AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ONE
Don’t do it. Don’t do it! Don’t—No!
Eden Dawson awoke with a start, aware at first of nothing but how foggy her head felt—and how much it hurt. She blinked up at the white ceiling until the dizziness subsided and the fuzziness in her vision cleared. From somewhere to her left, an incessant beeping stabbed into her ear, and to her right, something squeezed her arm to the point of pain before deflating, over and over again.
She was…in the hospital? But why? What had happened?
Scowling, she closed her eyes and tried to remember, except… Her mind was blank. She remembered her name, of course. Her phone number and social security number. Her home address and the address of her dog grooming business. She even remembered the names of her six siblings and her bewilderingly huge number of nieces and nephews. But she had no idea what the hell she’d been doing before she’d ended up here.
Feeling panicked, she struggled to sit up too fast and her head swam again. Someone grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Honey,” her mom said. “Hey, just take it easy, okay? You need to rest now.”
“Mom?” she croaked out. “What’s going on?”
Once the disorientation eased, Eden slowly turned her head to see both of her parents sitting beside her bed. They were looking at each other, then her, their expressions concerned. Eden swallowed hard and tried again. “Please. Tell me what happened.”
“You don’t remember, sweetheart?” her dad asked, frowning.
“No. I—”
“Ah, I see the patient is finally awake.” A woman in a white lab coat walked into the room. She looked maybe fifty. Embroidered above the chest pocket on her lab coat was the name Dr. Srirani. She stopped on the opposite side of the bed from Eden’s parents and smiled over at them warmly. “How long has she been conscious?”
“Five minutes, maybe?” her mom said, meeting Eden’s gaze again, tears in her own.
Why is Mom crying? Oh God. Am I dying? Fuck!
Dr. Srirani placed a comforting hand on her arm. “Can you tell me what day it is, Ms. Dawson?”
“F-Friday?” she said, hesitant, unsure about anything anymore.
Her parents shifted in their seats. Eden glanced over at them too fast, which was a mistake. Nausea hit hard and fast. Please don’t let me throw up. I hate to throw up more than anything in the world. Dr. Srirani kept a hand on her arm, helping to ground her. She was grateful for that.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Dawson. I know this is all very confusing for you right now.” The doctor’s voice was low and soothing. “I’m a neurologist and I was called in to consult on your case after you were involved in a car accident.”
“Car accident?” Eden squeezed her eyes shut to try to remember, but her mind stayed frustratingly blank. “I don’t remember anything about an accident.”
Her mother whispered something to her father, and Eden’s heart pinched.
“Please, don’t be alarmed, Ms. Dawson,” Dr. Srirani said. “It’s very common for the mind to block out traumatic memories. It may come to you later—it may not. Either way, it’s not something to worry about. Not to mention, sleeping through a couple of days can make anyone disoriented.”
Sleeping through a couple of days? Just how long have I been unconscious?
“Can you tell me your first name?” Dr. Srirani asked, her calm tone cutting through the chaos in Eden’s head.
“Eden.”
“Very good. And the date?”
“I…the last day I remember was April 19th. How many days have I been out?”
Dr. Srirani flashed a polite smile. “You were brought in on the 19th. Today is the 23rd.”
Eden’s eyes widened at the realization of how long she’d been unconscious.
“Please don’t worry, Ms. Dawson.” Dr. Srirani took a deep breath, her smile never faltering. “You were involved in a bad accident where your vehicle went off the road at a high rate of speed and struck a tree. The vehicle was totaled, but you fortunately survived with only some minor bumps and bruises. It’s likely you also have a concussion, though we’ll need tests to verify.” While Eden took that in, the doctor continued. “Now, if you’re up for it, I’d like to ask you a few more questions.”
Eden didn’t really feel up for more questions, but she felt less like sitting around not knowing what the hell was going on, so she muddled through. She also kept it together while enduring the additional tests and scans the doctor ordered for diagnostic purposes. When they were all finally over, Eden’s exhaustion made her want to sleep for another four days.
