trust them with that information yet.

"You are absolutely right, Daisy," Doctor Drew's confirmation puts cute little Daisy at ease, "but our Miss Cleo is recovering at a shocking high speed, and I think it's okay for her to have some meat if she has the appetite for it."

I make a face at Daisy, bragging for the doctor taking my side, and she just smiles gently at me like I'm a wilful kid.

"So, how are you feeling today?" Daisy sits on my bed after the doctor finished the routine check, unusually.

"Feeling better," I nod in her pure, gentle gaze, turning my shoulders to show her. Apparently, I was shot before the car accident, and a bullet is stuck in my collarbone. The small town is not equipped to take it out for me, but it doesn't hurt unless I put huge force on the wound.

"I'm sorry about your tattoo," Daisy checked my bullet wound with a skillful touch. There was a tattooed gothic letter S there, but now it's just two ugly worms with a hole in the middle, "the bullet wound broke the S in the middle."

I nod before looking away, and Daisy takes my hint quickly and mentions a joke about some other patient. All I need to do is sit there and laugh with her, trying to put the topic of the tattoo behind me--

This is what Daisy and I do when some memory triggers the huge sorrow that I cannot either remember or handle.

Apparently, the tattoo is a part of the missing memory.

"The thing is," Daisy starts hetitatingly, getting to the real reason why she stayed behind today, "Someone wants to visit you. The doctor just asked me to talk about this with you because care from friends often helps."

I hesitate, not sure it would be a good idea when I just got shot, and I don't even know who did it.

"He claims to be your boyfriend," Understanding my worry, Daisy adds cautiously, seraching for my eyes, "Do you remember him?"

Boyfriend? That word sounds so distant and strange. Do I have a boyfriend? I can barely remember. But to think about this intimate word rose an unreasonable eagerness in my chest.

"Soren?" I murmur, only to frown. Why would I think of him? He's the Alpha heir of our pack, and by definition the last person I get to date.

"Tina, you are crying..." Daisy looks worried as she says gently, handing over a tissue.

"Am I?" I wipe my face with my sleeve in surprise, only to realize I ignored the tissue she's holding, "Yeah, why am I crying? I can barely remember him."

Daisy nods, holding onto my hand to give me courage: "I know it can be scary and confusing to meet people during a memory loss, so if you don't want to meet them, then they can't."

"No," I shake my head quickly, hating the emptiness that suggestion rose in me, "I want to meet him!"

"Okay," Daisy strokes my hair comfortingly, "okay, I'll let them in."

In the short moment of Daisy's absence, my heartbeat sped up over 120 for no reason. I pinch the sheet hard to calm myself but fail. When his step rises by the door I look over wishing I had the neck of a giraffe.

Thud! Thud!

I don't know if my heart beats louder or his steps do.

But then all the magical and mysterious chemical reactions happening in my body stop when he walks in, whatever they were.

Because I don't recognize the man.

"Tina!" He dashes at me with an exaggerated, and I dodge by instinct, more frightened than excited.

"You are scaring her!" Daisy hurries between me and the man, fierce like a tiny cat mama with her arms up to protect me, "I told you, she's still recovering! Huge mood swings can hurt her!"

"I'm really sorry! I'm just too excited! It's just, I thought I lost her forever!" The man instantly backs off, raising both his hands with a silly smile before he looks at me and asks in a softer tone, "Tina, do you remember me? I'm your mate, Scott Tayler!"

"Mate?" Daisy frowns in confusion, looking back at me for confirmation.

Her guess is as good as mine, but for a different reason. I know what a mate is, I just don't know if this man is mine. I'm wolfless, and without my wolf, I can't recognize the mate fated to me.

Seeing the genuine excitment on his face, I try to go through the shattered pieces of my memory for his face. But other than a few sullen ones from a distance, I can't find much.

"Your name is Tina Cleo. You grew up in Oceanplain City with only your mom. You are a freshman in the city college, majoring in art, and you--"

I frown at his blabbering and Diasy shuts him up with a glare. Has he always been this talkative? How did I survive him before? ...if, he really is my mate?

"S-Scott? I'm sorry, but I don't remember too much about you..." Finally, I decide to tell him the truth. As a wolfless, I don't expect to keep my mate anyway, to be honest. Especially in my condition.

"It's okay, I can fill your past up for you," he comes a little closer, cautious this time, and stops at the foot of the bed, "I grew up knowing your whole life, Teenie."

The sound of that word made me nauseous. A weird, strong wave of mixed emotion washes over me, and I have to close my eyes to contain it.

"Don't call me that! Please..." I curl my knees to my chest, feeling scared for no reason, "I don't like it."

"I'm sorry, of course!" Scott raises both his hands again, backing off, "I--"

Before he can say anything, a woman charges into the room screaming, and this time she simply just pushes Daisy out of the way before she hangs herself on me, shouting: "Tina! I thought I would never see you again! It's true! You are still alive!"

My ears ring and my head hurts at her loud outburst.

Daisy manages to pull her off and she's still chirping on: "Tina, I'm your best friend, Lesley. Don't you remember me either?!"

I look at Scott for confirmation, he darts his eyes away and touches his nose awkwardly before he gives me a reassuring smile: "Lesley and I have been looking for you ever since the car accident. We both love you, so, so much."