Sinking through time (#Wattys2014)

Chapter 24 - Re-awakening

Hospital noises woke Lucy from her sleep. She had been dreaming but couldn’t recall what her dream had been about. One second she was deeply immersed in the dream and the next she was awake and had forgotten the entire thing. Lucy looked around. Last night she had been moved to her own room. She wasn’t sure why but she welcomed being alone and having her own space.

She looked around the room. The walls were lemon yellow; probably to try to lift the spirits of the patients. Lucy liked it; at least they weren’t drab grey or plain white. Flowers had been placed on the bedside table. She didn’t remember seeing them before. Lucy reached out and took the note that accompanied them.

Dear Luce,
If you’re reading this note it means you’ve woken up. You don’t know how happy that makes me feel. Welcome back to the real world. I can’t wait for you to come home. I want my best friend back. In the mean time, enjoy the peonies. I know they’re your favourite.

Lots of love,

John.

XOXO

“John?” Lucy said out loud.

‘Oh yes, that’s right, the guy that was here yesterday. The one I didn’t know,’ Lucy thought to herself. She closed her eyes and tried to remember John. She pictured herself and then she pictured John, and then she tried to put the two images together, but they just wouldn’t mix.

“Awwww!” Lucy moaned out loud.

The frustration at not being able to remember John or his mother was annoying. She had been told they were best friends and the note with the flowers had backed that statement up. If they were such good friends, how come she couldn’t remember? Why were certain people blocked from her memory and others weren’t? She didn’t know. She’d just have to trust Dr Little when he’d said that the memories might return on their own. But what if they didn’t? If John had been such a big part of her life, what would fill the gap that would be left if he wasn’t anymore? She didn’t know.

Lucy decided to concentrate on what she did know. What she knew right now was that she was hungry; really hungry. She looked around for the buzzer and pressed it. Moments later a nurse came into her room.

“Yes? Are you okay?” the nurse asked.

“Sorry, it’s not a medical emergency. I’m just really hungry. What time is breakfast around here?” Lucy questioned.

“The breakfast trays get delivered at 9am,” the nurse stated.

“Thanks. Um, one more thing; what time is it, please?” Lucy asked.

The nurse looked at her watch that was pinned to her uniform.

“It’s 6.10 am,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh, thanks. Ah, is there a cafeteria around here?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, it’s on the second floor, but I don’t think you should be leaving this floor. The doctor hasn’t given any approval for you to leave this ward,” the nurse said impatiently.

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Lucy said, her stomach making a loud grumbling sound as she did.

“Now, if there isn’t anything else, I have my rounds to do. The doctor will be around at eight thirty to check on you,” the nurse said, exiting Lucy’s room before Lucy could respond.

“Fine,” Lucy said to herself, agitated that she’d have to wait almost three hours for breakfast.

Her stomach gave another grumble. Lucy tried to remember the last time she’d eaten but she couldn’t. She opened her bedside table drawer to see if her parents had left anything for her; nothing. They had, however, left her purse. She opened it to find a twenty dollar note inside. ‘Too bad,’ she thought to herself. ‘I’m getting some food’.