Memories.
Note from the author: This was a story I wanted to experiment with. It is about what it would look like to lose your memory. This is dialogue heavy compared to other stories I written as I wrote this in my Freshman year in 2020. COVID-19 was new and everyone was in lockdown. As a coping mechanism to the lack of social interaction, I started writing stories about different scenarios and memory loss was one of those scenarios.
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
It was afternoon when I woke up. I was lying down on a hospital bed with wires all around me. I didn’t know who I was, much less what I was doing here. I wanted to stand up, but my legs were numb. Instead, I got into a comfortable sitting position. I look at the white board for clues on who I am. My name was Daren Summers. I looked at my body and I tried to guess how old I was. I looked to be about eighteen years old. Wanting to know more, I looked for my wallet, if I had one, to see if I had a driver’s license. That was when the doctor came in to see me.
“How are you, young man?” the doctor asked me.
“I feel fine. And you, sir?” I replied.
“What nice manners you have. I am doing well myself,” the doctor replied with a smile. “How is your head? You hit it really hard when you were in that car accident.”
“Car accident?” I asked not sure what he was talking about. “ I do not remember being in a car accident, sir. To be honest, I do not remember anything at all.”
“You have amnesia. That is common if you hit your head hard. I shall introduce myself. My name is Dr. Timothy. You may call me Dr. Tim,” he placed his hand out for me to shake.
“Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Tim. I think my name is Daren,” I responded.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions about what happened. I will try to answer all of them,” Dr. Tim said.
“Thank you, Dr. Tim. First question, how did I get here?” I asked.
“Ah. Well by what I know and what your girlfriend gave me, you were driving when a car rammed into you head on. You and that girl were the only survivors of the crash. We have not identified the others who were in the crash, but we know that you hit your head pretty hard on the steering wheel,” Dr. Tim answered.
“I see. So, can you tell me who I am?” I asked.
“Let’s see. You are Daren Summers, son to Madrick and Lilac Summers. You have a twin brother, Maven. Enough information for you, young man?” Dr. Tim summed up.
“I might need time to process this all,” I replied.
“No problem. Call the nurse when you are ready to talk again.” Dr. Tim left the room and I started thinking. I have a family. Thank goodness. After a few minutes, I press the button. A nurse comes and I get something to eat. After my meal, I look at my surroundings. I am all alone in the room. Suddenly, I hear a cry of joy from the door.
“Oh, my goodness, you’re awake!” the woman cried. She came with an older man and a young adolescent.
“Hello, ma’am. How are you?” I asked. I felt like I knew her, but I can’t remember who she is.
“I feel fine. Oh, I’m so happy!” the woman clutched my hand. “My dear, do you remember me?”
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. Who are you?” I asked.
“I am your mother, Lilac. This is your father, Madrick,” she said pointing to the older man, “and this is your twin brother, Maven.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, dork-head,” Mavin said with a smirk. Horrible British accent he got there. I smirk back.
“Ze pleasure is mine, dip-stick,” I returned with an awful French accent. He laughs and I smile.
“You still have your humor, eh boys?” Dad said.
“I guess so,” I said back.
“We should leave Daren for a peaceful afternoon,” Mom said. “Get well soon, Daren. We love you.”
“Bye dork.”
“Bye nerd,” I called back to Maven.
“Get well soon, son,” Dad said as he left.
I thought about my family. Maven is cool, I guess. Funny, but not as funny as I can be.
“Daren?” a voice called out while I was still thinking. Two women come to my bed. One grabs my hand and sits down on the chair next to me, while the other leans against the wall.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” the girl by the wall said. “Did you enjoy your nap?”
“Why are people relieved that I'm awake? I don’t understand what’s going on,” I asked, confused.
“Your doctor never told you?” the sitting girl asks.
“No? No one told me anything when I woke up."
“Well, you were in a coma for about a month. Everyone was getting worried that you wouldn’t wake up,” the same girl responded.
“But, now that you’re awake, that means things will go back to normal,” the leaning girl commented.
“But, things won’t be the same. I don’t remember anything,” I responded.
“Nothing? Not who I am? Wow.” The leaning girl looked somewhat amused. “Well then, you can call me Princess Wishing Flower of the Southern Isles. Long and unusual name, I know. It's a family tradition,” the leaning girl said with a smirk.
“Your highness. I am honored to be in your presence. Unfortunately, I cannot kneel, for I am bedridden and cannot get up. I hope you can forgive a peasant like me, oh merciful princess,” I returned.
“Oh, knock it off Martin. Don’t tease the boy,” the sitting girl said. “Well, my name is Clair.” I felt like I knew these girls, but I couldn’t figure out how or why?
“Sorry for being rude, but how do I know you guys?” I asked.
“We are girls,” Martin retorted. “And you know me because I saved your sissy butt from an encounter with the dangerous monkey bars. Prissy here-”
“Hey! My name is not Prissy-” Clair responded.
“- is your girlfriend. She was with you when the crash occurred,” Martin finished.
“I believe you about Clair, but not about you saving me from the monkey bars,” I commented, deadpaning at the new information Martin told.
"Heh. Always the clever one. Well, you and I became friends when a group of boys were beating you up. You got injured badly, but you managed to pull through the fight,” Martin said. “All you really got was a broken arm.”
“Ouch, that must have hurt,” I said, cringing.
“It must have. There was a bone sticking out of the flesh and-”
“I think that’s enough detail, Martin.” Clair exclaimed, slightly disgusted by the visual Martin started describing.
“Well, I know who you guys-I mean girls are. Thanks for telling me,” I said with a smile on my face.
“You’re welcome, Daren,” Clair said back. "I missed you."
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
It was afternoon when I woke up. I was lying down on a hospital bed with wires all around me. I didn’t know who I was, much less what I was doing here. I wanted to stand up, but my legs were numb. Instead, I got into a comfortable sitting position. I look at the white board for clues on who I am. My name was Daren Summers. I looked at my body and I tried to guess how old I was. I looked to be about eighteen years old. Wanting to know more, I looked for my wallet, if I had one, to see if I had a driver’s license. That was when the doctor came in to see me.
“How are you, young man?” the doctor asked me.
“I feel fine. And you, sir?” I replied.
“What nice manners you have. I am doing well myself,” the doctor replied with a smile. “How is your head? You hit it really hard when you were in that car accident.”
“Car accident?” I asked not sure what he was talking about. “ I do not remember being in a car accident, sir. To be honest, I do not remember anything at all.”
“You have amnesia. That is common if you hit your head hard. I shall introduce myself. My name is Dr. Timothy. You may call me Dr. Tim,” he placed his hand out for me to shake.
“Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Tim. I think my name is Daren,” I responded.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions about what happened. I will try to answer all of them,” Dr. Tim said.
“Thank you, Dr. Tim. First question, how did I get here?” I asked.
“Ah. Well by what I know and what your girlfriend gave me, you were driving when a car rammed into you head on. You and that girl were the only survivors of the crash. We have not identified the others who were in the crash, but we know that you hit your head pretty hard on the steering wheel,” Dr. Tim answered.
“I see. So, can you tell me who I am?” I asked.
“Let’s see. You are Daren Summers, son to Madrick and Lilac Summers. You have a twin brother, Maven. Enough information for you, young man?” Dr. Tim summed up.
“I might need time to process this all,” I replied.
“No problem. Call the nurse when you are ready to talk again.” Dr. Tim left the room and I started thinking. I have a family. Thank goodness. After a few minutes, I press the button. A nurse comes and I get something to eat. After my meal, I look at my surroundings. I am all alone in the room. Suddenly, I hear a cry of joy from the door.
“Oh, my goodness, you’re awake!” the woman cried. She came with an older man and a young adolescent.
“Hello, ma’am. How are you?” I asked. I felt like I knew her, but I can’t remember who she is.
“I feel fine. Oh, I’m so happy!” the woman clutched my hand. “My dear, do you remember me?”
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. Who are you?” I asked.
“I am your mother, Lilac. This is your father, Madrick,” she said pointing to the older man, “and this is your twin brother, Maven.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, dork-head,” Mavin said with a smirk. Horrible British accent he got there. I smirk back.
“Ze pleasure is mine, dip-stick,” I returned with an awful French accent. He laughs and I smile.
“You still have your humor, eh boys?” Dad said.
“I guess so,” I said back.
“We should leave Daren for a peaceful afternoon,” Mom said. “Get well soon, Daren. We love you.”
“Bye dork.”
“Bye nerd,” I called back to Maven.
“Get well soon, son,” Dad said as he left.
I thought about my family. Maven is cool, I guess. Funny, but not as funny as I can be.
“Daren?” a voice called out while I was still thinking. Two women come to my bed. One grabs my hand and sits down on the chair next to me, while the other leans against the wall.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” the girl by the wall said. “Did you enjoy your nap?”
“Why are people relieved that I'm awake? I don’t understand what’s going on,” I asked, confused.
“Your doctor never told you?” the sitting girl asks.
“No? No one told me anything when I woke up."
“Well, you were in a coma for about a month. Everyone was getting worried that you wouldn’t wake up,” the same girl responded.
“But, now that you’re awake, that means things will go back to normal,” the leaning girl commented.
“But, things won’t be the same. I don’t remember anything,” I responded.
“Nothing? Not who I am? Wow.” The leaning girl looked somewhat amused. “Well then, you can call me Princess Wishing Flower of the Southern Isles. Long and unusual name, I know. It's a family tradition,” the leaning girl said with a smirk.
“Your highness. I am honored to be in your presence. Unfortunately, I cannot kneel, for I am bedridden and cannot get up. I hope you can forgive a peasant like me, oh merciful princess,” I returned.
“Oh, knock it off Martin. Don’t tease the boy,” the sitting girl said. “Well, my name is Clair.” I felt like I knew these girls, but I couldn’t figure out how or why?
“Sorry for being rude, but how do I know you guys?” I asked.
“We are girls,” Martin retorted. “And you know me because I saved your sissy butt from an encounter with the dangerous monkey bars. Prissy here-”
“Hey! My name is not Prissy-” Clair responded.
“- is your girlfriend. She was with you when the crash occurred,” Martin finished.
“I believe you about Clair, but not about you saving me from the monkey bars,” I commented, deadpaning at the new information Martin told.
"Heh. Always the clever one. Well, you and I became friends when a group of boys were beating you up. You got injured badly, but you managed to pull through the fight,” Martin said. “All you really got was a broken arm.”
“Ouch, that must have hurt,” I said, cringing.
“It must have. There was a bone sticking out of the flesh and-”
“I think that’s enough detail, Martin.” Clair exclaimed, slightly disgusted by the visual Martin started describing.
“Well, I know who you guys-I mean girls are. Thanks for telling me,” I said with a smile on my face.
“You’re welcome, Daren,” Clair said back. "I missed you."