After I answer, I hear someone take a large intake of breathe. I look back at the woman in question, she now has tears streaming down her face. She isn’t the only one with a look of devastation and sympathy. Taking everyone’s expression in, I feel the panic rising again.
Wow, this is so uncomfortable.
“Please, can they leave? Why are there so many people here?” My own eyes are watering again, this whole situation is overwhelming me. There must be more than ten people in here.
“Can everyone please leave the room. I’d like to talk to Maya alone for a moment,” The doctor says.
Two of the girls start to protest but get dragged away by the older lady who approached me earlier. Once they’ve all left, Dr Smyth takes a seat beside me. Angling himself towards me ashe speaks.
“Now Maya, can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?”
I frown as I concentrate, trying hard to remember what happened to me. To be honest though, I don’t remember anything at all. My eyes travel back to him, that calm and kind expression still in place. I shake my head.
“That’s fine, please don’t worry about that for now. Do you recognise anybody who was in the room with you?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Why would I know any of them? I don’t think I have ever seen them before.”
“That’s okay. With head injuries such as yours, a common side effect is struggling to remember certain things, places and people. I’ll get a specialist doctor to come and see you shortly, they will be able to explain more about what’s happening. This is nothing to worry about so please try to relax and I’ll keep everyone at bay for now. How does that sound?” Like a fucking tornado is spinning around my brain, that’s what it sounds like to me.
The way he talks to me makes me believe in what he is saying though. He has this way about him that automatically eases any troubles.
“Now if it’s still okay with you, I’d like to go over your observations and check all is okay,” He smiles as he carries on doing whatever the hell it is he needs to do.
I nod my head in agreement, not really knowing what else there is to say.
“How is your pain doing?” he asks.
“Honestly, it’s bad. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” I rub my eyes, exhaustion taking over me again.
“After what you have been through, I’m not surprised. I’ll go and get a new prescription for more pain relief for you. I imagine you’ll be feeling pain for a few more days before you start to feel better.”
“Could you tell me what happened?” My eyes leaking tears, yet again. God it’s frustrating, but the look he is giving me right now isn’t very reassuring.
“I think it’s best we wait until the specialist gets here, if that’s okay with you. I promise to speak to them straight away.”
As he is finishing up we hear a man shouting from the other side of the door, begging to be let inside.
“I need to see her! Move out of my way, she needs me!” The man roars. My head whips towards the doc, eyes wide and body trembling.
Who even was that?
“Please. I don’t want to face any more people I don’t know. I can’t,” I plead. I have honestly never felt so much fear before. Fear of the unknown. Fear of these people wanting to see me. Fear that they will keep expecting something I can’t give them.
“Of course. I will nip out and let them know. Sit tight, okay? His kind eyes lock with mine, making sure I know he’s there for me. I really do feel like he is. “I promise to make sure no one will come in other than the staff here at the hospital. Is that alright?”
Nodding carefully, trying not to cause my head to spin anymore than it is already. “Yes, that’s great… and Dr Smyth? Thanks for this.”
He waits a beat, making sure I’m not going to fall apart. Even I don’t know how I haven’t yet. There is so much I need to absorb right now.
I’ve been in an accident… of which kind I don’t know yet.
I’m in pain and can’t move my arm or head.
I can’t remember any of the people who clearly know me.
And lastly, there’s one man in particular that seems desperate to see me.
But there’s nothing. No recollection at all.
There are still raised voices coming from the outside of my room, but I don’t really care. After all the theatrics from the short time I’ve been awake, my brain is struggling to function. I give into the fight after a few minutes, drifting into a restless sleep, dreaming of the voice I heard on the other side of the door.
