I finally got out of the city enough to get some speed, still passing cars, illegally. I didn’t care. I would have loved for the cops to see me and stop me. They didn’t, and I was left to fend for myself. I was a few cars ahead of him when I came up on a sports car with the top down, full of young girls. They were yelling and having the time of their life, but they were driving too slowly. I knew I shouldn’t try it. I couldn’t see if anything was coming from the little knoll.
I darted around them, and I was right. I shouldn’t have done it. Neither I nor the city bus driver had time to react before my car was under his bumper. I don’t remember much after that. I could vaguely recall sirens, voices and the sound of a saw. I was hot. I was so hot, and I could smell smoke. Was the car on fire? Was I being cut out of the car? I didn’t know. I was drifting away. I felt my body becoming lighter and lighter as I floated into the dark.
I’m sorry, Dawson…
***
I didn’t know how long I had been there. I coughed and didn’t like the tube in my throat. The lights were bright, and I was confused. I gagged on the tube inserted into my throat as I tried to move my head.
The tube was being pulled out. That was why it was gagging me. I managed to get my eyes opened and saw a doctor, a nurse and a man that looked familiar, but I just couldn’t put my finger on who he was just yet.
“Mrs. Kelley, can you hear me?” the doctor asked.
Mrs. Kelley? Mrs. Kelley? I repeated over in my head unable to speak. That didn’t sound right. Was that my name?
I let my eyes close again and drifted back into the darkness. I don’t think I was out very long. I think the doctor had continued to call my name or somebody’s name. None of it made any since. I had no recollection of anything.
“Mrs. Kelley, can you tell me your name?” the doctor spoke.
I looked at the man who felt familiar, and he looked worried. Was he worried about me? Who was he?
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You’re in the hospital, baby,” the man who seemed to know me said. I pulled my hand away from him.
I didn’t know who he was.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“You were in a bad car accident, but you’re going to be okay,” the man that thought he knew me replied.
“How long have I been here?”
“We have had you in an induced coma for five weeks now. You suffered a ruptured spleen, broken pelvis and a serious head injury. Your brain had swollen severely, so we put you into an induced coma so it could recover.”
“Five weeks?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why it mattered. I couldn’t even remember my name.
“Mrs. Kelley, can you tell me what your name is?”
“Who are you?” I asked, turning to the man who seemed to care about me.
“It’s me, Morgan, Drew. I’m your husband.”
What the fuck??? I don’t think so…
“I don’t think that is right,” I assured him.
“You might suffer some memory loss from your head injury, but I am highly optimistic that you will have a full recover. Memory loss is a common side-effect of serious head injuries. It is highly likely it will return in time,” the doctor explained.
I drifted back off. That was enough. I couldn’t take anymore. Maybe the next time I woke it would be over.
Maybe it was just a bad dream. Yeah, that’s what it was. I will wake to my real life the next time.
I think I was out for a long time. The room was dark, and the same man that was there earlier was sitting in the chair. He jumped up when he saw that I was awake.
“Hey,” he softly spoke. I pulled my hand out of his again. It took every bit of strength that I had. My arm felt so heavy.
“You should leave. I don’t know who you are,” I demanded.
“I’m your husband, Morgan. We’ve been married for almost eight years.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He got my purse and showed me my Nevada driver’s license. The picture looked familiar but was it me? That didn’t prove anything.
Every time I woke this man was sitting there. Why wouldn’t he leave?
I don’t know how many more days I was there drifting in and out of consciousness, but every time I woke this man was there. He was there when I was moved to the rehabilitation center as well.
I was starting to come around and was awake more and more. This guy who claimed to be my husband was always there, always telling me how much how much he missed me being home with him.
Evidently I had just gotten home when I had my accident. Apparently I had been studying English Literature in France, and hadn’t even made it home yet or so I was told. I didn’t remember being in France either. I was scared, and I felt like my whole life had been erased.
Why couldn’t I remember something? Anything? It was so frustrating. I felt a massive void, and despite the things this Drew character had begun telling me about my past, it was all alien. He said that we were getting ready to start a family, we lived in a beautiful mansion and that I loved books. It all sounded so superficial, and for some reason I didn’t believe him.