Obsession

Jane Doe

Cold asphalt mixed with the warm blood freshly fallen on it. Sounds of sirens in the distance could be heard. Constant incoherent apologizes and breathless prayers mumbled around her. Heart rates and footsteps sped up as paramedics approached.
Then everyone all at one talking so loud it blended into one loud roar of worry.

She was being lifted so gently she nearly thought she might be floating. Something supported her neck, while she was asked for her name, something the woman couldn't quite remember. She didn't want to, she wanted to sleep. Keeping her eyes closed was nearly impossible with medics constantly flashing lights at them.

Looking down she realized someone had placed an IV in her left arm. She couldn't feel pain, something that surprised her for the amount of blood and paramedics surrounding her. The woman's body felt fuzzy, like a warm current was running through it. It was almost like pins and needles but everywhere all at once.

Soon the ambulance sped off towards the hospital, the paramedics inside never stopping their work. The once quiet street is now filled with police and pedestrians. All wondering how something like this could happen. The man in the truck could be seen sitting on the sidewalk teary eyed as he recalled the events and repeated them to authorities. He of course was safe, his truck easily ran over the much smaller bike in front of it which left him unscathed. Physically that is.

The motorcycle having been crushed during the accident left everyone with little to no clues as to who the mystery woman was. No ID or phone, nothing. It should come as no surprise that she was severely injured, leaving her once beautiful face now unrecognizable. Her right arm was broken, a few of her ribs as well. She couldn't move which gave the professionals a new list of complications and possibilities.

Her heartbeat was slowing, the rhythm pounding in her head was now the only thing she could hear. Still she wasn't scared, it was oddly soothing. Finally her eyes closed and this time stayed shut. Sleep is all the woman believed she needed, that it would somehow fix everything that had ever happened to her. Faces and voices of the people she had spent her life with now playing for her like a movie behind her eyelids.

Places she had traveled to and cultures she got to experience. Food and drinks she had tasted and enjoyed. Her childhood, no matter how traumatic. She was little, waiting for her Mother to return from work, her father saying she would be there any minute. That minute never came; an armed man had robbed the business at gunpoint along with three other men. Her mother was stubborn and refused their demands which led to her tragic demise.

She could see when she was a teenager, walking across the bright stage as she bowed and accepted her diploma. The moment should have been a happy memory, something that symbolizes new beginnings. She wasn't like the average student body though, she had a family reputation to maintain and a business that was handed to her. Life, if anything, has gotten a lot more stressful.

The woman's mind continued to play the movie that was her life as she was moved from the car to a table. An operating table to be exact, surgeons had to move fast and carefully. An anesthesiologist gently placed a mask on her face to insure she stayed asleep during the procedures.

It didn't look good from a doctor's perspective, there were a multitude of things that needed to be done and tested. The sound of several medical machines could be heard over the mumbling of surgeons around her. Despite their efforts most people in that room didn't believe she was going to make it.

Across town a family stood unaware of the tragedies that had taken place. Continuing the day as if nothing had happened, because to them nothing had. Assuming the woman left shortly after the altercation for fresh air. Dinner had been made her favorite, and was supposed to be a peace offering. The child sat patiently waiting by the front door, her momma trying to soothe her worries, telling her that the woman would be back soon.

Deciding that a distraction would help take the little one's mind off of things she moved the pair to the living room and turned on some cartoons. It didn't take long for her to calm down and cuddle into her momma, relaxing as she did so. They stayed like that, cuddling in the nice warm big house. The smell of good food in the air, lighthearted shows playing in the background. A candle was burning letting the sweet aroma fill the space around it.

A window had been opened at some point allowing a gentle breeze to drift through the house. It was by all means a peaceful display. One that wouldn't last forever. They weren't aware an invisible clock was ticking against them. Or that as the minutes passed it brought them closer to that realization.

But blissfulness cannot last forever. It was around the second episode or when the food on the table began to get cold. When the candle had long since gone out, and the breeze had turned cool. It was around that time that the surgeons grew tired, and were running out of options. They had amputated the arm, lacerations going too deep and tissue that cannot be saved lead to that decision. Titanium plates and screws had been placed to mend her broken ribs, all of which lead to a tremendous amount of blood loss.

They had found no spinal damage which was a good thing, but there was severe trauma to her brain and doctors were not sure if she'd even wake up if she made it through the night.  And if she did wake up, would she remember anything? No name meant they couldn't reach out to family and tell them of her condition. Couldn't look at past medical records to look for any previous diagnosis.

So for now Jane Doe would have to stay strong and keep fighting. The night dragged on, people switched shifts and made calls trying to find any information they could about the woman. Their efforts were in vain and proved fruitless. Still they searched.

Hours had passed and the surgeries had since stopped, the woman was now resting in icu. Eyes closed, a slow beeping could be heard, it would speed up every once in a while steadying back down after a bit. Nearly all of her body was covered in gauze and medical wrap. The room was cold and the hallways were empty and eerie.

The once vibrant dream playing in her mind had since stopped and was now replaced with nothing. It was an unfamiliar nothingness not like when you close your eyes, this was something completely different. She couldn't hear anything or feel anything against her skin. The woman couldn't think she just laid there breathing.

Every so often a nurse would come in and check her vitals or whisper reassurances.
Another hour had passed before they got a phone call from the police station about a woman looking for her fiance. She for the most part fit the description and her outfit was pretty spot on from what they could salvage from the wreckage.

Due to her injuries identifying the woman was going to be difficult, still they would allow her to come and check. It was protocol after all.

Soon police showed up escorting two women to the lowly lit room that Jane Doe was resting in. Almost immediately after seeing the woman it was confirmed that they knew exactly who was on the bed.

Panicked conversations started between Jane and the doctors about Victoria's condition. Her likelihood of survival and the evidence of cancer they discovered when they had initially started bloodwork and scans. All the information hit Jane much like the truck that struck her lover. She had collapsed beside the bed while she listened to everything being said.

During this time another doctor had taken Lily into the hallway, trying her best to sooth the girl who repeatedly cried about missing her mommy and if she would be okay. As medical professionals they were trained about the uniqueness of every household so the behavior that Lily was displaying wasn't shocking.

The nurse who introduced herself as Sarah had taken Lily into a waiting room very obviously designed for children and quietly put on a movie. After she paged the doctor about their whereabouts she got some paper and crayons out as she continued to try and distract the young lady.