Amnesiac - A Peter Parker Story

Why Can't I Remember?

Beck had been locked in the Raft, charged with kidnapping and brainwashing. His tech had been destroyed and all information about it was purged from the net and locked away in SHEILD's vaults so no one could get their hands on it.

Sadly, it seemed like Peter would never be able to go completely back to normal.

While Tony and Dr. Cho did everything they could to help Peter recover from the two months of constant brainwashing, Bucky had to sit back and watch as the love of his life struggled through the treatments. Peter often struggled to stay focused on anything, many times zoning out or forgetting what he was doing. His long term memory was sluggish, and he often had to think hard just to recall a memory.

Peter was sitting in his therapist's office, staring at the floor as he spun the bracelet on his wrist. He didn't remember where he got it, or who it was from, but he knew it was important to him.

"Have you started that journal I suggested?" Dr. Williams asked, her voice soft as she looked at Peter. Her legs were cross, her clipboard resting on her lap as she watched him.

"Yeah." Peter whispered. "I keep forgetting to write in it, b-but Mr. Stark has been helping remind me." He sighed.

"That's good. Any new memories since the last treatment?" She asked, marking down something on her notes. Peter flinched as he heard the scratching of her pen on the paper.

"A few. They're... foggy. It's like I'm watching someone else's memories. Like they're not mine." He tried to explain, but it felt like it didn't make sense.

"That's understandable." She said, resting her arm over her knee and tilting her head at him. "Do you feel comfortable with telling me about them?"

Peter's head moved in a silent nod, but he didn't start speaking for a few minutes.

"One's about the bracelet. It's fuzzy, and I don't have an... image of it. Just voices. It's mine and... someone else's voices." Peter's eyes closed as his brow furrowed in concentration. "T-they've just gotten home from... a-a mission. I-I think. He's... He was in Belarus. He bought it for me, s-saying it reminded him of me."

"Do you remember how you felt when he gave it to you?"

"Excited... Like I could melt."

"So this man was important to you?"

"Very... I-I don't know who it is, I-I just know that I loved him."

-----

Peter sighed as he walked into the common room of the tower, dropping his backpack by the door.

"Hey, Peter. How'd your session go?" Tony asked, moving to him and wrapping him in a hug.

"Ok..." He whispered, sighing and laying his head on his mentor's shoulder. "I just wish I could remember..."

"It'll take time, kid, you'll just have to be patient." Tony was trying to soothe him, but he couldn't deny that he wished Peter could remember too.

"I know..." He yawned. Therapy sessions always tired him out. "I'm gonna go get a nap..."

Tony nodded response, patting his back before sending him off to rest.

"Anything?" A quiet voice said once Peter had disappeared down the hall.

"Nothing yet." Tony said, in response, turning to look at the heart-broken man.

"I thought not..." Bucky whispered, then turned and walked away.

-----

Two days later, Peter was once again in Doctor Williams' office, but this time, he was crying. He had been trying hard to remember who it was that had given him the bracelet, but nothing had come to him.

"It's alright, Peter." Dr. Williams tried to soothe.

She was met with broken sobs.

"W-why c-can't I r-r-remember?"